Utopia Engine: Beast Hunter

Utopia Engine: Beast Hunter Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components

Rulebook
Adventure sheets
Two six-sided dice
Pencil and eraser

Object of the Game

Your goal is to defeat the three Terrible Beasts that threaten the village, thereby gaining the trust of the village elders. You have fourteen days to complete this task. You will fail if you lose the villagers' trust, do not win the elders' approval in time, or die attempting to complete your tasks. At the end of the game, win or lose, you will earn a score based on your efforts (see Ending the Game).

Using the Adventure Sheets

The adventure sheets are what you will use to record information while you play Utopia Engine: Beast Hunter. The adventure sheets are designed to be stacked on top of each other. Adventure sheet one depicts the village and surrounding wilderness. This is where you will be doing all of your searching and building. It should be positioned vertically with adventure sheet two placed horizontally beneath it. The lower sheet has sidebars on each containing information on encounters and your inventory. Simply slide the top sheet to the left or right to make the sidebars visible as you need them.

Adventure sheet two tracks the Terrible Beasts and contains your workbench. Place this sheet on top of adventure sheet one when you enter combat with a Terrible Beast or want to forge equipment. All of the important information from adventure sheet one, such as your hit points, determination, and the time track, should remain visible while you use this sheet.

How to Play

The village elders have assigned you a dangerous task: kill the three Terrible Beasts that threaten the village. You have fourteen days to complete this task. Unfortunately, you do not know where these Terrible Beasts nest. You must find each Beast's lair before attempting to defeat it.

Each day you must decide whether to search a region for clues to the location of a Terrible Beast's lair, build towers to defend the village from future Beast attacks, forge powerful equipment for yourself, or rest to heal your wounds.

You begin the game with three helpful items in your toolbelt. You can craft new items by collecting valuable materials from fallen beasts and the surrounding wilderness (see Your Inventory).

Searching

The village lies between three treacherous regions: Halebeard Peak, Coastal Caverns, and The Scar. Search these regions to find the lairs of the three Terrible Beasts. Searching may also provide materials necessary for building towers, crafting items, and forging equipment.

Begin by choosing a region to search. Pick an empty search box in that region. Roll both dice and enter the two numbers into any of the six squares in the search box. Repeat this process two more times, each time entering the results into any empty squares in the search box. After three rolls you will end up with two 3-digit numbers. Subtract the bottom number from the top number to find your search result. Compare your search result to the search result charts to see what you found.

Search Example (sidebar): Dry air blows the hair from your eyes as you make your way across the blackened rocks of the Scar. You roll both dice and get a 5 and a 2. You choose to place the 5 in the top left square (hundreds place) and the 2 in the bottom right square (ones place). Your second roll produces a 4 and a 2. You place the 2 in top right square above the other 2 and the 4 in the bottom left square below the 5. Your last roll shows a 6 and a 3. You place the 6 in the bottom center square (tens place) and the 3 above it. Subtracting the two numbers leaves 70. You found a common material (tar) and a clue to the location of The Burning Man's lair.

Worked example:

    5 3 2
  - 4 6 2
  = 7 0

Search box diagram (Halebeard Peak): The Halebeard Peak search region is marked with: a - region name; b - region numbers; c - materials (Stone - Silver (r)); d - Terrible Beast (Giant of the Peaks); e - tracking (Lair Found); f - approach chart (1,2: E; 3,4: S; 5,6: SW); g - search box.

Encounter: Compare your search result to the encounter chart to find out which beast you encounter. If the encounter chart indicates a random encounter, roll a single die to determine the encounter level. Begin combat immediately.

Track Beast + Find 1 Common material: Fill in a tracking circle for that region. If all three tracking circles are filled in, you found the Terrible Beast's lair. Mark the Lair Found box on the adventure sheet and gain 1 determination point. You may enter combat with the region's Terrible Beast. Also, add 1 common materiel from that region to your stores. If you don't have enough empty circles, the material is discarded.

Lair Found + Find 1 Rare or 2 Common materials: Mark the Lair Found box on the adventure sheet. Gain 1 determination point. You may enter combat with the region's Terrible Beast. Also, add 1 rare material or 2 common materials from that region to your stores. If you don't have enough empty circles, the excess materials are discarded.

