The Travellers’ Companion

Modifiers are +1 or −1 and never stack beyond ±2. A natural 1 always fails; a natural 6 on a D6 or 10 on a D10 always succeeds. Only roll when failure would be interesting.

Challenge roll. The player names the best-fitting stat. The GM picks a challenge die: D6 for easy, D10 for standard, 2D10 keep highest for very hard. The player rolls a D10, or two D10 keeping the highest if that stat is 4+. Higher wins. On a tie, the player chooses: succeed at a cost, or fail cleanly.

The GM awards wild dice for playing to your drive, great descriptions, giving a villain their moment, accepting a complication, or a strong success. Aim for one or two per player per session.

Spend one per test, before or after rolling: add one die of the test’s type and keep the best, or add it as an extra attack die. Hold up to 3. Unspent dice carry over. You can give one to another hero if it makes narrative sense.

Wounds are how much harm you take before going down: 5 for a standard hero, 9 for The Traveller. They return between scenes or through powers and kit.

Toughness (4 for a standard hero) refills each scenario. Spend 1 to cancel 1 wound as you take it. Spend 2 for a third action once per round. Spend 2 to reroll a failed narrative test. The Rest action restores D3.

Exploration mode. No strict turn order. Each hero moves about 6" and tries one test per GM beat. Threat +1 at the end of each beat.

Combat mode. 1) Everyone rolls a D10 for priority; the GM rolls for Threat. 2) Players and GM alternate activating one model at a time; each takes 2 actions. 3) End phase: resolve heroes who are down, fire and story beats. Threat +1.

Threat. At the start of each round or beat the GM rolls a D10. If it’s equal to or under Threat, an event triggers, then Threat drops by 2.

Shoot, Fight and Cast can’t be taken twice in one activation. Talking is free. Leaving base contact lets each enemy touching you make one free attack with 1 die.

Roll one D6 per attack against Quality. The defender rolls one D6 per hit against Defence, adding the weapon’s AP to their target. Each unblocked hit is 1 wound; Toughness cancels wounds one for one. Cover gives +1 Defence against shooting. Long range (over half) is −1 to hit. Each extra enemy in a fight gives the attackers +1 to hit, to +2.

Powers are a Will test (drills use Dexterity). Level 1 casts on your stat, level 2 on stat +1, level 3 on stat +2. On a natural 1 it fails, Threat +1, and the peril applies.

Pilgrim priests. A Pilgrim may take one Cleric power, cast on their own Will.

At 0 Wounds a hero is down. An ally in contact can revive them with a Narrative action (Will or Dexterity): success stands them with 1 Wound. Still down at the end of the following round? Roll a D6 after the scenario.

At the end of each mission, every hero who took part earns experience (XP):

Heroes reach level 2 at 4 XP, level 3 at 9, level 4 at 15 and level 5 at 22. Each level gives one advance: the next power or drill, +1 Wounds or +1 Toughness (twice each at most), a D10 stat improved by 1 (once each, never better than 3+), Quality or Defence improved by 1 (once each, never better than 4+), or a talent.

Heroes who are down at the end of a mission roll on the injury table. The Traveller never levels up. Instead, as the campaign goes on, he remembers.

Each lesser god has a bright cult (allies, rivals, Pilgrim patrons) and a dark cult (enemies). Use the tier stats under Enemies, swap in the cult’s models, and apply its cult rule. Elites and above carry the cult’s trait.

Roll a D10 at the start of each round. He uses Toughness only as armour.

A good fight for 3–4 heroes is about 6 minions, or 3 minions and an elite, plus a boss for the finale. Without a GM, roll a D6 per enemy: 1–2 take cover or hold, 3–5 advance and shoot (or charge if in range), 6 charge the nearest hero.