hollow knight rpg · 1: what is a bug? in this world, nearly every creature in the world is what...

Hollow Knight RPGAdventure in a Dying Kingdom of Bugs

Table of ContentsPreface and Introduction to Dice Pools.................................................................................21: What is a Bug?............................................................................................................ 3

Primary Attributes.................................................................................................................3Secondary Attributes..............................................................................................................4Pools..................................................................................................................................5

2: Building Your Bug....................................................................................................... 6Templates...........................................................................................................................6Traits.................................................................................................................................7

3: Paths and Proficiencies................................................................................................ 13Martial Paths.......................................................................................................................13Mystic Paths.......................................................................................................................17Proficiencies (This section will be rewritten soon).........................................................................20

4. Weapon Arts............................................................................................................ 215. Magic..................................................................................................................... 24

Arcana by Path....................................................................................................................27Staves...............................................................................................................................31

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Preface and Introduction to Dice Pools

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1: What is a Bug?

In this world, nearly every creature in the world is what would commonly be referred to as a “bug”. These are

humanoids, beasts, and monsters patterned off of all sorts of tiny invertebrates. In this world, if you were to meet

a snail, for example, it may actually be a very snail-like person, who moves slowly and carries a large shell on his

back. Or a weevil might be a large pack animal, carrying goods across the desert for trade.

Bugs that are intelligent enough to talk are called “sapient”, while others are “feral”. There is some blurriness in this

distinction, as some feral bugs are just intelligent enough to learn to communicate with great difficulty, and some

fiercely intelligent bugs are lone predators that never seek to learn language, but this distinction holds true in most

cases.

In this chapter, the various attributes that constitute a bug will be explained.

Primary AttributesMight

The strength and physical fitness of a bug.

A bug may carry bulk up to his Might without issue. A bug may lift or carry up to twice this amount, though doing

so halves his effective Speed and Grace, rounded down, while so burdened.

Might also determines one’s effectiveness at swinging a weapon. Might is added to the quality of a swung weapon

in order to roll an attack.

Grace

How fine and quick a bug is able to be in their movements.

Grace is used in place of Might for determining whether a ranged attack hits its mark.

Grace is also used for dodging and stealth rolls.

Shell

The thickness of a bug’s exoskeleton, determining their resistance to punishment.

Whenever a physical attack successfully hits a bug, that bug rolls Shell to soak that damage, ignoring damage equal

to the successes rolled.

Insight

How perceptive and intelligent a bug is.

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Insight is rolled to determine if a bug detects something that may be hard to spot. This may be opposed by an

opponent rolling Grace to be stealthy. The spotter has advantage if it is aware of and seeking the bug sneaking,

otherwise the sneaking bug has advantage.

Secondary AttributesHunger

Max Hunger is determined by a bug’s size and traits, and affects how much food they must eat.

Every day, a bug loses Hunger equal to its Max Hunger or 10, whichever is higher. The table below details the

effects of hunger.

0 or higherGetting a full night’s rest with 0 or higher hunger fully replenishes a bug’s Soul, and restores 1 Heart.

-50 to -1A bug with this much hunger gains half as much Soul, rounded up, from rest, and healsno Heart.

-100 to -51In addition to the effect above, a bug with this much hunger gets -1 to all Primary Attributes, but may roll to spot food twice and take the better roll.

Under -100 The bug is dead, having succumbed to starvation.

Players are usually restricted to a maximum of 20 Hunger when they build their bug.

Spookiness

Spookiness is determined by a bug’s size and traits, and affects their interactions with other bugs.

For every 5 points a bug’s spookiness is higher than another’s, it gets a bonus die on Intimidation rolls, but loses a

die on Persuasion rolls.

Conversely, for every 5 points a bug’s spookiness is lower than another’s, it gets a bonus die on Persuasion rolls,

but loses a die on Intimidation rolls.

A bug may not gain more than 3 bonus dice from Spookiness.

Notches

Notches affect how many charms can be equipped, and how many spells can be attuned.

A bug’s starting notches are equal to its Insight, and it gains an additional Notch each time it ranks up in any Path.

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Equipping a charm or attuning a spell costs a number of Notches determined by the particular charm or spell.

Speed

Speed is determined by a bug’s size and traits, and affects how quickly it can move about.

A bug may move a number of spaces each turn equal to its Speed. Spending a Stamina refreshes this movement.

PoolsHeart

How much damage a bug is able to take before dying.

A bug at 0 Heart is knocked unconscious, incapable of doing anything until some Heart has been restored.

A bug knocked below 0 Heart is immediately dead.

Soul

A bug’s magical reserves of power.

All spells and some abilities cost Soul, or it may be focused to restore Heart.

Soul may be restored by resting. In addition, dealing damage in melee grants 1 Soul.

Each rank taken in a Caster Path increases maximum Soul by one.

Stamina

How much a bug can push themselves in a round of combat.

Most actions taken during combat require at least one Stamina, though many actions allow the expenditure of

additional Stamina to increase the odds of success.

Each rank taken in a Martial Path increases maximum Stamina by one.

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2: Building Your Bug

To build a bug, one must first choose a template, and then apply any desired additional traits. Each of thepreconstructed species has a unique trait that may only be taken by those that start with that template. All traits aredescribed later in this chapter.Most traits affect Hunger and Spookiness. A bug for use as a player character may not have over 20 total hunger.

Templates

Small BugMight 2 Grace 5 Shell 2 Insight 3

Heart 5 Soul 3 Stamina 3Spookiness 0 Hunger 3 Speed 7

Medium BugMight 3 Grace 3 Shell 3 Insight 3


Large BugMight 5 Grace 1 Shell 4 Insight 3


Ant (Small)Might 5 Grace 2Shell 2 Insight 3

Heart 5 Soul 3 Stamina 3Spookiness 7 Hunger 10

Speed 7Formian Might

HivemindTunneling

Snail (Medium)Might 3 Grace 3Shell 0 Insight 3


Speed 3Snail ShellSoft Body

Slow

Spider (Medium)Might 3 Grace 3Shell 3 Insight 3


Speed 5Spider LegsWebbing

Venomous BiteCarnivore

Dynasty Beetle (Large)Might 5 Grace 1Shell 4 Insight 3


Speed 4Great Charge

HornHerbivore

Termite (Small)Might 2 Grace 5Shell 2 Insight 3


Speed 7Natural Projectile: Glue

BlindTunneling

Talent: Woodworking

Wasp (Medium)Might 3 Grace 3Shell 3 Insight 3


Speed 5Vespine Authority

Lesser FlightStinger

Butterfly (Medium)Might 3 Grace 3Shell 3 Insight 3


Speed 5ResplendenceLesser Flight

Compound Eyes

Mantis (Medium)Might 3 Grace 3Shell 3 Insight 3


Speed 5Scythe Arms

Flight 1

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TraitsAfter choosing a template, a player may choose additional traits to add to their bug, so long as their final Hunger

remains at or below 20. A player’s bug is limited to 7 traits at most. Some traits are nested under other traits,

indicated by indentation. These traits require the un-indented trait above to be chosen before they are available.

