Table Of Contents

VARIATIONS............................123 RULES SUMMARY .................. 186

Getting Prepared For A Solo Adventure .......123
Determining NPC Statistics.........................127
NPC Statistics Table ......................................127
COLLECTED
Getting The Most Out Of Sourcebooks .......128 TABLES & SHEETS ................. 192
The Thread Progress Track ...........................132 Adventure Journal .........................................192
Thread Progress Tracks ...................................132 Adventure Lists..............................................193
Discovery Fate Question.................................136 Fate Chart ....................................................194
Thread Discovery Check ................................137 Fate Question Answers ...................................194
Diversifying Threads ....................................140 Fate Check Modifiers .....................................195
Resolving Character vs. Player Knowledge ...141 Fate Check Answers .......................................195
Player Vs. PC Knowledge ...............................144 Fate Questions As RPG Rules .........................196
Conclusive Adventure Conclusions ..............145 Random Event Focus Table ............................197
Choose Your Chaos Flavor ...........................147 Choosing The Event Focus ..............................198
Mid-Chaos Fate Chart ..................................147 Meaning Tables: Actions ................................199
Mid-Chaos Fate Check Modifiers ...................147 Meaning Tables: Descriptions .........................200
Low-Chaos Fate Chart ..................................148 Meaning Tables: Elements ..............................201
Low-Chaos Fate Check Modifiers ...................148 Testing The Expected Scene ............................216
No-Chaos Fate Chart ....................................148 Scene Adjustment Table .................................216
What Is “A Session” In Solo Play?.................148 NPC Behavior Table .....................................217
Control Your Adventures NPC Statistics Table ......................................217
With Keyed Scenes ......................................149 Thread Progress Tracks ...................................218
Keyed Scenes Record Sheet ..............................153 Discovery Fate Question.................................219
Using Mythic With Prepared Adventures .....156 Thread Discovery Check ................................219
Adventure Features List..................................160 Player Vs. PC Knowledge ...............................220
Prepared Adventure Event Focus Table ............164 Mid-Chaos Fate Chart ..................................221
Handling Complicated Campaigns ..............166 Low-Chaos Fate Chart ..................................221
Peril Points...................................................170 No-Chaos Fate Chart ....................................221
Using The Adventure Crafter With Mythic ...171 Mid-Chaos Fate Check Modifiers ...................222
Using The Adventure Crafter With Mythic......175 Low-Chaos Fate Check Modifiers ...................222
Where To Get More Support .......................175 Keyed Scenes Record Sheet ..............................223
Adventure Features List..................................224
Prepared Adventure Event Focus Table ............225
THE BIG EXAMPLE ................ 177 Using The Adventure Crafter With Mythic......226

COVER ART .............................227

5
6
 Mythic Adventures
T
he Mythic Game Master Emulator replaces mechanics are deceptively simple, and once you
a live Game Master (GM) with a set of rules put them into practice it won’t be long before it all
that emulate a GM’s creative decision-making, starts to click.
allowing you to play any role-playing game (RPG) Let’s go over the various ways that Mythic can
solo or in a group without a designated person to be used as well as the individual components that
run things. Mythic becomes your GM, answering make it all work.
your questions and progressing the adventure one
step at a time. While the system is based in your
expectations and interpretations, it’s designed
to periodically subvert those expectations and MYTHIC, YOUR
introduce surprises to keep the narrative exciting.
This may sound complicated, but Mythic’s core ROLE-PLAYING
PARTNER
There are a number of ways you can use the
HOW DOES IT WORK? Mythic Game Master Emulator. Here are a few to
get you started.
How does Mythic emulate and replace a living
human being who would otherwise be running Solo Role-Play
your game?
Mythic uses a few concepts to achieve this end:
Mythic is designed primarily for solo role-
playing, where you play alone with your RPG
» A Yes/No question and answer mechanic system of choice and use Mythic to answer
» Random Events that add surprises questions, resolve the action, and guide the
» Meaning Tables that offer inspirational narrative along.
prompts for important details
» Lists tracking important goals and characters Group Role-Play With No GM
which are randomly selected when called for
The same rules that allow you to play solo
» A Scene structure to give your adventure
can also be used by a group of Players referring
form and order
to Mythic for answers instead of a GM. Group
» A Chaos Factor that changes the tempo of the play like this requires Players to agree on when
adventure as you play to ask questions, what questions to ask, and how
Everything above is guided by your expectations to interpret results. Exactly how you arrange
and interpretations based on the ongoing to play will depend on your particular group’s
Context. This makes sure the adventure continues dynamics; see the sidebar “Mythic With a
in a coherent fashion while still allowing for twists Group” on page 8 for some suggestions.
and subversions that keep things exciting.

7
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

Co-GM MYTHIC WITH A GROUP

The tools that allow you to generate adventures
on the fly also allow a GM to run a traditional A group of players using Mythic to guide their
role-playing group using Mythic behind the adventure should decide ahead of time how
scenes. This gives you the freedom to decide how decisions will be made, such as what the first
much you want to come up with yourself and how Scene will be, how to come up with Expected
Scenes, when to ask Questions, what Questions
much you want to discover in play.
to ask, and how to interpret Mythic’s answers
You could start your adventure with no prep
and prompts. Here are a few suggestions on
and use Mythic to come up with everything as how to divvy up this work:
you go, leaving you almost as surprised as your
players, or you could generate the adventure in DECIDE AS A GROUP: Have everyone collaborate
and make decisions together. This can be efficient
advance and tweak things to your liking before
if you all work well together; however, it can
you hit the table with your group. If you’d also slow things down as you pause to reach a
rather split the difference, Mythic can be used consensus at every decision point.
to come up with “adventure seeds” that act as
CHOOSE A PRIMARY GUIDE: Pick one person
a springboard for your own ideas without you
to have the final say after hearing everyone
having to start from scratch. else’s suggestions. This has the benefits of
If you’d prefer to do most of the prep work group improvisation and moves faster than
yourself, you could use Mythic to fill in the gaps deciding everything as a group.
of your outline or shape anything you hadn’t
ROTATING GUIDE: Choose a Primary Guide,
counted on once the adventure is live. Mythic can then periodically change who that Guide is,
easily become your advisor, suggesting twists or such as every Scene or every dice roll. This is
alternatives to what you already have that you can probably the best balance of group input and
run with or discard as you see fit. game efficiency. Everyone gets their chance
to be in control, and no one Player bears
the full burden of decision-making because
... And Another Thing ... responsibility is shared evenly around the table.

Above are the most common ways Mythic can The methods above all require Players to
be used. However, imaginative players can find cooperate and trust each other. Each of you
other ways to use Mythic as well. needs to accept that your ideas won’t always
prevail, and that’s okay. You’re a group of
For example, Mythic can be used as a writing
storytellers working together in a tradition
tool to help you craft fictional stories. Since going back thousands of years. There’s also the
Mythic is, at its heart, a narrative constructor, it’s satisfaction of knowing that none of you are
only natural that it’d make as good an assistant fully in control: Mythic is part of the group as
writer as it does an assistant GM. well, acting as the Game Master who ultimately
If you love being a Game Master, you can flip determines whether or not your ideas play out
the script and use Mythic to emulate live Players as expected.
instead, asking Fate Questions to see what the
Player Characters do as you run them through an adventure solo; you can find guidance for this on
adventure or published module. page 156.
Speaking of published modules, Mythic can The possibilities are endless!
also be used to run yourself through a published

8
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

FATE QUESTIONS WHAT YOU NEED

Fate Questions are the core of Mythic, the
mechanism through which the adventure moves You don’t need much more than this book to get
forward. The idea behind Fate Questions is that a Mythic adventure off the ground.
you can ask Mythic anything, posed as a Yes/No
Mythic Fate Questions and tables require the use
Question, just as if you were asking a live Game
of two d10 dice. These are usually rolled to get
Master. Is the room occupied? Does the alien percentile results (1-100). You’ll also need a d4,
attack? Do I find any ammunition after searching d6, and d8 for rolling on Lists.
the house? Is the treasure chest locked? Does the
Any sheets and forms you may need are included
wizard cast a spell?
with this rulebook. You can also find downloads
When you ask a Fate Question, you decide on for them on the wordmillgames.com website.
the Odds that the answer will be Yes based on
your impression of the adventure so far, or the
Context. Mythic uses common language for Odds
to make them as intuitive as possible, such as
Likely, 50/50, or Nearly Certain.
Once you have your Question and your Odds,
you consult the Fate Chart to get the percentage
chance of a Yes answer, then you roll 1d100. If you
roll that percentage or less then the answer is Yes;
if you roll above it then the answer is No. Rolling
very low or very high will give you Exceptional Yes
or Exceptional No, respectively. Once you have
your answer you interpret it in the Context of the
current adventure and keep playing.
With each Question having four possible
answers the narrative of your adventure will shift
CHAOS FACTOR
slightly with every Question you ask, and the A good GM knows when to ramp up the
answers you receive and how you interpret them tension and when to ease off and let the players
will shape the Context. This process of Question, catch their breath. This ebb and flow of action is a
answer, interpretation builds on itself: every new crucial part of any adventure and it rarely stays the
Question adds Context and sends the adventure same throughout.
in a direction, leading to the next Question The Chaos Factor is Mythic’s way of simulating
which does the same, and so on. In this way Fate this changing tempo. It uses a value between 1
Questions construct your adventure as you play. and 9 to measure how much control the PC has
The further along you get the more naturally the over the action. The higher the value the more
process flows. Mythic generates active elements such as Random
Fate Questions are discussed in the “Fate Events, unexpected Scenes, and Yes answers to
Questions” chapter on page 17. Fate Questions.
The Chaos Factor is discussed in the “Fate
Questions” chapter on page 17.

9
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

WHAT’S CHANGED?
You may be familiar with the first edition of Mythic Game Master
Emulator and wondering, “What has changed?” While the rules
have been completely rewritten most of the core components
of Mythic are the same while much has been added or refined.
Here is a summary of the biggest changes:
THE FATE CHART: Odds have been slightly simplified and some
of their titles changed to hopefully give a more intuitive feel for
deciding Odds as you play. The table itself has been redesigned
to also make it more intuitive, and some of the percentages have
been lowered to add more uncertainty to Fate Question answers.
THE FATE CHECK: This mechanic was brought in from Mythic
Variations II. It has been refined to make it feel more like the
Fate Chart.
RANDOM EVENT FOCUS TABLE: The Focus Table has a new
addition to it, “Current Context”. The d100 roll values have also
been slightly re-balanced.
CHOICES: Mythic GME Second Edition gives more power to Player
choices. You’ll find rules pertaining to choices throughout the
book. For instance, choosing an Event Focus instead of rolling is
an option.
LISTS: There is more direction in how to handle Lists in a
defined way. Lists are also weighted, with elements able to
appear more than once on a List. This makes Threads and
Characters Lists more dynamic.
MEANING TABLES: Some of the words in the Actions and
Descriptions Meaning Tables have been changed to make their
meaning more clear.
ELEMENTS MEANING TABLES: In addition to the Actions and
Descriptions Meaning Tables there are 45 Elements Meaning
Tables that are more specifically themed. This gives you the
option to choose a Meaning Table that is most relevant to the
current Context.
OPTIONS: There are a lot of options throughout Second Edition,
more ways for you to customize your Mythic experience. These
run a wide gamut, from choosing how you want to start and end
Scenes to mechanics like Keyed Scenes to guide your adventure.
DISCOVERING MEANING: Referred to as “Complex Questions”
in Mythic Variations, Discovering Meaning is about generating
adventure details by rolling on a Meaning Table. This takes on
greater significance in Second Edition with the wider range of
Meaning Tables.

10
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

RANDOM EVENTS MYTHIC ADVENTURE ELEMENTS

Although most of your adventure is built upon
Fate Questions, Mythic will periodically interject
new elements at random. These Random Events
allow Mythic to add surprises and plot twists that
aren’t based in your expectations, guaranteeing
that you’ll never know for sure what’s going to
happen next.
Random Events can occur when you ask a
Fate Question or when you start a new Scene.
They are generated using the Event Focus Table
and the Meaning Tables. The Event Focus tells
you which aspect of the adventure the Random
Event involves, while the Meaning Tables
give you a pair of words meant to inspire an
interpretation of what the Random Event is. If
the Event Focus Table gives you “PC (Player
Character) Positive”, and the Meaning Tables
give you the words “attainment” and “travel”,
you might interpret these words to mean that
your post-apocalyptic PC has found a working
vehicle, or that your high-fantasy PC has found
a possible means of escaping the dungeon they’re
trapped in.
Random Events are discussed in the “Random
Events” chapter on page 35.

SCENES
To keep your unfolding adventure within a
structured narrative Mythic divides the action
into Scenes. What constitutes a Scene is up to
you, but just like in a movie a Scene should
be a discrete portion of your adventure that
encapsulates an important moment or event. A
Warrior searching through a cave system and
battling lizardmen or a space-traveler walking
through a market and buying supplies for his ship
can both be a Scene.
When the important action in that Scene is over
the Scene ends and we move on to the next Scene.

11
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

The end of a Scene is when Bookkeeping takes

place: updating the Threads and Characters Lists USING THIS BOOK
and adjusting the Chaos Factor.
Scenes are discussed in the “Scenes” chapter on The core rules for using Mythic Game Master
page 59. Emulator to run solo role-playing adventures
are spelled out in three main chapters: Fate
Questions, Random Events, and Scenes. These
chapters tell you everything you need to know to
LISTS run exciting and effective Mythic adventures.

Mythic uses a simple List system to keep If you want to add more to your Mythic
track of important goals and characters in your experience check out the Variations chapter.
adventure. The Threads List is for adventure This section has additional rule supplements,
variations on the core mechanics that might
objectives while the Characters List is for
better suit your play style, and discussions on
important Non-Player Characters (NPCs). These how to use the Mythic system in different ways.
Lists are adjusted at the end of each Scene with
Threads and Characters being added or removed. If, on the other hand, you’re unfamiliar with
solo role-playing or unsure of how the rules in
(You can also add Threads and Characters as they
this book are used in play, The Big Example
appear if you’d prefer.) Lists come into play with offers a detailed demonstration of Mythic in
Random Events which use the Lists as random action that will hopefully shed some light on the
tables that you roll on to select which Thread or system’s ins and outs.
Character the Random Event is referring to.
You’ll find a quick reference guide to the core
Lists are discussed in the “Scenes” chapter on rules in the Rules Summary chapter. This is
pages 60 and 111. handy for when you need a brief refresher on
Mythic’s mechanics.
The final portion of this book is a collection

MEANING of all the tables and charts found throughout,

gathered in one place for easy reference during
Meaning Tables serve a purpose beyond play. These pages have had the top and bottom
Random Events: they can also be used to add detail borders removed for cleaner printing so that
to your adventure without asking a Fate Question. you can make copies for your own personal use.
Asking a Yes/No Question assumes that
you have some expectation for the outcome. or through one or more Fate Questions. Both
You might ask the Question “Is there a options can achieve the same narrative end, and
mushroom person in the cavern?” because you’ve the one you use in a given situation may simply
encountered mushroom people in your adventure depend on your preferences.
before and have come to expect seeing them.
The Player Character (PC) encounters a new
However, there will be Questions for which
Non-Player Character (NPC) in an alternate
you have no expectations, and times when you
dimension, and the Player has no idea who or
want detail that doesn’t fit easily into a Yes/No
what the Character could be. They could ask
framework. Questions about what something
a Fate Question like, “Is this person hostile?”,
looks like or what someone does can fall into
or they could go to the Meaning Tables to get
this category. In cases like these, you can get the
inspirational words for what the NPC looks
information you need through Meaning Tables
like and how they initially act. Maybe they roll

12
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

“ruin” and “mundane” and interpret this to

mean that when the NPC is encountered he is COMING TO TERMS WITH TERMS
vandalizing a building.
You can consult the Meaning Tables at any This book uses a lot of phrases and terms you may
time to get a pair of words to use for inspiration or may not be familiar with. Here are the most
and learn more about your adventure world. frequently used terms and their abbreviations:
Meaning is discussed in the “Random Events” Chaos Factor (CF): A value between 1 and 9
chapter on page 46 and in the “Scenes” chapter used to control how much activity Mythic throws
on page 84. at you during an adventure.
Characters: Important people (and sometimes
non-people) who populate your adventure. Player
Characters (PCs) are characters controlled by you,
EXPECTATIONS & the Player(s). Non-Player Characters (NPCs) are
the characters your PCs interact with during an
INTERPRETATIONS adventure which are mostly controlled by Mythic.

The rules above are all tied together by two d100: Shorthand for a pair of ten-sided dice
things that come from you: expectations and rolled together. You’ll see other dice types
interpretations. The mechanics for generating mentioned as well, such as d4, d6, d8, d10, and
2d10 (rolling two ten-sided dice and adding them
adventures on the fly while still forming a
together instead of treating them as a “tens” die
cohesive narrative hinge on you following your
and a “ones” die like you do for d100).
expectations, testing those expectations with
Questions as you see fit, and interpreting the Fate Questions: Mythic’s central mechanic for
generating information about your adventure as
results of those tests. Your interpretations then
you play.
become narrative fact, which feeds into your ever-
evolving expectations of what happens next. Game Master (GM): The person in charge of
running an RPG. When playing solo, you and
Mythic share the role of GM.
Expectations Lists: When capitalized, this refers to the Threads
Most Mythic play is done improvisationally: List and Characters List of a Mythic adventure.
you decide in the moment what your PC does Random Events: These are unexpected
and how they respond to a given situation. You occurrences in your adventure that Mythic uses
also improvise any details and circumstances in a special procedure to create.
the adventure world that you don’t feel the need Role-Playing Game (RPG): An organized system
to test. This is you following your expectations of rules for playing out engaging, immersive
about the adventure. stories. While Mythic can be played on its own,
it’s most commonly paired with a separate RPG,
For example, let’s say a sci-fi PC is walking
which the rules refer to as your “chosen RPG”.
through a crowded market on a space station.
His Player doesn’t feel the need to randomly Scenes: Basic units of in-game time. When you see
generate the details of the market, so they decide the rules refer to Scenes with a capital S, they’re
referring to a Mythic Scene in your adventure.
that the market is what they expect.
Threads: Tracked goals your PC is pursuing in
Your expectations are used in Mythic to
an adventure.
determine what is happening in the adventure
much of the time. Just like with the space station

13
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

Player decided that their expectations did not

SOLO PLAY EXAMPLES need to be tested.
While your expectations will often be
This book assumes you’re familiar with table-top
sufficient, you may choose to test them at any
role-playing; however, even seasoned role-players time. Usually you’ll do this when you aren’t sure
may not be familiar with playing solo. If you’re new exactly what to expect or when you have multiple
to this style of play, one way to get accustomed possible expectations.
is to see others doing it. I’ve peppered this book
Our sci-fi PC wants to hire more crew for his
with italicized examples that illustrate various
ship, so he goes to a bar because he’s had success
Mythic concepts, and one of the later chapters is
an extended example that demonstrates how all in picking up crewmembers in such places before.
of these concepts work together. After buying a drink, he asks the bartender if she
knows of anyone looking for work. The Player
There are also many talented solo role-
thinks the bartender would know, but they aren’t
players online who make videos and podcasts
documenting their adventures. Not only are sure. It’s time to test this expectation and see
these episodes fantastically entertaining, they what the bartender says.
also serve as excellent examples of how to solo Testing an expectation in Mythic is done
role-play. Each host runs their games in their through Fate Questions. You pose your
own ways, which gives you the opportunity to
expectation as a Yes/No Question, assign it Odds
see a variety of play styles. You can find these
shows through a Google search or by asking
based on your confidence in getting a Yes answer,
around online role-playing communities; I’ve and roll on the Fate Chart.
compiled a list of some in the “Resources” If you get a Yes, then events unfold as you
section of wordmillgames.com. expected; if you get a No, then something else
happens instead.

example, we often have expectations about The Player poses their expectation as a Fate
what’s going on and what will happen next: how Question by asking, “Does the bartender direct
something looks, how a creature acts, what’s me to a possible hire?” with the chosen Odds of
inside a treasure chest, whether the damaged Very Likely. A Yes would mean the bartender
vehicle will operate, and so on. These expectations does know of a hire and directs the character
will change throughout the adventure based on to them; a No would mean she doesn’t know of
the events that unfold. anyone looking for work.
Everything that happens in your adventure
which you establish as narrative fact is Context, Interpretation
and Context is what you base your expectations
on. As the Context grows through play, your Once you’ve tested your expectations with a
expectations become more developed. Fate Question you then interpret the answer you
You follow your expectations when you are receive. Mythic provides a general framework
sure of them. In the example above, the Player of four possible answers to your Questions: Yes,
felt they understood what the space station was No, Exceptional Yes, and Exceptional No. Just as
like because they had come across other space your expectations guide you through developing
stations earlier in the adventure. There was plenty detail in your adventure, they also form the basis
of Context to build these expectations on, so the of your interpretations.

14
 MYTHIC ADVENTURES

An Exceptional Yes might be interpreted this

TUNING YOUR IMAGINATION way: The bartender taps the bar top, and a
monitor inside it lights up. “Check the board—
Playing an RPG by yourself can take some getting it’s full of people looking for work. Dozens,
used to, particularly if you’re accustomed to the maybe hundreds. You should have no problem.”
traditional dynamic between yourself, your GM,
and your fellow gamers. There is a dynamic to
An interpretation of a No answer could be this:
solo role-playing as well, but it’s one you have to The bartender shakes her head. “Sorry, you’re
discover on your own because it will be unique to not the only captain looking for crew. I don’t
your style of play and what you enjoy most about know of anyone looking for work right now.”
the gaming experience.
An Exceptional No might be interpreted this
My suggestion is to try one or two “practice” way: The bartender gives him a serious look.
adventures with Mythic to get a feel for how it
“This station is corporation owned; it’s illegal
works. Don’t try to force anything; let yourself
experiment and make mistakes. You’ll probably
for independents to try and hire crew here. I’ ll
hit a few sticking points, but as you work past pretend I didn’t hear you.”
them, you’ll develop a sense of how everything All of the interpretations above were
works. Once you get past those initial hurdles, informed by the Context of previous encounters:
solo role-playing becomes much easier and much crewmembers often hang out in bars on stations;
more exciting, and you’ll find your adventures
there are other ship captains on this station;
flowing smoothly as you find your groove.
corporations are a force in this adventure; their
While a solo role-playing experience loses the influence is stronger in some places than others.
social aspects of RPGs, it gains whole new
aspects that aren’t possible with group play.
You can explore any theme or adventure in any Putting It All Together
way you wish, make your adventures as big or
as small as you like, as epic or as personal. Solo When you interpret an answer Mythic gives
role-playing really is an experience like no other. you, that interpretation becomes narrative fact
You may find that playing solo makes you a
and part of the Context for future Questions and
better player or Game Master in a traditional expectations. Mythic adventures proceed in this
group setting. The solo experience gets you fashion from one interesting moment to the next,
to think about characters and adventures building your adventure detail by detail.
in ways you may not have before, and these
perspectives and experiences can easily carry
over into social role-playing.
YOUR CHOSEN RPG
An interpretation of a Yes answer from the Mythic is meant to fill the role of Game
bartender could be this: The bartender smiles Master for your role-playing adventures. It can be
and nods. “Oh yeah, there’s a few hungry people used with just about any RPG out there, allowing
around here looking for work. See that guy in the you to play the game while Mythic answers your
corner booth? Go talk to him.” questions just like a Game Master would.

15
16
 Fate Questions
A FATE QUESTIONS
sking and answering questions is the heart
of a Mythic adventure, your principal tool
for learning about the game world and
moving the narrative forward.
Mythic handles this process of inquiry using
Fate Questions: ask a Yes/No Question, determine
the Odds of the answer being Yes, consult the
Fate Chart to get the percentile chance, and roll
1d100. Your roll will determine whether the
answer is Yes, No, Exceptional Yes, or Exceptional
No. Interpret the result within the Context of
your adventure and continue playing.
All of your Questions about the adventure can
be resolved in this manner. “Are there monsters
in this room?” “Is the door locked?” “Is it raining
today?” Anything you would ask your Game
Master in a social role-playing game you can ask
Mythic in a solo game.

WHEN TO ASK A
FATE QUESTION
As you play through an adventure, you improvise
the details based on what you expect your Character
to experience. You can pause your improvisation
at any time to test an expectation with a Fate
Question; usually, you do this during a moment of
narrative tension or when you’re unsure of what will
happen next.
The Player Character is on a distant planetary
colony, trapped in a building overrun by
aggressive alien creatures. They find themself
in the building’s control room, where they plan
to activate the blast shields on all the windows
and doors in the structure. Everything seems to

17
 FATE QUESTIONS

be functioning fine, so The Player expects the

blast doors to respond, but they aren’t sure. What ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
if the aliens damaged something? The Player
decides to ask the Fate Question, “Do the blast Mythic relies on Fate Questions to construct
shields go up?” the narrative of the adventure as you play; what
you ask and how you ask it will influence your
Later in that same adventure, the PC is searching
game. While it’s best to phrase Fate Questions as
for weapons and has made their way to the naturally as possible, there are a few guidelines
colony’s armory. The Player doesn’t know if there you should keep in mind.
are any weapons left. Maybe the original colonists
cleaned out the armory when they first faced the
alien invasion. Since the Player is unsure, they Action Oriented
ask Mythic, “Are there weapons here?”
The Chaos Factor assumes that Yes answers are
typically more active than No answers, so you’ll get
the best results if your Fate Questions focus on
active and interesting elements. “Are there zombies
THE FATE CHART outside?” is better than “Is it all clear outside?”

The Fate Chart on the following page is used

to determine the percentile chances of your Fate
Questions receiving a Yes answer. Along the left Guided By Expectations
side are probability descriptors (Impossible, Likely, It’s generally best to let your Questions be guided
Nearly Certain, etc.), and along the bottom is the by your expectations rather than your desires. A
Chaos Factor. party of adventurers prowling down a dungeon
hall might easily ask, “Do we hear anything?”
When asking a Fate Question, decide what you
but it would make little sense to ask, “Do I look
think the Odds are of the answer being Yes. This down and see a Vorpal Blade of Instant Murder
is a gut decision based on the Question you’re at my feet?” The current Context offers no logical
asking and the Context you’re asking it in. The expectation to prompt the second Question, but
Fate Chart’s Odds uses common language such as it does for the first.
Likely or Impossible to judge probability.
Let’s say the Player Character is an occult Context is different from the previous one:
investigator searching a library for tomes of there’s less evidence that books of magic would be
magic. The Player decides to make this search present. Given this Context the Player assigns the
into a Fate Question: “Does he find any tomes?” Odds of 50/50.
Maybe at this point in the adventure the PC
has come across strange magic and supernatural
events, and he knows that the library he’s
Choosing Odds
searching through once belonged to a sorcerer and Who determines the Odds of a Fate Question?
occultist. Given this Context the Player assigns Well, if you’re playing solo, then you do. If
this Question the Odds of Likely. you’re playing with a GM, then they do. If you’re
On the other hand, maybe the original owner of playing with a group then the Players must all
the library is unknown but the Player suspects reach a consensus on how the Odds are chosen.
they might have been involved in magic. This

18
 FATE QUESTIONS

FATE CHART
Certain 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x 20 99 x 20 99 x

Nearly Certain 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x 20 99 x

Very Likely 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x

Likely 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100
ODDS

50/50 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99

Unlikely 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98

Very Unlikely X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96

Nearly Impossible X 1 81 X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94

Impossible X 1 81 X 1 81 X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91
CHAOS FACTOR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Your choices start in the middle at 50/50. impossible, but unfolding events can still prove us
These are the Odds to choose if you think there’s wrong about what we thought we knew.
roughly a 50% chance of getting a Yes answer, or Extreme Odds can also become more or
if you have no idea of the probability. Odds range less likely based on the Chaos Factor. When
upward from 50/50 to Likely, Very Likely, Nearly the narrative is in high gear the impossible can
Certain, and Certain, and downward from 50/50 become probable for the sake of keeping tension
to Unlikely, Very Unlikely, Nearly Impossible, and excitement high.
and Impossible.
You may wonder at the Certain and Impossible
Odds. After all, if something is impossible or
The Chaos Factor
certain then it’s a foregone conclusion, right? The Chaos Factor is a value tracked throughout
Not necessarily. The Odds are based on what the adventure that represents how much control
you think they should be at the current moment, the Player Characters have over current events.
and that opinion is based on the Context of the The more out of control Scenes get, the higher
adventure. Allowing some wiggle room in the the Chaos Factor will climb; the higher the Chaos
results of extreme Odds acknowledges that what Factor, the greater your chance of getting a Yes
you and your PC know about the adventure is response to Fate Questions. The Chaos Factor
not absolute. Something may seem certain or

19
 FATE QUESTIONS

EXAMPLE ODDS
“IS THE “WILL THIS “DOES THE
ODDS DESCRIPTION CREATURE ABANDONED GUARD HELP
HOSTILE?” CAR START?” US?”

It’s stated its

He is an ally,
You’re as sure of intent to destroy It was driven here
CERTAIN pursuing the same
this as you can be. us and looks just a moment ago.
goals as us.
ready to do so.

He’s helped us
You’re quite We’ve been We saw the vehicle
NEARLY before and is
sure, but there operating a few
CERTAIN sympathetic
is some doubt. thing all day. hours ago.
to our goals.

There’s signs of
It’s quite likely, It’s armed, angry, We’re on the
recent use, and
VERY LIKELY although far and actively same team, of
it looks to be in
from sure. threatening. course he’ll help.
good shape.

The car appears

It’s slightly more It’s armed He seems to be on
LIKELY to be in working
likely than 50/50. and angry. our side. I think?
order.

You don’t know

It can go either It’s a new We just found
whose side
50/50 way, or you encounter, we’ll this vehicle.
he’s on. Cross
have no idea. have to see. Maybe it works?

It’s slightly less It’s unarmed and The vehicle looks He hasn’t been
UNLIKELY
likely than 50/50. uninterested in us. a little rough. too friendly.

It looks docile. The vehicle is a

He’s been hostile.
VERY It’s quite unlikely, It doesn’t seem mess. It looks like
I doubt he would
UNLIKELY but possible. to mind our it hasn’t moved
risk helping us.
presence. in a while.

We’ve seen The vehicle has This guy is doing

NEARLY There might still these creatures lots of visible his job, he doesn’t
IMPOSSIBLE be a chance. before. They’ve all damage and care about
been peaceful. is a mess. our mission.

These creatures This thing is a

There’s no way,
have always been wreck. It would He’s a true believer
IMPOSSIBLE unless I’m wrong
peaceful. This one be a miracle in our enemy.
about something.
seems tame. if it started.

20
 FATE QUESTIONS

also determines the frequency of Random Events reference your chosen Odds on the left of the
and how often Scenes begin as expected. Chart with the current Chaos Factor at the
At the start of a new adventure the Chaos bottom. The point at which these two intersect
Factor is set to 5. A Scene that was chaotic and out on the Fate Chart is the chance of your Fate
of control increases the Chaos Factor by 1 point, Question being a Yes.
while a Scene in which the Player Characters were The occult investigator is searching the library
mostly in control decreases it by 1. The value for tomes of forbidden lore. The Player has
cannot drop below 1 or rise above 9; results that determined that the Odds of finding such tomes
would push it beyond those limits are ignored. are Likely. After all, this is the personal library of
We’ll talk more about the ebb and flow of the the mad mage Angus McGregor. The only reason
Chaos Factor in the “Scenes” chapter. they aren’t assigning higher Odds is because the
The Chaos Factor has a big influence on the mage would probably keep his best books in a
percentile chance of your Fate Question being hidden location.
a Yes. When consulting the Fate Chart, cross-

21
 FATE QUESTIONS

CHAOS FACTOR VALUES SHIFTING TONE

A live Game Master isn’t going to maintain
the same tone throughout an adventure; there are
times they’ll want to push more action and times
they’ll want to dial it back. The Chaos Factor
shifts throughout your adventure to simulate a
GM shifting the tempo while running a game.
Since Yes answers to Fate Questions tend to be
more action oriented, they become more and more
likely the higher the Chaos Factor climbs. Higher
Chaos also means higher chances of Random
Events and a greater likelihood that your Scenes
will start in unexpected ways; these aspects of the
Chaos Factor are discussed more in the “Random
Events” and “Scenes” chapters, respectively.
Here’s an example of how the Chaos Factor
influences Fate Questions to regulate the
atmosphere of a game:
The Player Character Safrid, a high fantasy
druid, has been exploring a dungeon. Safrid has
handled the dungeon’s various perils well so far,
and the Chaos Factor has fallen to 4.
Suddenly, he comes across a Bog Beast, a truly
terrifying creature! The battle doesn’t go well,
and he retreats, fleeing from the monster to
relative safety. This Scene was a mess for Safrid;
the PC definitely wasn’t in control. The Chaos
Factor goes up to 5.
In the following Scene, as Safrid flees, he runs
afoul of a trap in the dungeon and barely escapes
it with his life. Once again, this is a Scene where
Safrid had difficulty dealing with trouble. The
Things have been fairly calm in the last few Chaos Factor goes up again to 6.
Scenes, with the Character maintaining control
for the most part, so the Chaos Factor currently The higher Chaos Factor means Safrid faces
sits at a value of 3. Comparing the Odds of greater chances of active elements during the
Likely to the current Chaos Factor, the Player adventure. Is there a trap in this room? Yes. Is
determines that there is a 35% chance of finding the door locked at the end of the hall? Yes. Is
a tome of magic sitting on one of the shelves. the Bog Beast still chasing him? Yes. Chaotic
conditions in each Scene encourage more chaotic
conditions in following Scenes, creating a

22
 FATE QUESTIONS

Using The Fate Chart

QUESTIONABLE CHAOS
You have your Question, you have your Odds,
The Chaos Factor is a major influence on the you know the Chaos Factor; now it’s time to consult
answers to Fate Questions. While this is meant the Fate Chart. Cross reference the determined
to vary the tone throughout the adventure, you Odds with the current Chaos Factor to get the
can adjust the Chaos Factor’s influence to suit probability of a Yes answer to your Fate Question.
your tastes. Check out “Choose Your Chaos You’ll notice that the values in the Fate Chart
Flavor” in the “Variations” chapter on page 147 are expressed with a large central number flanked
for variant rules that change how much power
by smaller numbers on both sides. The central
the Chaos Factor exerts.
number is the percentile chance of a Yes answer.
Roll 1D100 and compare the result to this value.
snowball effect where the tension slowly increases If you roll within the value, then the answer is
and the Chaos Factor continues to rise. Yes; if you roll above it, then the answer is No.
By rolling very low or very high you can
Eventually, Safrid gets a handle on things achieve Exceptional results. The smaller numbers
again. He finds a place to rest; he prepares for to the left and right of the central number
the Bog Beast and defeats it; he finds a potion represent the extreme 20% of the Yes and No
that heals some of his wounds. The Character ranges, giving you a 1 in 5 chance of a Yes or No
is facing the challenges of the adventure head- answer being Exceptional. Rolling equal to or
on and overcoming them. This control over the less than the left-hand number is an Exceptional
adventure reverses the rising tension, and things Yes; rolling equal to or higher than the right-hand
calm down as the Chaos Factor falls to 4, 3, and number is an Exceptional No. A value of “X”
even 2. means an Exceptional result is not possible with
The lower Chaos Factor starts to have the opposite those Odds.
effect from before: now that things are calm in
the adventure, and the Chaos Factor is low, No
answers to Fate Questions are more common.
TO ANSWER YOUR
When the Character is in control, No answers
tend to be negative for them. Is there treasure in QUESTION
the chest? No. Does he have any food left? No. Mythic will yield one of four responses to
Now the lower Chaos Factor is working against a Fate Question: Yes, No, Exceptional Yes, or
Safrid; this encourages the pendulum to start Exceptional No. This gives you four possible
swinging back the other way, setting the stage for paths of interpretation.
future challenges that the character may face.
Not every Scene or Fate Question follows
these assumptions exactly, but when you look at
Yes
the course of an adventure as a whole they tend A Yes response to a Fate Question means the
to hold true. The overall result is that the Chaos answer is your Expectation of what a Yes would
Factor shifts the tone of the adventure so you mean. This is the most straightforward of the
never get too comfortable or too sure of exactly possible answers and likely won’t require much
how things are going to unfold. interpretation.

23
 FATE QUESTIONS

“Is the door locked?” Yes, the door is locked.

FATE QUESTION ANSWERS “Does the black hole begin to suck us in?” Yes,
the black hole is sucking you in. “Is the gladiator
ANSWER RESULT armed with a sword?” Yes, he’s armed with the
kind of sword you’ d expect.
YES
your expectation.
No
The answer is Yes,
EXCEPTIONAL
A No response to a Fate Question means
YES
expectation and beyond. the answer is the next most Expected outcome
from what a Yes would have meant. With simple
The answer is No. Go Questions, a No may be the opposite of a Yes and
NO with the next most therefore easy to interpret; a complex Question
expected outcome. might require more interpretative legwork.
The answer is the opposite “Is the door locked?” No, it’s unlocked. “Does the
EXCEPTIONAL black hole begin to suck us in?” No, you’re fine
of a Yes, or the opposite
NO for now. “Is the gladiator armed with a sword?”
No, he’s armed with a spear.

Exceptional Yes
An Exceptional Yes is the same as a Yes but
intensified, meaning you take your Yes answer to
the next logical level.
“Is the door locked?” Yes, and it’s a darn good
lock. “Does the black hole begin to suck us in?”
Yes, and the stressors are causing damage all
across the ship. “Is the gladiator armed with a
sword?” Yes, a huge greatsword.

Values on the Fate Chart are expressed with a central, large number Exceptional No
showing the percentage chance of a Yes answer. Rolling 1d100 equal
to or less than this number is a Yes answer. Rolling equal to or less An Exceptional No is the opposite of a Yes
than the number on the left, the lower 20% of the Yes answer range, answer. If that would be the same as a regular No,
is an Exceptional Yes. Rolling above the central number is a No, and then it’s the opposite of a Yes intensified.
rolling equal to or above the rightmost number is an Exceptional No.
“Is the door locked?” No, in fact the door is
In the cutout above, a roll of 1-10 would be an Exceptional Yes, 11-50
a Yes, 51-90 a No, and 91-100 an Exceptional No. partially open. “Does the black hole suck us in?”
No, you’re actually moving away from it. “Is
the gladiator armed with a sword?” No, he’s not
armed at all.

24
 FATE QUESTIONS

Random Events THE ART OF INTERPRETATION

One consequence of asking Fate Questions is
inviting a Random Event to occur. When rolling Interpretation is an important part of the
d100 to answer your Question, if you get a double emulating process. Mythic answers your
number (11, 22, 33, etc.), and the single value of Questions, but these answers are merely
that number (1, 2, 3, etc.) is equal to or less than prompts for you to make sense of.
the current Chaos Factor, then you’ve triggered a Often interpretations will come easily. If the
Random Event. We’ll delve more into Random Question was, “I open the desk drawer; is there
Events in the next chapter. a gun inside?” then a Yes or a No will be clear.
Sometimes, though, interpretations elude you,
or an answer won’t give you enough to interpret.
If you feel like you need more information you
THE FATE CHECK can try to clarify the answer with another Fate
Question. “Is the gun a pistol?” “Is it loaded?”
Not everyone likes looking up percentile
Be careful not to fall into the trap of asking for
values on a table. If you’d rather not use the Fate more detail than you need. A string of narrow,
Chart to answer Fate Questions you can skip the specific Questions can easily stall the flow of the
Chart and use a Fate Check instead. You still roll game. Unless it’s something important to the
2d10, but this time you add the dice together adventure it’s generally best to ask a few “big
instead of treating them like a percentile. This picture” Questions and run with your expectations
method of answering Fate Questions can be as far as you can. The goal is to gather just enough
faster than using the Fate Chart and it matches information to move things forward.
the Odds fairly closely aside from a higher chance
of Exceptional results.
Fate Check Answers
Adjust For Odds & Chaos Factor The “Fate Check Answers” table summarizes
what your roll total means. A modified total of 11
Like the d100 Fate Chart, a 2d10 Fate Check is or more is a Yes answer, while a total below 11 is a
modified based on the current Chaos Factor and No answer.
the Odds assigned to a Fate Question. The “Fate As with the Fate Chart, rolling very high or
Check Modifiers” table on the next page breaks very low will give you an Exceptional answer. If
down how the Odds and Chaos Factor affect your the modified total falls within the 18-20 range
roll results. then the answer is an Exceptional Yes; if the
For instance, if you asked a Fate Question total falls within the 2-4 range then the answer
with Odds of Very Likely you would apply a +2 is an Exceptional No. Your final total must fall
modifier to the roll. If the Chaos Factor currently somewhere within those ranges to count as an
stood at 4, you would apply another modifier of Exceptional result. A modified roll of 18 is an
-1. Adding both modifiers together gives a final Exceptional Yes, while a modified roll of 22 is
modifier of +1. a regular Yes. This means modifiers will push
If your next Fate Question had Odds of Nearly your dice total toward those ranges but may also
Impossible you would get a modifier of -4. cause the total to exceed them, in which case no
Combined with the Chaos Factor modifier of -1 Exceptional result occurs.
your total modifier is -5.

25
 FATE QUESTIONS

FATE CHECK MODIFIERS FATE CHECK ANSWERS

ROLL CHAOS ROLL
ODDS ROLL TOTAL FATE QUESTION ANSWER
MODIFIER FACTOR MODIFIER

CERTAIN +5 9 +5 18-20 Exceptional Yes

NEARLY
CERTAIN
+4 8 +4 11 or more Yes

VERY
LIKELY
+2 7 +2 10 or less No

LIKELY +1 6 +1 2-4 Exceptional No

Doubles,
50/50 None 5 None single digit Random Event
CF or less
UNLIKELY -1 4 -1

VERY
UNLIKELY
-2 3 -2

NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE
-4 2 -4

IMPOSSIBLE -5 1 -5

Random Events The Player assigns this Question the Odds of

Nearly Impossible (-4 modifier), and the Chaos
Random Events are handled the same way with Factor is currently 6 (+1 modifier), resulting in
a Fate Check as they are with the Fate Chart. If a final modifier of -3. This means the Player has
both dice come up as the same number (11, 22, to roll at least a 14 to receive a Yes answer.
33, etc.), and the single digit value (1, 2, 3, etc.) is
The Player rolls 2d10 and gets a 3 and a 3. The
equal to or less than the Chaos Factor, then you
rolled total is 6 with a -3 modifier for a final
get a Random Event. As with the Fate Chart, the
result of 3. That’s below the target number of
result that triggers an Event is still used to answer
11, so the answer is a No. This result also falls
your Fate Question as well.
within the 2-4 range, making it an Exceptional
Safrid the Druid has survived the Dungeon of No. And since a double number was rolled (3
Galzarad … so far. Now, in his travels through and 3), and 3 is within the CF value of 6, this
a deep, subterranean cavern, he’s come across Question also results in a Random Event.
a rope bridge suspended over a chasm. Using a
Fate Check, his Player asks the Fate Question, It looks like Safrid may be in for an interesting
“Does the bridge look stable?” time trying to get across that bridge.

26
 FATE QUESTIONS

WHEN TO RUN WITH SAMPLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

EXPECTATIONS “We crash land the plane in an open field as safely as
AND WHEN TO possible. Did it sustain any damage?”

QUESTION THEM Yes: The plane is damaged but not in any way
that can’t be repaired.
Fate Questions should be asked when you aren’t No: The ground was smooth enough that you
sure whether an expectation you have is true. The were able to roll it to a stop in one piece.
more you use Mythic to create adventures the more Exceptional Yes: The ground was rough. One
you’ll get a feel for when to ask a Fate Question and of the wheels came off in a ditch and pitched us
when to stick with your expectations. sideways, crumpling a wing as we slammed into
If you find yourself conflicted, follow your the ground. The plane is an unflyable wreck.
interests, consider the Context of the adventure, Exceptional No: A perfect touchdown without
and listen to your gut. Does it feel right to pose this any damage. In fact, the plane is well-positioned
detail as a Fate Question, or are you certain enough for takeoff once you find fuel.
to take it for granted?
“We succeed in breaking open the vault. Do we find
As your adventure progresses and develops more
the vaccine inside?”
Context Fate Questions and their answers will get
easier and easier to come up with. Much of the Yes: Yes, you do.
narrative’s richness will come from details that were No: The vaccine isn’t there.
fleshed out by prior Fate Questions. Establishing Exceptional Yes: You find several cases of the
that a certain NPC is unfriendly will shape your vaccine, many more than you expected.
later expectations about that Character and
Exceptional No: You find the broken, ruined
might impact the Odds of future Fate Questions
vials of the vaccine—it’s been destroyed.
concerning their actions. In this way, a logical
chain of events will build upon itself, shaping the “We make our way through the woods. Do we
structure of the adventure and spinning it into a encounter anything today?”
narrative just like a Game Master would. Yes: Yes, now you have to figure out what the
encounter is.

Give Me More! No: All is peaceful.

Exceptional Yes: More than one encounter.
In order to keep things moving in your Figure out what the first one is, then once that’s
adventure a good rule of thumb is to try and limit resolved figure out the second one.
yourself to no more than two Fate Questions
Exceptional No: All is peaceful today and tonight
for any one detail; that should give you enough
as well, so there’s no need to check again when
information to reach a reasonable expectation for you make camp.
just about anything. If you can manage with only
one Question so much the better.
A pair of occult investigators are creeping through
a graveyard at midnight, searching for the walking One of the Players asks, “Do we hear anything?”
dead. They come across a mausoleum and inspect Mythic says Yes, but the Player doesn’t have a
the entrance to see if it’s been opened recently. clear expectation of what is heard.

27
 FATE QUESTIONS

“Does it sound like something scrambling inside

a tomb?” No. “Does it sound like someone USING MYTHIC AS AN RPG
walking through the graveyard?” No. “Does it
sound like something flying through the air?” No. So far, this section has focused on using Fate
The Player is muscling through a run of Questions to replace “spot rules” in your chosen
No answers in search of a Yes, but they could RPG, thereby reducing the time you spend
have stopped after the second Question (“Does flipping pages in search of a mechanic you can’t
remember. You can take this further by replacing
it sound like something scrambling inside a
any rules you don’t feel like using, or you can even
tomb?”). They already know that the investigators forgo the rules entirely and just use Mythic. This
hear a noise that isn’t coming from inside the spectrum from Mythic to mechanics lets you be
mausoleum, so a logical expectation at this point flexible with how you play.
might be that they hear something outside in the
For instance, if you wanted to use a chosen
graveyard—perhaps a shuffling sound—or that RPG but felt more inspired by its setting than
they hear something too faint to identify and will its actual rules, you could just take the setting
have to investigate further. and replace the mechanics with Fate Questions.
After two Questions the Player has enough But maybe there are some rules in the game
information to make a reasonable interpretation you really like, such as a sanity system or a
that matches their expectations. cybernetic hacking minigame. These you could
port over as Fate Questions, following the tone
and intent of the original rules but resolving
them with Mythic instead.
USING FATE You can also use this approach to learn a new
RPG. Rather than reading it cover to cover, you
QUESTIONS TO can just start playing and replace anything
you don’t understand yet with Fate Questions.
REPLACE RPG RULES Then, as you learn more of the RPG, you can
incorporate more and more of the game rules
You can ask any Fate Question during an into your adventure.
adventure, even one that would normally be
This is another beautiful thing about solo role-
handled with the mechanics of your chosen RPG.
playing: you have tremendous control over how
If you can’t recall a certain rule or haven’t fully
you play, not just in the narrative of the adventure
learned the game, you can use Fate Questions itself but in the meta aspect of what rules you use
as an on-the-spot substitute, similar to the “snap and how you use them.
judgements” a live GM might make to save time.
You can assign Odds to these Fate Questions
based on the Context of the adventure and your and they don’t want to stop in the middle of
current understanding of the RPG’s rules. playing to look them up.
The Player is playing a post-apocalyptic game They do remember that the process involves
that has rules for randomly determining details determining key factors like population size,
about any surviving settlements the Player technology level, and systems of law and order,
Character comes across. During an adventure, so they take this knowledge of the RPG rules and
the PC encounters a village, but the Player can’t turn it into Fate Questions: “Does the village
remember the rules for generating settlements have a decent size population?” “Do they have
advanced technology?” “Is the village ordered and

28
 FATE QUESTIONS

structured?” Once the Player has enough to go on Chaos, Events, And

the PC can begin to interact with the new location.
Exceptional Answers
Later on in the adventure the PC ends up in a
situation where she is at risk of drowning. The Mythic’s Fate Questions are intended to
Player can’t remember the rules for determining guide the narrative of an adventure and the
whether a character drowns, so to keep things Chaos Factor is there to regulate that narrative.
moving they leave it up to a Fate Question: “Does Questions like “Does the kingdom have harsh
the PC start to drown”? They then interpret the laws?” are narrative, story-oriented Questions; the
resulting answer and continue playing. answers to them can vary depending on the CF,
and the CF varies depending on what’s happened
in the adventure so far. Past narrative impacts
current narrative.

29
 FATE QUESTIONS

But when you’re using Fate Questions to

replace the rules of an RPG (combat “to hit” FATE QUESTIONS AS RPG RULES
rules, recovery from damage, task resolution,
etc.), what matters more than the ebb and flow FATE Pose the Fate Question
of narrative tension is consistency. I suggest, in QUESTION to act as the RPG rule.
these cases, that you disregard the current CF and
Treat the Chaos Factor
treat it as a value of 5. This will give those Fate
as a value of 5 for these
Questions default, middle of the road percentiles CHAOS
Questions, regardless of
without the Chaos Factor skewing results. FACTOR
what the actual Chaos
You should also consider whether to honor Factor value is right now.
Exceptional results. Unless you know that the
rule you’re replacing has degrees of success and Treat Exceptional Yes and
failure, it may be best to treat Exceptional results No as a regular Yes and No
EXCEPTIONAL
as regular answers. if the rule being replaced
RESULTS
The Player has just picked up a new superheroes doesn’t use degrees of
role-playing game. They understand enough of success or failure.
the rules to make a Character, so they decide to
Ignore Random Events
jump right in with a solo Mythic adventure. RANDOM
unless they make sense
EVENTS
During the first Scene, the PC finds themself to include with this rule.
in an apparently empty building. They have
a power that allows them to sense when other The power worked; the PC is psychically
people are nearby, but the Player can’t remember scanning the building for the presence of others.
the rules for how to use it. Looking it up would So, do they detect anyone?
break the narrative tension, so the Player decides
to pose it as a Fate Question instead: “Do I Asking a Fate Question to use the power was
successfully use my power to sense if there are done to replace a rule in the RPG. Now that we
others nearby?” know the power succeeded asking if we detect
anyone is a normal, narrative Fate Question.
The Player knows that the PC’s power should be The Player goes back to using regular Mythic
strong enough to cover the entire building (unless rules: they ask a Fate Question, “Do I detect
the building is actually bigger than it looks), so anyone?”, assign it Odds, and allow the Chaos
they decide that the Odds of a Yes are Nearly Factor of 7 to influence the result.
Certain. Since this Fate Question is replacing a Another thing you may want to consider
rule in their chosen RPG, they ignore the current is ignoring Random Events that result from
Chaos Factor of 7 and treat it as a 5. According Fate Questions used as RPG rules. As with
to the Fate Chart, this gives the PC an 85% Exceptional results this may depend on whether
chance of successfully using their power. the rule from your chosen RPG has a similar
The Player rolls and gets an 8. With the modifier mechanic that allows for additional consequences.
from the Odds, this puts the result within the Ignoring Random Events in these cases are a
range of an Exceptional Yes. However, the Player judgement call on your part; sometimes it may
knows that this RPG doesn’t have degrees of success make sense to generate the Random Event, and
for this power—it either works or it doesn’t—so sometimes it may not.
they treat the answer like a simple Yes.

30
 FATE QUESTIONS

THE BIG FATE exit there would likely be stuff left along the way
that could be useful to others.
QUESTION EXAMPLE: The Player next generates the Random Event
(using the rules in the next chapter, which we’ll get
Henny In Z Land to soon) and interprets the results as Henny and
Malcolm coming across a seemingly abandoned
Let’s put the rules of this chapter into action encampment. This Random Event works well with
with a trip into zombie territory. the Yes answer to the Fate Question.
In this example, the Player Character is Henny The Player interprets all of this as Henny and
Lassiter, a barista turned zombie apocalypse Malcolm discovering an abandoned encampment
survivor. Henny’s Player is using their favorite in the woods. There are remnants of a fire, a
end-of-the-world RPG with Mythic acting as the backpack that’s seen better days, and a torn tent.
Game Master of their solo adventure campaign. The discovery of the camp was interpreted
Henny has already been through a few from the Random Event. For the Question about
adventures: surviving the initial outbreak, escaping finding anything useful, the Player interprets the
the city, and learning to get by in the wild. In Yes answer as the Characters finding a few cans
the current adventure, Henny and her rescued of food while digging through the abandoned
companion Malcolm have made their way into a campsite. Considering they haven’t eaten in over
forest in search of shelter, staying alert for zombies. 24 hours finding food is certainly useful.
The Player asks, “Do I see any movement in
the trees ahead?” The current Chaos Factor is When interpreting the Yes for the Question of
4, and considering how deep in the forest the “Do we find anything useful along the way?”
Characters are, they figure the Odds of seeing the Player chose to follow their expectations
movement right now are Very Unlikely. This gives for what a Yes means.
them a 15% chance of a Yes on the Fate Chart.
They roll d100 and get 50, a No. The Player If they weren’t sure, they could have tested
interprets this to mean that the coast is clear, and this expectation with another Fate Question,
the two Characters continue on. such as “Do we find food?”
After what the Player decides is an hour’s worth
The Player decided to limit this to a single
of walking, they ask, “Do we find anything useful
Question and run with an interpretation
along the way?” The forest is on the outskirts of a
that made the most sense.
city, and Henny and Malcolm have been walking
for some time, so the Player figures the Odds of Henny and Malcolm continue their trek
coming across something now are Likely. They through the forest. The day is wearing on; they’ll
check these Odds against the CF of 4 and get a need to find shelter before nightfall, when the
50% chance on the Fate Chart. temperature will drop drastically.
Rolling again, the Player gets 33 for a Yes, with The Player asks, “Do we find shelter in the
a possible Random Event since they rolled double woods before night?” With hours of walking
digits (a 3 and a 3). The 3 is equal to or less than between now and then the Player decides that
the CF value of 4, so a Random Event does occur. it’s Likely for them to find shelter of some kind
The Player thinks about the Yes answer to the in that time. With the Chaos Factor at 4 the
Question first. What they would most expect to percentile chance of a Yes is 50%.
find would be random supplies dropped by people The Player rolls and gets 9. Not only is that a
fleeing the city. In the pandemonium of the mass Yes it’s an Exceptional Yes since it falls within the

31
 FATE QUESTIONS

lower 20% of the Yes range (for Odds of 50%, that

would be a roll of 10 or less). The Player interprets
this to mean that as the sun begins to dip towards
the horizon Henny and Malcolm spot a two-story
house, a full domicile, nestled deep among the
trees. This is a wonderful find! Not only will it
give them shelter for the night but there might be
all kinds of supplies and goods inside.
The two cautiously approach the house, wary
of any lurking zombies or fellow survivors looking
to protect what’s theirs. Henny takes a deep
breath and tries the door to see if it’s locked.
The Player asks, “Is the door locked?” but has
to think about the Context for a moment to try
and come up with Odds. Henny and Malcolm are
several weeks into a zombie apocalypse, and the
area has been mostly evacuated. However, this is a
nice house so anyone still around would probably
have sought shelter here just like Henny and
Malcolm are trying to.
The Player isn’t sure of the Odds to this
Question so they go with 50/50. With the Chaos
Factor at 4 the chance of a Yes is 35%. They roll a
92, an Exceptional No. The Player interprets this
to mean that not only is the door unlocked but
the house inside is in excellent shape. A valuable
find. Henny and Malcolm step inside.

Using Odds of 50/50 are good for when you

think the chances of something are about
even, but also when you have no idea what
the Odds for something should be.

Since the Exceptional result calls for

intensifying the answer the Player follows their
expectation for what that means in this situation.
Not only is the door to the house unlocked, the
interior is well stocked with food and goods and
even has running water and electricity. Whoever
lived here evacuated quickly, taking only essentials
and leaving everything else. It appears that Henny
and Malcolm are the first people to come across
the place since the outbreak began.

32
FATE QUESTIONS

33
34
 Random Events
M TYPES OF RANDOM EVENTS
ythic adventures may be guided by your
Questions and expectations to maintain
narrative congruence, but they’re also
filled with plenty of action that comes at us from
out of the blue. No matter how you think a
situation will unfold, Mythic can always step in to
take things in a new and unexpected direction.
These interjections are called Random Events.
They’re Mythic’s way of adding a dimension of
surprise to your adventure, resulting in plot twists
you might never have seen coming.
Random Events can occur at two points during
a Mythic adventure: when a Fate Question is
asked and when a Scene is first generated (see the
“Scenes” chapter for more information).

Random Events From

Fate Questions
Whenever you ask a Fate Question, there Random Events From
is always the possibility of a Random Event Interrupted Scenes
occurring. When rolling 1d100 for the Fate Chart
(or 2d10 for a Fate Check), if you get a double An Interrupted Scene is a twist that derails
number (11, 22, 33, etc.) whose digit (1 for 11, your expectations about what will happen next to
2 for 22, etc.) is equal to or less than the Chaos create a new, surprise Scene.
Factor, then a Random Event occurs. So if you Mythic adventures are broken into cinematic
rolled a 55 while answering a Fate Question, and Scenes that are generated from your expectations.
the Chaos Factor was 8, then a Random Event At the beginning of each Scene you decide how
would take place, but if the Chaos Factor was 3, you think that Scene will begin and then roll
then there would be no Random Event. to see if you are correct. Sometimes the Scene
will begin as expected; sometimes it will be
changed slightly; and sometimes a Random
Event will create an entirely new and unexpected
Scene called an Interrupt Scene. This process is
described more fully in the “Scenes” chapter.

35
 RANDOM EVENTS

GENERATING GENERATING RANDOM EVENTS

RANDOM EVENTS
Once a Random Event has been triggered you
need to figure out what happens. There are two
components to a Random Event: Event Focus and
Event Meaning. Both of these components are
interpreted through the lens of Context. Interpret
those elements together to get your final result.

CONTEXT
Context includes everything that’s happened
in the adventure up to this point. It is the
backdrop that should be taken into account when
interpreting any Random Event.
If the Player Character is a spy sneaking
through an enemy stronghold in search of stolen
plans for a military satellite, Random Events
should be interpreted with this setting in mind.
If an Event indicates that something negative
happens to the PC, then perhaps they are spotted
by a guard or drop their gun down a stairwell.
The Fate Question or tested Scene that
prompted the Event also counts as Context. If
your Fate Question was “Does the guard hear me
approach?”, and you generate a Random Event,
then the Event itself may have something to do
with the guard.
Keeping Context in mind will help you make
the logical leap toward resolving the Event in a
satisfying manner.

EVENT FOCUS aspect of your adventure. For instance, the Event

When a Random Event is triggered you need to might directly affect a Player Character, or it
establish where the action of the Event is focused. might introduce a new Non-Player Character.
This is done by rolling 1d100 on the Random Here’s what all the table results mean:
Event Focus Table. The result will point to an

36
 RANDOM EVENTS

REMOTE EVENT
A Remote Event means that something has
RANDOM EVENT FOCUS TABLE
happened that your Character wasn’t present
1d100 RESULT
for; they’re only learning about it now. This can
happen in many ways.
Maybe the Player Character encounters 1-5 Remote Event
the dead body of an NPC they met earlier in
the adventure, and the Remote Event is this 6-10 Ambiguous Event
Character’s death, which the PC did not directly
witness. Or maybe the PC wanders into a tavern 11-20 New NPC
and learns by word of mouth that the enemy
horde has advanced, destroying the next town
21-40 NPC Action
down the road.
Remote Events are a way of introducing new
twists into an adventure without the PC being 41-45 NPC Negative
directly involved with them.
46-50 NPC Positive

AMBIGUOUS EVENT
51-55 Move Toward A Thread
Most of the Event Focus Table results give you
a clear indication of what the Event is about. NPC
56-65 Move Away From A Thread
Action means that an NPC does something; PC
Positive means whatever that happens is good for
the Player Character. Maybe a Thread is being 66-70 Close A Thread
closed, or maybe a new NPC enters the adventure.
Whatever it is, its impact on the adventure is clear. 71-80 PC Negative
An Ambiguous Event, however, is purposefully
vague. It’s something that happens which is 81-85 PC Positive
neither harmful nor helpful, at least not initially.
The PC in a zombie apocalypse adventure is 86-100 Current Context
exploring an abandoned building in search
of useful items or food. Suddenly, they hear
something from the floor above: a bumping This makes an Ambiguous Event an opportunity
and scraping, followed by rhythmic thumps to explore.
that might be footsteps. Is it a zombie? Another Or perhaps the Ambiguous Event is a new
survivor? Maybe it’s someone who can help them, element in your adventure that doesn’t make
or maybe it’s just the wind blowing through an sense now but might make sense later. If your
open window. The PC doesn’t know. PC comes across a photo of several people while
exploring an empty house, is this photo a clue
An Ambiguous Event can be interpreted in related to what you’re searching for, or is it just a
several different ways. Perhaps the Event is vague, random photo with no relevance to your mission?
and you won’t know whether it’s good or bad Only time will tell.
until you check it out, like in the example above.

37
 RANDOM EVENTS

case they fit with future Context and help you

EVENT FOCUS OVERLAP interpret later events.
The PC encounters a man in town he recognizes
The results of the Event Focus Table are specific from the photo he found in the house. After some
about what aspect of the adventure the Random detective work, the PC discovers that the man
Event is centered around: Player Characters, killed his own cousin, who is now haunting the
NPCs, something bad, something good, and so mansion. This turn of events—discovering the
on. However, just because the table indicates
murderer of the ghost—would not have been
what element the Event includes doesn’t mean
it has to be the only element. There’s plenty of
possible without first having the Ambiguous
overlap between results. Event with the photo.
For instance, you might generate a PC Positive.
Yay! Something good just happened to your
Character, finally. Maybe the good thing that
NEW NPC
happened is you gained an ally, someone who will A new Non-Player Character enters the
help you accomplish your goals. adventure. This new Character plays a role in
Well, hold on. Wouldn’t that be a Move Toward A
the current Scene and will likely be added to the
Thread or New NPC? Characters List when the Scene is over.
Yes, it would be. You could have rolled any of The PC in a sword-and-sorcery fantasy game
those for an Event Focus and come up with the is exploring a dungeon. In a Scene where she’s
same interpretation. Whatever Event Focus you checking out a room, the Player gets a Random
roll is not meant to limit you; it’s simply meant Event with a New NPC, which they determine
to be a starting place that helps you interpret to be a giant mutated rat. After a short battle,
the final result. If that result includes multiple the Player realizes that there are likely more of
elements from your adventure, then all the better. these rats in the dungeon, so they add “Giant
mutant rats” to the Characters List.
In the examples above, the Ambiguous Events
don’t say anything about the narrative. A random
sound, a photo—these are details that may or NPC ACTION
may not expand into something meaningful An existing Non-Player Character does
later on in the adventure. They might turn out something that impacts the adventure. Roll on
to be significant, or they might turn out to be the Characters List to see which NPC acts for
red herrings or bits of ambiance. Interpreting an this Event.
Ambiguous Event doesn’t require you to figure The PC, a zombie apocalypse survivor, is trying
out what it means; you just have to leave yourself to find antibiotics for a sick friend. She’s just
open to the possibilities. discovered a pharmacy, and searching through it
Ambiguous Events can easily turn into is the basis for this Scene.
narrative foreshadowing. Maybe those animal
sounds your PC heard in the woods are the As the PC cautiously enters the building, the
passage of small creatures they’ll soon encounter. Player asks a Fate Question that generates a
Maybe that photo you found will come in Random Event with the Focus of NPC Action.
handy later when you run afoul of a ghost in the They roll on the Characters List and get “Dillard
house. Keep those ambiguous details in mind in Gang”, a violent group the PC encountered in an
earlier Scene that the Player subsequently added

38
 RANDOM EVENTS

to the List. The Player determines that a member

of the gang is lurking in the store and ambushes CHARACTER CRAFTING
the PC as she approaches the pharmacy counter.
If a Random Event calls for a New NPC but you
have no idea who or what it could be asking a
NPC/PC NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE Fate Question or two can help you figure it out.
Something bad or good happens to a Player Alternatively, you can use an Element Meaning
Character or Non-Player Character, depending on Table.
which result you got on the Event Focus Table. There are Element Meaning Tables for all kinds
If the Event calls for a PC, determine which of things pertaining to NPCs: what they look like,
PC it is. If you’re playing solo with a single Player how they act, their background, their motivation,
Character then this Event is automatically about what they say, and more. You can pick and choose
them; if there is more than one Player Character, which tables seem most pertinent in the moment
and use them to get to know the new Character
then choose the one you would most expect this
that was just
Event to apply to. introduced into
If the Event calls for a Non-Player Character, your adventure.
roll on the Characters List to determine which
You’ll find
Character it is.
more in-depth
Negative and Positive outcomes of this discussion of
Random Event can run a gamut of possibilities the Element
depending on the Context of the adventure Meaning Tables
and how you interpret the result. The Positive in the “Scenes”
or Negative Event can be something story- chapter on page
shifting and important, or it can be something 84.
minor, as long as you think it’s the most expected
interpretation of your results.
An occult investigator PC is trying to rid a
manor house of an angry, powerful ghost, but it
isn’t going well. During a Scene where the PC
is trying to banish the ghost with magic, Mythic
generates a Random Event with a Focus of PC
Negative. The Player is playing the game solo but
controlling two Player Characters—the primary
investigator Nigel and his assistant Clara—so
they have to choose which of them this Event
pertains to. They decide that Nigel is probably
the target of the Event since he’s the one casting
the spell.
The Player interprets this Event to mean that the
ghost exerts tremendous supernatural force and
pulls the entire house into a nightmare realm
where reality is shifting and uncertain.

