Rules text is one ink on paper. Bronze is the one warm note, and it only navigates: the tab at the outer edge that finds a Book, the Book and chapter numbers, the contents. Verdigris marks what is named. Everything else — the rules that divide the page, the tables, the figures — is stone, and the argument is not coloured. Each ink reads as a distinct grey in a monochrome print.

Three kinds of table

A roll matrix of five columns or more breaks out to the full width of the page, and carries a hairline on every row because six columns cannot be tracked on air alone. Everything narrower stays inside its column, no wider than it needs to be, ruled at head and foot only. The third kind is not a table at all but the keyed entry — a term, a dash, and its rule, hanging from the left edge, with the term in verdigris because this is where it is defined. Blessings, statuses, equipment notes and both glossaries are set that way.

Finding a rule

Chapters run on inside their book rather than each taking a fresh leaf, and a book is announced by a band across the measure rather than by a leaf of its own: a 140-word chapter does not deserve a page, and neither does a two-word title. What carries you instead is furniture. A book opens under a heavy rule across the measure; a chapter opens with its number beside its title; the running head names the chapter on a recto and the book on a verso; the folio sits in the outer corner. The contents on the page before lists all 25 chapters and all 8 figures with their pages, and every chapter is a bookmark in this PDF.

Worked examples and notes

Two asides, both set as plain indented text rather than in panels. An Example is arithmetic: a case played out with real numbers. An Editorial note is about the text rather than about play — provenance, reconciliation, what is still to verify. Neither is a rule, and neither interrupts one.

The figures

Eight rules are drawn as well as written, each across the full measure of the page in the chapter that states it. A figure never carries a rule the text does not: it shows the shape the words describe in sequence. Nothing in a figure is told apart by colour alone — severity is the weight of a line, kind is a shape, and a broken line is a thing that may or may not happen — so the figures hold in a monochrome print.

Where to start

Read Core Concepts, then the Book of Ordeals in order: it is the battle engine, and every later rule is written on top of it. The Book of Beginnings builds an Oathband and can be done with the book open beside you. The Book of Trials holds the three scenarios — play The Crossing first. The Book of Lore is a reference, not a chapter: the two glossaries at the back define every term the rules lean on, and are the place to settle an argument mid-game.

Introduction

Pilgrimage is a fantasy skirmish game. A small Oathband of believers walks a dark road, and the road makes them pay for every mile of it.

You do not play a hero. You play an Oathband, a band of Pilgrims who are collectively the protagonist of this story. Whilst none among them are irreplaceable, all of them matter.

This book is the battle engine: everything needed to found an Oathband, fight Trials against another player on a single evening’s table, and begin building an Oathband’s story through Vows, Renown, and Legacy.

Each Trial is a scenario with its own shape, stakes, and terrain, and what your Oathband earns in one battle, it carries into the next.

It is also the first stone on a longer road. Pilgrimage is being built toward a full solo campaign: an unknown road procedurally revealed as you walk it, a growing Shadow with its own nature and escalating purpose, camps between battles, and a Finale worth reaching. That campaign will follow in a dedicated release, and every rule you learn here walks into it with you.

Walk the road and redeem what was lost.

What kind of game is this?

Narrative skirmish: Oathbands compete for objectives, not just casualties
Trial-driven: three battles included, each with its own shape and stakes
Fast and dense: a 3’×3’ board, 4–8 figures a side, finished in an hour
Miniature agnostic: use whatever you own
Scalable: core rules are simple; Advanced Combat adds depth when you want it
Drama first: play to find out what happens, not to see who wins

What you need

Pilgrimage Oathband and Roster sheets
Two D12 dice: different colours helps
4–6 miniatures to begin: ideally 28–32mm, any setting; no special range required
Scenery enough to fill a 3’×3’ board; the denser the better
Something to measure inches
This rulebook

Pilgrimage uses D12 dice only. No other dice types are needed at any point in the game.

Terms on this page

Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)

Core Concepts

Figure 1The check — one D12, one threshold

A handful of ideas run through every part of the game. Understanding them before you read the rules will make the rules faster to grasp.

Checks. Many rules ask a character or the Oathband to make a check — a test to see whether something succeeds. Unless stated otherwise: roll D12 and add the relevant modifier; 7 or higher = success. Modifiers can be positive or negative — a single point is meaningful; each +1 shifts the probability of success by roughly 8%. Modifiers stack. There is no upper or lower limit. Where a check uses a different threshold it is written as ‘Make a Might check (9+)’. Otherwise 7+ always succeeds, and ‘Might’ stands in for the modifier to be applied.

Out of Action (OOA). A character whose Endurance is reduced to 0 or less is taken Out of Action. Remove them from the board. They are not necessarily dead — what happens to them is resolved in the Aftermath.

Oathband As Character. Advancement, skills, and persistent identity belong to the Oathband as a whole, not to individual characters. The Oathband improves. Characters within it may be lost. The story continues either way. This is a deliberate design choice — it keeps record-keeping lean and ensures that losing a character is a dramatic moment rather than a mechanical catastrophe.

Pilgrims, Foes, and Characters. Every miniature in the game is a Character. The characters within your Oathband are referred to throughout as Pilgrims; their opponents, when mentioned, are called Foes. Where a rule applies to any figure regardless of side it says character; where it applies only to your own side it says Pilgrim; where it applies to a figure that is decidedly not yours it says non-Pilgrim character (or names the faction, e.g. Shadow character).

Advantage and Disadvantage. Some rules grant Advantage or impose Disadvantage on a roll.

Advantage: roll two D12 and use the higher result.
Disadvantage: roll two D12 and use the lower result.
When a roll would carry both at once, they cancel — roll a single D12 as normal.

Random Directions. When a rule calls for a random direction — where a thrown object lands, which way a fleeing character moves, where an effect scatters — use the D12 as both a direction finder and a distance indicator in a single roll:

Direction: look at which way the face of the die points when it settles. Use the near edge of the die as your arrow.
Distance: the number shown on the face is the distance in inches.

Example: in some Trials you place a Waymark during deployment, D12+6” in a random direction from the board centre. You roll a D12 showing 7, pointing toward the north-east corner. You place the Waymark 6+7” (13”) in that direction from the centre. One roll — direction and distance together, no scatter die needed.

Terms on this page

Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aftermath: The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Out of Action: Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Waymark: A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9" apart); a character within 1" may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

IBook of Beginnings

1Naming the Oathband

Begin by giving your Oathband a name. For each of the two naming tables below, pick a column and a row, or roll a D12 for each to produce a suggestion. Combining terms from Tables 1 and 2 gives names like: Ashen Host, Hanged Men, Grey Sojourners, Doomed Few, Barrow Kindred, Raven Watch, Mistborn, Flint-sworn, Frost-bound, Cold-shod. Decide how they fit together, or keep rolling until you find a combination you like.

Naming Table 1

2D12	1–2	3–4	5–6	7–8	9–10	11–12
1	Ashen	Black	Branded	Mist	Barrow	Dusk
2	Iron	Bleak	Exiled	Frost	Fen	Gloaming
3	Golden	Hanged	Hunted	Storm	Moor	Last
4	Leaden	Forsworn	Lost	Hail	Heath	Shadow
5	Silvered	Forsaken	Broken	Cinder	Marsh	Raven
6	Hoary	Wayworn	Penitent	Ember	Thorn	Wolf
7	Grey	Singing	Vowed	Ash	Briar	Crow
8	Pale	Nameless	Wretched	Smoke	Bracken	Adder
9	Wan	Mourning	Weary	Rime	Bone	Grim
10	Sallow	Doomed	Grieving	Sleet	Hollow	Stern
11	Dun	Marked	Restless	Winter	Crag	Silent
12	Sable	Cursed	Banished	Cold	Hearth	Steadfast

Naming Table 2

2D12	1–2	3–4	5–6	7–8	9–10	11–12
1	Company	Muster	Walkers	Hoods	Risen	Pledged
2	Band	Following	Wayfarers	Born	Fallen	Errant
3	Host	Remnant	Strangers	Sworn	Bereft	Devout
4	Fellowship	Score	Souls	Bound	Shod	Pack
5	Kindred	Men	Hearts	Touched	Avowed	March
6	Kith	Sons	Hands	Bearers	Faithful	Wake
7	Folk	Daughters	Shields	Seekers	Beggars	Procession
8	Few	Children	Spears	Keepers	Outcasts	Column
9	Watch	Kin	Swords	Wardens	Exiles	Flock
10	Ward	Wanderers	Blades	Bringers	Damned	Sworn
11	Order	Pilgrims	Banners	Mourners	Strayed	Watchers
12	Throng	Travellers	Cloaks	Bidden	Forlorn	Sojourners

Make a note of the Oathband name on the Oathband sheet before you create your characters.

Terms on this page

Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

2Recruitment

An Oathband is the group of characters a player commands. These characters may be fewer and better equipped, or more numerous and lightly armed — that is one of the core creative decisions of the game, expressed through how you spend 600 Supplies.

Supplies are spent first on Characters, then on Abilities and Equipment for those Characters.

Characters

To recruit a character costs 50 Supplies. Below are the attributes of a basic character and what each one does.

