Opening Letter: From the Journal of Delianna
I wasn't born with a sword in my hand or a spell on my lips. I didn't crawl out of some hero's tale, gleaming and noble. No---like most of you, I clawed my way here. Through ruin. Through laughter. Through a world that didn't want me to win.
And you know what? I'm still here.
So listen close, because this isn't just ink on paper---it's a lantern in the dark. Grimhowl wasn't forged in peace or goodwill. It was born of frustration. I've watched too many would-be adventurers throw down their dice after a streak of bad luck. I've seen systems that punish imagination and call it balance. I've seen "freedom" twisted into nothing but painted doors on brick walls.
You deserve better.
In Grimhowl, failure isn't a dead end---it's a detour. Success isn't binary; it's a spectrum, a melody, a howl carried across the Chondaran winds. One success strikes true. Two, and your weapon hums with potential. Three or more? That's when the bards get drunk trying to write your song.
This is not a game of rigid classes and locked destinies. You are not a box to be checked. You're a person. You begin where you choose. You grow how you must. A warlock can become a swordmaster. A knight can bow to no king but the beast they've tamed. You won't be handed power---you'll earn it, one breath, one choice, one hard-won victory at a time.
Chondara is cruel, yes. But it's also beautiful. In the Age of Beasts, burnfume fogs choke the streets. Monsters stir beneath the old cities. Forgotten gods weep in the dark. But there are wonders here too, if you're bold enough to seek them.
So take this rulebook. Break it in. Scribble in the margins. Spill your drinks on it. This isn't just a set of rules. It's a promise: You are free to become legend.
--- Delianna, Demonblood Explorer
What Is Grimhowl?
Grimhowl: Age of Beasts is a tabletop roleplaying game set in the world of Chondara---a place where fantasy collides with steam and steel, where monsters walk ancient streets and airships prowl cloud-choked skies. It's a system built for players who want:
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Narrative agency that grows with every success.
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Freedom to transform their character as the story demands.
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A world that's grim but not hopeless---where even failure moves the story forward.
This isn't a game of static builds and predetermined paths. Here, you start with 100 XP and a dream. You shape yourself as you go, blending skills, magic, and paths. Your character is never locked into a single archetype. A bard might become a monster hunter. A rogue might embrace forbidden magic. Your growth is emergent---alive.
In combat, every die matters. One ★ might land a strike. Two could stagger your foe. Three? That's where legends are made. Success scales with your mastery, and failure isn't a stop sign---it's a story hook.
Grimhowl's world demands:
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Brutal Combat: Fast, deadly, and cinematic.
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Exploration: A living world full of mysteries to uncover.
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Meaningful Choices: Every decision ripples outward.
If you've ever felt like other systems kept you out of your own story, welcome to the door you can break down. Welcome to Grimhowl.
Core Rules: The Dice System
In Grimhowl, every action is a story in the making---success, failure, and everything in between. To tell that story, you'll roll dice pools built from two sources: your Attributes and your Skills. Each roll isn't just a pass or fail---it's a spectrum of success (★). The more success you roll, the greater your impact.
- Attributes
Your character has five Core Attributes:
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Strength (STR): Power, endurance, raw force.
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Agility (AGI): Reflexes, speed, finesse.
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Intellect (INT): Knowledge, analysis, magical aptitude.
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Perception (PER): Awareness, insight, precision.
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Charisma (CHA): Presence, influence, willpower.
Each Attribute has a die size, from 1d4 (inherent weakness) to 1d12 (legendary potential). These dice aren't just numbers---they're the core of who you are. Your race determines where you begin: a human's 1d6 across the board reflects a baseline in physical and mental ability. An elf's 1d4 Strength hints at their lighter frames, while their 1d8 Agility speaks to their grace and balance. Yes, you can train these over time---but your starting dice represent your roots, your nature, and the shape of your early story.
📝 Delianna's Note:
"Don't get smug with that d8 Agility, elf---you still snap like a twig under a Firbolg's fist."
- Skills
Each Attribute governs five Skills, for a total of 25. Skills represent trained proficiencies and are measured in Ranks (I--V). Each Rank adds another die of your Attribute's size to your roll.
Rank Dice Added
I +1 (Attribute die)
II +2 (Attribute dice)
III +3 (Attribute dice)
IV +4 (Attribute dice)
V +5 (Attribute dice)
📝 Delianna's Note:
"Remember, skill alone doesn't make you stronger. If you're built like a twig (1d4), you're still rolling twigs. Train up that Strength if you want to swing big."
- Building a Dice Pool
Whenever you attempt an action, you'll roll a Dice Pool built from:
[1 Attribute Die] + [1 Die per Skill Rank]
Each die rolled is the same size as your Attribute die for that Skill. You're rolling your natural potential plus your trained expertise.
Each die that meets or exceeds the target Difficulty Class (DC) generates one success (★). The total number of ★ is adjusted based on your Skill Rank tier.
Example: Climbing a Crumbling Tower
You're trying to scale a ruined tower (Athletics check).
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Strength: 1d6
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Athletics Rank: II (+2 skill dice)
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Total Dice Pool: 3d6
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GM sets DC: 3 (standard difficulty)
You roll: 3d6 → 5 (★), 3 (★), 2 = 2 successes (★)
With 2★, you climb steadily, making it up without slipping but with no extra flair.
📝 Delianna's Note:
"You're only Trained? Cute. Wait until you're an Expert and your every move hits twice as hard."
- ★ Success Scaling
In Grimhowl, expertise amplifies your results:
Rank Tier Ranks Scaling
Trained I--II Multiply successes ×1
Expert III--IV Multiply successes ×2
Master V Multiply successes ×3
As your skill deepens, your successes grow exponentially---shifting from scraping by to rewriting the battlefield.
- Tempting Fate
Sometimes the dice pool isn't enough. Sometimes the odds are stacked, your back's to the wall, and you're out of clever plans. That's when you Tempt Fate.
Tempting Fate is your chance to defy reason and the rules, to lean into desperation and let the dice gods decide. But beware: the bigger the gamble, the bigger the consequences.
🧨 How It Works
When you Tempt Fate, you roll 1d20 against the target Difficulty Class (DC) instead of your normal dice pool.
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✅ If you succeed: You succeed... but at a cost. While you do succeed the GM decides what complication arises from your recklessness.
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✅ If you roll a natural 20: You succeed spectacularly. Treat it as though every die from your normal pool rolled a success.
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❌ If you fail: You fail, and something unfortunate happens.
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❌ If you roll a natural 1: Disaster. The situation worsens significantly, shifting momentum hard against you.
The Fate Pool
Each character begins with a Fate Pool of 1 Fate Point.
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Spend a Fate Point to Tempt Fate.
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Your pool can grow---certain Paths and Abilities may increase it---but no character can ever have more than 3 Fate Points at a time.
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Fate Points reset at the start of each session.
This mechanic isn't meant for every roll---it's a tool for dramatic, cinematic moments where your character throws caution to the wind.
Example: Desperate Leap
Delianna is trying to leap across a collapsing bridge to save an ally. The GM calls for an Athletics check with a DC of 5 (challenging under the circumstances).
She's worried her normal dice pool might not score even a single ★, so she spends a Fate Point to Tempt Fate and rolls 1d20.
- She rolls a 16---success! She makes the jump and catches her ally's hand, but the GM rules that the bridge fully collapses behind her. The path back is gone.
If she'd rolled a natural 20, she might have saved the ally and swung them both to safety on a dangling rope. If she'd rolled a natural 1, she would have missed completely, falling into the abyss.
📝 Delianna's Note
"Sometimes you need to leap without looking. Sometimes you just... splat. That's Fate for you."
- Advantage & Disadvantage
Not every fight is fair, and not every roll happens on level ground. In Grimhowl, Advantage and Disadvantage reflect favorable or hostile conditions, keeping the game cinematic and reactive.
Many Skills and Abilities grant Advantage or Disadvantage, but the GM is also free to apply them when the situation calls for it.
Advantage: Lean Into Your Edge
Every character begins with an Advantage Pool of 1. Certain Races and Paths can increase this through feats or abilities, but no one can ever have more than 3 Advantage dice at a time.
When you gain Advantage on a roll:
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Add a number of dice equal to your Advantage Pool to your Dice Pool.
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These added dice are the same size as your Attribute die for that roll.
Example: You're firing a steambolt musket (Agility 1d8, Ranged Rank III → 4d8 total). You have Advantage and an Advantage Pool of 2.
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Roll: 6d8 (4 base + 2 Advantage dice)
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Evaluate for ★, then multiply total ★ by ×2 since Rank III = Expert tier.