Lair Found + Ambush!: Mark the Lair Found box on the adventure sheet. Gain 1 determination point. You may begin enter with the region's Terrible Beast. If you do, gain the Ambush bonus.

You can search a region up to three times in a single day. If you decide to stop before using all three searches, any unused searches are lost. Once you begin a search you must see it through to the end.

Quick Search - If you search a region only once you can spend your second search to travel to a different region and perform your final search in the new region. You cannot use quick search if either region is affected by the Foul Weather event.

Lair Found - If the Lair Found box is marked in your region, you can spend one of your searches to encounter that region's Terrible Beast. You cannot use this ability on a search that is already underway.

When you are done searching cross out one day from the time track and adjust doubt if necessary.

"We are the bastion of good. We are the last defense against evil. Ours are the enemies of the Law, of the Crown, and of the Godking. To our enemies we are the setting sun, the swift axe. We are tireless. We are fleet. We are the beaming pillar, the support of our civilization, until the Glorious End." – Code of the Blazing Star Regiment

Combat

Combat begins as soon as you encounter a beast. Roll both dice. Any die that falls within your attack range deals 1 damage to the beast. Record the damage on the beast's hit point bar. Then if the beast is still alive, any die that fell within the beast's attack range deals 1 damage to you. Record the damage on your hit point bar. Continue rolling both dice together until either you or the beast are reduced to zero hit points. When that happens, combat ends.

If the beast reduces your hit points to zero, you are mortally wounded (see Death).

If you reduce the beast's hit points to zero, the beast is dead. Add its beast material to your stores. If you don't have enough available circles, the beast material is discarded.

Critical Hit - You score a critical hit any time you roll double sixes in combat. A critical hit deals 1 additional damage. Earn 1 determination point each time you score a critical hit. Do not earn a determination point if you spent determination points to score the critical hit.

Ambush - Add +1 to your attack range and ignore any damage the beast would deal during the first two combat rolls.

If you manage to defeat a Terrible Beast, one of the village elders changes their opinion of your motives. Select a village elder and mark the box next to the elder's name, then gain the appropriate reward (see Elders' Approval).

If you defeat all three Terrible Beasts, the game ends in victory! Read the appropriate end game paragraph at the end of these instructions (see Ending the Game). Tally your score and see how well you did.

Combat Example (sidebar): While searching the rocky cliffs of the Coastal Caverns you attract the attention of a lone Shell-Cracker Troll. It rises to its feet and bristles in a territorial display. Combat begins!

Coastal Caverns - Encounter chart (Level / Common Beast / Beast Attacks On / You Attack On / Beast Material / Hit Point Boxes):

Level	Common Beast	Beast Attacks On	You Attack On	Beast Material	Hit Points
1	Hooktooth Goblins	1	5-6	Foul Blood	2
2	Shell-Cracker Troll	1-2	5-6	Oily Meat	2
3	Land Shark	1-2	5-6	Oily Meat	3
4	Nightmare Crab	1-3	6	Nightmare Chitin	3

The Dweller in the Tides is the Terrible Beast of the Coastal Caverns. Mark its box when it is defeated.

The Shell-Cracker Troll has 2 hit points and attacks on a 1 or 2. You attack on a 5 or 6. On the first roll of combat roll a 1 and a 2 - both in the troll's attack range! The troll slams into you, dealing 2 damage. Your second roll produces a 4 and a 5. The 5 is in your attack range - one damage to the troll. Your third roll shows a 1 and a 6. A skillful thrust with your airspike lance drops the Shell-Cracker Troll into a wet heap on the rocks. You carve a hunk of oily meat from the troll's body. This beast material will be useful later in crafting potent bait.

Escaping Combat

You can try to escape any encounter by attempting to outrun the beast. To escape an encounter, roll both dice. If you roll a 5 or 6 on at least one die, you escape successfully and combat ends. If the escape attempt was unsuccessful, check to see if any of the dice landed within the beast's attack range. If so, the beast deals damage to you as if it were a normal combat roll. Record the damage on your hit point bar. You may then choose to continue your escape attempt or resume combat with the beast. If you dealt any damage to the beast before escaping, that damage remains until you encounter the beast again.

The Terrible Beasts

The Terrible Beasts are monsters from an earlier era who have mysteriously reappeared and begun attacking the village.