39
 RANDOM EVENTS

In a later Scene, Nigel and Clara are trying to

BUT, THEY’RE NOT HERE break down the door to the room where the angry
ghost originally died. They believe that this room
Generating Random Events in Mythic is, contains a family painting that’s serving as the
well, random. Any NPC you’ve placed on the ghost’s anchor to the house, and that if they can
Characters List can turn up if the Event Focus destroy it they’ll be returned to the normal world.
calls for it. But what do you do when the
Character called upon couldn’t possibly be there Mythic generates another Random Event during
for that Scene? this Scene, this time with a Focus of NPC
Positive. Rolling on the Characters List, the
When an NPC is invoked for a Random Event,
it doesn’t necessarily mean that the Character
Player gets Warren, the gardener and caretaker
themself is present and active, just that the Event of the mansion whom the PCs met in an earlier
involves them in some way. Scene but haven’t seen for some time. Up until
now the Player assumed that Warren must
For instance, in the example on the previous
page, the survivor PC is searching a pharmacy
have met an unpleasant end somewhere on the
for antibiotics when the Player rolls a Random property. They interpret this Event to mean that
Event with a Focus of NPC Action that invokes the Warren comes running up the hall after hearing
Dillard Gang. In that case it makes sense that a Nigel and Clara’s attempt to break into the
member of the group would be physically present room. The “positive” for Warren in this case is
in the store to cause problems for the PC. that he’s still alive. Maybe he’ ll also be of help in
But what if the Player got the same Event Focus getting this door open …
result later in the adventure when the PC
was flying in a small airplane? Here are a few
interpretations that would make sense: MOVE TOWARD A THREAD
» The pilot has been friendly and helpful up to Threads are the goals and missions that the
this point, even offering to fly the PC to a safe Player Character is pursuing. This Random Event
place. But now she notices a tattoo on his brings the PC one step closer to resolving an open
wrist, the same tattoo that the other Dillards Thread. Roll on the Threads List to see which
have. He’s one of them! The NPC Action in Thread the Event involves.
this case is that he’s lying to the PC about
who he is and what he’s doing. The Player Character is a pulp era treasure
hunter exploring an ancient pyramid. During
» En route to the PCs destination, the pilot picks
up radio chatter from a settlement below.
this exploration, the Player runs into a Random
They’re being attacked by the Dillard Gang! Event and gets Move Toward A Thread, with
the Thread being “Find the ancient tomb of
» While relaxing on the plane the PC checks
Ank-Tonen.”
through her backpack to see what supplies
she has left. To her dismay, the Dillards must The Player determines that the PC comes across a
have gotten their hands on it during her most wall inscribed with a crude map of the pyramid
recent clash with them because all of her
complex, at the center of which is a symbol that
ammo is gone.
can only be the tomb itself. This is a major clue
for the PC: it shows her exactly how to get to
where she wants to go!

40
 RANDOM EVENTS

MOVE AWAY FROM A THREAD

While the previous Random Event helps the WHY THERE IS NO “NEW THREAD”
Player Character get closer to resolving an open
Thread, this Event does the opposite: it represents a The Random Event Focus Table has three entries
new hurdle or setback that hinders the PC’s progress pertaining to Threads, including Close A Thread, but
toward closing a Thread. Roll on the Threads List no New Thread. Characters have a New NPC entry,
so why don’t Threads have one as well?
to see which Thread the Event involves.
There is no New Thread result because the Threads
The Player Character, a hired mercenary, is
you follow are decided by you, not the adventure.
tracking a criminal through the jungle when
Mythic will present you with opportunities and
a Random Event comes up with the Event ideas for goals to pursue, but it is your choice
Focus of Move Away from a Thread, in this whether to make any of them a priority.
case, “Capture the escaped criminal”. The
Player interprets this to mean that the trail has
disappeared and there is no sign of the criminal. a large, locked chest. When he opens it Warren
No tracks in the mud, no broken branches, pops out, gasping for breath. The ghost locked
nothing. The PC must double back to find the him in the chest to get rid of him for good. With
trail again, losing valuable time in their pursuit. that goal resolved, the Player removes “Find
Warren” from the Threads List.
The Event should make resolving the Thread
more difficult but not necessarily impossible; the In another Scene, while consulting with a mage,
elimination of a Thread is handled with the next Nigel is informed that tampering with the spell
result on the table or through normal role-play. that summoned the ghost would only strengthen
its power. He had hoped it would help them
banish the ghost but now he knows there’s no
CLOSE A THREAD point in looking for it. The Player removes “Find
This Random Event brings about the closure of the spell” from the Threads List.
an open Thread. Roll on the Threads List to see
which Thread this involves.
Determining how the Thread is closed will CURRENT CONTEXT
require interpretation, but whatever the Event is Whatever is happening in the Scene right now
it should either resolve the Thread or nullify it becomes the Focus for this Event. If the Random
somehow. Event was generated from a Fate Question
Nigel and Clara, the occult investigators, have then use the Context of the Fate Question as
succeeded in returning the mansion back to the the Focus. If the Random Event was triggered
normal world, but they still need to banish the as a Scene Interrupt then the Event is directly
ghost, find Warren (who‘s disappeared again), related to whatever is currently going on in your
and find the spell that summoned the enraged adventure. A Random Event with a Focus of
ghost in the first place. Current Context takes whatever is going on and
adds a new layer to it.
While Nigel is rummaging in the cellar, Mythic
generates a Random Event with the Focus of The Player’s gunslinger PC bursts into a barn,
Close a Thread. The Player rolls “Find Warren” expecting to find the bandit he’s been pursuing.
on the Threads List and interprets this to mean The Player asks the Fate Question, “Is he in
that Nigel hears knocking sounds coming from here?” Mythic comes back with a No and a

41
 RANDOM EVENTS

Random Event. The Event Focus Table comes Choosing The Event Focus
back with Current Context.
When a Random Event is generated you don’t
The Player thought this might be a big moment
always have to roll on the Event Focus Table. If you
in the adventure—capturing the bandit—but
have a good idea of what the Event Focus should be
they were wrong. This unexpected letdown is the
you can choose that result instead of rolling.
Context right now and this Random Event will
The PC, a space adventurer, is in a tight,
have something to do with that. Depending on
dramatic spot: caught in a phaser battle in the
the Event Meaning generated, maybe the PC
engine room while the warp drive is spiraling toward
finds a taunting message scrawled on the wall or
a meltdown. The Player asks a Fate Question
discovers a bedroll in the corner indicating the
that generates a Random Event, but with so much
bandit had been here but moved on.
already going on having an Event introduce a brand

42
 RANDOM EVENTS

new and potentially unconnected element into

the Scene would be more cumbersome than CHOOSING THE EVENT FOCUS
helpful. The Player decides to skip rolling for
the Event Focus and instead chooses Current EVENT FOCUS REASON
Context to ensure that this Random Event
will have something to do with the phaser Your PC is expecting news
REMOTE
from afar and now seems like
battle or the engine crisis. EVENT
a good time for it to arrive.

WHEN TO CHOOSE AMBIGUOUS The adventure has slowed and you

THE FOCUS EVENT are ready for a mystery to pursue.
There are circumstances in an adventure
There is a logical reason for
where choosing the Event Focus may make
NEW NPC a new NPC to appear in your
more sense than rolling for it. For instance, adventure right now.
in the example above the Player was
concerned a new wrinkle in the adventure Your PC is waiting on the
would disrupt the current Scene so they NPC ACTION action of NPCs to move the
chose Current Context to have a Random adventure forward.
Event that clicked with what was going on.
The Choosing The Event Focus Table You want to shift the focus of
NPC NEGATIVE
gives some situations where you might want your adventure onto an NPC
or
to choose a specific Event Focus. right now, maybe to develop new
NPC POSITIVE
How often you choose instead of roll storylines in your adventure.
is your choice as well. If you want to have
more narrative control over your adventure Your adventure has stalled
MOVE
you may choose frequently or always. If and needs a push forward.
TOWARD A
you want a game with more surprises you This is especially useful for
THREAD
an Interrupt Scene.
may choose rarely or never.
If you want a middle ground approach
MOVE AWAY
that allows some limited choice then give FROM A You want a new challenge
yourself one choice every five Scenes. This THREAD or for your PC to face.
means you can choose any result on the PC NEGATIVE
Event Focus Table for one Random Event
within any span of five Scenes. Once spent Your PC is having a hard time
you have to wait until the next span of five PC POSITIVE
and could use a break.
Scenes begins before you get a choice again.
The Player above with the space adventurer The adventure has gotten
CLOSE A
was in Scene 4 of their adventure. They complicated and you want to
THREAD
thin out the Threads List.
hadn’t chosen an Event Focus yet so the
option was available. After choosing the
» The Random Event could help
Focus for that Event the Player won’t have
CURRENT explain a Fate Question result.
the option to choose again until Scene 6
CONTEXT » A Random Event could be
through 10, then again at 11 through 15,
16 through 20, and so on. disruptive to the current action.

43
 RANDOM EVENTS

Empty List LISTS AS

If you don’t have anything on your Threads or
Characters List—perhaps the adventure has only
RANDOM TABLES
just begun—then some results from the Event Lists are updated during the Bookkeeping phase
Focus Table won’t be usable for you. When the at the end of a Scene (discussed in the “Scenes”
Event Focus Table calls for an element from an chapter). This is when you decide which Characters
empty List ignore the roll and treat the Current in the Scene were important enough to add to the
Context as the Event Focus instead. Characters List and if anything stands out as a goal
you may want to add to the Threads List.
In an adventure set during a futuristic world
The two Lists act as random tables used for
war, the PC is slowly moving through the snow
Random Events. Each List is broken up into 5
down a bombed-out street, staying behind cover
sections of 5 lines each. When you add to a List
as much as possible while she searches for activity
you start at the top and make your way down
in the area. The Player asks the Fate Question,
line by line. When you’ve filled one section of 5
“Does she see anyone?”
elements and go on to the next that new section is
Mythic comes back with Yes and a Random now activated and becomes part of the active List.
Event. The Player rolls on the Event Focus Table There are two columns of numbers on the
and gets NPC Negative, but this is the first Scene left of each List: rolling for the first column
of the adventure and the Characters List is empty. determines which active section of the List to use,
Since this Event Focus isn’t possible, Current and the second column determines which element
Context becomes the Focus instead. in that active section is chosen.
The first roll is determined by how many
sections of the List are active. If you have up to 5
elements on your List then you don’t roll for the
first column, you are only dealing with the first
section of the List (lines 1-5).

If a Random Event calls for an NPC you don’t have to roll for the section A few Scenes later the Characters List is more built up. When a Random
Event happens now that calls for an NPC the player must roll a d4 to
in it. The player would just roll a 1d10 to determine which element is determine which section to use since there are now elements in the
invoked. A roll of 6, for example, would indicate “Jungle”. second section on lines 6 and 7. A roll of 3 on the d4 and a roll of 1 on the
d10 would result in “Minga the lizard man” being selected.

44
 RANDOM EVENTS

ADVENTURE LISTS
THREADS LIST CHARACTERS LIST
- 1-2 CHOOSE 1 - 1-2 CHOOSE 1

3-4 CHOOSE 2 3-4 CHOOSE 2

1-2 5-6 CHOOSE 3 1-2 5-6 CHOOSE 3

7-8 CHOOSE 4 7-8 CHOOSE 4

9-10 CHOOSE 5 9-10 CHOOSE 5

d4 d4
1-2 CHOOSE 6 1-2 CHOOSE 6

3-4 CHOOSE 7 3-4 CHOOSE 7

3-4 5-6 CHOOSE 8 3-4 5-6 CHOOSE 8

7-8 CHOOSE 9 7-8 CHOOSE 9

9-10 CHOOSE 10 9-10 CHOOSE 10

d6 1-2 CHOOSE 11 d6 1-2 CHOOSE 11

3-4 CHOOSE 12 3-4 CHOOSE 12

5-6 5-6 CHOOSE 13 5-6 5-6 CHOOSE 13

7-8 CHOOSE 14 7-8 CHOOSE 14

9-10 CHOOSE 15 9-10 CHOOSE 15

d8 1-2 CHOOSE 16 d8 1-2 CHOOSE 16

3-4 CHOOSE 17 3-4 CHOOSE 17

7-8 5-6 CHOOSE 18 7-8 5-6 CHOOSE 18

7-8 CHOOSE 19 7-8 CHOOSE 19

9-10 CHOOSE 20 9-10 CHOOSE 20

d10 d10
1-2 CHOOSE 21 1-2 CHOOSE 21

3-4 CHOOSE 22 3-4 CHOOSE 22

9-10 5-6 CHOOSE 23 9-10 5-6 CHOOSE 23

7-8 CHOOSE 24 7-8 CHOOSE 24

9-10 CHOOSE 25 9-10 CHOOSE 25

45
 RANDOM EVENTS

WHAT’S THE NUMBER FOR?

EVENT MEANING
You know the Context in which the Random
On the Adventure Lists there’s a number to the
Event is taking place and you know what its
right of each element slot listing the element Focus will be. An interpretation may already be
lines from 1 to 25. That’s there to give you a quick forming, but it needs more. It needs a spark of
reference for the current count of your Thread life. It needs Meaning.
and Character elements. Mythic uses Meaning Tables to generate a
The numbers are also helpful if you’re using The pair of words that you use as inspiration to help
Adventure Crafter with Mythic and want to use interpret a Random Event. Generating the Event
Mythic’s Adventure Lists. For more information Meaning involves rolling 1d100 twice on an Event
about combining The Adventure Crafter and Meaning Table to get two words. You pair these
Mythic see page 171. words together and use their combined meaning
to suggest interpretations for your Event.
If you have 6-10 elements you roll a d4, 11-15 In our war example the Player knows the Focus
elements is a d6, 16-20 elements is a d8, and 21- of the Random Event (Current Context), so they
25 elements is a d10. roll on an Event Meaning Table and get the
When a Random Event requires you to roll on words “Attach” and “Lies”.
a Threads or Characters List use the number of
After considering the Context of the adventure
active sections to determine which die to use then
and the Fate Question that generated the Event,
roll to see which section this Event will use.
the Player makes this interpretation: as the PC
Once you know the section roll a 1d10 and
ducks behind a burnt-out car, she sees someone
compare it to the second column of numbers
tacking a sign to the wall of a building (Attach).
to determine which line in that section is being
It’s a propaganda poster (Lies); this must be a
invoked.
soldier from the Ministry of Information.
If you roll a line that has a Thread or Character
written on it then that Thread or Character is being
called upon by the Random Event. When you roll Meanings To Choose From
a line that is empty of an element the result is
considered Choose. You have two options: Event Meaning Tables come in three varieties:
» CHOOSE AN ELEMENT: Select an Actions, Descriptions, and Elements.
element recorded on the List that makes The Actions and Descriptions Meaning
the most sense in the current Context. Tables each have a set of two d100 tables, while
» CHOOSE TO ROLL AGAIN: If you the numerous Elements Meaning Tables each
would rather be surprised then roll again have a single, specialized d100 table. You can
until you get an active element on the List. find the Actions and Descriptions Meaning
The chances of rolling Choose will vary Tables, as well as the three most general Elements
throughout the adventure from zero chance (when Meaning Tables, on the next few pages. For more
the active boxes in your List are full) to likely specialized Elements Meaning Tables visit the
(when an active box only has one element in it). “Scenes” chapter on page 84.
The more full your List gets the more rare Choose Before rolling, choose the Meaning Table that
will become. seems most appropriate for the current Event. You
really can’t go wrong with any of them—they all

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 RANDOM EVENTS

MEANING TABLES: ACTIONS

ACTION 1
1: Abandon 21: Communicate 41: Escape 61: Misuse 81: Ruin
2: Accompany 22: Conceal 42: Expose 62: Move 82: Separate
3: Activate 23: Continue 43: Fail 63: Neglect 83: Start
4: Agree 24: Control 44: Fight 64: Observe 84: Stop
5: Ambush 25: Create 45: Flee 65: Open 85: Strange
6: Arrive 26: Deceive 46: Free 66: Oppose 86: Struggle
7: Assist 27: Decrease 47: Guide 67: Overthrow 87: Succeed
8: Attack 28: Defend 48: Harm 68: Praise 88: Support
9: Attain 29: Delay 49: Heal 69: Proceed 89: Suppress
10: Bargain 30: Deny 50: Hinder 70: Protect 90: Take
11: Befriend 31: Depart 51: Imitate 71: Punish 91: Threaten
12: Bestow 32: Deposit 52: Imprison 72: Pursue 92: Transform
13: Betray 33: Destroy 53: Increase 73: Recruit 93: Trap
14: Block 34: Dispute 54: Indulge 74: Refuse 94: Travel
15: Break 35: Disrupt 55: Inform 75: Release 95: Triumph
16: Carry 36: Distrust 56: Inquire 76: Relinquish 96: Truce
17: Celebrate 37: Divide 57: Inspect 77: Repair 97: Trust
18: Change 38: Drop 58: Invade 78: Repulse 98: Use
19: Close 39: Easy 59: Leave 79: Return 99: Usurp
20: Combine 40: Energize 60: Lure 80: Reward 100: Waste

ACTION 2
1: Advantage 21: Disadvantage 41: Hope 61: Object 81: Representative
2: Adversity 22: Distraction 42: Idea 62: Obscurity 82: Riches
3: Agreement 23: Elements 43: Illness 63: Official 83: Safety
4: Animal 24: Emotion 44: Illusion 64: Opposition 84: Strength
5: Attention 25: Enemy 45: Individual 65: Outside 85: Success
6: Balance 26: Energy 46: Information 66: Pain 86: Suffering
7: Battle 27: Environment 47: Innocent 67: Path 87: Surprise
8: Benefits 28: Expectation 48: Intellect 68: Peace 88: Tactic
9: Building 29: Exterior 49: Interior 69: People 89: Technology
10: Burden 30: Extravagance 50: Investment 70: Personal 90: Tension
11: Bureaucracy 31: Failure 51: Leadership 71: Physical 91: Time
12: Business 32: Fame 52: Legal 72: Plot 92: Trial
13: Chaos 33: Fear 53: Location 73: Portal 93: Value
14: Comfort 34: Freedom 54: Military 74: Possessions 94: Vehicle
15: Completion 35: Friend 55: Misfortune 75: Poverty 95: Victory
16: Conflict 36: Goal 56: Mundane 76: Power 96: Vulnerability
17: Cooperation 37: Group 57: Nature 77: Prison 97: Weapon
18: Danger 38: Health 58: Needs 78: Project 98: Weather
19: Defense 39: Hindrance 59: News 79: Protection 99: Work
20: Depletion 40: Home 60: Normal 80: Reassurance 100: Wound

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 RANDOM EVENTS

MEANING TABLES: DESCRIPTIONS

DESCRIPTOR 1
1: Adventurously 21: Defiantly 41: Generously 61: Loudly 81: Playfully
2: Aggressively 22: Deliberately 42: Gently 62: Lovingly 82: Politely
3: Anxiously 23: Delicately 43: Gladly 63: Loyally 83: Positively
4: Awkwardly 24: Delightfully 44: Gracefully 64: Majestically 84: Powerfully
5: Beautifully 25: Dimly 45: Gratefully 65: Meaningfully 85: Quaintly
6: Bleakly 26: Efficiently 46: Happily 66: Mechanically 86: Quarrelsomely
7: Boldly 27: Emotionally 47: Hastily 67: Mildly 87: Quietly
8: Bravely 28: Energetically 48: Healthily 68: Miserably 88: Roughly
9: Busily 29: Enormously 49: Helpfully 69: Mockingly 89: Rudely
10: Calmly 30: Enthusiastically 50: Helplessly 70: Mysteriously 90: Ruthlessly
11: Carefully 31: Excitedly 51: Hopelessly 71: Naturally 91: Slowly
12: Carelessly 32: Fearfully 52: Innocently 72: Neatly 92: Softly
13: Cautiously 33: Ferociously 53: Intensely 73: Nicely 93: Strangely
14: Ceaselessly 34: Fiercely 54: Interestingly 74: Oddly 94: Swiftly
15: Cheerfully 35: Foolishly 55: Irritatingly 75: Offensively 95: Threateningly
16: Combatively 36: Fortunately 56: Joyfully 76: Officially 96: Timidly
17: Coolly 37: Frantically 57: Kindly 77: Partially 97: Very
18: Crazily 38: Freely 58: Lazily 78: Passively 98: Violently
19: Curiously 39: Frighteningly 59: Lightly 79: Peacefully 99: Wildly
20: Dangerously 40: Fully 60: Loosely 80: Perfectly 100: Yieldingly

DESCRIPTOR 2
1: Abnormal 21: Disagreeable 41: Hard 61: Messy 81: Remarkable
2: Amusing 22: Dry 42: Harsh 62: Mighty 82: Rotten
3: Artificial 23: Dull 43: Healthy 63: Military 83: Rough
4: Average 24: Empty 44: Heavy 64: Modern 84: Ruined
5: Beautiful 25: Enormous 45: Historical 65: Mundane 85: Rustic
6: Bizarre 26: Extraordinary 46: Horrible 66: Mysterious 86: Scary
7: Boring 27: Extravagant 47: Important 67: Natural 87: Shocking
8: Bright 28: Faded 48: Interesting 68: Normal 88: Simple
9: Broken 29: Familiar 49: Juvenile 69: Odd 89: Small
10: Clean 30: Fancy 50: Lacking 70: Old 90: Smooth
11: Cold 31: Feeble 51: Large 71: Pale 91: Soft
12: Colorful 32: Festive 52: Lavish 72: Peaceful 92: Strong
13: Colorless 33: Flawless 53: Lean 73: Petite 93: Stylish
14: Comforting 34: Forlorn 54: Less 74: Plain 94: Unpleasant
15: Creepy 35: Fragile 55: Lethal 75: Poor 95: Valuable
16: Cute 36: Fragrant 56: Lively 76: Powerful 96: Vibrant
17: Damaged 37: Fresh 57: Lonely 77: Protective 97: Warm
18: Dark 38: Full 58: Lovely 78: Quaint 98: Watery
19: Defeated 39: Glorious 59: Magnificent 79: Rare 99: Weak
20: Dirty 40: Graceful 60: Mature 80: Reassuring 100: Young

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 RANDOM EVENTS

MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

LOCATIONS CHARACTERS OBJECTS
1: Abandoned 51: Lively 1: Accompanied 51: Important 1: Active 51: Information
2: Active 52: Lonely 2: Active 52: Inactive 2: Artistic 52: Intriguing
3: Artistic 53: Long 3: Aggressive 53: Influential 3: Average 53: Large
4: Atmosphere 54: Loud 4: Ambush 54: Innocent 4: Beautiful 54: Lethal
5: Beautiful 55: Meaningful 5: Animal 55: Intense 5: Bizarre 55: Light
6: Bleak 56: Messy 6: Anxious 56: Knowledgeable 6: Bright 56: Liquid
7: Bright 57: Mobile 7: Armed 57: Large 7: Clothing 57: Loud
8: Business 58: Modern 8: Beautiful 58: Lonely 8: Clue 58: Majestic
9: Calm 59: Mundane 9: Bold 59: Loud 9: Cold 59: Meaningful
10: Charming 60: Mysterious 10: Busy 60: Loyal 10: Colorful 60: Mechanical
11: Clean 61: Natural 11: Calm 61: Masculine 11: Communication 61: Modern
12: Cluttered 62: New 12: Careless 62: Mighty 12: Complicated 62: Moving
13: Cold 63: Occupied 13: Casual 63: Miserable 13: Confusing 63: Multiple
14: Colorful 64: Odd 14: Cautious 64: Multiple 14: Consumable 64: Mundane
15: Colorless 65: Official 15: Classy 65: Mundane 15: Container 65: Mysterious
16: Confusing 66: Old 16: Colorful 66: Mysterious 16: Creepy 66: Natural
17: Cramped 67: Open 17: Combative 67: Natural 17: Crude 67: New
18: Creepy 68: Peaceful 18: Crazy 68: Odd 18: Cute 68: Odd
19: Crude 69: Personal 19: Creepy 69: Official 19: Damaged 69: Official
20: Cute 70: Plain 20: Curious 70: Old 20: Dangerous 70: Old
21: Damaged 71: Portal 21: Dangerous 71: Passive 21: Deactivated 71: Ornamental
22: Dangerous 72: Protected 22: Deceitful 72: Peaceful 22: Deliberate 72: Ornate
23: Dark 73: Protection 23: Defeated 73: Playful 23: Delightful 73: Personal
24: Delightful 74: Purposeful 24: Defiant 74: Powerful 24: Desired 74: Powerful
25: Dirty 75: Quiet 25: Delightful 75: Professional 25: Domestic 75: Prized
26: Domestic 76: Reassuring 26: Emotional 76: Protected 26: Empty 76: Protection
27: Empty 77: Remote 27: Energetic 77: Protecting 27: Energy 77: Rare
28: Enclosed 78: Resourceful 28: Equipped 78: Questioning 28: Enormous 78: Ready
29: Enormous 79: Ruined 29: Excited 79: Quiet 29: Equipment 79: Reassuring
30: Entrance 80: Rustic 30: Expected 80: Reassuring 30: Expected 80: Resource
31: Exclusive 81: Safe 31: Familiar 81: Resourceful 31: Expended 81: Ruined
32: Exposed 82: Services 32: Fast 82: Seeking 32: Extravagant 82: Small
33: Extravagant 83: Simple 33: Feeble 83: Skilled 33: Faded 83: Soft
34: Familiar 84: Small 34: Feminine 84: Slow 34: Familiar 84: Solitary
35: Fancy 85: Spacious 35: Ferocious 85: Small 35: Fancy 85: Stolen
36: Festive 86: Storage 36: Foe 86: Stealthy 36: Flora 86: Strange
37: Foreboding 87: Strange 37: Foolish 87: Strange 37: Fortunate 87: Stylish
38: Fortunate 88: Stylish 38: Fortunate 88: Strong 38: Fragile 88: Threatening
39: Fragrant 89: Suspicious 39: Fragrant 89: Tall 39: Fragrant 89: Tool
40: Frantic 90: Tall 40: Frantic 90: Thieving 40: Frightening 90: Travel
41: Frightening 91: Threatening 41: Friend 91: Threatening 41: Garbage 91: Unexpected
42: Full 92: Tranquil 42: Frightened 92: Triumphant 42: Guidance 92: Unpleasant
43: Harmful 93: Unexpected 43: Frightening 93: Unexpected 43: Hard 93: Unusual
44: Helpful 94: Unpleasant 44: Generous 94: Unnatural 44: Harmful 94: Useful
45: Horrible 95: Unusual 45: Glad 95: Unusual 45: Healing 95: Useless
46: Important 96: Useful 46: Happy 96: Violent 46: Heavy 96: Valuable
47: Impressive 97: Warm 47: Harmful 97: Vocal 47: Helpful 97: Warm
48: Inactive 98: Warning 48: Helpful 98: Weak 48: Horrible 98: Weapon
49: Intense 99: Watery 49: Helpless 99: Wild 49: Important 99: Wet
50: Intriguing 100: Welcoming 50: Hurt 100: Young 50: Inactive 100: Worn

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 RANDOM EVENTS

provide a starting point for interpretation—but

choosing a table that more closely matches the DOUBLING DOWN
Context of the Event gives you a better chance of
getting results that are easier to interpret. It’s possible to get the same result twice when
The Player’s sci-fi PC has successfully fixed the rolling on the Elements Meaning Tables. In this
ship’s engine, avoiding a devastating meltdown. case, consider that word “doubled down” and
As they wrap up repairs and check on other interpret it with greater intensity than you would
have otherwise.
damage to the ship Mythic generates a Random
Event. The Player rolls a Focus of PC Negative, For instance, let’s say your PC is searching
indicating that something bad is about to happen through an alien starship when they come to a
to the PC. That sounds active, so the Player rolls closed door. You ask a Fate Question: “Is the door
locked?” Mythic says No and triggers a Random
on the Actions Meaning Tables.
Event with a Focus of PC Positive.
Later in the adventure the PC leads a team You reason that the Event has something to do
to the surface of a newly discovered planet. with what’s beyond the door, so you use the
Location Element Meaning Table to get your
Meaning, rolling “Open” and “Extravagant”. You
might interpret this as finding a room full of
gizmos and fancy tech built into the walls with
windows looking out into space.
If you had instead rolled “Open” and “Open”, you
might describe the room as a platform jutting
out into open space, surrounded by a clear force
field—truly open in the most extreme way you
can think of.

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 RANDOM EVENTS

ROLLING FOR MEANING

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MEANING Both the Actions and the Descriptions
Meaning Tables are made up of two tables,
With multiple Meaning Tables to choose from, each with 100 results. To determine the Event
how do you know you’re selecting the right one Meaning roll 1d100 on the first table and again
for your Random Event? It comes down to a on the second table. This will give you a word
matter of taste: every table gives useful results,
from each table to pair together.
but each of them gives slightly different results.
The Elements Meaning Tables are each a single
Actions Meaning Tables d100 table; roll 1d100 twice on your chosen table
to get a word pair.
The Actions Meaning Tables give word pairs Whichever table you got them from, this pair
associated with active narrative elements. These
of words will help inspire your interpretation of
tables are best used to find out what someone or
the Random Event.
something is doing or having done to them. For
instance, if a Random Event involved something The Event Focus is New NPC and the Player
negative happening to an NPC then you could roll has chosen to use the Descriptions Meaning
on the Actions Meaning Tables to get an idea of Tables to get an idea of what this NPC looks
what occurred. like. They roll “Calmly” and “Mundane”. The
Player might interpret this to mean that the
Descriptions Meaning Tables Character looks like every other traveler passing
The Descriptions Meaning Tables give descriptive through this space station, just calmly going
word pairs that are useful for deciding what about their business.
something or someone looks like. For instance, if
the Random Event involved the introduction of a If the Player had rolled “Roughly” and
new NPC you could use the Descriptions Meaning “Bizarre” on the Descriptions Meaning Tables
Tables to determine their appearance. they might have interpreted this to mean that
the NPC is a strange-looking alien, and a
Elements Meaning Tables rough-looking one at that. Maybe they’re a
The Elements Meaning Tables are themed, bounty hunter with insect-like features wearing
giving more targeted results. The most general battle scarred armor.
Element Meaning Tables are Location, Character,
and Object; the Element Meaning Tables in the
“Scenes” chapter are even more specialized with
options such as Character Personality, Scavenging
Results, and Dungeon Traps.
INTERPRETING
THE EVENT
While they’re exploring Mythic triggers another Mythic provides the foundation for your
Random Event, this one with a New NPC Random Event: the Event Focus tells you what
Focus. The Player considers which Meaning aspect of the adventure to turn your attention
Table to roll on. Maybe Action to indicate what to, the Event Meaning suggests details, and the
this new Character is doing? After thinking it Context of the adventure gives you a background
over they change their mind and decide to roll on of previous events to draw from.
the Character Element Meaning Table, which is Now it’s up to you to determine how it all fits
more applicable to creating a new Character. together.

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 RANDOM EVENTS

The Lens Of Expectation

TRUST YOURSELF
Just as your expectations guide your
interpretation of Fate Questions, they also guide Interpretation of Mythic prompts (Fate Question
your interpretation of Random Events. When you answers, Meaning Table results, etc.) is more art
combine the Context with the Event Focus and than science. You may encounter struggles such
Event Meaning, whatever your gut tells you this as getting past the literal meaning of the prompts
all means is your expectations speaking to you. or coming up with an idea you’re happy with.

The Player Character is a wandering barbarian My advice is to listen to your gut and trust
in a medieval setting. Earlier in the adventure, yourself. Open your mind, and don’t treat the
the PC undertook a quest to bring a fugitive to prompt like it defines your interpretation. Instead,
see the prompt for what it is: a starting point from
justice. His search brought him to a forest village
which you can take your interpretation anywhere
and he’s decided to rest there for a while, doing that’s fun and makes sense to you.
chores in exchange for room and board.
As he heads to the river to fetch water his Player home so they can talk about something,
asks the Fate Question, “Is there anyone else at which turns out to be related to the fugitive.
the river?” The answer comes back No, but the
roll also generates a Random Event. All three interpretations are valid because they
all try to make sense of the Event Meaning
The Player rolls on the Event Focus Table and word pair, “Lure” and “Interior”. But which is
gets a Focus of Move Toward A Thread. They the best interpretation?
have one Thread on the List: “Capture the
fugitive”. Whatever this Random Event ends up The first one, the PC finding tracks, could
being the Player knows it’s going to help the PC be considered the most logical and expected
in his quest. interpretation. The second one, finding a hut,
is possible but unlikely, certainly less likely than
For the Event Meaning the Player decides it makes finding tracks. The same is true for the third
the most sense to roll on the Actions Meaning interpretation, though it may be more expected
Tables because it seems like something active is than finding the hut.
going to happen. They get “Lure” and “Interior”.
Given the Context, the Event Focus, and the Event There is no wrong answer when it comes
Meaning, a number of ideas spring to mind: to interpretations, but you should allow your
expectations to help you choose what makes the
» While fetching water the PC discovers most sense in the moment.
footprints in the muck that match the
fugitive’s. The tracks lead to a cave near
the river.
You Need More Information
» The PC spots a makeshift hut in the woods If the Event Meaning doesn’t give you enough
beyond the river. Perhaps the fugitive used it information to spark an interpretation, or if you
for shelter; he might even be inside it now! get stuck trying to come up with one, you can
always ask a Fate Question or two to narrow
» While fetching water the PC is approached down your options. For instance, the Player of the
by a villager who invites him inside her medieval barbarian in the example above might

52
 RANDOM EVENTS

ask the Fate Question, “Do I find the fugitive’s

RANDOM EVENT EXAMPLES footprints in the mud?”
Keep in mind that the Event Focus and Event
CONTEXT: The Player Character is a vampire
Meaning are inspirational prompts that don’t
cruising a nightclub in search of your next meal. have to be followed to the letter. As long as it fits
EVENT FOCUS: NPC Positive; the NPC is a within a reasonable expectation, feel free to go
random human. with any interpretation that makes sense, even if
EVENT MEANING: Triumph & Friend it means stretching the Event Meaning a little.
INTERPRETATION: The human is sitting alone
While the PC is exploring the wreckage of a
in a secluded part of the club. The perfect
time to approach … but then his friends arrive; starship on an alien planet, Mythic generates a
apparently, he was waiting for them. Now he’s Random Event with a Focus of New NPC. To
in a group and much harder to feed on without find out what the new NPC is doing, the Player
drawing attention. rolls on the Actions Meaning Tables and gets
CONTEXT: The PC is an old west gambler “Attack” and “Needs”.
stumbling through a graveyard at night when the
A literal interpretation of this Meaning might
dead begin to rise.
indicate that the NPC is attacking something
EVENT FOCUS: NPC Action; the NPC is the town
sheriff. they need, but the Player could also abstract
EVENT MEANING: Abandon & People the prompts and interpret the NPC as a
INTERPRETATION: With all the PC’s whoopin’ malfunctioning robot that’s attempting to break
and hollerin’ as the zombies claw out of the into (“Attack”) a storage locker to replace its
ground, the sheriff comes running to see what’s dwindling energy cells (“Needs”).
going on. He takes one look at the rising dead,
screams, and runs away.
CONTEXT: You’re a smuggler piloting your ship MINING FOR MEANING
through space when you get stopped by an Another way to figure out what a Random
Imperial cruiser that wants to board and search Event means when you’re stuck for an
you.
interpretation is to do another Meaning roll to
EVENT FOCUS: Move Toward A Thread; the
Thread is “Deliver the rebel commander to her
see what additional information an extra pair
secret base”. of words suggests to you. You can use the same
EVENT MEANING: Attain & Business Meaning Table you used for the Event or a
INTERPRETATION: While you scramble for different one if it seems more appropriate.
a lie to tell them over the comms, the rebel The Player in the above example still isn’t sure
commander hands you a code she says is a valid
what to do with this Event Meaning, “Attack”
shipping license. You send it to the Imperial patrol
and they let you go, seemingly satisfied.
and “Needs”. It could be a robot banging away
on a storage locker, but that interpretation just
CONTEXT: You’re a magic-based superhero isn’t sitting right.
investigating the crash site of a meteor.
EVENT FOCUS: PC Positive The Player jumps to the Characters Elements
EVENT MEANING: Trust & Possessions Meaning Table for more inspiration and rolls
INTERPRETATION: Your magic-detecting amulet the words “Fast” and “Official”. These seem to
begins to glow, indicating that whatever was in
reinforce the initial interpretation with a few
that meteor was mystical in nature.
added details. The Player interprets this result to
mean that the NPC is indeed a robot breaking

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 RANDOM EVENTS

THE “I DUNNO” RULE THE BIG RANDOM

Random Events add twists and turns to your
EVENT EXAMPLE:
Mythic Adventure that aren’t the direct result of
Fate Questions. Sometimes, interpretation will
Weird Times At
come quickly and easily; other times, it may be
more difficult.
Wutwo Labs
If you find yourself well and truly stuck when
This example takes place in a contemporary
interpreting a Random Event, and clarifying Fate
Questions or additional Meaning words aren’t
adventure using an RPG that’s all about sciencey
helping, feel free to invoke the “I Dunno” Rule. weirdness and strange tales. The Player Character
is Dyson McGrew, a security guard at Wutwo
The I Dunno Rule is a way of saying that it’s okay to
Labs. Dyson never knew what the scientists
let the Random Event drop and just move on with
your adventure. If no interpretations are coming
were making at the facility until the day their
to mind, or the Random Event just isn’t making experiments went haywire and brought on what
sense, then forget about it and proceed as though might be the end of life as we know it.
you never rolled it. Continue your adventure rather Dyson’s adventure begins ten stories
than hold it up. underground, where the errant experiment
Be careful not to overdo the I Dunno Rule. There’s a exploded. The release of potent radiation and a
difference between taking forever to come up with noxious gas cloud has led to mutations and the
the perfect interpretation and taking a moment to warping of reality throughout Level 10 and above.
craft something workable. It’s easy to overthink the Dyson is fighting his way through the dangers
results of Random Events; I suggest you go with the to get all the way up to the ground floor, Level
first thing that comes to mind, just like you would 1, where he hopes to initiate Protocol WWZero,
when interpreting Fate Questions. an emergency failsafe that would lock down the
But if you really are stuck on an interpretation then entire facility and keep the horrors contained
let it go and move on for the sake of narrative flow. from an innocent and vulnerable world.
Your adventure will thank you for it. So far in the adventure, Dyson has had to
contend with spiders mutated to monstrous size,
into a locker to get a new energy cell. Specifically random portals to a Doom Dimension that let
it’s a security robot (“Official”), likely part of in the occasional interdimensional imp, fellow
the downed ship’s original crew, and it’s making workers of Wutwo Labs who will do anything
short work of the locker with a laser built into its to survive and get the heck out of there, and
arm (“Fast”). the endless search for security key cards needed
to access doors and make his way ever upward
toward sunlight and freedom.
In this Scene, Dyson has finally reached the
stairwell that leads to Level 9. He has his security
baton for a weapon and the battered door of a cola
vending machine for a shield. With him is Sandra
Copenhagen, a Wutwo scientist who is also trying
to get out. She’s letting Dyson use her security
clearance cards in exchange for his protection.

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 RANDOM EVENTS

Dyson cautiously peers around the corner in overrun with mutated plants. Vines crisscross the
the corridor. The fluorescents are out, but the dim walls and ceiling, some of them writhing.
red emergency lights have kicked on, and he can Later in the Scene Dyson and Sandra find
see the stairwell door at the end of the hall. themselves trapped in a laboratory with a former
Dyson’s Player asks the Fate Question, “Is there scientist who’s turned into some sort of moss
anything in the hall?” Mythic says No but triggers person. He seems to have lost his mind and Sandra
a Random Event. suggests that if he touches them they may become
The Context doesn’t suggest any particular infected with the same creeping moss condition.
Event Focus, so the Player rolls on the Event No one wants to turn into creeping moss.
Focus Table and gets NPC Negative. Rolling on Dyson looks for a way out of this room, ideally
the Characters List, they get “Giant spiders.” one that won’t require pushing past the shambling
It looks like something bad is going to happen moss-man. His Player asks the Fate Question, “Is
to a giant spider. That sounds like an action to the there a way out of here?” Mythic says Yes but also
Player, so they roll on the Actions Meaning Tables gives them a Random Event.
and get “Betray” and “Weapon”. Up to this point the Player hasn’t determined
The Player thinks about this a moment and what the moss-man is doing, just that he’s in the
decides that “Betray” means the spiders are room with them and appears to be contagious.
fighting amongst themselves. Weapons could refer They decide to use Current Context as the Event
to the spiders as well since they were part of a Focus instead of rolling on the Event Focus Table.
secret weaponizing project.
The player runs with this interpretation: as While Random Events are unexpected events
Dyson peers around the corner, he sees that the that inject themselves into your Scene, like the
hall is clear but there is motion in a room along spider brawl in the previous Random Event,
the hall. It’s a big conference room with a large they can also be used to help explain something
plate glass window facing the hall. Inside the your Character is already dealing with.
room are a group of giant spiders.
In this example, the Player is using the
While Dyson watches one giant spider
Random Event to determine what the moss-
approaches another spider and suddenly pounces
man is doing. His behavior is the Random
on it. They begin thrashing about in a violent
Event. The Player likely would have had to
battle. Several more spiders join the fray and now
determine the NPC’s behavior eventually
it’s an arachnid brawl!
anyway, maybe with a Fate Question, but
“Let’s make a run for the door while they’re
the appearance of the Random Event seemed
distracted with each other!” Dyson says, perhaps
like a good opportunity to do so now.
too brave for his own good.
With his shield raised, he and Dr.
Copenhagen make a mad dash for the door. Since this Event is about an NPC, the Player
Dyson hopes that giant spiders are only a Level rolls on the Characters Elements Meaning
10 problem, but of course Level 9 is sure to have Table and gets “Frantic” and “Ambush”. An
its own horrifying obstacles. interpretation immediately springs to mind.
The Player plays out the Scene with Dyson The moss-man, aware of their presence, begins
having to defend against a spider that spilled out to franticly wave his arms in a slow, shambling
into the hall. Despite this, his plan is successful way, seemingly trying to attack. For a slow-
and they make their way through the door and up moving, slow-witted moss-man, this might be his
to Level 9. This level, they discover, has become best attempt at an ambush.

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 RANDOM EVENTS

Interpreting the Meaning words of “Frantic” and “Ambush” to mean

the moss-man attacks in its own slow motion frantic way is a bit of
a stretch as an interpretation, but that’s fine. It’s what came to the
Player’s mind and it still fits close enough with the results generated.

“Don’t let him touch you!” Dr. Copenhagen cries as Dyson rushes
the creature and slams him with his shield to knock him back. He just
needs to clear enough room for them to get to the door at the other end
of the room without being turned into walking plants.
They succeed in battering their way past the moss-man and close the
door behind them.
Level 8 is perhaps the strangest level so far, with one of the oddest
mutations. This floor has been taken over by sentient water coolers
that stab people with their water dispenser faucets—which are now
fanged—to suck their blood.
Dyson has witnessed enough of the coolers’ dastardly deeds to know
he doesn’t want to become their next drink. He and Dr. Copenhagen
manage to cobble together a makeshift explosive they hope to use to
clear the cafeteria where a group of vampiric coolers have gathered to
hang out and gossip about humans.
Dyson needs to plant the bomb close enough to hit the coolers, so he
sneaks into the cafeteria. As he crawls across the floor, the Player asks a
Fate Question that triggers a Random Event.
Rolling on the Event Focus Table, they get PC Negative. Uh oh. The
Player rolls on the Actions Meaning Tables to see what’s happening and
gets “Fight” and “Outside”. An interpretation comes easily.
Dyson’s about halfway to the table he wants to stick the bomb under
when a commotion erupts in one of the adjoining halls. Dyson hears
yelling and gunfire.
The coolers in the cafeteria go berserk, angrily sliding around as
they prepare to attack whoever’s out there, probably other survivors also
trying to get to the stairwell.
This is bad timing for Dyson, who’s crouched under a table in the
middle of a cafeteria full of agitated, blood-sucking water coolers.

Of the three Random Events in this example this one was the easiest
for the Player to interpret. A Focus of PC Negative and Meaning
Words of “Fight” and “Outside” immediately suggested an idea to the
Player that fit exactly with Mythic’s prompts. Sometimes that’s how it
is, the Random Event prompts fit so neatly with the current moment
that there’s hardly any interpretation required.

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RANDOM EVENTS

57
58
 Scenes
F
ate Questions and Random Events cover almost
anything you could think to ask about in an THERE’S MORE!
adventure and anything unexpected that might
be thrown your way. But before you can get to This chapter gives you everything you need to
playing, there’s one more thing we need to go over: run exciting and effective Mythic adventures,
structure. Without a framework to connect one part but there’s more to discover. Once you’ve gotten
of the narrative to the next, all those Questions and the hang of the basics, you can head to the
Events aren’t much more than a jumble of details. “Variations” chapter for additional rules on the
In a typical social role-playing scenario, the mechanics we’ve covered elsewhere in this book,
Game Master maintains this structure implicitly, as well as strategies for dealing with issues you
may encounter along the way.
but solo play requires something more concrete.
Mythic uses a simple Scene structure that’s
mostly there to help you keep track of where your
adventure is going so you’re less likely to get lost
in the weeds.
Elements Of A Scene
Here are the elements common to all Mythic
Scenes that shape our adventures:

MAKING A » LISTS: A collection of adventure goals to

pursue and Characters to interact with.
BIG SCENE » SCENE STRUCTURE: The way you
determine the beginning and end of a
Scenes are a unit of time we use to identify what’s Scene. Besides the First Scene, there are
going on and who is involved. Think of it like a three kinds of Scenes: Expected, Altered,
movie or show: something happens in the Scene, and Interrupt.
and certain Characters are part of the action. When » PLAYING: The content of a Scene -
the main action of the Scene is resolved, the Scene is everything that happens and what your
over, and the story moves on to the next Scene. Player Characters do in response. This is
The same is true in traditional social role- where the adventure takes place.
playing. Your Characters enter a room and deal with » BOOKKEEPING: Updating Lists and
what’s inside; they have a surprise encounter in a the Chaos Factor, usually at the end of a
forest; they visit a town to procure new equipment. Scene. If you’re recording your adventure
Something specific happens with certain Characters in some way this is also a good time to
in a finite amount of time, and then you move on. update that record.
You’re forming Scenes; you just aren’t stating it.
Mythic adventures work the same, but the Scene
structure is explicit instead of implicit. This makes
it easier to keep track of everything as you go.

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 SCENES

PREPARING LISTS ELEMENTS OF A SCENE

Before you begin an adventure you need to
get your Adventure Lists ready. You can find the
Adventure Lists sheet in the “Random Events”
chapter and at the back of this book.
Often you’ll start with a fresh, empty set
of Lists, but you can populate your Lists with
any elements you’d like to begin the adventure
with. There are many reasons you might do
this. Maybe you already have some ideas, like
interesting Characters to encounter or a starting
goal to pursue. Or maybe this adventure is part
of an ongoing campaign, and you want to add
Characters and Threads from previous adventures.
Adding elements to your Lists before you begin
is a good way to seed your adventure with ideas.
Mythic will take these ideas and weave them into
the narrative as you play, guiding you toward the
experience you want.
The Player is beginning a fantasy adventure
of court intrigue in which the PC is the royal
magician. They’ve been thinking about this
adventure for some time so they’re coming to the
table with a few ideas.
They have a couple NPCs in mind, so they
add them to the Characters List: King Renfry,
the royal family, and the castle staff. These
Characters will develop organically through the
adventure. The Player also has a goal in mind for
the PC—“Survive court politics”—which they
add to the Threads List. This gets the ball rolling
for the themes and tropes they want to explore.
That’s everything the Player’s come up with for
the adventure going in. Now it’s up to Mythic to
help them shape it all into something interesting. THREADS &
CHARACTERS LISTS
There are two Lists that will help you
keep track of the important elements in your
adventure: the Threads List for the PC’s goals
and the Characters List for the various NPCs that

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 SCENES

populate the adventure

world. These Lists
Characters List
are important for the The Characters List is where
development of your you record important Non-Player
adventure—they’re Characters and other active adventure
what Mythic uses to elements as the PC encounters them.
bring the important It’s up to you to decide whether a
adventure elements into Character is important enough to
play whenever you roll on make the List, but a good rule
the Event Focus Table. of thumb is to add anything or
If you get the Event anyone that can influence the
Focus of NPC Action adventure.
for a Random Event, The PC starts the adventure
for example, then with the first mate of his
you would roll on stranded ship, “Tocky
the Characters McAdams”, on the
List to see which Characters List. Later,
NPC was acting, when the PC runs afoul of a
while getting the result of particularly bad-tempered bird
Move Toward A Thread of prey, the Player decides to add
would call for a roll on “Bertha the Angry Avian” to the
the Threads List to see List so she’s more likely to make
which Thread you’d be another appearance.
making progress on.

Threads List NON-CHARACTER ELEMENTS

In Mythic terms, a Character is anything
Threads are the quests, tasks, and missions you your PC can interact with in some way, shape, or
choose to pursue through your Player Character. form. This category isn’t exclusive to people and
You can make anything into an open Thread at creatures—anything can be a Character as long as
any time by writing it on the Threads List. Once it has some activity of its own.
a Thread has been added to the List it becomes an
important part of your adventure and will likely be LOCATIONS
invoked by Random Events. Adding locations to your Characters List is a
The Player’s pulp-era sailor, marooned on an good way to draw out interesting encounters linked
island of dinosaurs and strange prehistoric to those places.
creatures, starts out with the Threads “Find a way The island the PC’s stranded on is thick with
off the island” and “Locate missing crewmembers.” jungle plants and wild animals, and there are
Later in the adventure, after learning about a many natural dangers from quicksand to sudden
magic stone that heals wounds, the Player adds the cliffs. The Player decides to make the jungle itself
Thread “Find the mystical stone.” a Character by adding “Jungle” to the Characters
List. A Random Event invoking the jungle as an
NPC could involve a danger or boon from the

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 SCENES

jungle itself, such as being attacked by a wild

animal or discovering a source of drinkable water. ADDING EVENTS TO THE LIST
GROUPS Adding events to the Characters list (especially
Including a group as a Character is a good before your adventure begins) is a great way
way to represent a common type of NPC in your to seed your adventure with desired situations
adventure. In our pulp adventure, the Player without knowing exactly when or how Mythic
will add them in. This helps you make sure you
might put “Dinosaurs” on the Characters List as
have the kind of adventure you want while still
a catchall for any dinosaur the PC comes across. maintaining a level of surprise.
In a medieval fantasy adventure, the Player might
add “Townspeople” to represent any random For example, an adventure set in a zombie
apocalypse might include “A horde appears”
character the PC might meet in town.
or “A zombie attacks!” as elements on the
As Random Events create encounters with a Characters List. This increases the chances of
group, Mythic may generate individual NPCs encountering wandering zombie hordes and
you can also add to your Characters List. This experiencing random zombie attacks in your
is a great way to introduce a general class of adventure, which is exactly what you want in a
Characters to your adventure that becomes more zombie apocalypse!
detailed with specific NPCs as you play. Just like with other Characters, treat an event
as something that can act on its own. An Event
OBJECTS Focus of NPC Action that invokes “A zombie
Much like locations, objects that can act on attacks!” from your Characters List means this
their own make good Characters. A starship Random Event is about a zombie attacking. If the
prone to mechanical problems might go on Event Focus invoking “A zombie attacks!” is NPC
Negative, then maybe the attacking zombie is at a
your Characters List to represent adventure
disadvantage, such as being trapped in a car and
opportunities when the ship has a sudden and unable to reach the PC once they move away. As
unexpected system failure. with any other Random Event, the Meaning Tables
will give you more specific details.
WHEN TO ADD
SOMETHING TO THE LIST
Adding non-character elements to the Likewise, it’s your choice whether to add
Characters List is a judgement call on your traditional NPCs to the List when they show up
part. My advice is to consider whether adding in your adventure. The sheriff might be important
the non-character element will enhance your because he’s your contact for finding bounties to
adventure. If you expect trouble in Rattlesnake hunt down, or he might just be there to kickstart
Gulch during your western adventure, or if you a Thread. The bartender at the local saloon might
want an increased chance of surprises while be important because she’s a good source of local
you’re in town, then you may want to add it gossip, or she might just be there to give your PC
as a Character. If, on the other hand, you only a drink.
expect this location to serve as the place your In the end, deciding what should be an active
PC meets with the sheriff, you may decide not element in your adventure comes down to
to give it the added emphasis of being on the expectations and your own desires.
Characters List.

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 SCENES

Updating Lists
SEEDING LISTS
Lists are updated during the Bookkeeping
phase at the end of a Scene with anything you The start of a new adventure leaves you faced
didn’t add during play. This is when you decide with a pair of stark, blank Lists. These Lists will
which Characters in the Scene were important gradually fill with Threads and Characters as the
enough to add to the Characters List and whether adventure unfolds, but the First Scene presents
anything stands out as a goal you want to add to you with a unique opportunity to jumpstart the
process and make your Lists a little less lonely.
the Threads List.
Maybe you have certain goals you want to
achieve or NPCs you want to encounter, or maybe
you’re importing Threads and Characters from
SCENE STRUCTURE previous adventures as part of an ongoing series.
Regardless of your reasons, you can start your
Time in Mythic adventures is conceptualized adventure with any elements you want already on
as cinematic Scenes in which the action of your your Lists.
adventure occurs. Scenes usually take place at Another way to pre-build your Lists is with the
certain locations, involve certain Characters, creation of your First Scene. No matter which
and revolve around certain actions or events. strategy you go with—Inspired Idea, Random
When these actions or events are resolved, the Event, Meaning Tables, or 4Ws—you can use
Scene is over. elements from your opening prompt to seed your
A Scene could be your warrior PC exploring Lists before you start playing.
a dungeon chamber, or your smuggler PC If, for example, you were using the Inspired Idea of
meeting with a potential new client, or your your psychic Character journeying into the astral
cryptozoologist PC searching for a mysterious realm in search of their missing friend, you could
creature in the forest. put “Find my friend” as a Thread and “Lost friend”
The amount of narrative time a Scene on the Characters List. Starting your adventure with
these elements on the Lists allows you to make
encompasses is up to you—it could be the fifteen
early-game Random Events even more meaningful.
minutes it takes to explore a room or the year it
takes your PC to hone their swordsmanship skills.
No matter what time frame you’re dealing with, INSPIRED IDEA
the Scene is about something specific. Mythic adventures are full of surprises, but you
There are four types of Scenes: the First can always start with a fully formed idea of your
Scene, Expected Scenes, Altered Scenes, and own. You can think of these as “what if” ideas,
Interrupt Scenes. such as “What if my cybernetic superhero PC gets
a lead on the shadowy organization that created
him?” Starting with an idea that excites you
THE FIRST SCENE makes for a solid beginning that will lead to a
solid adventure.
The First Scene of your adventure is a special
The Player Character in a sword-and-sorcery
one because it gets the story rolling. There are a
fantasy world is a knight named Weyland.
few different ways you can come up with a First
Weyland’s Player wants to come up with their own
Scene depending on how much Context you’re
First Scene. Since this is their first time playing
starting with and how surprised you want to be.
Weyland they only have a handful of ideas about

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 SCENES

FIRST SCENE STRATEGIES RANDOM EVENT

If you want to start surprised or don’t have
anything in mind you can generate a Random
Event to use as inspiration for your First Scene.
Since this is the beginning of your adventure
there’s a good chance that your Threads and
Characters Lists will be empty. Ignore any result
from the Event Focus Table that calls for an
element from an empty List and use Current
Context as the Focus instead, just like you would
during a regular Random Event.
You may not have a lot of Context to draw
from yet, especially if you’re starting from
scratch, but you aren’t completely empty-handed:
you have a PC, a setting, and an idea of what
you’d like to see in this adventure, especially if
you’re using a chosen RPG that’s built around a
specific world or genre. This is more than enough
to form an interpretation for the First Scene.
Mythic will hone your adventure with more
specific goals and ideas as you play, but at this
stage the possibilities are wide open and all you
need are the Context and the Meaning Tables to
get things off to a good start.
Weyland’s Player decides to start the adventure
with a Random Event. They roll for the Event
Focus and get NPC Negative. Since there aren’t
any NPCs on the Characters List they ignore this
roll and treat the Current Context as the Focus.
Then they roll on the Actions Meaning Tables
and get “Praise” and “Hope”.
who he is. They want to use this adventure as a The Player interprets the Random Event this
way to flesh him out as a Character, starting with way: Weyland is making camp after a long day
his desire to be a hero. of trekking through the forest when he hears
The Player chooses this for their First Scene: someone approaching. He rises to his feet, his
Weyland has entered a wild part of the kingdom sword drawn.
where monsters are known to wander freely and A haggard man stumbles out from the trees, and
terrorize local villages. He travels to one such his desperate eyes lock on to the rabbit roasting
village, whose locals are said to cower in their over the fire. He beseeches Weyland for food,
homes at night for fear of the creature that’s preying saying he’s been lost in the woods and starving for
upon them. Weyland intends to root out the many days. This becomes the basis for the First
monster and end its reign of terror once and for all. Scene of the adventure.

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 SCENES

MEANING TABLES FIRST SCENE 4W STRATEGY

You can skip the Event Focus altogether and
go straight to the Meaning Tables for inspiration,
rolling up as many word pairs as you need to
string together an opening narrative.
Weyland’s Player decides to fish for a different
idea by skipping the Random Event and simply
rolling word pairs on the Meaning Tables. On
the Actions Meaning Tables, they get “Observe”
and “Benefits”. They move to the Locations
Elements Meaning Table for a starting location
and get “Enclosed” and “Extravagant”.
This is how the Player interprets these results:
Weyland has been tasked by his king to spy on a
neighboring nation that appears to be prepping for
war. His job is to pose as a soldier in their military
long enough to assess the strength of their forces.
He successfully falls in line with a column of
recruits marching towards a garrison. Once
inside, he finds the outpost to be much more
lavish and well-guarded than a standard border
keep. Something is going on here and Weyland
aims to figure out what.

THE 4W
A more structured way to use Meaning Tables
for the first Scene is to apply a 4W approach:
Who, What, Where, and Why. You can roll
for these in whatever order you find the most
logical; you can even add How or When if a
randomized method or time period would add
something meaningful to your adventure.
WHO: To find out Who is primarily
involved in the Scene roll on the Characters
Elements Meaning Table and go with whatever
interpretation makes sense, whether that’s your
own PC, an existing NPC, or a new NPC
inspired by the word pair.
WHAT: Roll on the Actions Meaning tables to
see What the main activity of the Scene will be.

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 SCENES

WHERE: For the location Where the main When the Player Character gets to the party he
activity is taking place roll on the Locations sees an assortment of undead in varying stages of
Elements Meaning Table. Just like with Who, this decay socializing with each other. The festival is
can be any new or existing location that fits the spirited (though the PC dares not eat any of the
word pair. food served), but the undead revelers have a goal
WHY: Roll on the Actions Meaning Tables to beyond merrymaking: they hope to open a portal to
learn the motivations behind Why the Characters the Underworld so they can all return to rest. The
are taking these actions. festival is one part celebration of unlife and one
Once you have your 4Ws combine them into the part conference as they invite local mages to help
most interesting interpretation you can think of. them solve their dilemma.
The PC is a modern mage living in Los Angeles. The Player is happy with this interpretation and
The Player has no idea what the adventure will be decides to add these ideas to their Lists before
about and they want to be surprised. beginning the adventure. To the Threads List they
Starting with Who, the Player rolls on the add “Help the undead return to the Underworld”;
Characters Elements Meaning Table to get to the Characters List they add “Community of
“Excited” and “Unusual”. Interesting. The Player undead” and “Other mages at the festival”. The
decides to wait until they have more information to Player is now ready to begin their adventure with
attempt an interpretation. a nicely detailed First Scene.

Next is What. Rolling on the Actions Meaning

Tables gives the Player “Fail” and “Portal”. Hmm,
a failed portal … Again the Player decides to hold
off on interpreting for now.
For Where the Player rolls on the Locations
Elements Meaning Table and gets “Lively” and
“Festive”. This sounds like a party or festival.
Finally, the Player rolls for Why on the Actions
Tables and gets “Travel” and “Project”.
So, they have a Who of “Excited” and
“Unusual”, a What of “Fail” and “Portal”, a
Where of “Lively” and “Festive”, and a Why of
“Travel” and “Project”.
The Player thinks about this for a moment then
they decide on this interpretation: The PC has
been invited to a special Day of the Dead Festival.
The partygoers themselves are dead—or rather,
undead. They are a community of beings who
have been summoned by spellcasters over the years.
Unable to return to the afterlife, they now live
quietly in Los Angeles searching for a way to get
back to where they belong.

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 SCENES

EXPECTED SCENES Testing The Expected Scene

Mythic adventures move fluidly from one Before we dive into the new Scene we have
Scene to the next, with each new Scene adding to check if your expectations happen using the
details to the growing narrative. New plot twists Chaos Factor. Roll a d10 and compare it to
develop, new Threads are discovered, and new the current CF value. If you roll above the CF
NPCs emerge, while existing Characters take then the Expected Scene starts exactly how you
new actions. Every choice you make affects the thought it would; if you roll equal to or less than
outcome of future Scenes as you strive to achieve the CF then your Expected Scene changes in
your goals, fulfill open Threads, and reach a some way.
satisfying conclusion. In cases when your Expected Scene is changed
When a Scene comes to an end the first thing check the number you rolled. If the number is
you do before beginning the next one is decide odd (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) then it becomes an Altered
how you think it’ll start, usually based on what Scene; if the number is even (2, 4, 6, or 8) then it
you want your PC to do next. This is called an becomes an Interrupt Scene.
Expected Scene.
The First Scene of the Player’s adventure saw
their detective Character visited in his office TESTING THE EXPECTED SCENE
by a mysterious new client begging him to
investigate the murder of her late husband. The Roll 1d10 and Compare It To The Chaos Factor.
police ruled his death a suicide, but she thinks
otherwise. Through her, the PC learned that Roll Over
the victim owed a great deal of money to an old Expected Scene
Chaos Factor
army buddy who threatened his life if he didn’t
pay it back—a promising lead with which to Roll Odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
Altered Scene
start the investigation. Within Chaos Factor

With the opening Scene concluded the Player Roll Even (2, 4, 6, 8)
must now decide how they think the next Scene Interrupt Scene
Within Chaos Factor
will begin. They decide the Expected Scene is
about their PC dropping in on the suspect at his
place of work to question him.
Most of the time the Expected Scene will be
based on what you decide your Character plans
ALTERED SCENES
to do. Our detective Character wants to follow If your Expected Scene becomes an Altered
up on a lead so that forms the basis of the Player’s Scene then the Scene begins in the next most
Expected Scene. expected way, as though Mythic heard your idea
Whatever your Expected Scene is you won’t and said, “Let’s try something else instead.” The
know for sure whether or not it will happen that Altered Scene may be nearly identical to the
way until you test it. Expected Scene except for one detail, or it may
be quite different, but it must make sense for it to
happen instead of the Expected Scene.

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 SCENES

The Player’s Expected Scene of the detective ALTERED SCENE STRATEGIES

dropping in on a suspect at work is changed to
an Altered Scene. They decide that the next most
expected Scene would be the PC discovering that
the suspect isn’t at work and dropping by his
home instead.
Below are some ideas for coming up with
Altered Scenes.

The Next Expectation

This is the default method, as explained above:
Mythic said No to the Scene you expected, so go
with whatever Scene you’d most expect besides
that one.

A Tweak
Altering a Scene can be as simple as making a
single tweak to your Expected Scene.
In a fantasy adventure, the local forest spirits are
lashing out at the forest’s inhabitants. The Player
Character is trying to figure out what angered
the spirits when a wild fire breaks out. The next
Expected Scene is the PC venturing into the fire
zone to find what caused it, but when the Player
tests that Expected Scene an Altered Scene is
triggered instead.
The Player decides to stick to the Expected Scene
with one small tweak: instead of needing to
investigate, the PC immediately finds the fire
spirit that started the blaze. Now the Player can
begin the Scene by playing out the encounter.
Think about all the different elements of an
Expected Scene: the activity taking place, the
NPCs involved, the objects of importance, and
the location it all happens in. A change to any of
these elements would give you an Altered Scene.
Since our Expected Scene with the forest fire
had no NPCs in it, adding a Character, the fire
spirit, was an easy tweak. The activity in this
Scene is the fire itself, so tweaking that could

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 SCENES

mean that the fire is bigger or smaller than

expected. There were no important objects in our FIND YOUR STYLE
Expected Scene so a tweak there could be adding
one, like a magical stone provided by an ally to This section covers a number of strategies for
protect the PC from the fire. turning an Expected Scene into an Altered Scene.
The method you choose will depend on how
you like to play and how easy it is to modify the
Fate Question Expected Scene you’re working with.
If you’re not quite sure how to Alter the Scene, If you’re fine with assuming some narrative control
or you have several ideas with no clear winner, you over your adventure, and the Expected Scene
can always ask a Fate Question to help you choose. has an obvious second choice, then The Next
Expectation or A Tweak is probably the way to go.
In an occult horror adventure set in ancient If you want more randomness, aren’t sure how
Rome, the Player’s Roman soldier Character is to Alter the Scene, or simply feel uncomfortable
investigating reports of cattle going missing in the assuming that much control, then a Fate Question,
countryside. The PC, along with a handful of Meaning Tables Inspiration, or Scene Adjustment
fellow soldiers, has spent several Scenes marching Table roll may be more to your liking.
deeper into the hills, encountering signs of rituals As you role-play using Mythic you’ll likely find
and black magic. yourself favoring one of these strategies most of
the time and using a second one as backup based
The current Scene ends when the PC returns to on what best fits your style of play and adds the
camp one night and finds his compatriots missing. most fun to your game.
The Player decides that the Expected Scene is this:
“I arm myself and go into the woods in search of
the soldiers.” An Exceptional Yes might mean taking Yes one
step further and finding not just footprints but a
A roll against the Chaos Factor turns this into an live soldier.
Altered Scene. The Player has a couple of ideas
for Alterations: finding footprints of the soldiers An Exceptional No might mean taking No one
leading into the woods; finding a dead soldier step further and finding multiple dead soldiers.
(which would make sense with how the adventure
has been going lately); finding a soldier who’s still
alive. All three ideas seem equally plausible so the
Meaning Tables Inspiration
Player isn’t sure which one it should be. They’re Just as the Meaning Tables offer inspiration
leaning slightly toward finding footprints as the for Random Events they can also offer inspiration
alteration so they test this with a Fate Question: for an Altered Scene. Choose whichever Meaning
“Is the Altered Scene finding footprints?” Table seems the most appropriate given the
Context—Actions, Descriptions, or Elements —
With a Yes the Player would go with finding
and then roll for a word pair to help you change
footprints of the soldiers as the Altered Scene.
the Expected Scene.
A No might mean it’s not footprints that are In the fantasy adventure about angry spirits the
found. With that option off the table the next PC discovered in the previous Scene that the forest
most likely idea for an alteration is finding a fire was caused by a fire spirit. They successfully
dead soldier. calmed the spirit, halting the spread of the fire,
and learned in the process that the spirits are

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 SCENES

restless because something has disturbed a sacred

space beneath the earth. SCENE ADJUSTMENT TABLE
In the next Scene, the PC makes their way to the 1d10 RESULT
mouth of a cave that leads deep underground.
Somewhere down there is the sacred space the 1 Remove A Character
spirit mentioned.
2 Add A Character
The Player decides that the next Expected Scene
is “My Character enters the cave to search for the
sacred space.” Testing that Expected Scene results 3 Reduce/Remove An Activity
in an Altered Scene.
4 Increase An Activity
Unsure of how to alter the Scene, the Player seeks
inspiration from the Actions Meaning Tables for
5 Remove An Object
an additional element to Alter the Scene. They roll
“Distrust” and “Innocent” which they interpret
to mean that the ground shakes intermittently 6 Add An Object
(their reasoning is that the ground is usually solid
and therefore “innocent”, so now it should be 7-10 Make 2 Adjustments
“ distrusted”.) The whole cave seems somewhat
unstable, so cave-ins and other such perils may be
The Scene ends when they discover an ancient,
an issue during the exploration ahead.
crumbling castle nestled in the wilderness.
The Player comes up with a new Expected
Scene Adjustment Table Scene: “We enter the castle, our torches held high
For a more randomized Tweak, roll a d10 to help us search.” When tested this becomes an
and consult the Scene Adjustment Table to see Altered Scene. The Player rolls a d10 on the
what element changes in your Expected Scene. Scene Adjustment Table and gets Remove A
Options include adding or removing a Character, Character, which they interpret like so: “When
changing the intensity of an activity, and adding we approach the castle the terrified soldier
or removing an object. Interpret the result in the refuses to venture inside, too scared to go any
Context of your Expected Scene to change it. If further. I must go in alone.”
you roll a result that isn’t possible in the current Let’s go over each of the table’s possible results.
Context (such as Remove A Character when the
Expected Scene didn’t mention any Characters),
roll again.
REMOVE A CHARACTER
Choose the most logical Character to remove
In the ancient Roman horror adventure, the
from the Expected Scene.
Player Character finds one of his comrades in
In the example above, the Player would remove
the woods. The panicked soldier raves about
the frightened soldier since he was the only other
a creature that attacked him and dragged the
Character in the Expected Scene. If there were
others away.
no NPCs in the Expected Scene then the Player
In the next Scene, the PC and his terrified would roll on the Scene Adjustment Table again.
companion comb the forest in search of the others.