This represents your innate edge paying off in just the right moment.
Disadvantage: Feel the World's Weight
When conditions are against you, you may suffer Disadvantage. For each point of Disadvantage:
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Reduce your effective Skill Rank by 1.
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Reduce your move by 1, to a minimum of 1.
If Disadvantage reduces your Skill Rank to 0, you lose all Skill dice but still roll your Attribute die. The penalty caps here---Disadvantage never prevents you from acting. Stacks of disadvantage are reduced by 1 dice after every action taken.
Example: You're swinging a greatsword (Strength 1d6, Melee Rank V → 6d6 total). You're blinded and off-balance, suffering Disadvantage 3.
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Lose 3 Skill dice (Rank V → Rank II).
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New Dice Pool: 3d6 (1 Attribute + 2 Skill dice).
There is also situational Disadvantage, such as being prone. In these situations you suffer from the disadvantage as long as you are in that situation.
📝 Delianna's Note
"Advantage feels like destiny smiling at you. Disadvantage? That's Chondara laughing in your face. Either way, don't whine---roll and deal with it."
- Ability Modifiers
Your Attributes don't just shape your dice---they also determine how hard you hit, how fast you act, and how much the world struggles to take you down.
Each Attribute has a Modifier equal to half the maximum value of its die:
Die Size Modifier
1d4 +2
1d6 +3
1d8 +4
1d10 +5
1d12 +6
What Modifiers Do
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Set Defensive DCs: When an enemy targets you with a Skill (like Grapple vs. Strength or Feint vs. Perception), your Modifier sets the DC they roll against.
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Damage Boosts:
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Strength Modifier is added to melee and thrown weapon damage.
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Agility Modifier is added to ranged weapon damage.
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Action Economy: Your Agility Modifier determines how many actions you can take each turn.
📝 Delianna's Note:
"Modifiers are the force of your presence in the world. Big numbers make big ripples---and if you're sitting on a d12, you're practically a tidal wave."
- Action Economy
In Grimhowl, combat is fast, deadly, and packed with choices. The number of things you can do each turn is determined by your Agility Modifier:
Agility Die Modifier Actions per Turn
1d4 +2 2 Actions
1d6 +3 3 Actions
1d8 +4 4 Actions
1d10 +5 5 Actions
1d12 +6 6 Actions
Your actions refresh at the start of each round. Spend them on your turn or hold them to react later.
Actions & Reactions: Every Moment Counts
In Grimhowl, combat isn't turn-based chess---it's a deadly waltz of choices, timing, and nerve. Your actions are your currency. Every swing, dodge, spell, and step costs time---and Chondara won't forgive wasted moments.
What is an Action?
At the start of each round, you gain a number of actions equal to your Agility Modifier (2--6). These are your fuel for the entire round. Spend them on your turn or save them to react later.
✅ Common Actions:
Action Cost Description
Attack 1 Make a skill check to strike with a weapon.
Cast 1 Use a magical ability or spell.
Move 1 Travel up to your Speed.
Interact 1 Open a door, draw a weapon, reload, etc.
Defend 1 Prepare to parry or dodge until your next turn.
Special 1 Activate a Path ability or unique maneuver.
You may spend as many or as few actions as you like on your turn. Unspent actions aren't wasted---they can power Reactions later in the round.
Reactions: Fighting in the Flow
Reactions allow you to respond to what others do---whether it's a goblin swinging a blade or an ally needing cover fire.
✅ Key Rules for Reactions:
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Reactions cost actions from your pool.
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You may use purchased Reactions freely as long as you have actions remaining.
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To use an unpurchased Reaction, you must declare a held action during your turn (e.g., "I hold 1 action to Parry"). If the trigger doesn't occur, the action is lost at the start of your next turn.
Purchasing Reactions
To unlock a Reaction permanently:
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Be Proficient in the relevant Skill (purchased via Race or Path).
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Have the Skill at Rank II or higher.
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Spend 15 XP to purchase the Reaction.
Once purchased, you may trigger it whenever its condition is met.
✅ Example Purchased Reactions:
Reaction Trigger Effect
Parry When targeted by a melee attack Roll Parry; each ★ spent cancels 1★ from the attack. Cancel all ★ → negate.
Dodge When targeted by a ranged, thrown, or spell attack Roll Dodge; each ★ spent cancels 1★ from the attack. Cancel all ★ → negate.
Endurance When subjected to an Athletics attempt (grapple, shove) Roll Endurance; each ★ spent cancels 1★ from the attempt. Cancel all ★ → resist.
No Infinite Loops
Reactions cannot trigger other Reactions. Once a Reaction resolves, the chain ends. You also cannot use a Reaction to interrupt a combined action until both parts resolve.
RAP Applies!
Each repeated use of the same action in a round applies the Repeat Action Penalty:
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1st use: no penalty
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2nd use: -1 Skill die
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3rd use: -2 Skill dice
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and so on.
Your Attribute die is never lost, and ★ multipliers from Skill Rank still apply. Your movement also suffers from RAP, each time you move reduce your movement by -1.
📝 Delianna's Note
"Reactions are all about timing. Spend all your actions too fast and you're a sitting duck. Hold too long and die clutching a handful of 'almosts.' Oh---and no, darling, you can't React to a Reaction. Chondara's deadly, but it isn't that ridiculous."
- Repeat Action Penalty (RAP)
In Grimhowl, combat rewards variety and momentum. Repeating the same action multiple times in a single turn pushes your limits and draws the attention of seasoned foes. That's where the Repeat Action Penalty (RAP) comes in.
Each time you perform the same action again during your turn, your Dice Pool for that action suffers a cumulative penalty:
Attempt Penalty
1st None
2nd -1 Skill die
3rd -2 Skill dice
4th -3 Skill dice
Movement: Your move also suffers from RAP. Each time you move after the first time you reduce your move by -1.
Note: The penalty only reduces Skill dice. You never lose your Attribute die---it remains in your pool no matter how many times you repeat the action.
This keeps combat dynamic and rewards creative, adaptive playstyles without punishing mastery.
Example: Swing, Swing... Miss
You're using a greatsword (Strength 1d6, Melee Rank III → 4d6 total).
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First attack: Roll all 4d6 (no penalty).
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Second attack: Roll 3d6 (-1 Skill die).
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Third attack: Roll 2d6 (-2 Skill dice).
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Fourth attack: Roll 1d6 (-3 Skill dice; only the Attribute die remains).
Your attacks lose precision, but if you manage to land ★, you still multiply them by ×2 because you're Expert (Rank III).
📝 Delianna's Note
"Keep swinging like a mindless brute and you'll RAP yourself right into an early grave. But hey, if you're good enough to land those hits anyway? Ride the beat, darling."
Character Creation: Carve Your Legend
"You're not a pile of numbers. You're a future ghost story someone's going to tell around a tavern fire. So listen close and build something worth haunting." ---Delianna
Welcome to the forge. In Grimhowl, you don't roll stats and pray for mercy. You take 100 XP and shape your hero from raw potential. No locked classes. No boxed destinies. Just choices, blood, and a little luck.
Choose Your Race
Your Race isn't just a cosmetic label---it's the DNA of your character's early story. It sets your Attribute Dice, Base HP, Movement, and unique senses or features. Want to sprint like a Moon Elf? Stomp like a Firbolg? Whisper to spirits like a Faun? This is where it begins.
📖 Cost: Races aren't free. You'll spend XP from your starting pool. Ethnicities or bloodlines add even more spice (and cost).
Race XP Cost Notables
Human 10 XP Versatile. Cheap. Surprisingly punchy.
Elf 15 XP Graceful. Ethnicities pack surprises.
Faun 15 XP Fey charm. Bonus movement.
Firbolg 15 XP Big, tanky, with natural strength.
Phemorrean 20 XP Fate-touched and deeply unsettling.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Humans cost the least. You know why? Because they're stubborn enough to survive anything. Even bad life choices."
Ethnicities: Each Race has Ethnicities with extra perks:
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Night Elf (10 XP): Darkvision. See what others fear.
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Corrupted Faun (15 XP): Primordial magic right out of the womb.
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Cyclopskin (15 XP): Strength like a siege engine, but brains take a hit.
Pick one, pay the XP, and wear it like a second skin.
- Choose Your Path
Paths are your first real step toward legend. They give you:
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A Base Kit (HP boost, skill training, sometimes magic)
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A Subclass (flavor your role)
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Access to tiered abilities (bought later with XP)
Path XP Cost
Adventurer 20 XP
Bard 25 XP
Chef 15 XP
Knight 20 XP
Sorcerer 25 XP
📖 Example: Picking Knight gets you +5 Base HP, +5 Bonus HP, Training in Parry, and a Subclass like Juggernaut (less armor penalty) or Bastion (better shield defense).