The first time you encounter a Terrible Beast you must determine its nature. Roll a single die and mark off the appropriate box next to the Terrible Beast's name. Do this only once for each Terrible Beast, the first time you encounter it. The beast will retain this nature for the remainder of the game. You cannot use determination points to change this roll.

1 - Cowed - The Terrible Beast is caught off guard by your attacks. It recoils in fear each time you strike it. Effect: The Terrible Beast's attack range is reduced by -1 on every combat roll you deal damage to it.
2 to 4 - Cruel - The Terrible Beast is consumed with hatred for every living thing. Its attacks are brutal and unrelenting. Effect: Any 1 rolled in combat deals grievous damage (see Grievous Damage).
5 to 6 - Cunning - The Terrible Beast has been lying in wait for you. Now that you have stumbled in range, the ambush is quick and violent. Effect: You deal no damage during the first two rounds of combat with this Beast. Cancel this effect if you have the Ambush bonus.

Giant of the Peaks (Halebeard Peak) - The last known member of an ancient tribe of giants that long ago ruled mankind as merciless tyrant kings. The Giant's icy throne is adorned with the frozen hearts of countless humans. It is said that the Giant's own heart was stolen from his chest a thousand years ago by a young thief, and since that time the Giant has been searching for it in every living human he can capture.

Dweller in the Tides (Coastal Caverns) - Once content to slumber in the deep crevasses of the sea floor, the approaching Doomsday has awakened the Dweller in the Tides. It now terrorizes the coastline, devouring any living creature it can find. During the spring tide shell-cracker trolls will migrate as far inland as the foothills to avoid the Dweller's probing tentacles.

The Burning Man (The Scar) - This haunting apparition can usually be seen at dusk wandering up and down the blackened strip of rocky earth known as The Scar. Resembling a featureless human shadow engulfed in flames, The Burning Man is said to be the spirit of a wizard whose attempt to harness the power of the stars brought untold ruin to the world long ago. Now this vengeful shade seeks out and attacks anyone who lingers too long in that region.

"I heard the Crown Cities have sent out the Blazing Star Regiment. They are set on a path to the Southern City to stop those unholy wizards and artificers from hastening the end of the world." – Tiamatheus, local farmer

Building

There are three locations on along the perimiter of the village that you have identified as prime locations for Terrible Beast attacks. If you can construct defensive towers in those locations, perhaps you provide some protection to the vulnerable huts inside.

Choosing a tower location. You must spend one common material to begin construction (stone, cord, or tar).

Roll both dice. Enter the values one at a time into any of the empty squares in the tower's construction grid according to the following rule: you may only place a number in the grid if all adjacent squares are empty, or at least one adjacent square contains a number matching the one you want to place. Diagonally connected squares are not considered adjacent.

If you cannot place a number in any of the empty squares, you have created a fault. You must spend one common material to patch the fault and continue. Simply write an X in any empty square in the construction grid and erase one material from your stores. Squares with Xs in them count as empty for the placement of adjacent numbers. If you cannot patch the fault, the structure is unsound and you must abort the repair. If this happens, erase the entire construction grid and cross out one day from the time track. You will have to attempt the build again later.

The structure is complete when every square in the construction grid is filled in with a number or an X. Cross out one day on the time track. If you completed the structure without adding any Xs, earn 1 determination point. Do not increase the villager's doubt at the end of a day you built a tower.

If you manage to get all three towers standing, one of the village elders changes their opinion of your motives. Select a village elder and mark the box next to the elder's name, then gain the appropriate reward (see Elders' Approval).

Building Example (sidebar): It seems likely that the Terrible Beasts will approach from the south. You decide to build a tower to defend against the assault. You have two stone. You spend one stone to start the build, leaving you just one piece left to patch any faults that may occur. You roll both dice and get a 4 and a 3. You place them in the construction grid with plenty of space between them.

After a few more rolls the construction grid is beginning to fill up. You roll a 1 and a 5. With no other 1s already in the grid, you must place it in a square surrounded by empty spaces. Luckily there is still a place for it. You place the 5 next to the other 5.

A few rolls later and the construction grid is almost full. Your roll shows a 1 and a 6. You place the 1 next to the 1 already in the grid. There is only one possible spot for the 6 so you place it there.

Your last roll shows a 3 and a 5. You place the 3 next to the other 3s but there is no place to put the 5. You've created a fault. Luckily you have one stone left. You spend the stone and write an X in the last empty square.