Unless traits are taken to change these, player bugs are assumed to be omnivorous and have two legs, two arms,

and two to eight eyes.

Armless -10 HungerThis bug has no arms, cannot wield a weapon, and hasgreat difficulty doing things that rely on manualdexterity. This difficulty can range from -1 toimpossible, depending on the task being attempted.

Blind -5 Hunger, -5 SpookinessThis bug is completely blind. If a bug has no accuratesenses functioning whatsoever, treat it as havingTremorsense with a maximum range of 2 squares.

Bloodsucker +3 Hunger, +5 SpookinessThis bug may drink fresh blood for sustenance. Afterdealing damage with a bite attack against any creaturewith blood, it may drain 10 hunger from the target,restoring half that amount to itself. Willing,incapacitated, or freshly slain bugs may be drained ofany amount of hunger, always restoring half the amountdrained to this bug.

Camouflage +2 HungerThis bug has a nondescript appearance that blends ineasily with most locations. This grants +1 dice on anyattempt to hide in a reasonable location.

Mimicry +3 HungerThis bug’s appearance and smell greatlyresembles that of a particular inanimate object.When in an environment that could reasonablyhave that object, this bug treats all of its dice tohide as sixes against any creature that is notaware of this ability and specifically seeking out

a mimic. In environments that wouldn’tnormally have the mimicked object, this bugloses all benefits of both Camouflage andMimicry.

Carnivore -6 Hunger, +3 SpookinessThis bug gains no Hunger or beneficial effects fromeating plant matter, and finds the taste repulsive.

Climbing +2 HungerThis bug may move at full speed while climbing, and caneven climb on ceilings. This bug also does not need toroll to successfully climb except on greased surfaces.

Clumsy -3 Hunger, -1 SpookinessThis bug is quite clumsy, decreasing its Grace by 1.

Compound Eyes +2 HungerThis bug has a pair of large, compound eyes. It gets +2on rolls to detect things by sight.

Crushing Mandibles +1 Hunger, +4 SpookinessThis bug has large mandibles capable of tearing throughflesh. These are a natural weapon that deal 3 damage andgrant +2 to grapple attacks.

Darkvision +4 Hunger, +4 SpookinessThis bug can see just as far in any darkness as they couldin fully lit conditions. This bug’s eyes also faintly glow,making it very easy to spot in total darkness unless itseyes are closed.

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Dazzling +1 Hunger, -5 SpookinessThis bug is inordinately elegant, and tends to put otherbugs at ease.

Defensive Curl +7 HungerThis bug is able to retreat into a defensive position. Thismust be done as the bug’s first action, and ends thebug’s turn. Until the bug’s next turn, treat its Shellvalue as if it were 6. This Trait may not be taken withSoft Body.

Rolling Dash +3 HungerBefore this bug ends it turn while usingDefensive curl, it may roll up to 5+Speedsquares in a straight line.

Devourer +2 Hunger, +8 SpookinessWhen choosing this trait, you must elect one of yourbug’s Pools: Heart, Soul, or Stamina. When this bugconsumes at least 20 Hunger worth of flesh from asapient creature, it may regain one point in the selectedpool, up to a cap of one higher than that pool’smaximum.

Dull -3 Hunger, -1 SpookinessThis bug is quite dull, decreasing its Insight by 1.

Extra Arms +6 HungerThis bug has an extra pair of arms equally as functionalas their others.

External Coat +2 HungerThis bug has an outer layer which protects and insulatesit. If this bug would take damage from environmentaleffects, it may soak with an additional die, even if thedamage would not normally be soakable.

Fluffy +1 Hunger, -6 SpookinessThis bug’s external coat takes the form of aluxurious coat of soft fluff. Any time this bug would take damage and be unable to attempt to soak it, it may roll 1 die to soak the damage instead.

Extra Legs +3 HungerThis bug has one or two extra pairs of legs, and gets +3 on any roll to resist being knocked down ordisplaced. It also receives an additional point of damageon any attack immediately following leaping or chargingat least 3 squares in a straight line.

Polypod +3 HungerThis bug has many, many legs. It cannot beknocked down or displaced by anything lessthan fully lifting it from the ground. It also may choose to reduce its Speed by 1 in order to ignore rough terrain.

Feathered Antennae +4 Hunger, -2 SpookinessThis bug's antennae are large and fluffy, making themwell-attuned to dreams. Whenever this bug regains Soulfrom sleeping, they may treat their max Soul pool as 1higher until they take damage.

Formian Might +2 Hunger, +5 Spookiness, Ant Only This bug has the strength of the mighty ant. Before anyother trait modifications, Increase Might to 5, thendecrease Grace by as many points as Might wasincreased.

Graceful +5 Hunger, +2 SpookinessThis bug is exceptionally nimble, increasing its Grace by1. This trait may be taken twice.

Great Charge +5 Hunger, Dynasty Beetles OnlyThis bug can invest all of its effort into a singleimpressive charge. A bug may only declare this as itsfirst action, and then it must empty its Stamina Pool. Itthen charges up to a number of spaces equal to itsSpeed+Max Stamina in a straight line. At the end of thischarge, it may make a single attack, adding its MaxStamina to the attack roll, and its Shell to the damage.During Great Charge, smaller bugs and difficult terrainmay be passed over freely.

Herbivore -6 Hunger, -3 Spookiness

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This bug gains no Hunger or beneficial effects fromeating flesh, and finds the taste repulsive.

Hivemind +2 SpookinessThis bug has an instinctual penchant for teamwork, andreceives bonuses when working in tandem with allies. Itgets +1 to hit a target that has been hit by an ally sincethis bug’s last turn. Additionally, this bug gains a +1bonus to relevant rolls when crafting or performing aprofession alongside another doing the same task.

Horn +3 HungerThis bug has a large horn atop its head. On a successfulhit, this natural weapon deals 1 damage and lowers theopponent’s max Stamina by 1 for a round. A bug maynot lose more than 1 Max Stamina in this way at a time.If a grapple attack is successful, a Horn attack may bemade immediately after for no Stamina cost.

Insightful +5 Hunger, +2 SpookinessThis bug is exceptionally perceptive, increasing itsInsight by 1. This trait may be taken twice.