Note: You do not have to pick a path if you do not want to. You can purchase a path at any time.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Don't call them 'classes.' That's a prison word. You're not picking a life sentence---you're grabbing a starting weapon."
- Financial Background
You need to pick your characters financial background. This determines your characters starting wealth, gear, and also will help you choose the most appropriate lifestyle when the time comes.
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Highborn (20xp): Gain 10 wealth points
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Born of the Wild (15xp): Increase your lifestyle bonus and perks by 2 steps, your lifestyle can never be higher than Modest
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Social Grifter (10xp): When in social settings your lifestyle can count as either one higher or one lower than it actually is.
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Fumehowler (5xp): Gain 3 additional roles for starting equipment
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Poor Family (5xp): If you fail your lifestyle roll you are still considered poor and can make purchases.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Starting out rich is a requirement, but it certain does make things easier."
- Spend XP --- Build the Beast
Time to throw what's left of your 100 XP at your character's guts and bones.
A) Financial Background
Choose a Financial Background for your character, this will determine the trajectory for your characters financial aspirations.
B) Skill Proficiencies & Buying Ranks
You can gain proficiency in skills through Racial or Path abilities. If you're missing proficiency, the first rank costs more (you're teaching yourself from scratch).
Rank Proficient Cost Unproficient Cost
I 5 XP 10 XP
II 10 XP 15 XP
III 15 XP 20 XP
IV 20 XP 25 XP
V 25 XP 30 XP
Each Rank adds a die equal to your Attribute Die to rolls with that skill.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Proficiency cuts the cost in half. But if you're raw-dogging skill from zero? Get ready to bleed XP."
C) Improve Your Attributes
Not happy with your 1d4 Strength as an Elf? You can spend XP to increase any Attribute's die size. This represents rigorous training, harsh lessons, and pushing your body or mind beyond its limits.
From → To XP Cost
1d4 → 1d6 50 XP
1d6 → 1d8 100 XP
1d8 → 1d10 150 XP
1d10 → 1d12 200 XP
📝 Delianna's Note: "Want to turn twigs into trunks? It's pricey, but so is resurrection."
D) Unlock Race & Path Abilities
Each has 5 Tiers. Start at Tier I and climb. Purchasing one ability from a tier unlocks the tier above it. For example if you purchase a single tier I racial ability you can then purchase any amount of tier II abilities.
Tier XP Cost
I 5 XP
II 10 XP
III 15 XP
IV 20 XP
V 25 XP
E) Learn Reactions
Defensive maneuvers and tricks that trigger outside your turn.
Cost: 15 XP each (requires Rank II in the relevant skill and Proficiency)
F) Expand Magic Ranks
You don't "train" magic in Grimhowl---there's no shortcut to mastery. If your Race or Path gave you access to a Field of Magic, you may buy Ranks in that Field using the Untrained XP cost (because magic never comes easy).
Rank XP Cost
I 10 XP
II 15 XP
III 20 XP
IV 25 XP
V 30 XP
📝 Delianna's Note: "Power like this doesn't come cheap. Every rank's a scar burned into your soul. Wear them proudly."
Important: You can increase your magic dice in the same way you purchase higher attributes, but you still must unlock a magic dice at 1d4 before you can improve it in this manner.
From → To XP Cost
1d4 → 1d6 50 XP
1d6 → 1d8 100 XP
1d8 → 1d10 150 XP
1d10 → 1d12 200 XP
G) Multipath
Want to blend Paths? Buy a new one at full cost plus and addition 10 XP per path you already have. (e.g., If you are a Fighter and then want to pick up Sorcerer it will cost you 35xp. 25 XP (Sorcerer base cost) + 10 XP for already having 1 path). Get its Base Kit and access to its ability tiers.
💥 Example: Ryn the Forest Elf Adventurer
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Race: Elf (15 XP) + Forest Elf (5 XP) = 20 XP
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Path: Adventurer (20 XP)
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Financial Background: Fumehowler (5xp)
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Total Spent: 45 XP
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Leftover: 55 XP
Ryn invests:
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5 XP: Adventurer Tier I -- Monster Hunter
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5 XP: Adventurer Tier I -- Watch and Wait (Training in Stealth)
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10 XP: Adventurer Tier II -- Get Your Hands Dirty (Training in Melee)
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15 XP: Rank I & II in Observation
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5 XP: Rank I in Melee
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5 XP: Rank I in Stealth
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10 XP: Adventurer Tier II -- I Just Know Things
Ryn's ready to stalk cultists in the alleys and duel them under moonlight.
📝 Delianna's Note: "See? 100 XP isn't a leash---it's a lit match. Light it up."
- Wealth & Lifestyle --- The Price of Survival
Wealth Points (WP)
In Grimhowl, money isn't stacks of coins. It's influence, assets, and the grit to keep yourself fed, armed, and respected in a world that wants you dead.
Every character starts with 5 Wealth Points and a Wealth Die of 1d4.
Wealth Die reflects your financial strength---higher dice mean more reliable access to goods, services, and a comfortable life.
Wealth Points (WP) are a narrative currency gained from treasure, rewards, or business ventures. Players use WP to:
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Buy starting equipment.
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Invest in Wealth Tiers (upgrading your Wealth Die and unlocking perks).
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Secure safehouses, hire help, or purchase luxury items later in play.
Lifestyle: How You Live
Each morning, you declare the Lifestyle your character attempts to maintain for the day. This isn't just cosmetic---it shapes recovery rates, reputation, and how NPCs treat you.
Lifestyle Tiers & Effects
Tier Upkeep DC Short Rests/Day Bonus Die Perks
Squalid --- 0 --- Reroll 1 successful die during extended rest (You slept wrong)
Poor 2 1 +1d4 -
Modest 3 2 +1d6 Reroll 1 die per short rest
Comfortable 5 3 +1d8 Reroll 2 dice per short rest
Prosperous 6 4 +1d10 Reroll 2 dice per short rest, and 1 die per extended rest
Opulent 8 5 +1d12 Reroll 3 dice per short rest, and 2 die per+ 2 extended rest
Short Rests/Day: Number of times you may take a short rest. Bonus Die: Added to recovery checks while in this lifestyle.
Upkeep Check
To maintain your chosen Lifestyle for the day, roll:
Wealth Die + 1 die per Wealth Rank Compare total ★ to the Lifestyle's Upkeep DC.
✅Success: You live comfortably in your chosen tier. ✅ Extra Successes: For each ★ beyond the first, gain 1 additional Short Rest that day. ❌ Fail Once: Drop to Squalid for the day and cannot make any purchases. ❌ Fail Twice: Your Wealth Die downgrades 1 step until you spend WP equal to the failed Lifestyle's DC. You can now make purchases again.
Rest & Recovery
Healing isn't automatic. Recovery depends on skill, resources, and how well you live.
Short Rest (10 Minutes) Take a 10-minute break to recover either HP or MP (not both).
Recover HP: Endurance Check (DC 3) Recover MP: Willpower Check (DC 3)
✅ Each ★ success restores 1 HP or 1 MP ✅ Apply ★ multiplier if Expert (×2) or Master (×3) in Endurance or Willpower ✅ Lifestyle's Bonus Die and perks grant extra dice and rerolls ✅ Limit: As per Lifestyle's Short Rests/Day (+ extra from Upkeep Check successes)
Extended Rest At the end of each day, make two checks:
Recover HP: Endurance Check (DC 3) Recover MP: Willpower Check (DC 3)
✅ Each ★ success restores 1 HP or 1 MP ✅ Apply ★ multiplier if Expert or Master in the respective Skill ✅ Lifestyle perks grant bonus dice and rerolls for both checks
📝 Delianna's Note: "Trust me, sugar---when you're Master Rank, you don't just rest. You command your body to heal. It listens."
Buying Gear & Services
When purchasing items or services, roll a Purchase Check:
Wealth Die + 1 die per Wealth Rank vs. Item's Wealth DC.
✅ Success: You acquire the item or service. ❌ Fail: You do not acquire the item or service. Note: If the DC of the item was above your wealth modifier, your Wealth Die drops 1 size for the rest of the day.
First purchase of the day: no penalty. Subsequent purchases: lose 1 die per attempt at same or higher DC.
📝 Bypass Option: Spend WP directly to auto-succeed on a purchase (if it makes narrative sense).
Wealth Path: Investing in Your Future
Tier Cost Example Benefits
I 5 WP +1 Rank, minor perks: Packrat, Hoarder, etc.