Attribute	Base Value	Role
Might (M)	0	Bonus to Assault + Fire defence
Aim (A)	0	Bonus to Fire
Valour (V)	0	Bonus to Panic
Ward (W)	0	Damage Reduction
Pace (P)	0	+1” per point on the first Move Deed of an Act
Endurance (E)	6	Damage taken till OOA

Might, Aim, and Valour may each be improved to a maximum of +3, at a cost of 5 Supplies per point, for any character. Once you’ve created a character you’ll be ready to equip them.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Equipment: The weapons, armour, and items a Character carries, bought with Supplies; each Character has 1 Armour, 2 Weapon, and 3 Item slots (Worn items take no slot). Each piece carries Lore terms that govern its use. (→ Equipment; Recruitment)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Move Deed: Moves 3" + Pace on the first of an Act, 3" on later ones (floor 0"); costs +1 Deed through Difficult Ground. (→ Deeds)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Supplies: The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

3Equipment

Each character can carry a certain amount of equipment depending on its type. The limits for a character are:

1 Armour slot
2 Weapon slots
3 Item slots

Equipment comes with Lore terms which explain how they work. Refer to the Book of Lore for a full explanation of each term listed.

Melee Weapons

Weapons are used by Pilgrims to drive back their foes whilst on the road. They are perhaps the most important equipment they can carry.

Melee weapons are those that can be used with the Assault Deed to try and take a rival character OOA. A character can Assault without a weapon, but does so with a penalty of −2 to both Might and Damage.

Weapon	Lore	Supplies
Hand Weapon		10
Knife	Worn, −1 Damage	10
Mace	+3 Knock Down, −1 Damage	10
Staff	+1 Assault Ward, −1 Damage	10
Pole	1” Reach	25
Heavy Hand	+2 Damage, Two Handed	20
Heavy Mace	+1 Damage, +3 Knock Down, Two Handed	20
Heavy Pole	+2 Damage, 1” Reach, Two Handed	35

Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons are used with the Fire Deed to try and take a rival character OOA. A character cannot make a ranged attack unless they have a ranged weapon.

Weapon	Lore	Supplies
Thrown	6” Range, Quick	5
Hunting Bow	24” Range, Aimed, Two Handed	15
Short Bow	18” Range, Quick, −1 Damage	20
War Bow	24” Range, +1 Damage, Aimed, Two Handed	20
Greatbow	30” Range, +2 Damage, +1 Aim (A), Aimed, Two Handed	40

A Thrown weapon is worth carrying on any Pilgrim who fights in melee: for 5 Supplies it gives them something to do against a Foe just out of reach.

Armour

Armour exists to defend the Pilgrim and reduce incoming damage. It does this by increasing the Pilgrim’s Ward Attribute, reducing any damage taken by an equal amount.

Armour	Impact	Supplies
Light	+1 Ward (W)	20
Medium	+2 Ward (W)	40
Heavy	+3 Ward (W), −1 Pace (P)	50

Items

Pilgrims often carry other vital equipment as they make their journeys. These can grant special abilities or capabilities to the character when used. Items may require a Deed to use and provide either situational or ongoing benefits.

Item	Lore	Supplies
Bandage	+2 Restore, 1 Consumable	5
Helmet	+1 Endurance (E)	10
Horn	Call to Valour, 2 Activate, Reveal	10
Rope	Deploy, Descend, 1 Consumable	10
Shield	+1 Ward (W), Off-Hand	10
Torch	3” Light, 1 Activate, Off-Hand, Throw	10
Oath token	+1 Valour (V)	10
Cloak	−3” Sight	15
Banner	Off-Hand, Take Courage	25

The Hoard

If the Oathband has more items than they can carry, these can be stored in the Hoard. The Hoard has a size double the count of the Oathband’s Characters. If the count of items exceeds this, they must be discarded.

Terms on this page

Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Equipment: The weapons, armour, and items a Character carries, bought with Supplies; each Character has 1 Armour, 2 Weapon, and 3 Item slots (Worn items take no slot). Each piece carries Lore terms that govern its use. (→ Equipment; Recruitment)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Reach: A weapon trait allowing Assault from beyond 1" without becoming Engaged; full rule in Lore Definitions. (→ Lore Definitions)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Supplies: The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

4Starting Character Lore

Pilgrims can also have specific pieces of Lore associated with them, reflecting their unique abilities and talents.

Adding a Lore to a character costs 20 Supplies. The total number of Lore terms on a single character at this stage cannot exceed 3.

The Lore available at creation is grouped below by category. Full definitions are held in the Book of Lore — the canonical home for every term — and this page is the “what you can pick at creation” filter that links to them.

Combat: Blade Master, Born Leader, Fated, Fell-Handed, Fling, Hammerhand, Stonewill, Parry, Precision, Quick Draw, Reckless, Sharpshooter, Warrior, Tough, Stalker

Mobility: Dash, Flight, Ghost, Swift

Defensive: Bulwark, Guardian, Longsuffering, Steadfast

Utility: Healer, Starsight, Spotter, Scrambler, Skirmisher

Terms on this page

Blade Master: Denies a foe's Group Assault bonus.
Born Leader: When this Character is the Leader, allies within 6" may use their Valour for any check that calls upon it.
Bulwark: All Fire Deeds directed against allies within 1" are automatically directed against this character instead.
Dash: Once per Trial, a Move Deed may be taken freely.
Fated: Once per Trial, reroll one die. Must accept the second result.
Fell-Handed: +1 Might on Assault Deeds when the only allied Character Engaged with the target.
Flight: May move out of an Assault freely and is never considered Engaged.
Fling: When winning an Assault, may push the opponent up to 4" rather than 2".
Ghost: May deploy, before the start of a Trial, anywhere on the board, provided not within 12" of an enemy.
Guardian: Once per Trial, when an allied character within 6" has an opponent move into Assault range, this character may immediately spend up to three Deeds to intercept them, and begin an Assault if it has a Deed available once Engaged. Cannot use if Tired.
Hammerhand: Always counts as carrying a Hand Weapon, even when unarmed.
Healer: Once per Trial, spend a Use Deed to restore 3 Endurance or remove one Status from an allied Character within 1".
Longsuffering: Once per Trial, when this character takes damage that would cause the Knocked Down status, ignore it.
Parry: Once per Trial, deny all damage from one Assault or Fire Deed. Declare before dice are rolled.
Precision: +1 damage against rivals without the Tired status.
Quick Draw: Once per Trial, a Fire Deed does not end the Act.
Reckless: +1 Might and −1 Ward in Assault.
Scrambler: Climb Deed costs 1 and has no limit per Act.
Sharpshooter: Ignore Cover penalties on Fire Deeds.
Skirmisher: Ignores penalties from Difficult Ground.
Spotter: Allied Characters within 3" may use this Character's Sight for Fire Deeds.
Stalker: May target Hidden characters with Fire Deeds as normal.
Starsight: Extend the character's Sight by +3" on top of the Trial's default.
Steadfast: This character cannot be pushed or moved involuntarily by any means.
Stonewill: When this Character fails their first Panic check of the Trial, ignore it.
Supplies: The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)
Swift: Improve Pace by +1.
Tough: +1 Ward on top of equipped Armour Ward bonus.
Warrior: No Pace penalty for wearing Armour.

5Sing of Their Deeds

Once you’ve recruited your Pilgrims, recall how their Oathband came to be. This will be a piece of Lore associated with every founding character in your Oathband, and does not count towards their initial limit of 3. Future Oathband characters will not share this Origin — it is unique to your starting roster.

Look up each definition in the Book of Lore at the rear of this book.

After finishing this step you have created an Oathband and are ready to begin playing.

D12	Origin Lore
1	Songsworn
2	Wanderers
3	Survivors
4	Wild Children
5	Branded
6	Dispossession
7	Blooded
8	Hearthguard
9	Far-Ranging
10	Unseen
11	Outriders
12	Faithful

Terms on this page

Blooded: Every member gains +1 Might on Assault Deeds when Wounded or Knocked Down.
Branded: Every member may reroll a single die when making a Panic check. Must accept the second result.
Dispossession: Every member begins each Battle with +1 to their starting Deed total, on their first Act only.
Faithful: Choose 4 Blessings before each Battle instead of 3.
Far-Ranging: All members ignore the Moving Target penalty on Fire Deeds. When firing at a target beyond 12", gain +1 Aim.
Hearthguard: Once a Turn, if an allied character takes damage, you may transfer up to 2 points of that damage to an allied character within 3" that has this Lore term.
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Origin: An Oathband's unique founding trait, from Sing of Their Deeds; the specific traits are listed as (Origin) entries in Lore Definitions. (→ Sing of Their Deeds; Lore Definitions)
Outriders: Add +1 to the Oathband's Initiative roll each Turn. All members gain +1 Pace on their first Move Deed each Turn.
Songsworn: The Oathband may swear one additional Vow before each Battle. Vow slot limit increased by 1 permanently.
Survivors: Once per Battle, when a member would be taken OOA by a single hit, roll D12. On 8+ they survive with 1 Endurance remaining, and are immediately Knocked Down.
Unseen: When determining whether a character is Shrouded, reduce the Sight of their attacker by 3". Any member deploying in Cover may begin Hidden.
Wanderers: Every member treats Difficult Ground as normal ground for Move Deeds, including boggy ground and rubble.
Wild Children: Every member gains +1 Valour when in Difficult Ground.