Leaping +4 HungerThis bug has powerful legs adapted for leaping. Onceper round, at the cost of 3 Stamina, this trait may beused by this bug to jump to any square within a numberof squares equal to or less than twice this bug’s speed.This jump may be done in place of a dodge action. If itis, use Speed to dodge rather than Grace, and then jumpto a square in range if the dodge is successful. A bugwith this trait may also make an attack against a flyingenemy by leaping. Legless +5 HungerThis bug has no limbs whatsoever, but has a worm-likebody well-suited to functioning without them. Itreceives -1 to dodge attempts, but +2 to resist attemptsto knock it down or displace it. It may also slam itselfagainst enemies, dealing 3 damage, 4 if it is Large. Thisslam attack is a natural weapon.

Lesser Flight +4 Hunger

This bug may fly while moving at the cost of 1 Stamina,but must stop flying at the end of the movement. Thisbug may also make a single attack per turn against aflying enemy at -1 to hit.

Flight +4 HungerThis bug is capable of true flight at the cost of 3 Stamina per turn. It may hover or move in any direction.

Luminous +1 Hunger, +1 SpookinessThis bug may emit a glow bright enough to see up to 7squares away. While this light is on, attempts to spotthis bug via sight are always successful so long as line ofsight is possible.

Mighty +5 Hunger, +2 SpookinessThis bug is exceptionally strong, increasing its Might by1. This trait may be taken twice.

One Eye -1 Hunger, +3 SpookinessThis bug has one eye, and receives -2 to rolls attemptingto detect things by sight.

One Arm -4 HungerThis bug has one arm, and so may only wield a singleone-handed object.

Pheromones +7 HungerThis bug can release a cloud of special pheromones onceper day at the cost of 1 Stamina. This cloud isundetectable by most bugs and affects everything within5 squares of the user. The user adds 1 die tointimidation and persuasion attempts made on bugsaffected by the cloud. The cloud lingers for 20 rounds (1minute) and everything within is utterly undetectable tobugs that rely on Scent.

Pincers +5 Hunger, +6 SpookinessThis bug has a pair of formidable pincers at the end oftwo of its arms. These are natural weapons that dealdamage equal to the user’s Might and grant +2 tograpple. Pincers are poorly suited for handling things

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with finesse and grant a -3 penalty to attack rolls and anyroll requiring the use of a tool.

Poisonous +6 HungerThis bug’s body is toxic, causing harm to those thatattempt to harm it. Whenever this bug is damaged by anatural weapon, roll dice equal to the Heart lost; eachsuccess inflicts a point of poison on the attacker.If this bug is dealt three or more Hearts of damage, toxicblood sprays out of the wound. This spray has the sameeffect as above, but affects the attacker even withoutusing a natural weapon, so long as they are adjacent tothis bug.

Projectile Shot +4 Hunger, +3 SpookinessThis bug can spew forth a volatile, burning liquid in anarea in front of it, dealing 3 damage. This may bedodged as an area spell would be (see Magic* for moreinformation), though this effect isn’t magical in nature.Natural Projectile may only be used once per turn, andcosts 3 Stamina to use.The examples below show the area the spray can affect,with the circle representing the bug, and the filledsquares representing the range of the spray.

Glue +3 Hunger,+2 Spookiness,Termite OnlyOnce per day, the concoction emitted byNatural Projectile may be sticky. Creaturesattempting to move out of a glued square mustroll more than 2 successes on a Might check orbe held in place, wasting the remainder of theirmovement. Being airborne or ignoringdifficult terrain makes one immune to theeffects of glued squares.

Toxic +1 Hunger, +3 SpookinessThe concoction emitted also inflicts 1 poison.

GlobWhen attacking with Projectile shot, this bug shoots a single glob instead of a wide spray.This may affect a single target within 5 spaces,and only costs 2 Stamina.

Resplendence+4 Hunger,-5 Spookiness,Butterfly OnlyThis bug possesses breathtaking beauty, and enamorsother bugs that witness it. At first impression,indifferent bugs are instead polite, polite bugs areinstead friendly, and friendly bugs interacted with mightjust fall for this bug. This trait has no effect onunfriendly and hostile bugs, and only adjusts attitudeonce at first exposure.

Scent +4 Hunger, +1 SpookinessThis bug may effectively “see” as long as not adjacent tomore than three bugs. This sense is not affected bydarkness, though especially smelly things nearby mayreduce this sense’s range as darkness would for sight.

Tremorsense +3 Hunger, +3 SpookinessThis bug may effectively “see” when in contact with theground or a wall. Airborne creatures are harder topinpoint; this bug receives -2 to hit them. Bugs on theother side of solid surfaces can be detected unless theyremain perfectly still. This sense is not affected bydarkness, though especially noisy things nearby mayreduce this sense’s range as darkness would for sight.

Scythe Arms +3 SpookinessTwo of this bug’s arms end in scythes, which are naturalweapons that do 3 damage. The second attack madewith these costs no Stamina, but must be a normalattack. Scythe arms are grasping weapons.Mantises only: For the purpose of usable Weapon Arts,these scythes count as being in every weapon classexcept Sling.

Sharp Proboscis +3 Hunger, +2 Spookiness

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This bug possesses a long needle-like mouth. This is anatural weapon that deals 2 damage. It may only be usedonce per round, but does not cost Stamina to use.

Digestive Inserter +3 HungerWhen this bug deals damage to another bugwith its proboscis, it may excrete digestivejuices into the wound, inflicting 2 poison.

Slow -4 HungerThis bug is sluggish, receiving -2 to Speed.

Soft Body -3 SpookinessThis bug lacks an exoskeleton, but has increased pools ofHeart and Soul. Reduce Shell to 0, double Heart, andincrease Soul by 2. This trait may not be taken withDefensive Curl or Thick Shell.

Snail Shell +7 Hunger, Snail OnlyThis trait has identical benefits to DefensiveCurl, but may be used with Soft Body.

Song +2 HungerThis bug is capable of creating a distinctive song, capableof being heard over long distances. When this trait ischosen, the song must be defined as either soothing orhaunting. If soothing, the user treats its Spookiness as 5lower in interactions with bugs who have heard its song.If haunting, the user treats its Spookiness as 5 higherinstead. Songs created by this trait are known tosometimes attract the attention of spirits.

Spider Legs +5 Hunger, +10 Spookiness, Spiders OnlyThis bug gains two additional pairs of legs as per theExtra Legs trait, but this bug’s legs may be treated asarms for the purpose of handling web. Additionally, thisbug becomes immune to the adhesive power of web.This may not be taken with Legless.

Spiky +3 Hunger, +5 SpookinessThis bug is partially covered in spikes, and may use theseas a natural weapon dealing 2 damage. If this bug movesmore than 3 squares in a straight line using Rolling

Dash, it may attack with these spikes at no Stamina cost.Other bugs attacking this bug with natural weapons takea Heart of soakable damage for each Stamina they spenton their attack, with a minimum of one damage.

Spooky +1 Hunger, +5 SpookinessThis bug is inordinately unsettling, and puts other bugson edge.