II 10 WP +1 Rank, Wealth Die → 1d6, Make Do
III 15 WP +1 Rank, Wealth Die → 1d8, Shop Around
IV 20 WP +1 Rank, Wealth Die → 1d10, Throw Money at It
V 25 WP +1 Rank, Wealth Die → 1d12, Unrestricted Access
Players may buy Tiers at character creation or later in play whenever the GM awards WP.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Spend your coin right, and Chondara lets you heal like a noble. Get sloppy, and you'll wake up in mud with rats chewing your boots."
Daily Wealth Flow Summary
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Start of day: choose Lifestyle → make Upkeep Check.
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Spend WP or roll Purchase Checks as needed.
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Take Short Rests or Extended Rest as allowed.
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End of day: reset penalties unless prolonged failures occur.
**
**
Skills --- Your Arsenal of Actions
"Skill isn't talent. It's hours of sweat, busted knuckles, and near-death moments that make your reflexes mean something. Don't just pick numbers---pick the kind of badass you want stories written about." ---Delianna
In Grimhowl, skills are more than stats on a sheet. They're how you wrestle Chondara's chaos into submission. Each skill ties to an Attribute and represents mastery in a field of action---combat, magic, social manipulation, or raw survival.
Strength-Based Skills
Athletics
Description: Athletics covers all feats of physical exertion: climbing cliffs, swimming turbulent waters, leaping chasms, and overpowering enemies.
Use Cases:
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Jump gaps, climb obstacles, swim against currents.
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DCs set by environment and difficulty. -
Each ★ = 1 square (5 ft) of movement.
Combat Maneuvers (vs Endurance):
Successes Effect
1 Push target 1 square
1 Grapple target
2 Trip target (they fall prone)
2 Throw target 1 square
Size Difference Conversions:
Difference Success Conversion
Same Size 1:1 ratio
1 Size Larger 2:1 ratio
2 Sizes Larger 3:1 ratio
1 Size Smaller 1:2 ratio
2 Sizes Smaller 1:3 ratio
📝 Delianna's Note: "If you can't climb a rope or throw a thug, don't cry when the world climbs all over you."
Endurance
Description: Endurance measures your toughness---resisting poisons, bleeding, fatigue, and recovering health.
Use Cases:
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Resist poison, bleed, burn, etc.
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Contest Athletics checks (grapples, throws).
Healing & Recovery:
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Resting (DC 3): Gain 1 HP per ★
-
Healing Potion: Roll Endurance vs item's DC → heal base + 1 HP per ★
📝 Delianna's Note: "Endurance isn't sexy until you're the last one standing."
Melee
Description: Skill with blades, maces, claws, and all non-ranged weapons.
Mechanics:
-
Roll vs target's Strength DC.
-
Opposed by Parry.
-
Each ★ = 1 damage.
Extra Success Options:
★ Spent Effect
1 +1 damage
2 Upgrade weapon's damage die
2+ Activate weapon trait or ability
Parry
Description: The art of deflecting melee attacks with a weapon; however, if you have a shield, you can use it to parry thrown or ranged attacks.
Use Cases:
-
Roll Parry as a reaction to cancel attack successes.
-
Equal or higher ★ = full block.
Combat Notes:
-
Untrained: Spend an action to prepare Parry.
-
Trained: React freely to Parry incoming attacks.
-
Shields: block any ranged or thrown attack.
Thrown
Description: Skill with hurled weapons like axes, spears, and bolas.
Mechanics:
-
Roll vs Agility DC.
-
Opposed by Dodge (or Parry with a shield).
-
Each ★ = 1 damage.
Extra Success Options:
★ Spent Effect
1 +1 damage
2 Upgrade weapon's damage die
2+ Activate weapon traits
📝 Delianna's Note: "Why carry a second weapon? Because sometimes the first one's in someone's skull."
Agility-Based Skills
Finesse
Description: Finesse covers acrobatics, balance, sleight of hand, and nimble maneuvers. It's your go-to for bypassing physical obstacles with grace---or picking a noble's pocket without getting a dagger in the ribs.
Use Cases:
-
Stand from prone (1 action, DC 3): Move a number of squares equal to successes
-
Navigate difficult terrain: 1 success = 1 square of movement
-
Pick locks: DC set by lock complexity, magical ward, or Crafting DC if custom
-
Sleight of hand: Opposed by Observation or Vigilance
-
Escape restraints or tight spaces: DC based on restraint quality or environmental factor
📝 Delianna's Note: "The difference between a thief and a corpse is how fast you can use your hands."
Dodge
Description: Dodge is your life insurance policy in Chondara. Arrows, spells, falling rocks---it's all about not being there when the hurt arrives.
Use Cases:
-
Avoidance: Defend against ranged or area attacks (vs attack roll).
-
Reactions: Roll Dodge as a reaction to avoid attacks if trained.
-
Evasion: Negate environmental damage (falling debris, collapsing floors).
Combat Notes:
-
Untrained: Spend an action to prepare Dodge.
-
Trained: React freely to incoming attacks.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Armor slows you down. Dodge doesn't. Guess which one looks better in motion?"
Ranged
Description: Ranged covers bows, crossbows, pistols, rifles---anything designed to kill from a safe distance.
Use Cases:
-
Attack enemies from afar (roll vs target's Agility DC).
-
Suppress enemies by forcing them into cover.
Combat Mechanics:
★ Spent Effect
1 +1 damage
2 Upgrade weapon's damage die
2+ Activate weapon's special traits
Range Rules:
-
Attacks beyond the weapon's range increment increase the DC by +1 per increment
-
Reloading costs actions unless using a weapon with Quick Reload.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Always have a backup plan. Preferably one that shoots lead."
Stealth
Description: Stealth keeps you unseen, unheard, and alive. Perfect for avoiding detection---or ensuring your first strike hits like a freight train.
Use Cases:
- Hide: Enter a hidden state (opposed by Vigilance).
<!-- -->
- Move Silently: Approach unaware enemies or bypass guards. 2 successes = 1 square of hidden movement
<!-- -->
- Ambush: Attack with Advantage if undetected.
Combat Notes:
- Remaining hidden after an attack requires a new Stealth check.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Strike first. Strike last. Then leave them wondering if you were ever really there."
Wrangling
Description: Wrangling is the art of controlling mounts and piloting vehicles---from noble warhorses to Chondaran steam-crawlers.
Use Cases:
-
Control Mount: Calm or direct a panicked animal.
-
Pilot Vehicle: Navigate hazards, perform stunts, or avoid crashes.
-
Combat Maneuvers: Trample enemies with a mount or ram with a vehicle.
Defensive Use:
-
Can be used as a reaction while mounted or driving (if trained)
-
If untrained, prepare with an action
Special Notes:
- Failed rolls can cause loss of control or vehicle damage.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Whether it's a horse or a skitter-cart, keep your hands steady and your eyes forward---or you'll be picking gravel out of your teeth."
Intellect-Based Insight Skills
(The Insight Skills)
The five Insight skills represent specialized knowledge about different aspects of the world and its creatures. Each allows characters to identify, analyze, and gain advantage over threats or magical phenomena. While mechanically identical, each skill applies to specific creature types and magical sources.
Shared Mechanics
When you use an Insight skill on a creature, spell, item, or magical effect, roll against a DC set by the GM (usually from a monster stat block, spell level, or item complexity).
Insight vs Creatures
★ Spent Effect
1 Gain Advantage on your next attack against target
2 An ally gains Advantage on their next attack
1 Learn the creature's Attribute Dice
2 Learn natural armor or a special defense
3 Learn its ranks in a chosen skill
Medicine & Healing Kit Usage
You may substitute Insight skills for Endurance when using healing kits.
Item Type Insight Skill Used Description
Stitcher's Kit Nature Bandages, sutures, and blood staunching
Redleaf Satchel Nature Herbal and alchemical salves
Fumewraps Arcane or Elemental Tech patches, pain suppressants, chemical boosts
Result:
-
Success: Heal 1d4 HP + 1 HP per ★
-
Failure: No healing; item may be consumed
Magical Effect Analysis
Use Insight skills to analyze or disarm magical effects.
★ Spent Effect
1 Identify school/type of magic
2 Determine purpose (trap, ward, detection, etc)
3 Discover a bypass or disarm method
📝 Delianna's Note: "The brain is your deadliest weapon. Use it to survive wards, curses, and things that whisper your name from the shadows."
Arcane
Description: Covers the study of classic magic, spellcraft, magical constructs, dragons, and arcane artifacts.