6The First Road Oathband

Four who set out together: one to break, one to hunt, one to stand, one to walk the long way round.

The premade Oathband: the default for demos, for First Night, and for anyone who wants to play before building their own. It is built with the ordinary Recruitment rules, so it can be edited, and it can be carried on into a campaign like any other Oathband.

Pilgrim	M	A	V	W	E	Lore	Equipment
The Breaker	+3	0	+1	1	6	Fell-Handed	Heavy Hand, Light Armour
The Hunter	0	+3	0	0	6	Sharpshooter	Hunting Bow, Knife, Cloak
The Stalwart	+1	0	+2	3	6	Guardian	Staff, Medium Armour, Shield
The Wayfarer	+1	+1	+2	1	6	Fated	Pole, Light Armour, Oath Token

Ward includes armour and Shield; the Stalwart’s Staff adds a further +1 Ward against Assaults. The Wayfarer’s Valour includes the Oath Token. Leader: the Stalwart.

Lore and equipment are defined in Lore Definitions and Equipment; this page does not restate them.

Promoted 24 Sep 2026 from the roster used at the 22–23 Sep playtests, recorded in the Playtest Log (“Week 1 — The Crossing in winter fog”). Cost: 540 Supplies at canonical prices, or 575 under the escalating attribute pricing being tested in FB-26 — either way within 600, with Supplies left for a player’s own choice. The weapon Rate values used in those playtests are experimental (FB-25) and are not part of this page.

Terms on this page

Crossing: A Trial archetype: reach a point or get through. (→ The Crossing)
Equipment: The weapons, armour, and items a Character carries, bought with Supplies; each Character has 1 Armour, 2 Weapon, and 3 Item slots (Worn items take no slot). Each piece carries Lore terms that govern its use. (→ Equipment; Recruitment)
Leader: The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3" may use the Leader's Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Supplies: The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

IIBook of Ordeals

7Deployment & Turn Structure

Figure 2Sequence of play — one Turn, and how it closes

Deployment

When setting up a board, each side looks to the Trial itself to determine how they deploy their figures. Unless specified, Characters on each side deploy off the board and begin their first Turn by selecting a board edge in their deployment zone and beginning their Act from there.

Placing the Shadow. When a Trial names a point or an edge for the Shadow, deploy it by profile. Foes that share a profile stand together, each within 2” of another in its group. Place the first group at the point, or on the edge. Place each further group D12÷2” (rounded up) from the last, in the direction the die’s face points; on an edge, measure along the edge. If that spot is off the board or within 6” of a Pilgrim, place the group as near to it as it can stand. Vigils place each Foe on its own instead.

Oathband Leadership

The Leader for each Trial is whoever in the Oathband has the highest Valour. All allies within 3” of the Leader may use their Valour for any check that calls upon it.

Turn Structure

Initiative. Unless a Trial specifies otherwise, determine who goes first each Turn by rolling a D12 and adding the highest Valour of a Character on your side as a modifier. Reroll any ties.

Activation. Beginning with the side that won Initiative, the two sides alternate, each activating one Character at a time. A Character completes their entire Act before the other side activates. If one side has more Characters than the other, their remaining Characters take their Acts one after another at the end of the Turn, once every Character on the smaller side is Tired. A side may never pass while it has Characters who are not Tired.

Acts. When a Character is activated in Pilgrimage, they take an Act. An Act consists of up to 3 Deeds performed in any order and combination, subject to each Deed’s constraints. At the end of an Act, the Character is marked Tired and may not Act again until all Characters on both sides are Tired, at which point a new Turn begins and Tired markers are removed.

Digging Deep. While the Oathband is outnumbered, the Shadow’s remaining Characters take their Acts one after another once every Pilgrim is Tired. After each of those Acts, one Tired Pilgrim may dig deep: make a Valour check (D12 + Valour, 7+). On a pass, they take one Deed at once. On a fail, nothing happens but the chance is spent. Each Pilgrim may dig deep once per Turn, and only one may try after each Shadow Act. The Shadow never digs deep.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Initiative: Rolled each Turn: D12 + the highest Valour on your side; the winner activates first. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Leader: The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3" may use the Leader's Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Tired: Marks a character that has completed its Act this Turn; it cannot Act again until every character is Tired and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Effects)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)

8Deeds

Figure 3The shape of an Act — three Deeds, any order

A character can perform any of the following Deeds when they Act. Some Deeds cost more than 1 Deed to accomplish, and some are limited in how many times they can be done in the current Act.

Deed	Cost	Limit	Use and conditions
Aid	1	–	A Knocked Down ally within 1” Stands at once, out of turn and even if Tired, at no Deed cost to them. Not while Engaged.
Aim	2	–	Use before a Fire Deed this Act. Gain Advantage on a Fire Deed.
Assault	1	1	Melee with an Engaged Foe, or a Foe within Reach. A Character that Assaults this Act may not Fire. May be repeated if Engaged at the start of the Deed.
Climb	2	1	Move 3” vertically.
Fire	1	1	Ranged weapon required; no pre-measuring. A Character that Fires this Act may not Assault.
Guard	1	1	Ends Act. +1 Ward until this Character’s next Act.
Hide	1	1	Requires being behind cover and out of Line of Sight from a Foe. Applies Hidden status.
Move	1	–	First Deed: 3” + Pace. Further Deeds same Act: 3”. Floor 0”. Hurdle obstacles; cross gaps. 3” drop safe.
Stand	1	–	Stand up from Knocked Down. Required before any other Deed while Knocked Down; permitted while Engaged.
Use	1	–	Use a carried item or interact with a world object.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aid: A Deed (cost 1) that lets a Knocked Down ally within 1" Stand at once, out of turn and even if Tired, at no cost to them; not while Engaged. It never appears in the Shadow's action flow. (→ Deeds)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Climb: A Deed (cost 2) that moves a character 3" vertically. (→ Deeds)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Engaged: Within 1" of a Foe. An Engaged Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2", or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. An Engaged Character may repeat the Assault Deed within an Act. (→ Close Combat)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Guard: A Deed that ends the Act and grants +1 Ward until the character's next Act. (→ Deeds)
Hidden: Gained by the Hide Deed (behind cover, out of the Foe's line of sight); cannot be targeted by Fire from behind that cover, and grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on the Deed that reveals them, which then ends Hidden. Also ends on receiving an Assault or Fire. (→ Effects)
Knocked Down: From taking 4 or more Harm from one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Reach: A weapon trait allowing Assault from beyond 1" without becoming Engaged; full rule in Lore Definitions. (→ Lore Definitions)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Tired: Marks a character that has completed its Act this Turn; it cannot Act again until every character is Tired and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Effects)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

9Effects

Characters can be impacted by the following contextual or persistent effects throughout a Trial.

Status	Cause	Effect
Out of Action	Endurance reduced to 0 or less.	Remove from board.
Wounded	Take 4 cumulative Harm this Trial, and again at each further 4.	−1 Pace (P), −1 Might (M), −1 Aim (A) until next Trial.
Knocked Down	Take 4 or more Harm from one attack.	Must spend a Stand Deed before any other action. −1 Might while Knocked Down. An ally within 1” may help them up (see Aid, under Deeds).
Tired	Complete an Act.	Cannot Act. Removed at end of Turn.
Infirm	Applied outside a Trial.	−2 Endurance until next Trial.
Hidden	Hide Deed.	Cannot be targeted by Fire while behind cover from the Shooter’s perspective. If the Character began the Turn Hidden, they gain +1 Might and +1 Aim on the Deed that reveals them; Hidden then ends. Hidden also ends on receiving an Assault or Fire Deed. Hidden status must be confirmed at the start of the Act, before the Character uses any Deeds.
Shaken	Fail a Panic check.	−1 Might and −1 Aim until a Panic check is passed (see Panic).
Panicked	Fail two subsequent Panic checks.	Spend Deeds fleeing toward the nearest board edge; if Engaged, must Assault (see Panic).
Shrouded	Outside a Foe’s Sight.	Foes attacking this Character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim.

Marking conditions. Several conditions outlast the Act that caused them. Mark each with a token beside the figure — a coin, a bead, a ring on the base, anything you can read from across the table: Tired, Shaken or Panicked, Knocked Down (or lay the figure down), Wounded (one token each time), Hidden, and the +1 Ward of Guard. Mark anyone carrying a light source the same way, so you can see who is lit. A condition you cannot see is a condition you will forget.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Aid: A Deed (cost 1) that lets a Knocked Down ally within 1" Stand at once, out of turn and even if Tired, at no cost to them; not while Engaged. It never appears in the Shadow's action flow. (→ Deeds)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Engaged: Within 1" of a Foe. An Engaged Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2", or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. An Engaged Character may repeat the Assault Deed within an Act. (→ Close Combat)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Guard: A Deed that ends the Act and grants +1 Ward until the character's next Act. (→ Deeds)
Harm: Damage remaining after Ward is subtracted; this is what comes off Endurance. A blow fully absorbed by Ward deals no Harm. (→ Close Combat)
Hidden: Gained by the Hide Deed (behind cover, out of the Foe's line of sight); cannot be targeted by Fire from behind that cover, and grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on the Deed that reveals them, which then ends Hidden. Also ends on receiving an Assault or Fire. (→ Effects)
Infirm: Applied outside a Trial: −2 Endurance until the next Trial. (→ Effects)
Knocked Down: From taking 4 or more Harm from one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Out of Action: Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Panic check: Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)
Panicked: From failing a second Panic check: spends Deeds fleeing to the nearest board edge (leaving the board counts as OOA). (→ Panic; Effects)
Shaken: From failing a Panic check: −1 Might and −1 Aim until a Panic check is passed; checks at the start of each Act. (→ Panic; Effects)
Shrouded: Beyond a Foe's Sight; attacks against a Shrouded character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim. (→ Effects; Sight, Shroud & Light)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Tired: Marks a character that has completed its Act this Turn; it cannot Act again until every character is Tired and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Effects)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)
Wounded: After taking 4 cumulative Harm this Trial, and again at each further 4: −1 Pace, −1 Might, −1 Aim until the next Trial. (→ Effects)

10The Ground Itself

Figure 4Reading the ground — a section through a field

The road is not flat, and it is not kind. Terrain in Pilgrimage falls into three concerns: ground that slows you, cover that hides you, and heights that break you.

