A handful of ideas run through every part of the game. Understanding them before you read the rules will make the rules faster to grasp.
Checks. Many rules ask a character or the Oathband to make a check — a test to see whether something succeeds. Unless stated otherwise: roll D12 and add the relevant modifier; 7 or higher = success. Modifiers can be positive or negative — a single point is meaningful; each +1 shifts the probability of success by roughly 8%. Where a check uses a different threshold it is written as ‘Make a Might check (9+)’. Otherwise 7+ always succeeds, and ‘Might’ stands in for the modifier to be applied.
Out of Action (OOA). A character whose Endurance drops below 0 is taken Out of Action. Remove them from the board. They are not necessarily dead — what happens to them is resolved in the Aftermath.
Oathband As Character. Advancement, skills, and persistent identity belong to the Oathband as a whole, not to individual characters. The Oathband improves. Characters within it may be lost. The story continues either way. This is a deliberate design choice — it keeps record-keeping lean and ensures that losing a character is a dramatic moment rather than a mechanical catastrophe.
Pilgrims, Foes, and Characters. Every miniature in the game is a Character. The characters within your Oathband are referred to throughout as Pilgrims; their opponents, when mentioned, are called Foes. Where a rule applies to any figure regardless of side it says character; where it applies only to your own side it says Pilgrim; where it applies to a figure that is decidedly not yours it says non-Pilgrim character (or names the faction, e.g. Shadow character).
Advantage and Disadvantage. Some rules grant Advantage or impose Disadvantage on a roll.
- Advantage: roll two D12 and use the higher result.
- Disadvantage: roll two D12 and use the lower result.
- When a roll would carry both at once, they cancel — roll a single D12 as normal.
Random Directions. When a rule calls for a random direction — where a thrown object lands, which way a fleeing character moves, where an effect scatters — use the D12 as both a direction finder and a distance indicator in a single roll:
- Direction: look at which way the face of the die points when it settles. Use the near edge of the die as your arrow.
- Distance: the number shown on the face is the distance in inches.
Example: in some Trials you place a Waymark during deployment, D12+6” in a random direction from the board centre. You roll a D12 showing 7, pointing toward the north-east corner. You place the Waymark 6+7” (13”) in that direction from the centre. One roll — direction and distance together, no scatter die needed.