Applies To:
-
Constructs, dragons, animated objects
-
Arcane spell effects (teleportation, shields, illusions)
-
Magical traps and wards
Divine
Description: Knowledge of gods, celestials, fiends, divine curses, and sacred relics.
Applies To:
-
Angels, devils, and their magic
-
Divine rituals, blessings, curses
Nature
Description: The study of the natural world---beasts, plants, humanoids, terrain magic, and anatomy.
Applies To:
-
Beasts, fey, humanoids, and plants
-
Herbs, poisons, diseases, and survival magic
-
Healing kits like Stitcher's Kits and Redleaf Satchels
Elemental
Description: Knowledge of elemental forces---fire, ice, lightning, acid---and creatures or phenomena tied to them.
Applies To:
-
Elementals, giants, magical storms or terrain
-
Traps, spells, or constructs powered by elemental energy
-
Tech healing tools (Fumewraps)
Occult
Description: Represents knowledge of forbidden lore, corrupted life cycles, soul-binding, unnatural regeneration, and rituals that violate the natural or cosmic order.
Applies To:
-
Abominations, demons, trolls, and undead
-
Cursed or soul-bound items, haunted locations, and lingering spiritual phenomena
-
Dark rituals, forbidden practices, and magic born of corruption, decay, or stolen identity
📝 Delianna's Note: "Poking the occult is like poking a sleeping wolf. You might get away with it. But probably not."
Perception-Based Skills
Crafting
Description: Crafting represents your ability to create, repair, and enhance items---whether you're a tinker in a smoke-filled workshop or a blacksmith pounding iron in the heat.
Use Cases:
-
Create/Repair: Fix damaged gear, build traps, or construct skitter-cart upgrades.
-
Disarm Traps: Roll vs trap DC to disable mechanical or tech traps.
-
Modify Equipment: Upgrade weapons and armor with additional runes.
Special Notes:
-
Use as an Insight skill vs. constructs, golems, machines, vehicles, etc.
-
Complex creations may require a workspace, rare materials, or multiple rolls.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Any fool can break a sword. Crafting is what keeps you from borrowing one off a corpse."
Investigation
Description: Investigation is your analytical mind at work---piecing together clues, spotting patterns, and unraveling mysteries.
Use Cases:
-
Analyze Scenes: Reconstruct events from environmental details.
-
Find Hidden Clues: Spot inconsistencies, secret compartments, or trails of evidence.
-
Social Deduction: Detect lies or hidden motives when paired with Observation.
📝 Delianna's Note: "The truth hides in the details. Miss one, and you'll end up in a shallow grave."
Observation
Description: Active awareness of your surroundings, perfect for spotting ambushes, concealed threats, or minor details others overlook.
Use Cases:
-
Oppose Stealth: Roll vs enemy Stealth to detect them.
-
Spot Traps: Discover mechanical or magical traps before triggering.
-
Read Body Language: Catch subtle cues of deception or hostility.
Combat Utility:
- Pairs with Vigilance for layered defense against Stealth attacks.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Eyes open, ears sharp, mouth shut. Basic survival 101."
Survival
Description: Survival keeps you alive in the wilds of Chondara---tracking prey, navigating dangerous terrain, and foraging for food.
Use Cases:
-
Track Creatures: Follow tracks in urban or wilderness settings.
-
Forage: Find food, water, and medicinal plants.
-
Navigate: Avoid getting lost in unknown regions.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Nature doesn't care about your feelings. Either learn to work with her---or she'll work on you."
Vigilance
Description: Vigilance is your passive, gut-level sense of danger---a sixth sense honed by experience.
Use Cases:
-
Initiative Rolls: Default skill for determining turn order.
-
Detect Subtle Threats: Sense when something isn't right (GM may call for rolls).
-
Counter Ambush: Avoid surprise rounds entirely if successful.
Special Notes:
- Act first by winning initiative rolls based on Vigilance.
📝 Delianna's Note: "It's not paranoia if something really is out to get you."
Charisma-Based Skills
Charming
Description: Charming is your ability to make others like you, trust you, or drop their guard. It's the art of seduction, wit, and presence---used to win favor in court, or disorient enemies mid-battle.
Social Use:
-
Seduce, entertain, or earn admiration.
-
Make a strong first impression.
-
Shift the mood of a room in your favor**.**
Combat Use:
★ Spent Effect
1 Gain Advantage on your next action against the target
2 Target suffers Disadvantage on next action against you
3 Target loses 1 action on their next turn
💡 Used to distract or dazzle enemies mid-combat.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Charm's like a dagger---it's sharp, silent, and lethal in the right hands."
Deception
Description: Deception is your skill in lying, misleading, and masking intent. Whether it's in conversations, forging documents, or mid-fight trickery, this is your tactical con game.
Social Use:
-
Tell convincing lies or half-truths.
-
Disguise intentions and emotions.
-
Plant false information or alibis.
Combat Use:
★ Spent Effect
1 Gain Advantage on your next attack (fake an opening)
2 Target cannot gain Advantage against you until your next turn
2 Move target 1 square as if baited
3 Target wastes 1 action reacting to your feint
💡 Perfect for battlefield mischief and tactical control.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Truth gets you friends. Lies get you results."
Diplomacy
Description: Diplomacy is your ability to negotiate, inspire, and lead. Whether calming tensions or rallying allies, this is where words become weapons.
Social Use:
-
Resolve conflicts and defuse hostile situations.
-
Persuade others to support your goals.
-
Rally groups or coordinate complex actions.
Combat Use:
★ Spent Effect
1 An ally rerolls +1 die on their next action
2 +1 ally gains Advantage on their next check
3 +1 ally gains 1 action, target can only gain 1 additional action per turn.
💡 Diplomatic presence becomes battlefield leadership.
📝 Delianna's Note: "When words work, no blood's spilled. But keep your blade sharp anyway."
Intimidation
Description: Intimidation is fear made manifest---through a glare, a growled threat, or a display of force. It suppresses, frightens, and dominates.
Social Use:
-
Coerce or frighten NPCs into compliance.
-
Cause hesitation or surrender.
-
Enforce silence or command attention.
Combat Use:
★ Spent Effect
1 Gain Advantage on your next attack
2 Push target 1 square away
3 Target gains 1 stack of Disadvantage
3 Target must immediately spend 1 action as a reaction to move toward you
❌ Disadvantage (Stacking Condition): Each stack = -1D to all skill checks. Stacks are cumulative. 1 stack is removed at the end of each round.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Fear opens doors faster than any key ever will."
Willpower
Description: Willpower is your mental shield---the raw fortitude to resist emotional, social, and magical pressures.
Use Cases:
-
Resist Charming, Deception, Diplomacy, and Intimidation.
-
Withstand fear effects, manipulation, or magical control.
-
Maintain focus during concentration-based actions.
Combat Utility:
-
Functions like Parry or Dodge but for mental attacks.
-
Roll Willpower as a reaction to block Charisma-based effects.
💡 Your firewall against psychological and supernatural threats.
📝 Delianna's Note: "The strongest chain is still weak at the mind. Lock yours tight."
**
**
Combat: The Dance of Death
Combat in Grimhowl is no polite, turn-based game. It's vicious, dynamic, and cinematic. Every choice bleeds into the next. Every round is a life-or-death gamble.
Combat Rounds & Time
-
Each round represents 6 seconds of in-world time.
-
10 rounds = 1 minute (important for spell durations, effects, and environmental hazards).
-
A round continues until every creature has acted in initiative order.
Initiative
Combat begins with initiative. You only roll it once at the start of combat.
-
Roll your Vigilance skill (sum all dice rolled).
-
Situational modifiers may apply (terrain, surprise, awareness).
-
Players may propose alternative skills for initiative (if narratively justified).
-
High to low determines turn order.
Turn Structure
✅ At the start of your turn:
-
Regain all actions.
-
Repeat Action Penalty (RAP) resets.
✅ Action count = Agility Modifier. Actions can be spent freely, but repeating the same skill incurs RAP:
-
Each repeat = -1D penalty to that skill roll.
-
RAP caps at removing all ranks; you may still roll your Attribute die.
-
Multiplier bonuses (Expert/Master) still apply.
Movement & Positioning
-
Movement is determined by your Race and is altered by abilities and/or items.
-
Movement must be used in a single continuous action---it can't be split.
-
Flanking an enemy grants Advantage (+1 die per your Advantage Pool).
-
Many skills allow you to move as per your ★. In these situations that movement cannot exceed your actual movement value. If you have a move of 5 and get 8★ on a climb check, you can still only move 5.
