The Seeker

Look at us. Huddling behind our walls, hearing evil in every passing noise. Cowards, all. All, but you. You fear not the unknown. You plunge into it, searching. Grasping at what has been lost. What will you find, o Seeker? Signs of a bright new age? Or signs of our doom?

Damage: d6 · HP (max 16)

Stat-less — there are no stats to assign. When a move says "roll," you push your luck (see 00-core-loop/dice-and-moves.md).

Background (choose 1)

Patriot

These people are family. Chaos grows all around, but you'll be damned if you'll let your family come to harm. Damned indeed.

You have sought out and embraced dark power to protect that which you hold dear. Or perhaps that power fell upon you, and you took it up for the greater good. Either way, you seek more.

You start with the Let's Make a Deal move and are Well Versed in the Things Below (go mark them now). You've also acquired 1 major arcanum — choose one:

Antiquarian

The past has buried many secrets, and you are determined to dig them up. Years of study across the land have led you here, and you are convinced that this steading holds the key to your greatest discoveries. What is it you hope to find? What is it that keeps you here?

Your travels and studies mean that you start with the Polyglot move and that you are Well Versed in the Makers and their arts (go mark them now). You've also acquired 1 major arcanum — choose one:

Witch Hunter

You've dedicated your life to rooting out and destroying horrors and their servants. What set you down this path? What did you sacrifice to walk it? What led you to call your steading home?

Regardless, you start with the Everything Bleeds move and are Well Versed in (pick 1) the Fae, the Things Below, or the Last Door and what lies beyond (go mark them now). You've also acquired 1 major arcanum — choose one:

Instinct (choose 1)

Appearance

Choose 1 on each line, or make something up:

Place of Origin & Name

Your steading is your home, or close enough. Pick one region and a name to match (or make up something similar):

Moves

You start with Well Versed, Work With What You've Got, plus 1 from your Background.

★ Well Versed

When you Know Things about one of your topics, you can ask the GM a follow-up question of your choice (even on a bust).

Mark 1 topic, in addition to the one noted in your Background. Each additional time you take this move, mark 2 more topics. Topics:

★ Work With What You've Got

When you cleverly use your environment to harm or impede your foe(s), roll. On a success, pick 1. For each 6, pick an additional 1:

Attuned

When you Seek Insight, you can always ask "What here is infused with magic?" for free, even on a bust.

Conduit of Power

When you would mark a Consequence from a major arcanum, you can mark 1 box here instead, with no negative effect. (These marks never clear.)

Countermeasures

When you witness a magical effect, you may ask the GM, "How can this be countered or interrupted?" and get an honest answer. You or an ally gain advantage on your next roll to act on the answer.

Everything Bleeds

When you exploit an unnatural foe's specific weakness or vulnerability, deal +1d6 damage.

Everything Burns

When you inspect a work of artifice or magic for a fatal flaw, roll. On a success, the GM will reveal the best way to destroy/sabotage it. On a success with a 6, you or an ally also gain advantage to act on the info.

Improved Trait

Each time you take this move, choose one of your traits and work with the GM to make it more powerful — lean into the fiction. (A trait that says "increment one die" becomes "increment two dice"; narrative traits take real creativity — that's the fun.)

Initiate of the Secret Arts

You have a "Sacred Pouch" (3 Stock, magical), as per the Blessed, but with no remarkable traits. Each time you take this move, choose a Blessed move for which you otherwise qualify. (You can't take Improved Trait or Superior Trait.) (Requires level 2+ and the Seeker.)

Let's Make a Deal

When you Seek Insight, add "What do they really want or need?" to the list of questions. When you Persuade by offering them something that you know they want or need, treat a success with no six as a success with a 6.

Logbook

You have a logbook (2 uses, slow) that doesn't take up space in your inventory. Once per season, after you make a Know Things roll, you may consult your logbook and choose a number from 1 to 6. Any dice showing that number become sixes. When the Seasons Change, reset your logbook to 2 uses.

Magpie

When you Have What You Need, you can produce something strange, specific, maybe even valuable or a little bit magical, but if you do, tell us where you got it and 2 of the following:

Never at a Loss

When you Know Things and roll a bust, you may choose to not mark XP. If you don't mark XP, the worst that happens is that the GM tells you nothing interesting or useful about the subject, but instead tells you how you could learn more.

Polyglot

When you first encounter a living language in play, describe your proficiency with it (if any) and how you came to acquire it.

When you Know Things about any script, text, runes, or symbols that you encounter, you have advantage.

Cryptologist

When you study encoded, forgotten, or arcane marks or writing, roll. (Requires Polyglot.) On a success with a 6, you can fully decipher them in just a few minutes. On a success with no six, you get the gist in a few minutes, but fully deciphering them will take you an hour or so.

Quick Study

When you study something magical that should take months to understand, it instead takes mere weeks. If it should take weeks, it takes days. If it should take days, it takes only a few hours.

Safety First

When you spend an hour or so preparing your mystical defenses, hold 2 Protection. When you are affected by harmful magic, spend 1 Protection either to gain advantage on any roll to resist it or to halve its damage/effects.

Sage Advice

When another PC asks you for guidance, they get advantage on their next roll to follow your advice.

Arcane Adept

When you wish to invent a spell or magical effect, detail its workings with the GM and Make a Plan to invent it. If you like, pick one requirement and ask the GM to provide an alternative (for example, "first you must ___" could become "first you must ___, or it will take months"). (Requires level 6+.)

Deep Insight

When you Seek Insight about something magical, you may ask one additional question, not limited to the list. Even on a bust, you get to ask this question. (Requires level 6+ and Attuned.)

Improvise

When you wish to use an arcanum's move or option without having unlocked it, ask the GM what fool risk(s) it requires and/or what consequence(s) you'll incur. If you go for it, roll. (Requires level 6+ and Quick Study.) On a success, you get it to work this once — trigger the move or use the option as if you'd unlocked it. On a success with a 6, also mark one step towards unlocking the arcanum's mysteries.

Mind Over Magic

When you roll to study or use an arcanum, you may always increment one die in the final roll by 1. (Requires level 6+.)

Overchannel

When you would mark a Consequence from a major arcanum, you may mark a debility instead. (Requires level 6+ and Conduit of Power.)

Superior Trait

Choose a trait you have already Improved, and work with the GM to boost it even further — a significant, fiction-driven leap that should feel like a real capstone. (Requires level 6+.)

Proof Against Detection

When you hold Protection, you can't be scried upon or sensed by magical means, and have advantage to Defy Danger by being stealthy. (Requires level 6+ and Safety First.)

Special Possessions

(Pick 2, in addition to your scribe's tools)

Collection

In your travels and investigations you have acquired arcana — artifacts of power and mystery.

Major Arcana

Your Background grants you 1 major arcanum. Answer at least 2 questions about it:

You've begun to unlock the mysteries of your major arcanum; mark 1 step on the front of its insert. When and how did that happen?

Minor Arcana

Ask the GM for the Minor Arcana cards. Draw 3 at random and review both sides.