Your Financial Background represents the kind of life your character came from before adventure found
them.
Some heroes were raised among nobles and merchants. Others learned to survive with nothing but grit,
scavenged gear, and empty stomachs.
Your Financial Background influences:
Unlike traditional RPGs, Wealth in Grimhowl is not tracked through coins alone. Wealth reflects your
overall access to resources, influence, favors, savings, and financial stability.
Complete Wealth and Lifestyle rules can be found on page XX.
Background XP Cost Benefit
Highborn 20xp Gain 10 Wealth Points
Increase your Lifestyle perks by 2 steps. Your Lifestyle
Born of the Wild 15xp can never exceed Modest
In social situations, your Lifestyle may count as one step
Social Grifter 10xp higher or lower
Gain 3 additional rolls for starting equipment
Fumehowler 5xp Failed Lifestyle checks count as Poor instead of Squalid
Poor Family 5xp
Delianna’s Note
“Money’s funny, darling. Some people inherit it. Some steal it. Some survive without it. Chondara only
cares whether you can keep eating tomorrow.”
With your Race, Path, and Financial Background chosen, it’s time to shape the rest of your character.
Spend your remaining XP to improve Skills, unlock abilities, learn Reactions, strengthen Attributes,
expand magical talent, or prepare for future Paths.
Every choice matters. Grimhowl characters are built through investment, not predetermined
progression.
Improve Skills
Spend XP to purchase Skill Ranks.
Each Rank adds another Attribute die to rolls using that Skill.
If you are Proficient in a Skill through your Race or Path, Skill Ranks cost less XP.
Rank Proficient Cost Unproficient Cost
I 5xp 10xp
II 10xp 15xp
III 15xp 20xp
IV 20xp 25xp
V 25xp 30xp
Skill advancement is also tied to your Race and Path progression tiers.
Complete Skill rules can be found on page XX.
Delianna’s Note
“Natural talent helps. Proper training helps more. Trying to master a skill completely alone? That’s how
people lose fingers.”
Improve Attributes
You may spend XP to increase your Attribute dice.
Improving Attributes represents intense training, harsh experience, and pushing your body or mind
beyond its natural limits.
From To XP Cost
1d4 1d6 50xp
1d6 1d8 100xp
1d8 1d10 150xp
1d10 1d12 200xp
Delianna’s Note
“Turning weakness into strength hurts. That’s how you know it’s working.”
Unlock Race & Path Abilities
Both Races and Paths contain tiered abilities that expand your character’s strengths and unlock new
advancement opportunities.
Purchasing abilities also grants access to higher tiers.
Tier XP Cost
| I | 5xp |
|---|---|
| II | 10xp |
III 15xp
IV 20xp
V 25xp
To improve Skills beyond Rank I, you must possess matching Race and Path abilities of the same Tier.
Example:
To purchase Rank II in a Skill, you must have at least one Tier I Race ability and one Tier I Path ability.
To purchase Rank III, you must have Tier II abilities in both.
Complete Race and Path abilities can be found on pages XX–XX.
Learn Reactions
Reactions allow you to defend yourself, interrupt enemies, or respond to danger outside your turn.
Purchased Reactions require:
Expand Magical Talent
If your Race or Path grants access to a Field of Magic, you may purchase Magic Ranks using the
Unproficient Skill costs.
Magic is never considered Proficient.
Rank XP Cost
| I | 10xp |
|---|---|
| II | 15xp |
III 20xp
IV 25xp
V 30xp
You may also improve your Magic Attribute die using the same progression costs as normal Attributes.
Complete Magic rules can be found on page XX.
Purchase Additional Paths
As your story evolves, you may purchase additional Paths to reflect new training, experiences, or
transformations.
Each additional Path after your first increases in cost.
Paths Additional XP Cost
1st +0xp
2nd +10xp
3rd +20xp
4th +30xp
Callings purchased after your first Path always cost 10xp.