Stinger +3 Hunger, +4 SpookinessThis bug has a retractable stinger in its abdomen. This isa natural weapon that inflicts 3 poison, but receives -3to hit unless the user is either flying or successfullygrappling the target.

Prehensile Tail +2 Hunger, +2 SpookinessThis bug’s stinger is instead located at the endof a tail, reducing the penalty to hit to -1.

Swift +4 HungerThis bug is fast, receiving +2 to Speed.

Swimming 3 HungerThis bug may move according to its full Speed whileswimming, and does not need to roll to stay afloat incalm waters.

Waterbreathing +3 HungerThis bug can breathe water.

Water Treading +3 HungerThis bug may walk across the surface of liquidswithout sinking in. This allows it to doanything it would require a surface to do, suchas jumping, as well as allowing it to stay afloatwithout restricting the use of its arms.Additionally, any swimming creatureattempting to attack this bug while watertreading receives -2 to hit.

Talent +2 Hunger

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This bug has a natural penchant for a particular skill.When making a proficiency roll, it may treat one of itsfailed dice as a success instead.

Thick Shell +5 Hunger, +2 SpookinessThis bug is exceptionally sturdy, increasing its Shell anddecreasing its Grace by 1 each. This trait may be takentwice. This trait may not be taken with Soft Body.

Tunneling +5 HungerThis bug can burrow through soil at half its normalmovement speed (rounded up). When moving like this,no usable tunnel is left behind. It may instead choose toleave a passable tunnel, in which case it clears a square aturn; a square every 2 turns if the tunnel mustaccommodate large bugs.

Venomous Bite +1 Hunger, +2 SpookinessThis bug’s bite becomes a natural weapon capable ofdealing 1 damage and inflicting 2 poison. If it hasCrushing Mandibles, then attacks with those inflict 2poison as well.

Vespine Authority+3 Hunger,+6 Spookiness,Wasp onlyDuring a Persuasion or Intimidation attempt, this bugmay choose to make its Spookiness 10 higher. If it doesso, then any penalties it would incur from having higherSpookiness than others become bonuses instead.Weak -3 Hunger, -1 SpookinessThis bug is quite weak, decreasing its Might by 1.

Webbing +7 Hunger, +5 SpookinessThis bug is capable of expelling sticky strands of silk.This may be treated as a rope, which gives +2 toclimbing attempts and can be used to cross gaps. Webmay also be placed up to two spaces away by spending aStamina, though this may only be done once per turn.Creatures attempting to move out of a webbed squaremust roll more than 2 successes on a Might check or beheld in place, wasting the remainder of their movement.Being airborne, ignoring difficult terrain, or havingSpider Legs makes one immune to the effects of webbedsquares.

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3: Paths and Proficiencies

After your bug’s traits and attributes have been determined, it’s important to choose what Paths it has ranks in. Astarting bug will generally begin with 2 ranks in Paths of its choice. These ranks represent a bug’s understandingand skill with that particular Path, and can increase to a maximum of 3, when a bug has mastered that particularPath.An additional rank should be awarded whenever the group reaches major milestones, such as advancing the plot ordefeating a mighty antagonist. Whenever a rank is gained, it must be put in a Path. The bug will then gain anadditional Notch and raise one of their Pools’ maximum by one; Soul if a Mystic Path, Stamina if a Martial Path.

Martial Paths

Nail

“Well struck!” A phrase passed from master to student,and student to peer. “Well struck!” shouts the ringing ofa nail in battle, singing loudly for all to hear. “Wellstruck!” Even if not spoken aloud, these words are onthe mind of any warrior felled by a worthy opponent,for what could be nobler than a nail given purpose?

Rank 1When making an attack against the most recent bug(s)you’ve dealt damage to, treat all rolls of 4 or higher assuccesses.

Rank 2Your first attack each turn no longer raises the Staminanecessary for subsequent attacks.

Rank 3When making an attack against the most recent bug(s)you’ve dealt damage to, treat all rolls of 3 or higher assuccesses.

Needle

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Rank 1Each time you successfully dodge in a round, you gain anadditional bonus die to further dodge attempts thatround. These bonus dice are lost after a failed dodgeattempt.Additionally, you may attack using Grace rather thanMight to hit with melee weapons, but not with weaponsof 2 bulk or greater.

Rank 2After successfully dodging, you may make an attackagainst the attacker with any weapon you have in yourhands, provided they are in range and you have theStamina to make the attack. If this attack deals damage,the attacker loses 1 Stamina.

Rank 36s you roll during dodge attempts are treated as 2successes.

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Talon

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Rank 1When you dedicate at least 3 Stamina to an attack, itdeals 1 extra damage.

Rank 2When making an attack, you may choose to increase theattack’s damage by the swung weapon’s bulk. If you do,the opponent receives +1 to any attempt to dodge theattack. Treat natural weapons as having 1 bulk for thispurpose.

Rank 3At the end of your turn, if you have no remainingStamina, immediately regain 1 Stamina.

Hook


Rank 1After a successful hit, you may choose to do one lessdamage, if you do so, you may move the struckopponent one square in any direction.

Rank 2You may spend 2 Stamina to place a trap up to 2 squaresaway. This trap deals 4 damage and is destroyed ifstepped on. An item of bulk 2 or higher may be tossedonto the trap to trigger it, but this destroys mundaneitems of less than 3 quality. You may not have moretraps set than twice your ranks in Hook, and placing atrap that would exceed this limit destroys the oldest settrap

Rank 3After dealing damage to an enemy with a weapon, youmay lower any of their primary attributes by 1, or theirSpeed by 2. This debuff lasts 1 round and may not affectthe same target more than once in a round.

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Maw


Rank 1After making any attack, you may choose to reroll allfailures. If you do, roll a die. Lose 2 Heart if this dierolls a number lower than your current Heart.

Rank 2You may spend Heart in place of Stamina for thepurpose of making attacks.

Rank 3Slaying an opponent restores 1 Heart. An additionalHeart is restored if it was with a natural melee attack.

Shell


Rank 1After a successful parry, you regain one Soul.

Rank 2On your turn, at the cost of 1 Soul, you may taunt allopponents that can sense you, leaving yourselfseemingly open to attack. When taunting, you may notdodge or parry, but may add either your Shell or shieldquality to your rolls to soak damage. If a source ofdamage would normally be unsoakable, you may rolljust these bonus dice to soak anyways. Enemies thatsense your taunt incur a -1 penalty to hit any targetother than you.

Rank 3You may let forth a groundshaking roar at the cost of 1Soul, buffeting all adjacent creatures 1 space back fromyou and whipping up great winds in an area containingyour bug and all adjacent squares, up to an impressiveheight. These turbulent winds spin in place for 2 roundsbefore calming, and attempting to move through thesesquares immediately lowers a bug’s Speed to 1. Thiscounts as rough terrain that affects even flying units.This ability may not be used again while it is already ineffect.

