Addenda

Optional rules if you feel you need them.

Difficulty #

While the target number (TN) for a test in Picaroons is usually assumed to be 5, there a few options for tweaking things:

  1. Modify the TN. This requires the least fiddling; just pick a new TN that feels “right”.
  2. Discard the highest result. This makes tests without an applicable domain functionally impossible and sharply reduces success chances.
  3. Require multiple successes. For particularly difficult things that can have partial successes, like breaking down a barred door.

In general, if you’re tempted to make a test easy, just have the Picaroon pass, especially if they have a relevant domain.

Reputations #

Reputations as domains can be chosen by the Picaroon when resting, but can also be granted as a consequence of play. Consider granting reputations when Picaroons do something truly noteworthy or seem to be leaning into a remarkable behavior, starting at a d6. Reputations granted this way should not be counted when a picaroon wants to spend HD marks for a new domain.

Repuations don’t need to be true, they’re representative about what the world at large thinks of the picaroon.

You can also give them marks for leaning into their reputation or ask them to remove marks if they keep doing things that make the reputation a lie (and people are finding out about it).

Relationships #

Relationships as domains can be chosen by the picaroon when resting, but they work even better if granted as a consequence of play. Consider granting new relationships whenever picaroons make a very strong impression with an entity or faction–and note that a relationship doesn’t have to be a positive one–starting at a d6. Relationships granted this way should not be counted when a Picaroon wants to spend HD marks for a new domain.

You can also give or reclaim marks against the Picaroon(s) relationship for particularly offensive and flattering interactions, thwarting plans, or fulfilling requests.

Afflictions #

When you want to inflict a condition, curse, or disease on a Picaroon, considering giving it to them as a domain. Whenever it would get in the way of an action, roll the die in addition to any other dice. Your result must beat the affliction result in addition to any other conditions.

You may also consider giving the affliction a trick which can be invoked by the person(s) refereeing in addition to the picaroon.

Here are some example afflictions:

Cracked Ankle (d6) #

Interferes with walking on this foot at normal speed; failure makes walking too painful. May move at half speed without testing.

Burning Blood (d6) #

Your blood now ignites painfully in open air. Interferes with any blood magic or abilities.

Explosive Injury (d6): Roll trick dice whenever your blood is spilled as the flames are particularly intense; you and everything next to you is burned for result damage.

Fatigued (d6) #

You’re entirely too tired. Interferes with any and all strenuous physical activity.

Beastmarked (d6) #

Beings without sentience instinctively hate you. Interferes with interactions with such beings that are not violent.

Hungry Fury (d6): Roll trick dice whenever attacked by a non-sentient being; add the result to their total.

Downtime #

While the base rules cover picaroons spending their marks, they don’t have much to say about gaining marks outside of adventure. The options below are things picaroons could be doing instead of resting.

  • Training/Research: For each week of spent either training or doing research, gain a mark towards any domain or trick. For each month spent, can choose to acquire a new domain instead of marks.
  • Odd Jobs: For each week spent making ends meet, roll a d6 and gain a mark towards: HD (1-3), a domain (4-5), a trick (6). Roll another d6 to see how much silver they made working that didn’t get eaten by living costs.
  • Carousing: For each week spent in revelry of some sort, gain a mark towards HD. Each companion who tags along while carousing also gains a mark. For every three companions carousing, everyone gains a bonus mark.
  • Volunteering: For each week spent giving up time, skill, and/or labor to an entity, faction, or community, gain a mark towards a relevant domain. For each month spent, can choose to acquire a new domain instead of marks.

Living Expenses #

While you could handwave away the cost of living, you might want to keep a gnawing reminder that adventure, while risky, is also the best opportunity picaroons have for getting flush. If you decide to do so, here’s some ideas (weekly cost in parentheses):

  • Streetsleeping: Scrounge food and shelter where you can. No silver, but roll a d6 each week; on a 5+, nothing bad happens. Otherwise, lose 1HP. Does not count as resting.
  • Destitution (1s): Extremely meager living conditions, just enough food and safety to rest, but not enough for anything else.
  • Simple (d6s): Comfortable, enough.
  • Comfortable (d6x10s): Not only can you rest here, you can even turn your mind to something else and stay rested. If using expanded downtime actions, choose one in addition to resting; otherwise, +1 to recovery roll.
  • Opulent (d6x100s): Luxury you can hardly believe. Each week spent here counts as both resting and carousing, if using expanded downtime actions, and Picaroons can choose an additional action too. If not using expanded downtime actions, Picaroons can reroll any number of HD each week.

Factions #

Picaroons may often find themselves working for, against, or across factions in the world. It can be useful to abstract factions like a super NPC, for example:

The Legion of the Mostly Dead (120 HD) #

The Legion of the Mostly Dead is a charitable and terrible organization that provides aid to those approaching death’s door; they feed, shelter, teach, and fulfill the wishes of the dying or soon-to-be dying. Headquartered in the Great Catacomb, centurions of the Legion can be found in most major cities and the legionaries even further abroad.

Domains:

  • Medicine (d8)
    • Herbal Tea (2d6): Roll trick dice when preparing sustenance for a new guest; they gain temporary HP equal to the highest die for a number of days equal to the lowest one
  • Scrounging (d10)
    • Something Round Here (d6): Roll trick dice to find something useful for someone who asks; find up to result x 10s related items in belongings
  • Necromancy (d6)
    • Belay Death (1d12): Roll trick dice when comforting someone dying; they will not succumb to their injuries/ailment for that many days, but definitely die afterward
    • Flesh to Fortune (d6): Roll the trick dice when performing last rites; the dying person’s body is consumed by purple light, leaving behind a soul gem worth result x 100s
  • Investigation (d6)

Possible ways to interpret such a faction:

  • it is made up of at least 120HD of followers; to destroy this faction, that many HD of its constituents must be killed, converted, or otherwise broken from the faction
  • any 1HD member of the faction has at least one of these domains and associated tricks; higher HD members may have more
  • sufficiently high ranked faction members can train picaroons in their domain/tricks
  • when determining how successful the faction at large is in pursuing its goals, test as normal (including rolling highest applicable domain, if any)
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