Appendix I: DM Quick References

Proficiencies

Heroes have their rank for most combat attempts defined through their proficiencies, which are granted by the class. A quick primer on proficiency use-cases, their requirements, and some resolutions is provided here.

DEFENSIVE PROFICIENCIES

Heroes use defensive proficiencies to defend themselves.
Arcane Defense

ARCANE DEFENSE

Some heroes can defend themselves with magic. A hero proficient with the arcane defense feature of Arcane Magic can make Arcane Magic attempts to defend against physical or magical attacks, though not martial maneuvers.

It requires:
• Verbalization
• A free hand to gesture
It suffers disadvantage while a hero is:
• Grappled
• Deafened
It cannot be used while a hero is:
• Concentrating
• Silenced

Armor

ARMOR

Wearing armor can reduce damage a hero takes from physical attacks. Attempts are rarely made with armor proficiency, rather it determines what armors they can wear comfortably. A hero wearing armor they are not proficient with is encumbered one additional level and their attempts that rely on movement, including attacks and spellcasting, suffer a -1 rank penalty in light armor, disadvantage in medium armor, or unreliability in heavy armor.

In the rare cases when a hero tries to don or doff a suit of armor quickly, they would make an armor attempt.
Wearing armor reduces bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage a hero suffers when defending against an attack with limited or better success. The amount of this damage reduction depends on the armor type. A creature wearing armor reduces the damage of non-critical hits.

Divine Defense

DIVINE DEFENSE

Some heroes can call upon their ties to the divine to protect themselves. A hero proficient with the divine defense feature of Divine Magic can make Divine Magic attempts to defend against physical or magical attacks, though not martial maneuvers.

It requires:
• Verbalization
It suffers disadvantage while a hero is:
• Deafened
It cannot be used while a hero is:
• Concentrating
• Silenced

Dodge

DODGE

The most common defense, any hero can attempt to get out of the way of a physical attack or a magical touch or ray attack.

It requires:
• The ability to move
It suffers a -1 rank penalty while a hero is:
• Encumbered
It suffers disadvantage while a hero is:
• Grappled
• Heavily encumbered
• Prone
It suffers disadvantage and unreliability while a hero is:
• Severely encumbered

Parry

PARRY

Almost as common as Dodge, any hero can attempt to use an object to deflect or block a melee attack or a magical touch attack. In addition, certain shields and abilities allow heroes to attempt to parry ranged attacks, be they physical or magical.

It requires:
• An object that would be effective at redirecting the attack, such as a weapon or shield
• The ability to move that object
It suffers disadvantage while a hero is:
• Grappled
• Prone

Shields

SHIELDS

Like armor proficiency, shield proficiency determines what type of shields a hero can comfortably wield. Attempts are rarely made with shield proficiency, unless a shield is used to bash a foe.

OFFENSIVE PROFICIENCIES

Heroes use offensive proficiencies to make attacks.
Arcane Magic

--Heroes proficient in Arcane Magic use their rank in it on attempts to affect creatures and objects with arcane magic such as cantrips, spells, and Sorcery.-- It requires:
• Verbalization
• A free hand or implement to gesture with
• Arcane components and foci, if specified
A hero must succeed on a Constitution/Wisdom (Endurance) check to use arcane magic while:
• Grappled, if the magic has a somatic component
• Deafened, if the magic has a verbal component

Divine Magic

DIVINE MAGIC

Heroes proficient in Divine Magic use their rank in it on attempts to affect creatures and objects with divine magic such as orisons, spells and rebuking.

It requires:
• Verbalization
• A free hand, holy symbol, or implement to gesture with
• Divine components and foci, if specified
A hero must succeed on a Constitution/Wisdom (Endurance) check to use divine magic while:
• Deafened, if the magic has a verbal component
• Grappled, if the magic has a somatic component

Rebuke

REBUKE

Many divine heroes come to possess the ability to exert influence over outsiders. A hero proficient in Divine Magic's rebuke feature can spend a hero's surge as an action to either command or turn outsiders their class specifies within 30', whose combined hit points do not exceed their maximum.