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Sling

Rank 1When aiming a ranged attack or spell, you may chooseto increase the range of the attack by any amount up totwice its initial range. Each square you increase therange by gives a -1 penalty to the attack roll.Additionally, you may choose to use Might in place ofGrace when attacking with a ranged weapon.

Rank 2Once per round, when a ranged attack you make isdodged or parried, you may have it ricochet toward atarget adjacent to the first. Treat this as an attack with 1less success. If the initial target is adjacent to a wall, youmay have the ricochet target the same bug as the initialattack.

Rank 3You may treat 6s rolled while making a ranged attack as2 successes for the purpose of hitting the target, butthese "bonus" successes are ignored when rolling excesssuccesses into damage.

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Mystic Paths

Totem


Rank 1Touch spells may be delivered through a staff or anyweapon. In addition, when you hit an enemy with a staffor dream nail, you may spend 1 Soul to have the attackdo 1 unsoakable damage. Treat staves as having weaponquality equal to the staff’s notches.

Rank 2As long as your Soul is above 0, you may float in the airas though you possessed flight.

Rank 3Your spells home in on targets. When aiming a rangedspell, roll to hit twice and take the better result.

Cloak


Rank 1Through the use of Soul, you may quicken yourmovements. When attacking with a weapon or dodging,you may spend 1 Soul to add a +1 bonus to the roll.

Rank 2You may move using your full Speed attribute ratherthan half while casting a spell.

Rank 3At the beginning of your turn, you may choose tobecome ethereal until the beginning of your next turn.Doing so costs 2 Soul and ends your turn. Whileethereal, you can not be targeted, attacked, orinteracted with in any way.

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Dream

Rank 1You may manifest a dream nail in your hand. This is aweightless nail with quality equal to your Insight. If thisnail hits, then you gain 1 Essence (You may never havemore than 5 Essence) and may immediately cast anattuned Dream spell affecting the target. Hitting with adream nail restores 1 Soul, just as hitting with a normalnail would, but deals no damage. A bug tapped forEssence in this way must get a full night’s sleep beforemore Essence may be drawn, and the experience isunpleasant.

Rank 2As long as you have Essence, a faint translucent shieldsurrounds you. You gain a +2 bonus when dodging orparrying projectiles, and you may parry spells andmagical effects that could normally only be dodged.Parrying a spell projectile utterly negates it.

Rank 3You can glean possible futures through the patterns inEssence. As long as you have Essence, you may guesshow many successes an attack or spell aimed against youwill have before it is rolled. If you guess correctly, thentreat all dice you roll to dodge or parry that attack orspell as 6s.You may also spend 5 essence to have a vision of thefuture. This is always relevant to your goals. In somecases, gleaning relevant information about the futuremay be impossible. If this is the case, no Essence isspent.

Nightmare


Rank 1A life being ended near you grants you 1 Essence (Youmay never have more than 5 Essence). As long as youhave at least 1 Essence, a flickering red glow surroundsyou, giving warmth and light for you to see by. Thisglow is normally invisible to others, but you may will itto be visible. While the glow is visible, increase yourSpookiness by 5 times your ranks in Nightmare.

Rank 2You may spend an essence to make a square you cansense burst into flames. These flames deal 1 damageimmediately, and then 2 more damage each time a bugenters or ends their turn on the flaming square. Theflames last 3 rounds before going out, or 5 rounds if caston a square containing a fresh corpse.

Rank 3When you would regain Soul from damaging an enemywith an attack, you may regain a Heart instead. You mayspend Heart in place of Soul.

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Pollen


Rank 1You are surrounded by life, and plants seems to sproutupon fertile ground on which you tread. When focusingSoul to heal, you may instead choose a living creaturewithin 3 squares to receive the healing. Upon taking thispath, reduce Spookiness by 5, and you may never takeranks in Dust.

Rank 2You may converse with plants or feral life. Such mindsare very simple, and it may require an Insight roll (atGM’s discretion) to make sense of what is being said.This ability does not affect the disposition of creatures,and a hostile bug will have to be somehow pacifiedbefore being willing to communicate.

Rank 3When focusing Soul to heal, you may treat any rolls of 3or greater as successes. Additionally, your touch curesliving things of mundane diseases and removes poison.Your damaging spells are softened of killing intent, andmay knock targets to 0 Heart, but never below.

Dust

Rank 1You may create an animated husk from a corpse. A huskhas the attributes and skills it had in life, but decrease itsSpeed by 2 (to a minimum of 1), decrease its Soul andStamina to 2, and it has no Insight or Heart Pool. Insteadof Heart, anytime the husk would take damage, reduceits Shell by 1. If the husk has no Shell, it is destroyed.Creating a husk is a lengthy ritual that involveshollowing out the carapace of a bug and filling it withdust or sand. As long as you control a husk, yourmaximum Soul is decreased by 2.

Rank 2You may spend any amount of Soul to create a duststorm centered on yourself or a husk you command.This dust storm covers a square area with sides equal inlength to twice the Soul spent plus 1. Other bugs cannotsee, smell, or tremorsense further than 1 square in thisdust storm, and any bug that ends its turn in the stormtakes 2 damage. This damage is entirely soaked by a bugwith Shell greater than 0, but each time damage issoaked, the bug loses 1 Shell that will only return once itgets a full rest with a full pool of Heart. Husks and bugswith 2 or more ranks in Dust are immune to the effectsof the dust storm.

Rank 3Husks you create move more naturally, and appear lessterrifying. Their Speed is only reduced to 1 lower thanthe attribute was in life, and they must be inspectedclosely to reveal their true nature, requiring 3 or moresuccesses on an Insight check. If you possess any ranks inDream or Nightmare, you may spend 5 Essence toimbue your husk with an Insight score of 3. It stillfollows your commands, but can perform actions thatrequire intelligence, such as speaking or casting spells. Ifyou ever die, any husks you control imbued withEssence gain free will, and may begin taking ranks inPaths.