After laboring all day you have completed the Southern Tower. It isn't as strong as it could be, but it should be able to withstand at least one Terrible Beast attack. The villagers should be pleased by your efforts.

"He knows how to fuse his tools with Ancient technology just like the artificers of the south. I don't know where he learned how to do that, but it's a lot more than I can do. I say we keep him around." – Elder Nikandros, village blacksmith

Forging

You can create three powerful pieces of equipment with the rare materials found in the nearby wilderness. Each piece of equipment requires a specific rare material to forge.

Disintegrator Lance - Required material: Pyrite
Dowsing Rod - Required material: Lodestone
Silver Plate - Required material: Silver

Select an item to forge and spend the required rare material to begin. Roll both dice and enter the values into any of the six squares in the refining field. As with searching, you will find the difference between the two numbers in each box by subtracting the bottom number from the top number. Your goal is to create a result as close to zero as possible.

If you've completed a box after placing both numbers, find the difference between the top and bottom numbers in that box. If the result is zero or greater, write the result in the circle below. If the result is negative, take 1 damage and reset that box by erasing the box and result circle.

Continue rolling both dice until you have a number in each result circle. Add all three result circles together and write that value in the refined value box. At this point you may spend additional rare materials of the same type to reduce the refined value by 1 for each rare material spent.

If the refined value is 4 or more, you failed to forge the item. Cross out one day on the time track.

If the refined value is 3, 2, or 1, you successfully forged the standard equipment. Mark the circle next to the item's name and cross out one day on the time track. You gain the benefits of this equipment for the rest of the game.

If the refined value is zero, you managed to forge extremely powerful mastercraft equipment. Mark the circle next to the mastercraft equipment's name, earn 1 determination point, and cross out one day on the time track. You gain the benefits of this equipment for the rest of the game.

Forging Example (sidebar): After finding two pieces of pyrite during a recent expedition to The Scar you sit down at your workbench to assemble the deadly disintegrator lance. You spend one pyrite to begin. You roll both dice and get a 6 and a 3. You place the 6 in one of the top squares in the refining field and the 3 in one of the bottom squares.

Your next roll shows a 4 and a 6. You place 4 in a top square and the 6 below the other six. Subtract the two 6s and write a 0 in the result circle.

Your third roll produces a 6 and a 3. You place the 3 above the other 3 for a 0 result - things are looking good so far - but the 6 is more problematic. You are forced to place it below the 4, creating a negative result. You take 1 damage and erase both numbers.

Negative result: take 1 damage and erase the box.

You roll again and get a 5 and a 4. You place them both in the last two remaining squares for a result of 1. Your total refined value is 1. You decide to spend your last piece of pyrite to reduce the refined value to 0, allowing you to create an extremely powerful mastercraft disintegrator lance.

"The stranger had a painted mark on his body I could not wash off. It showed a crown being pierced by a dagger." – Adonia, hand servant to Sipporos

Determination

Mason begins the game with very little hope of succeeding but his resolve is strengthened when things go his way. Determination points allow you to modify dice rolls. Knowing when to use them will be key to winning the game.

Spend a determination point after any roll to add or subtract 1 from the value of a single die. Determination points cannot be used to change a die result to less than 1 or more than 6. There is no limit to the number of determination points you can spend on a single roll.

Earning determination points - You earn one determination point by doing any of the following:

Find a Terrible Beast's lair
Score a critical hit in combat
Build a tower without any Xs
Forge a piece of mastercraft equipment
Have your hit points reduced to 1 HP
Receive Sipporos' approval

Resting

You can recover hit points by spending time resting. Each day you spend resting recovers two hit points. Erase up to two marks from your hit point bar and cross out one day on the time track. Each day you spend resting increases the villager's doubt by 1.

"That poor fool promised his life away for a rug to hide under and now that we're making him keep his word, you can bet he regrets his actions. He won't last three days out there among the beasts." – Antibion, local farmer

Grievous Damage

Some Terrible Beasts deal grievous damage. Grievous damage permanently reduces your hit points meter.

When you take grievous damage from a Terrible Beast, first record damage as normal and then blacken out the rightmost square in your hit point bar for each point of grievous damage you received. Grievous damage is permanent and can never be recovered.