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ADD A CHARACTER INCREASE AN ACTIVITY

Choose the most logical NPC on the Increase the intensity of an activity in the
Characters List and add them to the Scene. Expected Scene.
Sticking with our Roman horror adventure, Sticking with the forest fire, a roll of Increase
a Scene Adjustment Table result of Add A An Activity could indicate that the fire is much
Character could mean that the PC and his bigger than originally envisioned, and the PC will
companion encounter another missing soldier as need to be very careful if they’re going to venture
they enter the crumbling castle. into it.

REDUCE/REMOVE AN ACTIVITY REMOVE AN OBJECT

Reduce the intensity of an active element in Remove a significant object in your Expected
your Expected Scene, or remove it completely if Scene, choosing whichever object makes the
that makes more sense. most sense.
In the earlier example with the restless spirits, For the Roman example, maybe the PC and his
the forest fire was an active element in the companion enter the castle only for their torches
Expected Scene. A Scene Adjustment Table result to run out of fuel and gutter out.
of Reduce/Remove An Activity could indicate
that the fire is of lesser intensity than originally
expected, perhaps just a wisp of smoke signaling
the start of a fire.

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 SCENES

ADD AN OBJECT
Add a significant object to your Expected EXAMPLES OF CHANGED SCENES
Scene. If nothing logical comes to mind you can
roll for inspiration on the Meaning Tables. EXPECTED SCENE: A fantasy warrior PC is
Perhaps as the Roman Characters enter the exploring the Dungeon of Fel-Azar, an ancient
castle the PC sees a sword lying on the ground undead wizard. After checking a few cobwebby
rooms and battling a giant scorpion, the PC
that belonged to one of the missing soldiers,
makes her way down a corridor by torchlight. The
indicating that they were brought this way. Player expects the next Scene to be checking out
another room to see what’s in it.
MAKE 2 ADJUSTMENTS ALTERED SCENE: Instead of exploring the next
Make two adjustments to the Expected Scene room the PC has an encounter in the corridor.
instead of one, rolling on the Scene Adjustment INTERRUPT SCENE: The Player rolls PC Negative
Table until you have determined both on the Event Focus Table and gets “Ambush”
adjustments. If this result is generated again and “Pain” on the Actions Meaning Tables. They
simply ignore it and reroll. If you roll two results interpret this to mean that their Character springs
a trap as she makes her way down the corridor.
that conflict with each other ignore the second
roll and just use the first.
EXPECTED SCENE: A post-apocalyptic PC sneaks
through an enemy encampment at night to steal
gasoline for his vehicle.
INTERRUPT SCENES ALTERED SCENE: The PC finds a cache of fuel
While Altered Scenes play off your right away, but it’s guarded by two soldiers.
expectations, Interrupt Scenes ignore them Instead of sneaking through the camp the Scene
entirely; anything can happen. will be about overcoming the guards without
If your Expected Scene becomes an Interrupt raising an alarm.
Scene, then Mythic derails your expectations INTERRUPT SCENE: The Event Focus Table gives
to send the narrative in a new and unforeseen NPC Negative with the NPC result of “Choose”.
direction. You generate an Interrupt Scene the The Player chooses “Enemy warband” since
same way you’d generate a Random Event: roll that’s who the PC is currently robbing. The
Event Meaning Tables give “Punish” and “Battle”.
for the Event Focus and Event Meaning, then
The Player comes up with this interpretation:
interpret the results in Context.
Before the PC can attempt his planned theft the
The detective PC investigating the death of his encampment is attacked by a rival road gang,
client’s husband is about to visit a suspect at his resulting in all-out battle the PC will have to
workplace—the next Expected Scene. The Player survive long enough to swipe the fuel he needs.
rolls to test this Expected Scene and gets a 2.
Since 2 is less than the current Chaos Factor of 4 the detective identified in an earlier Scene. Ricky
an Interrupt Scene will happen instead. runs an illegal gambling operation that the
To generate a Random Event for the Interrupt victim often visited.
Scene, the Player rolls on the Event Focus Table The Player rolls on the Actions Meaning Tables
and gets NPC Action. Rolling on the Characters to see what Ricky is doing and gets “Disrupt”
List invokes Ricky No-Thumb, another suspect and “Path”. The Player comes up with the

72
 SCENES

following Interruption: The PC heads downstairs together organically. Maybe your Character
from his office to go and pay Johnny Loanshark finishes ransacking a room and leaves to explore
a visit, but there’s someone waiting for him. the dungeon further, and you get an Altered
Leaning against the PC’s car door is a large and Scene that you interpret as a monster in the hall.
angry-looking man whom the PC unfortunately Interrupt Scenes disturb that flow of events,
recognizes as Ricky No-Thumb. so it may not be immediately obvious how it
This Interruption stopped the Expected connects to your previous Scene. Keep in mind
Scene from happening and created an entirely that this Event is interrupting the expected
new Scene, one that forces the detective into an transition from one Scene to the next. If you take
encounter with another Character. Considering into account how the previous Scene ended and
Ricky’s hostile demeanor, this Scene will likely what the Player Character is currently trying to
lead to new revelations about the relationships do, you should be able to interpret this new Scene
between the PC’s client, her dead husband, and in a way that fits the current Context.
the suspects in his case. In the example above, the Player Character was
about to drop in on a suspect when the Interrupt
Scene happened. This Context gives the new
Making Connections Scene a logical tie-in to the adventure.
Expected Scenes flow together organically:
they start as you expect them to and follow the
trajectory of the Player Character’s actions. If your
Character chooses to enter a room and search it,
PLAYING OUT
that’s the basis for an Expected Scene. If your
Character then leaves the room and explores the
THE SCENE
dungeon further, that’s another Expected Scene. Once you have the concept for your Scene
Altered Scenes are close enough to your ironed out (whether it’s the first Scene, Expected,
Expected Scene that they, Altered, or Interrupted), it’s time to get into the
too, tend to flow Scene and do some role-playing! Now the action
of your adventures can take place, with Fate
Questions there to tell you anything you
need to know as you play.
A sci-fi Player Character who stole a set
of blueprints for an off-world client is
fleeing a cybernetic agent tasked with
retrieving them. The PC should be
able to escape if they can make it to their
ship hidden in the foothills.
Their Player rolls an Interrupted Scene that
begins with the agent spotting the PC on
a busy nighttime street. The PC takes off
running, hoping to lose the agent in the crowd.
The Player asks the Fate Question, “Is the area
busy tonight, with lots of people on the street?”

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 SCENES

giving it Odds of Very Likely. Mythic says Yes.

Their Character pushes through the throng with MYTHIC WITH ANOTHER RPG
the agent in hot pursuit. Strangers yell at them
both as they jostle past, and a car honks its horn Mythic’s framework (using Fate Questions to
as the PC darts across the street. gather information and a Scenes structure
to contain the action) is all about building the
The Player asks, “Do I see any shops that would
narrative details of your adventure. Fate Questions
be good to duck into?” giving it Odds of 50/50. are the kinds of things you’d ask a live Game
Mythic comes back with Exceptional Yes. Master if you were playing with one.
The Player interprets this to mean that their
If you’re using Mythic with another role-playing
Character spots the perfect place: a fancy multi-
game, then Mythic will act as the Game Master by
story restaurant with plenty of people inside answering your questions while you use the rules
to serve as distraction. The plan is for the PC of your chosen RPG to handle the situations they
to dash inside, run upstairs, and escape out a cover, such as combat and skill resolution.
window to one of the neighboring buildings.
When the Player in the earlier sci-fi example asked
The PC bursts into the restaurant, startling a a Fate Question to see if the pursuing agent was
waiter into dropping a tray of food. Diners cry close behind, they could have replaced it with a
task resolution roll against the agility skill of the
out in alarm as the PC sprints across the dining
RPG they were using. If they succeeded on the
room and races up the stairs. agility roll, then the PC would outrun the agent.
The Player asks, “Is the agent close behind me?” There’s a lot of overlap between what you can
setting the Odds to Unlikely. Mythic comes back frame as a Fate Question and what can be
with No. That’s good news—maybe the agent resolved with your chosen RPG. How you choose
got bogged down by the crowd like they hoped. to handle these uncertainties is up to you, but
Mythic gives you the tools to ask Fate Questions
Now it’s time to make a move and lose him at any time. You can even use them to replace
completely. When the PC reaches the second certain rules in your RPG, as covered in the “Fate
floor, the Player asks, “Is there a window I can Questions” chapter.
go through that leads somewhere?” setting the
Odds to Very Likely. Mythic comes back with or Expected Scenes, and sometimes they’re
Yes. The PC opens a window and leaps to the completely subverted by Random Events or
roof of another building. Interrupt Scenes that introduce unforeseen twists
The action in a Mythic Scene progresses in and turns. Mythic’s mechanics for introducing
this fashion, with Fate Questions helping you plot the unexpected can change the narrative of your
your way. Details for the adventure are built Scene adventure in ways you never would have guessed.
by Scene. The further into an adventure you get, The Player is using Mythic with their favorite
the more detail your narrative has, until the story fantasy RPG to play a solo adventure. Bering
takes on a life of its own. the Magnificent, their fantasy warlock PC, is
attempting to cast a powerful spell that will
Twists & Turns summon and bind a demon. The wild magic
required for the summoning means there’s a good
Your expectations set the standard for what chance of failure or mishap.
happens next in your adventure. Sometimes
these expectations are tested with Fate Questions

74
 SCENES

After an unfortunate toss of the dice, the Player

determines that Bering’s casting attempt fails, ADVENTURE JOURNAL SHEET
badly. The RPG rules state that for a casting
failure this bad, the Game Master should come The Adventure Journal sheet (found on the next
up with a suitable mishap. Since this is a GM- page and in the back of the book) gives you a
less solo adventure, the Player asks the Fate place to title your adventure, record the current
Question, “Does something unexpected happen as Chaos Factor, summarize Scenes in the order they
a result of the failed spell?” with Odds of Nearly happen, and write down any other important
Certain. Mythic comes back with Yes and a notes. This sheet, along with the Adventure Lists
Random Event. (also found at the back), is all you need to keep
track of your ever-expanding solo adventure.
The Player decides that the Yes means there’s
an explosion that leaves Bering a little burned,
since that seems like the most logical expectation adventure should be a string of interesting Scenes,
for the failure of a spell like this. Since they with each one leading to the next.
also got a Random Event, the Player decides to When a Scene ends, and you’re ready for the
make it a part of the failed spell mishap. The next one, come up with an Expected Scene for what
Event Focus Table gives them “Introduce New you think that Scene will be about. If your PC is
NPC”, and the Meaning Tables give the words a superhero who just thwarted a robot rampage
“Recruit” and “Outside”. downtown, then the Expected Scene might be your
Character meeting up with their scientist friend to
The Player interprets this to mean that although figure out where the robot came from.
the spell failed to summon a demon, it did Coming up with an Expected Scene is a
summon someone from the future. This is an starting point for that Scene. Mythic will tell
unexpected twist in the adventure. Not only you whether the Scene starts as you expect or is
does the rest of the Scene play out in a way the changed into an Altered or Interrupt Scene.
Player didn’t expect, but the whole course of the Below are some ways to determine when to
adventure changes direction as Bering figures out start and end a Scene.
what to do with this stranger from a distant era.
INTEREST
Beginning And Ending Scenes The default approach to starting and ending
Scenes is to focus on points of interest: start a
Just as the time frame of a Scene is up to you,
Scene when something interesting happens and
so too are its beginning and ending. A Scene may
end it when the interesting event is over.
start when your Character physically enters an area
and end when they leave, but that’s only one way The Player is playing a sci-fi investigation game
of doing it. Time can just as easily mark the start set in the big city. Their PC is a cybernetically
and end of Scenes. If you have a Scene in which enhanced police officer on the hunt for an
your Character checks out a cave to make sure android who’s been killing corporate executives.
it’s safe before camping there for the night, then The Player just finished a Scene in which the PC
your next Scene might begin in the same location searched the site of the latest corporate killing and
the next morning. Let yourself be guided by your picked up a few clues, including evidence that the
interests and the main action of the Scene. Your android is getting tech from the black market.
What should be the next Expected Scene?

75
 SCENES

ADVENTURE JOURNAL
ADVENTURE TITLE

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE CURRENT CHAOS FACTOR

NUMBER

NOTES

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE

NUMBER

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE

NUMBER

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE

NUMBER

Test The Expected Scene Against The Chaos Factor • Play Out The Scene • Update Lists & Chaos Factor

76
 SCENES

The Player considers what’s catching their

interest. The PC could look up an underworld
SCENE START AND
contact to question them for leads, or stake out END STRATEGIES
a black-market dealer in hopes of spotting the
fugitive android, or meet with a colleague in the
police department who might be able to point
him in the right direction. All of these are valid
Expected Scenes that are based on what is most
interesting to the Player and what action they
want their Character to take.
The Player settles on the PC visiting an
underworld contact to question them. Now,
what’s the most interesting way to start the
Scene? The Player decides that the PC meets his
contact at their “office”, a café that serves as a
front for illicit activities. The Scene consists of
the PC sitting at a table to chat with them about
illegal weapons deals.
After a few Fate Questions, the PC starts to get
nervous. His contact is being evasive, and there’s
an unusual amount of muscle in the room. Is this
a setup?
The tension snaps when the contact signals for
the bodyguards to gang up on the PC and kill
him. In the ensuing brawl, the PC manages to
hold them off long enough to leap out a window
and escape.
The Player could decide to continue this Scene
by having the PC search for a safe place to hide,
but the original point of interest was the meeting.
After the fight and the escape, this point of
interest has ended—a good sign that the Scene
should come to a close.

TIME OR LOCATION
A jump in time or change in location is
another way to mark the transition from one
Scene to the next.
The PC is a survivor in a post-apocalyptic world.
She spent a Scene exploring a wrecked airplane

77
 SCENES

and decided to make camp there for the night. If The Player ends the Scene there and decides
the Player wanted a time-based transition, then that the next Expected Scene should be the PC
the Scene could end with her bunking down, and visiting his underworld contact at the café. The
the new Scene could start when she wakes up a meeting goes smoothly at first, but then it turns
few hours later; if the Player wanted a location- violent. This time, instead of playing out the
based transition, then the Scene could end when fight like they did in the previous example, the
the PC completes her exploration of the wreck Player stops the Scene here because it represents a
and moves on. shift in the narrative. The next Expected Scene
is how the Player thinks this situation is going to
go down. The PC is still at the café, still meeting
NARRATIVE SHIFT with the contact, and is just about to get into
Instead of viewing Scenes as discrete units of a fight. The time, place, and situation haven’t
activity or interest, another way to view them is as changed, but the narrative focus has.
a continuous stream whose transitions are marked By placing the emphasis on narrative shifts, you
by narrative shifts. Let’s revisit our earlier example. get a greater degree of control over how those shifts
The cybernetic cop is investigating a crime scene play out.
when he finds evidence of illegal weaponry. The Player’s Expected Scene is that two of the
That’s a shift in the narrative, a dramatic new bodyguards pull guns on the PC and rush at
piece of information that changes the Context of him while his contact slips away. Details like
the adventure. this would normally be determined with Fate

78
 SCENES

Questions (e.g., “Do a couple of guards come at

me with guns?”), but the Player is using them as SIMULATIONIST VERSUS THEATRICAL
an Expected Scene instead.
The Scene then plays out along the established Solo play styles can broadly be broken down
into two categories: simulationist and theatrical.
narrative lines—a big brawl in this case. When
A simulationist Player wants their adventure to
the PC leaps through a window and escapes, the
emulate a virtual reality, with events proceeding
narrative shifts again, and it’s time for a new in a logical fashion regardless of whether they
Expected Scene. serve a larger plot. A theatrical Player, on the
other hand, is more interested in treating the
adventure like an ongoing story, with all the
MOOD narrative structure one would expect.
Similar to basing Scenes on narrative shifts,
Both styles of play have differing expectations. A
you can also base Scenes on mood shifts, ending simulationist player tends to prioritize surprises,
a Scene when you feel that the mood of the while a theatrical player tends to prioritize
adventure has changed. This doesn’t have to drama and tension. Each of the suggested
involve interest, time, place, or story changes—it’s strategies for starting and ending Scenes fits
entirely based on how you feel. one style or either.
The Player’s fantasy barbarian is exploring a
dungeon. She goes from room to room, killing SCENE SIMULATIONIST THEATRICAL
monsters, claiming loot, and surviving traps. STYLE FRIENDLY FRIENDLY

If the Player were taking an interest-based Interest

approach, they might make each room its own
Scene, building up curiosity for every search. A Time Or
time- or location-based approach would be much Location
the same, with Scenes changing as the PC moves Narrative
from one portion of the dungeon to the next. Shift
Using narrative shifts, the PC might spend the
same Scene exploring rooms and hallways until Mood
something new happens, like encountering a
monster or springing a trap, and then start a new Automatic
Interrupt
Scene to play out this event.
With a mood-based approach, the Player might
do any of the above or none of them. Maybe AUTOMATIC INTERRUPT
busting into rooms and battling beasts and Your adventure is moving along nicely until
springing traps all fit their current mood, so the you hit a dead end in the narrative. You have
Player keeps going until it gets old and they want no idea where to go from here or what the next
something different to happen. Their mood is Expected Scene should be. Now what?
shifting, so it’s time for a new Scene. This dilemma happens in traditional, guided
role-playing, too. Maybe the Players missed some
cues earlier in the adventure, or maybe they didn’t
choose the route the GM expected them to take,

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 SCENES

to interact with and should be enough to get you

THE MULTI APPROACH back in the groove.
If you want to take it a step further, you can
Here is a summary of the five strategies for also skip the Event Focus Table and make the
starting and ending Scenes. Focus an automatic Move Toward A Thread.
This guarantees that the Scene will bring your PC
» INTEREST: Scenes are based on a goal or
activity. (The default method.)
closer to resolving an open goal, thus moving the
adventure forward.
» TIME OR LOCATION: Scenes are triggered by
a change in time or location. The Player’s barbarian has explored much of the
dungeon, overcoming traps and battling restless
» NARRATIVE SHIFT: Scenes end when
undead. At this point the Player isn’t sure what
something important happens that shifts the
should happen next. They’ve generated room
focus of the adventure.
after room, using Fate Questions and Meaning
» MOOD: Scenes end when you feel like it’s time Tables to determine encounters, but now they
to energize the adventure with a new Scene.
think something should happen to give the
» AUTOMATIC INTERRUPT: The new Scene is dungeon crawl more flavor.
automatically an Interrupt. (Best for when you
feel stuck on what should happen next.) The Player has a few different goals on their
Threads list, including to find the dungeon’s
You can use any one of these strategies in your
adventure, or you can switch them up as needed.
fabled treasure. They could make something
Maybe you normally base Scenes on interest, happen with an Expected Scene, like “The PC
but the current Scene isn’t going anywhere finds a clue about the treasure”, but that feels too
interesting, so you use a shift in location to mark much like railroading, and they want to keep
the end of the Scene instead. A few Scenes later, some level of surprise.
things start to feel stale, so you end the current
Scene based on mood and start a new one. When They decide to let Mythic choose what happens
the adventure heats up later on with a lot going next by making the next Scene an automatic
on at once, you use a narrative shift to break Interrupt Scene. This way they don’t have to
things off into a new Scene so the fast-paced come up with an Expected Scene or roll against
action stays relatively organized. the Chaos Factor.
Each method has its own distinct feel, and there’s
Since they want this Interrupt Scene to progress
no right answer for which to use when. Do
whatever works best for you. the adventure, the Player also chooses to make
the Event Focus an automatic Move Toward A
Thread. Whatever the next Scene is about, the
derailing an important part of the adventure. Player knows it will be something unexpected
However it happened, The Players find themselves that pushes the PC toward one of their goals.
at a loss for what to do next. This is the point
where a savvy Game Master will make something
happen to get the PCs back on track. The Many Questions Pitfall
You can simulate this intervention with
With Fate Questions always ready to give you
Mythic by choosing to make the next Scene an
information, it’s tempting to fish for more specific
automatic Interrupt Scene. Skip the roll against
answers. While you can ask as many Questions as
the Chaos Factor and go straight into generating
a Random Event. This will create something new

80
 SCENES

you like, asking too many can easily slow down

your game. LEADING WITH EXPECTATIONS
Edward, a pirate Player Character, finally
locates the Cove of Sorrows that houses the Asking as few Fate Questions as possible keeps
treasure hoard he’s been searching for. the game moving swiftly, since most of the details
in your adventure can be derived from your
The Player asks the Fate Question, “Is the expectations. When you’re no longer certain
treasure just as the stories foretold?” Mythic about what happens that’s when you ask another
comes back with a Yes. Fate Question. Mythic adventures flow from Fate
Question to Fate Question, with your expectations
The Player wants more information, so they ask, filling the gaps in between.
“Is it mostly gold?” Mythic says No.
Whether you’re playing solo or using Mythic to
“Is it mostly jewels?” Mythic says Exceptional Yes. guide a group adventure, the goal is to have fun
and enjoy the experience. To that end it’s helpful
The Player interprets this to mean there is some when interpreting Mythic’s answers to trust
gold here and there, but the jewels are piled high. your gut and listen to your instincts. Tapping
into your imagination will turn Mythic prompts
In the example above, the Player asked three into opportunities for you to run with your
Questions to get a sense of what the treasure expectations, leading to wonderful improvisation
hoard looked like, but they could have stopped as new ideas are unleashed.
after the first one, “Is the treasure just as the
stories foretold?” There is so much expectation
and Context behind that Question. The Player YES: It’s just as the stories say. There are heaps
could have run with it, improvising a description of gold and jewels pouring from overstuffed
of the treasure based on what they expected, since chests, fine art and antiquities stolen from long
Mythic confirmed that the treasure is “just as the lost ships, and weapons from warlords forgotten
stories foretold”. to time.
A good rule of thumb is to try and limit NO: The stories exaggerated. There are a few
yourself to one single Question for a given chests stuffed with gold and jewels, but the hoard
situation. If that doesn’t give you enough to go isn’t as epic as you hoped.
on, ask a second one. Most of the time your
expectations will take over from there. EXCEPTIONAL YES: The hoard is beyond
Keep in mind that there are four possible what the stories say, with more gold and jewels
answers to any Fate Question: Yes, No, than you could fit on your ship. The cavern is
Exceptional Yes, and Exceptional No. This gives stuffed with it, the ceiling shimmering with the
you a nice range of potential outcomes with just reflections of a nation’s worth of wealth.
one Question.
EXCEPTIONAL NO: There’s nothing but
In the pirate example above, the Question, “Is empty chests and a few gold pieces scattered on
the treasure just as the stories foretold?” has four the ground—someone beat you to the plunder.
possible answers, each drawing from expectations
In this example one Question leads to four very
based on the Context of the adventure so far. The
different results, and each result is packed with
interpreted answers could be something like this:
a wealth of detail just from expectations; there’s
hardly any need to ask for more information.

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 SCENES

Tension Building Questions Mythic adventure will happen when you ask a
hard Question whose answer you’re genuinely
The excitement of any good story lies in worried about. How will Mythic respond?
the tension, and a role-playing adventure is no What will happen to the PC? These are exciting
different. The best way to build tension in a moments, the kind of moments you’ll remember
solo or GM-less adventure is by asking conflict- long after the adventure is over. You reach these
oriented Questions. Such Questions may be tension-laden junctions by asking hard Questions
difficult to ask—the answer might put your when the time is right.
Character in peril or lead your adventure into Bering The Magnificent’s adventure has taken
a whole new direction—but embracing those an odd twist with the arrival of the NPC from
difficult Questions makes for a more exciting the future. The Traveler is a warrior who says
experience. Some of the best moments in a that in twenty years a legendary dragon will be
unleashed that will destroy the world. Bering
decides to help the stranger avert this dark future
by ensuring the dragon remains trapped inside its
volcanic prison.
The key to their quest is a mystical amulet with
the power to unlock the gateway into the volcano,
a passage that was sealed by the gods an age ago.
A doomsday cult is also seeking the amulet, with
the goal of freeing the dragon and unleashing
its chaos upon the world. The Traveler wants to
find the amulet before they do and destroy it.
Their eventful journey includes the search for
a lost map that reveals the amulet’s location,
exploring ancient catacombs to uncover clues,
run-ins with cult members, and a king who
wants the amulet for himself to control the
dragon for his own ambitions. Bering and the
Traveler agree to team up with the king’s spy,
and they all work together to survive the dangers
of a trap-infested dungeon while cultists hunt
them down.
After helping each other through many deadly
perils, they finally reach the central chamber
where the amulet is located. No sooner do they
enter the room than the stone slab door begins
to slide shut, and molten lava seeps in from
vents near the ceiling. The spy uses a piece of
timber to block the door from sealing them
inside, narrowing averting their fiery fate.

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 SCENES

Just when they think they’re safe, undead

skeletons crawl up from crypts in the chamber. NARRATIVE-KILLING QUESTIONS
While Bering and the Traveler fight them off,
the spy takes the opportunity to seize the amulet Hard Questions build tension in your adventure,
from the central altar. but narrative-killing Questions block it. How can
you tell the difference?
The Scene culminates in Bering and his
companion defeating the undead just as the spy You may be nervous to ask a tension-building
makes his way to the door, amulet in hand. The Question because it might steer your adventure
into very different territory, but this kind of
spy could easily betray them in this moment. All
tension is exciting because it involves the
he’ d have to do is kick the timber out of the way
unknown. Narrative-killing Questions, however,
and let the door close on his companions. Then stop the story in its tracks. The plot doesn’t
he could bring the artifact to his king and receive continue into the unknown—it just ends. All
a handsome reward. storylines conclude at some point but ending one
too soon robs you of the chance to reach a more
Up to this point the spy has been a trustworthy satisfying resolution.
ally. They’ve all worked together against their
One way to tell whether your Question builds
common enemy, the cultists. But the Player
on the narrative or kills it is whether you’re
knows that the spy has his own mission to
interested in the outcome. Does the answer to
accomplish. The question now is, will the spy the Question interest you, or are you only asking
choose his king over his companions? it because you feel like you have to?
Narratively, it would be easier to assume that the For instance, when Bering and his companions
spy will wait for Bering and the Traveler—after entered the room, the Player asked the Fate
all, he’s been helpful so far. But after an honest Question “Does the door slide shut?” That’s a
good, tension building Question, and it makes
look at the Context, the Player has to admit that
sense to ask given how many traps they’ve
the spy’s motivations have always been suspect.
encountered in the dungeon. The Player expects
This alliance is one of convenience, and if there this room to be trapped, too, and the possibility
were ever a moment he’ d throw the others under of the door closing seems logical and interesting.
the bus this would be it.
Alternatively, the Player could have asked, “Does
“Does the spy betray Bering?” is a difficult the door slide shut, crushing the spy to death?”
Question to ask because it fundamentally changes That Question could kill off the spy just like that
and end an entire storyline with no real payoff.
the story. If the answer is Yes, then Bering has
lost both the amulet and a valuable ally and Between those two Questions, the Player
is now stuck in a death trap. Bering can likely probably finds the first more interesting than the
use his magic to escape the room, but from then second, not to mention more plausible from an
expectations point of view.
on he’ d have to consider the spy and his king
as much of an enemy as the cult, which would Focusing on tension-building Questions that draw
make his quest even more of a challenge. your interest will keep you from asking Questions
that send your adventure off a cliff.
You can imagine how genuinely nervous the
Player feels as they roll the dice to learn the
outcome. It’s a Question filled with tension—
which is exactly what we want.

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DISCOVERING A LITERAL PROBLEM

MEANING When you trust yourself and listen to your
Mythic’s Meaning Tables aren’t just good for instincts, Mythic’s prompts can be a magic carpet
adding important Context to Random Events, ride to unlimited possibilities. But if you view the
they can also be used to add detail to your prompt too literally, they can hold you back instead
adventure world without asking a Fate Question. of propelling you forward.
You can roll on a Meaning Table any time you For example, let’s say your spacefaring Character
want to know something a Yes/No Fate Question picks up a distress beacon from a nearby planet
doesn’t easily cover: determining Character on their ship’s scanners, so they decide to
backgrounds, learning what a new NPC looks like, land on the planet and explore it in search of
discovering what action is happening in a Scene … the beacon’s source. As you’re playing out the
any detail you like. This is especially useful when Scene you get a Random Event with a Focus of
you don’t have any concrete expectations. NPC Action that invokes a mercenary Character.
Rolling on the Meaning Tables gives you “Disrupt”
and “Location”.
The Core Meaning Tables Taken literally these words may be hard to
interpret. But if you move beyond their literal
The “Random Events” chapter introduces
meaning, a distress beacon could be seen as
the core Meaning Tables: Actions, Descriptions, a marker for a location. Maybe the mercenary
Locations Elements, Characters Elements, and tells you the beacon isn’t really from a stranded
Objects Elements. These five tables should cover ship, but from pirates trying to lure people in to
just about anything that might come up in your raid them! In this interpretation, the mercenary
adventure. “disrupts” what you thought the “location” was by
informing you it’s actually something else.
In our earlier example, pirate captain Edward
discovered a cavern full of wondrous treasure. As
he digs through the find with his crew he comes the Objects Table could focus on a specific,
across a closed chest. noteworthy item in the chest.
The Player wants to know what’s inside the After thinking it over the Player decides to go
chest. They could go with their expectations with the Objects Table to represent the one thing
and say it’s the same as everything else in the in the chest that stands out the most.
hoard—gold, jewels, and art—but they want to
add more detail to this treasure haul Scene, and Rolling twice on the Object Elements Meaning
getting specific about the contents of the chest is a Table gets them “Natural” and “Moving” —
good way to do it. definitely not what the Player expected! They
come up with this interpretation: Edward opens
Since the Player wants to be surprised the chest, eager to see what new delight is inside,
Discovering Meaning seems like a better option and falls back in surprise when dozens of live
than coming up with a Fate Question. Out of crabs spill out. The chest is full of them! He
the five core Meaning Tables they narrow it quickly stands and brushes himself off, reminding
down to two options: Descriptions and Objects. himself that the treasure’s been here for a very
In this Context the Descriptions Tables could long time—apparently long enough to collect
describe the general contents of the chest, while crustaceous stowaways.

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GET ROLLING!
The “Random Events” chapter offers five core
Elements Meaning Tables, but there are even With so many Elements Meaning Tables to
more than that. You’ll find 45 Elements Tables on choose from you may find yourself unable to
the following pages, each themed to something pick or wanting to roll on more than one. I say
specific. There are tables for describing dungeons, do it! The purpose of the Meaning Tables is in
forests, spell effects, and more. There’s also a whole the name: they’re meant to add meaning to your
adventure. There’s no reason why you can’t roll
suite of Character-oriented tables for determining
on as many tables as you want, as many times as
what an NPC looks like, what they’re doing, their
you want, until you have enough input to make a
motivations, their background, etc. solid interpretation.
These specialized Elements Tables offer you
Say you encounter a new NPC while exploring
another degree of granularity for when you want
a burnt-out building in a post-apocalypse
it. There’s no wrong choice when picking which
adventure. A Fate Question tells you this is a
table to use. The main Actions and Descriptions hostile encounter; now you need to determine
Tables are general enough that they can be who they are and what they’re doing.
applied to anything; the core Elements Tables get
You could roll on any or all of the following
a little more specific when it comes to Locations,
Elements Tables: Character Appearance to
Characters, and Objects; and the extra Elements get an idea of what they look like, Character
Tables take it a step further by getting even more Descriptors to add more detail to that
specific about certain subjects. description, Character Identity to determine
After loading up his ship with loot, Edward what kind of NPC they are, Character Actions,
Combat to see what hostile action they take,
explores the Cove of Sorrows and encounters
and Character Conversations when your
a new NPC. The Player wants to generate a Character tries to talk with them to find out why
description for this Character using Meaning they’re attacking.
Tables. They could use the most general tables,
If you chose to roll on all of them you might get
Descriptions Meaning Tables; or they could get
something like this: (Dirty/Official) The attacker
more specific and use the Characters Elements is wearing a weathered Northern Army uniform.
Meaning Table; or they could get even more (Colorful/Strange) His skin is a bright purple color;
specific and use the Character Descriptors presumably he’s been mutated by the Quantum
Elements Meaning Table. Any of these tables Bombs that destroyed the city. (Leader/Law) You
would give good, useful results to the Player—all can tell by the insignia on his uniform that he
they have to do is pick one and run with it. is a high-ranking administrator in the Northern
Army—a non-combat position. (Ambush/
Frightening) He was hiding behind a pile of rubble
Some Additional Thoughts until you entered the building, when he wildly
opened fire on you. (Assist/Mistrust) As you
Most of the Elements Meaning Tables are self- duck behind cover you ask why he’s shooting at a
explanatory—for instance, the Creature Descriptors fellow Northern soldier; he says he doesn’t trust
table can be used for describing creatures, and the the army anymore and that everyone is out for
themselves now.
Animal Actions Table for defining what an animal
does. To help you choose which ones to use, below
are descriptions of the various tables.

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The three default Elements Meaning Tables— ELEMENTS MEANING

Locations, Characters, and Objects—are repeated
on the following pages to keep the Elements TABLES AT A GLANCE
Meaning Tables all in one place for easy reference.
You can also find a collection of all the Meaning
Tables, including Actions and Descriptions,
grouped together at the back of this book.

ADVENTURE TONE
& PLOT TWISTS
If you’re constructing an adventure in advance
and want some help from Mythic you can use the
Adventure Tone Elements Table to guide you.
You’re constructing a fantasy adventure and
want to determine the overall tone. A few rolls
on the Adventure Tone Elements Table give us
“Bizarre” and “Reassuring”. You may interpret
this to mean that this is a high-magic adventure
world with lots of fantastical creatures and
spell-craft as a part of everyday life. Despite these
extraordinary elements, the adventure world is
a stable one for your Character who fits right in
with all the strangeness.
The Plot Twists Elements Table can be used
to modify your results from the Adventure Tone
Table or as your Meaning Table for a Random
Event that you think will change the course of
your narrative.

ALIEN SPECIES DESCRIPTORS

This is meant for sci-fi adventures that feature
aliens on distant worlds. The table is biased
toward intelligent species, the kind found in a
functioning civilization.

ANIMAL ACTIONS
This table focuses on actions a wild animal
might take. This is useful for describing the
behavior of animals or any other creature that’s
feral, out of its mind, or extremely confused.

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

ADVENTURE TONE ALIEN SPECIES DESCRIPTORS ANIMAL ACTIONS
1: Action 51: Intellect 1: Advanced 51: Lethal 1: Abandon 51: Hunt
2: Activity 52: Intense 2: Aggressive 52: Levitating 2: Abnormal 52: Ignore
3: Adventurous 53: Interesting 3: Agile 53: Liquid 3: Aggressive 53: Imitate
4: Adversity 54: Intrigue 4: Amphibious 54: Mammalian 4: Angry 54: Implore
5: Aggressive 55: Lavish 5: Ancient 55: Many-eyed 5: Anxious 55: Imprison
6: Amusing 56: Legal 6: Anxious 56: Militaristic 6: Assist 56: Inspect
7: Anxious 57: Lethal 7: Aquatic 57: Mysterious 7: Attack 57: Intense
8: Attainment 58: Light 8: Arrogant 58: Nightmarish 8: Befriend 58: Irritating
9: Average 59: Macabre 9: Artistic 59: Odd 9: Bestow 59: Juvenile
10: Bizarre 60: Magnificent 10: Avian 60: Oppressive 10: Bizarre 60: Lazy
11: Bleak 61: Majestic 11: Beautiful 61: Passive 11: Bold 61: Leave
12: Bold 62: Mature 12: Bizarre 62: Peaceful 12: Break 62: Lethal
13: Busy 63: Meaningful 13: Carapace 63: Perfect 13: Busy 63: Loud
14: Calm 64: Mechanical 14: Clawed 64: Plant 14: Calm 64: Loyal
15: Cheerful 65: Messy 15: Colorful 65: Powered 15: Careful 65: Messy
16: Colorful 66: Military 16: Combative 66: Powerful 16: Careless 66: Mistrust
17: Combative 67: Misfortune 17: Conquering 67: Powers 17: Cautious 67: Move
18: Competitive 68: Mistrust 18: Dangerous 68: Primitive 18: Ceaseless 68: Mundane
19: Conflict 69: Modern 19: Declining 69: Prosperous 19: Change 69: Mysterious
20: Crazy 70: Mundane 20: Defensive 70: Psychic 20: Combative 70: Natural
21: Creepy 71: Mystery 21: Desperate 71: Reptilian 21: Curious 71: Neglect
22: Dangerous 72: Natural 22: Destructive 72: Robotic 22: Dangerous 72: Normal
23: Dark 73: Normal 23: Dominating 73: Scary 23: Deliberate 73: Observe
24: Emotional 74: Odd 24: Emotionless 74: Scientific 24: Disinterested 74: Odd
25: Energetic 75: Personal 25: Enormous 75: Secretive 25: Disrupt 75: Oppose
26: Epic 76: Physical 26: Exploitive 76: Servitor 26: Distracted 76: Playful
27: Evil 77: Power 27: Explorers 77: Simple 27: Dominate 77: Protect
28: Exterior 78: Pursuit 28: Familiar 78: Skilled 28: Energetic 78: Pursue
29: Failure 79: Quaint 29: Fast 79: Slender 29: Excited 79: Quiet
30: Fame 80: Random 30: Feeble 80: Slow 30: Exotic 80: Reassuring
31: Familiar 81: Rare 31: Feral 81: Small 31: Familiar 81: Release
32: Fearful 82: Reassuring 32: Ferocious 82: Smelly 32: Fearful 82: Return
33: Festive 83: Remarkable 33: Friendly 83: Strange 33: Feeble 83: Scary
34: Fierce 84: Rough 34: Frightening 84: Strong 34: Ferocious 84: Simple
35: Fortunate 85: Rustic 35: Fungal 85: Suffering 35: Fierce 85: Slow
36: Frantic 86: Scary 36: Furry 86: Tail 36: Fight 86: Strange
37: Fresh 87: Simple 37: Generous 87: Tall 37: Flee 87: Struggle
38: Frightening 88: Slow 38: Gentle 88: Technological 38: Follow 88: Swift
39: Glorious 89: Social 39: Glowing 89: Tentacled 39: Food 89: Tactics
40: Goals 90: Strange 40: Graceful 90: Threatening 40: Frantic 90: Take
41: Hard 91: Strong 41: Harsh 91: Toothy 41: Friendship 91: Threatening
42: Harsh 92: Struggle 42: Helpful 92: Travelers 42: Frightening 92: Tranquil
43: Heavy 93: Tension 43: Humanoid 93: Treacherous 43: Generous 93: Transform
44: Historical 94: Travel 44: Hungry 94: Violent 44: Gentle 94: Trick
45: Hopeful 95: Trials 45: Immortal 95: Warlike 45: Graceful 95: Trust
46: Horrible 96: Vengeance 46: Insectlike 96: Wary 46: Harm 96: Violent
47: Horror 97: Very 47: Insubstantial 97: Watery 47: Hasty 97: Warn
48: Important 98: Violent 48: Intelligent 98: Weak 48: Helpful 98: Waste
49: Inquire 99: Warlike 49: Intimidating 99: Wings 49: Helpless 99: Wild
50: Inspect 100: Wild 50: Large 100: Wormish 50: Hungry 100: Yield

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

ARMY DESCRIPTORS CAVERN DESCRIPTORS CHARACTERS
1: Active 51: Mysterious 1: Activity 51: Interesting 1: Accompanied 51: Important
2: Aggressive 52: Normal 2: Ancient 52: Large 2: Active 52: Inactive
3: Allies 53: Path 3: Animals 53: Ledge 3: Aggressive 53: Influential
4: Ambush 54: Persecute 4: Aromatic 54: Lethal 4: Ambush 54: Innocent
5: Animals 55: Power 5: Art 55: Light 5: Animal 55: Intense
6: Arrive 56: Problems 6: Beautiful 56: Loud 6: Anxious 56: Knowledgeable
7: Assist 57: Punish 7: Bizarre 57: Magnificent 7: Armed 57: Large
8: Average 58: Pursue 8: Bleak 58: Message 8: Beautiful 58: Lonely
9: Betray 59: Quiet 9: Blocked 59: Messy 9: Bold 59: Loud
10: Bizarre 60: Ready 10: Boulder 60: Minerals 10: Busy 60: Loyal
11: Block 61: Reassuring 11: Bright 61: Misfortune 11: Calm 61: Masculine
12: Bold 62: Recruit 12: Cliff 62: Mist 12: Careless 62: Mighty
13: Calm 63: Release 13: Climb 63: Mysterious 13: Casual 63: Miserable
14: Careless 64: Riches 14: Closed 64: Natural 14: Cautious 64: Multiple
15: Cautious 65: Rough 15: Cold 65: Nature 15: Classy 65: Mundane
16: Ceaseless 66: Ruin 16: Collapsed 66: Normal 16: Colorful 66: Mysterious
17: Celebrate 67: Ruthless 17: Colorful 67: Occupied 17: Combative 67: Natural
18: Colorful 68: Simple 18: Cracked 68: Odd 18: Crazy 68: Odd
19: Communicate 69: Skilled 19: Cramped 69: Open 19: Creepy 69: Official
20: Creepy 70: Slow 20: Crawl 70: Path 20: Curious 70: Old
21: Deceive 71: Small 21: Creature 71: Plants 21: Dangerous 71: Passive
22: Defensive 72: Stalemate 22: Creepy 72: Pool 22: Deceitful 72: Peaceful
23: Defiant 73: Start 23: Crumbling 73: Quiet 23: Defeated 73: Playful
24: Delay 74: Stop 24: Curious 74: Reassuring 24: Defiant 74: Powerful
25: Disorganized 75: Strange 25: Damaged 75: Remarkable 25: Delightful 75: Professional
26: Divide 76: Strong 26: Dangerous 76: Riches 26: Emotional 76: Protected
27: Efficient 77: Struggle 27: Dark 77: River 27: Energetic 77: Protecting
28: Enemies 78: Success 28: Difficult 78: Rock 28: Equipped 78: Questioning
29: Energy 79: Suffering 29: Dirty 79: Rough 29: Excited 79: Quiet
30: Failure 80: Supplies 30: Discouraging 80: Scary 30: Expected 80: Reassuring
31: Ferocious 81: Swift 31: Dripping 81: Simple 31: Familiar 81: Resourceful
32: Fight 82: Tactics 32: Dry 82: Slippery 32: Fast 82: Seeking
33: Food 83: Take 33: Echo 83: Slope 33: Feeble 83: Skilled
34: Foolish 84: Technology 34: Elements 84: Small 34: Feminine 84: Slow
35: Fortunate 85: Tension 35: Empty 85: Smelly 35: Ferocious 85: Small
36: Frantic 86: Testing 36: Enormous 86: Smooth 36: Foe 86: Stealthy
37: Fresh 87: Threatening 37: Exit 87: Sounds 37: Foolish 87: Strange
38: Frightening 88: Tired 38: Exotic 88: Stalactites 38: Fortunate 88: Strong
39: Helpful 89: Travel 39: Fall 89: Strange 39: Fragrant 89: Tall
40: Helpless 90: Triumph 40: Flora 90: Threatening 40: Frantic 90: Thieving
41: Illness 91: Truce 41: Frightening 91: Tight 41: Friend 91: Threatening
42: Lacking 92: Trust 42: Full 92: Tranquil 42: Frightened 92: Triumphant
43: Large 93: Unequipped 43: Fungus 93: Treasure 43: Frightening 93: Unexpected
44: Lavish 94: Unexpected 44: Good 94: Unnatural 44: Generous 94: Unnatural
45: Lazy 95: Untrained 45: Hard 95: Unstable 45: Glad 95: Unusual
46: Leadership 96: Victory 46: Harm 96: Untouched 46: Happy 96: Violent
47: Lethal 97: Violate 47: Harsh 97: Warm 47: Harmful 97: Vocal
48: Loud 98: Waste 48: Hole 98: Waste 48: Helpful 98: Weak
49: Loyal 99: Weak 49: Huge 99: Water 49: Helpless 99: Wild
50: Mighty 100: Weapons 50: Icy 100: Windy 50: Hurt 100: Young

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

CHARACTER ACTIONS, COMBAT CHARACTER ACTIONS, GENERAL CHARACTER APPEARANCE
1: Abandon 51: Hasty 1: Abandon 51: Imprison 1: Abnormal 51: Lean
2: Abuse 52: Hide 2: Aggressive 52: Increase 2: Armed 52: Limbs
3: Aggressive 53: Imitate 3: Amusing 53: Inspect 3: Aromatic 53: Lithe
4: Agree 54: Imprison 4: Anger 54: Intense 4: Athletic 54: Masculine
5: Ally 55: Kill 5: Antagonize 55: Juvenile 5: Attractive 55: Mature
6: Ambush 56: Lead 6: Anxious 56: Kind 6: Average 56: Messy
7: Amuse 57: Lethal 7: Assist 57: Lazy 7: Bald 57: Mighty
8: Anger 58: Liberty 8: Bestow 58: Leadership 8: Beautiful 58: Modern
9: Antagonize 59: Lie 9: Betray 59: Lethal 9: Bizarre 59: Mundane
10: Anxious 60: Loud 10: Bizarre 60: Loud 10: Brutish 60: Muscular
11: Assist 61: Loyal 11: Block 61: Loyal 11: Casual 61: Mysterious
12: Attack 62: Magic 12: Bold 62: Mature 12: Classy 62: Natural
13: Betray 63: Mechanical 13: Break 63: Meaningful 13: Clean 63: Neat
14: Block 64: Mighty 14: Calm 64: Messy 14: Clothing 64: Normal
15: Bold 65: Military 15: Care 65: Move 15: Colorful 65: Odd
16: Brave 66: Mock 16: Careful 66: Mundane 16: Common 66: Official
17: Break 67: Move 17: Careless 67: Mysterious 17: Cool 67: Old
18: Calm 68: Mysterious 18: Celebrate 68: Nice 18: Creepy 68: Petite
19: Careless 69: Normal 19: Change 69: Normal 19: Cute 69: Piercing
20: Carry 70: Odd 20: Combative 70: Odd 20: Dainty 70: Powerful
21: Cautious 71: Open 21: Communicate 71: Official 21: Delicate 71: Professional
22: Celebrate 72: Oppose 22: Control 72: Open 22: Desperate 72: Reassuring
23: Change 73: Pain 23: Crazy 73: Oppose 23: Different 73: Regal
24: Charge 74: Path 24: Creepy 74: Passion 24: Dirty 74: Remarkable
25: Communicate 75: Prepare 25: Dangerous 75: Peace 25: Drab 75: Rough
26: Compete 76: Punish 26: Deceive 76: Playful 26: Elegant 76: Rustic
27: Control 77: Pursue 27: Decrease 77: Pleasures 27: Equipment 77: Scar
28: Crazy 78: Rough 28: Defiant 78: Possessions 28: Exotic 78: Scary
29: Cruel 79: Rude 29: Delay 79: Punish 29: Expensive 79: Scented
30: Damage 80: Ruin 30: Disrupt 80: Pursue 30: Extravagant 80: Scholarly
31: Deceive 81: Ruthless 31: Dominate 81: Release 31: Eyewear 81: Short
32: Defend 82: Simple 32: Efficient 82: Return 32: Familiar 82: Simple
33: Defiant 83: Slow 33: Energetic 83: Simple 33: Fancy 83: Sinister
34: Delay 84: Spy 34: Excited 84: Slow 34: Features 84: Small
35: Disrupt 85: Stop 35: Expose 85: Start 35: Feminine 85: Smelly
36: Divide 86: Strange 36: Fearful 86: Stop 36: Festive 86: Stocky
37: Dominate 87: Struggle 37: Feeble 87: Strange 37: Frail 87: Strange
38: Energetic 88: Suppress 38: Fierce 88: Struggle 38: Hair 88: Striking
39: Enthusiastic 89: Swift 39: Fight 89: Swift 39: Hairy 89: Strong
40: Expectation 90: Take 40: Foolish 90: Tactics 40: Headwear 90: Stylish
41: Fearful 91: Technology 41: Frantic 91: Take 41: Heavy 91: Tall
42: Ferocious 92: Threaten 42: Frightening 92: Technology 42: Hurt 92: Tattoo
43: Fierce 93: Trick 43: Generous 93: Threatening 43: Innocent 93: Tools
44: Fight 94: Truce 44: Gentle 94: Trust 44: Insignia 94: Trendy
45: Flee 95: Usurp 45: Harm 95: Violent 45: Intense 95: Unusual
46: Frantic 96: Vehicle 46: Harsh 96: Waste 46: Interesting 96: Very
47: Free 97: Vengeance 47: Hasty 97: Weapons 47: Intimidating 97: Weak
48: Frightening 98: Waste 48: Helpful 98: Wild 48: Jewelry 98: Weapon
49: Harm 99: Weapon 49: Imitate 99: Work 49: Large 99: Wounded
50: Harsh 100: Withdraw 50: Important 100: Yield 50: Lavish 100: Young

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

CHARACTER BACKGROUND CHARACTER CONVERSATIONS CHARACTER DESCRIPTORS
1: Abandoned 51: Hard 1: Abuse 51: Ideas 1: Abnormal 51: Foul
2: Abuse 52: Harm 2: Advice 52: Inform 2: Active 52: Frightened
3: Academic 53: Harsh 3: Aggressive 53: Innocent 3: Adventurous 53: Gentle
4: Activity 54: Heal 4: Agree 54: Inquire 4: Aggressive 54: Harmful
5: Adventurous 55: Helped 5: Amusing 55: Intense 5: Agreeable 55: Helpful
6: Adversity 56: Heroic 6: Angry 56: Interesting 6: Ally 56: Heroic
7: Art 57: Humble 7: Anxious 57: Intolerance 7: Ancient 57: Humorous
8: Assist 58: Humiliation 8: Assist 58: Irritating 8: Angry 58: Hurt
9: Average 59: Imprisonment 9: Awkward 59: Joyful 9: Anxious 59: Ignorant
10: Bad 60: Independent 10: Betray 60: Judgmental 10: Armed 60: Impulsive
11: Bizarre 61: Inherit 11: Bizarre 61: Juvenile 11: Aromatic 61: Inept
12: Bleak 62: Injury 12: Bleak 62: Kind 12: Arrogant 62: Informative
13: Bold 63: Injustice 13: Bold 63: Leadership 13: Attractive 63: Intelligent
14: Burden 64: Legal 14: Business 64: Lie 14: Awkward 64: Interesting
15: Business 65: Loss 15: Calm 65: Loud 15: Beautiful 65: Intimidating
16: Care 66: Military 16: Careful 66: Loving 16: Bizarre 66: Intrusive
17: Career 67: Mistake 17: Careless 67: Loyal 17: Bleak 67: Large
18: Chaotic 68: Mundane 18: Cautious 68: Macabre 18: Bold 68: Loud
19: Cheat 69: Nature 19: Cheerful 69: Mature 19: Brave 69: Meek
20: Combat 70: Outsider 20: Classy 70: Meaningful 20: Busy 70: Naive
21: Commitment 71: Person 21: Cold 71: Miserable 21: Calm 71: Old
22: Community 72: Place 22: Colorful 72: Mistrust 22: Capable 72: Passive
23: Competition 73: Poor 23: Combative 73: Mocking 23: Careful 73: Polite
24: Conflict 74: Power 24: Crazy 74: Mundane 24: Careless 74: Poor
25: Control 75: Prestige 25: Creepy 75: Mysterious 25: Caring 75: Powerful
26: Crime 76: Privilege 26: Curious 76: News 26: Cautious 76: Powerless
27: Damaged 77: Pursued 27: Defiant 77: Nice 27: Cheerful 77: Primitive
28: Danger 78: Recruited 28: Delightful 78: Normal 28: Classy 78: Principled
29: Death 79: Religion 29: Disagreeable 79: Odd 29: Clean 79: Quiet
30: Deceive 80: Rural 30: Dispute 80: Offensive 30: Clumsy 80: Respectful
31: Decrease 81: Saved 31: Efficient 81: Official 31: Colorful 81: Rough
32: Defeated 82: Search 32: Energetic 82: Oppose 32: Combative 82: Rude
33: Disaster 83: Seclusion 33: Enthusiastic 83: Peace 33: Commanding 83: Simple
34: Dispute 84: Service 34: Excited 84: Plans 34: Common 84: Skilled
35: Emotion 85: Sheltered 35: Fearful 85: Playful 35: Competitive 85: Slow
36: Environment 86: Skill 36: Fierce 86: Polite 36: Confident 86: Small
37: Escape 87: Strange 37: Foolish 87: Positive 37: Crazy 87: Sneaky
38: Exile 88: Successful 38: Frantic 88: Praise 38: Curious 88: Sophisticated
39: Experience 89: Survival 39: Frightening 89: Quarrelsome 39: Dangerous 89: Strange
40: Failure 90: Tradition 40: Generous 90: Quiet 40: Different 90: Strong
41: Faith 91: Training 41: Gentle 91: Reassuring 41: Difficult 91: Supportive
42: Fame 92: Trauma 42: Glad 92: Refuse 42: Dirty 92: Surprising
43: Family 93: Travel 43: Grateful 93: Rude 43: Disagreeable 93: Sweet
44: Fortunate 94: Urban 44: Haggle 94: Rumor 44: Disciplined 94: Trained
45: Free 95: War 45: Happy 95: Simple 45: Educated 95: Uniformed
46: Freedom 96: Wealth 46: Harsh 96: Threatening 46: Elegant 96: Unusual
47: Friend 97: Wild 47: Hasty 97: Truce 47: Erratic 97: Weak
48: Gifts 98: Work 48: Helpful 98: Trust 48: Exotic 98: Wealthy
49: Good 99: Wounded 49: Helpless 99: Warm 49: Fancy 99: Wild
50: Guided 100: Youth 50: Hopeless 100: Wild 50: Fast 100: Young

90
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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

CHARACTER IDENTITY CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS CHARACTER PERSONALITY
1: Abandoned 51: Killer 1: Adventure 51: Intolerance 1: Active 51: Humorous
2: Administrator 52: Laborer 2: Adversity 52: Investment 2: Adventurous 52: Inconsistent
3: Adventurous 53: Lackey 3: Ambition 53: Jealousy 3: Aggressive 53: Independent
4: Adversary 54: Law 4: Anger 54: Joy 4: Agreeable 54: Interesting
5: Advisor 55: Leader 5: Approval 55: Justice 5: Ambitious 55: Intolerant
6: Ally 56: Legal 6: Art 56: Leader 6: Amusing 56: Irresponsible
7: Art 57: Lost 7: Attain 57: Legal 7: Angry 57: Knowledgeable
8: Artist 58: Mechanical 8: Business 58: Loss 8: Annoying 58: Larcenous
9: Assistant 59: Mediator 9: Change 59: Love 9: Anxious 59: Leader
10: Athlete 60: Merchant 10: Character 60: Loyalty 10: Arrogant 60: Likable
11: Authority 61: Messenger 11: Conflict 61: Malice 11: Average 61: Loyal
12: Bureaucrat 62: Military 12: Control 62: Misfortune 12: Awkward 62: Manipulative
13: Business 63: Mundane 13: Create 63: Mistrust 13: Bad 63: Mercurial
14: Combatant 64: Mystery 14: Danger 64: Mundane 14: Bitter 64: Naive
15: Competitor 65: Official 15: Death 65: Mysterious 15: Bold 65: Nervous
16: Controller 66: Organizer 16: Deceive 66: Nature 16: Brave 66: Oblivious
17: Crafter 67: Outsider 17: Destroy 67: Object 17: Calm 67: Obstinate
18: Creator 68: Performer 18: Diminish 68: Obligation 18: Careful 68: Optimistic
19: Criminal 69: Persecutor 19: Disrupt 69: Official 19: Careless 69: Perceptive
20: Deceiver 70: Planner 20: Emotion 70: Oppose 20: Classy 70: Perfectionist
21: Deliverer 71: Pleaser 21: Enemy 71: Pain 21: Cold 71: Practical
22: Dependent 72: Power 22: Environment 72: Passion 22: Collector 72: Prepared
23: Driver/Pilot 73: Prisoner 23: Escape 73: Path 23: Committed 73: Principled
24: Elite 74: Professional 24: Failure 74: Peace 24: Competitive 74: Protect
25: Enemy 75: Protector 25: Fame 75: Physical 25: Confident 75: Quiet
26: Enforcer 76: Public 26: Family 76: Place 26: Control 76: Quirky
27: Engineer 77: Punish 27: Fear 77: Plan 27: Crazy 77: Rash
28: Entertainer 78: Radical 28: Fight 78: Pleasure 28: Creative 78: Rational
29: Executive 79: Religious 29: Find 79: Power 29: Crude 79: Respectful
30: Expert 80: Represent 30: Free 80: Pride 30: Curious 80: Responsible
31: Explorer 81: Rogue 31: Friend 81: Protect 31: Deceptive 81: Restless
32: Family 82: Ruffian 32: Goal 82: Pursue 32: Determined 82: Risk
33: Farmer 83: Ruler 33: Gratify 83: Rare 33: Devoted 83: Rude
34: Fighter 84: Scholar 34: Group 84: Recover 34: Disagreeable 84: Savvy
35: Fixer 85: Scientist 35: Guide 85: Reveal 35: Dull 85: Searching
36: Foreigner 86: Scout 36: Guilt 86: Revenge 36: Emotion 86: Selfish
37: Friend 87: Servant 37: Hate 87: Riches 37: Empathetic 87: Selfless
38: Gambler 88: Socialite 38: Heal 88: Safety 38: Fair 88: Shallow
39: Gatherer 89: Soldier 39: Help 89: Search 39: Fastidious 89: Social
40: Guardian 90: Student 40: Hide 90: Serve 40: Follower 90: Strange
41: Healer 91: Subverter 41: Home 91: Start 41: Foolish 91: Strong
42: Helpless 92: Supporter 42: Hope 92: Stop 42: Friendly 92: Studious
43: Hero 93: Survivor 43: Idea 93: Strange 43: Good 93: Superstitious
44: Hunter 94: Teacher 44: Illness 94: Struggle 44: Gourmet 94: Tolerant
45: Information 95: Thief 45: Important 95: Success 45: Greed 95: Vindictive
46: Innocent 96: Trader 46: Imprison 96: Suffering 46: Haunted 96: Vocal
47: Inspector 97: Victim 47: Increase 97: Support 47: Helpful 97: Wary
48: Intellectual 98: Villain 48: Information 98: Take 48: Honest 98: Weak
49: Investigator 99: Wanderer 49: Innocent 99: Transform 49: Honor 99: Wild
50: Judge 100: Warrior 50: Intellect 100: Travel 50: Humble 100: Wise

91
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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

CHARACTER SKILLS CHARACTER TRAITS & FLAWS CITY DESCRIPTORS
1: Activity 51: Invade 1: Academic 51: Leadership 1: Activity 51: Loud
2: Adversity 52: Investigative 2: Adversity 52: Legal 2: Aggressive 52: Magnificent
3: Agility 53: Knowledge 3: Animal 53: Less 3: Aromatic 53: Masses
4: Animals 54: Leadership 4: Assist 54: Lethal 4: Average 54: Meaningful
5: Art 55: Legal 5: Attract 55: Limited 5: Beautiful 55: Mechanical
6: Assist 56: Lethal 6: Beautiful 56: Loyal 6: Bleak 56: Messy
7: Athletic 57: Lie 7: Benefits 57: Mental 7: Block 57: Mighty
8: Attack 58: Master 8: Bestow 58: Military 8: Bridge 58: Military
9: Attain 59: Mechanical 9: Bizarre 59: Misfortune 9: Bustling 59: Miserable
10: Average 60: Medical 10: Block 60: Missing 10: Calm 60: Misfortune
11: Balance 61: Mental 11: Burden 61: Move 11: Chaotic 61: Modern
12: Beginner 62: Military 12: Combat 62: Multi 12: Clean 62: Mountain
13: Bestow 63: Motion 13: Communicate 63: Nature 13: Cold 63: Mundane
14: Block 64: Move 14: Connection 64: Object 14: Colorful 64: Mysterious
15: Business 65: Mundane 15: Control 65: Odd 15: Commerce 65: Nature
16: Change 66: Mysterious 16: Create 66: Old 16: Conflict 66: Odd
17: Combat 67: Nature 17: Criminal 67: Partial 17: Control 67: Old
18: Communicate 68: Normal 18: Damaged 68: Passion 18: Crime 68: Oppress
19: Conflict 69: Obstacles 19: Dangerous 69: Perception 19: Dangerous 69: Opulence
20: Control 70: Official 20: Decrease 70: Physical 20: Dense 70: Peace
21: Create 71: Open 21: Defense 71: Poor 21: Developed 71: Poor
22: Criminal 72: Oppose 22: Delicate 72: Possessions 22: Dirty 72: Powerful
23: Damage 73: Perception 23: Different 73: Power 23: Efficient 73: Protected
24: Danger 74: Practical 24: Dominate 74: Principles 24: Energy 74: Public
25: Deceit 75: Professional 25: Driven 75: Public 25: Enormous 75: Quiet
26: Decrease 76: Ranged 26: Emotion 76: Rare 26: Environment 76: Rare
27: Defense 77: Release 27: Enemy 77: Remarkable 27: Extravagant 77: Reassuring
28: Develop 78: Rogue 28: Energy 78: Resistant 28: Festive 78: Remarkable
29: Dispute 79: Ruin 29: Environment 79: Resource 29: Flawless 79: River
30: Disrupt 80: Simple 30: Failure 80: Rich 30: Frightening 80: Rough
31: Domestic 81: Social 31: Fame 81: Sense 31: Government 81: Ruined
32: Dominate 82: Specialist 32: Familiar 82: Skill 32: Happy 82: Rustic
33: Driving 83: Start 33: Fast 83: Small 33: Harsh 83: Simple
34: Elements 84: Stop 34: Feeble 84: Social 34: Healthy 84: Small
35: Energy 85: Strange 35: Flawless 85: Specialized 35: Helpful 85: Sparse
36: Environment 86: Strength 36: Focused 86: Spirit 36: Hills 86: Structures
37: Experienced 87: Struggle 37: Fortunate 87: Strange 37: History 87: Struggle
38: Expert 88: Suppress 38: Friends 88: Strong 38: Illness 88: Success
39: Fight 89: Take 39: Good 89: Suffering 39: Important 89: Suffering
40: Free 90: Technology 40: Healthy 90: Technical 40: Impressive 90: Technology
41: Guide 91: Transform 41: Illness 91: Technology 41: Industry 91: Tension
42: Harm 92: Travel 42: Impaired 92: Tough 42: Interesting 92: Travel
43: Heal 93: Trick 43: Increase 93: Travel 43: Intrigues 93: Troubled
44: Health 94: Usurp 44: Information 94: Trouble 44: Isolated 94: Valuable
45: Increase 95: Vehicle 45: Inspect 95: Trustworthy 45: Lacking 95: Warm
46: Inform 96: Violence 46: Intellect 96: Unusual 46: Lake 96: Water
47: Information 97: Water 47: Intense 97: Very 47: Large 97: Weak
48: Inquire 98: Weapon 48: Interesting 98: Weak 48: Lavish 98: Weather
49: Inspect 99: Weather 49: Lacking 99: Weapon 49: Leadership 99: Wild
50: Intellect 100: Wounds 50: Large 100: Young 50: Liberty 100: Work

92
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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