Example: Ryn the Forest Elf Adventurer
Starting XP: 100xp
Step 1 — Choose Race
Step 2 — Choose Path
XP Remaining: 60xp
Step 3 — Choose Financial Background
XP Remaining: 55xp
Step 4 — Purchase Race & Path Abilities
Elf Tier I — Nimble Elf
Step 5 — Purchase Skills
Observation Rank I
Proficient through Adventurer Base Kit
Cost: 5xp
XP Remaining: 20xp
Observation Rank II
Cost: 10xp
XP Remaining: 10xp
Melee Rank I
Proficient through Get Your Hands Dirty
Cost: 5xp
XP Remaining: 5xp
Stealth Rank I
Proficient through Watch and Wait
Cost: 5xp
XP Remaining: 0xp
Delianna’s Note
“One hundred XP isn’t a cage. It’s a spark. What burns afterward is entirely your fault.”
"A good weapon may save your life. A loyal companion may save your soul." – Delianna
Not every adventurer walks the roads of Chondara alone. Some travel with loyal animals, trusted allies,
magical familiars, hired mercenaries, or devoted followers. Whether bound by friendship, loyalty, gold,
or magic, companions can become invaluable members of an adventuring party. Unlike temporary
summons or NPCs controlled by the GM, companions are fully realized characters under the player's
control.
Companions function as completely independent characters with their own:
During play, companions act independently and use their own Actions, Reactions, abilities, and
equipment. They participate in encounters exactly as any other character would. The only meaningful
differences between companions and player characters are how they are acquired, advanced, and
maintained.
Acquiring Companions
Companions are purchased using XP.
Humanoid companions are created by purchasing a Race and Path exactly as you would for a player
character. You do not need to purchase both a race and path at the same time.
Examples:
Animals and Familiars possess their own unique Companion Paths and are purchased according to their
listed XP costs. The ethnicities of animals and familiars have no cost, unlike humanoid companions.
There is no limit to the number of companions a character may possess beyond the XP required to
acquire and advance them.
Advancing Companions
Companions do not gain XP independently. Whenever you gain XP, you decide how much of it to invest
into each of your characters. A player controlling multiple companions can divide their XP among them
however they wish. The more companions you maintain, the slower each individual character will
advance.
Companions are powerful assets, but every companion comes with an opportunity cost.
Companion Wealth & Lifestyle
Companions do not possess a Lifestyle score. Their food, lodging, equipment, and general upkeep are
assumed to be provided by the character responsible for them.
Whenever your Lifestyle grants Rest and benefits, your companions gain the same rests and benefits as
well.
Death & Companions
Companions follow all normal rules for damage, injury, and death. Unlike player characters, companions
do not enter the Spirit State. When reduced to 0 Hit Points, a companion immediately begins making
Death Checks as normal.
Death is one of the risks of maintaining companions. The more allies you bring into danger, the more
lives are placed at risk.
"A good weapon may save your life. A loyal companion may save your soul."
Attributes
1d6 1d6 1d4 1d6 1d4
STR AGI INT PER CHA
Description DC: 3
Animal companions come in countless forms, from loyal hounds, swift hawks, towering bears, cunning
foxes, to even more exotic and fantastical beasts. Some are raised from birth while others are creatures
of the wild that have chosen to place their trust in an adventurer. Whatever their origins, these
companions stand beside their masters through hardship, danger, and triumph alike.
Your Animal starts with one primary natural attack that deals 1d8 points of damage of a physical type of
your choosing, and a secondary natural attack that deals 1d6 points of damage of a physical type of your
choosing. Your Animal companion also has a Shell of 1d4.
Animal Ethnicities
Strong Animal
Powerful creatures built for dominance, endurance, and raw physical force.
Agile Animal
Swift hunters and quick-footed runners that rely on speed over strength.
Intelligent Animal
Unusually clever creatures capable of problem solving and surprising insight.
Alert and watchful companions with exceptionally sharp senses.
Charismatic Animal
Loyal companions that form deep bonds and naturally attract attention.
Tier I — 5xp
Tier II — 10xp
Tier III — 15xp
Tier IV — 20xp
Tier V — 25xp
Legendary Vitality — Your Animal gains +10 HP.