A commanded creature follows a hero's orders for a number of rounds equal to the hero's level on a normal success, minutes on a major success, and hours on a critical success. This effect ends if the hero or their allies take hostile action against the creature.
A turned creature uses its turns to flee from the hero in the safest manner possible for a number of rounds equal to the hero's level until it can no longer see the hero or until the hero or their allies take hostile action against it. Additionally, a creature turned with major success suffers 1d10 true damage for each odd level the rebuking hero possesses.
It requires:
• Verbalization
• A free hand, holy symbol, or implement to gesture with
A hero must succeed on a Constitution/Wisdom (Endurance) check to use rebuke while:
• Deafened
• Grappled
Other Caveats:
• Rebuke targets creatures by lowest hit points first, then proximity
• A hero can only attempt to rebuke a particular creature once per day.

Weapons

WEAPONS

The most common form of offense, any hero can attempt to use something physical to attack a foe, using their rank in that particular weapon for the attack.

It requires:
• The ability to move the weapon
It suffers disadvantage while a hero is:
• Grappled, if wielding a two-handed weapon
• Prone, if wielding a non-mechanical weapon

MISCELLANEOUS PROFICIENCIES

Heroes use miscellaneous proficiencies for combat or combat-like attempts that aren't strictly offensive or defensive.
Detect Magic

DETECT MAGIC

Some arcane heroes possess the ability to concentrate as a full round action to make an Arcane Magic attempt to sense the presence of magic affecting a creature, object, or area within 30'.

On a normal success, a hero detects the lowest-level magic affecting the target. On a major, they also determine its school of magic. On a critical, they also determine the spell's level. On a 20, they also learn the spell's name. On a failure, they sense nothing and lose the ability to detect the effect for the rest of the day. On a critical failure, they lose the ability to detect magic for the rest of the day.
After successfully detecting a magic effect, a hero proficient in Detect Magic can spend a minute continuing to concentrate on the effect to increase their success level by one, ten minutes to increase it by two, and an hour to learn everything about the effect.
If a player is already aware of a magical effect, they can ignore it to attempt to detect another effect.
Detect Magic is a knowledge check, so you usually roll the attempt for your player.
Other Caveats:
• A hero who witnesses the casting of a spell gains reliability on their detect magic attempt against it.

Dispel Magic

DISPEL MAGIC

Some heroes are capable of using their knowledge of magic to unravel it. As an action, a hero proficient in Arcane Magic's dispel magic feature can attempt to counter a magical effect they are aware of within 30'..

On a normal success against a spell of a level the hero can cast, the hero suppresses the effect while concentrating on it. In addition, if the effect is not permanent, the hero can expend a spell or spell point of equivalent or higher level to dispel it. On a major success, consider the maximum spell level the hero can cast for this attempt to be one higher. On a critical success, consider it two higher. On a result of 20, the hero can affect any level of effect as well as expend a spell or spell point to dispel a permanent effect.
On a limited success, they can attempt to dispel the effect again with another action. On a critical failure, they lose the ability to dispel magic for the rest of the day, or the targeted magic may lash out at them.
Dispel Magic requires:
• Awareness of the effect
• Verbalization
• A free hand, implement, or holy symbol to gesture with
It suffers disadvantage while a hero is:
• Grappled
• Deafened
Other Caveats:
• A hero can only attempt to dispel a particular effect once per day

Divine Guidance

DIVINE GUIDANCE

Some divine heroes, by concentrating for one minute, can make a Divine Magic attempt to ask a yes or no question of their divine power source in hopes of getting a positive or negative feeling in response.