CIVILIZATION DESCRIPTORS CREATURE ABILITIES CREATURE DESCRIPTORS
1: Active 51: Happy 1: Ambush 51: Imprison 1: Aggressive 51: Mammalian
2: Advanced 52: Healthy 2: Animate 52: Increase 2: Agile 52: Mandibles
3: Adventurous 53: Helpful 3: Armor 53: Intelligent 3: Air 53: Masculine
4: Aggressive 54: Helpless 4: Arrive 54: Itself 4: Alien 54: Mechanical
5: Agricultural 55: Historical 5: Attach 55: Lethal 5: Amorphous 55: Metallic
6: Ancient 56: Important 6: Attack 56: Light 6: Animal 56: Movement
7: Angry 57: Industrial 7: Attract 57: Limited 7: Aquatic 57: Multiple
8: Anxious 58: Influential 8: Bite 58: Mind 8: Armored 58: Mutant
9: Artistic 59: Intolerant 9: Block 59: Move 9: Avian 59: Natural
10: Average 60: Large 10: Blunt 60: Multiple 10: Beast 60: Nature
11: Beautiful 61: Lawful 11: Break 61: Natural 11: Beautiful 61: Nightmarish
12: Bizarre 62: Lawless 12: Breath 62: Normal 12: Body 62: Object
13: Bleak 63: Magnificent 13: Carry 63: Open 13: Bony 63: Odorous
14: Bold 64: Mighty 14: Change 64: Others 14: Carapace 64: Passive
15: Bureaucratic 65: Militaristic 15: Climb 65: Paralyze 15: Clawed 65: Plant
16: Carefree 66: Miserable 16: Cold 66: Physical 16: Clothed 66: Reptilian
17: Careful 67: Modern 17: Common 67: Pierce 17: Cold 67: Robotic
18: Careless 68: Mundane 18: Communicate 68: Poison 18: Color 68: Rooted
19: Cautious 69: Mysterious 19: Conceal 69: Power 19: Composite 69: Rough
20: Classy 70: Old 20: Contact 70: Protection 20: Constructed 70: Shape
21: Clean 71: Open 21: Control 71: Proximity 21: Decayed 71: Shifting
22: Colorful 72: Oppressive 22: Create 72: Pursue 22: Defensive 72: Silent
23: Combative 73: Peaceful 23: Damage 73: Ranged 23: Dripping 73: Simple
24: Commercial 74: Polite 24: Dark 74: Rechargeable 24: Elements 74: Slender
25: Competitive 75: Poor 25: Death 75: Resistance 25: Exotic 75: Small
26: Constructive 76: Powerful 26: Deceive 76: Self-Sufficient 26: Extra Limbs 76: Solitary
27: Controlling 77: Primitive 27: Decrease 77: Senses 27: Fangs 77: Spider-like
28: Crazy 78: Punitive 28: Defense 78: Skill 28: Feminine 78: Spiked
29: Creative 79: Quaint 29: Depower 79: Sleep 29: Feral 79: Steaming
30: Creepy 80: Religious 30: Detect 80: Speed 30: Filthy 80: Sticky
31: Cruel 81: Ruined 31: Disrupt 81: Spy 31: Fire 81: Stinger
32: Curious 82: Rustic 32: Distract 82: Stealth 32: Fungal 82: Strange
33: Dangerous 83: Ruthless 33: Dominate 83: Stop 33: Furry 83: Strong
34: Declining 84: Scary 34: Drain 84: Strange 34: Gaunt 84: Supernatural
35: Defiant 85: Simple 35: Element 85: Stun 35: Glowing 85: Tail
36: Delightful 86: Small 36: Energy 86: Substance 36: Group 86: Tentacled
37: Developed 87: Strange 37: Enhanced 87: Summon 37: Growling 87: Tongue
38: Disagreeable 88: Strong 38: Entangle 88: Suppress 38: Healthy 88: Toothy
39: Distrustful 89: Struggling 39: Environment 89: Swim 39: Horns 89: Transparent
40: Dominant 90: Successful 40: Extra 90: Take 40: Humanoid 90: Tree-like
41: Dull 91: Suffering 41: Fear 91: Telepathy 41: Inscribed 91: Twisted
42: Efficient 92: Suppressed 42: Fight 92: Touch 42: Insect-like 92: Undead
43: Expanding 93: Suspicious 43: Fire 93: Transform 43: Insubstantial 93: Unnatural
44: Failed 94: Treacherous 44: Flight 94: Travel 44: Intelligent 94: Verbal
45: Famous 95: Warlike 45: Harm 95: Trick 45: Intimidating 95: Warm
46: Fearful 96: Weak 46: Heal 96: Uncommon 46: Large 96: Weak
47: Festive 97: Wealthy 47: Illness 97: Vision 47: Levitating 97: Weapon
48: Free 98: Welcoming 48: Illusion 98: Vulnerable 48: Limited 98: Wings
49: Generous 99: Wild 49: Imitate 99: Weak 49: Liquid 99: Wooden
50: Greedy 100: Young 50: Immune 100: Weapon 50: Loud 100: Wormish

93
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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

CRYPTIC MESSAGE CURSES DOMICILE DESCRIPTORS
1: Abandoned 51: Language 1: Abandon 51: Home 1: Abandoned 51: Magnificent
2: Activity 52: Leadership 2: Age 52: Illness 2: Activity 52: Mechanical
3: Adventure 53: Legal 3: Attract 53: Illusions 3: Animal 53: Messy
4: Adversity 54: Legend 4: Bad 54: Imprison 4: Aromatic 54: Modern
5: Advice 55: Liberty 5: Beauty 55: Incapacity 5: Art 55: Mundane
6: Allies 56: Lies 6: Betray 56: Information 6: Average 56: Mysterious
7: Anger 57: Lost 7: Bizarre 57: Intellect 7: Beautiful 57: Natural
8: Bestow 58: Love 8: Block 58: Ironic 8: Bizarre 58: Neat
9: Betray 59: Malice 9: Body 59: Jealously 9: Bleak 59: Neglected
10: Bizarre 60: Messy 10: Break 60: Joy 10: Busy 60: Nondescript
11: Bleak 61: Misfortune 11: Burden 61: Legal 11: Classy 61: Normal
12: Business 62: Mistrust 12: Business 62: Lethal 12: Clean 62: Occupied
13: Care 63: Move 13: Change 63: Liberty 13: Cluttered 63: Odd
14: Colorful 64: Mundane 14: Compel 64: Limit 14: Cold 64: Open
15: Communicate 65: Mysterious 15: Condemn 65: Lonely 15: Colorful 65: Oppressive
16: Conflict 66: Neglect 16: Conflict 66: Love 16: Comfort 66: Opulent
17: Creepy 67: Normal 17: Create 67: Luck 17: Common 67: Organized
18: Damaged 68: Obscured 18: Creepy 68: Malice 18: Cramped 68: Plants
19: Danger 69: Official 19: Cruel 69: Meaningful 19: Creepy 69: Poor
20: Death 70: Old 20: Danger 70: Miserable 20: Crowded 70: Portal
21: Deceive 71: Oppose 21: Death 71: Misfortune 21: Customized 71: Possessions
22: Defiant 72: Partial 22: Decrease 72: Mistrust 22: Cute 72: Private
23: Dispute 73: Passion 23: Delay 73: Mock 23: Damaged 73: Protection
24: Divide 74: Plans 24: Disrupt 74: Move 24: Dangerous 74: Quaint
25: Emotions 75: Possessions 25: Divide 75: Mundane 25: Dark 75: Reassuring
26: Enemies 76: Power 26: Dominate 76: Mysterious 26: Desolate 76: Roomy
27: Environment 77: Propose 27: Dreams 77: Nature 27: Different 77: Rough
28: Evil 78: Punish 28: Elements 78: Neglect 28: Dirty 78: Ruined
29: Expose 79: Pursue 29: Emotions 79: Old 29: Disagreeable 79: Rustic
30: Failure 80: Rare 30: Enemies 80: Oppress 30: Drab 80: Scary
31: Fame 81: Reassuring 31: Energy 81: Pain 31: Dull 81: Secure
32: Fear 82: Recipient 32: Environment 82: Passion 32: Empty 82: Security
33: Fight 83: Reveal 33: Evil 83: Peace 33: Enormous 83: Simple
34: Frantic 84: Riches 34: Failure 84: Permanent 34: Expected 84: Sleep
35: Free 85: Riddle 35: Fame 85: Possessions 35: Extravagant 85: Small
36: Friendship 86: Rumor 36: Family 86: Punish 36: Faded 86: Smelly
37: Goals 87: Secret 37: Fate 87: Pursue 37: Fancy 87: Sparse
38: Good 88: Start 38: Fear 88: Riches 38: Festive 88: Storage
39: Guide 89: Stop 39: Feeble 89: Ruin 39: Food 89: Strange
40: Harm 90: Strange 40: Fight 90: Senses 40: Frightening 90: Temporary
41: Help 91: Struggle 41: Friends 91: Separate 41: Full 91: Thoughtful
42: Helpful 92: Success 42: Frightening 92: Start 42: Home 92: Tidy
43: Hidden 93: Tension 43: Goals 93: Stop 43: Investment 93: Tools
44: Hope 94: Threaten 44: Good 94: Strange 44: Inviting 94: Tranquil
45: Horrible 95: Truce 45: Gratify 95: Struggle 45: Lacking 95: Upgrade
46: Important 96: Trust 46: Guide 96: Success 46: Large 96: Utilitarian
47: Information 97: Unknown 47: Happiness 97: Temporary 47: Lavish 97: Valuables
48: Innocent 98: Vengeance 48: Harm 98: Vengeance 48: Less 98: View
49: Instruction 99: Violence 49: Health 99: Violence 49: Light 99: Warm
50: Intrigues 100: Warning 50: Helpless 100: Weapon 50: Loud 100: Water

94
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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

DUNGEON DESCRIPTORS DUNGEON TRAPS FOREST DESCRIPTORS
1: Abandoned 51: Large 1: Aggressive 51: Fire 1: Adversity 51: Lethal
2: Activity 52: Lavish 2: Allies 52: Floor 2: Aggressive 52: Loud
3: Adversity 53: Lethal 3: Ambush 53: Frightening 3: Ambush 53: Magnificent
4: Ambush 54: Light 4: Animals 54: Harm 4: Ancient 54: Majestic
5: Ancient 55: Magnificent 5: Animate 55: Heat 5: Animal 55: Masses
6: Animal 56: Malice 6: Antagonize 56: Heavy 6: Aromatic 56: Mature
7: Aromatic 57: Meaningful 7: Aromatic 57: Helpless 7: Art 57: Message
8: Art 58: Mechanical 8: Art 58: Horrible 8: Assist 58: Mighty
9: Beautiful 59: Messages 9: Attach 59: Illusion 9: Average 59: Mundane
10: Bizarre 60: Messy 10: Attention 60: Imprison 10: Beautiful 60: Mysterious
11: Bleak 61: Mighty 11: Attract 61: Lethal 11: Bizarre 61: Natural
12: Chamber 62: Military 12: Balance 62: Loud 12: Bleak 62: Nature
13: Clean 63: Misfortune 13: Beautiful 63: Lure 13: Block 63: Nondescript
14: Closed 64: Modern 14: Bestow 64: Magic 14: Boulder 64: Normal
15: Cold 65: Mundane 15: Betray 65: Mechanical 15: Cave 65: Odd
16: Collapsed 66: Mysterious 16: Bizarre 66: Mental 16: Chaotic 66: Old
17: Colorful 67: Natural 17: Blades 67: Messy 17: Cliff 67: Path
18: Creature 68: Neglect 18: Break 68: Monster 18: Cold 68: Peaceful
19: Creepy 69: Normal 19: Ceiling 69: Natural 19: Colorful 69: Plants
20: Damaged 70: Object 20: Change 70: Object 20: Combative 70: Pond
21: Danger 71: Occupied 21: Choice 71: Odd 21: Communicate 71: Possessions
22: Dark 72: Odd 22: Climb 72: Old 22: Creepy 72: Powerful
23: Desolate 73: Open 23: Cloud 73: Pain 23: Damaged 73: Pursue
24: Dirty 74: Passage 24: Cold 74: Plants 24: Danger 74: Quiet
25: Door 75: Path 25: Colorful 75: Portal 25: Dark 75: Rare
26: Dry 76: Portal 26: Combative 76: Possessions 26: Death 76: Reassuring
27: Elements 77: Possessions 27: Communicate 77: Prison 27: Delicate 77: Remarkable
28: Empty 78: Quiet 28: Confuse 78: Projectile 28: Dry 78: River
29: Encounter 79: Rare 29: Constrain 79: Riddle 29: Elements 79: Rocks
30: Enemies 80: Reassuring 30: Control 80: Scary 30: Encounter 80: Rough
31: Enormous 81: Remarkable 31: Create 81: Simple 31: Enormous 81: Ruined
32: Evil 82: Riches 32: Creepy 82: Sounds 32: Environment 82: Scary
33: Exit 83: Room 33: Crush 83: Stab 33: Fearful 83: Simple
34: Extravagant 84: Rough 34: Damaged 84: Stop 34: Feeble 84: Slope
35: Faded 85: Ruined 35: Danger 85: Strange 35: Fierce 85: Small
36: Familiar 86: Rustic 36: Dark 86: Strangle 36: Food 86: Sounds
37: Fancy 87: Scary 37: Deceive 87: Suppress 37: Fortunate 87: Strange
38: Fears 88: Simple 38: Delay 88: Take 38: Fresh 88: Strong
39: Foreboding 89: Small 39: Deprive 89: Toxin 39: Harsh 89: Threatening
40: Full 90: Smelly 40: Disrupt 90: Transform 40: Healthy 90: Tranquil
41: Furnishings 91: Sound 41: Divide 91: Transport 41: Helpful 91: Tree
42: Gate 92: Stairs 42: Door 92: Treasure 42: Important 92: Unusual
43: Good 93: Stonework 43: Drop 93: Trials 43: Information 93: Valuable
44: Harm 94: Technology 44: Duplicate 94: Trigger 44: Intense 94: Violent
45: Heavy 95: Trap 45: Elaborate 95: Unleash 45: Interesting 95: Warm
46: Helpful 96: Treasure 46: Enemies 96: Wall 46: Lacking 96: Watery
47: Hole 97: Unnatural 47: Energy 97: Warning 47: Lake 97: Weak
48: Important 98: Valuable 48: Fall 98: Water 48: Large 98: Weather
49: Information 99: Warm 49: Fear 99: Weapon 49: Lean 99: Wild
50: Interesting 100: Watery 50: Fight 100: Wound 50: Ledge 100: Young

95
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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

GODS LEGENDS LOCATIONS
1: Active 51: Good 1: Abandon 51: Hero 1: Abandoned 51: Lively
2: Alien 52: Guide 2: Allies 52: Hidden 2: Active 52: Lonely
3: Ancient 53: Harm 3: Anger 53: Historical 3: Artistic 53: Long
4: Angelic 54: Harsh 4: Assist 54: Illness 4: Atmosphere 54: Loud
5: Angry 55: Heal 5: Attainment 55: Important 5: Beautiful 55: Meaningful
6: Animal 56: Humanoid 6: Befriend 56: Imprison 6: Bleak 56: Messy
7: Art 57: Illness 7: Bestow 57: Increase 7: Bright 57: Mobile
8: Assist 58: Imprison 8: Betray 58: Inform 8: Business 58: Modern
9: Attract 59: Increase 9: Bizarre 59: Innocent 9: Calm 59: Mundane
10: Beautiful 60: Jealous 10: Block 60: Intrigue 10: Charming 60: Mysterious
11: Bestow 61: Justice 11: Brave 61: Jealousy 11: Clean 61: Natural
12: Betray 62: Knowledge 12: Break 62: Judge 12: Cluttered 62: New
13: Bizarre 63: Liberty 13: Burden 63: Leadership 13: Cold 63: Occupied
14: Capricious 64: Life 14: Carelessness 64: Legal 14: Colorful 64: Odd
15: Colorful 65: Light 15: Cataclysm 65: Lethal 15: Colorless 65: Official
16: Combat 66: Love 16: Caution 66: Liberty 16: Confusing 66: Old
17: Communicate 67: Magic 17: Change 67: Loss 17: Cramped 67: Open
18: Conflict 68: Majestic 18: Conflict 68: Love 18: Creepy 68: Peaceful
19: Control 69: Major 19: Control 69: Loyalty 19: Crude 69: Personal
20: Corruption 70: Malice 20: Create 70: Masses 20: Cute 70: Plain
21: Cosmic 71: Masculine 21: Crisis 71: Mighty 21: Damaged 71: Portal
22: Create 72: Mighty 22: Damage 72: Military 22: Dangerous 72: Protected
23: Creepy 73: Military 23: Danger 73: Misfortune 23: Dark 73: Protection
24: Cruel 74: Minor 24: Deceive 74: Monster 24: Delightful 74: Purposeful
25: Cult 75: Monstrous 25: Decrease 75: Move 25: Dirty 75: Quiet
26: Dangerous 76: Mundane 26: Defeated 76: Mundane 26: Domestic 76: Reassuring
27: Dark 77: Mysterious 27: Defiant 77: Mysterious 27: Empty 77: Remote
28: Death 78: Nature 28: Delay 78: Natural 28: Enclosed 78: Resourceful
29: Deceit 79: Night 29: Disrupt 79: Old 29: Enormous 79: Ruined
30: Destroyer 80: Oppress 30: Divide 80: Oppose 30: Entrance 80: Rustic
31: Disgusting 81: Pleasures 31: Elements 81: Oppress 31: Exclusive 81: Safe
32: Dominate 82: Power 32: End 82: Peace 32: Exposed 82: Services
33: Dreams 83: Protector 33: Enemies 83: Plot 33: Extravagant 83: Simple
34: Elements 84: Punish 34: Energy 84: Possessions 34: Familiar 84: Small
35: Emotions 85: Ruler 35: Evil 85: Power 35: Fancy 85: Spacious
36: Enemies 86: Sacrifice 36: Expose 86: Punish 36: Festive 86: Storage
37: Energy 87: Strange 37: Failure 87: Pursue 37: Foreboding 87: Strange
38: Enormous 88: Strong 38: Fame 88: Release 38: Fortunate 88: Stylish
39: Evil 89: Suppress 39: Fear 89: Return 39: Fragrant 89: Suspicious
40: Feminine 90: Threatening 40: Fight 90: Riches 40: Frantic 90: Tall
41: Fallen 91: Transform 41: Find 91: Ruin 41: Frightening 91: Threatening
42: Fear 92: Underworld 42: Free 92: Savior 42: Full 92: Tranquil
43: Fertility 93: Violent 43: Friendship 93: Stop 43: Harmful 93: Unexpected
44: Festive 94: War 44: Frightening 94: Strange 44: Helpful 94: Unpleasant
45: Fire 95: Warm 45: Good 95: Struggle 45: Horrible 95: Unusual
46: Frightening 96: Water 46: Guide 96: Theft 46: Important 96: Useful
47: Generous 97: Weak 47: Harm 97: Trust 47: Impressive 97: Warm
48: Gentle 98: Weapon 48: Heal 98: Usurp 48: Inactive 98: Warning
49: Gifts 99: Weather 49: Help 99: Vengeance 49: Intense 99: Watery
50: Glorious 100: Worshiped 50: Helpless 100: Villain 50: Intriguing 100: Welcoming

96
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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

MAGIC ITEM DESCRIPTORS MUTATION DESCRIPTORS NAMES
1: Animal 51: Imitate 1: Agility 51: Imprison 1: A 51: Location
2: Animate 52: Increase 2: Animal 52: Increase 2: Action 52: Ly
3: Area 53: Information 3: Appearance 53: Information 3: Ah 53: Mah
4: Armor 54: Inhibit 4: Armor 54: Inspect 4: Ahg 54: Military
5: Assist 55: Instant 5: Assist 55: Large 5: An 55: Misdeed
6: Attack 56: Jewelry 6: Attach 56: Learn 6: Animal 56: N
7: Attract 57: Lethal 7: Attack 57: Lethal 7: Ar 57: Nah
8: Benefit 58: Life 8: Benefit 58: Limb 8: As 58: Nature
9: Bestow 59: Light 9: Bestow 59: Limit 9: B 59: Nee
10: Block 60: Limited 10: Bizarre 60: Mental 10: Bah 60: Nn
11: Book 61: Liquid 11: Block 61: Messy 11: Be 61: Number
12: Change 62: Mental 12: Body 62: Move 12: Bih 62: Occupation
13: Clothing 63: Monster 13: Change 63: Nature 13: Brah 63: Oh
14: Cloud 64: Multi 14: Claws 64: Pain 14: Col 64: On
15: Cold 65: Nature 15: Color 65: Partial 15: Color 65: Or
16: Communication 66: Object 16: Combat 66: Power 16: Cor 66: Orn
17: Container 67: Orb 17: Communicate 67: Projectile 17: Dah 67: Oth
18: Control 68: Others 18: Conceal 68: Protection 18: Deeds 68: Ow
19: Create 69: Physical 19: Constrain 69: Ranged 19: Del 69: Ph
20: Curse 70: Plants 20: Control 70: Recharge 20: Drah 70: Pr
21: Damage 71: Poison 21: Create 71: Release 21: Eee 71: R
22: Death 72: Potion 22: Damage 72: Replace 22: Eh 72: Rah
23: Deceit 73: Power 23: Deceive 73: Requirement 23: Ei 73: Ren
24: Decrease 74: Ranged 24: Decrease 74: Resistance 24: Ell 74: Sah
25: Defense 75: Resistance 25: Defect 75: Restore 25: Elements 75: Se
26: Destroy 76: Restore 26: Defense 76: Reveal 26: Emotion 76: Sh
27: Detect 77: Ring 27: Deformed 77: Scary 27: Ess 77: Sha
28: Dimensions 78: Rope 28: Detect 78: Senses 28: Est 78: T
29: Elements 79: Rune 29: Diminish 79: Simple 29: Et 79: Ta
30: Emotion 80: Safety 30: Disrupt 80: Skill 30: Fah 80: Tal
31: Energy 81: Scroll 31: Dominate 81: Stop 31: Fer 81: Tar
32: Enhance 82: Self 32: Elements 82: Strange 32: Fi 82: Th
33: Environment 83: Senses 33: Energy 83: Strength 33: Floral 83: Thah
34: Escape 84: Skill 34: Enhance 84: Strong 34: Gah 84: Thoh
35: Evil 85: Special 35: Environment 85: Struggle 35: Go 85: Ti
36: Explode 86: Speed 36: Expose 86: Suffer 36: Grah 86: Time
37: Fear 87: Spell 37: Extra 87: Suppress 37: Hee 87: Tor
38: Fire 88: Staff 38: Eyes 88: Surroundings 38: Ia 88: Uh
39: Flight 89: Strange 39: Fear 89: Survive 39: Ick 89: Va
40: Food 90: Summon 40: Fight 90: Swim 40: In 90: Vah
41: Gem 91: Sword 41: Fly 91: Toxic 41: Iss 91: Ve
42: Good 92: Tool 42: Free 92: Transform 42: Je 92: Vice
43: Group 93: Transform 43: Harm 93: Travel 43: Ke 93: Virtue
44: Harm 94: Trap 44: Heal 94: Usurp 44: Jen 94: Wah
45: Heal 95: Travel 45: Health 95: Violence 45: Kha 95: Wr
46: Health 96: Useful 46: Heat 96: Vulnerability 46: Kr 96: X
47: Helpful 97: Utility 47: Helpful 97: Warm 47: Lah 97: Y
48: Illness 98: Wand 48: Horrible 98: Weak 48: Lee 98: Yah
49: Illusion 99: Water 49: Imitate 99: Weapon 49: Len 99: Yuh
50: Imbue 100: Weapon 50: Immunity 100: Wound 50: Lin 100: Z

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

NOBLE HOUSE OBJECTS PLOT TWISTS
1: Aggressive 51: Malice 1: Active 51: Information 1: Action 51: Location
2: Allies 52: Mighty 2: Artistic 52: Intriguing 2: Attack 52: Lucky
3: Anger 53: Military 3: Average 53: Large 3: Bad 53: Mental
4: Bestow 54: Misfortune 4: Beautiful 54: Lethal 4: Barrier 54: Missing
5: Betray 55: Move 5: Bizarre 55: Light 5: Betray 55: Mundane
6: Bizarre 56: Mysterious 6: Bright 56: Liquid 6: Business 56: Mystery
7: Block 57: Neglect 7: Clothing 57: Loud 7: Change 57: Necessary
8: Break 58: Old 8: Clue 58: Majestic 8: Character 58: News
9: Bureaucracy 59: Oppose 9: Cold 59: Meaningful 9: Conclude 59: Object
10: Cautious 60: Oppress 10: Colorful 60: Mechanical 10: Conditional 60: Oppose
11: Change 61: Overthrow 11: Communication 61: Modern 11: Conflict 61: Outcast
12: Commerce 62: Passion 12: Complicated 62: Moving 12: Connection 62: Overcome
13: Compromise 63: Peace 13: Confusing 63: Multiple 13: Consequence 63: Past
14: Conflict 64: Persecute 14: Consumable 64: Mundane 14: Control 64: Peace
15: Connections 65: Plans 15: Container 65: Mysterious 15: Danger 65: Personal
16: Control 66: Politics 16: Creepy 66: Natural 16: Death 66: Persuade
17: Create 67: Possessions 17: Crude 67: New 17: Delay 67: Physical
18: Crisis 68: Powerful 18: Cute 68: Odd 18: Destroy 68: Plan
19: Cruel 69: Public 19: Damaged 69: Official 19: Diminish 69: Power
20: Dangerous 70: Refuse 20: Dangerous 70: Old 20: Disaster 70: Prepare
21: Death 71: Release 21: Deactivated 71: Ornamental 21: Discover 71: Problem
22: Deceit 72: Remarkable 22: Deliberate 72: Ornate 22: Emotion 72: Promise
23: Defeat 73: Return 23: Delightful 73: Personal 23: Enemy 73: Protect
24: Defiant 74: Riches 24: Desired 74: Powerful 24: Enhance 74: Public
25: Disrupt 75: Royalty 25: Domestic 75: Prized 25: Enter 75: Pursue
26: Enemies 76: Ruthless 26: Empty 76: Protection 26: Escape 76: Rare
27: Extravagant 77: Secret 27: Energy 77: Rare 27: Evidence 77: Remote
28: Faded 78: Security 28: Enormous 78: Ready 28: Failure 78: Repair
29: Fame 79: Servant 29: Equipment 79: Reassuring 29: Family 79: Repeat
30: Family 80: Spy 30: Expected 80: Resource 30: Free 80: Require
31: Headquarters 81: Strange 31: Expended 81: Ruined 31: Friend 81: Rescue
32: Heirloom 82: Strong 32: Extravagant 82: Small 32: Good 82: Resource
33: Hero 83: Struggle 33: Faded 83: Soft 33: Group 83: Response
34: History 84: Succession 34: Familiar 84: Solitary 34: Harm 84: Reveal
35: Home 85: Suffering 35: Fancy 85: Stolen 35: Headquarters 85: Revenge
36: Important 86: Suppress 36: Flora 86: Strange 36: Help 86: Reversal
37: Imprison 87: Tactics 37: Fortunate 87: Stylish 37: Helpless 87: Reward
38: Increase 88: Tension 38: Fragile 88: Threatening 38: Hidden 88: Skill
39: Information 89: Travel 39: Fragrant 89: Tool 39: Idea 89: Social
40: Intrigue 90: Trust 40: Frightening 90: Travel 40: Immediate 90: Solution
41: Investment 91: Usurp 41: Garbage 91: Unexpected 41: Impending 91: Strange
42: Land 92: Valuable 42: Guidance 92: Unpleasant 42: Important 92: Success
43: Large 93: Vengeance 43: Hard 93: Unusual 43: Incapacitate 93: Tension
44: Leadership 94: Victory 44: Harmful 94: Useful 44: Information 94: Trap
45: Legal 95: Violence 45: Healing 95: Useless 45: Injustice 95: Travel
46: Leverage 96: War 46: Heavy 96: Valuable 46: Leader 96: Unknown
47: Liberty 97: Weak 47: Helpful 97: Warm 47: Legal 97: Unlikely
48: Love 98: Wealth 48: Horrible 98: Weapon 48: Lethal 98: Unusual
49: Loyal 99: Weapon 49: Important 99: Wet 49: Lie 99: Urgent
50: Magnificent 100: Young 50: Inactive 100: Worn 50: Limit 100: Useful

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

POWERS SCAVENGING RESULTS SMELLS
1: Absorb 51: Heat 1: Abundance 51: Lean 1: Acrid 51: Malodorous
2: Adversity 52: Help 2: Activity 52: Less 2: Animal 52: Meaningful
3: Alter 53: Hide 3: Adversity 53: Lethal 3: Antiseptic 53: Medicinal
4: Animate 54: Illusion 4: Allies 54: Mechanical 4: Aromatic 54: Metallic
5: Assist 55: Imbue 5: Animal 55: Medicinal 5: Artificial 55: Mildew
6: Attach 56: Immunity 6: Art 56: Messy 6: Attractive 56: Moist
7: Attack 57: Increase 7: Barrier 57: Misfortune 7: Bad 57: Mossy
8: Block 58: Information 8: Beauty 58: Mundane 8: Bizarre 58: Musky
9: Body 59: Life 9: Bizarre 59: Mysterious 9: Burnt 59: Musty
10: Change 60: Light 10: Bleak 60: Nature 10: Chemical 60: Mysterious
11: Chemical 61: Limb 11: Broken 61: New 11: Clean 61: Natural
12: Cold 62: Limited 12: Clean 62: Normal 12: Comforting 62: Nature
13: Colorful 63: Location 13: Clothes 63: Odd 13: Cooking 63: Nauseating
14: Combat 64: Magic 14: Comfort 64: Official 14: Decrepit 64: Normal
15: Combine 65: Major 15: Communicate 65: Old 15: Delicious 65: Odd
16: Communicate 66: Manipulate 16: Competition 66: Open 16: Delightful 66: Odorless
17: Control 67: Matter 17: Concealment 67: Opposition 17: Dirty 67: Offensive
18: Cosmetic 68: Mental 18: Conflict 68: Pain 18: Disagreeable 68: Overpowering
19: Create 69: Minor 19: Container 69: Peace 19: Disgusting 69: Perfumed
20: Creature 70: Natural 20: Control 70: Pleasures 20: Dry 70: Pleasurable
21: Damage 71: Nature 21: Crisis 71: Portal 21: Dull 71: Powerful
22: Dark 72: Object 22: Damaged 72: Possessions 22: Earthy 72: Pungent
23: Death 73: Others 23: Danger 73: Protection 23: Electrical 73: Punishing
24: Deceive 74: Physical 24: Death 74: Reassuring 24: Evocative 74: Putrid
25: Defense 75: Plants 25: Dirty 75: Repairable 25: Faded 75: Rancid
26: Delay 76: Poison 26: Disagreeable 76: Rotten 26: Faint 76: Reassuring
27: Destroy 77: Power 27: Disgusting 77: Rough 27: Familiar 77: Reek
28: Detect 78: Protect 28: Dispute 78: Ruined 28: Fetid 78: Rich
29: Dimensions 79: Radius 29: Drink 79: Scary 29: Fishy 79: Ripe
30: Diminish 80: Ranged 30: Elements 80: Shelter 30: Floral 80: Rot
31: Disrupt 81: Reflect 31: Empty 81: Simple 31: Food 81: Rotten
32: Distance 82: Repel 32: Enemies 82: Small 32: Foul 82: Savory
33: Dominate 83: Resistance 33: Energy 83: Smelly 33: Fragrant 83: Smelly
34: Duplicate 84: Reveal 34: Extravagance 84: Strange 34: Fresh 84: Smokey
35: Electricity 85: Self 35: Failure 85: Struggle 35: Fruity 85: Sour
36: Elements 86: Sense 36: Fear 86: Success 36: Funky 86: Stagnant
37: Emission 87: Skill 37: Fight 87: Supply 37: Good 87: Stale
38: Emotion 88: Spirit 38: Food 88: Technology 38: Grassy 88: Stench
39: Enemies 89: Stealth 39: Fresh 89: Tool 39: Gratifying 89: Stinging
40: Energy 90: Strange 40: Friendship 90: Travel 40: Heady 90: Strange
41: Enhance 91: Summon 41: Fuel 91: Triumph 41: Heavy 91: Strong
42: Environment 92: Switch 42: Good 92: Trouble 42: Herbal 92: Stuffy
43: Explosion 93: Take 43: Health 93: Useless 43: Horrible 93: Sulphuric
44: Extra 94: Technology 44: Helpful 94: Valuable 44: Humid 94: Sweet
45: Fire 95: Time 45: Hope 95: Vehicle 45: Industrial 95: Warm
46: Flight 96: Transform 46: Important 96: Victory 46: Interesting 96: Waste
47: Free 97: Trap 47: Information 97: Violence 47: Intoxicating 97: Watery
48: Friend 98: Travel 48: Joy 98: Warm 48: Irritating 98: Weak
49: Harm 99: Weapon 49: Large 99: Waste 49: Lacking 99: Weather
50: Heal 100: Weather 50: Lavish 100: Weapon 50: Laden 100: Woody

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

SOUNDS SPELL EFFECTS STARSHIP DESCRIPTORS
1: Activity 51: Intense 1: Animal 51: Heal 1: Activity 51: Magnificent
2: Alarm 52: Interesting 2: Animate 52: Helpful 2: Adversity 52: Maintenance
3: Animal 53: Irritating 3: Assist 53: Ice 3: Assist 53: Meaningful
4: Approach 54: Loud 4: Attack 54: Illusion 4: Automated 54: Mechanical
5: Banging 55: Machinery 5: Attract 55: Imbue 5: Battle 55: Message
6: Battle 56: Meaningful 6: Bestow 56: Immunity 6: Beautiful 56: Messy
7: Beep 57: Metallic 7: Bizarre 57: Imprison 7: Bestow 57: Mighty
8: Bell 58: Muffled 8: Block 58: Information 8: Bleak 58: Military
9: Beseeching 59: Multiple 9: Break 59: Inspect 9: Block 59: Modern
10: Bizarre 60: Music 10: Bright 60: Life 10: Bright 60: Multiple
11: Burning 61: Mysterious 11: Burn 61: Light 11: Business 61: Mundane
12: Busy 62: Natural 12: Change 62: Limitation 12: Clean 62: Mysterious
13: Calm 63: Near 13: Cloud 63: Liquid 13: Cold 63: Natural
14: Ceaseless 64: Noisy 14: Cold 64: Loud 14: Colorful 64: Normal
15: Celebrate 65: Normal 15: Communicate 65: Manipulation 15: Combative 65: Odd
16: Chaotic 66: Odd 16: Conceal 66: Mind 16: Communicate 66: Portal
17: Cheerful 67: Productivity 17: Conjure 67: Nature 17: Computer 67: Possessions
18: Clang 68: Pursuit 18: Control 68: Object 18: Contain 68: Power
19: Combative 69: Quiet 19: Counteract 69: Others 19: Control 69: Powerful
20: Communicate 70: Reassuring 20: Create 70: Pain 20: Creepy 70: Prison
21: Construction 71: Remarkable 21: Creature 71: Physical 21: Crew 71: Protection
22: Conversation 72: Rip 22: Curse 72: Plant 22: Damaged 72: Quiet
23: Crash 73: Roar 23: Damage 73: Poison 23: Danger 73: Rare
24: Creaking 74: Rumbling 24: Dark 74: Portal 24: Dark 74: Reassuring
25: Creepy 75: Rustling 25: Death 75: Powerful 25: Death 75: Remarkable
26: Cries 76: Scary 26: Deceive 76: Protect 26: Defense 76: Resources
27: Damage 77: Scraping 27: Decrease 77: Radius 27: Elaborate 77: Room
28: Danger 78: Scratching 28: Defense 78: Ranged 28: Empty 78: Rough
29: Disagreeable 79: Simple 29: Destroy 79: Resistance 29: Energy 79: Ruined
30: Distant 80: Sizzle 30: Detect 80: Restore 30: Engine 80: Scary
31: Drip 81: Slam 31: Diminish 81: Self 31: Enormous 81: Security
32: Echo 82: Slow 32: Disease 82: Senses 32: Environment 82: Simple
33: Emotion 83: Soft 33: Dominate 83: Shield 33: Escape 83: Small
34: Energetic 84: Start 34: Duplicate 84: Soul 34: Exit 84: Sounds
35: Explosion 85: Stop 35: Earth 85: Strange 35: Exterior 85: Start
36: Familiar 86: Strange 36: Elements 86: Strength 36: Fear 86: Stop
37: Ferocious 87: Tapping 37: Emotion 87: Stun 37: Food 87: Storage
38: Footsteps 88: Technology 38: Enemies 88: Summon 38: Full 88: Strange
39: Frantic 89: Threatening 39: Energy 89: Time 39: Hall 89: Supplies
40: Frightening 90: Thud 40: Enhance 90: Transform 40: Health 90: Survival
41: Grinding 91: Traffic 41: Environment 91: Trap 41: Helpful 91: System
42: Growl 92: Tranquil 42: Expose 92: Travel 42: Important 92: Tactics
43: Hammering 93: Uncertain 43: Fire 93: Trigger 43: Information 93: Technology
44: Helpful 94: Warning 44: Fix 94: Uncertain 44: Inquire 94: Travel
45: Imitate 95: Water 45: Food 95: Undead 45: Interesting 95: Unusual
46: Important 96: Weather 46: Free 96: Wall 46: Lacking 96: Valuable
47: Indistinct 97: Whirring 47: Group 97: Water 47: Large 97: Vehicle
48: Industry 98: Whistle 48: Guide 98: Weak 48: Lavish 98: Warm
49: Information 99: Wild 49: Hamper 99: Weapon 49: Lethal 99: Weapon
50: Innocent 100: Wind 50: Harm 100: Weather 50: Loud 100: Work

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MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS

TERRAIN DESCRIPTORS UNDEAD DESCRIPTORS VISIONS & DREAMS
1: Abandoned 51: Mechanical 1: Active 51: Leadership 1: Activity 51: Information
2: Abundant 52: Message 2: Aggressive 52: Lethal 2: Adversity 52: Instruction
3: Activity 53: Mighty 3: Angry 53: Light 3: Allies 53: Liberty
4: Advanced 54: Misfortune 4: Animal 54: Limited 4: Assist 54: Lies
5: Allies 55: Mountainous 5: Anxious 55: Lonely 5: Attainment 55: Love
6: Ancient 56: Multiple 6: Attract 56: Love 6: Bizarre 56: Malice
7: Animals 57: Mundane 7: Beautiful 57: Macabre 7: Bleak 57: Masses
8: Atmosphere 58: Mysterious 8: Bestow 58: Malice 8: Catastrophe 58: Mechanical
9: Barren 59: Natural 9: Bizarre 59: Message 9: Celebrate 59: Message
10: Beautiful 60: Nature 10: Bleak 60: Messy 10: Change 60: Messy
11: Bizarre 61: Nondescript 11: Bold 61: Mighty 11: Colorful 61: Military
12: Catastrophe 62: Ocean 12: Bound 62: Mindless 12: Conflict 62: Misfortune
13: Chaotic 63: Odd 13: Cold 63: Miserable 13: Contact 63: Mundane
14: City 64: Peaceful 14: Combative 64: Misfortune 14: Control 64: Mysterious
15: Civilization 65: People 15: Communicate 65: Monstrous 15: Creepy 65: Natural
16: Cliffs 66: Plants 16: Control 66: Mundane 16: Crisis 66: Obscure
17: Clouds 67: Populated 17: Create 67: Odd 17: Cruelty 67: Odd
18: Cold 68: Powerful 18: Creepy 68: Old 18: Danger 68: Oppose
19: Colorful 69: Primitive 19: Dangerous 69: Pain 19: Dark 69: Path
20: Combative 70: Rain 20: Dark 70: Pale 20: Death 70: Peace
21: Communicate 71: Rare 21: Deceive 71: Passive 21: Defeat 71: People
22: Conflict 72: Remarkable 22: Dirty 72: Possessions 22: Disruption 72: Place
23: Damaged 73: Resourceful 23: Disgusting 73: Possessive 23: Elements 73: Plans
24: Danger 74: Riches 24: Elements 74: Powerful 24: Emotions 74: Plot
25: Defense 75: River 25: Enemies 75: Powers 25: Enemies 75: Positive
26: Desert 76: Rocky 26: Energy 76: Purposeful 26: Energy 76: Possessions
27: Dry 77: Rough 27: Environment 77: Pursue 27: Environment 77: Power
28: Dull 78: Ruined 28: Evil 78: Quiet 28: Event 78: Preventable
29: Elements 79: Ruins 29: Fast 79: Resistant 29: Evil 79: Reassuring
30: Empty 80: Sandy 30: Fear 80: Rotting 30: Failure 80: Riches
31: Energy 81: Scary 31: Fight 81: Scary 31: Fears 81: Riddle
32: Enormous 82: Simple 32: Floating 82: Seeking 32: Festive 82: Ruin
33: Environment 83: Small 33: Friendly 83: Shambling 33: Fight 83: Scary
34: Fertile 84: Strange 34: Frightening 84: Slow 34: Friendship 84: Simple
35: Frightening 85: Strong 35: Glad 85: Small 35: Frightening 85: Strange
36: Habitable 86: Technology 36: Glow 86: Smelly 36: Future 86: Struggle
37: Harsh 87: Threatening 37: Goals 87: Strange 37: Goals 87: Success
38: Hazy 88: Toxic 38: Good 88: Strong 38: Good 88: Suffering
39: Healthy 89: Tranquil 39: Guide 89: Threatening 39: Guidance 89: Suppress
40: Helpful 90: Trees 40: Harm 90: Tough 40: Harm 90: Tension
41: Hostile 91: Unusual 41: Helpful 91: Transform 41: Helpful 91: Threat
42: Hot 92: Valuable 42: Helpless 92: Travel 42: Helpless 92: Time
43: Intense 93: Violent 43: Historical 93: Trick 43: Hint 93: Travel
44: Interesting 94: Warm 44: Horrible 94: Vengeful 44: Hope 94: Trouble
45: Large 95: Water 45: Hungry 95: Violent 45: Horrible 95: Trust
46: Lethal 96: Weak 46: Imitate 96: Weak 46: Hurry 96: Uncertain
47: Life 97: Weather 47: Information 97: Weakness 47: Ideas 97: Unsettling
48: Lovely 98: Wild 48: Insubstantial 98: Weapons 48: Implore 98: Violence
49: Magnificent 99: Windy 49: Intelligent 99: Wounds 49: Important 99: Warning
50: Masses 100: Wonders 50: Large 100: Young 50: Incomplete 100: Weapon

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ARMY DESCRIPTORS » THE CHARACTERS TABLE is the most

This table will give you the characteristics of generic of the Characters Elements Tables,
an army. It’s applicable to any large military force, meant to cover anything Character-related.
independent of genre. » THE CHARACTER ACTIONS,
COMBAT TABLE suggests actions an
NPC might take in a battle.
LOCATION DESCRIPTORS » THE CHARACTER ACTIONS,
The following is a list of all the Elements GENERAL TABLE covers any kind of
Tables for describing locations: action an NPC might take.
» THE CAVERN TABLE is good for » THE CHARACTER APPEARANCE
natural, enclosed spaces such as cave systems. TABLE offers inspiration for what an
» THE CITY TABLE is for settlements of NPC looks like.
any size, from tiny villages to sprawling » THE CHARACTER BACKGROUND
cities. TABLE is for a Character’s history.
» THE DOMICILE TABLE describes the » THE CHARACTER
details of a living space, such as the outside CONVERSATIONS TABLE is useful
of a house or the inside of a bedroom. when figuring out what a Character is
» THE DUNGEON TABLE gives the kind saying.
of atmospheric descriptions one would » THE CHARACTER DESCRIPTORS
expect from a classic dungeon crawl. TABLE gives more general descriptors about
» THE FOREST TABLE is good for thick a Character’s life, appearance, or personality.
jungles or woods full of forbidding trees. » THE CHARACTER IDENTITY
» THE LOCATIONS TABLE is the most TABLE is meant to help determine what
generic of the bunch, useful for defining the Character’s role or occupation is.
any location. » THE CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS
» THE STARSHIP TABLE can be used TABLE reveals why a Character does what
for any sci-fi structure, from the inside they do.
of a spaceship to the hallways of an » THE CHARACTER PERSONALITY
underground moon base. TABLE focuses on the Character’s
» THE TERRAIN TABLE describes the demeanor and temperament.
topographical details of an area of land or an
entire world viewed from orbit.

CHARACTERS
Tables describing Characters are the most
numerous category of Elements Meaning Tables,
making up 12 of the total 45. You can use these
tables to build entire Characters from the ground
up—including your own Player Character!—or
to generate important details about NPCs as you
encounter them.

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» THE CHARACTER SKILLS TABLE

tells you what talents a Character has. DOUBLE DUTY
» THE CHARACTER TRAITS &
FLAWS TABLE is similar to Character While the Elements Meaning Tables are more
Personality but focuses more on things that specific than the Actions and Descriptions
help or hinder the Character. Meaning Tables, they’re still vague enough to
Using several of these tables together can help allow for a wide range of possibilities. This makes
you quickly flesh out an NPC. it simple to apply an Elements Table to situations
it may not seem intended for.
The Player Character in an espionage adventure
needs to meet with a new NPC, Nate Calhoun, You could use the Powers Table to describe
to acquire a fake passport and identity papers. In the abilities of a superhero or to determine
what a piece of alien technology does. Animal
this Scene the PC is introduced to Calhoun late
Actions seems appropriate for a wolf in the wild,
at night on a street in San Francisco. but it could also help you determine what a
The Player knows nothing about Calhoun malfunctioning robot does. If an NPC is telling you
shocking news that changes the narrative, you
other than that he is a known source of fake
could roll on the Character Conversations Table
identification, servicing both government spies or on the Plot Twists Table.
and the criminal underworld. They want to start
off the encounter with a physical description of While the Elements Tables aren’t as broad as the
core Actions and Descriptions Tables, they can
Calhoun, so they roll on the Character Appearance
still be applied to more than one thing.
Elements Table, getting “Frail” and “Aromatic”.
The Player interprets this to mean that Calhoun is
a very thin man smoking a cigarette. established the look and personality of Nate
Calhoun. These facts build Context around this
As the PC engages Calhoun in conversation, the
NPC, making it easier to figure out what he does
Player rolls on the Character Personality Table
for the rest of the Scene.
to get an idea of what kind of person Calhoun
is. They roll “Interesting” and “Perceptive”.
The Player’s interpretation is that Calhoun CIVILIZATION DESCRIPTORS
listens closely to what the PC says, asking a
This table is meant to conceptualize the broad
few questions along the way and dropping an
strokes of an entire civilization, such as their average
interesting statement in the process.
technology level or predominant social attitudes.
To figure out what interesting thing Calhoun
says, the Player rolls on the Character
Conversations Table and gets “Classy” and
CREATURE DESCRIPTORS,
“Innocent”. The Player’s interpretation is that
CREATURE ABILITIES, &
Calhoun plays it cool during the conversation,
UNDEAD DESCRIPTORS
not wanting to know anything more than he These tables are useful for generating strange,
needs to for both their sakes. “I heard what I fantastical creatures or monsters and assigning
need, but I didn’t hear anything else. Who you’re them powers and abilities. The Creature
working for is your business—just yours.” Descriptors Table is designed for any kind of
creature, while The Undead Descriptors Table is
With these rolls on the Character-oriented more targeted to zombies and the like.
Elements Meaning Tables, the Player quickly

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CRYPTIC MESSAGE GODS

This table is perfect for when you need a This table focuses on generating aspects of a god
foreboding message that says something without that might be worshiped by a fantasy culture or
saying much at all, with words that focus on alien race. It’s not meant for the gods themselves
communication, conflict, and obscurity. as individuals, but more for what they represent—
their domains, in other words.
CURSES
This table is meant for magical curses, with LEGENDS
words that focus on misfortunes. This table, meant to inspire ancient legends,
lends itself to multiple rolls building layers of
story around the tales of long ago.
DUNGEON TRAPS
Everyone loves a good dungeon trap. The
words on this table are meant to suggest how a MAGICAL ITEM DESCRIPTORS
trap functions once it’s sprung. This table is meant to suggest what a magical
item looks like and does.

MEANING WORD CONNECTORS

Word pairs generated from the Meaning Tables the entrance to the ruined temple is suddenly and
are meant to be thought of together to inspire an magically sealed up.
interpretation. But what do you do if the words you
-ly: Adding “ly” to the end of the first word turns it
get aren’t inspiring you?
into a crude adverb that modifies the second word.
The PC triggers a magical trap while exploring the Using it here gives us “Strengthly Environment”. The
ruins of an ancient temple. Their Player determines Player could interpret this to mean that the glyph
through Fate Questions that they stepped on a glyph isn’t a trap; it’s a boon that makes the PC super
inscribed on the floor that triggers a spell. To figure strong while they’re inside the temple.
out what the activated spell does, the Player rolls on
And: Placing “and” between the words separates
the Spell Effects Elements Table for inspiration, getting
them into two different, unconnected concepts. In
“Strength” and “Environment”. They aren’t sure how to
this case we get “Strength and Environment”. The
interpret these two words together in this Context.
Player could interpret this to mean the Character gets
When you’re stuck for an interpretation you can stronger and is also teleported to a new environment.
change the relationship between the two words by
But: Adding “but” is the opposite of “and”: the first
inserting a connector word that turns them into a
word is diminished by the second word. In this case
short phrase. This slight change in meaning may
we get “Strength but Environment”. The Player might
inspire an interpretation. For instance:
interpret this to mean that the building suddenly
Of: Inserting “of” between Meaning words combines loses strength and begins to collapse.
them by having the first word highlight an aspect of
Adding a connector between Meaning words is
the second word. In this case it gives us “Strength of
a useful technique if a good interpretation isn’t
Environment”, suggesting that the environment itself
springing to mind. After you’ve tried a few different
is strong. The Player could interpret this to mean that
options one interpretation will likely stand out.

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MUTATION DESCRIPTORS Names for people, places, and things can run
This table is similar to Powers, with some a very wide gamut. The Names Table is meant to
subtle differences that take into account the narrow down the possible selections and inspire
mixed nature of abilities derived from mutations. a certain sound for the generated name, lending
There’s more emphasis on the subject’s body, and itself to loose interpretation. Rather than rolling
some results imply that a mutation is detrimental. twice you may want to keep rolling until you get a
sound that comes across as a valid name to you.
The Player Character, a starship captain, is
NAMES approaching a new planet that their Player
This table requires a bit more explanation than wants a name for. Rolling on the Names
the others. It’s a collection of sounds and concepts Elements Table they get “Tal” and “El”. That
that, when combined, are suggestive of names. doesn’t sound quite right to them yet so the Player
Most of the entries are meant to be sounded out rolls a third time and gets “Action”. This inspires
rather than used literally. the name Tallelrun.
The Player is coming up with the name of a
After discovering an advanced civilization on
fantasy warrior. They roll “Hee” and “R”. After
the planet the PC arranges a meeting with their
sounding these out, they might create names such
leader. To generate his name the Player rolls
as Hir, Huir, or Heer.
“Len”, “In”, “Pr”, “Tar”. This inspires the name
Concepts such as “Number” or “Emotion” are Lennin Pertar.
meant to evoke a word related to those concepts
that you can slot into the name. NOBLE HOUSE
Generating the name for a town, the Player rolls For creating the general characteristics of a
“In” and “Elements”. They might come up with noble or royal household. It can be thought of as
names like Innsea, Inice, or Inflam. generating the current state of the Noble House,
or its history.

Bern is ready for another day of searching for supplies, the Player making heavy use of the Scavenging Results Elements Meaning Table. Just another day
in the apocalypse.

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OBJECTS
There are several other tables for describing
GENERATING
specific kinds of items but the Objects Table is
general enough that it can be applied to anything.
NPC BEHAVIOR
It works best for when you don’t know what an The PC has battled his way through the Canyons
object is and want prompts to figure it out. of Chron, slaying beast after beast on an alien
world to prove his worth to a powerful warlord.
He returns triumphant to the warband’s
POWERS encampment and is summoned to the warlord’s
This Elements Meaning Table is meant to tent. The warlord, flanked by guards, leans
inspire powers of all sorts, from heroic superpowers forward in his chair and says … .
to the strange abilities of an alien creature. What does he say? Where do we go from here?
You figure out what an NPC does in your
SCAVENGING RESULTS adventure the same way you figure out anything
else in Mythic: with expectations, Fate Questions,
Designed for post-apocalyptic settings, or any
and Meaning Tables.
other site of desolation you’re picking through
In the example above, if the Player
for goods, this table tells you what type of items
had a clear expectation for
you’ve uncovered and if the act of scavenging has
what the warlord would say,
put you in danger.
they might go with that. “The
warlord says he’s impressed
SMELLS & SOUNDS with your performance.”
These two tables are good for generating sensory If they have some idea but
information. They can be applied to any situation
where a Character is testing the air or listening.

SPELL EFFECTS
This table helps you determine what kind of
spell is being cast—useful when facing an enemy
sorcerer or after springing a magical trap with
a spell-like effect. The results are generalized,
intended to give you a rough category of spell.

VISIONS & DREAMS

Similar to Cryptic Messages, Visions &
Dreams focus on potential future conflict with
words about warnings and solutions.

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aren’t sure, they might frame it as a Fate Question STRATEGY FOR GENERATING
such as, “Does the warlord say he’s impressed?” If
they had no idea what the warlord would say, they NPC ACTIONS
might roll on a Meaning Table for inspiration.
Using expectations for behavior is good for
unimportant NPCs or when you don’t want to
slow down your adventure to randomize NPC
actions. If you have an idea of what the NPC will
do, and their action is important to the adventure,
you could pose the expected action as a Fate
Question. This adds some randomness to the
NPC’s action—you think you know what they’ll
do but they might do something else.
If you have no idea what the NPC will do then
you can roll a completely random action on a
Meaning Table. The most useful Meaning Tables
for determining NPC actions are:
» Actions
» Characters (Elements)
» Animal Actions (Elements)
» Character Actions, Combat (Elements)
» Character Actions, General (Elements)
» Character Conversations (Elements)

Expectations As Actions
Most NPC actions will be determined by your
expectations; you’re probably not going to roll
for every single thing an NPC does. If Bering
the Magnificent is walking through a village
market, then his Player will probably assume that
the NPCs around him are going about their own
business. When you have a clear expectation for
an NPC action, and the action isn’t important
to the course of your adventure, then simply
following your expectations will do. Discovering Meaning As Actions
A warrior PC sits down in a tavern, intent on Maybe the Player has no idea what the NPC
getting something to eat and questioning the will do or they want to randomize it. Instead of
barkeeper for news about the area. following their expectations they can use words
The barkeeper is a new NPC, but the Player from Meaning Tables.
decides their initial action in this encounter is The warrior’s Player changes their mind and
obvious: they come over to the PC’s table and say, decides to determine the tavern keeper’s action
“What can I get you?” using Meaning Tables. Rolling on the Characters

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Elements Table gets them “Odd” and “Passive.”

They interpret this to mean that the barkeeper KEEP IT LOOSE AND FLOWING
shambles over to the PC and grunts at them,
apparently his way of asking the PC what they You can check for NPC actions as often or as
would like. rarely as you like. Maybe you choose to only
determine an NPC’s first action in an encounter
and follow your expectations from there, or
Fate Questions As Actions maybe you’re in a tense confrontation with an
important NPC and want to randomly determine
If you have an expectation for the NPC’s the Character’s actions round-by-round.
behavior that you’d like to test you could ask a
If you’re frequently asking Fate Questions or
Fate Question. This is a good choice if the NPC’s
consulting Meaning Tables to determine NPC
actions are important to your adventure or you behavior it’s important to keep your adventure
just want to randomize the behavior. moving smoothly by taking the broadest
The Player decides to test their expectation with a interpretations you can. This will help you not get
Fate Question. They ask, “Does the barkeeper come held up on a difficult Interpretation.
to take my order?” assigning Odds of Certain.
When determining NPC actions with Fate Question. If it’s a behavior you expect it’s probable
Questions choose a behavior the NPC is likely to that your Odds will at least be Likely if not
do. You don’t have to be sure about this choice since stronger. If you’re unsure then consider the Odds
you’re going to test it with a Fate Question anyway. 50/50. If you’re really unsure and just taking a
If you’re in the middle of an encounter where shot in the dark with a random behavior you
the NPC has already taken action you could ask, might go with lesser Odds such as Unlikely.
“Does the NPC keep doing what they’re doing?” You can resolve these Fate Questions using
This is especially useful in tense situations where Mythic’s normal rules or you can consult the
an NPC’s actions matter every round but you NPC Behavior Table for suggestions on how to
don’t want to slow down to think about what handle NPC actions.
they’ll do each time. Instead, you simply check to
see if they continue a previous action.
NPC BEHAVIOR TABLE
Bering the Magnificent is facing off against an
The NPC Behavior Table offers suggestions for
assassin on the deck of a ship during a rough
how to interpret Fate Questions about NPC actions.
storm. The Player has a good idea of what the
A Yes answer to a behavior Fate Question is easy
assassin will do, so they ask the Fate Question,
to interpret: the NPC either does what you thought
“Does the assassin attack Bering with his sword?”
they would do or continues to do what they were
with Odds of Nearly Certain. Mythic says Yes,
already doing.
and the battle begins.
A No answer means the NPC does something
In the next round, the Player wants to see if the other than what you expected. If you have an idea
assassin continues fighting in this way, so they of what that would be you can use that as the
ask, “Does the assassin continue with his current action; otherwise, choose a Meaning Table to roll
action?” with Odds of Certain. on for inspiration.
Phrase the action as a Fate Question and An Exceptional Yes means the NPC does what’s
assign it Odds like you would with any other Fate expected with greater intensity.

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The Player asks the Fate Question “Does the

assassin continue with his current action?” Mythic NPC BEHAVIOR TABLE
answers with an Exceptional Yes. The Player’s
interpretation is that the NPC launches himself at FATE
Bering in an aggressive attack without taking any QUESTION “DOES THE NPC DO X?”
RESULT
defensive precautions.
An Exceptional No means the NPC either does The NPC does what you
the opposite of what you expected or does the YES expect or continues with
next most expected action with greater intensity. their ongoing action.
If you don’t have any ideas for an expected
behavior roll on a Meaning Table for inspiration The NPC does the next
and make the resulting action more intense. most expected behavior.
NO If you’re unsure what that
A few rounds later Mythic answers Exceptional
is then roll on a Meaning
No to “Does the assassin continue his current
Table for inspiration.
action?” The fight hasn’t been going well for the
assassin, with Bering using magic to fend him The NPC does the expected
off. The Player decides that the opposite of what EXCEPTIONAL action, or continues
they expected would be for the assassin to break YES their ongoing action,
away from the fight and flee. with greater intensity.
If the Fate Question about NPC behavior
generates a Random Event consider the Event The NPC does the opposite
an additional part of the NPC’s actions, with of what you expected or
Current Context as the Event Focus and the does the next most expected
EXCEPTIONAL behavior with greater
nature of the action determined by rolling on
NO intensity. If you’re unsure
a Meaning Table. Combine the result with the
then roll on a Meaning
original action if it makes sense; otherwise, treat
Table for inspiration and
them as two separate actions, basing the first intensify that action.
action on the result of your Fate Question and the
second action on the result of the Random Event. Roll on a Meaning
RANDOM
When Bering’s Player rolled Exceptional No for Table for an additional
EVENT
the assassin’s action they also rolled a Random action from the NPC.
Event. The Player rolls on the “Character
Actions, Combat” Elements Table and gets leaps over the ship’s railing. The charge attack
“Charge” and “Lie”. was a bluff to make Bering hunker down and
give the assassin an opportunity to escape.
The Player decides it makes sense to combine the
Random Event with the Fate Question’s answer
of Exceptional No; the Event will help clarify the Conversations
NPC’s unexpected action. They interpret it this
way: the assassin charges at Bering again with Saying something is an action, too. When
a wild battle cry. Bering braces himself for the determining what an NPC says in a conversation
impact, his mystic barriers up. But just before he it’s helpful to focus on the overall tone and
reaches Bering, the assassin veers to the side and message the NPC is trying to convey. Like

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anything in a Mythic adventure, the rules Social Skills

presented here are meant to give you general
guidance; the actual words the NPC uses are up to If you’re using Mythic with an RPG that has
you. Feel free to use creative license as long as their social skills you can incorporate skill rolls into
dialog is in line with the result you generated. your interactions with NPCs. The results of these
Nemenor, a knight PC, has joined forces with skill rolls become part of the Context, helping
the dragon Gregroth to work against a mutual you formulate expectations, adjust the Odds
foe. They’re currently traveling together through of Fate Questions, and interpret the roll results
a forest. As evening draws near the knight asks (including any Meaning Table rolls) to interpret
the dragon where he thinks they should camp for NPC behavior.
the night.
The Player frames the expected action as a Fate
Question: “Does Gregroth suggest camping next
to a pile of boulders?” They don’t really know
what the dragon will say but this response seems
plausible, so they give the Question Odds of
50/50. Mythic returns a Yes.
Later, after they make camp, Nemenor asks
the dragon who should take first watch during
the night. The Player asks, “Does Gregroth say
he will take first watch?” assigning this Odds
of 50/50. Mythic comes back with a No. The
Player interprets this to mean the dragon says the
knight should take first watch since that seems
like the next most expected thing he would say.
If specific language is required (maybe you’re
playing in a group setting and want to give the
interaction more color, or maybe you’re writing out
your solo session for a blog post or your personal
journal), then the Player can use any words that
make sense with the rolled results.
The Player words the first exchange between
knight and dragon like this: Nemenor glances at
the sky, noting that they have about an hour left
until dark. “We should start looking for shelter
before nightfall.” He turns to the dragon. “Do
you have a preferred way to camp in the woods?”
Gregroth glances around at their surroundings.
“Rocks. I like rocks. Big rocks. Let’s find a nice
pile of boulders to curl up against, get all warm From combat to conversations you can determine NPC actions
and cozy.” by using a combination of expectations, Fate Questions, and
Discovering Meaning.

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GETTING TO KNOW YOU END OF SCENE

The more interactions you have with an NPC
BOOKKEEPING
during an adventure the more you’ll come to It’s your call when to end a Scene (as discussed
understand them. Over time you’ll get a feel for in the “Scene Structure” section on page 63),
what a Character would do or say in any situation, but usually a Scene ends when the primary action
making it easier to determine actions and in that Scene wraps up. Before you move on to
conversations as you go. the next Scene you have a few Bookkeeping tasks
to do.
For example, maybe your sci-fi spaceship captain
is trying to talk another ship into assisting them Add List Elements
with repairs, and you roll against your Character’s
Persuasion skill to get them to cooperate. The end of a Scene is the time to add Threads
Let’s say your Character succeeds. In game and Characters to your Lists if they were active in
terms this means you talk the other ship into the Scene. Think about the Scene that just played
helping you. If you wanted to use Mythic to play out and add any Threads or NPCs that seem
out this interaction in more detail you’d approach important to the adventure.
it with the knowledge that the other ship’s captain If any Threads or Characters already on a List
will say yes, so whatever results you get from played a part in the Scene add an additional entry
Mythic will have to fit into that Context. for them as well. This creates weighted Lists that
On the other hand, maybe the skill roll make important elements more likely to reappear
indicates that your Character did a good job at in your adventure. Once a specific Thread or NPC
presenting their case, but it doesn’t guarantee a has filled three slots on its List don’t add any more
specific reaction. You may decide that the skill roll entries of that element, even if it’s important in a
results adjust the Odds of the Fate Question, “Do later Scene.
they help us with repairs?”, so that while a failed You can consider a Thread or Character
roll would give 50/50 Odds of a Yes a successful “important” to the Scene if it was invoked by a
roll bumps that up to Very Likely. Random Event or something meaningful happens
You can also use skills to help you decide in a Scene that involves the Thread or Character.
what an expected behavior would be. Maybe
your Character succeeded exceptionally well THREADS LIST
on their Persuasion roll, and the negotiation is
Threads are goals that your Player Character is
going so smoothly that you think the other ship
pursuing. You can add any Thread to the List that
might not only help with repairs but also join
you want, even if it hasn’t come up in a Scene.
your Character’s quest through space. You may
use these rolls as the basis for a behavior Fate Early on in the adventure, the Player Character
Question like, “Does the ship captain decide to decides that Bering will take up a quest to return
join us?” a stolen relic treasured by a poor, remote village.
The Player adds “Return relic” as a Thread.
Later, when Bering emerges from the rat-infested
dungeon, the Player decides he needs more
healing magic. There are no potion sellers nearby

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and no one around who can teach him healing END OF SCENE BOOKKEEPING
spells, so the Player adds “Acquire healing magic”
to the Threads List as a goal to pursue.
A few Scenes after deciding to acquire healing
magic, Bering is chatting with a farmer who’s
tending to a field of cows. Bering has been trailing
a group of travelers he suspects of stealing the sacred
artifact, so he asks the farmer if he’s seen anyone
lately. The farmer mentions seeing a local healer
who helped him with his livestock. Intrigued,
Bering asks for more information and realizes that
this mysterious healer may be a wizard.
This is an important potential lead for Bering to
get his hands on healing potions, which reflects
one of the Threads. At the end of the Scene the
Player writes “Acquire healing magic” for a
second time on the Threads List.

CHARACTERS LIST
You can add just about anything to the
Characters List, from individual NPCs to
organizations to geographical areas to objects. If it

CROWDING OUT THE GOOD STUFF

While adding lots of Threads that interest you
can make for an expansive adventure, there are
also good reasons for keeping your Threads List
sparse. The more Threads you have, the more
options are available for Random Events. You may
like having all that potential for plot twists, but if
the plot is centered around a single core Thread,
those extra plotlines may detract from the focus
of your adventure.
Think about the kind of experience you’re looking
for. If you want something laser-focused on
one goal, be more selective about adding new
Threads. If you’re looking for more of a sandbox
approach, add as many Threads as you like, with
the knowledge that you may sometimes take
significant detours from your primary goal.