Deadly Natural Weapons — Increase the damage die of your Animal's natural attacks by 1 category.
Unmatched Speed — Increase your Animal's Move by +2.
Ultimate Predator — Increase one of your Animal's Attributes by 1 die step.
Adamant Hide — Increase your Animal's Shell to 1d10.
"A spellcaster may master a hundred spells. A wise one learns not to cast them alone."
Attributes
1d4 1d4 1d4 1d4 1d4
STR AGI INT PER CHA
Description DC: 3
Familiars are magical creatures bound to a spellcaster through ritual, study, or ancient pacts. Though
often small in stature, they possess an innate connection to magic that allows them to serve as scouts,
advisors, messengers, and trusted companions. Many spellcasters come to view their familiar as an
extension of themselves, sharing thoughts, secrets, and experiences across great distances.
Your familiar starts with one natural attack that deals 1d4 points of damage of a type of your choosing.
Your familiar can communicate with you telepathically. If your familiar is killed it comes back to life by
your side after one week.
Familiar Ethnicities
Strong Animal
A stubborn and resilient familiar capable of enduring dangers that would destroy lesser magical
creatures.
Agile Animal
Quick and elusive, these familiars excel at avoiding danger and reaching places others cannot.
Intelligent Animal
Naturally curios and remarkably insightful, these familiars possess an exceptional talent for learning.
Perceptive Animal
Gifted with heightened awareness, these familiars notice details others easily overlook.
Charismatic Animal
Expressive and personable, these familiars form unusually strong connections with those around
them.
Tier I — 5xp
Tier II — 10xp
Additional Weapons — Your Familiar gains a second natural attack that deals 1d4 damage of a type of your choosing. This attack also gains the Toppling trait.
Improved Familiar’s Toughness — Your Familiar gains +2 HP.
Arcane Education — Your Familiar gains proficiency in two Skills of your choice.
Magical Bond — You may spend an additional 2 MP on a spell when you cast it.
Familiar Speech — Your Familiar can speak. It learns a number of languages equal to your Intellect modifier and may learn additional languages normally.
Tier III — 15xp
Tier IV — 20xp
Adapted Movement — Your Familiar gains either a Climb, Fly, or Swim speed.
Greater Conduit — You gain +3 MP.
Arcane Shielding — Increase your Familiar's Shell to 1d6.
Mana Battery — Your Familiar may store up to 10 MP that you can drain. You must be touching your familiar to use this action.
Swift Familiar — Increase your Familiar's Move by +2.
Tier V — 25xp
In Grimhowl, wealth is more than coin.
It’s influence, supplies, favors, credit, investments, and the simple ability to survive in a brutal world. A
full belly, dry bedroll, stocked medical kit, and reliable weapon matter just as much as gold.
Some adventurers fight monsters.
Others fight poverty.
Most fight both.
Wealth Points & Wealth Dice
Every character begins with:
Your Wealth Die represents your overall financial stability and purchasing
power. Higher Wealth dice provide more reliable access to equipment,
services, and comfortable living conditions. It is highly recommended you
spend your 5 starting WP on “Save every Coin” under the Tier I wealth
options.
Wealth uses the same Modifier progression as Attributes:
Wealth Die Modifier
| 1d4 | +2 |
|---|---|
| 1d6 | +3 |
| 1d8 | +4 |
| 1d10 | +5 |
| 1d12 | +6 |
Wealth Points (WP) are earned through treasure, jobs, favors, trade, and
exploration.