Difficult Ground

Difficult Ground is any terrain a Character cannot stride through freely: bog, rubble, dense briar, loose scree, standing water. Agree with your opponent which terrain pieces count before the Trial begins.

A Move Deed that starts in, ends in, or crosses Difficult Ground costs 1 additional Deed. The Character moves their normal distance; the ground simply takes more out of them.

Example: a Pilgrim with Pace +1 spends 2 Deeds on their first Move of the Act to cross a bog, moving 4” as normal. Their Act has 1 Deed remaining.

Cover

A Character is in Cover from a shooter when they are within 1” of terrain that obscures part of their body from the shooter’s position, or when the shot must pass through such terrain to reach them.

Fire Deeds against a Character in Cover suffer −2 Aim.

Cover is judged from where the shooter stands. A wall is no shelter from an arrow loosed behind it.

Falling

A drop of 3” or less is safe. A Character who falls more than 3”, by misadventure or unwilling movement, takes direct damage equal to the distance fallen in inches minus 3, ignoring Ward. A Character who takes any damage from a fall is Knocked Down where they land.

A Character may drop deliberately from any height as part of a Move Deed, counting the distance fallen as distance moved.

Example: a Pilgrim is pushed from a ledge 7” up. They take 4 direct damage and are Knocked Down at the base.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Cover: Terrain that obscures a target from the shooter; Fire against a character in Cover suffers −2 Aim, judged from the shooter's position. (→ The Ground Itself)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Difficult Ground: Terrain that cannot be strided freely (bog, rubble, briar, scree, standing water); a Move Deed starting in, ending in, or crossing it costs +1 Deed (distance is normal). (→ The Ground Itself)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Knocked Down: From taking 4 or more Harm from one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)
Move Deed: Moves 3" + Pace on the first of an Act, 3" on later ones (floor 0"); costs +1 Deed through Difficult Ground. (→ Deeds)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

11Panic

Figure 5The ladder — fail down a rung, pass back up one

An Oathband’s nerve is not infinite. When the losses mount, each Pilgrim must decide whether the road is still worth walking.

When checks are required

When a side has lost half or more of its starting number (rounded up) to Out of Action, every remaining Character on that side must make a Panic check at the start of their next Act. Each further ally taken Out of Action after this obliges every remaining Character to check again at the start of their next Act.

Example: an Oathband of 5 must begin checking when its 3rd Pilgrim falls (half of 5, rounded up). When a 4th falls, everyone still standing checks again.

The check

Roll a D12, add the Character’s Valour, and subtract the number of allies taken Out of Action this Trial. A result of 7 or higher passes. Allies within 3” of the Leader may use the Leader’s Valour, as normal.

Keeping count. Set a D12 beside each side as its loss die, and turn it up by one each time one of that side’s Characters is taken Out of Action. Its face is the number the check subtracts, and it shows when the side has lost half its starting number. It matters most for the Shadow, whose losses mount as Foes keep arriving.

Failing — the ladder

A Character who fails becomes Shaken: −1 Might and −1 Aim.
A Shaken Character makes a Panic check at the start of each of their Acts. Pass: they recover. Fail: they become Panicked.
A Panicked Character must spend their Deeds escaping toward the nearest board edge without endangering themselves. They will not move into combat. If Engaged, they must Assault, spending Deeds as normal: win, and they push their Foe away 2” and continue their flight; lose, and they remain Engaged and may Assault again as normal. A Character who leaves the board this way takes no further part in the Trial and counts as Out of Action for all purposes — the Trial’s objectives, further Panic checks, and the Aftermath.
A Panicked Character makes a Panic check at the start of each of their Acts. Pass: they steady to Shaken.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Aftermath: The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Engaged: Within 1" of a Foe. An Engaged Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2", or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. An Engaged Character may repeat the Assault Deed within an Act. (→ Close Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Leader: The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3" may use the Leader's Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Out of Action: Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
Panic check: Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)
Panicked: From failing a second Panic check: spends Deeds fleeing to the nearest board edge (leaving the board counts as OOA). (→ Panic; Effects)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Shaken: From failing a Panic check: −1 Might and −1 Aim until a Panic check is passed; checks at the start of each Act. (→ Panic; Effects)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)

12Close Combat

Figure 6Resolving an attack — Assault and Fire alike

Assault

A Character within 1” of a Foe is Engaged. While Engaged, a Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2”, or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. Each Assault Deed is a single exchange:

Both Characters roll D12 and add their respective Might.
The winner deals damage equal to the difference between the rolls; apply Damage modifiers. Ties deal no damage.
The loser reduces that damage by their Ward; the remainder is the Harm they take, subtracted from their Endurance.
If both Characters are still active after the exchange, the winner may push themselves or their opponent 2” away to end the Assault; otherwise both remain Engaged.
A Character who is Engaged at the start of an Assault Deed may take the Assault Deed again; a Character not Engaged when the Deed begins may Assault only once that Act.

Charge

If a Character moves into Engagement — or into Reach — and Assaults in the same Act, they gain +1 Might. A Character already Engaged at the start of their Act gains nothing.

Group Assault

The acting Character gains +1 Might for each allied Character Engaged with the same Foe and not Engaged with any other.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Engaged: Within 1" of a Foe. An Engaged Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2", or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. An Engaged Character may repeat the Assault Deed within an Act. (→ Close Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Harm: Damage remaining after Ward is subtracted; this is what comes off Endurance. A blow fully absorbed by Ward deals no Harm. (→ Close Combat)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Out of Action: Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
Reach: A weapon trait allowing Assault from beyond 1" without becoming Engaged; full rule in Lore Definitions. (→ Lore Definitions)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

13Ranged Combat

Figure 7The shot — range first, then its modifiers

Fire

Any Character with a ranged weapon who is in range may make a Fire attack. This follows a similar process to an Assault:

Both Characters roll D12; the attacker adds their Aim and the defender adds their Might.
If the attacker wins, they deal damage equal to the difference between the rolls. Ties deal no damage.
If the defender wins, no damage is dealt.

Close Fire

When using the Fire Deed at a target within 6”, gain Advantage on any dice rolled.

Moving Target

When a figure uses the Fire Deed, the attacker suffers −1 Aim if they have moved this Turn, and −1 Aim if their target has moved this Turn — at most −2. There is nothing to count: each figure has either moved or it has not.

High Ground

When a Character attacks or defends in an Assault or Fire Deed from a position more than 2” above their Foe, they gain +1 Might and +1 Aim on those Deeds.

Crowded Target

When a Character uses a Fire Deed on a Foe 1” or less from any other Character, randomly determine which target is hit by the Fire Deed.

Terms on this page

Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)

14Waymarks

Waymarks are sites on the road that can help the Oathband on the way. They appear across Trials and provide an Oathband with additional Supplies or help fulfil Vows.

At the start of each Trial, unless told otherwise, place D12÷2+1 Waymarks (rounded up, minimum 2, maximum 7). For each Waymark, roll D12+6” for distance and direction from the board centre using the Random Directions rules described at the start of this book. Place each Waymark token at that position. Each Waymark must be at least 9” from any other Waymark; if a placement would violate this, position it as close to the intended spot as possible.

When a Character gets within 1”, spend a Deed to interact with a Waymark and roll on the table below to find out what’s uncovered. This cannot be done while a Foe is within 1”.

D12	Result	Effect
1–2	Ill Ground	Pass a Panic check. Something fell marks the ground.
3–4	Gone Before You	Remove this Waymark and the next nearest one from the board. Whatever was there has already been taken.
5–6	The Land Takes	Lose a piece of Equipment — it sinks, it falls, it is gone.
7–8	Old Camp	A campsite, long cold. Someone was here before. Pass an unmodified check; if passed, gain D12 × 5 Supplies. If failed, everything worth taking has long passed.
9–10	Weary One	A survivor, injured but alive, sheltering at the Waymark. Place them at the Waymark as a Basic Character with the Infirm Effect. If they survive the Trial, they may be recruited into the Oathband for free.
11–12	Oathsong	A fragment of Oathsong can be read on the Waymark. Mark one progress on a Vow of your choosing.