On a normal success, a hero receives a positive or negative feeling about the matter. On a major success, they also get a +1 rank bonus on your next divine guidance attempt today. On a critical success, they get a clue along with the answer. On a limited success, they sense their source of divine power is not ready to give them the answer. On a failure, they do not receive an answer. On a critical failure, they may misinterpret the answer or lose the ability to use divine guidance for the rest of the day.
You can alter the success of these results to give a single word on a major or two words on a critical.
Divine Guidance is a knowledge check, so you usually roll the attempt for your player.
It requires:
• Verbalization
Other Caveats:
• A hero can only ask a particular question once per day
• Questions outside of a divine power's cause will usually be ignored
• Divine guidance involves a hero interacting with a deity or being of or source of power of similar intelligence and influence. Ruses to get around the limitations of this proficiency may be looked upon poorly.

Initiative

INITIATIVE

Initiative determines a hero's speed of reaction in combat or other situations where timing is everything. Initiative attempts are made by players involved in combat at the beginning of each round to determine their turn order compared to other combatants.

• Monsters do not make initiative attacks. They act on an initiative success level based on their reaction speed (such as normal, limited, major, etc.) after heroes on that initiative success level.
• A hero that is unconscious or dying can choose to fail their initiative attempt.

Manipulate Magic

MANIPULATE MAGIC

Certain powerful arcane heroes can attempt to take control of magical effects. By concentrating for a full-round action, a hero proficient in Arcane Magic's manipulate magic feature can make an Arcane Magic attempt to manipulate a magical effect they are aware of.

On a normal success against a spell of a level they can cast, the hero takes control of the effect as if they were its caster, so long as they continue concentrating on it. In addition, if the effect is not permanent, they can expend a spell or spell point of equivalent or higher level to permanently control it. On a major success, consider the maximum spell level the hero can cast one higher. On a critical success, consider it two higher. On a result of 20, the hero can affect any level of effect and manipulate it while within 30' without concentration.
On a limited success, you can attempt to manipulate the effect again with another full-round action. A caster aware of a manipulate attempt can attempt to resist it.
Manipulate magic requires:
• Awareness of the effect
• Verbalization
• A free hand, implement, or holy symbol to gesture with
It suffers disadvantage while a hero is:
• Grappled
• Deafened
Other Caveats:
• A hero can only attempt to manipulate a particular effect once per day
• Manipulate magic does not affect the original caster's ownership of the effect

Martial Maneuvers

MARTIAL MANEUVERS

Sometimes heroes or creatures choose to try to gain a tactical advantage over an opponent, rather than beat it into submission. Disarming, Grappling, Pulling, Pushing, or Tripping a creature and Sundering an object utilize martial maneuver attempts.