WP can be used to:
“Coin changes people. Some save it. Some spend it. Some learn how to make the world kneel for it.” —
Delianna
Tier I — 5wp
Save Every Coin — Gain a Rank in Wealth
Packrat — Once per day, you may attempt to acquire an item with a Wealth check equal to or lower than your Wealth modifier, even if there is nowhere nearby to purchase it
Hoarder — Gain an extra consumable whenever you purchase one
Work for a Living — Once per session, convert 5 XP into 5 WP
Cash to Burn — Gain Wealth Points equal to your Wealth modifier at the start of each session. These WP may only be used to purchase goods
Flaunt It — Spend 1 WP to treat your Wealth modifier as 1 higher for a single purchase
Tier II — 10wp
Making Ends Meet — Gain a Rank in Wealth
Reliable Income — Increase your Wealth die to 1d6
Live off the Land — Reduce the DC of Lifestyle checks made while staying in the wilderness by 1
Make Do — Reroll 1 die on a Lifestyle check
Pace Yourself — Increase the number of rests gained from each Lifestyle by 1
Knows a Guy — Once per day, reduce the Purchase DC of a single item by 1
Tier III — 15wp
Rising Standing — Gain a Rank in Wealth
Comfortable Means — Increase your Wealth die to 1d8
Shop Around — Reroll 1 die on a Purchase check
Knows the Room — Reduce social penalties caused by being outside your Lifestyle by 1
Make an Impression — Spend WP equal to the Lifestyle DC of an event or location to gain Advantage on social checks there
Spare No Expense — Spend 1 WP to reduce the Wealth check required to craft an item by an additional 1
Tier IV — 20wp
Established Power — Gain a Rank in Wealth
Deep Pockets — Increase your Wealth die to 1d10
Quiet Delivery — Once per day, spend 3 WP to make a Wealth check to acquire an item even if no merchant or shop is available. This check does not count toward your daily purchase limit
Favors & Discounts — Once per session, reduce the DC of an item by 1
Throw Money at It — Spend 1 WP to reroll a failed Wealth die once per check
Respectable, At Least — When failing a Lifestyle check, you may reroll it as though living a Modest Lifestyle instead
Tier V — 25wp
Unassailable Standing — Gain a Rank in Wealth
Vast Resources — Increase your Wealth die to 1d12
No Such Thing as Failure — Once per day, turn 1 failed die into a success on a Wealth check
Call in Everything — Once per day, if your WP drops to 0, gain WP equal to your Lifestyle Bonus die. Increase all Wealth DCs by 1 for the rest of the session
Unrestricted Access — Gain 1 automatic success on a Wealth check once per day
Sustained Comfort — You may make Lifestyle checks once every 2 days instead of every day, keeping the same result for both days
Lifestyle — How You Live
Each morning, choose the Lifestyle your character attempts to maintain for the day.
Lifestyle affects:
A warm inn, clean bandages, decent meals, and safe shelter make survival easier. Sleeping in mud beside
a burned-out ruin does not.
Tier DC Rests Bonus Perks
Squalid —0 — Reroll 1 successful die during an Extended Rest
1d4 —
Poor 2 1 1d6 Reroll 1 die during Short Rests
1d8 Reroll 2 dice during Short Rests
Modest 3 2 1d10 Reroll 2 dice during Short Rests, 1 die during Extended Rests
1d12 Reroll 3 dice during Short Rests, 2 die during Extended Rests
Comfortable 5 3
Prosperous 6 4
Opulent 8 5
DC
The DC needed to succeed at the given lifestyle check. You can choose a different lifestyle every day,
unless you fail. If you fail you must attempt the same lifestyle check as you did the day before. If you fail
a second time you can choose freely once again.
Rests
The number of times you may take a Short Rest each day. You gain an additional number of Short Rests
for each ★ beyond the first when making your Lifestyle check.
Bonus
Added to recovery checks while maintaining that Lifestyle, as well as some social situations.
Upkeep Checks
To maintain your chosen Lifestyle, roll:
Wealth Die + 1 die per Wealth Rank
Each die meeting the Lifestyle’s Upkeep DC generates one ★.
Success
You successfully maintain the Lifestyle for the day.
Extra Successes
For each ★ beyond the first, gain:
+1 additional Short Rest that day.
First Failure
If you fail the Upkeep Check:
Your Lifestyle immediately becomes Squalid for the day
You cannot make purchases for the remainder of the day
You must attempt the same Lifestyle check you failed the next day (Poor, Modest, etc)
Repeated Failure
If you fail the same Lifestyle again on the following day:
This penalty remains until you spend WP equal to the Modifier of the lost Wealth tier.