Terms on this page

Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Equipment: The weapons, armour, and items a Character carries, bought with Supplies; each Character has 1 Armour, 2 Weapon, and 3 Item slots (Worn items take no slot). Each piece carries Lore terms that govern its use. (→ Equipment; Recruitment)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Infirm: Applied outside a Trial: −2 Endurance until the next Trial. (→ Effects)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Panic check: Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)
Supplies: The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Vow: A sworn objective with a completion count (shown in brackets) that grants a reward when fulfilled; up to 3 sworn per Trial, progress persists across Trials, and rewards are distributed once 5 unique Vows are complete. (→ Songs & Vows)
Waymark: A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9" apart); a character within 1" may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

15Sight, Shroud & Light

Figure 8Baseline Sight — the five light levels, to scale

Sight is the distance at which Characters can clearly see during a Trial, determined by the environmental tables below. A Character beyond another’s Sight range is Shrouded. Attacks on a Shrouded Character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim.

Light sources remove the Shrouded status within their radius; Characters within a light source cannot themselves be Shrouded and are visible to all. This is denoted by the Lore term ‘X” Light’, which means “Figures within X” of this light source may not be Shrouded.”

Before each Battle, fix the Season and roll on the three tables that follow it, in sequence, to determine the baseline Sight for the Trial. Roll them before the Oathband prepares — before Blessings are chosen and Vows are sworn — so the weather is known when those choices are made.

Season (1/4)

In a campaign, do not roll the Season: use the campaign’s current season, which turns every three Moons (see Mark the Season). Roll below only for a Battle played outside a campaign.

D12	Season
1–3	Spring
4–6	Summer
7–9	Autumn
10–12	Winter

Time Table (2/4) — Baseline Sight

Roll D12 and read down your season’s column.

Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Result	Baseline Sight
1	1	1–2	1–3	Black Night	0”
2–3	2	3–5	4–7	Gloom	6”
4–6	3–4	6–8	8–10	Grey Light	12”
7–10	5–8	9–11	11–12	Daylight	18”
11–12	9–12	12	–	Full Sun	24”

Shifting Light Table (3/4)

Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Result	Sight Modifier
1	–	1–2	1–2	Gloaming	−6”
2–3	1	3–4	3–5	Cloudshade	−3”
4–5	2	5–7	6–8	Darkening	−3”/Turn
6	3–4	8–9	9–10	Muted	No change
7–9	5–8	10	–	Brightening	+3”/Turn
10–11	9–10	11	11	Favourful	+3” Sight
12	11–12	12	12	Clear Sky	+6” Sight

Turning Weather Table (4/4)

Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Weather
–	–	1	1–2	Stormfront
1–2	–	–	3–4	Hail
3–4	1–2	2–3	5–6	Downpour
–	–	–	7–8	Frostbound
5	–	4–5	–	Deep Mist
6	–	6–7	9	Grey Drizzle
7–8	3	8	–	Low Thunder
9	–	9	10	Rising Gale
–	4–6	–	–	Close Heat
–	7–8	10	–	Clear and High
10–11	9–10	11	11	Windblown
12	11–12	12	12	Fresh Wind

Turning Weather Entries

Stormfront — Roll on this table twice and apply both results. “You have been forced to fight after the heavens have opened.”

Hail — Characters experience −1 Aim (A). Characters who use three Move Deeds in the same Act suffer 1 damage; Ward applies as normal. “White stones fall from the cloud’s teeth and drum upon helm and shield.”

Downpour — Characters experience −1 Aim (A) and −1 Pace (P). “The heavens break open, and all things run slick.”

Frostbound — Characters experience −1 Pace (P). Characters taking a fall suffer +1 damage. “A silver crust glitters where the cold has crept.”

Deep Mist — Characters experience −3” Sight. Characters within 3” of water experience −1 Aim (A). “Mist coils along the earth, smothering sound and shape.”

Grey Drizzle — Climb Deeds cost +1 this Battle. “A mild wet falls, dimming steel and softening footfall.”

Low Thunder — Characters experience −1 Valour (V). “A warning roll shakes the air, though the storm holds its wrath.”

Rising Gale — Characters experience −1 Aim (A) unless shooting within 6”. “Wind gathers its strength and sweeps the field.”

Close Heat — Characters in Medium and Heavy Armour, or carrying Two Handed Weapons, lose −1 Pace (P). “The breath of the day turns thick; armour weighs like grief.”

Clear and High — Characters ignore Difficult Ground this Battle. “The storm holds its breath, and the world stands bright beneath an open sky.”

Windblown — Ranged weapons lose Close Fire advantage. Staff and Pole weapons give +1 Ward this Battle. “A lean, sharp wind cuts across the field.”

Fresh Wind — High Ground benefits are doubled this Battle. “A brisk wind sweeps the doubt from the air.”

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Battle: One tabletop engagement, from deployment to the end of the final Turn. The environmental tables are rolled once per Battle, and Lore that triggers "once per Battle" or "each Battle" is scoped to it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Sight, Shroud & Light)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Climb: A Deed (cost 2) that moves a character 3" vertically. (→ Deeds)
Close Fire: A Fire Deed at a target within 6" gains Advantage. (→ Ranged Combat)
Difficult Ground: Terrain that cannot be strided freely (bog, rubble, briar, scree, standing water); a Move Deed starting in, ending in, or crossing it costs +1 Deed (distance is normal). (→ The Ground Itself)
High Ground: Attacking or defending from more than 2" above a Foe grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on that Deed. (→ Ranged Combat)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Shrouded: Beyond a Foe's Sight; attacks against a Shrouded character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim. (→ Effects; Sight, Shroud & Light)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

16Songs & Vows

The progression of an Oathband in Pilgrimage is directly tied to how they fulfil the Vows they swear on the journey. Vows are organised into thematic categories called Songs, and each Vow presents an objective which must be completed and, once completed, promises a reward.

These rewards are made available once 5 Unique Vows are completed, and can be distributed across the Oathband as seen fit in the Trial Aftermath. During each Trial, up to 3 Vows may be sworn — these are the Vows you will attempt to fulfil during that Trial.

Progress on Vows persists: if you do not complete them in one Trial, you can carry the progress into future ones. You can also stack Vows with the same completion criteria during a Trial (e.g. taking a Foe Out of Action).

A Blessing that ignores a failed roll does not count as passing it: Maelis’s Calm spares you the Panic result, but the check was still failed. A reroll that succeeds, such as Wyrsel’s Turn, does count, because the check is then passed.

The number of times a Vow needs to be completed to be considered fulfilled is shown by a number in brackets — e.g. ‘(5)’ means the Vow must be completed 5 times. Some Vows cannot be fulfilled in one go, but over successive Trials.

Song of Might

A commitment to strength.

Vow of the Bear (5) — Take 5 Foes OOA using the Assault Deed. Reward: increase the Might of a Pilgrim by +1.

Vow of the Challenger (3) — A single Pilgrim takes 3 Foes OOA. Reward: a Pilgrim gains an additional piece of Starting Character Lore.

Vow of the Oakhearted (2) — Your Leader takes the opposing Leader OOA. Reward: improve the Valour of a Pilgrim by +1.

Vow of the Unbroken (2) — Complete a Major Trial without a Pilgrim going Out of Action. Reward: a Pilgrim gains an additional piece of Starting Character Lore.

Vow of the Brave (5) — Pass a Panic check caused by a Pilgrim going Out of Action. Reward: improve the Valour of a Pilgrim by +1.

Vow of the Stoneside (3) — A single Pilgrim is Wounded but not taken Out of Action. Reward: increase a Pilgrim’s Endurance by +2.

Song of Vigil

A commitment to watchfulness.

Vow of the Hawk (3) — Take 3 Foes OOA using the Fire Deed. Reward: increase the Aim of a Pilgrim by +1.

Vow of the Stillhunt (2) — A Pilgrim takes a Foe Out of Action in an Act that began with them Hidden. Reward: increase the Aim of a Pilgrim by +1.

Vow of the Patient (3) — 3 Pilgrims go without being Knocked Down, Wounded, or taken OOA. Reward: improve the Endurance of a Pilgrim by +1.

Vow of the Steward (2) — A single Pilgrim collects at least 2 Waymarks. Reward: gain an additional roll on the Battlefield Finds table.

Vow of the Swift (5) — A single Pilgrim spends at least 3 Acts using all their Deeds on Move Deeds, moving a minimum of 8” from where the Act began. Reward: increase the Pace of a Pilgrim by +1.

Vow of the Highseat (2) — A single Pilgrim takes 2 or more Foes Out of Action while benefiting from High Ground advantage in a single Trial, twice. Reward: +1 Valour to that Pilgrim.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Aftermath: The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Blessing: A one-use act of divine aid; choose up to 3 before a Trial, each spent after use. The eight: Lanhesir's Lantern, Wyrsel's Turn, Auruin's Stroke, Maelis's Calm, Enlaith's Shelter, Cuthelir's Step, Brael's Mercy, Coluin's Voice. (→ Blessings)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Hidden: Gained by the Hide Deed (behind cover, out of the Foe's line of sight); cannot be targeted by Fire from behind that cover, and grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on the Deed that reveals them, which then ends Hidden. Also ends on receiving an Assault or Fire. (→ Effects)
High Ground: Attacking or defending from more than 2" above a Foe grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on that Deed. (→ Ranged Combat)
Knocked Down: From taking 4 or more Harm from one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)
Leader: The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3" may use the Leader's Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Major Trial: The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial's own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Out of Action: Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Panic check: Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
Vow: A sworn objective with a completion count (shown in brackets) that grants a reward when fulfilled; up to 3 sworn per Trial, progress persists across Trials, and rewards are distributed once 5 unique Vows are complete. (→ Songs & Vows)
Wounded: After taking 4 cumulative Harm this Trial, and again at each further 4: −1 Pace, −1 Might, −1 Aim until the next Trial. (→ Effects)

17Blessings

Pilgrims have access to a number of Blessings that can be used at any point in the game. These are acts of divine aid, each playing a different role. Before playing a game you may pick up to 3 to take into the Trial to aid the Oathband.