Attacks & Defense
Attacks
✅ Attacks are skill checks (e.g., Melee, Ranged, or Thrown) vs target's Defense DC (½ their relevant stat die). ✅ Each ★ success contributes to damage or triggers weapon traits.
Defense
✅ Reactions (Parry, Dodge, Endurance) may be used after any character's action---as long as you have actions remaining. ✅ Defensive scaling applies passively and actively. If you are an expert in a defense the attacker needs 2★ to achieve a single ★. Likewise, if you're a master then they 3★ to achieve a single success. For example: If you are an expert in Parry and the enemy got 4★ on their melee attack. They need 2★ success to equal one, so that 4★ is reduced to 2★.
+----------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Parry Rank | Attacker ★ Needed per 1 Effective ★ |
+================+=========================================+
| Rank I-II | 1★ = 1 effective ★ |
| | |
| Rank III-IV | 2★ = 1 effective ★ |
| | |
| Rank V | 3★ = 1 effective ★ |
+----------------+-----------------------------------------+
Damage & Resistance
Physical Damage
✅ Base Damage = Weapon's damage die + Attribute modifier. ✅ Spend ★ for:
-
+1 Damage per ★
-
Upgrade damage die (+1 step per 2★)
-
Activate weapon traits (cost varies)
✅ Mitigated by:
Type Example
NAB Natural Armor
AB Worn Armor
SB Shields
Roll resistance dice → sum result → subtract from incoming damage.
Energy Damage
✅ Mitigated by energy resistances (Fire, Cold, etc.). ✅ Resistance dice stack from racial traits, gear, and spells.
Weapon Traits (Examples)
Trait ★ Cost Effect
Savage 2★ +3 Damage
Toppling 2★ Knock target prone
Dazing 3★ Target loses 1 action on their turn
Binding 2★ Prevent movement; escape check required
Example Turn in Actions
Darius (Agility Modifier +3 = 3 actions): 1️⃣Moves 4 squares (1 action) 2️⃣ Attacks with longsword (1 action) → rolls Strength + Melee 3️⃣ Holds 1 action to Parry (1 action)
Goblin attacks Darius → Darius reacts with Parry, spending held action.
✅ Next round begins---Darius regains all 3 actions, and RAP resets.
Example Attack
Darrius has a d8 in Strength and Rank III in melee. This means he is an expert in Melee and that he doubles his success. Let's say he was attacking an Orc with a Parry DC of 4 and is Rank II (trained). Darrius rolls 4d8 and gets a 2, 3, 5, and 7. Darrius has rolled 2★ but because he is an expert he doubles that to 4★. If this same Orc had Rank III in his Parry, then this result would be cut in half, turning the 4★ into 2★.
If the Orc chooses to use a reaction to Parry then you will use that roll ONLY to determine how much success is achieved.
📝 Delianna's Note: "This isn't chess. It's a knife fight in the rain. Strike fast, hold your breath, and pray your armor doesn't split open. Or you'll end up face down in the mud, sugar."
**
**
Magic: Power at a Price
Magic in Grimhowl is dangerous, potent, and highly personalized. It is not simply memorizing spells---it is manipulating reality through force of will, knowledge, and ritual. As such, magic is a skill like any other and is governed by the same dice mechanics.
Fields of Magic
Every spellcaster accesses one or more of the five distinct magical traditions of Chondara:
Field Description
Elemental Control over fire, ice, lightning, stone, wind, and more.
Primeval Nature's energy, from beasts and plants to the spirit of the wild.
Eldritch Arcane secrets, time, space, force, and binding.
Eternal Divine powers, healing, smiting, banishment.
Primordial Forbidden power: necromancy, mind control, corruption, void.
Your race or path grants access to specific magical fields, along with your starting die size.
Casting Magic
To cast a spell, you make a skill check using your Magic attribute die (e.g., 1d6) and any Ranks you have purchased in that specific magical field.
-
Spells have a base MP cost to cast.
-
You may choose to spend additional Mana Points (MP) to enhance the spell.
-
Each Rank you possess in a magical field allows you to roll an additional die when casting.
MP Spending Limit
To keep magical power balanced, your maximum MP spend on a single spell is limited by your skill and aptitude:
Max MP Spend = 2 MP per (Attribute Die + Skill Rank)
Magic Score Rank Max MP Spend
1d6 0 2 MP
1d6 II 6 MP
1d8 III 8 MP
1d8 V 12 MP
This includes the spell's base cost and any enhancements.
Rolling to Cast
You roll [1 Die from Magic Attribute] + [1 Die per Rank].
Each ★ success can be used to:
-
Upgrade a damage die (2★ = increase die size)
-
Add range, burst radius, or other effects (as listed in the spell)
-
Trigger specific spell enhancements
You choose how your successes are spent.
Note: Your ranks in magic scale as they do with skills, multiplying your ★. Trained = x1, Expert = x2, Master = x3
Mana Points (MP)
MP is a limited resource and represents your mental focus and magical stamina.
-
Short Rest: Regain MP using a Willpower check (1 MP per ★)
-
Extended Rest: Attempt to recover all MP with Willpower check
Reactions & Magic
-
Magic fields cannot purchase reactions.
-
Some specific spells allow you to react, but only with held actions.
-
You must have an action available to react with magic.
Example: Fire Burst
Iriath has Elemental 1d6 and Rank III. She wants to cast Fire Burst, which costs 1 MP to cast and allows upgrades.
-
Max MP Spend = 2 MP (Attribute) + 6 MP (Rank III) = 8 MP
-
She spends 1 MP to cast, and 6 MP to enhance (2 extra damage dice)
-
Rolls 4d6 (1 base + 3 Rank) = Gets 3★, but is also Expert (x2) in Elemental so the total is 6★
-
Uses 6★ to upgrade 1d4 damage to 1d10
Final Result: Fire Burst deals 3d10 fire damage.
💕 Deli's Whisper:
"Burn big, love. Just remember---mana spent in joy doesn't come back till you dream."
Death & Dying --- The Spirit Fights On
"Death isn't the end, darling---it's just another phase. Literally. Five of them. And if you think that means you're getting out of the fight early, think again. In Chondara, even the dead don't get to sit this one out." ---Delianna
When your character hits 0 HP in Grimhowl, you don't just fall over and wait for the dice to decide your fate. You enter the Spirit State, where your soul clings to the battlefield like a stubborn curse. From there, you'll fight through the Five Stages of Death---and maybe, just maybe, claw your way back to the living.
The Five Stages of Death
At the end of each of your turns while dying, you make a check based on your current stage:
Stage Check (DC) Result
Denial Willpower or Vigilance (DC 3) 0-1★ → Advance to Anger
2★ → Remain at Denial
3★ → Remove Dying (you remain unconscious)
Anger Melee or Intimidation (DC 4) 0-1★ → Advance to Bargaining
2★ → Remain at Anger
3★ → Remove Dying
Bargaining Diplomacy or Divine (DC 5) 0-2★ → Advance to Depression
3★ → Remain at Bargaining
4★ → Remove Dying
Depression Endurance or Survival (DC 6) 0-2★ → Advance to Acceptance
3★ → Remain at Depression
4★ → Remove Dying
¶ Acceptance --- You are dead. Sorry, sugar. Roll a new legend.
-
Advance on failure: If you fail your check or only achieve the ★ required to advance (but not enough to remove Dying), you move to the next stage of death.
-
Damage while dying: Taking damage while dying automatically advances you to the next stage---no roll.
-
Revival: You can be revived during any stage except Acceptance. A successful healing effect returns you to life at 1 HP, and your spirit immediately snaps back into your body. You do remain at your current stage of death; this will only reset after a short or extended rest.
Spirit State
When you first gain the Dying condition, your soul steps sideways into the Spirit State.
-
Invisible to most: Ordinary creatures can't see or touch you, but some monsters and magics can---and they play dirty.
-
Tethered: Your spirit can move up to 5 squares per turn, but never farther than 5 squares from your body.
-
Haunting Presence:
-
Allies: If you share a space with an ally, they gain +1d4 to their Natural Armor Bonus (NAB).
-
Enemies: If you share a space with an enemy, they take +1d4 spirit damage whenever they are damaged. Spirit damage bypasses armor and can only be resisted by Spirit Resistance.
-
-
One Spirit per Target: Multiple spirits in the same space do not stack their effects. Spread out, haunt smarter.
-
Stay in Play: Your spirit remains active even if you're stabilized (but unconscious) until you regain HP.
Spirit Points & Growth
The Spirit State isn't just a consolation prize---it's a power fantasy in waiting.
-
Spirit Points (SP): The first time you enter the Spirit State each encounter, you gain 5 SP.