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NOT WAITING TIL THE END CLEANING UP LISTS

Editing your Lists after the Scene is over means Mythic Lists can get messy over time. Threads get
you don’t have to pause the action, but it’s not a added as you come across new goals, Characters
bad idea to update them as you play if it doesn’t get added as they’re introduced, Threads and
slow things down too much. Adding or removing Characters get additional entries when they
Threads and Characters during a Scene means come into play again, Threads get removed when
those elements will be available sooner for they’re completed, Characters get removed when
Random Events; it also makes Bookkeeping easier they lose relevance … there’s a lot going on in
since you won’t have to think back on the Scene those 25 lines!
to remember which Threads and Characters
If you max out a List with no room for new
stood out.
entries, it’s time to clean up. Get a fresh, empty
You’ll most likely do a combination of the two, Adventure List sheet and copy over the Threads
making changes to the Lists as you play and going and Characters you want to keep, with a single
over them again at the end of a Scene to make entry for each element. For any Threads or
sure you caught everything. Characters with three entries on the original List,
give them two entries on the new List. Doing this
resets the Lists, decreasing elements that have
has some level of activity and can act for or against grown while still retaining weighted importance
your PC you can add it to the Characters List. for the most popular items.
Bering the Magnificent has come across several Cleaning up your Lists is a prime opportunity
different monsters and opponents in the dungeon to edit them in other ways as well. If you think a
he’s exploring, including giant mutated rats, robed Thread or Character should be removed, go ahead
cultists lurking in the shadows, and demonic and do it. Maybe a minor Character who appeared
frogs squatting in stygian pools. The Player has early on in the Adventure no longer seems
relevant, or maybe there’s a Thread you forgot
added each of these antagonists to the Characters
about that you’re no longer interested in pursuing.
List. Mutant Rats appear three times on the List
because they’ve featured in many Scenes, while You can also consolidate less important
Cultists appear twice and Demon Frogs only once. Characters into a single group entry to free up
more space. If you’ve met an innkeeper, a farmer,
After a Scene in which Bering survived a trap, the and a merchant during your adventure, but none
Player decides that the dungeon itself should be on of them have proven to be important, you could
the Characters List to represent pitfalls, cave-ins, combine them into a single entry called “Villagers”
on the Characters List.
and other nasty surprises.
Your new, revised Lists give your adventure room
to continue evolving. If the new List gets full it’ll be
Remove List Elements time to tidy up again.

Review your Threads and Characters Lists

and remove any elements you feel are no longer Removing an NPC doesn’t necessarily mean
relevant to your adventure, (accomplished goals, they’ve died. Characters can exit an adventure for
defeated enemies, etc.). If the irrelevant Thread all kinds of reasons, including that you’ve deemed
or Character appears more than once on the List them no longer important to your adventure. The
cross out all instances of it. same is true for Threads: you can remove one

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simply because you are no longer interested in

pursuing it. REVERT TOWARD THE MEAN
In the swashbuckling adventure with Edward the
pirate, the Player has a Thread of “Get vengeance The default rule for the Chaos Factor is to
against the dread pirate Victor”. Then Edward increase it when a Scene wasn’t under Player
learns that he wasn’t betrayed by Victor at all but Character control and decrease it when it was.
This gives the CF a snowball effect, where crisis
by the governor of Capsalon Island—he’s been
begets more crisis and calm begets more calm
pursuing the wrong villain! The Player removes
until something happens to switch things up.
the now-irrelevant Thread from the List and
replaces it with “Bring the governor to justice.” If you prefer, you can flip this concept on its head
by reverting toward the mean so that the CF
goes up when a Scene goes well for the Player
Adjust The Chaos Factor Characters and down when a Scene goes poorly.
Instead of a snowball effect, you get a release
The final Bookkeeping task is adjusting the valve—the more controlled Scenes you have in
a row the more things are likely to blow up on
Chaos Factor. Think about the Scene that just
the Player Characters; the more things blow up
happened and decide whether you think the on them, the more likely things are to calm down
Player Character(s) were in control of events—in again. This kind of adventure will have a slightly
other words, whether the Scene was a success or a different feel from the norm, with fewer extreme
failure for them. Did they make progress toward mood swings as the Chaos Factor gets continually
any of their goals? Did they suffer any setbacks or nudged back toward the middle.
sidetracks?
Maybe the PC was seriously wounded while
navigating a building full of explosive traps, but
they still made it through. You might decide
that the progress your Character made is more
RANDOM CHAOS
important than the damage they sustained, so the
Another way to handle the Chaos Factor is to
Scene was more in their control than out of it.
skip the process of evaluating how well the Player
On the other hand, maybe the PC was forced to
Character(s) did in a Scene and simply let the
retreat back to where they came from, in which dice decide how the Chaos Factor changes. This
case you might decide that the Scene was more gives you one less thing to worry about in the
out of their control than within it. Bookkeeping phase.
A Scene that was mostly within your PC’s
At the end of a Scene roll a d10. If you roll equal
control gives the CF a -1 modifier, lowering the to the current Chaos Factor or less, give it a -1
Chaos of the adventure, while a Scene that was modifier with a minimum of 1; if you roll more
mostly out of their control gives the CF a +1 than the Chaos Factor, give it a +1 modifier with
modifier, raising the Chaos. The CF cannot go a maximum of 9. This detaches the Chaos Factor
below 1 or above 9; any modifiers that would take from the PC’s actions, letting it ebb and flow at
it beyond that range are ignored. the whim of the dice.
For alternative methods of adjusting the Chaos With this method the tone of your adventure will
Factor check out the sidebars “Revert Toward The shift at random intervals based on your Chaos
Mean” and “Random Chaos” on this page. rolls from Scene to Scene. As with Revert Toward
The Mean, extreme values will be rare, with the CF
more frequently moving back toward the middle.

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THE BIG SCENES might meet along the way and “Mountains” to
account for any dangers and resources the rugged
EXAMPLE: terrain may present.
With their Lists prepared, the Player is ready to
GUARDIAN OF THE begin the first Scene.

CHOSEN ONE
Let’s put Mythic’s Scene structure through its
paces! Unlike the smaller examples in the rest of
the chapter that put everything in italics, this Big
Example will use italics to indicate the role-played
story and normal text to explain mechanics and
interpretations for maximum readability.
In this example, the Player is running a solo
adventure using Mythic with their favorite fantasy
RPG. Their Character is Lennz, a hunter and Because the landscape is too rough for riding
wilderness expert who’s already been through animals, Lennz and the boy are traveling on
a few adventures, gaining experience along the foot. The first leg of their journey is easy because
way. He was hired by a mountain village to lead there are paths near the village, which gives
the Chosen One, a child prophesied to have great Lennz some time to chat with the Chosen One.
powers, to a hilltop monastery. The route to the It turns out the boy has a proper name: Ninfee
monastery is through rugged terrain in an area Wryrock. He says he wasn’t born in the village
Lennz knows well. but was found by a farmer and brought there;
The Player came up with the details of he doesn’t know anything about his own heritage
this adventure using the Plot Twists Elements or history. There’s a strange mark on his arm,
Meaning Tables. They interpreted the word pair, which is apparently what identified him as the
“Public” and “Require”, as a “public” village that Chosen One, though he doesn’t know much
“required” Lennz to do the task he was hired for. about the prophecy he’s meant to fulfill.
The idea of the task being a protect-and-deliver
mission for a child religious figure was just Most of the details in this Scene were generated
something the Player thought would be cool. by the Player asking Fate Questions. “Can we
The Player decides that the first Scene will use horses?” No. “Is the terrain near the village
be about Lennz beginning the trek through the rough?” Exceptional No.
mountains with the Chosen One. Since this is the The Player thought it would make sense for
first Scene it doesn’t need to be tested against the Lennz and the boy to talk during this first part
Chaos Factor to see whether it happens or not. of the journey. Since the Player had no idea what
Since they already have an idea for the the boy might say, they rolled on the Character
adventure, the Player decides to add the Conversations Elements Meaning Table for
major details to their Lists. They add “Deliver inspiration and got “Careless” and “Mysterious”.
the Chosen One” to the Threads List and The Player interpreted this to mean that the
“Chosen One”, “Villagers”, and “Mountains” boy is very trusting, answering all of Lennz’s
to the Characters List. They decided to include questions, but that the Chosen One seemed to
“Villagers” on the List to account for anyone they know little about his own past.

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 SCENES

The Player also figured Lennz would ask if The Player prepares for the next Scene by
the Chosen One had a proper name. They made coming up with an Expected Scene. They decide it
the possibility of a name into a Fate Question would make sense for Lennz and Ninfee to make
and got Yes. To determine the boy’s name, the camp at nightfall and set out again the next day,
Player rolled on the Names Elements Meaning this time encountering more treacherous terrain.
Table and got “Nn” and “Fi”. Wanting more to The Player tests this Expected Scene against
work with, they rolled some more and got “Wr” the Chaos Factor by rolling a d10. They roll 8,
and “Nature”. The Player interpreted this as exceeding the current Chaos Factor of 4, so the
Ninfee Wryrock. Expected Scene happens as envisioned.
This first Scene was simple, establishing what The next morning, Lennz and Ninfee break
the adventure will be about. The Player decides camp and set out again. The farther they get
to end the Scene after Lennz and Ninfee spend from the village, the rougher the terrain becomes
the day walking and chatting. Since Lennz was as well-trod dirt roads give way to unsullied
in control during this Scene, the Player gives -1 rocky ground. They climb many steep hillsides,
to the Chaos Factor, lowering it from the starting with Lennz helping Ninfee when he struggles.
value of 5 to 4.
The Player records the major details on their Suddenly, Lennz spots a small warband of orcs
Adventure Journal sheet as part of their end-of- on the other side of the valley, and he pulls Ninfee
Scene Bookkeeping. Then they look over their Lists behind a boulder to hide before they’re spotted.
to see if anything needs to be added or removed. This is bad. Lennz is going to have to be very
careful from here on out to avoid contact with
the orcs. He has no idea if they’re aware of the
prophecy, but if they are, they may see Ninfee as
a very valuable hostage.
The two of them move cautiously for the rest of
the day, with Lennz keeping an eye out for orcs.
With the way forward getting more difficult,
the Player began this Scene by asking Fate
Questions about the terrain. “Do we run into any
Prominent elements in this first Scene included difficult terrain today?” Yes. “Does Ninfee have
“The Chosen One”, the “Mountains”, and the difficulty?” Yes.
Thread of “Deliver the Chosen One”. Since these A little later, a Fate Question generated a
elements are already on the Lists, the Player adds Random Event. Rolling on the Event Focus Table,
an additional entry for each. No new Characters the Player got “Move Away From A Thread”.
or Threads presented themselves in this Scene. Since there’s only one Thread on the List there
was no need to roll for it.
The Player rolled on the Actions Meaning
Tables for inspiration and got “Block” and
“Project”. They had an idea of what this could
mean but weren’t sure about it, so they posed
it as a Fate Question: “Do we encounter orcs?”
Yes. The Player interpreted this to mean that
they unexpectedly came across a warband of orcs

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making their way through the mountains, posing

a danger that will hamper their progress.
For the rest of the Scene, as Lennz and Ninfee
make their careful way forward, the Player asks
a Fate Questions from time to time to see if they
run into orcs, but nothing else happens. The Player
decides this is a good place to end the Scene.
For end-of-Scene Bookkeeping, the Player
updates the Adventure Journal with a summary
of Scene 2’s events. Then they think about the
Chaos Factor—was Lennz in control because he
spotted the warband and evaded them, or was he Now for the next Expected Scene. The Player
not in control because they had to change their assumes that Lennz was given some information
course to avoid trouble? The Player decides that about the region and knows of another village
the introduction of the orcs and Lennz having to nearby, so their Expected Scene is that the two of
change travel tactics was more out of control than them will head toward this village in search of help.
in control, so they raise the Chaos Factor by 1 The Player rolls a d10 to test this Expected Scene
point, bringing it back to 5. and gets a 3. This is an odd number within the
Now to adjust the Lists. The Player adds Chaos Factor range of 5, which means we get an
“Avoid the orcs” as a Thread and “Orc warband” Altered Scene instead of the Expected Scene. The
as a Character. They also repeat “Deliver the Player figures that the next most Expected thing to
Chosen One” on the Threads List and the “The happen would be running into the orc warband.
Chosen One” on the Characters List since those Starting Scene 3, the Player asks the Fate
elements were relevant this Scene. Both of these Question “Do we encounter the orcs the next day?”
elements now appear three times on their Lists, so Mythic says No. The Player interprets this to mean
The Player won’t add any more entries of them in the encounter happens that night while they’re
future Scenes. making camp.
“Do the orcs surprise attack us?” Yes.
Lennz and Ninfee spend a tense day staying
out of sight and camp down for the night in a
valley to avoid being seen. Lennz decides they
can rest for now and set out for the nearby
village in the morning.
As they prepare to sleep, Lennz hears a twig snap
in the brush. His keen survival senses have him
reaching for his sword just as three orcs rush into
their camp, and he takes them all on in a fast and
furious fight. The orcs are surprised by how capable
he is in combat—this is no hillside farmer.
While Lennz battles two of the orcs, the third
one makes a run at Ninfee. Lennz cries out for
the boy to run, but Ninfee stands his ground.

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 SCENES

There’s a sudden burst of light from the boy, an that Ninfee reacted with a display of raw magical
outflowing of power, and the orc is thrown back power to defend himself.
by the force of the blast. After the orc was knocked back, the Player
asked, “Do the orcs flee?” Yes. Finally, the Player
Surprised and afraid, the orcs retreat back into
asked, “Does Ninfee seem surprised by what he
the night. Lennz looks at Ninfee, shocked by
did?” Yes.
the sudden display of power. Ninfee looks just
This seems like a good place to end the Scene;
as surprised.
now it’s time for Bookkeeping. The Player
The Player used the skills and combat rules from summarizes Scene 3 in the Adventure Journal and
their chosen RPG to play out this Scene. Lennz adjusts the Chaos Factor.
rolled well enough to notice the approach of the While they did survive the orc ambush,
orcs and be ready when they pounced. Ninfee’s sudden display of power was a random
To guide the combat, the Player started by surprise. The Player is going to count this as a
asking “Do the orcs focus on Lennz?” This Scene out of Lennz’s control, raising the Chaos
seemed reasonable since Lennz would be the Factor to 6.
biggest threat to take down. Mythic said Yes.
This three-on-one combat continued for several
rounds. Using the NPC Behavior Table each
round, the Player asked the Fate Question, “Do
the orcs continue with their current action?” The
answer each round was Yes, meaning the orcs
continued to fight with Lennz.
On the fourth round, however, the answer was
No. The Player’s interpretation was that one of the
orcs broke off from the fight to go after Ninfee.
Lennz yelled at Ninfee to run, and the Player
asked “Does Ninfee run?” The answer was No,
with a Random Event.
The Player rolled on the Event Focus Table
and got NPC Action. To determine which NPC
would act, the Player rolled two dice for the
Characters List: one for a List section and one
for an entry in that section. Since two sections of
the List have elements in them, the Player rolled
a d4 to see which section to use. They got a 3,
indicating the second section. Rolling a d10 to
see which element to use, the Player got a 2: “The
Chosen One”. Now to adjust the Lists. There’s no need to
The Player rolled on the Actions Meaning add another instance of “Deliver the Chosen
Tables for inspiration on what Ninfee would do One”, since it’s already maxed out at three entries.
and got “Open” and “Power”. Given the Context “Avoid the orcs” was relevant in this Scene
that the Chosen One supposedly has abilities of because of the fight, so the Player repeats this
some kind, the Player interpreted this to mean Thread element. They also add another instance
of “Orc warband” to the Characters List.

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 SCENES

The two of them hurriedly pack up camp and

head out into the night. Lennz is careful to cover
their tracks, but it probably won’t be long before
the warband returns, more prepared than they
were for their first ambush.
Travel is slow in the dark, but Lennz doesn’t dare
light a torch, only using the light of the moon
to see by. Dark clouds begin to gather, and the
temperature drops until it begins to snow. Ninfee is
cold, and both of them are tired, but Lennz urges
him to continue on even as the storm worsens.
The Player pauses to think before coming Dawn finds them still trudging through snow.
up with the next Expected Scene idea. A lot They need to find shelter from the cold and get
happened in that last Scene: the orcs discovered a few hours of rest. Lennz scans the white-clad
them, and Ninfee displayed impressive powers. hills around them, looking for any sign of a cave.
The Player considers what Lennz might do next. He spots something, but it’s not a cave—there’s a
Since the orcs got away, it would be a good column of smoke coming from the next ridge.
idea to get moving before they come back When Lennz paused to look for a possible cave
with reinforcements. Lennz could invest some entrance, the Player asked, “Does he spot a cave?”
time in helping Ninfee explore his powers, but giving it Odds of Very Unlikely. They rolled an
considering how surprised the boy was by their Exceptional No.
appearance trying to experiment with them right Lennz saw something that was the opposite
now probably isn’t the best course of action. of a cave, or a more intense version of the next
The Player decides that Lennz is going to pack expectation. The Player decided it made the most
up camp and get moving right away while it’s still sense for him to see some sign of life.
dark, covering their tracks as best he can to throw The Player wasn’t sure what this sign was,
off pursuers. so they rolled on the Descriptions Meaning
With this Expected Scene in mind, the Player Tables and got “Slowly” and “Dirty”. Their
rolls a d10 to test it against the current Chaos interpretation was a column of smoke slowly
Factor value of 6. They roll 4. This is an even drifting into the sky, as if from a campfire.
number within the Chaos Factor range, which
means the next Scene is an Interrupt Scene— The smoke looks like it could be from a campfire.
something unexpected is about to happen. It might be a local mountain village, or the
To determine what the Interruption is, the orc warband. Lennz decides that either way it
Player rolls on the Event Focus Table and gets deserves a look. He guides Ninfee toward the
“PC Negative”. It looks like things are about to go smoke, keeping low and moving cautiously.
from bad to worse for Lennz and Ninfee. When they make it to the top of the ridge, they
The Player rolls on the Actions Meaning look down and see a small mountain village. The
Tables for inspiration on what happens and gets villagers seem rugged, accustomed to the harsh
“Hinder” and “Weather”. They interpret this to conditions of their environment. The smoke is
mean that a snowstorm rolls in as the night wears coming from a fire that looks warm and inviting.
in. Now Lennz has to contend with freezing
weather while trying to stay ahead of the orcs.

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 SCENES

Lennz knows that if he can see the smoke, so can The orcs were a concern in this Scene, so the
the orcs; they may be drawn to this location as Player adds another instance of “Avoid the orcs” to
well. The village appears to have fighters among the Threads List, reaching the maximum of three.
them—perhaps they will ally with Lennz when The Player decides that the sudden storm
they find out Ninfee is the Chosen One. Lennz is enough to count as the environment acting
decides to take the risk and approach them. against them, so they add “Mountains” again
When Lennz got in position to identify the to the Characters List. They also add another
source of the fire, the Player asked the Fate instance of “Villagers”.
Question, “Is it the orcs?” They gave this Odds of
50/50 because they had no idea what to expect.
Mythic came back with No.
The next most logical expectation was that
it’s a village, so the Player went with that. To get
a clearer picture of the village, the Player asked,
“Do they look capable?” Mythic came back with
Exceptional Yes.
The Player interpreted this to mean that not
only are the villagers well equipped against the cold
and the storm, they also have fighters among them.
As Lennz and Ninfee walk towards the village,
a pair of spear-wielding warriors see them and
approach. They look tough and threatening,
but as soon as they see Ninfee their demeanor
changes. They recognize him immediately and
their wary greeting changes to one of welcome.
To Lennz’s relief, he and Ninfee are brought into
the circle of warmth and given food. There isn’t
much time to relax, however. Lennz tells the
villagers about the orcs. The villagers have been
fending off warband raiders for months, and
they are ready and willing to help Lennz defend
the boy.
The Player resolved the villager reactions with a
few Fate Questions. “Do they recognize Ninfee?”
Yes. “Are they aware of the warband?” Yes.
This seems like a good place to end Scene 4
and do some Bookkeeping. The Player writes
down a summary of this Scene. Since Lennz and
Ninfee caught a lucky break, the Player decides
Lennz was in control this Scene, so the Chaos
Factor drops from 6 to 5.

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SCENES

121
122
 Variations
The Mythic system is built to be modular
and highly customizable. Use the rules you FORM FITTING
want, ignore the ones you don’t, and adjust the
ones you’ve chosen to get the desired tone for
To make it easier to get organized, all forms and
your adventures. tables have been collected at the end of this
Up to this point, the systems in this book have book. You can also find a quick reference for all
focused on the essentials of how to construct of Mythic’s important rules and mechanics in the
and run a satisfying solo role-playing experience. “Rules Summary” chapter.
Many of those core rules offer options for how
to use them, such as the way you start and end
Scenes and whether you roll for an Event Focus
or choose one. This chapter presents more
variant rules with which to modify your Mythic
experience as well as advice on how to get more
out of your adventures.
If you’re new to Mythic, this chapter may be
more useful to you after you’ve played through a
few adventures and familiarized yourself with the
core rules.

Papers Please
GETTING PREPARED If you prefer to play with physical books and
FOR A SOLO paper game sheets, keeping things organized will
make your solo gaming sessions more enjoyable.
ADVENTURE Consider sorting your sheets into binders, one
Getting your act together to run a solo role- for rulesets and one for Character-related items.
playing session can be just as individualized as the Gather all of your materials ahead of time and
game itself. What resources do you bring to the lay them out on the surface you’ll be using. Make
table—if you even use a table? Do you role-play sure you have enough room to write things down
entirely in your head, or do you write down what when you need to and enough empty space to
happens as you go? If you do write it down, how shift things around without moving too many
do you go about it? items at once.
There’s a lot to consider, so let’s get started on For my own games, I make a habit of taking all
how to get started! the books and resources I’m using and stacking
them together so I can put them on a bookshelf
in between my adventures. When it’s time to play,
I simply grab the stack, arrange it on the table in

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 VARIATIONS

front of me, and get to playing. Then, when I’m

done, I restack them and put them back on the ONLINE RESOURCES
shelf. Keeping your notes and reference sheets
“stackable” like this in a folder or binder makes The web is chock full of resources for use with
your entire adventure easy to pull out and easy to solo role-playing. There are numerous online
put away. guides with lists of resources, so I’ll just touch on
If you’re new to solo role-playing, it may take a few here that are most relevant to Mythic play
several game sessions for you to hit upon your to get you started.
own ideal setup. While you’re playing, take note wordmillgames.com: The Word Mill Games
of organizational strategies that seem to help website, the official home of Mythic. Check out
and points of frustration to resolve for your next the Resources page for downloadable sheets,
session. Once you’ve found the way you like to third-party tutorials, actual plays, and more.
play, you’ll be able to get yourself set up just right. groups.io/g/wordmillgames: The official Word
Mill Games fan site, with almost two decades worth

Sourcing An Idea of Mythic discussion and Player-made resources.

The Mythic Game Master Emulator Discord
You may be going solo, but you can still get Group (discord.gg/DShvzWbqPe): An active
some help with ideas. You can take inspiration group with lots of good information and a helpful,
from books, movies, TV shows, comics, anime friendly community.
… anything you enjoy. Maybe you use a few Reddit.com/r/mythic_gme/: A Mythic-focused
general concepts as the basis of a first Scene, or Reddit community with tons of excellent
maybe you take things further and populate your discussions.
Threads and Characters Lists with ideas from the Reddit.com/r/Solo_Roleplaying/: A general
sourced material, creating adventure goals and solo role-playing Reddit community with more
NPCs before you even start the opening Scene. great discussions.
Sourcing an idea like this is a good way to quickly
get the ball rolling with something that captures
your interest from the very start. begin the adventure. Then your first Scene can
simply be plopping your Character into the setting
Linear Vs. Sandbox and seeing what happens. These kinds of adventures
can start off slow but quickly build momentum.
I think many of us tend to approach our For instance, let’s say you have a Player
adventures in a linear fashion. It’s second Character who flies a starship and ferries goods
nature at this point—we’re used to consuming from planet to planet with her tight-knit crew, and
narratives with a start, a middle, and an end, and you know the setting well: a discrete portion of
traditional group role-playing is often structured the galaxy with trade routes, governments, and a
this way as well. However, you may also want to few warring factions. You might start with a basic
consider trying a sandbox approach, which works Thread like “Complete the current shipment”
especially well with solo role-play. and a Characters List made up of your crew and
A sandbox adventure can start off much lighter the ports you most commonly dock at. The First
than a linear adventure. All you need to know are Scene might be your PC making sure the ship is
some basic facts: who your Character is, what kind secure and that there are no threats in the vicinity.
of world they live in, and what they’re doing as you Now all you have to do is begin playing.

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 VARIATIONS

The advantage of a sandbox approach is that

you can start with little to no story ideas, knowing THEATER OF THE MIND
that sooner or later, Mythic will throw things your
way that crank up the action in your adventure. Not all of us record our adventures in written
or digital form: some of us play out everything
Recording Your Adventure in our heads. We may jot down a few notes, like
Scene summaries and adventure highlights, but
This section summarizes the various different we’re recording the bulk of the adventure in our
memories as we play.
approaches to recording your adventure as you play.
There can be some psychological resistance to
playing a Theater of the Mind style of adventure.
JOURNAL Maybe you feel as though if it isn’t recorded in
An easy way to record your adventure is to some material fashion, then it didn’t happen.
keep a notebook and write it out journal style. Or maybe it just seems strange to sit there
by yourself, silently rolling dice and consulting
This can be as simple as writing “Scene 1” at the
charts, while all the action takes place between
top of the page, recording a summary of what
your ears.
happened, and moving on to the next Scene. You
can also use your journal to keep track of game If you think about it, though, a Theater of the
Mind solo role-playing experience isn’t all that
details like the Chaos Factor.
different from other forms of entertainment. The
Some people like to journal out more details
active elements of fiction take place entirely in
until it’s practically a story, while others record our minds: we sit passively while watching movies
just enough information to remind them later of and TV shows, silently absorbing what we see
what happened. and hear, and we are the only witnesses when
Not only does a journal allow you to go back we play single player video games. Reading is a
and re-read your adventure, it also helps if you’re solo experience, with nothing but a book and our
short on time and have to break your adventure imagination, and yet it can make our emotions
into many smaller sessions—for example, maybe take flight. These experiences come from external
physical sources, but the enjoyment of them is all
you can only squeeze in a few Scenes before bed
in our heads.
and then you won’t get to play again for a few
more days. When you finally get back to playing, Theater of the Mind solo role-playing is no
a quick glance at the journal will remind you different: there’s the external, physical input of
the dice and game mechanics we’re using and the
what happened in your adventure and where you
internal experience of us enjoying it. Additionally,
left off. solo role-playing is an active experience that
requires our constant input and involvement,
making that Theater in your mind a rich and
BLOG interesting place.
Go public with your adventures and make
a blog of it! There are tons of Players out there
sharing their recorded adventures. In addition to an audience who will appreciate them. This is
being fascinating reading, it’s also a window into a way to bring the social element back into solo
how others play solo, which can offer new and play, and on a psychological level, presenting your
insightful perspectives. adventures to the public can make your adventure
A blog gives you a simple and elegant way to feel more “real”, which is a source of satisfaction
record your adventures while exposing them to in and of itself.

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 VARIATIONS

NOVELIZATION even months or years later—and re-read the

This approach is not for the faint of heart, but adventure, transporting yourself back to the frame
it can be very satisfying. When you novelize your of mind you were in when you played it out.
adventure, you write out everything that happens
in detail as you play, like writing a book. NOTE & EDIT METHOD
You can make this work by going back and
If you want a more complete written account
forth between mechanical game elements and
but find writing while playing intrusive to the flow
writing. Ask and answer a series of Fate Questions
of gameplay, you can try a note and edit approach.
about a combat your Player Character is involved
Focus on your adventure as you play, recording
in, then turn to your computer and write it all out
simple summary notes as you go. Then, after your
in detail, taking a good deal of creative license.
adventure session, revisit the notes and take the
When you’ve run out of material to write about,
time to write them out as a cohesive narrative.
go back to the adventure and resolve the next
This approach gives you the speed of theater
step. This back-and-forth process chronicles the
of the mind with the detail of journaling. How
adventure paragraph by paragraph and chapter by
much detail you write is up to you—whether you
chapter until it’s been fully written out and you’ve
take ten minutes to flesh out the summaries or
essentially written a novel.
an hour to turn them into a story, separating this
Novelizing your adventure records the action
process from gameplay lets you focus on role-
in great detail, but it is also very, very slow. This
playing in the moment.
style of recording works well for those who really
enjoy writing and aren’t in a hurry to move your
adventure along. Piecemeal Playing
One satisfying benefit of novelizing your
Solo role-playing gives us a lot of freedom,
adventure is the ability to come back to it later—
not only in the stories we experience but also in
the time we allot to playing them. If you can’t
grab a three-hour block of time to play out a full
solo adventure, consider breaking it up. As a solo
Player, you only have yourself to please, so there’s
no one who’s going to complain if you stop the
adventure because you have to run an errand or
pick up the kids. I know people who play a few
Scenes on their train ride to or from work, using
their phone or tablet to roll dice and record what
happens. You don’t need a lot of materials to play
Mythic, nor do you need a lot of time.
Breaking your adventure up into small bites also
has the benefit of giving you time to think about
it. When I break up an adventure, I often have as
much fun thinking about it in the time between
sessions as I do when I’m actually playing. I make
plans for what my Player Character will do and
cook up the basis for the next Expected Scene.

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 VARIATIONS

DETERMINING NPC STATISTICS TABLE

NPC STATISTICS FATE
“DOES THE NPC HAVE A
QUESTION
Your Player Character is almost certainly going STATISTIC VALUE OF X?”
RESULT
to encounter NPCs during their adventure, and
if you’re using Mythic with another role-playing Yes The value is what you expect.
game, you’re going to need to know the statistics
for those NPCs. You may need to know their
EXCEPTIONAL The value is higher than you
armor value when you attack them, how much YES expect, by about 25%.
damage they do when they strike, how many hit
points they have, and so on. The value is lower than you
NO
You can resolve the statistics of the NPCs as expect, by about 25%.
you encounter them through Fate Questions.
EXCEPTIONAL The value is much lower than
NO you expect, by about 50%.
Expected Statistic Value
When determining a value for an NPC RANDOM There is a special condition
EVENT associated with this statistic.
statistic, first decide what you most expect the
value to be. For instance, you might expect a
small water elemental encountered in a dungeon Since the value you’re questioning is one you
to have a slam attack that does 1d6 damage. came up with yourself as an expectation, your
Go with the expectation that seems most Odds will probably be strong, such as Very Likely.
reasonable to you, taking the Context of your If you aren’t too sure about your expectation,
adventure into account. If you had determined however, that uncertainty can be reflected in the
that the water elemental was huge, towering Odds. Maybe you have no idea how many hit
over your Player Character, a more reasonable points an NPC has or what its armor value is, and
assumption of damage might be 2d6 or 1d10. your expectation is just a wild guess. In that case,
The power level of your Player Character you might assign Odds of 50/50.
and the Context of the adventure should also A Yes result means that the value is what you
be factored in. Maybe your epic-level barbarian expect it to be. If you thought the water elemental
wouldn’t even notice a 1d6 hit, and you’ve been would do 1d6 damage, then it does 1d6 damage.
encountering monsters in this adventure that An Exceptional Yes result means the statistic
regularly deliver damage in the 10+ range, so your value is about 25% higher than you expected. In
expectation for this creature is 1d10 damage. this case, you might decide that the elemental
does 1d8 damage instead.
Ask Mythic A No result means the NPC statistic is about
25% lower than you expected. In this case, you
After you’ve decided on a reasonable value for might decide that the water elemental’s attack
the statistic, turn it into a Fate Question to see if does 1d4 damage.
it’s true. “Does the NPC have this statistical value?” An Exceptional No means the statistic is much
Determine what you think the Odds are of the lower than expected, about 50% lower. In this
answer being Yes, then resolve the Fate Question. case, you might decide that the elemental does
1d3 damage.

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 VARIATIONS

If you get a Random Event with your Fate

Question, then the Event reflects a special INSPIRATIONAL VS. PRACTICAL
condition about the NPC’s statistic. Generate the
Random Event with an automatic Event Focus of While we’re talking about leveraging sourcebooks
Current Context. for solo adventures, I’d like to make a distinction
With our elemental, the Player rolled a Yes, so it between the two general ways they might be
does 1d6 damage. They also generated a Random used. The way I see it, a sourcebook is either
going to be inspirational or practical.
Event. Rolling on the Actions Meaning Tables,
the Player gets “Proceed” and “Needs”. They By inspirational, I mean that the book gives us
interpret this to mean that this creature’s mode of ideas that spark our imagination, even if we don’t
attack is also how it feeds, so if a blow from the use the specific ideas themselves. For example,
you might like the setting of a graphic novel,
elemental strikes bare skin, it causes additional
so you use a heavily customized version for
damage as corrosive toxins try to digest the target. your own adventure setting. That would be an
inspirational sourcebook.
A practical sourcebook, in my view, is one you use

GETTING THE material from directly. These are RPG books with
statblocked monsters or specific settings where

MOST OUT OF you follow the descriptions as written. The details

are all there, and you import them into your
adventure largely as-is.
SOURCEBOOKS
I love a good sourcebook. There’s something It’s easier to mix and match RPG products when
exciting about a resource chock full of content playing solo, giving you more options for possible
and the knowledge that any of those ideas could sourcebooks for your adventures.
find their way into your adventure. It can be Sourcebooks don’t have to be RPG related.
anything that offers content for your adventure: I keep a book of monsters from one of my
settings books, RPG core books, supplemental favorite sci-fi television shows on my gaming
rules, and the like. shelf. It’s an excellent sourcebook full of photos,
The use of a sourcebook may seem obvious descriptions, situations the creatures have
when you have a Game Master running an appeared in, how they were dealt with, etc.
adventure. They will likely mine the book There is nothing role-playing about this book,
for story hooks, adventure seeds, characters, yet it’s a wonderful resource. I can randomly
creatures, settings, and more. While a solo choose a creature from the book and generate its
Player will do the same, there are other, less stats as I play.
obvious ways to put a sourcebook to work for Solo role-play relies heavily on improvisation,
solo role-playing. not only with the content of our adventures but
For instance, maybe you play your adventures also sometimes with the rules and mechanics
using Mythic as your only rules, but you like to themselves. This makes it easier to add non-RPG
incorporate the flavored content of published material into our adventures and convert them on
RPGs. Since you aren’t using a specific RPG the fly into game mechanics.
ruleset, you could use books from unconnected
products—spells from one game, magic items
from another, and dungeon traps from a third.

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 VARIATIONS

World Building OTHER MEDIA

A sourcebook can offer a ready-made world for
your Characters to inhabit. Maybe you’re using While I’m using the term “book” a lot, sourcebooks
the default setting detailed in an RPG book, can come in any form. You can source material
or perhaps you’re taking inspiration from your from online blogs, magazine articles, music, the
new favorite streaming television show. Having a summaries of your favorite television shows ...
reference point for the adventure universe makes anything you want.
creating the first Scene that much easier.
There’s even more world-building we can get “Scenes” chapter). A good sourcebook can do
out of sourcebooks, however. the work for you.
Maybe your source is a published adventure
POPULATING LISTS module. You don’t plan to use the adventure
itself, but you like the setup. You could use the
If you’re going to use a sourcebook to create a
beginning of the module as the first Scene of
setting for your Player Character, then you may
your adventure, populating your Threads and
want to consider pre-filling some of the Lists
Characters Lists with elements from that section,
before you start the first Scene, especially the
and then proceed with a fully solo, Mythic-driven
Characters List.
adventure. It may go in a completely different
Let’s say you’re playing a Character in a weird
direction from what the published adventure
west style of adventure. You’re using Mythic for
intended, but that content-rich start provided an
the mechanics, but you’ve chosen a popular RPG
excellent opening.
as a sourcebook of strange and supernatural old
west ideas. You’ve decided this is going to be your
setting and picked out a town detailed in the SOURCING VALUABLE DETAILS
book, reading up on some of the more interesting Sourcebooks are treasure troves of valuable
features to be found there. elements that don’t even have to be tied to the
The bits you find most interesting could be type of adventure you’re running to be useful.
added to your Lists. You might put the town For instance, maybe you’re playing a futuristic
itself on the Characters List in an entry like “The adventure set in an apocalypse, but a wonderful
people of Raven Gulch.” Maybe the sheriff is an fantasy map from an adventure module fits that
important figure in town, so you add “Sheriff world’s geography perfectly.
Turner” to the List. Maybe your sourcebook One of the many strengths of solo role-playing
mentions that the local gold mines are thought is that we only have ourselves to please. You
to be haunted, and you add “Haunted mines” to get to decide what rules to use, what elements
include them in your adventure. Now you have to bring into our adventures, what to combine,
some interesting elements at play before you’ve and how to combine them. You can choose to
even begun playing. use the weaponry from an RPG about space-
faring merchants, the Found Items table from a
MAKING THE FIRST SCENE game about zombie rampage, and the Riding on
Dragons rules from your favorite fantasy game,
There are lots of ways of coming up with
tying all these disparate elements together using
a good opening Scene (as discussed in the
Mythic Fate Questions.

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 VARIATIONS

Detailed encounters are another valuable RANDOMLY DETERMINING

resource you can pull from published adventures. YOUR SOURCE
The encounters in various locations are all meant This idea may seem strange, but it’s how I
to serve the narrative of the module, but they start most of my solo games, and I love it. I have
can also be sourced for solo role-playing and several shelves of sourcebooks and role-playing
repurposed for custom use. books, and when I’m ready for a brand new
adventure, I’ll roll to determine which bookcase,
Sourcebooks As A Tool which shelf, and which book on the shelf will be
my primary source for this adventure. This turns
Not only is a sourcebook a repository of great my bookshelves into giant random tables.
ideas, it can also be treated like a game element Making the act of sourcebook selection itself
itself, such as a table or other random resource. a randomized part of the adventure is a fun way
to play before you start playing, allowing you to
world-build randomly.

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 VARIATIONS

BOOKS AS RANDOM TABLES

Treating sourcebooks as random tables is a “FANTASTIC BATTLES” FOR THE WIN
good way to spark your imagination. A book is
practically designed for this, with page numbers The Player Character is a sorceress accompanying
conveniently similar to numbers on a table. a warband as they try to defend their land from
Let’s say you’ve chosen an RPG about space invaders. The adventure is war themed, and
the Scenes so far have involved the PC going on
exploration as your sourcebook. To get inspiration
missions with the soldiers.
for your adventure, you roll a random page and
land on a section about the various colonies found In the current Scene, the Player Character is
throughout the settled galaxy. You can use this traveling with a swordsman as they search the
forest for signs of the enemy army. It’s near
information as inspiration for the world your
evening, and there’s a light dusting of snow on the
Player Character comes from. ground. They move cautiously, mindful that the
Find the last page of useful material in the enemy might be near.
book and treat that number as the dice range.
In the course of asking a Fate Question, the
For example, I have a sourcebook on battlefield
Player generates a Random Event with a Focus
warfare for my fantasy RPG. The book has about of NPC Action. Rolling on the Characters List
255 pages, but the content that is useful for my for the NPC, the Player gets “Fantastic Battles”,
adventure ends at page 250. I would consider the the title of a sourcebook they added to the
random range to be 1-250. List. The first 300 pages have lots of good
You could roll for a random page in this range content, so the Player rolls for a page and gets
using a d4 to establish the hundreds digit (treating 62. The Player turns to that page and finds it
3 as 0 and rerolling a 4) and a d100 for the tens has a list of backgrounds for characters. One
of the backgrounds, about outlaws who have
and ones digits. Alternatively, you could use a
to scavenge for themselves, stands out to
numbers generator app to work within the exact
the Player, and they decide to use that as the
range. If you roll up something useless for your inspirational element for the Event.
adventure, like a “How to Use This Book” page,
Rolling on the Event Meaning Tables to help
you simply reroll. Once you have the page, you
interpret this Random Event, the Player gets
can select the content on that page that makes the
“Assist” and “Tactic”. They interpret this to mean
most sense in the current Context to incorporate that a refugee from one of the war-torn towns
into your adventure. nearby comes upon the PC. This person has been
Using sourcebooks as random tables like this foraging in the woods, stealing supplies from
provides interesting opportunities to inject their the invading armies to get by. He spotted the PC
contents into an adventure in unexpected ways. scouting and wants to assist, saying he knows
You could even include the sourcebook itself in where the enemy is and where they are going.
your adventure’s Characters List, putting the
title of the book as a Character. Whenever this it doesn’t have to be an actual NPC. In this
“Character” gets rolled for a Random Event, case, we are treating a sourcebook as a Character
you would randomly select a page and use an and a randomly determined element from the
element from that page as the basis for that sourcebook as inspiration for the Random Event.
Random Event.
Remember that the Characters List is meant
to include any element in your adventure that
can interact with your Character in some way;

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 VARIATIONS

THE THREAD By copying the chosen Thread as a Focus

Thread, you’re allowing the Thread Progress
PROGRESS TRACK Track to have some control over your adventure to
ensure that the Thread reaches a conclusion.
You never know where a Mythic adventure You can choose at any time to start a Thread
will take you. Usually this is exciting, exploring Progress Track. Maybe you do it as soon as you
the unknown with your Player Character. add the Thread to your adventure, or maybe you
Sometimes, though, it can be frustrating: you do it later, after you’ve decided you want it to be
want a more linear narrative to play out, but the main Thread you focus on.
Mythic just isn’t cooperating.
You can use the Thread Progress Track to
focus your adventure on a target goal and keep The Thread Progress Track
things moving toward a conclusion. Use a Thread Progress Track form (you can
find the forms on this page and the next, and
Focus Thread also collected on a single page at the back of
the book) to keep track of your progress toward
Choose a Thread you want to focus on and concluding the Thread you are focusing on.
make it the goal of your Thread Progress Track. There are three Tracks to choose from, each with
Don’t remove the Thread from the Threads List— a different range of Progress Points: 10, 15, and
it can still be called upon by Random Events.

THREAD PROGRESS TRACK - 10 POINTS

FOCUS THREAD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FLASHPOINT+2 CONCLUSION

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

THREAD PROGRESS TRACK - 15 POINTS

FOCUS THREAD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FLASHPOINT+2 FLASHPOINT+2

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN? DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

11 12 13 14 15
CONCLUSION

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 VARIATIONS

20. The bigger the range, the longer it takes to Scene. Making Progress is important, as it’s what
complete the Focus Thread. moves you along the Track and brings you closer
Once you’ve chosen a Focus Thread and to the Conclusion.
started a Thread Progress Track, keep a running The Player’s modern mage Character has set out
tally of your Progress Points by marking them on a quest to restore the manna of a fellow mage
off on the Track. Progress Points are earned by whose powers were drained by an otherworldly
achieving Progress and experiencing Flashpoint creature. The Thread representing this goal is
events. You can’t complete the Thread until you “Restore Bakra’s manna.” The Player decides to
reach the end of the Progress Track, at which start a Thread Progress Track with this Thread as
point the Conclusion happens. the Focus Thread.
In a later Scene, the PC learns about Fay Jars,
HOW THIS FITS INTO containers meant to imprison supernatural
YOUR ADVENTURE creatures. Since this discovery represents a
Apart from the special rules of the Thread significant step toward resolving the current
Progress Track, your Mythic game continues as Thread, the Player counts it as Progress. When
normal, and the Thread you chose as the Focus still the PC successfully makes a Fay Jar a few Scenes
operates like any other Thread in the adventure. It’s later, the Player counts this as further Progress.
up to you how much of your attention you want Any Scene that moves the Player Character
to spend actively pursuing that Thread, but given significantly closer to resolving the Focus
the nature of the Thread Progress Track, you will Thread should be considered Progress, though
experience the Focus Thread one way or another as you get to decide exactly what does and doesn’t
your adventure continues. count. Making Progress awards 2 Progress
Points on the Thread Progress Track; cross out
Progress the numbered boxes as you go to keep track of
your current Progress.
Progress is the term used when your Player
Character takes a significant step toward
completing the Focus Thread while playing out a

THREAD PROGRESS TRACK - 20 POINTS

FOCUS THREAD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FLASHPOINT+2 FLASHPOINT+2

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN? DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
FLASHPOINT+2 CONCLUSION

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

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 VARIATIONS

IS IT PROGRESS OR A FLASHPOINT?
Making Progress and experiencing a Flashpoint
are very similar. Both involve the Focus Thread
in a meaningful way: Progress is anything that
moves you closer to resolving the Focus Thread,
The Player Character made Progress toward the Thread of “Restore while a Flashpoint is specifically a dramatic,
Bakra’s manna” by learning about Fay Jars, earning 2 Progress Points. important event that involves the Focus Thread.
In a later Scene they successfully constructed a jar, earning another 2
points for a total of 4 Progress Points so far. A moment in a Scene can count as both
Progress and a Flashpoint. In these cases,
you can choose which to call it. Either earns
you 2 Progress Points, though having a
Flashpoint Flashpoint event means another Flashpoint
won’t automatically happen when you cross the
A Flashpoint is an important moment in a threshold of a Phase.
Scene that’s related to the Focus Thread. They You can let the drama and tension of the Scene
can be initiated through normal Mythic play, a help you decide if the event was a Progress or
Random Event involving the Thread, or through a Flashpoint. Discovering the recipe for making
the Thread Progress Track. Fay Jars by studying a book isn’t very dramatic,
A Flashpoint is very similar to Progress, with but it is forward motion, so that’s Progress.
one key difference: a Flashpoint event should Encountering the creature and battling it was
be dramatic and important. You can consider dramatic and tense, so that’s a Flashpoint.
this part of the Context when interpreting a
Flashpoint event.
THREAD PROGRESS
During a Scene, the Player’s mage PC finds the TRACK FLASHPOINT
place where the creature has taken up residence: A Flashpoint happens when your Player
in the high-end apartment of a tech millionaire. Character goes through an important Scene
She attempts to trap the creature in the Fay involving the Focus Thread. If this doesn’t
Jar in a frantic chase through the apartment, happen though regular Mythic play, the Thread
destroying furniture and valuables as the Progress Track will make it happen.
creature, a small, elf-like humanoid, runs and The Thread Progress Track is broken into
flies about. phases of 5 Progress Points each. If a Flashpoint
This encounter is dramatic, directly involves hasn’t happened by the end of a phase, then a
the Focus Thread, and offers hope of eventually Flashpoint event is triggered. Treat this like a
resolving the Thread. It has all the qualities to Random Event with an automatic Event Focus of
make it a Flashpoint. Current Context. The Random Event will involve
A Flashpoint awards 2 Progress Points on the Focus Thread in a dramatic and important
the Thread Progress Track, just like standard way without fully resolving it. Roll on the Event
Progress. Make sure to check off the box next to Meaning Tables for inspiration.
“Did A Flashpoint Happen?” for that phase of the
Progress Track.

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 VARIATIONS

TIMING PROGRESS & FLASHPOINTS

You can record Progress Points at any time,
whether during the Scene as you play or after
the Scene as part of your regular end-of-Scene
Bookkeeping. When you mark it down may
The Player Character had an encounter with the supernatural depend on when you think to do so. Maybe the
creature she’s trying to capture. The Player decides that since this action of the Scene was so exciting that you didn’t
event was dramatic and had the potential to resolve the Focus Thread stop to consider if it was Progress or a Flashpoint
that it’s more important than just Progress, it’s a Flashpoint. The until after the Scene was over.

checks the “Did A Flashpoint Happen?” box for this phase. Getting to The timing of when you record Progress Points
6 Progress Points passed the 5 point threshold that would trigger a only matters if they trigger a Flashpoint. If you’re
Flashpoint. However, the Player had decided that a Flashpoint event recording Progress Points as a Scene plays out,
had just occurred in this Scene so another one isn’t triggered. and you cross the threshold between phases
that triggers a Flashpoint, you can generate the
Flashpoint right then. This is a lot like when a

Discovery Checks Random Event is triggered by a Fate Question.

If a Flashpoint is triggered when you’re recording
Progress along the Track is usually made by your Progress Points as part of Bookkeeping,
the Player Character through normal Mythic then it will occur at the start of your next Scene.
play. The Player is seeking to resolve the Thread, You will still generate the next Scene normally,
so they take steps to do so, just like you would in coming up with an Expected Scene and testing it
any Mythic adventure. to see if it’s Altered or Interrupted, but however
the Scene pans out, it will still include the
But what happens if you run out of ideas for
Flashpoint event. Once you’ve started the Scene,
how to proceed? The point of the Thread Progress you can roll for the specifics of the Flashpoint to
Track is to keep the Focus Thread active, so we see what happens.
need a way to push forward when the adventure
stalls. Enter the Discovery Check, a special kind
of Fate Question for making Progress when you this encourages your PC to put genuine effort
don’t know where to look for it. into seeking out a discovery, but even the most
To make a Discovery Check, your Player low-effort attempt on their part gives them a
Character has to do something to trigger it. This decent shot at finding something. The goal of
can be anything that presents an opportunity the Discovery Check is to get the action moving
to make a discovery: reaching out to a contact, again, so results are biased in the PC’s favor to
consulting a book, or even just waiting for some degree.
something to happen. Then you can ask the Fate Consult the Discovery Fate Question Table for
Question, “Is something discovered?” assigning an explanation of the Fate Question answers.
Odds based on the current Context. After successfully building a Fay Jar, the Player’s
The more contextually appropriate the action, mage Character failed to capture the creature
the better the chances of discovering something during her chaotic encounter with it in the
useful, but unlike a regular Fate Question, the apartment. Now she’s stuck, unsure how else to
Odds can never be worse than 50/50 regardless move toward resolving the Thread. It’s time to
of what the PC does. Narratively speaking, try for a Discovery Check.

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 VARIATIONS

DISCOVERY CHECKS AND NARRATIVE DISCOVERY FATE QUESTION

FATE
The Discovery Check is a mechanic designed to “IS SOMETHING
QUESTION
kickstart a stalled adventure and get it moving DISCOVERED?”
RESULT
again. It doesn’t take much action on the part of
the Player Character to make a Discovery Check,
Roll on the Thread
but whatever they do should have narrative YES
meaning. “I stare out the window and hope that
Discovery Check Table.
something happens” is no fun. “I review the clues
again to look for something I missed” is better. Nothing useful is found.
NO There is no roll on the Thread
Not only do better reasons make for better Discovery Check Table.
narratives, but they should also give you better
Odds of a Yes answer to the Discovery Check
Roll twice on the Thread
Fate Question. EXCEPTIONAL
Discovery Check Table,
YES
combining results.
The Player decides that for the next Expected
Scene, the PC will return to her personal library Not only is nothing useful
of magical books and take another look through discovered and you don’t
roll on the Thread Discovery
them to see if she’s missed something useful. This is
Check Table, but you can’t
enough of an action to make a Discovery Check.
make another Discovery
EXCEPTIONAL
The PC already checked her library for clues in Check for the rest of this
NO
a previous Scene, so as far as attempts to trigger Scene. Your Character
a Discovery Check go, going over her books has hit a dead end when
again is pretty low effort. The Player decides it comes to Discovery
that checking the library gives her 50/50 Odds and must continue such
searches in another Scene.
to successfully discover something. Under normal
circumstances, they would have given this
Question Odds of Very Unlikely, but the Odds of To roll on the Thread Discovery Check Table,
a Discovery Check can’t go below 50/50, so those roll 1d10, add the current number of Progress
are the Odds they use. Points, and consult the table for your result. Then,
just like with a Random Event, roll on the Event
Meaning Tables of your choice for inspiration to
THREAD DISCOVERY help you interpret the Discovery.
CHECK TABLE Progress +2 / +3: You discover something that
A successful Discovery Check earns you a roll moves you closer to the Focus Thread, giving you
on the Thread Discovery Check Table. Treat 2 or 3 Progress Points.
this as a Random Event that uses the Thread Flashpoint +2 / +3: You discover something
Discovery Check Table instead of the Event Focus that involves the Focus Thread in an important
Table. This will tell you what aspect of the Focus and dramatic way, giving you 2 or 3 Progress
Thread to hone in on and what bonus you receive Points in the process.
on the Progress Track.

136
 VARIATIONS

Track +1 / +2: You didn’t discover anything

useful, but just the act of trying moves you along THREAD DISCOVERY CHECK
the Thread Progress Track by 1 or 2 points.
1d10+
Strengthen Progress +1 / +2: Some Progress RESULT
Progress
previously made is reinforced, earning you 1 or 2
Progress Points. Treat this as a regular discovery 1-9 Progress +2
that results in Progress, but tie it into a previous
discovery. For instance, the mage Character made
10 Flashpoint +2
Progress when she learned what Fay Jars were.
A later Thread Discovery Check that results in
Strengthen Progress could be interpreted as the 11-14 Track +1
mage acquiring components necessary to build a
Jar, tying it in to this earlier discovery. 15-17 Progress +3

INTERPRETING A DISCOVERY 18 Flashpoint +3

Making a successful Discovery Check and
getting a roll on the Thread Discovery Check 19 Track +2
Table essentially triggers a Random Event that
Progresses your Player Character toward the 20-24 Strengthen Progress +1
Focus Thread. Interpret the results you rolled
on the Thread Discovery Check Table and the 25+ Strengthen Progress +2
Meaning Tables as you would a Random Event.
Remember, however, that if the Thread Discovery
This is excellent news for the mage. She knows
Check Table indicates this Event is a Flashpoint,
where her friend was attacked, and if this
then it should be dramatic and important.
information is correct, then going back to that
The mage Player Character hits her arcane books place may provide another chance to capture
again, looking for any information she might the creature.
have missed that could help. Her Player asks the
Discovery Check Fate Question, and the answer The Player marks off 2 more Progress Points
is Yes. This means they get to roll on the Thread and prepares for the next Scene, now with a way
Discovery Check Table to see what happens. forward in mind.

With Progress Points currently at 6, the Player

rolls 1d10+6 and gets a total of 8, a result of Plot Armor
“Progress +2”. They choose the Actions Meaning
Tables to roll on and get “Imitate” and “Failure”. The goal of the Thread Progress Track is to
give Mythic a way to help you progress toward
The Player interprets the results this way: Re- the completion of a Thread. While the end is
reading her books, the mage discovers a story she achievable, you have to reach milestones along the
previously missed. It tells of a sorcerer long ago who way, such as Flashpoints, to get to it. This means
dealt with a manna stealing imp and noted that you can’t resolve the Thread until you’ve reached
the creatures are almost always drawn back to the the full amount of Progress Points and engaged in
locations where they consumed a source of manna. the Conclusion.

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 VARIATIONS

Plot Armor is the rule that protects the

Thread until you reach the Conclusion. MAKE PLOT ARMOR WORK FOR YOU
Consider it Context that says: “The Thread
cannot be resolved until the Conclusion.” This idea of Plot Armor is a heavy-handed
Normal Mythic play or Flashpoints cannot approach to guiding the narrative, especially for
end the Thread before its time. No matter Mythic, where events are generally guided by
what happens in a Scene, Plot Armor requires Questions and expectations.
intervention in any case that would cause the When protecting a Thread with Plot Armor, you
Thread to be completed early. know ahead of time that the Player Character
We know the mage hunting the manna- won’t be able to resolve the Thread until all the
thieving imp won’t capture it in the apartment Progress Points are scored. This means you
Scene because we haven’t reached the Conclusion already know how Scenes that involve the Thread
yet in the Thread Progress Track. Let’s say Focus are going to turn out—or at least, how they
won’t turn out. But even though you approach
there’s a moment when the Player Character has
Scenes with this knowledge, you still don’t know
the upper hand and is about to bring the Fay
exactly how the Scenes will play out. Sure, your
Jar down on the creature. At the last second, Character won’t resolve the Thread this Scene,
the PC trips on a lamp that was knocked over but what else might happen? What will failure to
during the chaos. She falls to the floor, the Jar resolve the Thread look like?
rolling across the carpet, as the creature flies out
I encourage you to have fun with Plot Armor.
a window and escapes. The Thread Progress Track is meant to apply a
cinematic experience to tackling a Thread, giving
you more of a hand in directing the outcome of
CLOSE A THREAD some Scenes.
Plot Armor also protects the Thread from a
When deciding how Plot Armor intervenes in your
Random Event with an Event Focus of Close A
Scenes, follow the Context and what you expect
Thread. Play out the Random Event as normal but might happen to keep a Thread from being
with the extra Context that the Thread will not resolved early. If you don’t have a clear idea in
actually be closed. The Random Event may look mind, roll on the Meaning Tables for inspiration.
like it’s going to close the Thread, but it doesn’t.
The mage PC is at a secret nightclub for magical The Player plays out the Scene, knowing
folk and supernatural creatures in the city. She that Plot Armor will prevent this Event from
hopes to find a certain shaman who allegedly has concluding the Thread. They ask the Fate
had experience with manna-thieving fay. Question “Did they lie?”, giving it Odds of
During this Scene, the Player rolls a Random Nearly Certain, to determine what actually
Event with an Event Focus of Close A Thread. happens and interprets the Yes to mean that the
The Thread invoked is the same as the Focus mage is attacked when she gets to the back room
Thread. by mages who are also trying to track down the
manna thief. They want to take the power it’s
The Player rolls on the Event Meaning tables as collected for themselves, and attacking the PC is
usual and interprets the Random Event as this: an attempt to remove competition.
someone comes up to the Player Character and
says that the shaman is in a back room and has
already captured the fay.

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 VARIATIONS

Conclusion The mage Player Character has enlisted more help

in capturing the thieving fay and has made more
The goal of the Thread Progress Track is to Fay Jars to contain it. The Player has racked up
make enough Progress and encounter enough
dramatic Flashpoint moments to finally reach
the Conclusion and have the opportunity to
resolve the Thread. You arrive at the Conclusion
by scoring the full Progress Points on the Thread
Progress Track (10, 15, or 20 Points, depending
on the Track you select).
You can think of this Conclusion as a
Flashpoint with the Plot Armor removed. The
Focus Thread is no longer protected and can now,
finally, be resolved. The Conclusion event should
be dramatic and important, just like a Flashpoint,
giving the Player Character the opportunity to
finally close the Thread.
Like a Flashpoint that’s triggered by the
Thread Progress Track, the Conclusion is also
treated like a Random Event. The Event Focus
is automatically Current Context: this is the
Conclusion, Plot Armor is gone, and the event
should set the stage for a dramatic way for the PC
to end the Thread. Choose a Meaning Table to
roll on to help interpret the event.

DELAYING THE CONCLUSION

If it’s possible for the Conclusion to happen
when the Progress Points trigger it, then have it
happen right then, in the midst of that Scene.
However, given all the circumstances that may be
involved in making the Conclusion happen, the
event may not fit into the current moment. In this
case, delay the Conclusion to the next Scene.
If you delay the Conclusion, then come up
with an Expected Scene as you normally would,
including the details of the Conclusion. Don’t test
the Expected Scene against the Chaos Factor—
since the Thread Progress Track has triggered a In an adventure involving returning two demons back to the Netherworld,
the Player Character has a big problem: it’s only possible to complete
Conclusion, it guarantees that the Expected Scene
the banishing spell if both demons are together. The Player made a
will begin as you imagine it. Focus Thread out of “Banish the demons”, with Progress and Flashpoints
all revolving around trying to get the two hellspawn in the same room
together so the exorcism could be cast. The Conclusion event involves all

139
 VARIATIONS

IT’S OVER ... OR IS IT? DIVERSIFYING

Considering all the Progress and Flashpoint events
THREADS
the Player Character has gone through to get to A smuggler captain Player Character has docked
the end of a Thread Progress Track, they are well The Star Nautilus at a space port to resupply.
poised to finish the Thread during the Conclusion While there, the captain hears a rumor about
in a dramatic and satisfying way. However, it’s a scientist seeking safe passage to the outer rim.
possible that the Thread won’t be closed during They set up a meeting with the scientist, who says
the Conclusion. It’s not guaranteed; it’s just a very
the Syndicate, a harsh regime controlling many
good opportunity for it. Even though this is the
Conclusion, the Scene may play out in such a way
planets in the region, has operatives pursuing
that the Thread is not actually closed. him. He’ ll pay the captain good credits to get
him where he wants to go safely. The PC decides
Regardless of what happens, the Thread Progress
to take the job.
Track is considered completed. Rules pertaining
to the Focus Thread, including Plot Armor, no The Player adds the Thread “Transport the
longer apply, and the Thread is treated like any scientist” to the Threads List. All done!
other Thread. If the Player Character fails to
conclude the Thread during the Conclusion, then Or is it?
the Thread will continue to exist on the Mythic
The above example seems clear and simple.
Threads List like any other thread to be resolved
through normal Mythic play. The Player Character comes across a goal that
sounds interesting, ferrying a scientist to a distant
planet, so the Player turns it into a new Thread.
more Progress Points along the way, and the Track But why stop there? You might be able to
just hit 15, triggering the Conclusion. summarize a Thread with a single sentence but
you can make a Thread more impactful in your
At the moment, the PC is in a meeting with her
adventure by breaking it up into multiple Threads.
friends, plotting their strategy to ambush the
In the example the Player added the Thread
fay. This meeting counted as Progress, earning
“Transport the scientist.” That works fine and
the final 2 points that push them into 15. The
any Random Event that involves that Thread
Player thinks it wouldn’t be appropriate to have
has a lot of Context built into it: Move Away
the Conclusion just yet, so they delay it until the
From A Thread may mean the PC’s ship is under
next Scene.
attack by the pursuing agents forcing you to find
When the Scene about the meeting has ended, a longer, safer way to your destination. A Move
the Player comes up with the next Expected Toward A Thread result may involve the scientist
Scene, fashioning it around the Conclusion to the divulging why he is being hunted, revealing
Thread Progress Track. They decide on this: The something interesting and helpful.
mage and her allies camp out at the site Bakra Threads often have lots of meaning packed
was attacked, ready to pounce on the creature into a simple summary and that meaning gets
when it returns. There is no need to test this unpacked as you experience Random Events and
Expected Scene against the Chaos Factor since make interpretations during your adventure.
this is a delayed Conclusion to the Track. However, you can make this task easier on
yourself by breaking a single Thread into multiple
Threads, essentially unpacking its Context in

140
 VARIATIONS

advance. For instance, in the above example the

Player could have added the following Threads: RESOLVING
» Transport the scientist
» Find out why he’s being hunted
CHARACTER
» Avoid the Syndicate
That’s three Threads, each a little different
VS. PLAYER
from the others but all part of the same whole.
The first one is the primary Thread while the
KNOWLEDGE
One of the greatest wonders of solo role-playing,
second two are aspects of it.
in my opinion, is the ability to play a role-playing
Breaking a Thread up can make for richer
game completely by yourself and yet still be
Random Events by having a more focused topic
surprised by what happens. You aren’t limited by
to interpret. Rolling the Thread of “Avoid the
a linear storyline pre-determined by an author or
Syndicate” tells you that this Random Event will
guide, the scope is unlimited. All you have to do is
involve the Syndicate in some way. The more
ask Questions and keep moving forward.
detailed Thread narrows the Context allowing
Still, despite our best intentions, sometimes
you to make a more granular interpretation with
the surprises can be spoiled when we, the Players,
this result than you might otherwise have done.
know more than our Characters do. There are
lots of ways this can happen, and if you aren’t
prepared to deal with it you may find yourself
sitting in the middle of a solo gaming session
suddenly puzzling over how your Character
should act when you know something they don’t.

As the Player, you know that an army of animated clay golems is about to descend on this village, but your Character doesn’t know that yet. How
do you handle this?

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 VARIATIONS

At Its Simplest PLAYER VS. CHARACTER

When Mythic is played at its simplest the issue KNOWLEDGE STRATEGIES
of Character knowledge vs. Player knowledge is
handled automatically. Mythic is intended to act
as the Gamemaster for you. You know things, and
don’t know things, depending on what Mythic
reveals just as it would be with a live GM.
For instance, your thief Player Character
slipping into an ancient catacomb to rob a long-
dead king’s grave may not have any idea what to
expect to find in the dark depths, and neither will
you. You’ll find out by asking Fate Questions and
learning as your Character learns.
It’s tempting when playing this way to ask
Questions for information outside the scope of
your Character. For instance, while your thief
is making his way into the catacombs, out of
curiosity you ask “Is the place haunted?” There
are circumstances where this Question would
make sense to ask, but given the current Context
of the thief entering the tomb there is no basis
to ask this Question. Getting an answer now
would be information that the Player knows
and the Character does not, and doesn’t give a
good mechanism for the Player to act on that
knowledge now.
Keeping things at their simplest, just asking
the Questions that make the most sense and that
only your Character could know, is the easiest
way I know to sidestep the Player vs. Character secret doors or hidden compartments? Should you
knowledge problem. already know such secret places exist before your
Character searches for them?
When It’s No Longer Simple Let’s go over some of these less simple situations
and review strategies for handling them.
The thing is, not every solo adventure stays this
simple. There are lots of ways you, as the Player,
can learn things that your Character doesn’t know. TEST IT, ASK IT, THEN IT’S REAL
For instance, if you are soloing your way How do you resolve a Player Character
through a published module you may already searching for something that a Game Master
know a ton of things your Character doesn’t know. would know is there but you, the solo Player, do
Also, how about resolving social skills like telling not? Secret doors are a good example, but it could
if someone is lying, or doing things like finding be anything from evidence of a crime to figuring
out if an NPC is lying.

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 VARIATIONS

I think the best way to deal with this dilemma

is for the Character to first try and discover the CREATING ‘UNRELIABLE’ TENSION
hidden thing, either using the rules of your chosen
RPG or posing it as a Mythic Fate Question. By assuming that everything you know as the
For instance, your warrior searches a room for Player that your Character doesn’t know is
a secret door or your espionage Player Character unreliable information is a way to bring tension
studies his informant to determine if he’s telling back into an adventure that may otherwise have
the truth. In an adventure guided by a Game become too predictable.
Master you would make such a discovery roll to This strategy is going to appeal mostly to
find if something hidden is there. In this case, simulationist Players who love surprises from
you are making the roll to find if the possibility of their adventures. Cinematic Players, who are
something hidden is there. more interested in constructing a story, probably
If you succeed at the test then you know aren’t going to be as concerned with knowing
things their PC’s don’t. In fact, knowing more may
that the hidden thing is discovered if it exists.
be a feature to them instead of a flaw.
Determine if the secret thing exists by posing it as
a Fate Question. “Does my warrior find a secret
door?” “Do I get the sense that he’s lying?” For instance, in the example above let’s say the
Player determined earlier that the high school
science teacher, Mr. Larkins, is responsible for
RELIABLE VS. UNRELIABLE
bringing the creatures into the world. He was using
INFORMATION
machinery found in an abandoned lab when his
Given enough time and enough Questions you’re experiment to speak with the dead inadvertently
going to know a lot of details about a lot of things opened a portal into a chaotic dimension.
pertaining to your adventure. This is where Player Now, later in the adventure, the Player
knowledge may expand past your Character’s. Character is in a Scene with Mr. Larkin and has
In an adventure about teenagers dealing with to decide whether to trust him. This might be
otherworldly forces, over the course of a dozen disappointing for you since you already know
Scenes the Player has worked out where the Larkin is secretly responsible for the catastrophe
creatures in the woods come from. At some point and is going to great lengths to cover it up.
while asking Fate Questions the Player discovered To maintain the tension in this Scene the
who was responsible for letting the creatures into Player could decide that Mythic might have been
our dimension, an important piece of information wrong earlier. The only way to confirm it for sure
that their Character doesn’t know yet. is for your Player Character to discover it through
normal play.
If the Player gets to a Scene where it’s important
This is treating information in your
for their Character to know who is responsible
adventure as either reliable or unreliable. Reliable
for the creature crisis how does the Player deal
information are facts your Player Character
with this? The Player already knows the answer,
discovers within the adventure, and unreliable
which robs the tension in deciding if their
information are facts only the Player knows.
Character is going to trust the NPC or not.
Unreliable facts are only possibilities until they are
One way to deal with this dilemma is made reliable by becoming part of a Scene.
accepting that something you, the Player, learned
earlier in the adventure might be wrong.