Death

If you ever cross out the last space on your hit point bar (marked with a skull), the game ends immediately. Read the appropriate end game paragraph at the end of these instructions (see Ending the Game). Tally your score and see if you can do better next time.

Time Track

The time track shows how many days you have left before the game ends. Cross out one day on the time track at the end of each day spent searching, building, forging, or resting. Any time you cross out a day on the time track also check to see if the villagers doubt increases.

Some days on the time track are marked with "E" or "!". These indicate event days and Terrible Beast attacks respectively. See the appropriate section for rules on resolving these events.

If you cross out the last day on the time track (marked with a skull), the game ends immediately. Read the appropriate end game paragraph at the end of these instructions (see Ending the Game). Tally your score and see if you can do better next time.

Time track diagram: the time track is shown as "The March of the Blazing Star Regiment", running from the Crown Cities to The Village, with E and ! markers on the days listed on the track. The layout of the markers is printed in the rulebook diagram only.

Events

Event days are marked on the time track with "E". Each time you cross out an event day, roll a single die for each of the four events, one at a time. Write the result of each roll in the box next to the event. Each result corresponds to a region in the wilderness: 1-2 for Halebeard Peaks, 3-4 for Coastal Caverns, and 5-6 for The Scar. It is possible for a single region to be affected by more than one event. These events persist until the next event day. You cannot use determination points to change these rolls.

Abundance - It is a time of plenty and useful materials are much easier to find. Effect: If a search result in this region turns up common or rare materials, gain 1 additional material of that type.

Sudden Clarity - A flash of insight allows you to sense each beast's weakness and know just how to avoid its attacks. Effect: +1 to your attack range in this region.

Foul Weather - Driving rain and fierce thunderstorms scour the landscape making traveling difficult. Effect: You only get two searches per day in this region.

Madness - The beasts grow even more brazen and frenzied as the end of the world draws near. Effect: All beasts in this region have +2 HP.

Terrible Beast Attack (Foul Weather + Madness) - If a region is affected by both Foul Weather and Madness at the same time, the Terrible Beast in this region is overcome with rage and immediately descends into the valley to assault the village. If you have already defeated this Terrible Beast, ignore this event. Effect: Resolve the attack as normal following the rules for Terrible Beast Attacks.

Terrible Beast Attacks

Whenever you cross out a day marked with a "!" on the time track, or whenever a region is affected by both the Foul Weather and Madness events, one of the three Terrible Beasts strikes out from its lair to assault the village.

First determine which region the attack comes from by rolling a single die to find the region's number. If the roll indicates a region whose Terrible Beast you have already defeated, roll again (skip this step if the attack is due to Foul Weather+Madness).

Next determine the Terrible Beast's direction of approach by rolling the die one more time and comparing it to the approach chart for that region. You cannot spend determination points to alter this roll.

Approach chart (Halebeard Peak, as shown in the search diagram): 1,2: E; 3,4: S; 5,6: SW. The approach charts for Coastal Caverns and The Scar are printed on the adventure sheets and are not reproduced in this rulebook.

If there is no tower in that direction, the Terrible Beast easily makes its way into the village and destroys a hut. Cross out 1 village hut and then gain 2 doubt for every destroyed hut.

If there is a completed tower in that direction, the tower absorbs the Terrible Beast's attack. Determine how much damage the Beast deals to the tower by rolling a single die, adding the number of Xs already in the tower, and comparing the result to the damage chart below:

Tower Damage Chart

1: No damage
2: 1 damage - Add 1 X to any box in the construction grid
3-5: 2 damage - Add 2 Xs to any two boxes in the construction grid
6+: The tower is destroyed. Completely erase the entire tower (except for blackened squares).

After the Terrible Beast attack ends you gain new clues to the location of its lair. Mark off one of the tracking circles in that region.

"What you are asking for cannot be done! We are only peaceful farmers ...and what if he discovers your plot? You know what he is. You recognize the mark he bears. Who will protect us from the Hunter if he turns against us?" – Elder Sipporos, to Epiphoros

The Villagers' Doubt

The villagers have limited faith in your vow to protect the village. If they suspect you of relaxing or ignoring your duties, they will turn against you. The villager's doubt meter starts out with 18 empty spaces. Their doubt will increase at the end of each day if you do not show progress in defending the village. The amount of doubt the meter gains depends on what you did that day.