Example:
Healing in Grimhowl is tied to endurance, discipline, and living conditions.
Recovery is never automatic.
Short Rest
A Short Rest takes:
10 minutes
During a Short Rest, choose one:
Recover HP
Recover MP
Recover HP
Make an:
Endurance Check (DC 3)
Recover MP
Make a:
Willpower Check (DC 3)
For each ★:
recover 1 HP or 1 MP
Expert and Master scaling applies normally.
Lifestyle Bonus dice and Lifestyle perks also apply to these recovery checks.
You may only take a number of Short Rests each day equal to your Lifestyle limit, plus any additional
rests gained from your Upkeep Check.
Extended Rest
At the end of the day, make both:
Delianna’s Note
“People think heroes survive on courage. Cute. Heroes survive on dry socks, hot meals, and not bleeding
in a ditch for three straight days.”
To acquire equipment, supplies, transportation, services, or other valuables, make a Wealth Check:
Wealth Die + 1 die per Wealth Rank
Each die meeting or exceeding the item’s Wealth DC generates one ★.
If you generate enough ★ to meet the item’s requirement, you acquire it.
Wealth Strain
Your first Wealth Check each day suffers no penalty.
Each additional Wealth Check that day reduces your Wealth Check by:
-1 die per previous Wealth Check.
This penalty functions similarly to Repeat Action Penalty (RAP), representing strained resources,
mounting expenses, and financial instability.
Your Wealth Die can be fully removed by this penalty.
Failed Wealth Checks
If you fail a Wealth Check for an item whose DC exceeds your Wealth Modifier:
your Wealth Die drops by one die size for the rest of the day.
Examples:
1d8 → 1d6
1d6 → 1d4
1d4 → no Wealth Die
If your Wealth Die is reduced below 1d4:
You cannot make further purchases until your Wealth Die is restored at the start of the next day.
This represents damaged finances, exhausted credit, burned favors, or stretched resources.
Spending Wealth Points Directly
You may spend Wealth Points (WP) to automatically acquire items without rolling a Wealth Check.
If the item’s Wealth DC is equal to or lower than your Wealth Modifier:
1 WP per DC = 1★
Example
A character with:
Wealth Die 1d8
Wealth Modifier +4
wants to purchase:
Keen Sigil (DC 4, requires 2★)
Because the item’s DC is equal to their Wealth Modifier:
each ★ costs 4 WP
The total purchase costs:
8 WP
The GM always has final say on whether an item is reasonably available in the current location.
Starting Equipment
During Character Creation, your starting Wealth determines your starting equipment.
You receive:
5 starting Wealth Rolls
Each roll uses your current Wealth Dice Pool.
Each roll represents equipment, favors, crafted gear, supplies, or resources your character possessed
before the campaign began.
Items discovered during the same Wealth Roll for starting equipment may begin combined as if their
crafting requirements have already been met.
Example
A character rolls:
3★
4★
They choose:
War Blade (DC 3)
Melee Glyph (DC 3)
Because both items were acquired together there is no crafting roll needed to combine them, the
weapon begins play with the Glyph already attached.
Treasure & Discovery
Treasure in Grimhowl is not distributed entirely by the GM.
When treasure is discovered, each player typically makes a free Wealth Check to determine what they
uncover.
Some treasure sources grant bonus Wealth dice such as:
+1d4
+2d4
+1d6
These bonus dice may be:
Added to the Wealth Check to search for better items
or converted directly into Wealth Points for guaranteed value
This allows players to decide between:
Reliable resources — or
Riskier treasure opportunities.
Wealth Advancement
You may invest WP into improving your Wealth Rank, Wealth Die, and economic abilities.
Tier Cost
| I | 5wp |
|---|---|
| II | 10wp |
III 15wp
IV 20wp
V 25wp
Wealth advancement may be purchased during Character Creation or later during play.
Delianna’s Note
“Coin doesn’t keep you alive, darling. Stability does. The moment your pockets get desperate, Chondara
smells blood.”