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Proficiencies (This section will be rewritten soon)

Proficiencies act much like Paths, but are used to represent mundane skills, rather than magical or martial ones. Astarting bug should start with a single rank in a Proficiency of their choice, to represent the skill and knowledgethey’ve developed. A Proficiency rank may also be awarded by the GM to reflect the passage of time, particularlyif characters are given a long period of downtime. When a bug invests a rank into a Proficiency, they do notincrease their Notch count nor do they gain a point towards a Pool.Proficiency describes skill in a particular field, which is chosen when first taken. Whenever the bug makes a checkthat a Proficiency would help them in, they add their Proficiency rank to the dice rolled for that check. If the bughas plenty of time to be careful, and failure would not bring major consequences, then the bug may instead addtheir rank to the number of successes in a check. A bug may invest up to 3 ranks in a Proficiency, and if multipleProficiencies could be used for a check, only the highest bonus is taken.A sampling of Proficiencies and some examples of checks they would give a bonus to are listed below:

Artist: Drawing, Painting, Sculpting, Appraisal, PoetryCartographer: Mapmaking, Drawing, Orienteering, GeographyMerchant: Bargaining, Appraisal, Etiquette, Pack Bug HandlingNoble: Etiquette, History, Law, LeadershipPriest: Theology, History, Healing, EtiquetteScholar: History, Geography, Math, LiteratureSoldier: Tactics, Equipment Maintenance, Military EtiquetteThief: Appraisal, Disguise, Law, Lockpicking

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4. Weapon Arts

In every age, for every weapon, great individuals strive to master their weapons. In such a quest, great sages comeabout mastering the instrument of their Art.Weapon Arts are advanced techniques available to bugs devoted to the Martial Paths. At character creation, a bugmay start with a single Art if it has at least 1 rank in any Martial Path. A bug may not start with an Art if it choosesto start with an Arcana instead. Arts beyond this first are taught by wise weapon masters, rare texts, or may beself-taught in place of a Proficiency rank during downtime.Arts are divided into Paths, and a bug must have at least 1 rank in an Art’s Path to actually use it. Arts also requirea particular class of weapon be used. Nail Arts may only be used with nail weapons, Hook Arts may only be usedwith hook weapons, etc. Using an Art costs a certain amount of Stamina.

NailNail arts may only be used with weapons with the Nail tag

Great Slash 3 Stamina

You may focus your resolve into a powerful strike. Your next attack is made with a +3 bonus to damage, and an

extra square of range. Each additional Stamina spent increases the damage by 1

Dashing Slash 3 Stamina

When you make your next attack, you may move up to 2 squares in a straight line without provoking attacks, and

then make the attack, with a +2 bonus to damage. Each additional Stamina spent increases the damage by 1 and

allows an additional square of movement.

Cyclone Slash 3 Stamina

You swiftly spin about, whirling your blade, striking all adjacent foes. Your next attack targets all creatures

adjacent to your square(s). Resolve the attack as if it were done against each creature independently. Each

additional Stamina spent increases this attack’s damage by 1.

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NeedleNeedle arts may only be used with weapons with the Needle tag

Threading Strike 3 Stamina

With impressive agility, you may strike multiple foes in a chain. Your next attack is made with a +2 bonus to

damage. If this attack is successful, you may immediately attack a foe in a square adjacent to the initial target, even

if this attack would not normally be in your needle’s range. You may only attack each creature in this chain once

per threading strike. Each additional Stamina spent allows you to continue the chain, always attacking a foe

adjacent to the last.

Cricket Strike 3 Stamina

A leaping strike, using the momentum of your fall to propel you to higher acts of violence. Your next attack is

made with a +2 bonus to damage, and you may jump up to 3 squares up and 3 squares forward. For every Stamina

you spend after activation, you increase your damage by 1 and jump a further 1 square both Up and Forward.

Gossamer Strike 3 Stamina, 1 Soul

A ranged strike, using the strings of ones Insight to bind the weapon to yourself. Your next attack is made with a

+2 bonus to damage, and has a range of 4 squares. For every Stamina you spend after activation, you increase your

damage by 1 and gain a further square of range. At the end of this attack, the Needle immediately returns to your

claws.

TalonTalon arts may only be used with weapons with the Talon tag

Surging Blow 3 Stamina

A heavy strike, using the full force of one’s own might to send a foe flying! Your next attack is made with a +2

bonus to damage. If the attack is successful, then you and the target must make contested might check. If win,

nothing happens. If they fail, they are pushed 2 squares backwards. For every Stamina you spend after activation,

increases the damage by 1.

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Collapsing Blow 3 Stamina

A vindictive strike, driving your foe onto the ground. Your next attack is made with a +2 bonus to damage. If your

attack is successful, you and the target must make contested Might checks.. If the target wins, they remain

standing. Otherwise they are sent prone and take an additional 1 damage. For every Stamina you spend after

activation, you gain one more die to use in the opposed Might check..

Shattering Blow 3 Stamina, 2 Hearts

Under dire circumstances, even the strongest Bugs must sacrifice it all to slay their foe! Your next attack is made

with a +4 bonus to damage. If your attack is successful, the target must make a Shell check, contested by your

Might check. If they win, nothing happens. On a failed check, they tale 2 extra damage, and must drop everything

they are holding. For every Stamina you spend after activation, increase the damage of the attack by 2, and spend 2

hearts.

SavageSavage arts may only be used with natural weapons.

Predatory Frenzy 3 Stamina, 1 Grace

With the rage of a feral Locust, you lash out repeatedly. You make two attacks, each with a +1 bonus to damage,

and a -1 penalty to the attack roll. For every Stamina you spend after activation, you deal 1 additional damage and

make an additional strike, but lose additional 1 Grace.

Predatory Lunge 3 Stamina, 1 Shell

Lunge forward, risking everything to close the gap. You move forward 2 units, and may attack one target you

cross paths with. This attack has a +2 bonus to damage. For every Stamina you spend after activation, increase the

damage by 1, move 1 square further, and make an attack against one additional target you cross paths with, but

lose an additional 1 shell.

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Predatory Grasp 3 Stamina

Your next attack is made with a +2 bonus to damage. If the attack is successful, make a contested Might check. If

you win, the target is grappled, and unable to do anything but attempt to escape. For every Stamina you spend

after activation, you gain one more die to use in the contested Might check.

Hook

Mosscreep Surprise 3 Stamina

Through patience, even non-Mantids can prove to be proficient hunters. You throw a clump of Moss up to 6

squares away. When an enemy is within 1 square of it they must make a Grace check. If they fail to accrue 3

successes, they are ensnared, and cannot move. After being ensnared, they may make a Might test at the start of

every round, if they roll higher than 3 successes, they are free. A bug can choose to dedicate a stamina dice to this

check, rolling an extra d6 for each stamina dice. After being triggered, the trap cannot ensnare another target, and

is destroyed when the target escapes. For every Stamina you spend after activation, you increase the successes

required by 1, and the trap does 1 extra damage.

Mantid Insistence 3 Stamina, requires weapon with the Hook tag

With a lash of one's own Hook, you bring distant foes within your reach. Make an attack with a +2 bonus to

damage, and a range of 6 squares. When you hit with this attack, make a contested might check. If you win, you

pull the target to the space in front of you, if you fail nothing happens. For every Stamina you spend after

activation, the attack's damage is increased by 1, the range increases by 2 squares, and you gain a single bonus dice

for the might check.