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 VARIATIONS

GOING WITH IT
Solo role-playing styles differ among Players.
PLAYER VS. PC KNOWLEDGE
Some of us want a realistic, simulationist feel from STRATEGY SOLUTION
our games. Others want a more narrative driven,
cinematic experience. PC checks for discovery
If cinematic is your style then having greater TEST IT, ASK IT,
to earn asking a Fate
knowledge than your Player Character may not THEN IT’S REAL
Question if it exists.
be a problem. The more you, the Player, know the
more cohesively you can guide events. You may Player knowledge is not
know the space station’s reactor was sabotaged by RELIABLE VS.
rebels, and while your Character may not know UNRELIABLE until the PC discovers it,
this your superior knowledge allows you to design INFORMATION allowing for the chance
Expected Scenes that grow the narrative. for it to be wrong.
In this case you may go with it when you
know more than your Character because you are Embracing Player knowledge
more interested in how the narrative as a whole from a cinematic, big-
GOING WITH IT picture view. Prioritize
comes together than you are with surprises.
enjoying the totality of the
Going with being the omniscient observer is a
adventure over surprises.
stylistic choice that makes for good cinematic or
literary narratives. EXTRA Player knowledge triggers
Embracing Player knowledge over Character KNOWLEDGE an opportunity for the
knowledge offers its own kind of excitement, AS AN RP PC to earn it, “gamifying”
where you know your PC is trusting the wrong OPPORTUNITY the knowledge gap.
people, is walking toward an ambush, is being
tricked by a foe, and you go with it because of, maybe grant them a skill roll that the RPG
you understand that Character and what they you’re using allows to see if they detect the
would do. Knowing more in this Context is like trap. If you know that the NPC they just met is
watching a movie where your omniscience serves secretly an undead sorcerer disguised as a living
to heighten the tension because you know the human you could give your PC the chance to
Character is making a mistake. see if they figure it out.
The knowledge gap becomes a trigger where
EXTRA KNOWLEDGE AS you automatically allow the Player Character
AN RP OPPORTUNITY a chance to find out. Player knowledge isn’t a
hindrance to adventure surprise, it’s a doorway
That extra knowledge you have that your
to role-playing gold. Your Character can’t act
Character doesn’t can be used as a role-playing
on your superior knowledge unless they earn
opportunity. It’s an indicator that your Character
it somehow, but that extra knowledge gives
should have a chance to earn that knowledge.
them the chance to earn it when they otherwise
This approach calls for allowing your PC to
wouldn’t have had that chance.
make some kind of check to see if they discover
This strategy is a middle ground between the
the knowledge that you know.
more simulationist “Test It, Ask It, Then It’s Real”
For instance with that Character who is
and the cinematic “Going With It” approaches.
about to walk into a trap that you are aware

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 VARIATIONS

CONCLUSIVE could choose to select Move Toward A Thread as

the Event Focus instead of rolling for the Focus.
ADVENTURE You might want to go one step further and
not only choose the Event Focus but also choose
CONCLUSIONS the Thread to make sure this next Scene is about
progress toward the main adventure goal.
One of the great things about Mythic is it spins You probably wouldn’t want to take this option
your adventures in new and unexpected directions. with every Interrupt Scene. “Choosing The Event
One of the worst things about Mythic? It spins Focus” gives guidelines on how often to take
your adventures in new and unexpected directions. control of an Event Focus. It may take only once
Once you begin a solo adventure you don’t to bring an adventure back on point.
know where it will lead. The adventure will branch
out and grow in complexity. While the beginning With our post apocalypse example the Player
and the middle are sure to happen, getting your Character, Oscar Bright, is trying to figure
adventure to a pleasing and satisfying conclusion out why people are disappearing. The Player
is less guaranteed. Here are some suggestions considers this to be their main Thread: “Solve
for how to make sure your adventure ends the mystery of the disappearances.” Although a lot
conclusively and in a way that you will remember. has been going on in this adventure the Player
feels stuck on how to proceed with the main
Thread. They just haven’t found any leads and
Move Toward A Thread aren’t sure where to look next.
Sometimes a solid conclusion to a solo adventure The Player is about eight Scenes into their
can feel out of reach because of lack of progress adventure and just wrapped up a Scene where
on your primary Thread of interest. Maybe you’ve the PC succeeded in capturing a group of thieves
gone five Scenes in your post apocalypse adventure who tried to raid the
where your Player Character has failed to make settlement’s supply
any headway on figuring out why people from his
settlement are disappearing. Lots of other things What’s a wasteland peace
have happened in the adventure: you helped stop keeper to do when he wants
an attempted robbery, you assisted in stopping a
crises keep getting in the way?
small riot over food rationing, and you recovered
lost horses that ran off during a storm.
But the main storyline of getting to the
bottom of why people have been disappearing
has stalled and you see no conclusive end to
this adventure in sight.
One way to keep your adventure on
track toward a conclusion is to use
the rules in the “Random Events”
chapter about choosing an Event
Focus. When you generate an
Interrupt Scene and you feel
your adventure needs to be
dragged back on track you

145
 VARIATIONS

stores. The next Expected Scene is about visiting

the jail to question the robbers. USE CONTEXT TO POWER THE END
The Player tests the Expected Scene against the
Chaos Factor and it comes back as Interrupted. Context is important in Mythic. Context informs
our expectations when making interpretations of
Since the Player hasn’t chosen an Event Focus
Mythic’s prompts.
yet in this adventure, and they don’t know how
to proceed with the main Thread, they decide Context can also apply to our expectations about
to choose the Event Focus for this Interrupt the meta aspects of the game. Wanting to make
the conclusion of your adventure special is,
instead of rolling for it. The Player selects
itself, Context. You can use it to help power your
Move Toward A Thread and goes the extra interpretations in this final Scene.
step of also selecting the Thread of “Solve the
mystery of the disappearances.” For instance, your warrior has caught up with the
dread lich Brizas for a final confrontation. This
The Player completes the Interrupt Random Event is the Thread conclusion you’ve been working
by rolling on the Meaning Tables for inspiration toward. You’re not sure if Brizas will fight or flee,
and gets “Inform” and “Enemy”. so you ask the Fate Question, “Does he fight?”
and get a Yes.
The Player interprets the results this way: In normal Context of this adventure, during
Oscar enters the jail where the three thieves are any other Scene, you might interpret this to
slumped in a cell. Before he questions them one mean Brizas fires off an energy bolt. That’s a
starts talking about how they had to steal the standard attack for this NPC. But this Scene is the
settlement’s food and supplies because another conclusion and making it more dramatic is part of
group has been stealing theirs. This is new the Context used for making interpretations.
information as the PC wasn’t aware there was With that Context in mind the Player may
another community operating in the area. The interpret a Yes to mean Brizas unleashes his
Player realizes this mystery group may be the ones most dramatic attack spell, The Agony Cries
responsible for the missing townsfolk. Of A Thousand Souls. Normally you might only
have made this interpretation for such an all-out
In this example the Player’s adventure took a attack if the Fate Question had come back with
turn toward the main Thread because they pushed Exceptional Yes. But this Scene isn’t a normal
a Move Toward A Thread Event. Without that Scene, it’s the apparent conclusion of a big
nudge the Scene might have involved the PC Thread. This encourages the Player to ramp up
questioning the thieves and moving the robbery their expectations.
Thread along. With the nudge the robbery Thread
pivots and becomes linked to the main Thread of
This is more of an attitude than a rule.
solving the mystery of the missing people.
When you know a Scene is heading toward the
completion of an important Thread, give it all
Make It Special the emotional energy you can muster. Make
interpretations of Fate Questions more impactful,
Maybe the problem isn’t getting to the end of have Characters act more dramatically, infuse the
an adventure, it’s making that end feel powerful. Scene with as much energy as you can.
You can give the end of your adventure more This is the end of the Thread, so you can take
weight by making it special. your foot off the narrative brakes and let loose.

146
 VARIATIONS

CHOOSE YOUR » The regular Fate Chart is the default with

the Chaos Factor having the maximum
CHAOS FLAVOR influence on answers.
» The Mid-Chaos Fate Chart tones it down,
The Chaos Factor has a big impact on the cutting out the more extreme ranges of the
answers to Fate Questions. The more extreme the Chaos Factor’s influence.
Chaos the greater the chances of answers skewing » The Low-Chaos Fate Chart takes it
toward a Yes or a No. Exceptional results are also down another notch, giving the Chaos
more common. Factor just the slightest influence on Fate
This simulates a Game Master speeding up Question answers.
or toning down the pace of a game, adjusting as » Finally, there’s the No-Chaos Fate Chart,
the adventure goes along. However, if you want where the Chaos Factor is removed entirely
the Chaos Factor to have less influence on Fate and answers are based purely on the Odds.
Questions you can use these modified rules. To lessen the effect of the Chaos Factor choose
There are multiple versions of the Fate Chart one of the variant Fate Charts or Fate Check
and Fate Check modifiers, each with differing Modifiers Tables to replace the default chart and
degrees of Chaos Factor influence. table when answering Fate Questions.
You can find the tables on this page and the
next page as well as at the back of the book.

MID-CHAOS FATE CHART MID-CHAOS FATE

Certain 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x
CHECK MODIFIERS
CHAOS
ROLL MODIFIER
Nearly Certain 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 FACTOR

9 +2
Very Likely 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99
7-8 +1
Likely 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98
4-6 None
ODDS

50/50 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96
2-3 -1
Unlikely 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94
1 -2
Very Unlikely 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91

Nearly Impossible 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88

Impossible X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86
CHAOS FACTOR 1 2-3 4-6 7-8 9

147
 VARIATIONS

LOW-CHAOS FATE CHART LOW-CHAOS FATE

Certain 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100
CHECK MODIFIERS
CHAOS
ROLL MODIFIER
Nearly Certain 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 FACTOR

8-9 +1
Very Likely 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98
3-7 None
Likely 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96
1-2 -1
ODDS

50/50 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94

Unlikely 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 NO-CHAOS
Very Unlikely 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 FATE CHART
Certain 18 90 99
Nearly Impossible 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86
Nearly Certain 17 85 98
Impossible 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84
CHAOS FACTOR 1-2 3-7 8-9 Very Likely 15 75 96

Likely 13 65 94
WHAT IS “A SESSION”
ODDS

50/50 10 50 91
IN SOLO PLAY? Unlikely 7 35 88
Many role-playing systems refer to a game
session as a unit of time with rules attached to
the completion of a session. For instance, maybe
Very Unlikely 5 25 86
experience points are distributed for each session
of play. Nearly Impossible 3 15 84
In traditional group role-play guided by a
Game Master sessions tend to include enough Impossible 2 10 83
time to accomplish a goal, making it a good unit
of measurement for Player Character progress.
Solo role-playing sessions, however, aren’t
whenever you like. In short, the concept of a
always so neatly divvied up. Every solo Player may
“session” doesn’t mean the same thing in solo play
have their own approach to how long they play.
as it does in cooperative play.
Many like to play for short periods of time as one
of the strengths of solo is starting and stopping

148
 VARIATIONS

Player Character having achieved a significant

A PLATE OF FATE, HOLD THE CHAOS adventure goal then that should constitute a
session, at least in terms of what your chosen
Removing the Chaos Factor completely from Fate RPG is looking for.
Questions makes for a simple Fate Chart and Probably the easiest way to determine when
no Chaos Factor modifiers to a Fate Check. You such a goal has been reached is when you
may want this if you want Fate Questions to only complete a Thread, especially an important
respond to the Odds. Thread. If you finish a Thread that is less
This is also a good option if you are using Fate important maybe only consider it the end of a
Questions to replace game mechanics in your session if it’s been a while since you’ve completed
chosen RPG (see “Using Fate Questions To your last session. This way easily accomplished
Replace RPG Rules” on 28). In this case you Threads that are achieved in a Scene or two don’t
might use one Fate Chart or Fate Check Modifiers necessarily trigger a session and any benefits that
Table for regular, narrative Fate Questions and come with it.
the No-Chaos variety for game mechanics
I think tying session rewards to Thread
Questions like task resolution.
accomplishment is an easier and more elegant way
If you remove the Chaos Factor from Fate to decide the end of a session than keeping track
Questions you will still need to keep track of of how much time you’ve spent or how many
the Chaos Factor throughout your adventure.
Scenes have passed. If you play your solo games
It comes into play when testing Expected
Scenes and determining Random Events.
in a patchwork fashion, maybe doing a few Scenes
before you go to work, then playing for an hour
If you want to reduce the influence of a shifting on the weekend, maybe finishing a couple of
Chaos Factor from those processes as well
Scenes late at night, then the sum total of all that
you can restrict the range that the Chaos
Factor can shift to. For instance, if you want
adventuring becomes a meaningful session when
the Chaos Factor to have less influence on your PC achieves a Thread goal without the need
Expected Scenes and Random Events you for additional bookkeeping specifically to identify
could restrict the Chaos Factor to a range of the session end.
3-7. If you want it to have even less control
then restrict it to 4-6 or always leave it at 5.

So what is the best way for a solo Player to

CONTROL YOUR
decide what a session is when their chosen RPG
calls for it?
ADVENTURES WITH
You might think that choosing a set number
of Scenes may be the way to go. For instance,
KEYED SCENES
A Mythic adventure can go just about
5 Scenes or 8 Scenes is a session. But just like
anywhere. The combination of your decisions
solo sessions vary in length so do Scenes making
and expectations plus Mythic’s random processes
it impossible to assume that 5 or 8 Scenes
makes for adventures full of surprises.
encompasses the kind of goals one would expect
If you want to take more control over where
to complete in a session.
your adventure goes, however, you can create
I think a better way to record the end
narrative rules specific to your adventure using
of a solo session is to look at meaning and
Keyed Scenes.
accomplishment. If you end a Scene with your

149
 VARIATIONS

A Keyed Scene is a special event that sets a tone

to a Scene. You can tailor Keyed Scenes to any KEYED SCENE: LET’S RUMBLE!
trope or concept that you want.
Keyed Scenes allow you to control your You’re thirsting for an adventure with battle, this
adventure in some interesting ways. For instance, Keyed Scene will make it happen.
Keyed Scenes could be used as another way to
inject theme elements into your adventure. It

TRIGGER
can also be used to guarantee that certain things
happen that you want to happen. Complete 2 Scenes in a row without a fight.
Let’s say you’re running a campaign in a
zombie apocalypse. You’ve had some good
A combat will happen in this Keyed Scene.
adventures in this setting, but you’re unhappy

EVENT
Roll for a Random Event to generate it with
with how infrequently your Player Character is
an automatic Focus of Current Context, the
running into zombies. You want more zombie Context being that this Event is a fight.
action. You could use Keyed Scenes to insert
zombie encounters into your adventure by
following certain rules that you set up.
These rules are called Triggers and they decide
when a Keyed Scene Event happens. KEYED SCENE: BOSS FIGHT
This Keyed Scene is designed for an adventure
Keyed Scene Trigger that is meant to lead up to a confrontation with
a main villain. You want plenty of time to get
The Trigger is what tells you when a Keyed your PC to that point, but you don’t want the
Scene Event occurs. With a zombie adventure the adventure to drag on too long before this final big
Trigger might be three Scenes that pass without event. This Keyed Scene helps to make sure that
any zombie attacks taking place. After the third doesn’t happen.
Scene ends without an encounter the Keyed Scene
Event is Triggered and the next Scene now must
After 15 Scenes if a final confrontation with
contain the Keyed Scene Event, a zombie attack.
TRIGGER

the villain has not taken place then a roll of

A Trigger can be just about anything. For a 1-3 on a 1d10 means the confrontation takes
dungeon delve maybe the Trigger is if you roll place in the next Scene. Make this roll at the
a 6 on a 1d6 and the Keyed Scene Event is a end of every Scene after the 15th Scene.
wandering monster encounter. For a superhero
trying to maintain control over their wild powers
The Keyed Scene features a climactic
EVENT

the Trigger could be a total of 4 Scenes where

confrontation with the main villain. Create a
they use their powers at maximum and the Keyed Random Event around this confrontation.
Scene Event is their powers suddenly raging out
of control. Maybe for an adventure that you are
trying to keep on a schedule your Trigger is one You can think of the Keyed Scene Trigger
hour of real time passing and the Keyed Scene as a sort of If/Then computer statement. If X
Event is an automatic Move Toward A Thread happens then Y happens. The Trigger can even
Random Event. be something compound. For instance, let’s say
in our superhero adventure you like the idea that
after four times of maxing out your powers your

150
 VARIATIONS

KEYED SCENE: THE HORROR KEYED SCENE: SET DUNGEON TONE

This is a Keyed Scene designed to emulate This is a collection of Keyed Scenes designed to
your PC trying to hold on to their sanity in a evoke a classic dungeon crawl atmosphere. These
horror adventure. This is an example of a more three Keyed Scenes require a separate 1d10 roll for
complicated Keyed Scene. each to test the Trigger at the end of each Scene.

Count each Scene where the PC experiences

TRIGGER
TRIGGER

a horror. When the Count reaches 5 or more, Roll 1-2 on 1d10 each Scene.
a roll of 1-3 on 1d10 Triggers the Event in the
next Scene. Any Scene where the PC receives
emotional support reduces the Count by 1.
Encounter a random wandering monster

EVENT
in the next Scene. Generate a Random
The Player Character is overwhelmed by what Event to introduce the monster.
they experienced. They must find emotional
support, such as seeking help, renewing their
EVENT

faith in humanity, or finding peace. They can’t

TRIGGER

engage in anything horror related without

Roll 1 on 1d10 each Scene.
attempting to flee until they get this support.
Once support is found reduce the Count by 3.

Encounter a trap. Generate a Random

EVENT

Player Character is in danger of losing control, Event to describe the trap, with an
but you want it to be unpredictable. You decide Event Focus of PC Negative.
to make the Trigger going four Scenes where you
max out your power and you roll 1-5 on a 1d10.
Once the conditions of a Trigger are met in one
TRIGGER

Scene the Event will happen in the next Scene. Roll 1 on 1d10 each Scene.

Keyed Scene Event

Encounter a strange puzzle to figure out.
A Keyed Scene Event is what you want to Roll on the Descriptions Meaning Tables to
EVENT

happen in a Keyed Scene, like our zombie attack. describe what it looks like, the Actions Meaning
You can decide these Events ahead of time, Tables for what has to be done to solve it,
before you begin your adventure, or during the and roll again on the Actions Meaning Tables
adventure when they occur to you. If you’re doing a once it’s been solved to see what happens.
traditional dungeon delve maybe your Keyed Scene
Event is encountering a wandering monster. Maybe When a Keyed Scene Event is Triggered it
you’re playing a superhero game where your Player becomes a necessary part of the next Scene. You
Character goes out of control sometimes when they set up the Scene as normal, whether the Scene
use their power too much, so your Keyed Scene is Expected, Altered, or an Interrupt, but also
Event is your PC losing control. include the Keyed Scene Event. With our zombie

151
 VARIATIONS

apocalypse survivor you might have your idea for

the Expected Scene but you know that this Scene KEYED SCENE SURPRISE
is also a Keyed Scene and a zombie attack has to
take place in it, so you work that all together to Checking for Keyed Scenes as part of end of
make the Scene. Scene Bookkeeping is meant to keep things
The Keyed Scene Event should take place at simple. If a Keyed Scene Event is Triggered, you
the beginning of the Scene, or as close to the work it into the start of the next Scene.
beginning as makes sense. However, if you’d like to start the next Scene
without knowing if the Keyed Scene was Triggered
Playing Keyed Scenes or not you could hold off on checking for the
Trigger until you have started the new Scene. This
The first step to utilizing a Keyed Scene is really only makes sense with random Triggers,
such as “Roll a 1-3 on a 1d10”, but it gives your
deciding what you want to use it for (sidebars in
Keyed Scenes Events more of a surprise element.
this section explore some Keyed Scene examples).
These are the Keyed Scene Events that you want For instance, with our zombie apocalypse
to happen in your adventure. Next you need to survivor, the Trigger for a zombie attack Event
may have been worded like “After 3 Scenes
decide the Trigger.
without an attack roll 1-5 on a 1d10”. As the third
When the Trigger is achieved in one Scene the
Scene in a row without an attack ends, the Player
Keyed Scene Event happens in the next Scene. holds off on making the d10 roll for the Trigger.
The zombie apocalypse Player Character has They start a new Scene as normal, and then early
been digging around in a ruined city looking for into the Scene they make the roll. This way they
shelter and supplies. She previously ran into a start the Scene without knowing if the Keyed
Scene Event will happen or not.
hostile group so she’s been keeping a low profile.
The PC has gone through three Scenes where Delaying checking the Trigger gives you one more
she’s scavenging and hiding and hasn’t run into thing to think about while you play, which is a
any zombies. This is the Keyed Scene Trigger disadvantage. However, not only does it make
the Keyed Scene Event more of a surprise but
so the Player knows the next Scene will have a
it allows you to pick the most dramatic moment
zombie encounter. when it should happen, if it happens.
In the Scene where the Trigger happens the
Player Character escaped from the hostile
group who chased her through a wrecked office
USING RANDOM EVENTS
building. The next Scene is the PC returning to Keyed Scene Events are usually going to be
her shelter, a s fortified school classroom. an idea or concept. Such as “zombie encounter”,
“ship malfunctions”, “plot moves forward”, etc.
Since the Player knows that a zombie encounter When the Keyed Scene Trigger happens you
is going to happen she combines that with the know its Event will take place in the next Scene,
Expected Scene. As she returns to her shelter but you don’t know exactly how it’s going to
she’s dismayed to find zombies outside the door, unfold. To help shape how it happens you can turn
blocking her. the Keyed Scene Event into a Random Event with
You can use the Keyed Scenes Record Sheet on an automatic Event Focus of Current Context.
the next page to keep track of your Keyed Scenes. If the Keyed Scene Event is “Supervillain attacks!”
and the Player’s Expected Scene is their hero PC
investigating a dock where smuggling activity

152
 KEYED KEYED
EVENT TRIGGER SCENE EVENT TRIGGER SCENE

COUNT

153
KEYED KEYED
EVENT TRIGGER SCENE EVENT TRIGGER SCENE
VARIATIONS

KEYED SCENES RECORD SHEET

COUNT
 VARIATIONS

“Riches”. They interpret this to mean that while

KEYED SCENE: STAY ON SCHEDULE the Player Character is investigating the docks
they come across a supervillain loading a truck
This Keyed Scene is about forcing your adventure with smuggled goods.
session to fit within a specified time frame. Maybe
you only have three hours to play and you want to
complete the adventure in that time. You can use COUNTS
Keyed Scenes to make sure that happens. One way to formulate a Trigger is to create a
Count for it. After a certain number of things
TRIGGER

happen the Keyed Scene Event is Triggered.

After 30 minutes of real time. Counts can be anything, such as: how many
combats you’ve engaged in, how many Scenes
have passed without progress, how many clues
your PC has discovered, etc.
EVENT

If you haven’t already discovered a main Record the Count each time the relevant
Thread to pursue you do so in this Scene.
element happens to determine when the Trigger
is fulfilled.
TRIGGER

After halfway through the time RANDOMIZERS

you have to play in real time. Your Triggers don’t have to be absolute. If
you want an adventure with lots of combat you
If you haven’t been moving toward could set a Trigger for a fight to occur on every
resolving the main Thread then generate third Scene. This guarantees a certain amount of
EVENT

a Random Event with the Event Focus combat in your adventure but maybe you think
of Move Toward A Thread with the this is too predictable. You can toss a randomizer
Thread being your primary Thread. into the Trigger.
Instead of saying a combat happens after every
third Scene you could say the Trigger is “A result
TRIGGER

of 1-3 on 1d10.” In the long run this would pan

An hour from the end of your
out to happen roughly every three Scenes but you
scheduled session time.
wouldn’t know for sure when.

If you haven’t reached the conclusion

EVENT

of your primary Thread then this

KEYED SCENE FREQUENCY
Scene gives the situation to do so. It’s your choice how often a Keyed Scene Event
can be Triggered in your adventure. Maybe it’s
a one time thing, maybe it can happen over and
has been taking place, they could could generate
over. You can work frequency conditions into the
a Random Event near the start of the Scene to
Trigger. For instance, your Trigger may state that
help explain the Keyed Scene Event. There’s
the Keyed Scene Event is activated when a Count
no need to determine the Event Focus which is
reaches 5. Once it reaches 5 the Keyed Scene Event
automatically set to Current Context. Generating
is Triggered and the Count is reduced to 2 and can
Meaning words the Player gets “Disrupt” and
be increased to Trigger the Event again.

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 VARIATIONS

KEYED SCENE NULLIFICATION

Keyed Scenes can be used as contingencies, THE ADVENTURE YOU WANT
to make sure something necessary happens in
your adventure in case Mythic doesn’t make it Keyed Scenes are a way to make sure you get the
happen. For instance, your fantasy warrior may adventure you want while still being surprised
be trying to restore a mystical spring to bring by where Mythic takes you. There are numerous
ways you can modify Mythic to meet your needs:
vitality back to a kingdom but you really want to
run into some kind of magical dilemma in this FATE QUESTIONS: Choosing which Questions to
adventure too. You make a Keyed Scene Event of ask is the simplest way to guide your adventure
“Encounter a magical dilemma.” For the Trigger, without taking too heavy control of it.
you set “Roll 1-3 on a 1d10 every Scene after CHOOSING THE EVENT FOCUS: This is nearly
Scene 5. This Event will only happen once.” direct narrative control of your adventure. When
Let’s say in Scene 3 your warrior runs afoul of used sparingly it can keep an adventure on track.
some kind of magical dilemma through a regular LISTS: The elements you place on your Lists
Random Event in Mythic. While exploring a cave impact the kind of Random Events you have.
system near the mystic spring the PC encounters Choosing your List elements carefully is a good
a naturally occurring magical phenomenon where way to craft the possibilities of what can happen.
he is attacked by a construct composed of his THE FIRST SCENE: There are various ways you
worst fears. can decide what the first Scene is, including
Your Keyed Scene is no longer relevant because coming up with it entirely yourself. Having this
what you wanted to happen as the Keyed Scene much control over the start of your adventure can
Event, encountering a magical dilemma, has set the tone for everything that comes after.
already happened in the normal course of your THREAD PROGRESS TRACK: Put an important
adventure. When you run up against the Trigger Thread front and center with the Track making
for this Event you may decide that the Keyed sure you complete it.
Scene Event has already happened so it is done. CHOOSE YOUR CHAOS FLAVOR: You can
reduce the impact of the Chaos Factor on your
Fate Questions by selecting mid-, low-, and no-
GENERATING NEW Chaos alternatives.
KEYED SCENES
KEYED SCENES: Create rules for your adventure
You can come up with Keyed Scenes before to make things happen that you want to happen.
your adventure as a way of making sure you get
PERIL POINTS: Give yourself direct and simple
the elements you want. You can also add new
narrative control to get your PC out of trouble
Keyed Scenes to your adventure as you play. (you’ll see this a little later in this chapter).
You might have a Mythic adventure about
an interesting planetary exploration where your
starship crew has found a world with ancient alien odd, active properties.” The Trigger is “Roll 1 on
ruins on it. As your PC explores you get an idea a 1d10. This Keyed Scene will only happen once.”
that you would like your Character to encounter Now you’ve introduced the possibility of having
a strange relic. You think that would be a cool a Scene where you discover an active alien relic.
twist to the adventure and you want to increase You set the Trigger so that it isn’t very likely to
the likelihood of it happening. You make a Keyed happen in any given Scene, and may not happen at
Scene Event of “Find a strange alien relic that has all before the adventure is over, but it’s there as an
added possibility for any upcoming Scene.

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 VARIATIONS

USING MYTHIC a prepared adventure. I think Mythic should take

a step back from providing structure and detail
WITH PREPARED allowing the published adventure to do that. After
all, you got the published adventure because it
ADVENTURES looked interesting. You want to preserve the details
and atmosphere of the adventure as much as
The Mythic Game Master Emulator is built to possible in solo play.
create adventures spontaneously as you play but it Mythic retains its role as the arbiter of
can also be used with published adventures that are events and the answerer of Questions while the
meant for group play guided by a Game Master. published adventure keeps its role as the provider
Some adjustments have to be made in both how of structure and detail.
you normally play Mythic and how you would use

Being a solo role-player doesn’t lock you out of all those wonderful prepared adventures. With a few simple adjustments you can play in those adventures
with all the surprises and GM emulation that Mythic brings.

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 VARIATIONS

Scaling SCALING A PREPARED

Most published adventures are designed ADVENTURE
for groups but there’s a good chance you’ll be
going through it with a single Player Character.
Something needs to be done to ensure your PC
isn’t overwhelmed.
One option is to come up with more
Characters to control until you meet the
suggested requirements of the adventure, but
this is cumbersome and might detract from the
singular experience you want to have. Another
option is to include NPCs who accompany your
Player Character, but again we get into having to
do more bookkeeping than we may want.
If you’re having a single Player Character go
through a published adventure meant for a group
I suggest scaling the adventure down.

USE A SIMPLE VALUE

Roughly determine the power level of your
Player Character and compare that to what the
prepared adventure suggests using. Let’s say the
adventure is meant for 4-6 Characters of level 3-5
for a particularly popular fantasy RPG. Maybe
you have a Player Character ready to go who is
level 8. You figure that Character is about a 1/3rd
as powerful as the total group specifications.
That gives you a Diminisher Value of 1/3
which can now be applied to the challenges of
the prepared adventure as you encounter them to
bring them down to scale to your Player Character.
Apply the Diminisher Value to every situation
in the adventure that poses a challenge to the PC.
For encounters and battles with NPCs use the
Diminisher Value to either reduce the number
of NPCs encountered or the relevant statistics
of the individual NPCs. For instance, if an
encounter is with 6 monsters and you are going
with a Diminisher Value of 1/3 then reduce the
encounter down to 2 since 2 is one-third of 6. Or,
instead of reducing the quantity of the encounters
you reduce their individual power instead. The

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 VARIATIONS

NPCs cause 1/3rd as much damage, have a 1/3rd

as many hit points, etc. DETERMINING POWER LEVELS
You can reduce other hazards in the adventure
in a similar way. A pit trap causes 1/3rd as much The advice for adjusting scaling requires you to
damage, for instance. If a danger isn’t so easily determine the capability of your Player Character
calculated then reduce it by whatever amount feels compared to a group of Characters and to the
in line with the Diminisher Value you selected adventure and defining it as a simple value to
such as lower poison potency, an easier target use as a Diminisher. It’s impossible to make these
number to resist, etc. adjustments perfectly so you will have to do some
Not every value will divide evenly so you’ll have rough estimating.
to round your figures. Not all statistics in an RPG The important thing is to get an idea of how
lend themselves to simply being divided down. your single Player Character stacks up against
The Diminisher Value is a benchmark to help you the group that is expected to go through this
make ballpark adjustments as you play. This keeps adventure and translate that into a Diminisher
Value. Is it 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, or 1/5? Once you decide
it simple so you can make adjustments quickly.
on the value that feels right apply it to all the
If you encounter a monster with 70 hit points challenges you encounter in the adventure, scaling
in an adventure with a Diminisher Value of 1/3 those dangers to match your Player Character.
you might decide the creature has 23 hit points.
Applying the Diminisher Value usually requires
The original monster does 2d12 damage with
rough estimating. Applying a diminisher of 1/3 to
a successful hit, so you scale that down to 1d8. a monster with 60 hit points is easy. You get 20.
It can do 2 attacks per round, so you scale that What if your chosen RPG uses a value for creature
down to 1 attack per round. defense that isn’t a simple, divisible number like
that? In that case you would have to estimate how

Getting Started to change the statistic based on the spirit of what

1/3rd might look like.
Once you have a Diminisher Value in mind The Diminisher Value is a rule of thumb to help
and are ready to start the prepared adventure, you make these estimates as you play.
read through the introductory sections. Some
surprises may be spoiled by reading this material
but that’s okay. This approach to playing prepared LISTS
adventures solo isn’t going to be exactly like a As you read the introductory sections make
regular group experience, and it won’t be like a sure you have your Threads and Characters Lists
normal solo experience either. It’s a combination handy. Write down any Threads or Characters
of both. you read about that seem important. With a
You are going to know things about the prepared adventure you are populating the Lists
adventure that your Player Character does not, with elements that are revealed to you before you
and you’ll have to sometimes play as though your begin playing. This helps prime Mythic to set the
Character does not know what you know. (See tone and atmosphere.
“Resolving Character vs. Player Knowledge” for
tips on how to handle this). Adventure Features
Still, read as little as possible so that you
preserve as much surprise as you can. Using Mythic with prepared adventures
introduces a new List: Adventure Features.

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 VARIATIONS

Player puts all of these items into the Adventure

ONE DETAIL AT A TIME Features List as possible things that could happen
in a Random Event.
Maybe the best way to describe running through Elements that appear in the Adventure Features
a prepared adventure going solo with Mythic is List may also appear again in the other Lists,
approaching it as one detail at a time. You are especially the Characters List. “Vampire Lord
going to know more than your Player Character attacks” may be in your Adventure Features List,
does, that’s inevitable. However, no matter how
and “Vampire Lord” may be in your Characters
much you know about the adventure your PC is
List, for instance.
still only going to encounter everything one detail
at a time. Adventure Features is one way to link Mythic
with the tone of the prepared adventure. If you’re
Keeping this in mind makes the prepared
playing a fantasy Character in a jungle town
adventure manageable and also allows for
looking for a guide it may be common in the
surprises.
adventure for guides to seek explorers out. You
For instance, you might be exploring a vast might add “Guide finds you” to the Adventure
dungeon that fills 125 pages in a large published
Features List for this reason.
adventure. Despite all that content, your PC is
There is a special Prepared Adventure Event
only experiencing one room at a time and one
detail in that room at a time. You are still building Focus Table that includes Adventure Features
your adventure element by element, just like any you’ll find on the following pages. You’ll also find
other solo Mythic adventure. The only difference a copy of the Adventure Features List Sheet on the
here is that whereas a standard Mythic adventure next page.
gets all its details from your expectations and
Mythic prompts, this one has a third source: the
prepared adventure text. Scenes
Approaching it one detail at a time also allows Most prepared adventures provide a starting
for surprises because some of those details may point for Player Characters. You can use this to
change as you play. While our intention is not to fashion the first Scene, basically taking it as an
deviate from the prepared adventure too much,
Inspired Idea approach.
some deviation will likely still take place. This
means that all of those details are uncertain until
Play out the Scene in the normal Mythic way,
your Player Character encounters them and they asking Fate Questions when you need to, going to
become part of the Context of your adventure. Meaning Tables to Discover Meaning when you
Until then they are just potential. require more detail, and resolving Random Events.
All the Scenes in your adventure are played this
way, just as they are with a normal solo Mythic
Alongside Threads and Characters keep track of adventure but also drawing from the content of
Adventure Features, which is anything special or the prepared adventure.
unique that is part of this prepared adventure that
could form an encounter as you play.
A published adventure about hunting a vampire GETTING CONTEXT
lord includes wandering monster tables, a list of AND CONTENT
random visions that the Player Character may Use the details in the prepared adventure to
sometimes receive, and the sudden appearance help form Context, reading only as much text as
of the vampire in hit and run attacks. The you have to when you have to.

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 VARIATIONS

The vampire lord adventure begins in a

ADVENTURE FEATURES LIST mountain valley village your Player Character
has stumbled upon. The prepared adventure has
- 1-2 CHOOSE 1 six pages detailing the village, with descriptions
for its various locations and encounters. There’s
3-4 CHOOSE 2 also a map.
1-2 5-6 CHOOSE 3 The Player uses the map to determine where
their Character goes, reading location and
7-8 CHOOSE 4
encounter descriptions as they are encountered
9-10 CHOOSE 5 and asking Fate Questions when necessary.
d4
As stated earlier, this style of play of merging
1-2 CHOOSE 6
Mythic with a prepared adventure requires that
3-4 CHOOSE 7 you know more than your Player Character. At
the same time, you’re experiencing the adventure
3-4 5-6 CHOOSE 8 one detail at a time. It’s a mixture of advance
knowledge and surprise.
7-8 CHOOSE 9

9-10 CHOOSE 10
ENDING A SCENE
d6 1-2 CHOOSE 11 End a Scene when it feels natural, just as you
would with a regular Mythic adventure. In the
3-4 CHOOSE 12 example above, the Player Character may wander
5-6 5-6 CHOOSE 13 about the village for a while, learning about it
and encountering some of its citizens. There is an
7-8 CHOOSE 14 important encounter with the mayor of the village.
The prepared adventure says the mayor will
9-10 CHOOSE 15
beseech the Player Characters into helping fight
d8 1-2 CHOOSE 16 the vampire lord. The Player decides after this
encounter is a good spot to end the Scene.
3-4 CHOOSE 17 Finding the right place to end a Scene while
playing through a prepared adventure may not
7-8 5-6 CHOOSE 18
feel right at first. In a standard Mythic game a
7-8 CHOOSE 19 Scene will play itself out. You’re either looking for
the main focus of the Scene to conclude or one of
9-10 CHOOSE 20 the other end of Scene strategies chosen from the
d10
1-2 CHOOSE 21
“Scenes” chapter. You have a tactic for when to
end a Scene.
3-4 CHOOSE 22 With a prepared adventure, you may be moving
from one location and encounter in the text
9-10 5-6 CHOOSE 23 to another. Each of those encounters may feel
7-8 CHOOSE 24 distinct, causing you to wonder if this should be
considered a Scene.
9-10 CHOOSE 25

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 VARIATIONS

I suggest still going with a Scene end strategy, Scene idea. You can base this on what you know
just like you would with a regular Mythic of the adventure and what happened in the
adventure. Make the prepared adventure content previous Scene.
fit into that strategy. The Expected Scene is likely going to be one of
two things:
» Picking up from the activity of the previous
STARTING A NEW SCENE Scene.
Start a new Scene like you normally would » Continuing on to something new.
with Mythic by coming up with an Expected

This adventure included an interesting Scene where the Player Character bet on a boxing match between two droids. In this section of the prepared
adventure the boxing match is a way for the PC to meet the green droid after the bout. Watching the boxing match was an opportunity to see what

meeting the droid afterward.

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 VARIATIONS

TESTING THE SCENE

ENDING WITH ACTION We want to stick as much as possible to
the prepared adventure, Mythic is not here to
The Player’s end of Scene strategy is “Interest” overtake the adventure but to tweak it as we go.
in a solo Mythic adventure through a prepared Mythic is more of a co-GM with the prepared
module about the exploration of an ancient adventure having priority.
jungle temple.
With that in mind we won’t be using Altered or
A Scene starts with the Player Character entering Interrupt Scenes when playing through a prepared
the underground temple. The PC moves along adventure. Instead test the Expected Scene to see
the main hall, finding an inscription in the wall. if a Random Event happens.
They read it, gaining some clues about what lies
If you roll within the Chaos Factor when
ahead, and move on. They enter a room full of
vine strewn statues. Inside the room, within a
testing the Expected Scene generate a Random
secret compartment at the base of a statue, they Event. Since your Lists are being filled with
find a key. Moving on from the room and back Threads and Characters your Player Character
into the hall, the PC continues forward until they has encountered and that were added at the start
have a surprise encounter with a wandering the Random Event will have the flavor of the
monster. This results in a brief battle where the prepared adventure.
PC dispatches the creature. This Random Event is different than one you
The Player decides to end the Scene here. All would generate for an Interrupt Scene. With an
of those events were part of one Scene, but it Interrupt, the Random Event becomes the central
didn’t feel right to end the Scene until the battle focus of the Scene, replacing the Expected Scene.
encounter. The previous encounters, such as Here we’re keeping the Expected Scene and
finding the inscription on the wall and locating
adding the Random Event to it as extra content.
the hidden key, just didn’t strike the Player as
The Random Event won’t dramatically change
interesting enough to be the end of the Scene.
However, the fight was the first bit of real action the course of the adventure like an Interrupt
in the adventure. That, coupled with the previous could, it’s more like when a Game Master has
events, felt like a good place to end the Scene. a good idea in the middle of an adventure and
decides to spring it on the Player Characters.
You can decide to have the Random Event
For instance, in the earlier example about the take place at the beginning of the Scene or a little
vampire hunt adventure the Player ended the further in if it seems more appropriate.
Scene after encountering the mayor. Based on
that, the idea for the next Expected Scene could Our fantasy warrior exploring the vampire’s
be “Meet with the Mayor at her office to find out castle has found the stairs to the catacombs. The
what’s going on.” Player decided to end the Scene there, so the next
On the other hand, you may have no idea Expected Scene became “Descend the stairs into
what to expect next from the adventure. In that the catacomb.”
case the Expected Scene could be as simple as When testing this Expected Scene the Player rolls
“Continue on.” For instance, in the example about within the Chaos Factor. In normal Mythic play
the jungle temple adventure, the Player ended the this would call for an Altered or Interrupt Scene
Scene after a fight in the hall. The Player has no but the Player instead makes it a Random Event
idea what’s coming next so the Expected Scene is for the Expected Scene.
simply, “Continue down the hall.”

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 VARIATIONS

Rolling on the Focus and Meaning Tables,

the Player gets PC Negative, and “Decrease” LITTLE CHANGES
and “Freedom”. The Player decides this means
that winds that the PC has been experiencing The approach outlined here for playing in
throughout the castle are much stronger in the prepared adventures using Mythic tries to take
stairwell, making it difficult to maintain his a soft approach, altering as little about the
torch and visibility. He’s going to have to proceed adventure as possible. However, Mythic will
more carefully in the catacombs since he can’t see introduce little, detailed changes as you play.
as well in the flickering light. Fate Questions might alter how an encounter is
supposed to take place, Random Events during
If the Player had instead rolled NPC Action a Scene may introduce new elements or shift
and “Communicate” and “Danger”, and if the existing elements around, and testing the Scene
NPC rolled on the Characters List had been and generating a Random Event introduces even
Brookfield, a human servant of the vampire, the more changes.
Player may have interpreted it this way: as the PC Each individual change is fairly small. If it requires
descends into the catacombs and explores they you to change the prepared adventure that
come across Brookfield (an NPC already defined alteration will probably be easy to do. The further
in the prepared adventure as a possible wandering you go into the adventure, the more these
encounter), who will try to talk the PC into changes add up. This leads to an experience
fleeing from the castle. that is true to how the author of the adventure
intended, but with narrative elements that you
Both of these Random Events added a surprise
could not predict even if you had read the entire
without breaking the prepared adventure. adventure cover to cover.
When a change contradicts what’s written in
Encounters And Locations the adventure, give priority to the change. The
contents of the prepared adventure are all
Prepared adventures provide a collection of potential details until they happen in the game,
places and encounters for Player Characters to which means any of them can be changed if the
interact with. Just like with the beginning of the unfolding adventure demands it. Once something
adventure, only read as much of each encounter happens in the adventure, whether it’s as written
as you have to when the encounter begins. Read or is the result of a Mythic prompt, then it
to understand what the PC is experiencing, then becomes solid Context.
decide what they do. After this, read further
to understand what consequences the Player decides his Character is going to enter the room
Character’s actions may have. and carefully open the coffins. After deciding this
There will likely be some spoilers with this the Player reads on and discovers that one coffin
approach, but that’s okay. We are separating has a wight in it that will attack if disturbed.
Player knowledge from Character knowledge as There is also a pressure plate on the floor that
much as we can, and the goal is to experience the if stepped on will alert the wight who will then
flavor of the adventure even if that means getting spring out of the coffin and attack.
clued in on some of the surprises.
As our Player Character enters the catacombs The prepared adventure provides rules for how
and begins to explore, they come across a dusty to decide if the Player Character steps on the
room with several coffins in it. The Player stops pressure plate so the Player follows through to
reading the prepared adventure at this point and see if his Character did. The Player already

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 VARIATIONS

knows the Character is opening both coffins so an

encounter with the wight is inevitable. PREPARED ADVENTURE
If at any point in the process of adjudicating EVENT FOCUS TABLE
an encounter you aren’t sure what should happen
you can always pose it as a Fate Question. For 1d100 RESULT
instance, maybe the pressure plate is triggered
if you walk to one of the coffins first. Since the 1-20 Adventure Feature
Player isn’t sure which coffin the PC approached
first they might pose it as a Fate Question, “Did
21-40 NPC Action
he step on the plate?”
Encounters in a prepared adventure are
resolved liked this with a combination of 41-50 NPC Negative
reading as much as you have to, deciding what
to do, reading more, then navigating how it all 51-55 NPC Positive
unfolds using your judgement and Mythic to
guide you. 56-70 PC Negative

Random Events 71-80 PC Positive

When rolling for Random Events use the

81-100 Current Context
Prepared Adventure Focus Table instead of the
regular Event Focus Table. This version removes
the entries for Remote Event, New NPC, Move Player Character is a spy who has been poisoned
Toward A Thread, Move Away From A Thread, and must work to find the antidote before she
Close A Thread, and Ambiguous Event. You don’t dies. The prepared adventure may include a
need Mythic to produce these events for you since special mechanic to determine the advancement
the prepared adventure already does it. of the poison where the Gamemaster determines
What remains is NPC Action, NPC after some time that the PC gets worse along a
Negative, NPC Positive, PC Negative, PC pre-determined scale.
Positive, and Current Context. These are all This could be represented as an element in
results that use elements from the prepared the Adventure Features List, “Poison gets worse.”
adventure, allowing you to present those Getting that result for a Random Event may
elements in Random Events that don’t break the not require any rolls on the Meaning Tables
overall adventure as presented. for clarification because it’s a straightforward
There is one more result possible on that table: mechanic to track the poison.
Adventure Feature, which was discussed earlier. If the Adventure Feature rolled was
Adventure Features are elements that are unique “Wandering monster”, requiring you to roll on a
to the prepared adventure. wandering monster table, you may still want to
If you roll Adventure Feature as a Random roll on the Meaning Tables to get a clue as to how
Event you may not have to roll on the Event the monster approaches or what they do.
Meaning Tables for further clarification if it’s Given the wide variety of possibilities with
not necessary. For instance, maybe the prepared Adventure Features, use your judgement in how
adventure is about modern espionage where the one translates into a Random Event.

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Final Thoughts surprises the prepared adventure would normally

produce for surprises that Mythic produces.
The system presented here for playing any This results in a unique experience each time the
prepared adventure solo makes Mythic take a step prepared adventure is played, a different way to
back to allow the prepared adventure to shine with enjoy both Mythic and published adventures.
its content and creativity. It replaces some of the

Using the Prepared Adventure Event Focus Table helps to include content that is otherwise presented by a Game Master running the adventure.
This comes in handy for elements that aren’t part of described locations or encounters. For instance, maybe you’re playing through a future-tech
adventure where scavenging old mecha facilities has a random chance of turning up usable battle armor. This could be represented on your
Adventure Feature List as “Find useful tech.”

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 VARIATIONS

HANDLING bumped into at the nightclub might show up as a

vampire clinging to the wall of your apartment.
COMPLICATED Pruning your Lists is still a good tactic with
complicated adventures but using the “I Dunno
CAMPAIGNS Rule” can help simplify the process.
The “I Dunno Rule” recognizes that Mythic
Growing a solo adventure into a full fledged provides lots of prompts to spur your imagination
campaign is a magical experience. From what but its randomness also means that sometimes it
likely started as humble beginnings with a Player will give prompts that don’t work for you. If you
Character and a few ideas has grown into a full can’t interpret a Mythic prompt quickly, whether
dynamic world with ever-growing lore. it’s an answer to a Fate Question or a Random
However, an ongoing series of adventures poses Event result, then consider saying “I don’t know”
unique challenges the further you get. drop it and move on.
Ragnor the Rogue’s life was simple when you Difficult to interpret Random Events can
started playing. Steal a gem for a wealthy client become an issue in a complicated adventure
and stay out of the city jail. Eight adventures campaign, especially one with a fully loaded
later Ragnor is embroiled in a plot to overthrow
the king, fighting against the return of a long
forgotten evil god, and dealing with a gallery
of personal villains and friends so large you’ve
forgotten who some of them are.
Threads and Characters Lists bursting at
the seams is probably the most obvious and
immediate problem with adventure campaigns
that are complicated because they’ve gone on for
so long.

List Editing With I Dunno Rule

The end of each Scene is the time to add
and remove elements from your Characters and
Threads Lists. The simplest way to manage
a List that’s thick with elements is to remove
the Characters and Threads that are no longer
relevant to your adventure.
However, editing your Lists can get tougher the
more complex your adventure gets.
Maybe you want your adventure to have a lot
going on. You might add all kinds of NPCs and
Threads to your Lists to include all the content you
can. You never know when that taxi driver may
You may like to place lots of NPCs on your Characters List, even if
turn out to be a secret enemy or that woman you
leading to a need to prune.

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 VARIATIONS

HANDLING COMPLICATED adding monsters and other oddities. Finally, now

that you’re in the Chittering Woods you made
CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES contact with a community of forest fairies which
you’ve added to the Characters List.
So what does this have to do with the “I
Dunno Rule”? It’s this: if you are hesitant to cut
down your List because every element on it, no
matter how remote it may seem now, feels like it
still has potential you can let the “I Dunno Rule”
be the arbiter on whether an element stays or goes.
Instead of deciding at the end of a Scene if an
element should be cut from the List wait until
you are required to roll on the List. If you roll
a List element that causes you to invoke the “I
Dunno Rule” then that’s a sign that the element
should be cut.
This creates a rule around when to remove
elements from a List instead of you deciding
when they are no longer relevant. Now it’s Mythic
deciding when they are no longer relevant. Those
elements get to stay on their List as long as they
want, but as soon as they get called upon and you
have no idea what to do with them then they get
crossed out.

Adventure Cohesion
Maybe your adventure has gone on so long that
there are lots of Threads going on. There could be
many crucial NPCs whose actions are important
Characters List. Maybe your Player Character
to your adventure. These Threads and Characters
started in the Kingdom of Halvand, then spent
elements should all combine to craft the narrative
time at the Court Of King Deneral, engaged in
of your game.
dungeon delving in the Tomb Of Antherat, and
I’m calling this adventure “cohesion” because
is now on an adventure exploring the Chittering
your ongoing campaign should feel like a
Woods.
unified whole, all the parts working together. A
That’s a lot of ground your Player Character has
complicated adventure or series of adventures may
covered. Your Characters List would have people
have so many active elements that it can start to
you met from Halvand in it, probably the first
feel fractured, losing cohesion to the point where
NPCs you encountered. A few adventures later
you aren’t sure what is going on or where the
things got more interesting as you rubbed elbows
narrative is heading.
with royalty, now you have a prince, a king, and a
Here are some ideas to keep your adventure all
bunch of royal family members on the List. The
nicely glued together.
trip through the dungeon really expanded the List,

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 VARIATIONS

START FRESH
Usually a Mythic Player ends an adventure PRUNING SEASON
when a main Thread has been resolved. You
wrap up the adventure and then consider starting Earlier, editing Lists was discussed to keep them
a new one, bringing over the Threads and focused and under control. That advice goes
Characters you want if you plan to build on the along very well with starting over.
previous adventure. Ending an adventure and continuing with a
While you can end an adventure when you feel new one already involves List pruning. If one
it’s reached a culminating moment you can also adventure is a continuation of the previous you
end it whenever you want. It could be when you are going to pull over Threads and NPCs, making
are right in the middle of a big battle, or dealing choices about what to keep and what to drop.
with a mystery, or when you haven’t solved any If you find yourself having to do an extensive edit
Threads at all. of a List you may want to take this as a sign that
Ending an adventure and starting over with it’s time to end the adventure and start a new
a new one is one way to help regain a sense of one. You can use this as an opportunity to review
your ongoing adventure, helping to ensure it
cohesion to a complicated campaign.
makes sense and stays manageable.
Think about the first Scene in a Mythic
adventure. That opening Scene is unique. It
isn’t influenced by the Chaos Factor. While leader took the crown with him to use its power
it can be constructed like an Interrupt with a to help his people survive.
Random Event it doesn’t have to be. The first Now Ragnor’s Player is conflicted about
Scene can be anything you want it to be. You where to go with this adventure. Does Ragnor
have more narrative and creative control over make good on his offer to help the forest fairies?
the first Scene than you do any other Scene in Does he switch sides, throwing off the previous
an adventure. course of this adventure toward a new direction?
So let’s use that to refocus an adventure that What about Ragnor’s association with the royal
has gotten lost. family? Is he about to burn an important bridge
Ragnor the Rogue’s time in the Chittering Woods for himself?
has gotten interesting. After befriending the The adventure has just gotten complicated.
fairies by name-dropping Prince Toymin, Ragnor The Player could continue the adventure,
has undertaken to help the fairy community creating Expected Scenes and going from there
reclaim a long lost magical crown taken by a to see what happens. Or they can consider the
group of criminal outcasts. adventure is over and start a new one. The Player
can review and edit the Lists and decide what the
In the process of fulfilling this quest Ragnor
starting Scene should be that would help refocus
encounters the outcasts, and finds them to be a
the adventure narrative.
peaceful group who are on the run from their
brethren. It turns out that Prince Toymin The Player decides to refocus the adventure by
didn’t so much declare a portion of the forest to ending it and starting a new one. To clean up
be protected as he declared war on a segment the campaign narrative, the Player decides that
of fairy society that were unpopular with the the new adventure takes place a month later
majority. When fleeing their homes the outcast after Ragnor switched sides to help the outcasts.
He is now camping with them in the forest,
helping them evade patrols searching for them.

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 VARIATIONS

MULTIPLE LISTS
Multiple Lists are a good way to keep a WHICH LIST TO USE
complicated adventure organized and help
maintain cohesion. It could work like this: When playing with multiple Lists, when to use one
you have your Lists for an ongoing adventure List or another is up to you. If the circumstances
that has gotten quite complicated with various of your adventure seem to indicate a particular
communities of NPCs and lots of Player List then use it.
Character goals. The geography of your adventure When you separate a List into multiple Lists
takes place in several separate areas that your PC they don’t have to be broken down just by
commonly travels through. To make it even more geography. Anything that helps divide List
complicated you’ve decided to add a second PC elements can be used. While geographic
locations are easy to identify you could also
to the adventure that has nothing to do with your
use themes if your adventure has various tones
other Player Character, you just thought it would (action, personal drama, etc.), areas of Player
be interesting. Character interest, or just about anything that
By using multiple Lists your Lists may look pertains to your adventure.
something like this:
When you decide that a particular List is active
» A Threads List for your first PC. for a Scene, that is the List you will edit during the
» A Threads List for your second PC. end of Scene Bookkeeping.
» A Characters List for your first PC in the
region they primarily roam.
» Another Characters List for your first PC This has created a situation where you
for a distant region they sometimes visit. essentially have two adventures going on at the
» A Characters List for your second PC. same time: what goes on in the city and what
That’s a total of five Lists for a single adventure. happens in the dungeon.
Each List has a different focus depending on You might decide to break your Lists into ones
which PC we are dealing with or which geographic that pertain to the city and the dungeon. You pull
region the Character is in at the time. all the dungeon related NPCs off the original List
Maintaining multiple Lists is a way to and place them on the new dungeon Characters
categorize the elements of a complicated List. There may be a few Threads that are
adventure into meaningful chunks. This makes it dungeon related so you make a separate dungeon
more likely that you will get results for Random Threads List. You use the city Lists when the
Events and Interrupts that make sense with where adventure takes place in the city and the dungeon
your narrative is physically currently at, helping to Lists when your PC is exploring there.
maintain adventure cohesion. The Lists don’t have to be mutually exclusive,
you can have the same elements on both Lists.
WHAT TO PUT ON A LIST For instance, maybe the Player has a Thread of
If you decide to create multiple Lists decide “Find the Eye of Yeehon,” a mystical artifact that
what the new List and the old List are for. Maybe is fabled to be hidden in the dungeon. This is why
your fantasy Character spends most of their your Character spends so much time adventuring
time near a city but they are also adventuring in in there. However, the Thread also applies to the
a nearby dungeon. The dungeon is an ongoing city. There is plenty of lore to be learned about the
element in your adventures with the Character Eye that can be gleaned from experts in town. It
occasionally returning to it to explore further. makes sense to have that Thread be on both Lists.

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 VARIATIONS

PERIL POINTS AND THE STORY GOES ON

The adventuring life is perilous, and most
Player Characters need a helping hand sometimes. Peril Points is a blunt instrument to save an
In social, guided role-play that helping hand adventure from an early end. There are other
comes from the Game Master. Often unknown ways to avert certain doom, such as asking
to the Players the GM may quietly divert your PC narrative building Fate Questions. (See “Narrative
from certain doom to keep the adventure going. Killing Questions” on page 83).
You can represent this saving hand in solo You can also build your Player Character’s survival
role-playing using Peril Points. A Peril Point can into the Context of your adventure. For instance,
be spent at any time to change the narrative and you can decide ahead of time that your PC cannot
save your Player Character when your adventure is die. That’s part of the Context of your adventure.
about to end and you don’t want it to. If something happens that would result in their
death, it gets changed to something else.
Your Player Character is a young mage in
a game of modern, urban magic. They are Mythic presents multiple ways to sustain an
adventure because there are a multitude of
currently climbing up the side of a building at
solo play styles out there. If you are a narrative
night to try and stop a warlock from casting a style Player who loves the story and is okay with
ritual that would take over the minds of everyone manipulating it when you have to, then focusing
in the city. on asking narrative building Questions and using
Context to save your PC may be to your liking.
Your PC has a companion helping, a former
assistant to the warlock who now wants to help If you’re more of a simulationist Player, where you
you stop him. He has reached the roof first love the excitement of knowing your choices can
lead to success or failure then saving yourself
when a Random Event indicates he turns on
with Context may feel too artificial. In this case, a
your Character. limited number of Peril Points could be used as an
The Player asks the Fate Question, “Does he cut emergency, but even those are in short supply.
the rope?” and Mythic says Yes.
The Player has a problem now. The PC is thirty While Supplies Last
floors above a city street, hanging from a rope
that is being cut. They have no way to avert Decide before you play how many Peril Points
certain death from the fall. your Player Character gets. This value is up to
you, the more Points the more chances you have
The Player is using Peril Points with this game to change an outcome. A limited pool helps
and has 2 Points left in the pool. This is a good maintain narrative tension since Peril Points
time to spend one. should only be used when necessary. A supply of 2
Peril Points is a good default.
The Player interprets it this way: The rope is cut
When you use a Peril Point you can change the
and the Player Character falls about fifteen feet
narrative to prevent the adventure from ending.
before hitting the railing of a balcony. They grab
For instance, if a monster just rolled the killing
on to the railing desperately and are able to haul
blow for your Player Character you spend a Peril
themselves to the balcony.
Point and suddenly the bridge you’re standing on
breaks sending you tumbling to the river below
out of harm’s way instead.

170
 VARIATIONS

Whether or not Peril Points get replenished is

also up to you. If you want Peril Points to help THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
make each game session more survivable, you may
reset them to their maximum supply at the start The Adventure
of each adventure session. If, instead, you want to Crafter is a book
use Peril Points to help get your PC started you in the Crafter
may give them a fixed number of Peril Points. Series from Word
Once those are gone they are forever gone. Mill Games.
It’s a system
for randomly
generating a
USING THE narrative structure,
using common

ADVENTURE fictional tropes

to assemble a

CRAFTER WITH story outline. This

adventure outline can be used as inspiration for

MYTHIC making a fully fleshed out adventure scenario,

as an adventure seed generator for new
When The Adventure Crafter published in adventures, a background or history creator, or
2018 it offered a new way to generate random just about anything where you want to randomly
create a layered narrative.
adventures. I viewed it as an alternate version of
the Mythic Game Master Emulator, coming at the The Adventure Crafter pairs nicely with Mythic in a
same goal from another point of view. number of ways, from helping to make starting
The Adventure Crafter borrows many familiar Scenes to acting as a replacement for how
Interrupt Scenes are generated.
Mythic concepts, like Lists and breaking an
adventure down into structural components
(Turning Points instead of Mythic’s Scenes). adventure that includes Plotlines (The Adventure
It also introduces new concepts and its own Crafter’s term for Threads) and NPCs.
approach for generating content. The two Generating a single Turning Point with The
systems work well together, and The Adventure Adventure Crafter should be enough to give you
Crafter offers three pages of explanation on how a detailed outline of a Scene. However, for the
to merge them. First Scene, consider generating more than one
This section updates those rules while Turning Point if you want a more detailed Scene.
making some changes and adding new concepts Creating two or three Turning Points can give
to hopefully make the Mythic Game Master you a wealth of detail for your First Scene and
Emulator and The Adventure Crafter play together additional Plotlines and Characters to get you
as nicely as possible. started. You can think of this as analogous to a
published adventure module giving you a detailed
The First Scene start to an adventure, with a history of events and
the circumstances that have brought your Player
Using The Adventure Crafter to generate the Character into it.
opening Scene of a Mythic adventure is a natural.
It can create a detailed introduction to your

171
 VARIATIONS

Altered and Interrupt Scenes

USING FEWER PLOT POINTS
The Adventure Crafter suggests using Turning
Points to generate both Altered and Interrupt Making a full Turning Point with The Adventure
Scenes. I am changing this advice to suggest only Crafter isn’t as fast as generating a Random Event
using The Adventure Crafter to generate Interrupt in Mythic. A Turning Point is composed of 5 Plot
Scenes. To keep your adventure moving swiftly Points, and each Plot Point may involve Plotlines
Altered Scenes should follow Mythic’s rules. and Characters. All of this has to be interpreted
into something meaningful.
You can generate an Interrupt using The
Adventure Crafter by creating a Turning Point If creating full Turning Points for Interrupt Scenes
to replace the Random Event that Mythic is slowing your game down too much, consider
normally uses. using fewer Plot Points. If 5 is too many, try 4 or
3. Even 1 or 2 Plot Points is enough to inspire a
Mythic Interrupt Scenes often change the
meaningful Scene.
direction of an adventure, sometimes in dramatic
ways. Using Turning Points as Interrupts increases
the chances of making big changes in the adventure Threads and NPCs are removed at your
because more elements can come into play. discretion during Scene Bookkeeping as you
would in a typical Mythic Adventure.
Lists In a gritty sci-fi adventure game the Player just
generated an Interrupt Scene. They are playing
I suggest using Mythic Game Master Emulator Mythic with The Adventure Crafter, so they use
Second Edition List rules instead of Adventure a Turning Point to define this Interrupt.
Crafter Lists when combining the two systems
(this is a change from the advice given in Mythic Rolling for their Plot Points using Adventure
Magazine #5, to account for differences in Second Crafter rules, one of the Plot Points generated
Edition rules). Adventure Crafter Plotlines and is “A Character Is Incapacitated”. The Player
Mythic Threads are the same thing, so whenever determines that this Plot Point applies to a new
The Adventure Crafter refers to Plotlines consider it NPC being generated. The Player comes up with
the same as Threads. “Zango Finley”, an aquatic mutant. The Player
Using Mythic Adventure List Sheets, Threads writes this new NPC onto the Characters List and
and NPCs are added to your Lists when they are continues to generate the rest of the Plot Points.
Invoked by an Adventure Crafter Turning Point. It turns out Zango is incapacitated because he
You should add them to your List while Plot has been trapped in a watery cage by a group
Points are generated, instead of doing it after a of raiders who have been sacking villages up
Scene in Bookkeeping, so later Plot Points in the and down the coast. They are using a machine
same Turning Point have a chance to Invoke them. to siphon Zango’s powers and use the energy to
Edit your Lists as normal during end of Scene charge up their weapons.
Bookkeeping. Whether a Thread or NPC is part
of a Turning Point and was added to a List at The Scene proceeds with the Player Character
the beginning of the Scene, or was added later and her companions catching sight of the raiders’
because it appeared while playing out the Scene, caravan. Noticing the captive, they sneak
it still just gets added once to its List for the toward the group and are able to successfully
Scene as normal. rescue Zango. The mission doesn’t go smoothly,

172
 VARIATIONS

however, with a fight breaking out between the ROLLING ON A LIST

Player Character and the raiders. Zango is able Rolling on Lists is handled differently when
to use his energy powers to help them all escape. a Plot Point Invokes a Thread or Character than
During end of Scene Bookkeeping the Player when a Mythic Random Event calls for rolling on
doesn’t add Zango to the Characters List again a List.
because they already did at the beginning of the Normally in Mythic when a Random Event
Scene while generating the Turning Point. requires a trip to a List, such as when you roll an
Event Focus of NPC Action, you check to see how
much of your List is filled then roll up to two dice
to determine which part of the List to roll on and
then what element in that part is selected.
When rolling on a List for a Plot Point, however,
roll on the full List regardless of the number
of elements in it. Roll 2d10 with the first d10
determining which section of the List to refer to
and the second d10 selecting a line in that section.
This means it’s far more likely to roll a blank
line when Invoking a Character or Thread
with a Plot Point than it is when rolling for a
Random Event. While Mythic Random Events
are meant to throw surprises at you, often using
an existing element in your adventure in a new
way, Adventure Crafter Turning Points are meant
to add new story twists to your adventure. These
Turning Points may have multiple elements to
interpret, with Plot Points framed as drama
tropes. With all this potential additional meaning
to make an interpretation out of you also get
additional control of the Lists to help make those
interpretations smoother.