-
Spirit Path: You may spend SP between encounters to unlock Spirit abilities, making your ghostly presence even more dangerous.
📝 Delianna's Note:
"See? Death's not so bad. You get a new perspective, a little revenge, and maybe a few powers you didn't have before. It's like a vacation... if vacations involved screaming at reality until it gives up."
Gear & Equipment --- Steel, Sweat, and Regret
"A weapon's not just metal. Armor's not just leather and steel. These things are promises. Promises you'd better be strong enough to keep." ---Delianna
In Grimhowl, your gear isn't window dressing. It decides whether you're cutting through horrors or getting turned into decorative red paste. Weapons demand skill, armor punishes the unworthy, and shields will laugh at you if you don't know how to use them.
Weapons
Every weapon in Grimhowl has a Rank (I--III) tied to a skill: Melee, Ranged, or Thrown.
Weapon Proficiency
To wield a weapon without penalty, you need matching Ranks in the appropriate skill.
Weapon Rank Required Skill Rank
I I
II II
III III
If you don't meet this requirement:
-
For every Rank you're missing, you increase the target's DC by +1.
-
Example: No Melee rank using a Rank II longsword:
- Target DC 3 becomes DC 5. Good luck hitting anything but air.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Swinging a sword you can't handle isn't bravery. It's performance art with blood."
Weapon Damage Types
Weapons deal one of three physical damage types:
-
Slicing --- Blades, axes, claws.
-
Stabbing --- Spears, arrows, rapiers.
-
Smashing --- Hammers, maces, fists.
All damage is resisted by: Natural Armor Bonus (NAB) + Armor Bonus (AB) + Shield Bonus (SB).
📝 Delianna's Note: "If it bleeds, you can kill it. You just might need the right tool."
Weapon Properties
Each weapon comes with special traits you can activate by spending ★. (See Weapon Property Appendix for the full list.)
Example Traits:
-
Savage (2★): +3 damage.
-
Driving (1★): Push target 5 ft per ★ spent.
-
Binding (2★): Target is restrained until they escape.
-
Dazing (3★): Target loses 1 action next turn.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Steel's just steel until you make it sing."
Armor
Armor keeps you alive---but it doesn't care if it drags you down in the process.
Armor Penalty
Armor imposes a DC penalty on all Agility-related skills (except Ranged) and on the movement portion of other skills (like Athletics for climbing). This penalty also applies to all Magic.
If you lack the required Endurance rank to wear it:
-
Increase the armor penalty by +1 per rank you're missing.
-
The penalty now applies to ALL Strength and Agility skills.
Armor Type Rank Base DC Penalty
Hide I +2
Chain II +3
Plate III +4
📝 Delianna's Note: "You can wear plate with no training... if you're into slow, clumsy death."
Shields
Shields use the Parry skill. Done right, they're lifesavers. Done wrong, they're a curse strapped to your arm.
If you're not proficient:
-
You don't get the DC bonus from the shield.
-
Instead, you take that bonus as a penalty to all Strength and Agility skills.
-
For each missing rank, the penalty increases by +1.
Shield Type Rank DC Bonus
Light I +1
Medium II +2
Heavy III +3
📝 Delianna's Note: "A shield in the wrong hands isn't defense---it's an anchor."
Bulk & Encumbrance
Bulk keeps inventory simple but forces you to think twice before hauling the blacksmith's entire shop on your back.
Item Bulk Ratings
Item Type Bulk
Small Item (potions, tools) 0.1 Bulk (10 = 1 Bulk)
1-Handed Weapon 1 Bulk
Light Armor 1 Bulk
2-Handed Weapon 2 Bulk
Medium/Heavy Armor 2 Bulk
Packs, kits, bundles 1 Bulk
Oversized Objects 3+ Bulk (GM call)
Carrying Capacity
Strength Die Bulk Limit
d4 4
d6 6
d8 8
d10 10
d12 12
Overencumbered
For each Bulk point over your limit → -1 square (5 ft) movement. Minimum speed is 1 square unless Heavily Encumbered.
Heavily Encumbered
If Bulk exceeds your limit by your Strength modifier:
-
Cannot run, jump, or dodge.
-
Disadvantage on all Agility-based skills.
-
Disadvantage on attacks with 2-Bulk weapons.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Pack like a hoarder, move like a corpse. Simple math."
Example of Equipment Penalties
-
Ryn the Investigator (Melee I) picks up a Rank III bastard sword.
- She's 2 ranks short → Target DC increases by +2.
-
Ryn then straps on Chain Armor (Rank II) with Endurance I.
- She's 1 rank short → Armor penalty (+3) becomes +4, applied to all Strength and Agility skills.
-
Finally, she grabs a Heavy Shield (Rank III) with Parry I.
- She's 2 ranks short → No shield bonus and a -5 penalty to all Strength and Agility skills.
-
She also overpacks, exceeding Bulk by 3 → Movement speed reduced by 15 ft.
📝 Delianna's Note: "Ryn dies in 6 seconds. Don't be Ryn."
Grimhowl Damage Types
The world of Chondara is brutal, unforgiving, and dripping with ancient power. Damage in Grimhowl isn't just a number --- it's a story told in blood, smoke, and shattered sanity. The following types define how harm manifests in the Age of Beasts.
Physical Damage Types
Mitigated by Armor and Shields unless noted otherwise.
Slicing
Wounds carved by keen edges --- blades, claws, razors, or anything meant to cut flesh and fabric alike.
Smashing
Blunt trauma delivered by heavy force: crushers, falling masonry, or a beast's bone-breaking strike.
Stabbing
Piercing injury caused by points and spikes --- arrows, spears, fangs, or magically-formed projectiles.
Bleed (Special Physical Damage)
Blood loss from an open wound that cannot be armored against.
Bleed damage bypasses Armor and Shields and is always treated as Gnawing.
Once you're leaking, that's on you to fix --- and if you can't stop moving, you're just going to leak faster.
Elemental Damage Types
Energy that no armor or shield was built to resist.
Fire
Flame, embers, heatwaves --- whether lit by torch, spell, or alchemical spark.
Cold
Frostbite, freezing winds, and the chilling bite of winter magic.
Electric
Arcing lightning, shocks, and conductive bursts of crackling power.
Sonic
Thunderclaps, concussive pressure, and sound so violent it carries force.
Acid
Corrosive fluids, dissolving sprays, and alchemical burns.
Eldritch Damage Types
Magic that bends reality and crushes the world by its own rules.
Force
Concentrated impact, spatial compression, and arcane kinetic shock.
Force damage bypasses Armor and Shields --- you can't plate yourself against raw momentum.
Eternal Damage Types
Power granted by gods --- benevolent, wrathful, or utterly indifferent.
Radiant
Divine brilliance, revelation, or focused celestial power.
Not inherently moral --- simply the touch of a god's hand, bright enough to scorch.
Primeval Damage Types
The wildness of nature, beasts, toxins, and the corruption of the living world.
Toxic
Venoms, poisons, spores, fumes, and chemically or biologically harmful substances.
If it burns, sickens, paralyses, or melts you from the inside, it's Toxic.
Primordial Damage Types
Before gods. Before order. Before everything.
Decay
The unraveling of matter --- flesh withering, metal rusting, stone crumbling.
Entropy at its purest, drawn from the chaos before creation took shape.
Madness
Psychic intrusion, terror invoked, sanity ruptured, and nightmares weaponized.
Madness damage bypasses Armor and Shields because it's the mind that burns, not the flesh.
TRAITS
Gnawing (X Dice)
Whenever you take damage, you also take your Gnawing damage.
Gnawing damage does not trigger itself.
Represents harm that worsens because you cannot address it while fighting --- flames chewing on you, blood pouring, rot spreading, light searing deeper.
Drain
When this trait appears on an effect, the caster or user regains HP or MP equal to the amount of damage dealt, this is figured after armor and resistances.
Drain must be paired with a damage type --- it describes how the attacker feeds, not what form the harm takes.
Incorporeal Damage Types
The draw on your spirit that can only be causes by those who are already dead.
Spirit Damage
Those that are truly dead but still haunt us crave souls to power their existence.
QUICK REFERENCE
Physical:
Slicing, Smashing, Stabbing, Bleed
Elemental:
Fire, Cold, Electric, Sonic, Acid
Eldritch:
Force
Eternal:
Radiant
Primeval:
Toxic
Primordial:
Decay, Madness
Traits:
Gnawing, Drain
Incorporeal:
Spirit
📝 Delianna's Note:
If anyone complains that this damage list is "too brutal," remind them they're playing Grimhowl --- not hugging puppies in the Shire. Damage should feel dangerous. It should bite. It should leave marks. And if the enemies in Chondara aren't making your players sweat, we'll just... adjust a few stat blocks until they do.