Fooleater Express 3 Stamina

You throw a grinning sphere up to 6 squares away. If an enemy moves within one square of it, they must make a

Grace check. If they roll under 3 successes they take 4 damage and are stunned for 1 round, otherwise nothing

happens. After being triggered, the trap is destroyed. For every Stamina spent after activation, you increase the

traps damage by 1, and increase the successes required by 1.

Wind scythe 3 stamina, 1 Soul, requires weapon with the Hook tag

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You throw a chakram of wind along a line 1 square wide and 6 squares long. Make a separate attack against all

creatures in the line, in order, starting at the closest creature to you. This attack is identical to your hook. As soon

as you hit two creatures, the chakram dissipates and the attack ends. If the chakram does not dissipate when it

reaches the end of the line, it comes back to the location you threw it from. Make attacks against all creatures

again, this time in reverse order. These attacks each have an extra dice. For every stamina spent after activation,

the chakram can hit one more target without dissipating, and does 1 extra damage

ShellShell arts may only be used with a held shield.

Scorpion’s Riposte 2 Stamina

Like a patient hunter, you wait for an opening to strike! After successfully parrying an attack, you may

immediately use this Art and strike with your Weapon. You receive 2 extra dice for this attack, which also deals 2

extra damage. For every Stamina you spend during the attack, you deal 1 extra damage.

Mantid’s Riposte 2 Stamina

As all Mantids before, you are prepared for the inevitable. When you would make a parry, you may activate this

art instead. Make a parry as normal, with 3 extra dice. For every success past the required amount necessary to

parry the attack, you deal 1 damage to the attacker.

Locust’s Gambit 3 Stamina

Mimicking the ferocity of Locusts, you hurl your Shell towards the enemy!You throw your Shell at a target 6

squares away. This attack counts your shield as a thrown weapon, with quality equal to that of your shield. You

may use might in place of grace, and have a 2-dice bonus to the roll. The damage of the attack is equal to the shell's

quality. After the attack, roll a d6. If the result is equal to or under your grace score, you catch the shield. For

every Stamina you spend past activation, you may have the Shield bounce to 1 additional target within 2 squares of

the original target.

Sling

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Deadeye Shot X Stamina

Lorem

Curved Shot X Stamina

Lorem

Disarming Shot X Stamina

Lorem

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5. Magic

Arcana are the building blocks of spells, to be learned and used by those devoted to the Mystic Paths. At charactercreation, a bug may start with a single Arcana if it has at least 1 rank in any Mystic Path. A bug may not start withan Arcana if it chooses to start with an Art instead. Arts beyond this first are taught by wise shamans, rare texts, ormay be researched in place of a Proficiency rank during downtime.

In order to cast a spell, a bug choose an Arcana known to it upon which to base the spell. The bug must thenchoose what modifiers they wish to apply to this Arcana, as this may increase the difficulty of the spell. A spell’sdifficulty may never be more than twice the bug’s rank in the spell’s path. Once the bug has defined the spell, itmay be cast immediately (costing Soul equal to its difficulty), or attuned, taking up a number of notches equal toits difficulty. This process is too slow to be done during most combat, taking 30 seconds (10 rounds) per difficultylevel, and being interrupted entirely if any stamina is spent during this time.

Attuned spells are more reasonably cast during combat. Casting an attuned spell can be done within the bug’s turn,but requires that the bug only move at half its Speed and spend 1 additional Stamina on every attack it takes. It maystill react defensively to incoming actions during others’ turns. Attuned spells cost soul equal to their difficulty tocast, and the spell stays attuned after casting. Unattuning a spell is instantaneous, requiring only that the bug wishit unattuned.

Aiming Spells

Some spells are aimed directly at targets. If this is the case, then the caster must treat it as a ranged attack with aweapon quality equal to the caster’s rank in the spell’s path. The target may dodge this attack as usual. If thetargeted bug is using a shield in his offhand, then targeted spells may be parried with the shield.

Other spells target an area, such as a great ball of fire, or a cloud of noxious gas. These may only be dodged underspecific circumstances. The bug dodging must first successfully roll to dodge the spell, as per usual. If the dodgeroll is successful, then the bug is allowed to immediately take a movement action, moving up to its Speed. If thismovement ends still within the spell’s area of effect, then the dodge is instead treated as a failure, and the bugincurs the full effect.

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Range

Each Arcana has a default range. For each step up in range, increase the difficulty of the spell by one. Note thatsteps down do not decrease a spell’s difficulty.

PersonalThe spell may only target the caster.

TouchWhile casting the spell, the caster touches the target to be affected. If the target is unwilling, then the caster maytouch the target by making an attack with a natural weapon or staff (see below) at the cost of two stamina dicebeyond what the attack would normally cost.

CloseWhile casting the spell, the caster picks a target it can see (or pinpoint with any accurate sense) within 4 squares tobe the primary target.

FarWhile casting the spell, the caster picks a target it can see (or pinpoint with any accurate sense) within 16 squaresto be the primary target.

SenseThe spell can affect any target the caster can pinpoint with an accurate sense.

Duration

Some Arcana have a default duration. Each step up of duration increases the difficulty of the spell by two.

ConcentrationThe spell lasts as long as the caster spends no stamina dice during its own turn or attempts to cast or attune anyother spells.

BriefThe spell lasts up to a number of rounds equal to the caster’s Insight.

MinutesThe spell lasts up to a number of minutes equal to the caster’s Insight.

DaysThe spell lasts up to a number of days equal to the caster’s Insight.

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YearsThe spell lasts up to a number of years equal to the caster’s Insight.

LifetimeThe spell lasts until a number of decades equal to the caster’s Insight have passed since the caster’s death.

Damage/Healing

Any Arcana that deals or heals an amount of damage may have that amount increased by one for each point youincrease its difficulty as well. For Arcana that affect an area or may have multiple targets, this cost is doubled.

Affecting Multiple Targets

A non-area arcana that targets something may affect multiple valid targets if the difficulty of the spell is doubled.The maximum number of targets affected by such a spell is equal to the caster’s insight. This limit is doubled if thetargets are all touching one another.

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Arcana by Path

Totem

ZapDifficulty: 1 Range: CloseDeals 3 damage to every creature in a line between the target and the caster.

WardDifficulty: 1 Range: Touch Duration: BriefThe next time the target would be affected by a magical effect while this spell is in effect, they may spend a soul tonegate that effect. This ward then expires regardless of if a soul was spent.

MissileDifficulty: 1 Range: FarDeals 3 damage to a targeted bug.

ShriekDifficulty: 2 Range: Close (Special)Deals 2 damage to all adjacent squares, up to a maximum height equal to this spell’s range.

Cloak

HasteDifficulty: 2 Range: Touch Duration: BriefThe target’s Speed is increased by its Grace, and it does not incur attacks of opportunity.

InvisibilityDifficulty: 1 Range: Touch Duration: ConcentrationThe target is invisible as long as they take no actions besides movement and dodging and do not take damage.Alternate versions of this effect exist for scent and vibration(sound).