At the end of every day gain doubt equal to 1 plus the number of destroyed huts unless you did any of the following:

Rested - gain 1 doubt
Built a tower - gain zero doubt
Defeated a Terrible Beast - gain zero doubt

You will also gain doubt any time a Terrible Beast attack causes a hut to be destroyed. If this happens, gain 2 doubt for each destroyed hut (this includes the hut that was just destroyed).

Whenever an event causes the villager's doubt to increase, cross out the appropriate number of spaces on the doubt meter. Gaining doubt is always the last thing you do each day. It occurs after rolling for events and resolving Terrible Beast attacks. If you cross out the last space (marked with a skull) the game ends immediately. Read the appropriate end game paragraph at the end of these instructions (see Ending the Game). Tally your score and see if you can do better next time.

Elders' Approval

There are two ways to gain an elder's approval: defeat a Terrible Beast or build all three towers. Each time you gain an elder's approval, choose an elder and mark the box next to that elder's name. Each elder provides a specific reward. You can only gain each elder's approval once.

Epiphoros' Feast - Elder Epiphoros organizes a grand feast for the entire village in your honor. Effect: Recover 2 hit points.
Sipporos' Guidance - Elder Sipporos takes you inside the spirit lodge and makes clear your path. Effect: Gain 2 determination points.
Nikandros' Favor - Elder Nikandros reforges one of your items. Effect: Erase a used mark from any one of your toolbelt or crafted items.

The Elders (sidebar):

Epiphoros - Eldest of the three, Epiphoros is stern, rigid, and respected. He values tradition, honesty, and courage. Epiphoros acts as the village judge and mediator when disputes arise. He is responsible for the safety of the village and he takes this role very seriously.
Sipporos - Sister to Epiphoros, Sipporos is wise, quiet, and unwavering. She values formality, knowledge, and family. Sipporos is a healer and a seer. She dictates when to plant crops and when to hold festivals. She acts as the voice of reason among the three.
Nikandros - Cousin to the others, Nikandros is strong, gregarious, and opinionated. He values competency, accountability, and persistence. Nikandros is the village blacksmith and builder. He trains young men to build and repair their own huts and tools. He is loyal to both elders but will always defer to Epiphoros's guidance first.

Your Inventory

Your inventory lists all of the items and equipment you can gain throughout the game. Through forging and crafting you can build new items that will help you in your quest.

Toolbelt Items

You begin the game with just three items in your toolbelt to help you complete your quest. When you use an item, mark off the "used" box next to its name. Each item can be activated only once. Use them wisely!

Luck Charm - A magic fetish in the shape of a salmon, given to you by one of the villagers when you first arrived. Effect: Spend to reroll all the dice in a given roll up to three times. You must accept the final roll even if an earlier result was better.
Balance Blade - The last of your throwing blades from your time as a weaponsmith. Effect: Spend to instantly deal 1 damage in combat. This effect can be used to finish off a beast that would otherwise deal damage to you.
Optic Disruptor - A special configuration of quartz and Ancient crystals you can activate to create a blinding field of disorienting energy. Effect: Spend before any combat roll to escape combat.

Crafting Items

During the course of the game you can create new items to add to your inventory. Each item is made by combining a common material and a beast material.

To create an item, simply spend the appropriate materials. You can craft an item at any time except during combat. Add the tool to your inventory by tracing the grey "used" box next to its name. If an item is spent or destroyed after use, mark off the traced used box next to its name. If you build the item again, erase the mark and retrace the grey box. You can never have more than one of each item in your inventory.

Blood Lure - An old hunter's device, strong-smelling and simple to make. Requires: foul blood + stone. Effect: Spend before starting a search to immediately encounter any common beast of your choice native to that region.
Potent Bait - A fetid hunk of meat that entices beasts who have a taste for human flesh. Requires: oily meat + cord. Effect: Spend before starting a search to immediately encounter the Terrible Beast in that region. You can use this ability even if you haven't found the Beast's lair.
Heavy Coat - A thick, warm jacket made from beast fur. This item has unlimited uses. Requires: beast pelt + cord. Effect: You can search a region under Foul Weather up to three times. You can quick search a region under Foul Weather.
Firebox - A makeshift bomb of burning tar that explodes on contact. Requires: dragon smoke + tar. Effect: Spend to instantly deal 2 damage in combat. This effect can be used to finish off a beast that would otherwise deal damage to you.
Crab Plate - A brittle armor that can absorb deadly blows but often shatters after repeated use. Requires: nightmare chitin + stone. Effect: Ignore up to 2 damage from a single attack. Can be used two times before being destroyed.
Reviving Dose - A foul-smelling salve that revives those close to death. Requires: troll ash + cord. Effect: If you are ever reduced to zero hit points, spend to instantly recover 3 HP.
Hawk Totem - A frightening mask fashioned from the feathers of the giant Horse Eater Hawk, used to ward off Beast attacks. Requires: sacred feathers + tar. Effect: Spend to fill in the hawk totem circle next to a completed tower. This tower takes zero damage from Terrible Beast attacks.