All offensive Martial Maneuver attempts require:
• A free hand or suitable weapon
They suffer disadvantage while a hero is:
• Grappled
• Prone
Additional caveats:
• Heroes trained in a weapon with a martial maneuver feature can utilize their weapon rank when attempting that maneuver offensively with the weapon
Disarms: When a hero tries to knock an item off a creature or out of their grasp, or resist such an attack, they make a disarm attempt.
Disarm attempts are unreliable against:
• Larger creatures
• Items held in two or more hands
Other Caveats:
• Items attached at multiple points may require multiple successes to disarm
Grapples: When a hero tries to grab hold of a creature or item, or resist or escape such an attack, they make a grapple attempt.
Other Caveats:
• A creature grappling or grappled by a creature one size smaller than them has their movement hindered due to dragging the other creature with them.
• A creature grappling a creature of their size or larger can only move adjacent to its target.
• A creature grappled by a creature of their size or larger cannot move.
• While grappling a creature of its size or smaller, the grappler can make a grapple attempt to pin a number of its target's limbs equal to or less than the number of limbs it has free. When a grappler pins a limb, the limb it uses for the pin is also pinned.
• A creature that is not prone and grappling a creature of its size or smaller can make a grapple attempt to throw it. On a success, the grapple ends and the target is thrown 5’, plus an additional 5’ with a devastating effect. For each size category a creature is larger than its target, increase the distance thrown by 5’. A thrown creature is treated as having fallen the distance it is thrown.
• A hero can use a devasting effect on a critical grapple success to attempt to trip a target, throw it, or pin its limbs
• Coordinated grapple attacks increase the effective creature size for the grapple. For every additional creature of the grappler's size coordinating, increase the grappler's effective size by one category.
• A creature can end a grapple it initiated at will. A grapple also ends if either creature leaves the other's reach.
Pulls/Pushes: When a hero tries to push or pull a creature or resist such an attack, they make a push or pull attempt.
On a normal success, the target is pushed or pulled 5'. A hampering effect on a major or better can be used to increase this distance 5'.
Push and pull attempts have advantage when the hero is:
• One size larger than the opponent
They have reliability and advantage when the hero is:
• Two or more sizes larger than the opponent
They have disadvantage when the hero is:
• One size smaller than the opponent
They have unreliability and disadvantage while the hero is:
• Two or more sizes smaller than the opponent
Other Caveats:
• A creature three or more sizes larger than its target doubles the distance it pulls or pushes.
• A creature cannot push or pull a creature three or more sizes larger than it
• A creature suffers unreliability on push attempts against prone targets and targets with more legs than it.
• A creature suffers unreliability on pull attempts against a creature with more legs than it.
• Pull attempts cannot be made while prone.
• A creature with available movement can move with the target it pushes or pulls
• Coordinated push or pull attacks increase the effective creature size for the attack. For every additional creature of the pusher or puller's size coordinating, increase the effective size by one category.
• If pushed or pulled over an edge, a creature can make a Dexterity attempt to catch hold of the edge
Sunders: When a hero tries to break an object or resist having an object they possess broken, they make a sunder attempt.
It requires:
• A weapon being properly employed that is capable of sundering the target
• A target that is capable of being sundered by a single blow
It suffers unreliability while the sunderer is attempting to sunder:
• A large item such as a weapon sized for a large creature
• An item that could sunder the weapon employed in the sunder attempt
Other Caveats:
• A magical item can only be sundered by an equally magical weapon
Trips: When a hero tries to knock a target down or resist such an attack, they make a trip attempt.
Trip attacks are unreliable against:
• Creatures with more than two legs
Other Caveats:
• A creature suffers disadvantage on trip attempts against a creature one size larger than it
• A creature suffers disadvantage and unreliability on a creature two sizes or more larger than it.
• Trip attacks against creatures with more than four legs require a critical success to succeed
• Creatures without legs cannot be tripped

Sense Outsider

SENSE OUTSIDER

As a full-round action requiring concentration, a hero proficient in Divine Magic's sense outsider feature can make a Divine Magic attempt to sense the presence of outsiders they can rebuke within 30’.

On a critical failure, the hero may mistakenly detect someone or something that is not an outsider as an outsider or lose the ability to sense outsiders for the rest of the day. On a failure, the hero fails to detect all outsiders they can rebuke within range. On a limited success, they only fail to detect the highest-level outsider in range. On a normal success, the hero becomes aware of the presence of the lowest-level creature it can rebuke within range. On a major, they also become aware of its direction. On a critical, they also become aware of its distance. On a 20, they also know its specific type, such as zombie.
Sense outsider is unreliable against higher level creatures.
Sense Outsider is a knowledge check, so you usually roll the attempt for your player.
A hero suffers disadvantage on this attempt when:
• A creature is actively concentrating on avoiding detection
Other Caveats:
• After a successful attempt, additional attempts can be employed to increase information learned. On a failure no further information on a specific creature can be learned.
• A hero can only attempt to detect a specific outsider once per day.
• A hero can ignore an outsider it is aware of to attempt to detect a different outsider

The Pen & Dagger RPG    Directors & Mythmakers Guide    Appendices      Appendix I: DM Quick References