CHOOSE TO ...
When rolling an empty line for a Mythic
Random Event you have the option to Choose. This
choice is either to select an element from the List
that you think fits the situation best or to roll again.
When rolling an empty line for an Invoked
element for a Plot Point, however, you have an
additional choice: Add a Thread or Character.
Choosing to add a Thread or a Character is the
same as when using The Adventure Crafter alone

173
 VARIATIONS

and you roll an empty line on a List that says

“New Plotline” or “New Character”. THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER DECK
Threads in a Mythic adventure usually occur
organically as you play. You, the Player, decide If you use The
when you want something to be a new Player Adventure Crafter Deck
Character objective. instead of the book
However, since Turning Points often describe you can combine
a narrative event with multiple moving parts this it with Mythic
is a good opportunity to inject a new Thread into by making a few
changes to the rules
your adventure.
presented here.
The same applies to Characters. Maybe you
rolled up a Plot Point where it makes sense that a Instead of rolling on
new Character is now involved in the adventure. a List for an Invoked
Thread or Character
If it seems appropriate then choose this to be a
you can draw a
new Character. Follow the regular Adventure
card as normal and
Crafter rules for creating a new NPC, generating use the number on the card next to Plotlines or
their Trait, Identity, and Descriptors. Characters. This will tell you which line on the List
to select. The Adventure Lists are numbered 1 to
25 on the right.
WHAT GOES ON THE
CHARACTERS LIST If you get a blank line instead of choosing whether
to select an element on the List or to have a
In normal Adventure Crafter rules every new Thread or Character be created, you can let
Character goes on the Characters List, both Player the deck decide by going with the result printed
Characters and Non-Player Characters. below “Plotlines” or “Characters”.
When combining the two systems, however,
only place Non-Player Characters on the List as
you normally would in a Mythic adventure. The Player just wrapped up a Scene where the
If you Invoke a Character and roll on the Player Character has been posing as a cook in
List and get a blank line, you have the option to the raider’s camp to learn more about the leader
Choose a Character from the List for this Plot and his plans. The next Expected Scene was the
Point. Even though your Player Character isn’t on PC sneaking out of the camp to report back to
the List, you can still Choose them. This allows her friends, but the Player generated at Interrupt
you to include your Player Character in Plot Scene instead.
Points when it makes the most sense to do so. Making a Turning Point to define the
The Player’s science fiction adventure has been Interruption, one of the Plot Points is “The
going well, with Zango turning out to be an Observer”. This Plot Point is about one
important addition to the Player Character’s Character secretly observing another Character
team. They’ve learned that the warlord doing something. The Player needs to Invoke two
leading the raiders was a deposed ruler from a Characters to see who is spying on whom. The
neighboring territory. He’s been ransacking the first roll on the Characters List gets “Raiders”.
countryside looking for an ancient artifact of The second roll gets a blank line. The Player
great power. decides that what makes the most sense is that
this second Character is their Player Character,

174
 VARIATIONS

observing something as they are on their way out

USING THE ADVENTURE of the camp.
CRAFTER WITH MYTHIC The Player interprets all of this to mean that
while the Player Character is sneaking away,
ADVENTURE
RULES they come across a group of raiders preparing a
ELEMENT
launcher armed with a powerful missile. This is
a weapon they plan to use to completely destroy
generating at least one the next town in their way. The PC hurries
Turning Point. Interpret out of the camp quickly. They need to warn the
this into an opening Scene, town before the raiders get the weapon in place!
FIRST SCENE
perhaps using some of
the details as background.
Add any NPCs and Threads
generated onto the Lists. WHERE TO GET
INTERRUPT
Instead of generating a Random MORE SUPPORT
SCENES Mythic doesn’t end with this book. If you’d
make a Turning Point.
like more options for your Mythic adventures,
» Use Mythic Lists instead of additional rules and variations, and to find out
Adventure Crafter Lists. what other Players are up to, please check out the
resources below.
» Add Threads and Characters
to their Lists as they are
generated in Turning Points. THE WORD MILL
» When rolling on a List for GAMES WEBSITE
a Thread or Character Find Mythic related books, as well as links to
Invoked by a Plot Point, additional resources such as tutorials and actual
roll on the full List, not plays, at www.wordmillgames.com.
just the sections that
have elements in them.
» Rolling an empty line SOCIAL MEDIA
LISTS
on a List for a Plot Point There are various online communities where
gives you an additional Mythic Players gather and share experiences and
Choice: Add a New Thread ideas, including Facebook, Twitter, Groups.io,
or Add A New NPC. Mastodon, Discord, and Reddit. You can find
» Only Non-Player Characters links at the Word Mill Games website above.
go on the Characters List,
not Player Characters.
PATREON
» When Choosing an element
on the Characters List you Please consider joining the Word Mill Games
can always Choose a Player Patreon at www.patreon.com/wordmillgames to
Character even though receive Mythic Magazine every month and engage
they are not on the List. in discussions about the future of Mythic.

175
176
 The Big Example
Let’s do one more Big Example! As in the
previous chapter, this example will use italicized
text to describe the role-played story and regular
CHOICES, CHOICES
text to explain what the Player is doing.
For this example, This example runs through a few Scenes of a
Player starting a new adventure. Various Mythic
SUPERBREAKERS! the Player is using
Mythic with their
rules are used in the example, including asking
Fate Questions and Discovering Meaning by
favorite superheroes getting details from Meaning Tables.
RPG, Superbreakers!
One thing to keep in mind when reading this
The game features
playthrough are the times the Player chooses to
colorful superhero get a prompt from Mythic, and when they choose
action set in a not to. Everyone is going to play their solo games
universe much like differently, so there is no rule dictating when
our own, except you must ask a Question or get a prompt for a
that super powers, detail. The decision is yours for when you want
A Game Of Super Mayhem By advanced science, and to rely on your expectations, creating details
A. U. THOR
alien incursions are an through improvisation, and when to stop and get
a prompt from Mythic.
every day norm.
The Player has a Character ready to go: The Player also makes use of the Elements
Rapid Red, a speedster hero who can move Meaning Tables for some details. Once again,
supersonically fast. This is the Player’s first choosing an Elements Table, and which Table you
choose, is up to you. There are multiple tables
adventure using this hero, so there is no history
that can serve the same purpose, including just
going in. The Player has a blank copy of the using the core Actions and Descriptions Tables.
Adventure Journal and Adventure Lists. Personal preference and gut feeling is your friend
To generate the first Scene the Player decides to here. There is no wrong choice, especially if you
create a Random Event. Rolling on the Random are enjoying the end result.
Event Focus Table they get “New NPC”. To get
some idea what this Character is doing the Player
rolls on the Actions Meaning Tables and gets
“Triumph” and “Cooperation”. probably what attracts Rapid Red as well, where
The Player interprets the Meaning words as a he runs into the team.
group of superheroes who are tackling a problem. The Player considers framing this as a Fate
Since this Event is about establishing a new NPC, Question, but rather than guessing what the
the Player decides it means this group is a team. problem is they choose to go directly to a Meaning
The Player wants to know what kind of Table for inspiration. Rolling on the Actions
problem the team is taking on. Whatever it is, it’s Meaning Tables, they get “Strange” and “Outside”.

177
 THE BIG EXAMPLE

Thinking about this a moment the Player superhero uniform before he reaches the street.
interprets this to mean there is a strange Moving in the blink of an eye he runs to the
disturbance in the center of the city. Some kind center of the ruckus.
of rip in the reality of space has opened, letting
energies from outside our world in that are Even though this is this Player’s first
wreaking havoc. adventure with this Character, and this is the
When not saving people and fighting villains, first Scene, decisions the Player is making are
Rapid Red is Rick Burgundy, a reporter for already building Context for the adventure.
the internet news site The Blurb. He’s working
at their downtown offices when news of the Rapid Red works in a downtown office
disturbances start getting called in. No one needs building. He is experienced with leaving
to be informed, however, as just looking out their work unnoticed when hero duty calls.
high rise windows shows the chaos below. These are small but important details. Every
Since Rapid works downtown the Player detail created in an adventure, whether it’s
wondered if he might be close enough to the derived from a Fate Question, a Random
disturbances to see them. The Player asks a Fate Event, a Meaning Table, or your own
Question, “Can he see what’s going on?” The Player expectations, all becomes part of the Context
gives this Odds of Likely, and Mythic says Yes. which influences later expectations. It all
To interpret what the PC actually sees, the builds together creating a layered, detailed,
Player considers Discovering Meaning again. and consistent adventure.
However, they already know that something
strange is going on and it involves rifts in reality
and another dimension leaking into our world. When setting up this first Scene the Player had
The Player decides to run with what they expect established that Rapid would encounter a new
this to look like rather than get another prompt. NPC, a team dealing with the problem. Now
that the problem has been determined, this seems
Looking out the window, Rick can see weird
like a logical time to encounter the team. This is
strands of blue energy snaking between buildings.
a well grounded expectation so the Player doesn’t
Everything the strands touch wavers and warps,
feel a need to ask a Fate Question for it.
as if reality itself were uncertain what it should
However, the Player does ask: “Does Rapid
be. Sirens, car horns, and people screaming can
recognize the team helping people?” Giving
be heard.
this Odds of Likely, Mythic comes back with
It’s time for Rick to leap into action and help Exceptional Yes.
save people! The Player’s expectation is that Rick The Player interprets this to mean that not
has exited work many times before in order to only does Rapid recognize them but they are a
act as Rapid Red, so there is no need to ask a famous group of superheros.
Question to see if he has any trouble getting away. The Player considers making up a name for
The Player considers if this should be the end the team but figures it would be more fun to roll
of the first Scene. However, it doesn’t feel quite up a random name. Using the Names Elements
complete yet without Rapid getting to the site of Table they roll “Fah” and “Ow”. Needing more
the disturbance first. inspiration the Player keeps rolling and gets “N”
Making a few quick excuses at the office, Rapid and “R”. This kind of sounds like “Founder”, so the
zooms down the stairwell, changing into his Player goes with a team name of “The Founders”.

178
 THE BIG EXAMPLE

Arriving in the midst of downtown, Rapid sees rolled and the single digit value is less than or
the arcing blue energy up close tearing apart equal to the Chaos Factor.
buildings and roads. However, people are The Player rolls 91 on the Random Event
already being rescued by a group of superheroes: Focus Table, “Current Context”. Rolling on
the world famous Founders. the Actions Meaning Tables, the Player gets
Rapid gets in on the action and uses his super “Imprison” and “Representative”.
speed to help rescue people threatened by the The Player interprets this to mean that the
anomaly. The Player wants a situation for their enormous rift in space closes as mysteriously as it
PC to get involved. There’s no need to ask a Fate appeared, but The Founders captured someone,
Question about this, it’s already been established or something, associated with it.
that there is general mayhem going on. There is, “Do I find out what’s going on?” The Player
undoubtedly, plenty of opportunities for Rapid gives this Question Odds of Nearly Certain,
to help. figuring that since Rick helped the hero team
The Player decides to Discover Meaning to with the crisis they will clue him in on what
help determine what emergency Rapid can help they found.
with. Rolling on the Actions Meaning Tables, The Player already established that a
the Player gets “Release” and “Vehicle”. The representative of the world beyond the rift had
Player interprets this to mean that a car has been captured. To get some idea of what this
been knocked to the edge of a freeway overpass NPC looks like the Player turns to the Character
when the road got warped by the wild energies. Appearance Elements Table, rolling “Strange”
Someone is trapped in the car, which teeters on and “Colorful”.
the brink of plummeting to the concrete below.
Rapid moves quickly, in a blur zooming along
the road to the overpass.
“Does the car start to fall before Rapid
gets there?” The Player gives this Odds
of Nearly Impossible considering his
fantastic speed and Mythic says No.
Rapid arrives at the car, pulls the driver
out of it, and deposits them safely a block away
before they are even aware of what is going on.
The Player doesn’t want to role-play every
save in this crisis, just the one to set some flavor
for the Scene. They wonder though if the rip
in reality closes up, or if this is going to be an
ongoing situation. The Player asks “Does
the rift close?” This seems Very Likely to
the Player. With the Chaos Factor still at its
starting value of 5, they roll on the Fate Chart
getting a 22. This is a Yes, but also a Random
Event since double digits were

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 THE BIG EXAMPLE

The leader of The Founders beckons Rick to a summary on the Adventure Journal, marking
join the team as they gather around something. down Scene 1. While there are a lot of unknowns
Laying on the ground is a strange creature. It right now, such as where the rift came from and
looks like an enormous flying eye, with bright will it return, Rapid Red and The Founders
red, leathery skin. succeeded in minimizing the crisis. The Player is
going to count this as the PC mostly being in
“It came through the rift,” a member of The
control of the Scene, giving the Chaos Factor a -1
Founders said. “We subdued it right away.”
modifier down to 4.
The Player followed their expectations with
that moment. They could have asked Fate
Questions to establish more details, or Discovered
Meaning, but at this point they had a pretty good
idea how the Scene was panning out and wanted
to run with their own impressions.
The Player had earlier established that The
Founders was a superhero team, but now wants
to give them a little more detail by coming up
with some facts about a few of the members. The
Player doesn’t want to take the time to detail Editing the Adventure Lists, the Player adds
every NPC on the team, but two sounds good. “Why the rift?” on the Threads List. On the
Starting with the leader of The Founders, the Characters List goes “The Founders”, “Ra”, “Fear
Player figures it would be good to know their Aura”, and “Captured Alien”. Thinking about it a
main power and their name. Turning to the moment, the Player decides to also put down “City”
Powers Elements Table, the Player rolls “Others” to account for the people in the city and “The
and “Emission”. The Player interprets this to Blurb” to represent where Rick works in his alter
mean that the ability is a powerful eye beam blast. ego time and the friends he has there who might
To give the leader a name the Player rolls on become a part of the adventure given the chance.
the Names Elements Table for inspiration, getting
“R” and “Wah”. The Player interprets this into
the name Ra, the hero maintains an Egyptian sun
god motif to accompany his fiery eye blasts.
For the second member of the team the
Player rolls again on the Powers Table and gets
“Damage” and “Emotion”. This is interpreted
as a mental power, the ability to control others’
emotions to make them run out of control.
Rolling on the Names Table, the Player gets
“Fi” and “Ar”. That’s not enough to make an
interpretation so the Player continues rolling and It’s time for the next Scene. The Player
gets “Oh” and “Ah”. The Player interprets this expects The Founders to take the prisoner back
into Fear Aura. to their headquarters for questioning. Given the
There are more members of The Founders, but friendliness Ra showed Rick in the first Scene it
that’s enough for now. This seems like a good would make sense that the PC would accompany
place to wrap up the first Scene. The Player writes the hero team.

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 THE BIG EXAMPLE

The Chaos Factor is currently at 4. The Player These results make the Player reconsider who
rolls a d10 to test this Expected Scene idea and the alien is and what it represents.
gets a 2, an Interrupt. Back at The Founders headquarters, the alien is
Right away the adventure is taking an kept in a containment force field. The creature
unexpected turn. wakes and, communicating telepathically, tells
The Player needs to roll up a Random Event as them it has come as a friend to help.
inspiration for how this unexpected Scene starts.
The alien saying it is friendly is certainly
Rolling on the Random Events Focus Table gives
unexpected, considering the amount of damage
“NPC Action”. To figure out which NPC acts
that accompanied its arrival.
the Player rolls on the Characters List. There are
This gives the Player some ideas but before
6 entries on the List, just barely breaking into
running with them they want to get more
the second section. This means the Player has to
information from the alien. The Player rolls on
roll two dice, a d4 to determine which section of
the Character Conversations Elements Table for
the List to roll in and a d10 to determine which
inspiration on what the alien says to explain itself.
element in that section is selected.
The Player rolls “Inform” and “Threatening”.
The Player rolls a 3 and a 6. This leads us to
This gives the Player some interpretations but
the second section of the Characters List and a
nothing they are certain of. The Player tests their
blank line.
top idea with a Fate Question.
When getting a blank line on a List we get the
“Does it warn us of an impending invasion
option to choose an element on the List or to roll
from its home dimension?” That sounds like a
again. The Player thinks it would make the most
plausible interpretation, the Player assigns it Odds
sense if the captured alien did something. The
of Likely. Checking this against the Chaos Factor
Founders just captured the strange visitor, which
of 4 on the Fate Chart gives us a 50% chance of
came from another world. Who knows what it’s
being true. The Player rolls 26 for a Yes.
capable of or what mayhem it might cause.
Before moving forward with a full interpretation
the Player figures it’s time to give the alien a name.
Rolling a blank line on the Characters or
Rolling on the Names Elements Table they get
Threads List gives us the option of choosing
“Ahg” and “Animal”. The Player considers this,
an element instead of randomly rolling it.
and given that the alien is from another reality the
This is an opportunity for you to nudge the
name should be something that sounds a bit odd.
narrative of your adventure in a direction
The Player comes up with Ogberd.
that seems the most logical or exciting.
The alien, who says his name is Ogberd, claims
However, if you don’t want this control or a he traveled to our dimension to warn us of an
choice isn’t obvious you can instead choose to impending invasion from his reality. He apologizes
roll again to let the dice decide. for the abrupt and dangerous arrival, but opening
portals between worlds is messy business and it was
The Player considers which Meaning Table to the only way he could get here.
roll on for this Random Event. It’s about the alien The Player wants to ask the Fate Question
doing something, so maybe the Actions Meaning “Do The Founders believe him?” Before
Tables. However, it’s a Character doing the action, assigning Odds, the Player decides that
so perhaps one of the Character oriented tables. Rapid Red does believe Ogberd. Despite the
They choose the Characters Elements Table. devastation his traveling to our realm caused his
Rolling, the Player gets “Friend” and “Unexpected”.

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 THE BIG EXAMPLE

warning seems plausible. Also, if he’s correct, opposing the invasion, who confirm the warning
they need to act now. and show The Founders what they are up against.
The Player wants this to be a role-playing The Player needs to figure out what they
moment where the group discusses if they learned, who is invading, and how?
believe Ogberd’s account. Using the rules of They start with a Fate Question, “Is this a
the RPG the Player is using for this adventure, warlord of some kind?” The Player assigns Odds
SuperBreakers!, Rapid Red makes a Persuasion of Nearly Certain. An alternative explanation
Task Roll to convince The Founders to trust the could be some kind of natural force or army of
alien. The roll succeeds. creatures, but so far this all sounds like something
The Player decides not to ask the Fate intentionally done by a conqueror. With a Chaos
Question after all, letting the task resolution roll Factor of 4 the Fate Chart gives a 75% chance.
decide instead. The Player rolls 12. This is within the 75, but
Rick and The Founders discuss Ogberd’s claim. such a low roll that it falls within the Exceptional
As wild as it sounds, if it’s true, the entire Earth range of 15 or less. The answer is Exceptional Yes.
could be at risk. The rift that disrupted downtown So the villain is a warlord and then some. Since
was evidence enough that powerful forces are at we’re talking about dimensional travel and the
play. They can’t afford not to trust Ogberd. end of worlds, the Player interprets this to mean
Even though The Founders believe, it would that the villain is not only a conqueror from
make sense that they try to verify the information that other reality but a very powerful being that
anyway. Since this is The Founders, a famous
group of heroes, and we are at their headquarters,
the Player figures they likely have some high tech
equipment that may help.
The Player poses this as a Fate Question,
asking “Do The Founders have some tech to help
verify Ogberd’s claim?” The Player gives this
Odds of Very Likely.
With the Chaos Factor at 4 and with Odds
of Very Likely, the Fate Chart gives this a 65%
chance of a Yes. The Player rolls 24 for Yes.
The Player considers asking more Questions,
or perhaps Discovering Meaning, to narrow down
what technology they have that would be helpful
but decides that would slow the adventure down
too much right now. The Player instead chooses
to improvise and run with their expectations.
The Founders headquarters is full of amazing
technology that Rick has never seen before. With
Ogberd’s help, a Founder scientist uses a device
to open a channel of communication between
our world and his. Ogberd is able to reach
companions of his there, members of a resistance

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 THE BIG EXAMPLE

rules the entire dimension. We are dealing with a

cosmic force.
The Player wants to get a better idea of what
this being is like. Discovering Meaning to
generate details, the Player rolls on the Characters
Elements Table and gets “Combative” and
“Anxious”. Combative certainly fits into what
we’ve seen so far, and anxious makes it sound like
this ruler is maybe paranoid and power hungry.
To get an idea of what powers this cosmic
being possesses, the Player rolls on the Powers
Elements Table and gets “Skill” and “Magic”. The
Player interprets this to mean that the being is a
powerful sorcerer with godlike abilities.
The Player also adds “Orta Leet”, the cosmic
To give this being a name the Player rolls on
entity and threat they are facing.
the Names Table, getting “Or” and “Tal”. The
Since Ogberd’s companions on the other side
Player wants more prompts so continues rolling,
were helpful the Player decides to include them on
getting “Lee” and “Et”. The Player interprets this
the List as well, calling them “Resistance fighters”.
into Orta Leet.
A lot happened in that Scene to change the
This seems like a good place to end the Scene.
focus of the adventure. Rapid Red has to help
A lot was learned and the adventure has really
The Founders avert a dimensional invasion of
taken focus. The Player updates the Adventure
cosmic proportions.
Journal, summarizing this Scene. When adjusting
For the next Scene, the Player figures that
the Chaos Factor, the Player considers whether
if Ogberd took the trouble to travel to our
or not Rapid Red was in control. He was
dimension he had more in mind than just
instrumental in convincing The Founders to trust
warning us. He probably has a solution. The
Ogberd, however learning about the impending
Player doesn’t know what this solution is yet, or if
invasion introduced a huge threat that they don’t
have an answer for. The Player decides this means
the PC was less in control, although it’s a close
call. They raise the Chaos Factor to 5.
Editing the Adventure Lists, the Player crosses
out “Why the rift?” on the Threads List. The PC
discovered why the downtown crisis happened so
that goal is solved. They add a new Thread with
“Stop the invasion.”
On the Characters List, the Player updates
“Captured Alien” to “Ogberd”, reflecting
learning his name. Characters that were
important in this Scene included “The Founders”
and “Ogberd” so the Player gives each an
additional entry on the List reflecting their
growing importance to this adventure.

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 THE BIG EXAMPLE

it exists, but that sounds like a good basis for the Since Orta is a mystical being, the word “Praise”
next Scene. almost sounds magical. “Hope” in this Context
With the Chaos Factor back at 5, the Player could be protection or a way to banish Orta.
tests this Expected Scene by rolling a d10 and gets The Players goes with this interpretation:
7. The Expected Scene happens. Ogberd tells The Founders that he traveled to
So, Ogberd has a plan. The Player decides to Earth to warn us, but also to find a long lost
ask a Fate Question to help figure out what he book of magic that contains a spell to banish
has in mind. “Is there something here, on Earth, Orta Leet from our dimension and from his. The
that will help us fight Orta?” The Player just took book was brought here long ago by evil acolytes of
a wild guess with this Question, it was the first Orta as a way to hide the tome from those who
thing that came to mind. They don’t have any would seek to end her despotic rule.
real confidence in it, however, so they assign it
This brings a new mission for Rapid Red, to
Odds of 50/50. With the Chaos Factor at 5, the
recover the book. The Player asks, “Does Ogberd
chances of a Yes are 50%. The Player rolls and
know where the book is?” The Player gives this
Mythic says Yes.
Odds of Likely. The Fate Chart says this has a
The Player considers asking more Questions to
65% chance, and the roll comes back a Yes.
pinpoint what this weapon is but instead decides
To figure out where the book is, the Player rolls
to Discover Meaning by rolling on the Actions
on the Locations Elements Meaning Table for
Meaning Tables. Maybe finding out what this
inspiration and gets “Confusing” and “Unpleasant”.
thing does will help define what it is. The Player
rolls “Praise” and “Hope”. Ogberd says he knows where the book is, sort of.
The Player has to think about this one, and It was ensconced in a graveyard in France several
decides to stretch the literal meaning of those centuries ago. He’s not sure what graveyard,
words to reach an interpretation. however, or where in the graveyard it is.
This is going to require some detective work to
locate the book, but Rapid has a solid lead at least.

184
 THE BIG EXAMPLE

The Player knows that their PC is going to go

after the book, and figures Ogberd will go with
him. They’re not sure if any of The Founders will
go so the Player turns it into a Fate Question:
“Do any of The Founders accompany Rapid?”
Considering how important this mission is the
Player gives this Odds of Nearly Certain, an 85%
chance.
However, the Player rolls a 92 for a No. The
Player makes this interpretation:
Rapid prepares for the journey to Europe with
Ogberd, expecting members of The Founders
to go with him. He’s excited to work with the
famous team! However, he’s surprised when they
tell him that he and the visitor from another
world will be handling this mission alone.
Ra has decided that he thinks searching for the
spellbook is an uncertain solution. He and the
team are going to focus on preparing defenses means he is maxed out and won’t get any more
against the invasion and contacting heroes and listings from future Scenes.
governments across the world to get ready. The Player considers adding another instance
of “The Founders” but they didn’t play a big
It’s in Rapid’s hands now to maybe save the
role in this Scene. The Player decides not to add
world, assuming that Ogberd is correct about
another listing for them.
the spell.
Rapid Red’s adventure continues as he and
The Player decides this is a good spot to end
the visitor from another world travel to France in
the Scene. This Scene was mostly information,
order to find a spell to save the world from their
answering questions about the looming crisis and
magical foe.
deciding what to do next.
The Player updates the Adventure Journal with
a Scene 3 summary. Since this Scene involved
coming up with a plan of action to stop Orta, a
plan that Rapid is centrally involved in, the Player
decides that their PC was in control of this Scene
and lowers the Chaos Factor to 4.
The Player updates the Threads List by adding
another line for “Stop the invasion”, since that
was a big part of this Scene, and also adds “Find
the book”.
On the Characters List, the Player adds another
line for “Ogberd” since the planning in this Scene
mostly revolved around him. That’s Ogberd’s
third appearance on the Characters List, which

185
 Rules Summary
A summary of Mythic Game Master Emulator systems.

Asking Fate Questions - If it’s greater than the large number then
the answer is No.
Use Fate Questions to learn new details about - If it’s equal to or greater than the
your adventure. smaller number to the right then it’s an
FOLLOW YOUR EXPECTATIONS: Fill Exceptional No.
in details about your adventure following RANDOM EVENT: If you rolled a double
your expectations. digit number (11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, or
TEST EXPECTATIONS: If you think 99) and the single digit value of that number
an expectation should be tested because it (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9) is equal to or less
is important or uncertain, then ask a Fate than the current Chaos Factor then a Random
Question. Event happens in addition to the answer to
FATE CHART OR FATE CHECK: Test the your Question.
expectation using a Yes/No Question resolved INTERPRET THE RESULTS
either using the Fate Chart or a Fate Check.

Fate Check
Fate Chart FORM A QUESTION: Ask a Yes/No question.
FORM A QUESTION: Ask a Yes/No question. ASSIGN ODDS: Give the Odds of the
ASSIGN ODDS: Give the Odds of the Question being a Yes: 50/50, Likely, Very
Question being a Yes: 50/50, Likely, Very Likely, Nearly Certain, Certain, Unlikely, Very
Likely, Nearly Certain, Certain, Unlikely, Very Unlikely, Nearly Impossible, or Impossible.
Unlikely, Nearly Impossible, or Impossible. GET MODIFIERS: Determine modifiers
CHECK THE FATE CHART: Check the for the Odds and the Chaos Factor, adding
Fate Chart for your Odds, looking up the them together.
chance for a Yes in the column corresponding ROLL 2D10: Roll 2d10, adding them together
to the current Chaos Factor. and apply the modifiers to the roll.
ROLL 1D100: - The answer is Yes with a modified roll
- If this roll is equal to or less than the total of 11 or more.
large number found on the Fate Chart, - A total of 18-20 is an Exceptional Yes.
then the answer is Yes.
- A result of 10 or less is a No.
- If it’s equal to or less than the smaller
- A result of 2-4 is an Exceptional No.
number to the left then it is an
Exceptional Yes.

186
 RULES SUMMARY

RANDOM EVENT: If you rolled a double DETERMINE EVENT MEANING: Choose

digit number (11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, or a Meaning Table that fits the Random Event
99) and the single digit value of that number best and roll for two inspirational words. Use
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9) is equal to or less the words to help interpret the Random Event.
than the current Chaos Factor then a Random INTERPRET: Combining the adventure
Event happens in addition to the answer to Context, the Event Focus, and the Meaning
your Question. words, come up with an interpretation that
INTERPRET THE RESULTS makes sense to you.

Fate Questions As RPG Rules Rolling On Lists

Use Mythic Fate Questions to replace rules in Random Events will sometimes require you to roll
your chosen RPG. on the Threads List or Characters List to select a
ASK FATE QUESTION: Pose the rule as a specific Thread or Character.
Mythic Yes/No Fate Question. Resolve the Fate DETERMINE HOW MANY SECTIONS
Question as normal. ARE ACTIVE: If a section of the List has
CHAOS FACTOR: Treat the Chaos Factor an element in it then that section is active.
as a value of 5, regardless of what the actual The active section furthest down the List
current Chaos Factor is. determines the first die to roll: nothing, d4, d6,
d8, or d10.
EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS: Treat
Exceptional Yes or No as a regular Yes or No if ROLL: If necessary, roll the die to determine
the rule being replaced doesn’t use degrees of a section. Then roll a 1d10 to determine an
success or failure. element in that section.
RANDOM EVENTS: Ignore Random Events CHOOSE: If you roll an empty line then you
unless they make sense to include with the have the option to either choose an element
replaced rule. from anywhere on the List or to roll again.

Generating Random Events First Scene

Random Events can happen when rolling for a Fate Choose a method to develop the first Scene of
Question or when you generate an Interrupt Scene. an adventure.
CONSIDER CONTEXT: The Random INSPIRED IDEA: Come up with an idea
Event is happening in relation to the Context rather than determining randomly.
of your adventure, which helps guide your RANDOM EVENT: Generate a Random
interpretation of it. Event to form the start of the Scene.
DETERMINE EVENT FOCUS: Roll MEANING TABLES: Choose Meaning
1d100 on the Random Event Focus Table to Tables and roll as many word pairs as you need
discover what the Random Event is about. for inspiration.
Alternatively, you can choose the Event Focus
instead of rolling.

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 RULES SUMMARY

4W: Roll on the Meaning Tables in a Altered Scenes

structured way to get the Who, What, Where,
and Why of a Scene. Generate an Altered Scene by modifying your
- Who: Characters Elements Meaning Expected Scene. Use one of the strategies below.
Table. THE NEXT EXPECTATION: This is the
- What: Actions Meaning Tables. default method. The Scene is what you would
next most expect.
- Where: Locations Elements Meaning
Table. A TWEAK: Change one element in the
Expected Scene.
- Why: Actions Meaning Tables.
FATE QUESTION: Ask a Fate Question to
help you choose how the Scene changes.
Testing Scenes MEANING TABLES: Choose a Meaning
EXPECTED SCENE: Decide how you Table and roll for a word pair as inspiration.
think the next Scene will begin. This is the SCENE ADJUSTMENT TABLE: Roll 1d10
Expected Scene. on the Scene Adjustment Table.
ROLL 1D10: Roll 1d10 to test the Expected
Scene. If you roll the Chaos Factor or less, and Interrupt Scenes
the number is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) then the
Scene is an Altered Scene. If you roll the Chaos RANDOM EVENT: Generate a Random
Factor or less and the number is even (2, 4, 6, Event and use that as the basis for the start of
or 8) then the Scene is an Interrupt Scene. the Scene.

188
 RULES SUMMARY

Begin And End Scenes End Of Scene Bookkeeping

Choose a method for how to decide when a Scene EDIT LIST ELEMENTS: Add new Threads
begins and ends. and NPCs that were important in the Scene
INTEREST: This is the default approach. to the Threads and Characters Lists. For
A Scene starts with something interesting Threads and Characters that were already on
happening and ends when that interest is the List, add another entry for them if they
concluded. were important in the Scene up to a maximum
of three on the List. Remove Threads and
TIME OR LOCATION: Scenes end when
Characters from the Lists that are no longer
there is a change in time or location.
relevant to the adventure.
NARRATIVE SHIFT: A Scene ends
ADJUST THE CHAOS FACTOR: If the
when there is a shift in the narrative of your
Player Character was mostly in control of the
adventure, with the next Scene picking up with
Scene then apply a -1 modifier to the Chaos
that narrative change.
Factor, to a minimum of 1. If the Player
MOOD: Scenes end when you feel they have Character was mostly not in control during the
run out of steam and it’s time to start a new one. Scene then apply a +1 modifier to the Chaos
AUTOMATIC INTERRUPT: Choose to Factor to a maximum of 9.
have a Scene begin as an Interrupt without
testing it against the Chaos Factor.
Determine NPC Statistics
Discovering Meaning EXPECTED STATISTIC VALUE: Decide
what you think the value of an NPC statistic
Create details without using Fate Questions by should be.
rolling for a word pair on a Meaning Table of ASK A FATE QUESTION: Ask the Fate
your choice. Interpret the results. Question “Does the NPC have a statistic of
this value?” Assign the Question Odds and
resolve it.
Generating NPC Behavior
INTERPRET: Interpret the results of the Fate
EXPECTATIONS: If you have a clear idea Question. As a guide:
what the NPC will do or say, and the action - Yes: The value you expected.
isn’t crucial to the adventure, then follow
your expectations for their action instead of - Exceptional Yes: The value is about
choosing randomly. 25% higher.

NO IDEA: If you have no expectation for - No: The value is about 25% lower.
what an NPC will do then roll a word pair on a - Exceptional No: The value is about
Meaning Table of your choice for inspiration. 50% lower.
EXPECTATION AND CRUCIAL: If you - Random Event: Generate a Random
have an idea of what the NPC will do, and the Event as a special condition associated
action is important to your adventure, then with this statistic.
frame the action as a Fate Question.

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 RULES SUMMARY

Thread Progress Track Any adventure results that would complete or

end the Thread must be interpreted in a way to
Use a Thread Progress Track to keep an adventure keep the Thread active.
focused on a particular Thread. CONCLUSION: When the Progress Track
FOCUS THREAD: Choose a Thread to be is completed the Conclusion is triggered.
the Focus Thread of the Progress Track. Generate a Random Event with an automatic
CHOOSE A TRACK: Choose which Track to Event Focus of Current Context, with the
use, depending on how long you want it to take Context revolving around creating an Event
to resolve the Thread. The choices are 10, 15, that can resolve and end the Thread Focus. If
or 20 point Tracks. it makes more sense, you can choose to delay
generating the Conclusion until the next Scene.
PROGRESS: Making any Progress toward
resolving the Focus Thread in a Scene awards 2
Progress Points that are marked on the Track. Keyed Scenes
FLASHPOINT: An especially important and
Create special situations to trigger specific events
dramatic event happens in a Scene related to
in your adventure.
the Focus Thread. Award 2 Progress Points and
mark the “Did A Flashpoint Happen?” box. KEYED SCENE TRIGGER: Decide what
Triggers the Keyed Scene Event.
TRACK FLASHPOINT: If you reach enough
Points on the Track to trigger a Flashpoint, and KEYED SCENE EVENT: Decide what
one hasn’t already occurred in that phase of the happens when the Trigger occurs. The Event
Track, then a Flashpoint event happens. Treat happens at the beginning of the next Scene.
this as a Random Event with an automatic
Event Focus of Current Context.
Using Mythic With
DISCOVERY CHECK: Make a Discovery
Check when forward momentum has stalled Prepared Adventures
and you are out of ideas for how to proceed. SCALING: Decide on a scaling factor for
Ask the Fate Question “Is something your Player Character in relation to the
discovered?” Assign the Question Odds of no adventure. Roughly, how powerful are they in
less than 50/50. comparison to what the adventure is designed
- Yes: Roll on the Thread Discovery for? Represent this comparison with a single
Check Table. number that becomes the Diminisher Value.
- No: Nothing useful is found. For instance, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, etc.
- Exceptional Yes: Roll twice on the APPLY DIMINISHER: Apply the
Thread Discovery Check Table. Diminisher Value to all challenges met in the
adventure, reducing the number of encounters,
- Exceptional No: Nothing useful is found
NPC statistics, and other values that challenge
and you cannot make another Discovery
your Player Character.
Check during the rest of this Scene.
READ INTRO: Read introductory portions
PLOT ARMOR: The Focus Thread cannot be
of the prepared adventure.
resolved through normal Mythic play as long as
the Thread Progress Track is still in progress.

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 RULES SUMMARY

PREPARE LISTS: Include any relevant Peril Points

Threads or NPCs onto your Lists that seem
important from the adventure introduction. Use Peril Points to change the narrative.
ADVENTURE FEATURES: Create a third DECIDE QUANTITY: Choose how many
List, Adventure Features, and include on it Peril Points your Player Character gets. The
anything special about the prepared adventure default number is 2.
that you think should be on the List. DECIDE IF THEY REPLENISH: Choose
FIRST SCENE: Create a first Scene based off if Peril Points reset to the quantity you chose at
of how the prepared adventure suggests starting. the start of each adventuring session, or if they
PLAY SCENE BY SCENE: Play through the are a one-time resource that does not replenish.
adventure Scene by Scene, as you would with a EXPEND PERIL POINTS: Use a Peril Point
normal Mythic adventure, using the content of to avert an outcome that would otherwise end
the prepared adventure as Context. the adventure or an important narrative.
TESTING EXPECTED SCENES: Test
Scenes as normal, however instead of using
Altered and Interrupt Scenes, whenever you roll
Mythic With The
equal to or less than the Chaos Factor you still Adventure Crafter
have the Expected Scene but it also starts with
FIRST SCENE: Generate a Turning Point or
a Random Event.
two for inspiration for the first Scene.
ENCOUNTERS AND LOCATIONS:
INTERRUPT SCENES: Replace Random
When reading new sections of the prepared
Events with Turning Points to generate
adventure, read as little as possible before
Interrupt Scenes.
deciding Player Character actions.
LISTS: Use Mythic’s List system instead
ASK FATE QUESTIONS: Use Fate
of The Adventure Crafter’s Lists method.
Questions to decide the details and outcomes
References to Plotlines are considered Threads.
of encounters when there is doubt.
When rolling on a List for a Plot Point roll on
RANDOM EVENTS: Use the Prepared the full List, not just the sections that have
Adventure Event Focus Table instead of the elements in them.
regular Random Event Focus Table.
CHOOSE ...: When rolling an empty line on
a List for a Plot Point you have the additional
choice of Add A Thread or Add A Character.
If you Choose to select a Character on the
Characters List, you can include the Player
Character as an option even though they aren’t
on the List.

191
 ADVENTURE JOURNAL
ADVENTURE TITLE

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE CURRENT CHAOS FACTOR

NUMBER

NOTES

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE

NUMBER

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE

NUMBER

SCENE SUMMARY SCENE

NUMBER

Test The Expected Scene Against The Chaos Factor • Play Out The Scene • Update Lists & Chaos Factor

192
 ADVENTURE LISTS
THREADS LIST CHARACTERS LIST
- 1-2 CHOOSE 1 - 1-2 CHOOSE 1

3-4 CHOOSE 2 3-4 CHOOSE 2

1-2 5-6 CHOOSE 3 1-2 5-6 CHOOSE 3

7-8 CHOOSE 4 7-8 CHOOSE 4

9-10 CHOOSE 5 9-10 CHOOSE 5

d4 d4
1-2 CHOOSE 6 1-2 CHOOSE 6

3-4 CHOOSE 7 3-4 CHOOSE 7

3-4 5-6 CHOOSE 8 3-4 5-6 CHOOSE 8

7-8 CHOOSE 9 7-8 CHOOSE 9

9-10 CHOOSE 10 9-10 CHOOSE 10

d6 1-2 CHOOSE 11 d6 1-2 CHOOSE 11

3-4 CHOOSE 12 3-4 CHOOSE 12

5-6 5-6 CHOOSE 13 5-6 5-6 CHOOSE 13

7-8 CHOOSE 14 7-8 CHOOSE 14

9-10 CHOOSE 15 9-10 CHOOSE 15

d8 1-2 CHOOSE 16 d8 1-2 CHOOSE 16

3-4 CHOOSE 17 3-4 CHOOSE 17

7-8 5-6 CHOOSE 18 7-8 5-6 CHOOSE 18

7-8 CHOOSE 19 7-8 CHOOSE 19

9-10 CHOOSE 20 9-10 CHOOSE 20

d10 d10
1-2 CHOOSE 21 1-2 CHOOSE 21

3-4 CHOOSE 22 3-4 CHOOSE 22

9-10 5-6 CHOOSE 23 9-10 5-6 CHOOSE 23

7-8 CHOOSE 24 7-8 CHOOSE 24

9-10 CHOOSE 25 9-10 CHOOSE 25

193
 FATE CHART
Certain 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x 20 99 x 20 99 x

Nearly Certain 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x 20 99 x

Very Likely 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x

Likely 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100
ODDS

50/50 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99

Unlikely 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98

Very Unlikely X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96

Nearly Impossible X 1 81 X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94

Impossible X 1 81 X 1 81 X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91
CHAOS FACTOR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

FATE QUESTION ANSWERS

ANSWER RESULT

YES
your expectation.

The answer is Yes,

EXCEPTIONAL
YES
expectation and beyond.

The answer is No. Go

NO with the next most
expected outcome.

The answer is the opposite

EXCEPTIONAL
of a Yes, or the opposite
NO

194
 FATE CHECK MODIFIERS FATE CHECK ANSWERS
ROLL CHAOS ROLL
ODDS ROLL TOTAL FATE QUESTION ANSWER
MODIFIER FACTOR MODIFIER

CERTAIN +5 9 +5 18-20 Exceptional Yes

NEARLY
CERTAIN
+4 8 +4 11 or more Yes

VERY
LIKELY
+2 7 +2 10 or less No

LIKELY +1 6 +1 2-4 Exceptional No

Doubles,
50/50 None 5 None single digit Random Event
CF or less
UNLIKELY -1 4 -1

VERY
UNLIKELY
-2 3 -2

NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE
-4 2 -4

IMPOSSIBLE -5 1 -5

195
FATE QUESTIONS AS RPG RULES
FATE Pose the Fate Question
QUESTION to act as the RPG rule.

Treat the Chaos Factor

as a value of 5 for these
CHAOS
Questions, regardless of
FACTOR
what the actual Chaos
Factor value is right now.

Treat Exceptional Yes and

No as a regular Yes and No
EXCEPTIONAL
if the rule being replaced
RESULTS
doesn’t use degrees of
success or failure.

Ignore Random Events

RANDOM
unless they make sense
EVENTS
to include with this rule.

196
 RANDOM EVENT FOCUS TABLE
1d100 RESULT

1-5 Remote Event

6-10 Ambiguous Event

11-20 New NPC

21-40 NPC Action

41-45 NPC Negative

46-50 NPC Positive

51-55 Move Toward A Thread

56-65 Move Away From A Thread

66-70 Close A Thread

71-80 PC Negative

81-85 PC Positive

86-100 Current Context

197
 CHOOSING THE EVENT FOCUS
EVENT FOCUS REASON

Your PC is expecting news

REMOTE
from afar and now seems like
EVENT
a good time for it to arrive.

AMBIGUOUS The adventure has slowed and you

EVENT are ready for a mystery to pursue.

There is a logical reason for

NEW NPC a new NPC to appear in your
adventure right now.

Your PC is waiting on the

NPC ACTION action of NPCs to move the
adventure forward.

You want to shift the focus of

NPC NEGATIVE
your adventure onto an NPC
or
right now, maybe to develop new
NPC POSITIVE
storylines in your adventure.

Your adventure has stalled

MOVE
and needs a push forward.
TOWARD A
This is especially useful for
THREAD
an Interrupt Scene.

MOVE AWAY
FROM A You want a new challenge
THREAD or for your PC to face.
PC NEGATIVE

Your PC is having a hard time

PC POSITIVE
and could use a break.

The adventure has gotten

CLOSE A
complicated and you want to
THREAD
thin out the Threads List.

» The Random Event could help

CURRENT explain a Fate Question result.
CONTEXT » A Random Event could be
disruptive to the current action.

198
 MEANING TABLES: ACTIONS
ACTION 1
1: Abandon 21: Communicate 41: Escape 61: Misuse 81: Ruin
2: Accompany 22: Conceal 42: Expose 62: Move 82: Separate
3: Activate 23: Continue 43: Fail 63: Neglect 83: Start
4: Agree 24: Control 44: Fight 64: Observe 84: Stop
5: Ambush 25: Create 45: Flee 65: Open 85: Strange
6: Arrive 26: Deceive 46: Free 66: Oppose 86: Struggle
7: Assist 27: Decrease 47: Guide 67: Overthrow 87: Succeed
8: Attack 28: Defend 48: Harm 68: Praise 88: Support
9: Attain 29: Delay 49: Heal 69: Proceed 89: Suppress
10: Bargain 30: Deny 50: Hinder 70: Protect 90: Take
11: Befriend 31: Depart 51: Imitate 71: Punish 91: Threaten
12: Bestow 32: Deposit 52: Imprison 72: Pursue 92: Transform
13: Betray 33: Destroy 53: Increase 73: Recruit 93: Trap
14: Block 34: Dispute 54: Indulge 74: Refuse 94: Travel
15: Break 35: Disrupt 55: Inform 75: Release 95: Triumph
16: Carry 36: Distrust 56: Inquire 76: Relinquish 96: Truce
17: Celebrate 37: Divide 57: Inspect 77: Repair 97: Trust
18: Change 38: Drop 58: Invade 78: Repulse 98: Use
19: Close 39: Easy 59: Leave 79: Return 99: Usurp
20: Combine 40: Energize 60: Lure 80: Reward 100: Waste

ACTION 2
1: Advantage 21: Disadvantage 41: Hope 61: Object 81: Representative
2: Adversity 22: Distraction 42: Idea 62: Obscurity 82: Riches
3: Agreement 23: Elements 43: Illness 63: Official 83: Safety
4: Animal 24: Emotion 44: Illusion 64: Opposition 84: Strength
5: Attention 25: Enemy 45: Individual 65: Outside 85: Success
6: Balance 26: Energy 46: Information 66: Pain 86: Suffering
7: Battle 27: Environment 47: Innocent 67: Path 87: Surprise
8: Benefits 28: Expectation 48: Intellect 68: Peace 88: Tactic
9: Building 29: Exterior 49: Interior 69: People 89: Technology
10: Burden 30: Extravagance 50: Investment 70: Personal 90: Tension
11: Bureaucracy 31: Failure 51: Leadership 71: Physical 91: Time
12: Business 32: Fame 52: Legal 72: Plot 92: Trial
13: Chaos 33: Fear 53: Location 73: Portal 93: Value
14: Comfort 34: Freedom 54: Military 74: Possessions 94: Vehicle
15: Completion 35: Friend 55: Misfortune 75: Poverty 95: Victory
16: Conflict 36: Goal 56: Mundane 76: Power 96: Vulnerability
17: Cooperation 37: Group 57: Nature 77: Prison 97: Weapon
18: Danger 38: Health 58: Needs 78: Project 98: Weather
19: Defense 39: Hindrance 59: News 79: Protection 99: Work
20: Depletion 40: Home 60: Normal 80: Reassurance 100: Wound

199
 MEANING TABLES: DESCRIPTIONS
DESCRIPTOR 1
1: Adventurously 21: Defiantly 41: Generously 61: Loudly 81: Playfully
2: Aggressively 22: Deliberately 42: Gently 62: Lovingly 82: Politely
3: Anxiously 23: Delicately 43: Gladly 63: Loyally 83: Positively
4: Awkwardly 24: Delightfully 44: Gracefully 64: Majestically 84: Powerfully
5: Beautifully 25: Dimly 45: Gratefully 65: Meaningfully 85: Quaintly
6: Bleakly 26: Efficiently 46: Happily 66: Mechanically 86: Quarrelsomely
7: Boldly 27: Emotionally 47: Hastily 67: Mildly 87: Quietly
8: Bravely 28: Energetically 48: Healthily 68: Miserably 88: Roughly
9: Busily 29: Enormously 49: Helpfully 69: Mockingly 89: Rudely
10: Calmly 30: Enthusiastically 50: Helplessly 70: Mysteriously 90: Ruthlessly
11: Carefully 31: Excitedly 51: Hopelessly 71: Naturally 91: Slowly
12: Carelessly 32: Fearfully 52: Innocently 72: Neatly 92: Softly
13: Cautiously 33: Ferociously 53: Intensely 73: Nicely 93: Strangely
14: Ceaselessly 34: Fiercely 54: Interestingly 74: Oddly 94: Swiftly
15: Cheerfully 35: Foolishly 55: Irritatingly 75: Offensively 95: Threateningly
16: Combatively 36: Fortunately 56: Joyfully 76: Officially 96: Timidly
17: Coolly 37: Frantically 57: Kindly 77: Partially 97: Very
18: Crazily 38: Freely 58: Lazily 78: Passively 98: Violently
19: Curiously 39: Frighteningly 59: Lightly 79: Peacefully 99: Wildly
20: Dangerously 40: Fully 60: Loosely 80: Perfectly 100: Yieldingly

DESCRIPTOR 2
1: Abnormal 21: Disagreeable 41: Hard 61: Messy 81: Remarkable
2: Amusing 22: Dry 42: Harsh 62: Mighty 82: Rotten
3: Artificial 23: Dull 43: Healthy 63: Military 83: Rough
4: Average 24: Empty 44: Heavy 64: Modern 84: Ruined
5: Beautiful 25: Enormous 45: Historical 65: Mundane 85: Rustic
6: Bizarre 26: Extraordinary 46: Horrible 66: Mysterious 86: Scary
7: Boring 27: Extravagant 47: Important 67: Natural 87: Shocking
8: Bright 28: Faded 48: Interesting 68: Normal 88: Simple
9: Broken 29: Familiar 49: Juvenile 69: Odd 89: Small
10: Clean 30: Fancy 50: Lacking 70: Old 90: Smooth
11: Cold 31: Feeble 51: Large 71: Pale 91: Soft
12: Colorful 32: Festive 52: Lavish 72: Peaceful 92: Strong
13: Colorless 33: Flawless 53: Lean 73: Petite 93: Stylish
14: Comforting 34: Forlorn 54: Less 74: Plain 94: Unpleasant
15: Creepy 35: Fragile 55: Lethal 75: Poor 95: Valuable
16: Cute 36: Fragrant 56: Lively 76: Powerful 96: Vibrant
17: Damaged 37: Fresh 57: Lonely 77: Protective 97: Warm
18: Dark 38: Full 58: Lovely 78: Quaint 98: Watery
19: Defeated 39: Glorious 59: Magnificent 79: Rare 99: Weak
20: Dirty 40: Graceful 60: Mature 80: Reassuring 100: Young

200
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
ADVENTURE TONE ALIEN SPECIES DESCRIPTORS ANIMAL ACTIONS
1: Action 51: Intellect 1: Advanced 51: Lethal 1: Abandon 51: Hunt
2: Activity 52: Intense 2: Aggressive 52: Levitating 2: Abnormal 52: Ignore
3: Adventurous 53: Interesting 3: Agile 53: Liquid 3: Aggressive 53: Imitate
4: Adversity 54: Intrigue 4: Amphibious 54: Mammalian 4: Angry 54: Implore
5: Aggressive 55: Lavish 5: Ancient 55: Many-eyed 5: Anxious 55: Imprison
6: Amusing 56: Legal 6: Anxious 56: Militaristic 6: Assist 56: Inspect
7: Anxious 57: Lethal 7: Aquatic 57: Mysterious 7: Attack 57: Intense
8: Attainment 58: Light 8: Arrogant 58: Nightmarish 8: Befriend 58: Irritating
9: Average 59: Macabre 9: Artistic 59: Odd 9: Bestow 59: Juvenile
10: Bizarre 60: Magnificent 10: Avian 60: Oppressive 10: Bizarre 60: Lazy
11: Bleak 61: Majestic 11: Beautiful 61: Passive 11: Bold 61: Leave
12: Bold 62: Mature 12: Bizarre 62: Peaceful 12: Break 62: Lethal
13: Busy 63: Meaningful 13: Carapace 63: Perfect 13: Busy 63: Loud
14: Calm 64: Mechanical 14: Clawed 64: Plant 14: Calm 64: Loyal
15: Cheerful 65: Messy 15: Colorful 65: Powered 15: Careful 65: Messy
16: Colorful 66: Military 16: Combative 66: Powerful 16: Careless 66: Mistrust
17: Combative 67: Misfortune 17: Conquering 67: Powers 17: Cautious 67: Move
18: Competitive 68: Mistrust 18: Dangerous 68: Primitive 18: Ceaseless 68: Mundane
19: Conflict 69: Modern 19: Declining 69: Prosperous 19: Change 69: Mysterious
20: Crazy 70: Mundane 20: Defensive 70: Psychic 20: Combative 70: Natural
21: Creepy 71: Mystery 21: Desperate 71: Reptilian 21: Curious 71: Neglect
22: Dangerous 72: Natural 22: Destructive 72: Robotic 22: Dangerous 72: Normal
23: Dark 73: Normal 23: Dominating 73: Scary 23: Deliberate 73: Observe
24: Emotional 74: Odd 24: Emotionless 74: Scientific 24: Disinterested 74: Odd
25: Energetic 75: Personal 25: Enormous 75: Secretive 25: Disrupt 75: Oppose
26: Epic 76: Physical 26: Exploitive 76: Servitor 26: Distracted 76: Playful
27: Evil 77: Power 27: Explorers 77: Simple 27: Dominate 77: Protect
28: Exterior 78: Pursuit 28: Familiar 78: Skilled 28: Energetic 78: Pursue
29: Failure 79: Quaint 29: Fast 79: Slender 29: Excited 79: Quiet
30: Fame 80: Random 30: Feeble 80: Slow 30: Exotic 80: Reassuring
31: Familiar 81: Rare 31: Feral 81: Small 31: Familiar 81: Release
32: Fearful 82: Reassuring 32: Ferocious 82: Smelly 32: Fearful 82: Return
33: Festive 83: Remarkable 33: Friendly 83: Strange 33: Feeble 83: Scary
34: Fierce 84: Rough 34: Frightening 84: Strong 34: Ferocious 84: Simple
35: Fortunate 85: Rustic 35: Fungal 85: Suffering 35: Fierce 85: Slow
36: Frantic 86: Scary 36: Furry 86: Tail 36: Fight 86: Strange
37: Fresh 87: Simple 37: Generous 87: Tall 37: Flee 87: Struggle
38: Frightening 88: Slow 38: Gentle 88: Technological 38: Follow 88: Swift
39: Glorious 89: Social 39: Glowing 89: Tentacled 39: Food 89: Tactics
40: Goals 90: Strange 40: Graceful 90: Threatening 40: Frantic 90: Take
41: Hard 91: Strong 41: Harsh 91: Toothy 41: Friendship 91: Threatening
42: Harsh 92: Struggle 42: Helpful 92: Travelers 42: Frightening 92: Tranquil
43: Heavy 93: Tension 43: Humanoid 93: Treacherous 43: Generous 93: Transform
44: Historical 94: Travel 44: Hungry 94: Violent 44: Gentle 94: Trick
45: Hopeful 95: Trials 45: Immortal 95: Warlike 45: Graceful 95: Trust
46: Horrible 96: Vengeance 46: Insectlike 96: Wary 46: Harm 96: Violent
47: Horror 97: Very 47: Insubstantial 97: Watery 47: Hasty 97: Warn
48: Important 98: Violent 48: Intelligent 98: Weak 48: Helpful 98: Waste
49: Inquire 99: Warlike 49: Intimidating 99: Wings 49: Helpless 99: Wild
50: Inspect 100: Wild 50: Large 100: Wormish 50: Hungry 100: Yield

201
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
ARMY DESCRIPTORS CAVERN DESCRIPTORS CHARACTERS
1: Active 51: Mysterious 1: Activity 51: Interesting 1: Accompanied 51: Important
2: Aggressive 52: Normal 2: Ancient 52: Large 2: Active 52: Inactive
3: Allies 53: Path 3: Animals 53: Ledge 3: Aggressive 53: Influential
4: Ambush 54: Persecute 4: Aromatic 54: Lethal 4: Ambush 54: Innocent
5: Animals 55: Power 5: Art 55: Light 5: Animal 55: Intense
6: Arrive 56: Problems 6: Beautiful 56: Loud 6: Anxious 56: Knowledgeable
7: Assist 57: Punish 7: Bizarre 57: Magnificent 7: Armed 57: Large
8: Average 58: Pursue 8: Bleak 58: Message 8: Beautiful 58: Lonely
9: Betray 59: Quiet 9: Blocked 59: Messy 9: Bold 59: Loud
10: Bizarre 60: Ready 10: Boulder 60: Minerals 10: Busy 60: Loyal
11: Block 61: Reassuring 11: Bright 61: Misfortune 11: Calm 61: Masculine
12: Bold 62: Recruit 12: Cliff 62: Mist 12: Careless 62: Mighty
13: Calm 63: Release 13: Climb 63: Mysterious 13: Casual 63: Miserable
14: Careless 64: Riches 14: Closed 64: Natural 14: Cautious 64: Multiple
15: Cautious 65: Rough 15: Cold 65: Nature 15: Classy 65: Mundane
16: Ceaseless 66: Ruin 16: Collapsed 66: Normal 16: Colorful 66: Mysterious
17: Celebrate 67: Ruthless 17: Colorful 67: Occupied 17: Combative 67: Natural
18: Colorful 68: Simple 18: Cracked 68: Odd 18: Crazy 68: Odd
19: Communicate 69: Skilled 19: Cramped 69: Open 19: Creepy 69: Official
20: Creepy 70: Slow 20: Crawl 70: Path 20: Curious 70: Old
21: Deceive 71: Small 21: Creature 71: Plants 21: Dangerous 71: Passive
22: Defensive 72: Stalemate 22: Creepy 72: Pool 22: Deceitful 72: Peaceful
23: Defiant 73: Start 23: Crumbling 73: Quiet 23: Defeated 73: Playful
24: Delay 74: Stop 24: Curious 74: Reassuring 24: Defiant 74: Powerful
25: Disorganized 75: Strange 25: Damaged 75: Remarkable 25: Delightful 75: Professional
26: Divide 76: Strong 26: Dangerous 76: Riches 26: Emotional 76: Protected
27: Efficient 77: Struggle 27: Dark 77: River 27: Energetic 77: Protecting
28: Enemies 78: Success 28: Difficult 78: Rock 28: Equipped 78: Questioning
29: Energy 79: Suffering 29: Dirty 79: Rough 29: Excited 79: Quiet
30: Failure 80: Supplies 30: Discouraging 80: Scary 30: Expected 80: Reassuring
31: Ferocious 81: Swift 31: Dripping 81: Simple 31: Familiar 81: Resourceful
32: Fight 82: Tactics 32: Dry 82: Slippery 32: Fast 82: Seeking
33: Food 83: Take 33: Echo 83: Slope 33: Feeble 83: Skilled
34: Foolish 84: Technology 34: Elements 84: Small 34: Feminine 84: Slow
35: Fortunate 85: Tension 35: Empty 85: Smelly 35: Ferocious 85: Small
36: Frantic 86: Testing 36: Enormous 86: Smooth 36: Foe 86: Stealthy
37: Fresh 87: Threatening 37: Exit 87: Sounds 37: Foolish 87: Strange
38: Frightening 88: Tired 38: Exotic 88: Stalactites 38: Fortunate 88: Strong
39: Helpful 89: Travel 39: Fall 89: Strange 39: Fragrant 89: Tall
40: Helpless 90: Triumph 40: Flora 90: Threatening 40: Frantic 90: Thieving
41: Illness 91: Truce 41: Frightening 91: Tight 41: Friend 91: Threatening
42: Lacking 92: Trust 42: Full 92: Tranquil 42: Frightened 92: Triumphant
43: Large 93: Unequipped 43: Fungus 93: Treasure 43: Frightening 93: Unexpected
44: Lavish 94: Unexpected 44: Good 94: Unnatural 44: Generous 94: Unnatural
45: Lazy 95: Untrained 45: Hard 95: Unstable 45: Glad 95: Unusual
46: Leadership 96: Victory 46: Harm 96: Untouched 46: Happy 96: Violent
47: Lethal 97: Violate 47: Harsh 97: Warm 47: Harmful 97: Vocal
48: Loud 98: Waste 48: Hole 98: Waste 48: Helpful 98: Weak
49: Loyal 99: Weak 49: Huge 99: Water 49: Helpless 99: Wild
50: Mighty 100: Weapons 50: Icy 100: Windy 50: Hurt 100: Young

202
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
CHARACTER ACTIONS, COMBAT CHARACTER ACTIONS, GENERAL CHARACTER APPEARANCE
1: Abandon 51: Hasty 1: Abandon 51: Imprison 1: Abnormal 51: Lean
2: Abuse 52: Hide 2: Aggressive 52: Increase 2: Armed 52: Limbs
3: Aggressive 53: Imitate 3: Amusing 53: Inspect 3: Aromatic 53: Lithe
4: Agree 54: Imprison 4: Anger 54: Intense 4: Athletic 54: Masculine
5: Ally 55: Kill 5: Antagonize 55: Juvenile 5: Attractive 55: Mature
6: Ambush 56: Lead 6: Anxious 56: Kind 6: Average 56: Messy
7: Amuse 57: Lethal 7: Assist 57: Lazy 7: Bald 57: Mighty
8: Anger 58: Liberty 8: Bestow 58: Leadership 8: Beautiful 58: Modern
9: Antagonize 59: Lie 9: Betray 59: Lethal 9: Bizarre 59: Mundane
10: Anxious 60: Loud 10: Bizarre 60: Loud 10: Brutish 60: Muscular
11: Assist 61: Loyal 11: Block 61: Loyal 11: Casual 61: Mysterious
12: Attack 62: Magic 12: Bold 62: Mature 12: Classy 62: Natural
13: Betray 63: Mechanical 13: Break 63: Meaningful 13: Clean 63: Neat
14: Block 64: Mighty 14: Calm 64: Messy 14: Clothing 64: Normal
15: Bold 65: Military 15: Care 65: Move 15: Colorful 65: Odd
16: Brave 66: Mock 16: Careful 66: Mundane 16: Common 66: Official
17: Break 67: Move 17: Careless 67: Mysterious 17: Cool 67: Old
18: Calm 68: Mysterious 18: Celebrate 68: Nice 18: Creepy 68: Petite
19: Careless 69: Normal 19: Change 69: Normal 19: Cute 69: Piercing
20: Carry 70: Odd 20: Combative 70: Odd 20: Dainty 70: Powerful
21: Cautious 71: Open 21: Communicate 71: Official 21: Delicate 71: Professional
22: Celebrate 72: Oppose 22: Control 72: Open 22: Desperate 72: Reassuring
23: Change 73: Pain 23: Crazy 73: Oppose 23: Different 73: Regal
24: Charge 74: Path 24: Creepy 74: Passion 24: Dirty 74: Remarkable
25: Communicate 75: Prepare 25: Dangerous 75: Peace 25: Drab 75: Rough
26: Compete 76: Punish 26: Deceive 76: Playful 26: Elegant 76: Rustic
27: Control 77: Pursue 27: Decrease 77: Pleasures 27: Equipment 77: Scar
28: Crazy 78: Rough 28: Defiant 78: Possessions 28: Exotic 78: Scary
29: Cruel 79: Rude 29: Delay 79: Punish 29: Expensive 79: Scented
30: Damage 80: Ruin 30: Disrupt 80: Pursue 30: Extravagant 80: Scholarly
31: Deceive 81: Ruthless 31: Dominate 81: Release 31: Eyewear 81: Short
32: Defend 82: Simple 32: Efficient 82: Return 32: Familiar 82: Simple
33: Defiant 83: Slow 33: Energetic 83: Simple 33: Fancy 83: Sinister
34: Delay 84: Spy 34: Excited 84: Slow 34: Features 84: Small
35: Disrupt 85: Stop 35: Expose 85: Start 35: Feminine 85: Smelly
36: Divide 86: Strange 36: Fearful 86: Stop 36: Festive 86: Stocky
37: Dominate 87: Struggle 37: Feeble 87: Strange 37: Frail 87: Strange
38: Energetic 88: Suppress 38: Fierce 88: Struggle 38: Hair 88: Striking
39: Enthusiastic 89: Swift 39: Fight 89: Swift 39: Hairy 89: Strong
40: Expectation 90: Take 40: Foolish 90: Tactics 40: Headwear 90: Stylish
41: Fearful 91: Technology 41: Frantic 91: Take 41: Heavy 91: Tall
42: Ferocious 92: Threaten 42: Frightening 92: Technology 42: Hurt 92: Tattoo
43: Fierce 93: Trick 43: Generous 93: Threatening 43: Innocent 93: Tools
44: Fight 94: Truce 44: Gentle 94: Trust 44: Insignia 94: Trendy
45: Flee 95: Usurp 45: Harm 95: Violent 45: Intense 95: Unusual
46: Frantic 96: Vehicle 46: Harsh 96: Waste 46: Interesting 96: Very
47: Free 97: Vengeance 47: Hasty 97: Weapons 47: Intimidating 97: Weak
48: Frightening 98: Waste 48: Helpful 98: Wild 48: Jewelry 98: Weapon
49: Harm 99: Weapon 49: Imitate 99: Work 49: Large 99: Wounded
50: Harsh 100: Withdraw 50: Important 100: Yield 50: Lavish 100: Young