DiveDifficulty: 2 Range: Self

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The target plummets to the ground, dealing 2 damage to any creature landed on (that creature may attempt tododge as a target normally would).

TeleportDifficulty: 2 Range: SelfTeleports a willing target anywhere the caster has been and can form a clear mental image of. If the location haschanged too significantly (GM’s discretion), then the spell will fail with no effect. This spell takes a minute ofconcentration to cast.

Dream

Read MindDifficulty: 1 Range: Touch Duration: ConcentrationThe target rolls Insight against the caster. If the caster rolls more successes, then the target’s surface thoughts maybe read by the caster for the duration of this spell. This conveys any immediate intentions the target has, as well asmaking it impossible for them to successfully lie to the caster.Spending an Essence while casting this also allows the caster to silently propose a yes or no question to the target,gleaning an answer to the question without the target’s knowledge.

TelepathyDifficulty: 1 Range: ? Duration: ?The target and the caster may communicate telepathically with one another for the duration of this spell.Attempting to hold conversations with multiple bugs at once is disorienting, just as it would be with speech.Spending an Essence while casting this spell allows the caster to send detailed mental images along with the normalverbal information.

Soul DrainDifficulty: 1 Range: Close Duration: SpecialThe caster forms a soul-draining link to the target. At the end of the target’s turn, it loses one Soul and the castergains one Soul. A caster may only have one such link, and if either the caster or the target fully deplete their soul,the link ends.Essence may be spent in place of Soul while casting this spell.

Speak with DreamsDifficulty: 2 Range: Self Duration: MinutesThe target may speak with the dreams of the dead. If this spell is used to communicate with a corpse, then thecaster may only glean the dead’s dying thoughts. This spell has a second use: If cast in the presence of a spirit, thespell makes the target able to hear the spirit. Spirits are usually quick to open up to those under this effect.Spending an Essence while casting this spell allows the target to see minds as bright points of light. This new senseextends only 2 squares out, but is infallible, revealing sapient bugs and spirits as swirling pools of light, feral bugs

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as slightly smaller spots of light, and even creatures normally regarded as “mindless” such as voidlings or animatedconstructs will show as a single bright point if there is any fragment of mind to see.

Nightmare

FireballDifficulty: 2 Range: CloseA thrown fireball scorches the target square and all surrounding squares for 2 damage. A bug damaged by this spellcatches on fire, and takes an additional damage at the end of every turn they take unless they spend their turnputting the fire out.Spending an Essence while casting this spell allows reveals its true nature to some. Choose any number of bugs inthe area that would be affected by this spell. These chosen bugs experience the flames as an illusion and are notharmed by it.

BloodboilDifficulty: 1 Range: Touch Duration: BriefA target object soaked sufficiently in blood bursts into flames. Coating the object in blood generally costs a point ofHeart, though it need not be the caster’s. A weapon that has dealt damage to a creature that bleeds recently countsas coated in blood. Weapons under this effect deal an additional unshellable damage whenever they successfullyhit.If an Essence is spent while casting this spell, then the spell is quickened, and the caster may still move and attackon the turn this spell is cast, though casting an additional spell on the same turn is impossible.

Dream EaterDifficulty: 3 Range: TouchThis spell may only be cast on a sleeping target or a spirit. The target’s dreams curdle into deliciously terriblenightmares, then are consumed by the caster. The target does not gain any of the benefits of their night’s rest, andthe caster’s Heart and Soul are fully restored. If used on a spirit, the spirit is banished, and the caster gains 1Essence.If an Essence is spent while casting this spell, then the caster may peer into the nightmare they have created beforeeating it, discovering the deepest fear of the target.

EnraptureDifficulty: Range: Touch Duration: SpecialThe target rolls Insight against the caster. If the caster rolls more successes, the target is unable to do anything butremain locked in place for as long as the spell lasts. The caster must maintain eye contact with the targetthroughout this spell. Failure to maintain eye contact, or the target taking damage ends the spell immediately.If an Essence is spent while casting this spell, then the caster may sing a haunting melody in place of maintainingeye contact, and the spell lasts as long as the target can hear the song. Casters with proficiencies that would aid insinging or the Song trait gain a +1 bonus to the Insight roll to use this spell.

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Pollen

Healing PollenDifficulty: 2 Range: SelfA cloud of healing pollen is released around the target, restoring 1 heart to all adjacent creatures and rejuvenatingplant life within the effect as well.

EntangleDifficulty: 2 Range: TouchA targeted 3x3 square sprouts vines that are helpful to the caster. Allies may move normally through the vines, butany other creature must spend 3 stamina dice on any movement taken which begins on, ends in, or passes throughthese vines.

Bloom’s BoonDifficulty: 1 Range: Touch Duration: BriefA great blossom forms under the target’s feet, then closes its petals, enveloping the target until this spell’s durationends. While in this bloom, the target is safe, and free to perform any action it could perform in a single-squareroom. The bloom may be attacked, in which case it has Heart equal to the caster’s Insight, no Shell, and nevertakes any actions.

CalmDifficulty: 2 Range: Touch Duration: BriefThe target rolls Insight against the caster. If the caster rolls more successes, then the target is unable to take anyhostile actions while under this effect, and may be more open to conversation (GM discretion). This effect breaksinstantly if the target believes it is in immediate danger.

Dust

EnervateDifficulty: 2 Range: Touch Duration: BriefThe target is exhausted, having to dedicate an additional stamina die to all actions that cost stamina dice for theduration of this spell. If the target spends no stamina for a full round, this effect ends early.

AnnihilateDifficulty: 1 Range: TouchA target non-living mundane object turns to dust, utterly destroying it. If the object has quality, then the castermust roll more successes on an Insight roll than that quality to destroy it.

MindwipeDifficulty: 3 Range: Touch Duration: Days

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The target rolls Insight against the caster. If the caster rolls more successes, then the caster chooses a specificmemory for the target to forget. The target does not lose any skills, spells, or arts it has, though may be confusedwhere it learned such things.

Starving MadnessDifficulty: 3 Range: TouchThe target is immediately starving, being reduced to -60. After being affected by this spell, if the target is cursed,and if it ever dies of starvation, it becomes a hunger husk.

Staves

A spellcasting bug with little use for weapons may fashion itself or purchase a staff. A staff is crafted with a numberof notches that may be used for attuning spells. Spells attuned to these notches may be cast by any wielder. A bugmay only have spells attuned to a single staff at a time, and spells remain attuned even after the bug’s death.

When attacking with a staff, treat it as a 1 damage weapon with quality equal to its notches that does not rollexcess attack successes into damage.

A staff with a notch costs 100 geo. Each additional notch costs twice as much as the last. Notches beyond the fifthmay require special rare materials to be obtained; ask your GM.

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