Equipment

These powerful items are made through forging. Once created, equipment can never be lost and will benefit you for the rest of the game.

Silver Plate - A resilient chest plate that deflects both claw and blade. Requires: Silver.
- Standard - Lower all beasts' attack range by 1 (minimum attack range is 1).
- Mastercraft - Same as standard, plus you cannot take more than 1 damage from any attack.
Dowsing Rod - A magical device that guides the user towards unseen treasure. Requires: Lodestone.
- Standard - Whenever you would find one or more common materials, find one rare material from that region instead.
- Mastercraft - Same as standard, plus you find one rare material any time you find rare or common materials.
Disintegrator Lance - A deadly weapon that harnesses an Ancient technology whose properties are not entirely understood. Requires: Pyrite.
- Standard - Add 1 to your attack range.
- Mastercraft - Same as standard, plus you now score critical hits on any roll of doubles within your attack range.

"We agree the newcomer is a danger to us, sister. The Blazing Star Regiment will be at our gates in mere days. If they find us harboring the outlaw, we will all be in danger. We must consider the alternative. One life for many." – Elder Epiphoros, to Sipporos

Ending the Game

The game can end in any one of the following ways:

Death - You lose all of your HP
Lose the villagers' trust - You cross out the last space on the doubt meter
Run out of time - You cross out the last day on the time track
Defeat all three Terrible Beasts - You fight and kill all three Terrible Beasts

Depending on how the game ends, read the appropriate paragraph below to learn your fate.

Death - Loss. Your strength evaporates and you slump to the ground in defeat. The shock of the final blow is, surprisingly, not what draws your focus. It is the relief you feel. For the first time in what must be years the tension in your back fades and a warm serenity washes over you as the world turns black.

Lose the villagers' trust - Loss. A crowd gathers in the village square. The knot in your stomach grows as you pick out the faces of your most vocal critics among the mob. Under a hail of stones you are chased out of the village into the unforgiving wilderness. You hear the thunder of hooves as a contingent of the Blazing Star Regiment races into the valley. Injured as you are, you realize escape is impossible.

Run out of time - Loss. The sound of soldiers and horses fills the air as the Blazing Star Regiment assembles outside the village walls. A nervous crowd gathers in the village square to watch the proceedings. The elders consider you to have broken your promise. Furious that you have wasted their time and endangered the lives of the entire village, they cast you out of the village and into the waiting hands of the Blazing Star Regiment. Escape is impossible.

Defeat all three Terrible Beasts - Win. A calm wind carries the distant sound of brass horns as the Blazing Star Regiment begins its final approach. A solemn crowd gathers in the village square to watch the proceedings. You have proven your worth. The village elders nod to each other. There is a sense of nervousness and excitement in the crowd. Sipporos leads you into a nearby hut and closes the heavy door flap. In the darkness you hear the footsteps of armored soldiers outside the hut.

At the end of the game, whether you win or lose, use the chart below to find your score and write it in the final score box. You might even want to write the date and save the adventure sheets as a record of your high score.

Scoring

After the game ends, use the chart below to calculate your score. You earn points for defeating Terrible Beasts, building towers, forging equipment, and crafting items. If you won the game you score bonus points based on how many days, hit points, and doubt you had left as well as a large bonus if you were able to protect all of the huts in the village.

50 - Each Terrible Beast defeated
15 - Each tower still standing
10 - Each mastercraft equipment forged
5 - Each standard equipment forged
3 - Each item crafted

Earn the following bonuses if you won:

50 - No destroyed huts
5 - Each day remaining
2 - Each HP remaining
1 - Each doubt remaining