203
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
CHARACTER BACKGROUND CHARACTER CONVERSATIONS CHARACTER DESCRIPTORS
1: Abandoned 51: Hard 1: Abuse 51: Ideas 1: Abnormal 51: Foul
2: Abuse 52: Harm 2: Advice 52: Inform 2: Active 52: Frightened
3: Academic 53: Harsh 3: Aggressive 53: Innocent 3: Adventurous 53: Gentle
4: Activity 54: Heal 4: Agree 54: Inquire 4: Aggressive 54: Harmful
5: Adventurous 55: Helped 5: Amusing 55: Intense 5: Agreeable 55: Helpful
6: Adversity 56: Heroic 6: Angry 56: Interesting 6: Ally 56: Heroic
7: Art 57: Humble 7: Anxious 57: Intolerance 7: Ancient 57: Humorous
8: Assist 58: Humiliation 8: Assist 58: Irritating 8: Angry 58: Hurt
9: Average 59: Imprisonment 9: Awkward 59: Joyful 9: Anxious 59: Ignorant
10: Bad 60: Independent 10: Betray 60: Judgmental 10: Armed 60: Impulsive
11: Bizarre 61: Inherit 11: Bizarre 61: Juvenile 11: Aromatic 61: Inept
12: Bleak 62: Injury 12: Bleak 62: Kind 12: Arrogant 62: Informative
13: Bold 63: Injustice 13: Bold 63: Leadership 13: Attractive 63: Intelligent
14: Burden 64: Legal 14: Business 64: Lie 14: Awkward 64: Interesting
15: Business 65: Loss 15: Calm 65: Loud 15: Beautiful 65: Intimidating
16: Care 66: Military 16: Careful 66: Loving 16: Bizarre 66: Intrusive
17: Career 67: Mistake 17: Careless 67: Loyal 17: Bleak 67: Large
18: Chaotic 68: Mundane 18: Cautious 68: Macabre 18: Bold 68: Loud
19: Cheat 69: Nature 19: Cheerful 69: Mature 19: Brave 69: Meek
20: Combat 70: Outsider 20: Classy 70: Meaningful 20: Busy 70: Naive
21: Commitment 71: Person 21: Cold 71: Miserable 21: Calm 71: Old
22: Community 72: Place 22: Colorful 72: Mistrust 22: Capable 72: Passive
23: Competition 73: Poor 23: Combative 73: Mocking 23: Careful 73: Polite
24: Conflict 74: Power 24: Crazy 74: Mundane 24: Careless 74: Poor
25: Control 75: Prestige 25: Creepy 75: Mysterious 25: Caring 75: Powerful
26: Crime 76: Privilege 26: Curious 76: News 26: Cautious 76: Powerless
27: Damaged 77: Pursued 27: Defiant 77: Nice 27: Cheerful 77: Primitive
28: Danger 78: Recruited 28: Delightful 78: Normal 28: Classy 78: Principled
29: Death 79: Religion 29: Disagreeable 79: Odd 29: Clean 79: Quiet
30: Deceive 80: Rural 30: Dispute 80: Offensive 30: Clumsy 80: Respectful
31: Decrease 81: Saved 31: Efficient 81: Official 31: Colorful 81: Rough
32: Defeated 82: Search 32: Energetic 82: Oppose 32: Combative 82: Rude
33: Disaster 83: Seclusion 33: Enthusiastic 83: Peace 33: Commanding 83: Simple
34: Dispute 84: Service 34: Excited 84: Plans 34: Common 84: Skilled
35: Emotion 85: Sheltered 35: Fearful 85: Playful 35: Competitive 85: Slow
36: Environment 86: Skill 36: Fierce 86: Polite 36: Confident 86: Small
37: Escape 87: Strange 37: Foolish 87: Positive 37: Crazy 87: Sneaky
38: Exile 88: Successful 38: Frantic 88: Praise 38: Curious 88: Sophisticated
39: Experience 89: Survival 39: Frightening 89: Quarrelsome 39: Dangerous 89: Strange
40: Failure 90: Tradition 40: Generous 90: Quiet 40: Different 90: Strong
41: Faith 91: Training 41: Gentle 91: Reassuring 41: Difficult 91: Supportive
42: Fame 92: Trauma 42: Glad 92: Refuse 42: Dirty 92: Surprising
43: Family 93: Travel 43: Grateful 93: Rude 43: Disagreeable 93: Sweet
44: Fortunate 94: Urban 44: Haggle 94: Rumor 44: Disciplined 94: Trained
45: Free 95: War 45: Happy 95: Simple 45: Educated 95: Uniformed
46: Freedom 96: Wealth 46: Harsh 96: Threatening 46: Elegant 96: Unusual
47: Friend 97: Wild 47: Hasty 97: Truce 47: Erratic 97: Weak
48: Gifts 98: Work 48: Helpful 98: Trust 48: Exotic 98: Wealthy
49: Good 99: Wounded 49: Helpless 99: Warm 49: Fancy 99: Wild
50: Guided 100: Youth 50: Hopeless 100: Wild 50: Fast 100: Young

204
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
CHARACTER IDENTITY CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS CHARACTER PERSONALITY
1: Abandoned 51: Killer 1: Adventure 51: Intolerance 1: Active 51: Humorous
2: Administrator 52: Laborer 2: Adversity 52: Investment 2: Adventurous 52: Inconsistent
3: Adventurous 53: Lackey 3: Ambition 53: Jealousy 3: Aggressive 53: Independent
4: Adversary 54: Law 4: Anger 54: Joy 4: Agreeable 54: Interesting
5: Advisor 55: Leader 5: Approval 55: Justice 5: Ambitious 55: Intolerant
6: Ally 56: Legal 6: Art 56: Leader 6: Amusing 56: Irresponsible
7: Art 57: Lost 7: Attain 57: Legal 7: Angry 57: Knowledgeable
8: Artist 58: Mechanical 8: Business 58: Loss 8: Annoying 58: Larcenous
9: Assistant 59: Mediator 9: Change 59: Love 9: Anxious 59: Leader
10: Athlete 60: Merchant 10: Character 60: Loyalty 10: Arrogant 60: Likable
11: Authority 61: Messenger 11: Conflict 61: Malice 11: Average 61: Loyal
12: Bureaucrat 62: Military 12: Control 62: Misfortune 12: Awkward 62: Manipulative
13: Business 63: Mundane 13: Create 63: Mistrust 13: Bad 63: Mercurial
14: Combatant 64: Mystery 14: Danger 64: Mundane 14: Bitter 64: Naive
15: Competitor 65: Official 15: Death 65: Mysterious 15: Bold 65: Nervous
16: Controller 66: Organizer 16: Deceive 66: Nature 16: Brave 66: Oblivious
17: Crafter 67: Outsider 17: Destroy 67: Object 17: Calm 67: Obstinate
18: Creator 68: Performer 18: Diminish 68: Obligation 18: Careful 68: Optimistic
19: Criminal 69: Persecutor 19: Disrupt 69: Official 19: Careless 69: Perceptive
20: Deceiver 70: Planner 20: Emotion 70: Oppose 20: Classy 70: Perfectionist
21: Deliverer 71: Pleaser 21: Enemy 71: Pain 21: Cold 71: Practical
22: Dependent 72: Power 22: Environment 72: Passion 22: Collector 72: Prepared
23: Driver/Pilot 73: Prisoner 23: Escape 73: Path 23: Committed 73: Principled
24: Elite 74: Professional 24: Failure 74: Peace 24: Competitive 74: Protect
25: Enemy 75: Protector 25: Fame 75: Physical 25: Confident 75: Quiet
26: Enforcer 76: Public 26: Family 76: Place 26: Control 76: Quirky
27: Engineer 77: Punish 27: Fear 77: Plan 27: Crazy 77: Rash
28: Entertainer 78: Radical 28: Fight 78: Pleasure 28: Creative 78: Rational
29: Executive 79: Religious 29: Find 79: Power 29: Crude 79: Respectful
30: Expert 80: Represent 30: Free 80: Pride 30: Curious 80: Responsible
31: Explorer 81: Rogue 31: Friend 81: Protect 31: Deceptive 81: Restless
32: Family 82: Ruffian 32: Goal 82: Pursue 32: Determined 82: Risk
33: Farmer 83: Ruler 33: Gratify 83: Rare 33: Devoted 83: Rude
34: Fighter 84: Scholar 34: Group 84: Recover 34: Disagreeable 84: Savvy
35: Fixer 85: Scientist 35: Guide 85: Reveal 35: Dull 85: Searching
36: Foreigner 86: Scout 36: Guilt 86: Revenge 36: Emotion 86: Selfish
37: Friend 87: Servant 37: Hate 87: Riches 37: Empathetic 87: Selfless
38: Gambler 88: Socialite 38: Heal 88: Safety 38: Fair 88: Shallow
39: Gatherer 89: Soldier 39: Help 89: Search 39: Fastidious 89: Social
40: Guardian 90: Student 40: Hide 90: Serve 40: Follower 90: Strange
41: Healer 91: Subverter 41: Home 91: Start 41: Foolish 91: Strong
42: Helpless 92: Supporter 42: Hope 92: Stop 42: Friendly 92: Studious
43: Hero 93: Survivor 43: Idea 93: Strange 43: Good 93: Superstitious
44: Hunter 94: Teacher 44: Illness 94: Struggle 44: Gourmet 94: Tolerant
45: Information 95: Thief 45: Important 95: Success 45: Greed 95: Vindictive
46: Innocent 96: Trader 46: Imprison 96: Suffering 46: Haunted 96: Vocal
47: Inspector 97: Victim 47: Increase 97: Support 47: Helpful 97: Wary
48: Intellectual 98: Villain 48: Information 98: Take 48: Honest 98: Weak
49: Investigator 99: Wanderer 49: Innocent 99: Transform 49: Honor 99: Wild
50: Judge 100: Warrior 50: Intellect 100: Travel 50: Humble 100: Wise

205
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
CHARACTER SKILLS CHARACTER TRAITS & FLAWS CITY DESCRIPTORS
1: Activity 51: Invade 1: Academic 51: Leadership 1: Activity 51: Loud
2: Adversity 52: Investigative 2: Adversity 52: Legal 2: Aggressive 52: Magnificent
3: Agility 53: Knowledge 3: Animal 53: Less 3: Aromatic 53: Masses
4: Animals 54: Leadership 4: Assist 54: Lethal 4: Average 54: Meaningful
5: Art 55: Legal 5: Attract 55: Limited 5: Beautiful 55: Mechanical
6: Assist 56: Lethal 6: Beautiful 56: Loyal 6: Bleak 56: Messy
7: Athletic 57: Lie 7: Benefits 57: Mental 7: Block 57: Mighty
8: Attack 58: Master 8: Bestow 58: Military 8: Bridge 58: Military
9: Attain 59: Mechanical 9: Bizarre 59: Misfortune 9: Bustling 59: Miserable
10: Average 60: Medical 10: Block 60: Missing 10: Calm 60: Misfortune
11: Balance 61: Mental 11: Burden 61: Move 11: Chaotic 61: Modern
12: Beginner 62: Military 12: Combat 62: Multi 12: Clean 62: Mountain
13: Bestow 63: Motion 13: Communicate 63: Nature 13: Cold 63: Mundane
14: Block 64: Move 14: Connection 64: Object 14: Colorful 64: Mysterious
15: Business 65: Mundane 15: Control 65: Odd 15: Commerce 65: Nature
16: Change 66: Mysterious 16: Create 66: Old 16: Conflict 66: Odd
17: Combat 67: Nature 17: Criminal 67: Partial 17: Control 67: Old
18: Communicate 68: Normal 18: Damaged 68: Passion 18: Crime 68: Oppress
19: Conflict 69: Obstacles 19: Dangerous 69: Perception 19: Dangerous 69: Opulence
20: Control 70: Official 20: Decrease 70: Physical 20: Dense 70: Peace
21: Create 71: Open 21: Defense 71: Poor 21: Developed 71: Poor
22: Criminal 72: Oppose 22: Delicate 72: Possessions 22: Dirty 72: Powerful
23: Damage 73: Perception 23: Different 73: Power 23: Efficient 73: Protected
24: Danger 74: Practical 24: Dominate 74: Principles 24: Energy 74: Public
25: Deceit 75: Professional 25: Driven 75: Public 25: Enormous 75: Quiet
26: Decrease 76: Ranged 26: Emotion 76: Rare 26: Environment 76: Rare
27: Defense 77: Release 27: Enemy 77: Remarkable 27: Extravagant 77: Reassuring
28: Develop 78: Rogue 28: Energy 78: Resistant 28: Festive 78: Remarkable
29: Dispute 79: Ruin 29: Environment 79: Resource 29: Flawless 79: River
30: Disrupt 80: Simple 30: Failure 80: Rich 30: Frightening 80: Rough
31: Domestic 81: Social 31: Fame 81: Sense 31: Government 81: Ruined
32: Dominate 82: Specialist 32: Familiar 82: Skill 32: Happy 82: Rustic
33: Driving 83: Start 33: Fast 83: Small 33: Harsh 83: Simple
34: Elements 84: Stop 34: Feeble 84: Social 34: Healthy 84: Small
35: Energy 85: Strange 35: Flawless 85: Specialized 35: Helpful 85: Sparse
36: Environment 86: Strength 36: Focused 86: Spirit 36: Hills 86: Structures
37: Experienced 87: Struggle 37: Fortunate 87: Strange 37: History 87: Struggle
38: Expert 88: Suppress 38: Friends 88: Strong 38: Illness 88: Success
39: Fight 89: Take 39: Good 89: Suffering 39: Important 89: Suffering
40: Free 90: Technology 40: Healthy 90: Technical 40: Impressive 90: Technology
41: Guide 91: Transform 41: Illness 91: Technology 41: Industry 91: Tension
42: Harm 92: Travel 42: Impaired 92: Tough 42: Interesting 92: Travel
43: Heal 93: Trick 43: Increase 93: Travel 43: Intrigues 93: Troubled
44: Health 94: Usurp 44: Information 94: Trouble 44: Isolated 94: Valuable
45: Increase 95: Vehicle 45: Inspect 95: Trustworthy 45: Lacking 95: Warm
46: Inform 96: Violence 46: Intellect 96: Unusual 46: Lake 96: Water
47: Information 97: Water 47: Intense 97: Very 47: Large 97: Weak
48: Inquire 98: Weapon 48: Interesting 98: Weak 48: Lavish 98: Weather
49: Inspect 99: Weather 49: Lacking 99: Weapon 49: Leadership 99: Wild
50: Intellect 100: Wounds 50: Large 100: Young 50: Liberty 100: Work

206
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
CIVILIZATION DESCRIPTORS CREATURE ABILITIES CREATURE DESCRIPTORS
1: Active 51: Happy 1: Ambush 51: Imprison 1: Aggressive 51: Mammalian
2: Advanced 52: Healthy 2: Animate 52: Increase 2: Agile 52: Mandibles
3: Adventurous 53: Helpful 3: Armor 53: Intelligent 3: Air 53: Masculine
4: Aggressive 54: Helpless 4: Arrive 54: Itself 4: Alien 54: Mechanical
5: Agricultural 55: Historical 5: Attach 55: Lethal 5: Amorphous 55: Metallic
6: Ancient 56: Important 6: Attack 56: Light 6: Animal 56: Movement
7: Angry 57: Industrial 7: Attract 57: Limited 7: Aquatic 57: Multiple
8: Anxious 58: Influential 8: Bite 58: Mind 8: Armored 58: Mutant
9: Artistic 59: Intolerant 9: Block 59: Move 9: Avian 59: Natural
10: Average 60: Large 10: Blunt 60: Multiple 10: Beast 60: Nature
11: Beautiful 61: Lawful 11: Break 61: Natural 11: Beautiful 61: Nightmarish
12: Bizarre 62: Lawless 12: Breath 62: Normal 12: Body 62: Object
13: Bleak 63: Magnificent 13: Carry 63: Open 13: Bony 63: Odorous
14: Bold 64: Mighty 14: Change 64: Others 14: Carapace 64: Passive
15: Bureaucratic 65: Militaristic 15: Climb 65: Paralyze 15: Clawed 65: Plant
16: Carefree 66: Miserable 16: Cold 66: Physical 16: Clothed 66: Reptilian
17: Careful 67: Modern 17: Common 67: Pierce 17: Cold 67: Robotic
18: Careless 68: Mundane 18: Communicate 68: Poison 18: Color 68: Rooted
19: Cautious 69: Mysterious 19: Conceal 69: Power 19: Composite 69: Rough
20: Classy 70: Old 20: Contact 70: Protection 20: Constructed 70: Shape
21: Clean 71: Open 21: Control 71: Proximity 21: Decayed 71: Shifting
22: Colorful 72: Oppressive 22: Create 72: Pursue 22: Defensive 72: Silent
23: Combative 73: Peaceful 23: Damage 73: Ranged 23: Dripping 73: Simple
24: Commercial 74: Polite 24: Dark 74: Rechargeable 24: Elements 74: Slender
25: Competitive 75: Poor 25: Death 75: Resistance 25: Exotic 75: Small
26: Constructive 76: Powerful 26: Deceive 76: Self-Sufficient 26: Extra Limbs 76: Solitary
27: Controlling 77: Primitive 27: Decrease 77: Senses 27: Fangs 77: Spider-like
28: Crazy 78: Punitive 28: Defense 78: Skill 28: Feminine 78: Spiked
29: Creative 79: Quaint 29: Depower 79: Sleep 29: Feral 79: Steaming
30: Creepy 80: Religious 30: Detect 80: Speed 30: Filthy 80: Sticky
31: Cruel 81: Ruined 31: Disrupt 81: Spy 31: Fire 81: Stinger
32: Curious 82: Rustic 32: Distract 82: Stealth 32: Fungal 82: Strange
33: Dangerous 83: Ruthless 33: Dominate 83: Stop 33: Furry 83: Strong
34: Declining 84: Scary 34: Drain 84: Strange 34: Gaunt 84: Supernatural
35: Defiant 85: Simple 35: Element 85: Stun 35: Glowing 85: Tail
36: Delightful 86: Small 36: Energy 86: Substance 36: Group 86: Tentacled
37: Developed 87: Strange 37: Enhanced 87: Summon 37: Growling 87: Tongue
38: Disagreeable 88: Strong 38: Entangle 88: Suppress 38: Healthy 88: Toothy
39: Distrustful 89: Struggling 39: Environment 89: Swim 39: Horns 89: Transparent
40: Dominant 90: Successful 40: Extra 90: Take 40: Humanoid 90: Tree-like
41: Dull 91: Suffering 41: Fear 91: Telepathy 41: Inscribed 91: Twisted
42: Efficient 92: Suppressed 42: Fight 92: Touch 42: Insect-like 92: Undead
43: Expanding 93: Suspicious 43: Fire 93: Transform 43: Insubstantial 93: Unnatural
44: Failed 94: Treacherous 44: Flight 94: Travel 44: Intelligent 94: Verbal
45: Famous 95: Warlike 45: Harm 95: Trick 45: Intimidating 95: Warm
46: Fearful 96: Weak 46: Heal 96: Uncommon 46: Large 96: Weak
47: Festive 97: Wealthy 47: Illness 97: Vision 47: Levitating 97: Weapon
48: Free 98: Welcoming 48: Illusion 98: Vulnerable 48: Limited 98: Wings
49: Generous 99: Wild 49: Imitate 99: Weak 49: Liquid 99: Wooden
50: Greedy 100: Young 50: Immune 100: Weapon 50: Loud 100: Wormish

207
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
CRYPTIC MESSAGE CURSES DOMICILE DESCRIPTORS
1: Abandoned 51: Language 1: Abandon 51: Home 1: Abandoned 51: Magnificent
2: Activity 52: Leadership 2: Age 52: Illness 2: Activity 52: Mechanical
3: Adventure 53: Legal 3: Attract 53: Illusions 3: Animal 53: Messy
4: Adversity 54: Legend 4: Bad 54: Imprison 4: Aromatic 54: Modern
5: Advice 55: Liberty 5: Beauty 55: Incapacity 5: Art 55: Mundane
6: Allies 56: Lies 6: Betray 56: Information 6: Average 56: Mysterious
7: Anger 57: Lost 7: Bizarre 57: Intellect 7: Beautiful 57: Natural
8: Bestow 58: Love 8: Block 58: Ironic 8: Bizarre 58: Neat
9: Betray 59: Malice 9: Body 59: Jealously 9: Bleak 59: Neglected
10: Bizarre 60: Messy 10: Break 60: Joy 10: Busy 60: Nondescript
11: Bleak 61: Misfortune 11: Burden 61: Legal 11: Classy 61: Normal
12: Business 62: Mistrust 12: Business 62: Lethal 12: Clean 62: Occupied
13: Care 63: Move 13: Change 63: Liberty 13: Cluttered 63: Odd
14: Colorful 64: Mundane 14: Compel 64: Limit 14: Cold 64: Open
15: Communicate 65: Mysterious 15: Condemn 65: Lonely 15: Colorful 65: Oppressive
16: Conflict 66: Neglect 16: Conflict 66: Love 16: Comfort 66: Opulent
17: Creepy 67: Normal 17: Create 67: Luck 17: Common 67: Organized
18: Damaged 68: Obscured 18: Creepy 68: Malice 18: Cramped 68: Plants
19: Danger 69: Official 19: Cruel 69: Meaningful 19: Creepy 69: Poor
20: Death 70: Old 20: Danger 70: Miserable 20: Crowded 70: Portal
21: Deceive 71: Oppose 21: Death 71: Misfortune 21: Customized 71: Possessions
22: Defiant 72: Partial 22: Decrease 72: Mistrust 22: Cute 72: Private
23: Dispute 73: Passion 23: Delay 73: Mock 23: Damaged 73: Protection
24: Divide 74: Plans 24: Disrupt 74: Move 24: Dangerous 74: Quaint
25: Emotions 75: Possessions 25: Divide 75: Mundane 25: Dark 75: Reassuring
26: Enemies 76: Power 26: Dominate 76: Mysterious 26: Desolate 76: Roomy
27: Environment 77: Propose 27: Dreams 77: Nature 27: Different 77: Rough
28: Evil 78: Punish 28: Elements 78: Neglect 28: Dirty 78: Ruined
29: Expose 79: Pursue 29: Emotions 79: Old 29: Disagreeable 79: Rustic
30: Failure 80: Rare 30: Enemies 80: Oppress 30: Drab 80: Scary
31: Fame 81: Reassuring 31: Energy 81: Pain 31: Dull 81: Secure
32: Fear 82: Recipient 32: Environment 82: Passion 32: Empty 82: Security
33: Fight 83: Reveal 33: Evil 83: Peace 33: Enormous 83: Simple
34: Frantic 84: Riches 34: Failure 84: Permanent 34: Expected 84: Sleep
35: Free 85: Riddle 35: Fame 85: Possessions 35: Extravagant 85: Small
36: Friendship 86: Rumor 36: Family 86: Punish 36: Faded 86: Smelly
37: Goals 87: Secret 37: Fate 87: Pursue 37: Fancy 87: Sparse
38: Good 88: Start 38: Fear 88: Riches 38: Festive 88: Storage
39: Guide 89: Stop 39: Feeble 89: Ruin 39: Food 89: Strange
40: Harm 90: Strange 40: Fight 90: Senses 40: Frightening 90: Temporary
41: Help 91: Struggle 41: Friends 91: Separate 41: Full 91: Thoughtful
42: Helpful 92: Success 42: Frightening 92: Start 42: Home 92: Tidy
43: Hidden 93: Tension 43: Goals 93: Stop 43: Investment 93: Tools
44: Hope 94: Threaten 44: Good 94: Strange 44: Inviting 94: Tranquil
45: Horrible 95: Truce 45: Gratify 95: Struggle 45: Lacking 95: Upgrade
46: Important 96: Trust 46: Guide 96: Success 46: Large 96: Utilitarian
47: Information 97: Unknown 47: Happiness 97: Temporary 47: Lavish 97: Valuables
48: Innocent 98: Vengeance 48: Harm 98: Vengeance 48: Less 98: View
49: Instruction 99: Violence 49: Health 99: Violence 49: Light 99: Warm
50: Intrigues 100: Warning 50: Helpless 100: Weapon 50: Loud 100: Water

208
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
DUNGEON DESCRIPTORS DUNGEON TRAPS FOREST DESCRIPTORS
1: Abandoned 51: Large 1: Aggressive 51: Fire 1: Adversity 51: Lethal
2: Activity 52: Lavish 2: Allies 52: Floor 2: Aggressive 52: Loud
3: Adversity 53: Lethal 3: Ambush 53: Frightening 3: Ambush 53: Magnificent
4: Ambush 54: Light 4: Animals 54: Harm 4: Ancient 54: Majestic
5: Ancient 55: Magnificent 5: Animate 55: Heat 5: Animal 55: Masses
6: Animal 56: Malice 6: Antagonize 56: Heavy 6: Aromatic 56: Mature
7: Aromatic 57: Meaningful 7: Aromatic 57: Helpless 7: Art 57: Message
8: Art 58: Mechanical 8: Art 58: Horrible 8: Assist 58: Mighty
9: Beautiful 59: Messages 9: Attach 59: Illusion 9: Average 59: Mundane
10: Bizarre 60: Messy 10: Attention 60: Imprison 10: Beautiful 60: Mysterious
11: Bleak 61: Mighty 11: Attract 61: Lethal 11: Bizarre 61: Natural
12: Chamber 62: Military 12: Balance 62: Loud 12: Bleak 62: Nature
13: Clean 63: Misfortune 13: Beautiful 63: Lure 13: Block 63: Nondescript
14: Closed 64: Modern 14: Bestow 64: Magic 14: Boulder 64: Normal
15: Cold 65: Mundane 15: Betray 65: Mechanical 15: Cave 65: Odd
16: Collapsed 66: Mysterious 16: Bizarre 66: Mental 16: Chaotic 66: Old
17: Colorful 67: Natural 17: Blades 67: Messy 17: Cliff 67: Path
18: Creature 68: Neglect 18: Break 68: Monster 18: Cold 68: Peaceful
19: Creepy 69: Normal 19: Ceiling 69: Natural 19: Colorful 69: Plants
20: Damaged 70: Object 20: Change 70: Object 20: Combative 70: Pond
21: Danger 71: Occupied 21: Choice 71: Odd 21: Communicate 71: Possessions
22: Dark 72: Odd 22: Climb 72: Old 22: Creepy 72: Powerful
23: Desolate 73: Open 23: Cloud 73: Pain 23: Damaged 73: Pursue
24: Dirty 74: Passage 24: Cold 74: Plants 24: Danger 74: Quiet
25: Door 75: Path 25: Colorful 75: Portal 25: Dark 75: Rare
26: Dry 76: Portal 26: Combative 76: Possessions 26: Death 76: Reassuring
27: Elements 77: Possessions 27: Communicate 77: Prison 27: Delicate 77: Remarkable
28: Empty 78: Quiet 28: Confuse 78: Projectile 28: Dry 78: River
29: Encounter 79: Rare 29: Constrain 79: Riddle 29: Elements 79: Rocks
30: Enemies 80: Reassuring 30: Control 80: Scary 30: Encounter 80: Rough
31: Enormous 81: Remarkable 31: Create 81: Simple 31: Enormous 81: Ruined
32: Evil 82: Riches 32: Creepy 82: Sounds 32: Environment 82: Scary
33: Exit 83: Room 33: Crush 83: Stab 33: Fearful 83: Simple
34: Extravagant 84: Rough 34: Damaged 84: Stop 34: Feeble 84: Slope
35: Faded 85: Ruined 35: Danger 85: Strange 35: Fierce 85: Small
36: Familiar 86: Rustic 36: Dark 86: Strangle 36: Food 86: Sounds
37: Fancy 87: Scary 37: Deceive 87: Suppress 37: Fortunate 87: Strange
38: Fears 88: Simple 38: Delay 88: Take 38: Fresh 88: Strong
39: Foreboding 89: Small 39: Deprive 89: Toxin 39: Harsh 89: Threatening
40: Full 90: Smelly 40: Disrupt 90: Transform 40: Healthy 90: Tranquil
41: Furnishings 91: Sound 41: Divide 91: Transport 41: Helpful 91: Tree
42: Gate 92: Stairs 42: Door 92: Treasure 42: Important 92: Unusual
43: Good 93: Stonework 43: Drop 93: Trials 43: Information 93: Valuable
44: Harm 94: Technology 44: Duplicate 94: Trigger 44: Intense 94: Violent
45: Heavy 95: Trap 45: Elaborate 95: Unleash 45: Interesting 95: Warm
46: Helpful 96: Treasure 46: Enemies 96: Wall 46: Lacking 96: Watery
47: Hole 97: Unnatural 47: Energy 97: Warning 47: Lake 97: Weak
48: Important 98: Valuable 48: Fall 98: Water 48: Large 98: Weather
49: Information 99: Warm 49: Fear 99: Weapon 49: Lean 99: Wild
50: Interesting 100: Watery 50: Fight 100: Wound 50: Ledge 100: Young

209
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
GODS LEGENDS LOCATIONS
1: Active 51: Good 1: Abandon 51: Hero 1: Abandoned 51: Lively
2: Alien 52: Guide 2: Allies 52: Hidden 2: Active 52: Lonely
3: Ancient 53: Harm 3: Anger 53: Historical 3: Artistic 53: Long
4: Angelic 54: Harsh 4: Assist 54: Illness 4: Atmosphere 54: Loud
5: Angry 55: Heal 5: Attainment 55: Important 5: Beautiful 55: Meaningful
6: Animal 56: Humanoid 6: Befriend 56: Imprison 6: Bleak 56: Messy
7: Art 57: Illness 7: Bestow 57: Increase 7: Bright 57: Mobile
8: Assist 58: Imprison 8: Betray 58: Inform 8: Business 58: Modern
9: Attract 59: Increase 9: Bizarre 59: Innocent 9: Calm 59: Mundane
10: Beautiful 60: Jealous 10: Block 60: Intrigue 10: Charming 60: Mysterious
11: Bestow 61: Justice 11: Brave 61: Jealousy 11: Clean 61: Natural
12: Betray 62: Knowledge 12: Break 62: Judge 12: Cluttered 62: New
13: Bizarre 63: Liberty 13: Burden 63: Leadership 13: Cold 63: Occupied
14: Capricious 64: Life 14: Carelessness 64: Legal 14: Colorful 64: Odd
15: Colorful 65: Light 15: Cataclysm 65: Lethal 15: Colorless 65: Official
16: Combat 66: Love 16: Caution 66: Liberty 16: Confusing 66: Old
17: Communicate 67: Magic 17: Change 67: Loss 17: Cramped 67: Open
18: Conflict 68: Majestic 18: Conflict 68: Love 18: Creepy 68: Peaceful
19: Control 69: Major 19: Control 69: Loyalty 19: Crude 69: Personal
20: Corruption 70: Malice 20: Create 70: Masses 20: Cute 70: Plain
21: Cosmic 71: Masculine 21: Crisis 71: Mighty 21: Damaged 71: Portal
22: Create 72: Mighty 22: Damage 72: Military 22: Dangerous 72: Protected
23: Creepy 73: Military 23: Danger 73: Misfortune 23: Dark 73: Protection
24: Cruel 74: Minor 24: Deceive 74: Monster 24: Delightful 74: Purposeful
25: Cult 75: Monstrous 25: Decrease 75: Move 25: Dirty 75: Quiet
26: Dangerous 76: Mundane 26: Defeated 76: Mundane 26: Domestic 76: Reassuring
27: Dark 77: Mysterious 27: Defiant 77: Mysterious 27: Empty 77: Remote
28: Death 78: Nature 28: Delay 78: Natural 28: Enclosed 78: Resourceful
29: Deceit 79: Night 29: Disrupt 79: Old 29: Enormous 79: Ruined
30: Destroyer 80: Oppress 30: Divide 80: Oppose 30: Entrance 80: Rustic
31: Disgusting 81: Pleasures 31: Elements 81: Oppress 31: Exclusive 81: Safe
32: Dominate 82: Power 32: End 82: Peace 32: Exposed 82: Services
33: Dreams 83: Protector 33: Enemies 83: Plot 33: Extravagant 83: Simple
34: Elements 84: Punish 34: Energy 84: Possessions 34: Familiar 84: Small
35: Emotions 85: Ruler 35: Evil 85: Power 35: Fancy 85: Spacious
36: Enemies 86: Sacrifice 36: Expose 86: Punish 36: Festive 86: Storage
37: Energy 87: Strange 37: Failure 87: Pursue 37: Foreboding 87: Strange
38: Enormous 88: Strong 38: Fame 88: Release 38: Fortunate 88: Stylish
39: Evil 89: Suppress 39: Fear 89: Return 39: Fragrant 89: Suspicious
40: Feminine 90: Threatening 40: Fight 90: Riches 40: Frantic 90: Tall
41: Fallen 91: Transform 41: Find 91: Ruin 41: Frightening 91: Threatening
42: Fear 92: Underworld 42: Free 92: Savior 42: Full 92: Tranquil
43: Fertility 93: Violent 43: Friendship 93: Stop 43: Harmful 93: Unexpected
44: Festive 94: War 44: Frightening 94: Strange 44: Helpful 94: Unpleasant
45: Fire 95: Warm 45: Good 95: Struggle 45: Horrible 95: Unusual
46: Frightening 96: Water 46: Guide 96: Theft 46: Important 96: Useful
47: Generous 97: Weak 47: Harm 97: Trust 47: Impressive 97: Warm
48: Gentle 98: Weapon 48: Heal 98: Usurp 48: Inactive 98: Warning
49: Gifts 99: Weather 49: Help 99: Vengeance 49: Intense 99: Watery
50: Glorious 100: Worshiped 50: Helpless 100: Villain 50: Intriguing 100: Welcoming

210
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
MAGIC ITEM DESCRIPTORS MUTATION DESCRIPTORS NAMES
1: Animal 51: Imitate 1: Agility 51: Imprison 1: A 51: Location
2: Animate 52: Increase 2: Animal 52: Increase 2: Action 52: Ly
3: Area 53: Information 3: Appearance 53: Information 3: Ah 53: Mah
4: Armor 54: Inhibit 4: Armor 54: Inspect 4: Ahg 54: Military
5: Assist 55: Instant 5: Assist 55: Large 5: An 55: Misdeed
6: Attack 56: Jewelry 6: Attach 56: Learn 6: Animal 56: N
7: Attract 57: Lethal 7: Attack 57: Lethal 7: Ar 57: Nah
8: Benefit 58: Life 8: Benefit 58: Limb 8: As 58: Nature
9: Bestow 59: Light 9: Bestow 59: Limit 9: B 59: Nee
10: Block 60: Limited 10: Bizarre 60: Mental 10: Bah 60: Nn
11: Book 61: Liquid 11: Block 61: Messy 11: Be 61: Number
12: Change 62: Mental 12: Body 62: Move 12: Bih 62: Occupation
13: Clothing 63: Monster 13: Change 63: Nature 13: Brah 63: Oh
14: Cloud 64: Multi 14: Claws 64: Pain 14: Col 64: On
15: Cold 65: Nature 15: Color 65: Partial 15: Color 65: Or
16: Communication 66: Object 16: Combat 66: Power 16: Cor 66: Orn
17: Container 67: Orb 17: Communicate 67: Projectile 17: Dah 67: Oth
18: Control 68: Others 18: Conceal 68: Protection 18: Deeds 68: Ow
19: Create 69: Physical 19: Constrain 69: Ranged 19: Del 69: Ph
20: Curse 70: Plants 20: Control 70: Recharge 20: Drah 70: Pr
21: Damage 71: Poison 21: Create 71: Release 21: Eee 71: R
22: Death 72: Potion 22: Damage 72: Replace 22: Eh 72: Rah
23: Deceit 73: Power 23: Deceive 73: Requirement 23: Ei 73: Ren
24: Decrease 74: Ranged 24: Decrease 74: Resistance 24: Ell 74: Sah
25: Defense 75: Resistance 25: Defect 75: Restore 25: Elements 75: Se
26: Destroy 76: Restore 26: Defense 76: Reveal 26: Emotion 76: Sh
27: Detect 77: Ring 27: Deformed 77: Scary 27: Ess 77: Sha
28: Dimensions 78: Rope 28: Detect 78: Senses 28: Est 78: T
29: Elements 79: Rune 29: Diminish 79: Simple 29: Et 79: Ta
30: Emotion 80: Safety 30: Disrupt 80: Skill 30: Fah 80: Tal
31: Energy 81: Scroll 31: Dominate 81: Stop 31: Fer 81: Tar
32: Enhance 82: Self 32: Elements 82: Strange 32: Fi 82: Th
33: Environment 83: Senses 33: Energy 83: Strength 33: Floral 83: Thah
34: Escape 84: Skill 34: Enhance 84: Strong 34: Gah 84: Thoh
35: Evil 85: Special 35: Environment 85: Struggle 35: Go 85: Ti
36: Explode 86: Speed 36: Expose 86: Suffer 36: Grah 86: Time
37: Fear 87: Spell 37: Extra 87: Suppress 37: Hee 87: Tor
38: Fire 88: Staff 38: Eyes 88: Surroundings 38: Ia 88: Uh
39: Flight 89: Strange 39: Fear 89: Survive 39: Ick 89: Va
40: Food 90: Summon 40: Fight 90: Swim 40: In 90: Vah
41: Gem 91: Sword 41: Fly 91: Toxic 41: Iss 91: Ve
42: Good 92: Tool 42: Free 92: Transform 42: Je 92: Vice
43: Group 93: Transform 43: Harm 93: Travel 43: Ke 93: Virtue
44: Harm 94: Trap 44: Heal 94: Usurp 44: Jen 94: Wah
45: Heal 95: Travel 45: Health 95: Violence 45: Kha 95: Wr
46: Health 96: Useful 46: Heat 96: Vulnerability 46: Kr 96: X
47: Helpful 97: Utility 47: Helpful 97: Warm 47: Lah 97: Y
48: Illness 98: Wand 48: Horrible 98: Weak 48: Lee 98: Yah
49: Illusion 99: Water 49: Imitate 99: Weapon 49: Len 99: Yuh
50: Imbue 100: Weapon 50: Immunity 100: Wound 50: Lin 100: Z

211
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
NOBLE HOUSE OBJECTS PLOT TWISTS
1: Aggressive 51: Malice 1: Active 51: Information 1: Action 51: Location
2: Allies 52: Mighty 2: Artistic 52: Intriguing 2: Attack 52: Lucky
3: Anger 53: Military 3: Average 53: Large 3: Bad 53: Mental
4: Bestow 54: Misfortune 4: Beautiful 54: Lethal 4: Barrier 54: Missing
5: Betray 55: Move 5: Bizarre 55: Light 5: Betray 55: Mundane
6: Bizarre 56: Mysterious 6: Bright 56: Liquid 6: Business 56: Mystery
7: Block 57: Neglect 7: Clothing 57: Loud 7: Change 57: Necessary
8: Break 58: Old 8: Clue 58: Majestic 8: Character 58: News
9: Bureaucracy 59: Oppose 9: Cold 59: Meaningful 9: Conclude 59: Object
10: Cautious 60: Oppress 10: Colorful 60: Mechanical 10: Conditional 60: Oppose
11: Change 61: Overthrow 11: Communication 61: Modern 11: Conflict 61: Outcast
12: Commerce 62: Passion 12: Complicated 62: Moving 12: Connection 62: Overcome
13: Compromise 63: Peace 13: Confusing 63: Multiple 13: Consequence 63: Past
14: Conflict 64: Persecute 14: Consumable 64: Mundane 14: Control 64: Peace
15: Connections 65: Plans 15: Container 65: Mysterious 15: Danger 65: Personal
16: Control 66: Politics 16: Creepy 66: Natural 16: Death 66: Persuade
17: Create 67: Possessions 17: Crude 67: New 17: Delay 67: Physical
18: Crisis 68: Powerful 18: Cute 68: Odd 18: Destroy 68: Plan
19: Cruel 69: Public 19: Damaged 69: Official 19: Diminish 69: Power
20: Dangerous 70: Refuse 20: Dangerous 70: Old 20: Disaster 70: Prepare
21: Death 71: Release 21: Deactivated 71: Ornamental 21: Discover 71: Problem
22: Deceit 72: Remarkable 22: Deliberate 72: Ornate 22: Emotion 72: Promise
23: Defeat 73: Return 23: Delightful 73: Personal 23: Enemy 73: Protect
24: Defiant 74: Riches 24: Desired 74: Powerful 24: Enhance 74: Public
25: Disrupt 75: Royalty 25: Domestic 75: Prized 25: Enter 75: Pursue
26: Enemies 76: Ruthless 26: Empty 76: Protection 26: Escape 76: Rare
27: Extravagant 77: Secret 27: Energy 77: Rare 27: Evidence 77: Remote
28: Faded 78: Security 28: Enormous 78: Ready 28: Failure 78: Repair
29: Fame 79: Servant 29: Equipment 79: Reassuring 29: Family 79: Repeat
30: Family 80: Spy 30: Expected 80: Resource 30: Free 80: Require
31: Headquarters 81: Strange 31: Expended 81: Ruined 31: Friend 81: Rescue
32: Heirloom 82: Strong 32: Extravagant 82: Small 32: Good 82: Resource
33: Hero 83: Struggle 33: Faded 83: Soft 33: Group 83: Response
34: History 84: Succession 34: Familiar 84: Solitary 34: Harm 84: Reveal
35: Home 85: Suffering 35: Fancy 85: Stolen 35: Headquarters 85: Revenge
36: Important 86: Suppress 36: Flora 86: Strange 36: Help 86: Reversal
37: Imprison 87: Tactics 37: Fortunate 87: Stylish 37: Helpless 87: Reward
38: Increase 88: Tension 38: Fragile 88: Threatening 38: Hidden 88: Skill
39: Information 89: Travel 39: Fragrant 89: Tool 39: Idea 89: Social
40: Intrigue 90: Trust 40: Frightening 90: Travel 40: Immediate 90: Solution
41: Investment 91: Usurp 41: Garbage 91: Unexpected 41: Impending 91: Strange
42: Land 92: Valuable 42: Guidance 92: Unpleasant 42: Important 92: Success
43: Large 93: Vengeance 43: Hard 93: Unusual 43: Incapacitate 93: Tension
44: Leadership 94: Victory 44: Harmful 94: Useful 44: Information 94: Trap
45: Legal 95: Violence 45: Healing 95: Useless 45: Injustice 95: Travel
46: Leverage 96: War 46: Heavy 96: Valuable 46: Leader 96: Unknown
47: Liberty 97: Weak 47: Helpful 97: Warm 47: Legal 97: Unlikely
48: Love 98: Wealth 48: Horrible 98: Weapon 48: Lethal 98: Unusual
49: Loyal 99: Weapon 49: Important 99: Wet 49: Lie 99: Urgent
50: Magnificent 100: Young 50: Inactive 100: Worn 50: Limit 100: Useful

212
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
POWERS SCAVENGING RESULTS SMELLS
1: Absorb 51: Heat 1: Abundance 51: Lean 1: Acrid 51: Malodorous
2: Adversity 52: Help 2: Activity 52: Less 2: Animal 52: Meaningful
3: Alter 53: Hide 3: Adversity 53: Lethal 3: Antiseptic 53: Medicinal
4: Animate 54: Illusion 4: Allies 54: Mechanical 4: Aromatic 54: Metallic
5: Assist 55: Imbue 5: Animal 55: Medicinal 5: Artificial 55: Mildew
6: Attach 56: Immunity 6: Art 56: Messy 6: Attractive 56: Moist
7: Attack 57: Increase 7: Barrier 57: Misfortune 7: Bad 57: Mossy
8: Block 58: Information 8: Beauty 58: Mundane 8: Bizarre 58: Musky
9: Body 59: Life 9: Bizarre 59: Mysterious 9: Burnt 59: Musty
10: Change 60: Light 10: Bleak 60: Nature 10: Chemical 60: Mysterious
11: Chemical 61: Limb 11: Broken 61: New 11: Clean 61: Natural
12: Cold 62: Limited 12: Clean 62: Normal 12: Comforting 62: Nature
13: Colorful 63: Location 13: Clothes 63: Odd 13: Cooking 63: Nauseating
14: Combat 64: Magic 14: Comfort 64: Official 14: Decrepit 64: Normal
15: Combine 65: Major 15: Communicate 65: Old 15: Delicious 65: Odd
16: Communicate 66: Manipulate 16: Competition 66: Open 16: Delightful 66: Odorless
17: Control 67: Matter 17: Concealment 67: Opposition 17: Dirty 67: Offensive
18: Cosmetic 68: Mental 18: Conflict 68: Pain 18: Disagreeable 68: Overpowering
19: Create 69: Minor 19: Container 69: Peace 19: Disgusting 69: Perfumed
20: Creature 70: Natural 20: Control 70: Pleasures 20: Dry 70: Pleasurable
21: Damage 71: Nature 21: Crisis 71: Portal 21: Dull 71: Powerful
22: Dark 72: Object 22: Damaged 72: Possessions 22: Earthy 72: Pungent
23: Death 73: Others 23: Danger 73: Protection 23: Electrical 73: Punishing
24: Deceive 74: Physical 24: Death 74: Reassuring 24: Evocative 74: Putrid
25: Defense 75: Plants 25: Dirty 75: Repairable 25: Faded 75: Rancid
26: Delay 76: Poison 26: Disagreeable 76: Rotten 26: Faint 76: Reassuring
27: Destroy 77: Power 27: Disgusting 77: Rough 27: Familiar 77: Reek
28: Detect 78: Protect 28: Dispute 78: Ruined 28: Fetid 78: Rich
29: Dimensions 79: Radius 29: Drink 79: Scary 29: Fishy 79: Ripe
30: Diminish 80: Ranged 30: Elements 80: Shelter 30: Floral 80: Rot
31: Disrupt 81: Reflect 31: Empty 81: Simple 31: Food 81: Rotten
32: Distance 82: Repel 32: Enemies 82: Small 32: Foul 82: Savory
33: Dominate 83: Resistance 33: Energy 83: Smelly 33: Fragrant 83: Smelly
34: Duplicate 84: Reveal 34: Extravagance 84: Strange 34: Fresh 84: Smokey
35: Electricity 85: Self 35: Failure 85: Struggle 35: Fruity 85: Sour
36: Elements 86: Sense 36: Fear 86: Success 36: Funky 86: Stagnant
37: Emission 87: Skill 37: Fight 87: Supply 37: Good 87: Stale
38: Emotion 88: Spirit 38: Food 88: Technology 38: Grassy 88: Stench
39: Enemies 89: Stealth 39: Fresh 89: Tool 39: Gratifying 89: Stinging
40: Energy 90: Strange 40: Friendship 90: Travel 40: Heady 90: Strange
41: Enhance 91: Summon 41: Fuel 91: Triumph 41: Heavy 91: Strong
42: Environment 92: Switch 42: Good 92: Trouble 42: Herbal 92: Stuffy
43: Explosion 93: Take 43: Health 93: Useless 43: Horrible 93: Sulphuric
44: Extra 94: Technology 44: Helpful 94: Valuable 44: Humid 94: Sweet
45: Fire 95: Time 45: Hope 95: Vehicle 45: Industrial 95: Warm
46: Flight 96: Transform 46: Important 96: Victory 46: Interesting 96: Waste
47: Free 97: Trap 47: Information 97: Violence 47: Intoxicating 97: Watery
48: Friend 98: Travel 48: Joy 98: Warm 48: Irritating 98: Weak
49: Harm 99: Weapon 49: Large 99: Waste 49: Lacking 99: Weather
50: Heal 100: Weather 50: Lavish 100: Weapon 50: Laden 100: Woody

213
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
SOUNDS SPELL EFFECTS STARSHIP DESCRIPTORS
1: Activity 51: Intense 1: Animal 51: Heal 1: Activity 51: Magnificent
2: Alarm 52: Interesting 2: Animate 52: Helpful 2: Adversity 52: Maintenance
3: Animal 53: Irritating 3: Assist 53: Ice 3: Assist 53: Meaningful
4: Approach 54: Loud 4: Attack 54: Illusion 4: Automated 54: Mechanical
5: Banging 55: Machinery 5: Attract 55: Imbue 5: Battle 55: Message
6: Battle 56: Meaningful 6: Bestow 56: Immunity 6: Beautiful 56: Messy
7: Beep 57: Metallic 7: Bizarre 57: Imprison 7: Bestow 57: Mighty
8: Bell 58: Muffled 8: Block 58: Information 8: Bleak 58: Military
9: Beseeching 59: Multiple 9: Break 59: Inspect 9: Block 59: Modern
10: Bizarre 60: Music 10: Bright 60: Life 10: Bright 60: Multiple
11: Burning 61: Mysterious 11: Burn 61: Light 11: Business 61: Mundane
12: Busy 62: Natural 12: Change 62: Limitation 12: Clean 62: Mysterious
13: Calm 63: Near 13: Cloud 63: Liquid 13: Cold 63: Natural
14: Ceaseless 64: Noisy 14: Cold 64: Loud 14: Colorful 64: Normal
15: Celebrate 65: Normal 15: Communicate 65: Manipulation 15: Combative 65: Odd
16: Chaotic 66: Odd 16: Conceal 66: Mind 16: Communicate 66: Portal
17: Cheerful 67: Productivity 17: Conjure 67: Nature 17: Computer 67: Possessions
18: Clang 68: Pursuit 18: Control 68: Object 18: Contain 68: Power
19: Combative 69: Quiet 19: Counteract 69: Others 19: Control 69: Powerful
20: Communicate 70: Reassuring 20: Create 70: Pain 20: Creepy 70: Prison
21: Construction 71: Remarkable 21: Creature 71: Physical 21: Crew 71: Protection
22: Conversation 72: Rip 22: Curse 72: Plant 22: Damaged 72: Quiet
23: Crash 73: Roar 23: Damage 73: Poison 23: Danger 73: Rare
24: Creaking 74: Rumbling 24: Dark 74: Portal 24: Dark 74: Reassuring
25: Creepy 75: Rustling 25: Death 75: Powerful 25: Death 75: Remarkable
26: Cries 76: Scary 26: Deceive 76: Protect 26: Defense 76: Resources
27: Damage 77: Scraping 27: Decrease 77: Radius 27: Elaborate 77: Room
28: Danger 78: Scratching 28: Defense 78: Ranged 28: Empty 78: Rough
29: Disagreeable 79: Simple 29: Destroy 79: Resistance 29: Energy 79: Ruined
30: Distant 80: Sizzle 30: Detect 80: Restore 30: Engine 80: Scary
31: Drip 81: Slam 31: Diminish 81: Self 31: Enormous 81: Security
32: Echo 82: Slow 32: Disease 82: Senses 32: Environment 82: Simple
33: Emotion 83: Soft 33: Dominate 83: Shield 33: Escape 83: Small
34: Energetic 84: Start 34: Duplicate 84: Soul 34: Exit 84: Sounds
35: Explosion 85: Stop 35: Earth 85: Strange 35: Exterior 85: Start
36: Familiar 86: Strange 36: Elements 86: Strength 36: Fear 86: Stop
37: Ferocious 87: Tapping 37: Emotion 87: Stun 37: Food 87: Storage
38: Footsteps 88: Technology 38: Enemies 88: Summon 38: Full 88: Strange
39: Frantic 89: Threatening 39: Energy 89: Time 39: Hall 89: Supplies
40: Frightening 90: Thud 40: Enhance 90: Transform 40: Health 90: Survival
41: Grinding 91: Traffic 41: Environment 91: Trap 41: Helpful 91: System
42: Growl 92: Tranquil 42: Expose 92: Travel 42: Important 92: Tactics
43: Hammering 93: Uncertain 43: Fire 93: Trigger 43: Information 93: Technology
44: Helpful 94: Warning 44: Fix 94: Uncertain 44: Inquire 94: Travel
45: Imitate 95: Water 45: Food 95: Undead 45: Interesting 95: Unusual
46: Important 96: Weather 46: Free 96: Wall 46: Lacking 96: Valuable
47: Indistinct 97: Whirring 47: Group 97: Water 47: Large 97: Vehicle
48: Industry 98: Whistle 48: Guide 98: Weak 48: Lavish 98: Warm
49: Information 99: Wild 49: Hamper 99: Weapon 49: Lethal 99: Weapon
50: Innocent 100: Wind 50: Harm 100: Weather 50: Loud 100: Work

214
 MEANING TABLES: ELEMENTS
TERRAIN DESCRIPTORS UNDEAD DESCRIPTORS VISIONS & DREAMS
1: Abandoned 51: Mechanical 1: Active 51: Leadership 1: Activity 51: Information
2: Abundant 52: Message 2: Aggressive 52: Lethal 2: Adversity 52: Instruction
3: Activity 53: Mighty 3: Angry 53: Light 3: Allies 53: Liberty
4: Advanced 54: Misfortune 4: Animal 54: Limited 4: Assist 54: Lies
5: Allies 55: Mountainous 5: Anxious 55: Lonely 5: Attainment 55: Love
6: Ancient 56: Multiple 6: Attract 56: Love 6: Bizarre 56: Malice
7: Animals 57: Mundane 7: Beautiful 57: Macabre 7: Bleak 57: Masses
8: Atmosphere 58: Mysterious 8: Bestow 58: Malice 8: Catastrophe 58: Mechanical
9: Barren 59: Natural 9: Bizarre 59: Message 9: Celebrate 59: Message
10: Beautiful 60: Nature 10: Bleak 60: Messy 10: Change 60: Messy
11: Bizarre 61: Nondescript 11: Bold 61: Mighty 11: Colorful 61: Military
12: Catastrophe 62: Ocean 12: Bound 62: Mindless 12: Conflict 62: Misfortune
13: Chaotic 63: Odd 13: Cold 63: Miserable 13: Contact 63: Mundane
14: City 64: Peaceful 14: Combative 64: Misfortune 14: Control 64: Mysterious
15: Civilization 65: People 15: Communicate 65: Monstrous 15: Creepy 65: Natural
16: Cliffs 66: Plants 16: Control 66: Mundane 16: Crisis 66: Obscure
17: Clouds 67: Populated 17: Create 67: Odd 17: Cruelty 67: Odd
18: Cold 68: Powerful 18: Creepy 68: Old 18: Danger 68: Oppose
19: Colorful 69: Primitive 19: Dangerous 69: Pain 19: Dark 69: Path
20: Combative 70: Rain 20: Dark 70: Pale 20: Death 70: Peace
21: Communicate 71: Rare 21: Deceive 71: Passive 21: Defeat 71: People
22: Conflict 72: Remarkable 22: Dirty 72: Possessions 22: Disruption 72: Place
23: Damaged 73: Resourceful 23: Disgusting 73: Possessive 23: Elements 73: Plans
24: Danger 74: Riches 24: Elements 74: Powerful 24: Emotions 74: Plot
25: Defense 75: River 25: Enemies 75: Powers 25: Enemies 75: Positive
26: Desert 76: Rocky 26: Energy 76: Purposeful 26: Energy 76: Possessions
27: Dry 77: Rough 27: Environment 77: Pursue 27: Environment 77: Power
28: Dull 78: Ruined 28: Evil 78: Quiet 28: Event 78: Preventable
29: Elements 79: Ruins 29: Fast 79: Resistant 29: Evil 79: Reassuring
30: Empty 80: Sandy 30: Fear 80: Rotting 30: Failure 80: Riches
31: Energy 81: Scary 31: Fight 81: Scary 31: Fears 81: Riddle
32: Enormous 82: Simple 32: Floating 82: Seeking 32: Festive 82: Ruin
33: Environment 83: Small 33: Friendly 83: Shambling 33: Fight 83: Scary
34: Fertile 84: Strange 34: Frightening 84: Slow 34: Friendship 84: Simple
35: Frightening 85: Strong 35: Glad 85: Small 35: Frightening 85: Strange
36: Habitable 86: Technology 36: Glow 86: Smelly 36: Future 86: Struggle
37: Harsh 87: Threatening 37: Goals 87: Strange 37: Goals 87: Success
38: Hazy 88: Toxic 38: Good 88: Strong 38: Good 88: Suffering
39: Healthy 89: Tranquil 39: Guide 89: Threatening 39: Guidance 89: Suppress
40: Helpful 90: Trees 40: Harm 90: Tough 40: Harm 90: Tension
41: Hostile 91: Unusual 41: Helpful 91: Transform 41: Helpful 91: Threat
42: Hot 92: Valuable 42: Helpless 92: Travel 42: Helpless 92: Time
43: Intense 93: Violent 43: Historical 93: Trick 43: Hint 93: Travel
44: Interesting 94: Warm 44: Horrible 94: Vengeful 44: Hope 94: Trouble
45: Large 95: Water 45: Hungry 95: Violent 45: Horrible 95: Trust
46: Lethal 96: Weak 46: Imitate 96: Weak 46: Hurry 96: Uncertain
47: Life 97: Weather 47: Information 97: Weakness 47: Ideas 97: Unsettling
48: Lovely 98: Wild 48: Insubstantial 98: Weapons 48: Implore 98: Violence
49: Magnificent 99: Windy 49: Intelligent 99: Wounds 49: Important 99: Warning
50: Masses 100: Wonders 50: Large 100: Young 50: Incomplete 100: Weapon

215
 TESTING THE EXPECTED SCENE
Roll 1d10 and Compare It To The Chaos Factor.

Roll Over
Expected Scene
Chaos Factor

Roll Odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9)

Altered Scene
Within Chaos Factor

Roll Even (2, 4, 6, 8)

Interrupt Scene
Within Chaos Factor

SCENE ADJUSTMENT TABLE

1d10 RESULT

1 Remove A Character

2 Add A Character

3 Reduce/Remove An Activity

4 Increase An Activity

5 Remove An Object

6 Add An Object

7-10 Make 2 Adjustments

216
 NPC BEHAVIOR TABLE NPC STATISTICS TABLE
FATE FATE
“DOES THE NPC HAVE A
QUESTION “DOES THE NPC DO X?” QUESTION
STATISTIC VALUE OF X?”
RESULT RESULT

The NPC does what you Yes The value is what you expect.
YES expect or continues with
their ongoing action. EXCEPTIONAL The value is higher than you
YES expect, by about 25%.
The NPC does the next
most expected behavior. NO
The value is lower than you
NO If you’re unsure what that expect, by about 25%.
is then roll on a Meaning
Table for inspiration. EXCEPTIONAL The value is much lower than
NO you expect, by about 50%.
The NPC does the expected
EXCEPTIONAL action, or continues RANDOM There is a special condition
YES their ongoing action, EVENT associated with this statistic.
with greater intensity.

The NPC does the opposite

of what you expected or
does the next most expected
EXCEPTIONAL behavior with greater
NO intensity. If you’re unsure
then roll on a Meaning
Table for inspiration and
intensify that action.

Roll on a Meaning
RANDOM
Table for an additional
EVENT
action from the NPC.

217
 THREAD PROGRESS TRACK - 10 POINTS
FOCUS THREAD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FLASHPOINT+2 CONCLUSION

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

THREAD PROGRESS TRACK - 15 POINTS

FOCUS THREAD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FLASHPOINT+2 FLASHPOINT+2

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN? DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

11 12 13 14 15
CONCLUSION

THREAD PROGRESS TRACK - 20 POINTS

FOCUS THREAD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FLASHPOINT+2 FLASHPOINT+2

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN? DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
FLASHPOINT+2 CONCLUSION

DID A FLASHPOINT HAPPEN?

218
 DISCOVERY FATE QUESTION THREAD DISCOVERY CHECK
FATE 1d10+
“IS SOMETHING RESULT
QUESTION Progress
DISCOVERED?
RESULT
1-9 Progress +2
Roll on the Thread
YES
Discovery Check Table. 10 Flashpoint +2

Nothing useful is found.

11-14 Track +1
NO There is no roll on the Thread
Discovery Check Table.
15-17 Progress +3
Roll twice on the Thread
EXCEPTIONAL
Discovery Check Table, 18 Flashpoint +3
YES
combining results.
19 Track +2
Not only is nothing useful
discovered and you don’t
roll on the Thread Discovery 20-24 Strengthen Progress +1
Check Table, but you can’t
make another Discovery 25+ Strengthen Progress +2
EXCEPTIONAL
Check for the rest of this
NO
Scene. Your Character
has hit a dead end when
it comes to Discovery
and must continue such
searches in another Scene.

219
 PLAYER VS. PC KNOWLEDGE
STRATEGY SOLUTION

PC checks for discovery

TEST IT, ASK IT,
before asking a Fate
THEN IT’S REAL
Question if it exists.

Player knowledge is not

RELIABLE VS.
UNRELIABLE until the PC discovers it,
INFORMATION allowing for the chance
for it to be wrong.

Embracing Player knowledge

from a cinematic, big-
GOING WITH IT picture view. Prioritize
enjoying the totality of the
adventure over surprises.

EXTRA Player knowledge triggers

KNOWLEDGE an opportunity for the
AS AN RP PC to earn it, “gamifying”
OPPORTUNITY the knowledge gap.

220
 MID-CHAOS FATE CHART
Certain 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100 20 99 x

Nearly Certain 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100

Very Likely 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99

Likely 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98
ODDS

50/50 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96

Unlikely 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94

Very Unlikely 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91

Nearly Impossible 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88

Impossible X 1 81 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86
CHAOS FACTOR 1 2-3 4-6 7-8 9

LOW-CHAOS FATE CHART NO-CHAOS

Certain 17 85 98 18 90 99 19 95 100
FATE CHART
Certain 18 90 99
Nearly Certain 15 75 96 17 85 98 18 90 99
Nearly Certain 17 85 98
Very Likely 13 65 94 15 75 96 17 85 98
Very Likely 15 75 96
Likely 10 50 91 13 65 94 15 75 96
Likely 13 65 94
ODDS

50/50 7 35 88 10 50 91 13 65 94
ODDS

50/50 10 50 91
Unlikely 5 25 86 7 35 88 10 50 91
Unlikely 7 35 88
Very Unlikely 3 15 84 5 25 86 7 35 88
Very Unlikely 5 25 86
Nearly Impossible 2 10 83 3 15 84 5 25 86

Nearly Impossible 3 15 84
Impossible 1 5 82 2 10 83 3 15 84
CHAOS FACTOR 1-2 3-7 8-9
Impossible 2 10 83

221
MID-CHAOS FATE
CHECK MODIFIERS
CHAOS
ROLL MODIFIER
FACTOR

9 +2

7-8 +1

4-6 None

2-3 -1

1 -2

LOW-CHAOS FATE
CHECK MODIFIERS
CHAOS
ROLL MODIFIER
FACTOR

8-9 +1

3-7 None

1-2 -1

222
 KEYED KEYED
EVENT TRIGGER SCENE EVENT TRIGGER SCENE

COUNT

223
KEYED KEYED
EVENT TRIGGER SCENE EVENT TRIGGER SCENE
KEYED SCENES RECORD SHEET

COUNT
 ADVENTURE FEATURES LIST
- 1-2 CHOOSE 1

3-4 CHOOSE 2

1-2 5-6 CHOOSE 3

7-8 CHOOSE 4

9-10 CHOOSE 5
d4
1-2 CHOOSE 6

3-4 CHOOSE 7

3-4 5-6 CHOOSE 8

7-8 CHOOSE 9

9-10 CHOOSE 10
d6 1-2 CHOOSE 11

3-4 CHOOSE 12

5-6 5-6 CHOOSE 13

7-8 CHOOSE 14

9-10 CHOOSE 15
d8 1-2 CHOOSE 16

3-4 CHOOSE 17

7-8 5-6 CHOOSE 18

7-8 CHOOSE 19

9-10 CHOOSE 20
d10
1-2 CHOOSE 21

3-4 CHOOSE 22

9-10 5-6 CHOOSE 23

7-8 CHOOSE 24

9-10 CHOOSE 25

224
 PREPARED ADVENTURE
EVENT FOCUS TABLE
1d100 RESULT

1-20 Adventure Feature

21-40 NPC Action

41-50 NPC Negative

51-55 NPC Positive

56-70 PC Negative

71-80 PC Positive

81-100 Current Context

225
 USING THE ADVENTURE
CRAFTER WITH MYTHIC
ADVENTURE
RULES
ELEMENT

generating at least one

Turning Point. Interpret
this into an opening Scene,
FIRST SCENE
perhaps using some of
the details as background.
Add any NPCs and Threads
generated onto the Lists.

Instead of generating a Random

INTERRUPT
SCENES
make a Turning Point.

» Use Mythic Lists instead of

Adventure Crafter Lists.
» Add Threads and Characters
to their Lists as they are
generated in Turning Points.
» When rolling on a List for
a Thread or Character
Invoked by a Plot Point,
roll on the full List, not
just the sections that
have elements in them.
LISTS » Rolling an empty line
on a List for a Plot Point
gives you an additional
Choice: Add a New Thread
or Add A New NPC.
» Only Non-Player Characters
go on the Characters List,
not Player Characters.
» When Choosing an element
on the Characters List you
can always Choose a Player
Character even though
they are not on the List.

226
 Thank You
Mythicist Patrons!
A big thank you to the subscribers of my Patreon!
Without your support this book would not have been possible.
www.patreon.com/wordmillgames

Alice Southey Dylan Evans José Carlos Riutort Òscar Vilaplana

Amanda Haley Erman A. Sánchez Paolo Robino
Amber C Ev Freeman José Manuel Navarro Peoplz & Dragons
André Pontes Famous Patrick Josh Nichols Pete Frederick
Antonio Álvarez Geoffrey Riutta Keith Malinowski Pete R
Sevillano «Sevi» GeorgeOrr Keith Simmons Rai Taylor
arcaneArtist Grant Goodrich Ken Kindler Redwing
Arik H. M. ‘Dain’ Lybarger KeptheKobold Robert Eisenman
Austin “Dasher” Melnyk Heath “Hedge Kethenyr Robert Kim
Ben Allen Berry” Row Kevin Mackie Ryan Hamilton
Benjamin Coudrin Ian Carr Kevin Mayz Sam Santiago
Benjamin P Ito Sora Len C Sascha Müller
Ben McCabe J.Tim Liam Perrin Scott Chisholm
Brandon Keown James “The Geek” Luís Henrique Lira S Ferguson
Brian Koehler Pearson da Fonseca Shane Martin
Butch James Holden Manfred Klevesath DeNota-Hoffman
Carlos Sanchez-Sicilia James Husum Mark “Spinny” Dyson Shawn Medero
Cauldron of Bats James McMillan Martijn Jansen Spyridon ‘Stormlord’
Chase Absher Jamie L. Holm Matt Blackstock Panagiotopoulos
Che Webster Jason “Flynn” Kemp Matt Jackson Stargolem
Christian Häusler Jason Bardo Mel Stephane S
Clyde Clark Jesper Ohlsson Michael Brumfield T. Griffin
Craig Maloney Jexl Mike Theodorsson Tavon Gatling
Daniel Cuenca Joaquim /srpgg/ Mischa Thomas Meurgey
Danny Anderson and friends Modeus Thomas Ries
Dara Tressler John Luciano Mustafa K Tim Cox
David Coleman John Stone N8 Zero Timothy Hidalgo
Davide Marcoccio Jonathan Rector Nathaniel Husted Tom A Domanski
David J Hall Jonathan Sherlock Nelson Bispo Travis Porter
Deathworks Jorge Esteban Nick McGinness vinimagus
Dennis (Inclement) William King
XKlusi

228
 PLAY ANY RPG SOLO OR
WITHOUT A GAMEMASTER

Mythic Game Master Emulator 2nd Edition

updates the ground-breaking 2003
ruleset with essential new additions,
options, and refinements.

Mythic Game Master Emulator 2nd Edition

can be used with any role-playing game

www.WORDMILLGAMES.com