Each Blessing chosen may be used once per Trial. Once used it is spent, and the Oathband must finish the Trial without it. Multiple Blessings cannot be used on the same Deed or roll. A Blessing may be used even while the Character is Engaged — Cuthelir’s Step lets an Engaged Character move away without winning an Assault.

Lanhesir’s Lantern — Remove low-light Sight restrictions for one character for one Act.

Wyrsel’s Turn — Reroll any single die, then use whichever result you prefer.

Auruin’s Stroke — When dealing damage, ignore the target’s Ward. One hit.

Maelis’s Calm — Ignore a Panic result. One character, declared after the roll.

Enlaith’s Shelter — A character who would be taken OOA drops to 1 Endurance instead. Declared after the hit is resolved.

Cuthelir’s Step — One character takes a free Move Deed at any point during the Turn, including during another character’s Act.

Brael’s Mercy — Reduce the damage of one hit by 3. Declared after damage is rolled, before it is applied.

Coluin’s Voice — Until the end of this Turn, all Pilgrims may use the highest Valour in the Oathband.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Blessing: A one-use act of divine aid; choose up to 3 before a Trial, each spent after use. The eight: Lanhesir's Lantern, Wyrsel's Turn, Auruin's Stroke, Maelis's Calm, Enlaith's Shelter, Cuthelir's Step, Brael's Mercy, Coluin's Voice. (→ Blessings)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Engaged: Within 1" of a Foe. An Engaged Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2", or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. An Engaged Character may repeat the Assault Deed within an Act. (→ Close Combat)
Move Deed: Moves 3" + Pace on the first of an Act, 3" on later ones (floor 0"); costs +1 Deed through Difficult Ground. (→ Deeds)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

18After the Trial

Battlefield Finds

After each Trial the Oathband determines how many Supplies they were able to gather. Roll two D12 — using Advantage or Disadvantage depending on whether you fulfilled the Major Trial — then apply any other relevant modifiers to the roll.

Your Oathband gains the final result × 10. For example, if you completed the Major Trial you roll two dice getting a 3 and a 7. You examined 1 Waymark, which produced a +1 bonus to your roll, pushing the 7 to 8. As a result you would gain 80 Supplies.

Injury and Death

Next, determine what happened to Pilgrims taken Out of Action during the Trial. Roll on the table below. A Pilgrim who was Infirm when taken Out of Action rolls two D12 and uses the lower result.

D12	Result	Effect
1–2	Death	Remove the Pilgrim from the Oathband. If you also failed the Major Trial, their Equipment is lost; otherwise you can redistribute it.
3–5	Grievous Wound	Roll a D12 and reduce the corresponding attribute by 1 — 1–2: Ward, 3–4: Pace, 5–6: Endurance, 7–8: Valour, 9–10: Aim, 11–12: Might. They begin the next Battle with the Infirm Effect.
6–8	Injured	They begin the next Battle with the Infirm Effect.
9–12	Full Recovery	No lasting effects.

Vows Fulfilled

After checking for Injuries and Deaths, review how many Vows have been fulfilled this Battle. A Pilgrim who fulfils a Vow and subsequently dies does not forfeit that fulfilment.

When the total number of fulfilled Vows reaches 5, the Oathband has reached a Station. Distribute the Rewards from those Vows across the living Pilgrims.

Renown

When the Oathband reaches a Station, increase every Pilgrim’s Renown by 1. Pilgrims begin with a Renown of 1.

Oathband Renown is the sum of all individual scores — a measure of the Oathband’s standing, and of the strength of the Foes they will face. It is also helpful as a rough balance mechanic across Oathbands.

Legacy

Legacy is a permanent Oathband score, starting at 0. Each time the Oathband reaches a Station, add 1 Legacy. Legacy never decreases.

Whilst Legacy doesn’t feature much in Skirmishes — principally existing as a measure of the Oathband’s age — it is significant for campaign progression in subsequent releases.

Resupply

Outside of the campaign, once you have completed the previous steps, you may spend Supplies to recruit and equip Pilgrims for the Oathband. You may also retire any Pilgrims you wish at this stage.

Terms on this page

Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aim: [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Battle: One tabletop engagement, from deployment to the end of the final Turn. The environmental tables are rolled once per Battle, and Lore that triggers "once per Battle" or "each Battle" is scoped to it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Sight, Shroud & Light)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Equipment: The weapons, armour, and items a Character carries, bought with Supplies; each Character has 1 Armour, 2 Weapon, and 3 Item slots (Worn items take no slot). Each piece carries Lore terms that govern its use. (→ Equipment; Recruitment)
Infirm: Applied outside a Trial: −2 Endurance until the next Trial. (→ Effects)
Major Trial: The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial's own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Out of Action: Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
Pace: [0] Adds +1" per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Supplies: The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Valour: [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
Vow: A sworn objective with a completion count (shown in brackets) that grants a reward when fulfilled; up to 3 sworn per Trial, progress persists across Trials, and rewards are distributed once 5 unique Vows are complete. (→ Songs & Vows)
Ward: [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)
Waymark: A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9" apart); a character within 1" may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

IIIBook of Trials

19The Crossing

The road does not ask where you came from. It asks only whether you will cross it. There is ground ahead that was not yours this morning. By nightfall it will be behind you, or you will not have reached the far side.

Setup

Place terrain to fill the board: ruins, hedgerows, rocky outcrops, whatever the road warrants. Avoid open ground at the centre; the board interior should feel inhabited and contested.

Place Waymarks using standard placement rules.

Mark a centreline across the middle of the board, parallel to the two deployment edges.

Roll for Initiative, then randomly determine a board edge for the side that lost to deploy from — these are the Defenders. The side that won are Attackers and deploy from the opposite side. These roles are fixed at setup; the Initiative roll each Turn changes activation order, not who is Defender or Attacker.

Major Trial

The Defenders must move at least half their Oathband (rounded up) off the opposite board edge. The Attackers must make it impossible for the Defenders to do so. The Trial ends when the Major Trial is fulfilled by the Defenders, or becomes impossible for them.

Minor Trial

A side needs to interact with at least 3 Waymarks — or all Waymarks, if fewer than 3 were placed — before the Major Trial is completed.

Special Rules

Roll on the Sight, Shroud, and Light tables as normal for Season, Time, Light, and Weather.

Events

At the start of each Turn, after rolling Initiative, the Defender rolls on the event table.

D12	Event
1–2	The weather shifts. Reroll the current Weather condition on the Sight, Shroud, and Light tables and apply it immediately for the remainder of the Battle.
3	Gone before you reached it. Remove the nearest Waymark from the board.
4	Difficult going. All Move Deeds cost 1 additional Deed until end of Turn for characters not yet across the centreline toward their own far edge.
5–6	No effect. The road holds its breath.
7–8	A clear path opens. One Pilgrim of your choice makes a Free Move Deed immediately.
9–10	Something catches the eye. One Waymark of your choice, if investigated this Turn, adds +2 to the Waymark table roll.
11–12	More than you thought. Place one Waymark using standard placement rules.

Outcomes

In the Aftermath, if the Major Trial is completed, roll for Battlefield Finds at Advantage; if not, at Disadvantage. If the Minor Trial was completed, add +2.

Terms on this page

Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aftermath: The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)
Battle: One tabletop engagement, from deployment to the end of the final Turn. The environmental tables are rolled once per Battle, and Lore that triggers "once per Battle" or "each Battle" is scoped to it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Sight, Shroud & Light)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Free Move Deed: A Move Deed granted by an event: 3" flat, with no Pace bonus, taken in addition to the Act's three Deeds. (→ Book of Trials)
Initiative: Rolled each Turn: D12 + the highest Valour on your side; the winner activates first. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Major Trial: The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial's own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Minor Trial: The secondary objective of a Battle — a Waymark count, or a restraint on how the Major Trial is won. Completing it adds +2 to the Battlefield Finds roll. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Waymark: A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9" apart); a character within 1" may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

20The Vigil

You chose this ground. Not because it is defensible — it is not — but because something here is worth defending. Your Foe knows you have stopped moving. They are coming.

Setup

Place terrain to fill the board. At the board’s centre place a prominent Vigil Marker — a shrine, a body, a collapsed archway, whatever the road warrants. This is the position the Oathband must hold. The area within 6” of the Vigil Marker is the Perimeter.

Place Waymarks using standard placement rules. All Waymarks must be placed outside the Perimeter.

Roll for Initiative; the winner is the Defender and deploys within 6” of the Vigil Marker. The Attacker deploys D12+6” away from the Defender, but otherwise anywhere else on the board they wish.