--- With love and fangs,
Deli
**
**
Food, Rations, & Sustenance
Survival in Chondara is not guaranteed. Steel breaks. Magic falters. But hunger and exhaustion are constant companions on the road. Food is not merely flavor---it is preparation, endurance, and the difference between pressing on or turning back.
Rations & Meals
Food is divided into two broad categories:
-
Rations -- Preserved, travel-ready food intended for long journeys.
-
Meals -- Fresh or cooked food prepared during rest.
Both follow the same core rules unless otherwise stated.
Meal Breaks
A Meal Break represents time taken to eat, drink, and recover your strength.
A Meal Break may be taken only when the party is not in immediate danger.
Frequency Limits
-
A character may benefit from food once every 4 hours.
-
A character may only benefit from food a maximum of 3 times per day.
-
Attempting to eat beyond these limits provides no mechanical benefit.
You may still eat for narrative reasons, but your body gains nothing further.
Benefits of Eating
When you benefit from a ration during a Meal Break, choose one of the following:
-
Recover 1 HP, or
-
Recover 1 MP
This choice is made each time you eat.
Cooked Meals
A Cooked Meal represents food prepared with time, heat, and care. Each meal takes 10 minutes to prepare per 4 people.
Preparing a Cooked Meal requires a DC: 2 Crafting or Survival check. Each ★ allows you to cook enough food for 4 people.
When you benefit from a Cooked Meal, you gain its effects. For example, cooking up Village Loaf & Drippings you choose:
-
Recover 2 HP, or
-
Recover 2 MP
Cooked Meals still count toward:
-
The 4-hour limit
-
The 3 meals per day limit
Unless modified by a Path ability, Cooked Meals provide no additional effects beyond increased recovery.
Extended Rest & Food
An Extended Rest represents meaningful downtime---sleep, shelter, and recovery.
To gain the benefits of an Extended Rest, a character must have eaten that day.
- If you complete an Extended Rest without benefiting from a ration or meal during the day, you gain no mechanical benefit from that rest.
Food is required for true recovery.
Fatigue
The world is harsh, and the body only endures so much.
-
Missing meals, forced marches, environmental hazards, or prolonged strain may cause Fatigue at the GM's discretion.
-
Fatigue applies a stack of Disadvantage. Continued Fatigue can apply additional stacks at the GM's discretion.
-
Fatigue is removed only by completing an Extended Rest and benefiting from food.
Fatigue represents exhaustion, malnutrition, and physical wear---not injury.
Design Notes (For the GM)
-
Food is not an infinite healing source.
-
Players are encouraged to think about when to eat, not whether they remembered to.
-
The system rewards preparation and pacing, not hoarding or stalling.
-
Additional effects from food are Path-based and never assumed.
If food is plentiful, the journey is easier.
If it is scarce, the world reminds them why walls exist.
Common Meals
Food in Grimhowl is preparation, not indulgence. A good meal steadies the body, sharpens the mind, and decides whether you press on or fall back.
Each meal below is a complete dish with a fixed effect.
Unless otherwise stated, consuming a meal:
-
Requires a Meal Break
-
Counts toward the 4-hour limit
-
Counts toward the 3 meals per day limit
-
Is consumed on use
Each meal lists a Wealth Cost, shown as a descriptor and a number.
The number is the meal's Purchase DC, equal to the Lifestyle Upkeep DC of the same tier.
A character may only benefit from one meal per Meal Break.
Poor Meals (DC 2)
Village Loaf & Drippings
Rough bread and thin grease. It fills you up.
-
Effect:
- Recover 2 HP or 2 MP
-
Wealth Cost: Poor (DC 2)
This is the baseline meal for those scraping by---better than rations, nothing fancy.
Stonecut Porridge
Thick, bland, and warming.
-
Effect:
- Recover 1 HP and 1 MP
-
Wealth Cost: Poor (DC 2)
Cheap, flexible, and dependable when resources are thin.
Modest Meals (DC 3)
Roadwarden Stew
Built for long days and heavy packs.
-
Effect:
-
Recover 2 HP
-
Gain +1 Move until the end of your next encounter
-
-
Wealth Cost: Modest (DC 3)
A traveler's staple---made to keep people moving.
Salted Organs
Hard to eat. Harder to kill.
-
Effect:
-
Recover 2 HP
-
Gain +1 resistance to toxic until the end of your next encounter
-
-
Wealth Cost: Modest (DC 3)
Unpleasant, but effective. Favored by those who expect the worst.
Clear-Mind Broth
Bitter herbs that steel the will.
-
Effect:
-
Recover 2 MP
-
Gain Advantage on your next Willpower check before your next meal
-
-
Wealth Cost: Modest (DC 3)
Chosen when resolve matters more than comfort.
City Feast Plate
Fresh bread, rich drippings, and real portions.
-
Effect:
- Recover 3 HP or 3 MP
-
Wealth Cost: Modest (DC 3)
A proper meal by city standards---simple, filling, and satisfying.
Comfortable Meals (DC 5)
Sugared Mash
Fast energy and sharpened senses.
-
Effect:
-
Recover 2 MP
-
Treat Vigilance as if it were 1 rank higher until the end of your next encounter or until your next meal
-
-
Wealth Cost: Comfortable (DC 5)
Expensive, processed, and effective. Favored before dangerous work.
Hootmaw Steaks
Apex meat, earned the hard way.
-
Effect:
-
Recover 3 HP
-
Gain +1 resistance to physical damage until the end of your next encounter
-
-
Wealth Cost: Comfortable (DC 5)
You pay for the risk it took to put this on the plate---and the strength it gives you after.
📝 Delianna's Note:
"I don't care how tough you are, sweetheart---bones don't knit and minds don't clear on empty stomachs."
Drinks & Drinking
In Grimhowl, drinks are temptation. They steady the nerves, loosen the tongue, or sharpen the eye---but they always carry risk.
Drinks exist outside the normal food rules.
-
Drinks do not count as meals
-
Drinks do not restore HP or MP
-
Drinks grant Advantage on a specific check
-
A character may benefit from multiple drinks, at their own risk
Each drink provides one instance of Advantage, applied to the next appropriate check.
Drinking & Endurance
After consuming a drink, the character must make an Endurance check to resist its effects.
Endurance Check Difficulty
-
First drink: DC 2, requires 1★
-
Each additional drink within the same hour:
-
Increase the DC by +1
-
Increase the required ★ by +1
-
Examples:
-
Second drink: DC 3, requires 2★
-
Third drink: DC 4, requires 3★
Mixing Drinks
If a character consumes a different type of drink within the same hour:
-
Increase the DC by +2 instead of +1
-
Still increase the required ★ by +1
Mixing drinks is riskier than repetition.
Failure
On a failed Endurance check to resist drinking:
-
The character loses all drink benefits
-
The character gains 1 stack of Disadvantage
-
The character suffers --1 Move
If the character chooses to continue drinking after failing:
-
Gain +1 additional stack of Disadvantage per drink
-
Gain an additional --1 Move per stack
Sobering Up
-
Drinking-related DCs and ★ requirements tick down by 1 per hour since the first drink
-
Disadvantage and Move penalties remain until your Endurance DC returns to 2
Common Drinks
Each drink lists its Wealth Cost, shown as a descriptor and number.
The number is the drink's Purchase DC, equal to the Lifestyle Upkeep DC of the same tier.
Small Beer
Thin, bitter, and safer than the water.
-
Benefit:
- Advantage on your next Endurance check
-
Restriction:
- This Advantage does not apply to Endurance checks made to resist drinking
-
Wealth Cost: Poor (DC 2)
Bitterbrew
Overboiled leaves or scorched beans.
-
Benefit:
- Advantage on your next Vigilance check
-
Wealth Cost: Poor (DC 2)
Spiced Wine
Sweet, sharp, and loosens the tongue.
-
Benefit:
- Advantage on your next Diplomacy check
-
Wealth Cost: Poor (DC 2)
Burngut Spirits
Distilled hot enough to sting the lungs.
-
Benefit:
- Advantage on your next Willpower check
-
Wealth Cost: Poor (DC 2)
Sweetfire Shot
Sugar, spice, and questionable judgment.
-
Benefit:
- Advantage on your next Ranged or Thrown attack roll
-
Wealth Cost: Modest (DC 3)
This drink is rarer, more refined, and far more dangerous than it looks.
📝 Delianna's Note:
"One drink sharpens you. Two make you bold. Three convince you you're right."