Major Trial

Whoever has the greatest amount of Endurance within 6” of the Vigil Marker at the end of Turn 6 fulfils the Major Trial.

Minor Trial

A side needs to interact with at least 3 Waymarks — or all Waymarks, if fewer than 3 were placed — before the Major Trial is completed.

Special Rules

Roll on the Sight, Shroud, and Light tables as normal for Season, Time, Light, and Weather.

Events

At the start of each Turn, after rolling Initiative, the Defender rolls on the event table.

D12	Event
1	The Attacker nominates one of their Pilgrims not yet Tired. That Pilgrim makes one Free Move Deed.
2–3	Each Defender Pilgrim within the Perimeter makes a Panic check (see Panic); a failed check applies Shaken or Panicked as normal.
4	The Attacker nominates one unspent Waymark. The Defender must either send a Pilgrim to interact with it this Turn, or it is removed from play.
5–6	No effect. The dark holds its breath.
7–8	The Defender removes one of Shaken, Panicked, Knocked Down or Shrouded from each Pilgrim currently within the Perimeter.
9–10	A glint beyond the perimeter. One Waymark of your choice, if investigated this Turn, adds +2 to the Waymark table roll.
11–12	Attacker Pilgrims who enter the Perimeter for the first time this Turn suffer −1 Might on any Assault Deed made after entering the Perimeter this Turn.

Outcomes

In the Aftermath, if the Major Trial is completed, roll for Battlefield Finds at Advantage; if not, at Disadvantage. Add +1 for each Waymark interacted with beyond the first. If the Minor Trial was completed, add +2.

Terms on this page

Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aftermath: The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)
Assault: Close combat within 1". Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser's Ward), then may push 2" to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Free Move Deed: A Move Deed granted by an event: 3" flat, with no Pace bonus, taken in addition to the Act's three Deeds. (→ Book of Trials)
Initiative: Rolled each Turn: D12 + the highest Valour on your side; the winner activates first. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Knocked Down: From taking 4 or more Harm from one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)
Major Trial: The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial's own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Minor Trial: The secondary objective of a Battle — a Waymark count, or a restraint on how the Major Trial is won. Completing it adds +2 to the Battlefield Finds roll. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Panic check: Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)
Panicked: From failing a second Panic check: spends Deeds fleeing to the nearest board edge (leaving the board counts as OOA). (→ Panic; Effects)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Shaken: From failing a Panic check: −1 Might and −1 Aim until a Panic check is passed; checks at the start of each Act. (→ Panic; Effects)
Shrouded: Beyond a Foe's Sight; attacks against a Shrouded character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim. (→ Effects; Sight, Shroud & Light)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Tired: Marks a character that has completed its Act this Turn; it cannot Act again until every character is Tired and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Effects)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Vigil: A Trial archetype: hold ground or endure. (→ The Vigil)
Waymark: A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9" apart); a character within 1" may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

21The Reckoning

You have been running long enough. The road behind you is full of the Shadow’s patience. Here, this ground, this moment, you stop. You turn. Whatever comes next, you chose it.

Setup

Place terrain to fill the board. The Reckoning has no fixed centre — the board is an arena.

Place Waymarks using standard placement rules.

Roll for Initiative; the winner picks a board edge to deploy from, the other player deploys on the opposite edge. Each side can deploy D12+6” from their edge, using their Initiative rolls as the D12 value.

Major Trial

Whoever eliminates their Foe’s Leader first fulfils the Major Trial.

Minor Trial

Take the Leader OOA without a Pilgrim having failed a Panic check during this Trial.

Special Rules

Roll on the Sight, Shroud, and Light tables as normal for Season, Time, Light, and Weather.

Events

After rolling for Initiative, whoever won rolls at the start of each Turn.

D12	Event
1	The Foe closest to your Leader must take a Panic check (see Panic) during their Act; a failed check applies Shaken or Panicked as normal.
2–3	The opposing Leader gets a Free Move Deed in their next Act.
4	Pick a Foe to make a Panic check (see Panic) during their Act; a failed check applies Shaken or Panicked as normal.
5–6	No effect. The ground between you holds its breath.
7–8	Pick a Pilgrim to gain a Free Move Deed in their next Act.
9–10	Pick a Waymark; whoever investigates it gains +2 to the Waymark table roll.
11–12	Pick a Pilgrim to gain +1 Might in their next Act.

Outcomes

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aftermath: The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Free Move Deed: A Move Deed granted by an event: 3" flat, with no Pace bonus, taken in addition to the Act's three Deeds. (→ Book of Trials)
Initiative: Rolled each Turn: D12 + the highest Valour on your side; the winner activates first. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Leader: The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3" may use the Leader's Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Major Trial: The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial's own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Minor Trial: The secondary objective of a Battle — a Waymark count, or a restraint on how the Major Trial is won. Completing it adds +2 to the Battlefield Finds roll. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Panic check: Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)
Panicked: From failing a second Panic check: spends Deeds fleeing to the nearest board edge (leaving the board counts as OOA). (→ Panic; Effects)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Reckoning: A Trial archetype: confront or defeat. (→ The Reckoning)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Shaken: From failing a Panic check: −1 Might and −1 Aim until a Panic check is passed; checks at the start of each Act. (→ Panic; Effects)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Waymark: A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9" apart); a character within 1" may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

22Reinforcements

The Shadow is not a fixed number of enemies. It is a road that keeps sending them.

Every Trial fought against the Shadow uses Reinforcements. At the end of each Turn, starting with Turn 1, once every Character is Tired, roll on the Reinforcements table of the road you are walking — for the Moor, Reinforcements on the Moor.

How an arrival is made

Each arrival named by the table is one roll on the Shadow force calculation, made as it is at the start of a Trial. A result of No Foe means no figure arrives; Roll twice is resolved in full, however far it runs.
Arriving figures are placed at the board edge the die’s face points toward when it settles, using the Random Directions rule. Draw the line from the centre of the board along the die’s arrow; where that line meets the edge is where the Shadow appears. You do not choose the spot — the die does.
Arriving figures take their first Act in the next Turn, in the normal order.

When a Trial has its own

A Trial whose own Event table brings the Shadow onto the board — The Cairn Vigil, The Long Reach, Marked for the Taking — uses that instead. Do not roll on the road’s table as well.

Why the road keeps sending them

A Trial in which the Shadow can be finished has an ending the player can see coming, and a Crossing where nothing remains to cross through is a walk. Reinforcements keep the road dangerous until the Oathband has left it.

Settled 22 Sep 2026 and measured across 10,000 simulated battles an arm: without this rule the Shadow is absent for a whole Turn in 31% of Crossings; with the Moor’s light table, in under 5%. Decision Log: “Shadow reinforcements as a standing solo rule every Shadow Trial inherits.”

Moved to the end of the Turn on 29 Sep 2026, so the arrival lands as a beat between Turns. Measured at parity with the old timing: 66.9% against 66.3% Major Trial wins, 10,000 battles an arm. Decision Log: “Shadow reinforcements arrive at the end of the Turn, not the start.”

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Character: Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
Crossing: A Trial archetype: reach a point or get through. (→ The Crossing)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Major Trial: The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial's own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Reach: A weapon trait allowing Assault from beyond 1" without becoming Engaged; full rule in Lore Definitions. (→ Lore Definitions)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Tired: Marks a character that has completed its Act this Turn; it cannot Act again until every character is Tired and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Effects)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Vigil: A Trial archetype: hold ground or endure. (→ The Vigil)

23First Night

One fire in all the dark, and every eye in the dark has found it. Feed it. Hold it. Wait for the grey.

The demo Trial. A short Vigil for someone who has read nothing: the First Road Oathband, a small Shadow, no campaign layer, five Turns. It teaches Acts and Deeds, the Shadow’s wants, and above all Sight, Shroud and Light — the fire’s reach changes from Turn to Turn, and feeding it is worth Deeds.

Setup

Play on a 2’×2’ board. Place a campfire at the centre and set a D12 beside it showing 6 — the fire’s reach in inches. Place a little scatter terrain (stones, brush, a fallen trunk), none of it within 3” of the fire.

Place four woodpiles, each 12” from the fire toward a corner. Place two Waymarks, each 9” from the fire toward the middle of the left and right board edges.

Deploy the First Road Oathband within 3” of the fire. The Shadow begins as a Thrall pair, a Warrior and a Stalker. Roll a D12 for each (the pair rolls once) and place it touching the board edge the die points toward, as far from any Pilgrim as that edge allows.

The Shadow’s profiles, the Commander’s among them (from Shadow Profiles, printed here so First Night stands alone):

Profile	M	A	V	W	P	E	Lore
Thrall	0	0	0	0	0	6	Group (2)
Stalker	0	+1	0	0	+1	6	Range (24”)
Warrior	+1	+1	+1	0	0	6	Range (6”)
Commander	+2	0	+2	1	0	7	Born Leader

Major Trial

At the end of Turn 5 the dawn comes. If the fire still burns and the Oathband has more Endurance within its light than the Shadow, the Oathband fulfils the Major Trial. If the fire is out, the dark has won.

Minor Trial

Search both Waymarks.

Special Rules

Night. Do not roll on the Sight, Shroud and Light tables. Sight is 0” all Trial: everything outside the firelight is Shrouded.

The Fire. The fire is a light source whose reach is shown on its die: 12, 9, 6, 3, or out. When it gutters, turn the die down 3; when it flares, turn it up 3, to no more than 12.

The Vigil Marker. The fire is the Vigil Marker: the position the Oathband must hold.

The Perimeter. The fire’s light is the Perimeter: everything within the fire’s reach. It grows and shrinks with the die.

Wood. A Pilgrim within 1” of a woodpile may spend a Use Deed to take up its bundle: remove the woodpile and mark the Pilgrim. A Pilgrim carries one bundle at most. A Pilgrim carrying a bundle within 1” of the fire may spend a Use Deed to feed it: +3”, or relight it at 3” if it is out. The fire takes one bundle a Turn. A Pilgrim taken Out of Action drops their bundle, which becomes a woodpile where they fell.

Brands. A Pilgrim within 1” of the fire may spend a Use Deed to take up a brand: a lit Torch (see Equipment) — Light (3”), Off-Hand, Throw. It burns for the rest of the Trial and lights whoever carries it. Throw it (a Use Deed) and it lights the dark where it lands. The fire gives one brand a Turn.

Waymarks. A Pilgrim within 1” of a Waymark may spend a Use Deed to search it: roll on the table below, then remove the Waymark.

D12	You find
1	An adder in the bracken. It strikes: roll D12+2 against the searcher’s D12+Might as a single Attack. If the adder wins, the searcher takes the difference as damage.
2–3	The search is heard. A Thrall pair comes, placed as an arrival.
4–6	Dry sticks. Take a bundle, if you are not already carrying one.
7–8	Pitch and flint. Take up a brand. It does not count against the fire’s one brand a Turn.
9–10	An old cairn-blessing. Choose one Blessing and place its token by the searcher. It may be used once this Trial.
11–12	A ward-stone. The fire flares (+3”).

What the Shadow wants. First Night replaces the Shadow AI table. A Knocked Down Foe Stands first. Then, in its Act, each Foe does the first of these it can:

The fire. If it can come within 1” of the fire with its Move Deeds and still have a Deed left, it goes for the fire and spends a Use Deed to scatter it (−3”). If it becomes Engaged on the way, it stops and fights.
A Pilgrim. Otherwise, it Assaults a Pilgrim it can reach.
The edge of the light. Otherwise, it moves as close to the Pilgrims as it can without ending in the firelight.

Stalkers keep to the dark and Fire at the nearest lit Pilgrim in range. A fire of 9” or more keeps the dark at bay; at 6” or less, it comes for the flame.

The Wolf-Hour. At the start of Turn 4 — or sooner, the first time the fire falls to 3 or goes out — the Commander comes. Place it as an arrival. The Commander ignores the third want: it walks into the light.

Reinforcements. First Night supplies its own. Foes arrive only from the Night table and the Waymarks, placed as Reinforcements describes. Do not roll on a road’s Reinforcements table.

Left out. No Vows, and no Blessings chosen before the Trial — they come only from a Waymark. For a very first game, leave the Waymarks off the board.

Events

From Turn 2, at the start of each Turn after Initiative, the Oathband rolls on the Night table.

D12	The fire	The dark
1	Gutters (−3”)	A Thrall pair and a Warrior come.
2–3	Gutters (−3”)	A Thrall pair comes.
4	Gutters (−3”)	A Stalker comes.
5–6	Holds	Nothing. The dark holds its breath.
7–8	Gutters (−3”)	Nothing. The wood is burning down.
9–10	Holds	A dead branch falls: place a woodpile 12” from the fire toward the edge the die points to.
11–12	Flares (+3”)	Nothing. The wind turns and fans the flame.

Outcomes

First Night stands outside the campaign and has no Aftermath. If you carry this Oathband on into a campaign, resolve the Aftermath as normal: Battlefield Finds at Advantage if you saw the dawn, at Disadvantage if not; +2 if the Minor Trial was completed.

Design notes (24 Sep 2026). Fire alone, ignoring scatters, from a start of 6”: burning at dawn 54% unfed, 77% with one bundle, 94% with two, ~100% with three. Arrivals average ~0.67 figures a Turn from the Night table, a little under the Moor’s light Reinforcements rate. Woodpiles at 12” toward the corners sit where arrivals land, so a wood run is a two-Turn exposure, not a free top-up. The wood is a certain gain that serves the Major Trial; the Waymarks are an uncertain gain that pulls against it — the campaign’s real dilemma in miniature. Brands use the canon Torch, whose Throw already lets a Pilgrim light the enemy. Untested at the table: time the first game. Decision Log: “First Night — the demo Vigil”. Feature Backlog: FB-43. Pack: “First Night — quick-play pack”.

Terms on this page

Act: A character's activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Advantage: Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)
Aftermath: The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)
Blessing: A one-use act of divine aid; choose up to 3 before a Trial, each spent after use. The eight: Lanhesir's Lantern, Wyrsel's Turn, Auruin's Stroke, Maelis's Calm, Enlaith's Shelter, Cuthelir's Step, Brael's Mercy, Coluin's Voice. (→ Blessings)
Deed: One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
Endurance: [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
Engaged: Within 1" of a Foe. An Engaged Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2", or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. An Engaged Character may repeat the Assault Deed within an Act. (→ Close Combat)
Equipment: The weapons, armour, and items a Character carries, bought with Supplies; each Character has 1 Armour, 2 Weapon, and 3 Item slots (Worn items take no slot). Each piece carries Lore terms that govern its use. (→ Equipment; Recruitment)
Fire: Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
Foe: An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
Initiative: Rolled each Turn: D12 + the highest Valour on your side; the winner activates first. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Knocked Down: From taking 4 or more Harm from one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)
Leader: The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3" may use the Leader's Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Major Trial: The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial's own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Might: [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
Minor Trial: The secondary objective of a Battle — a Waymark count, or a restraint on how the Major Trial is won. Completing it adds +2 to the Battlefield Finds roll. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)
Oathband: The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
Out of Action: Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
Pilgrim: A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
Shadow: The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)
Shrouded: Beyond a Foe's Sight; attacks against a Shrouded character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim. (→ Effects; Sight, Shroud & Light)
Sight: Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0"–24"). A character beyond another's Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)
Trial: The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)
Turn: One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
Vigil: A Trial archetype: hold ground or endure. (→ The Vigil)
Waymark: A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9" apart); a character within 1" may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

IVBook of Lore

24Core Terms

The core game vocabulary — stats, statuses, the turn structure, and the entities that make up play. Lore keywords (abilities, equipment traits, and Origins) live in Lore Definitions; this page covers everything else, and other sections link here rather than restating. Each term notes its home section.

Status: Reconciled (verified 28 Aug 2026). Skirmish definitions were checked word-for-word against their home sections (all v1.0, except Blessings, which is itself Reconciled). Two inconsistencies were surfaced and ruled on (27 Aug 2026): (1) the rules now standardise on Difficult Ground — the stray Difficult Terrain in the Skirmisher Lore keyword has been corrected; (2) Staggered is not a base Skirmish status — it appears only on the Heights road (campaign), so it sits under Campaign below. Remaining before v1.0: verify the four campaign terms against the campaign rules. Amendment (12 Sep 2026): Equipment was added to this page during the rules-lint session, after the 28 Aug verification; its definition is checked against its home section (→ Equipment) but post-dates the word-for-word pass above. Amendment (12 Sep 2026, rulings): Harm and Free Move Deed were added, and Engaged consolidated to a single wording, in applying the adversarial-pass rulings; these post-date the verification above. Amendment (13 Sep 2026, rulings): Battle was added and Trial reworded so the containment is explicit — a Battle is one engagement, the Trial is the objective it is fought for (per pilgrimage-core) — and the bare noun Shroud in Light source was corrected to the canonical status Shrouded. Both post-date the verification above. Major Trial was then ruled on the same day: it is the primary objective of a Battle, not “a weightier engagement”. It now has its own entry, as does Minor Trial, which had none — both are used throughout the Book of Trials and in the Aftermath scoring. Amendment (30 Sep 2026, ruling): Shadow was added. It is core vocabulary used across the Skirmish chapters with no entry of its own (found by the rules lint, L9); it post-dates the verification above. Amendment (30 Sep 2026, ruling): Aftermath was added. The Book of Trials resolves results “in the Aftermath” throughout, and nothing defined the word (found by the rules lint, L9, in the campaign scope); it post-dates the verification above. Amendment (30 Sep 2026, ruling): Injury, Finale and Champion were added. Each is used across the Book of Trials, and each had a home chapter but no entry here (found by the rules lint, L9, in the campaign scope). They post-date the verification above.

The Oathband & characters

Oathband (Both) — The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)

Character — Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)

Pilgrim — A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)

Foe — An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)

Non-Pilgrim character — A figure decidedly not yours; sometimes named by faction (e.g. Shadow character). (→ Core Concepts)

Shadow (Both) — The side the Oathband plays against. Every Foe belongs to it, and its figures may be called Shadow characters. (→ Core Concepts)

Leader — The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3” may use the Leader’s Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)

Origin (Both) — An Oathband’s unique founding trait, from Sing of Their Deeds; the specific traits are listed as (Origin) entries in Lore Definitions. (→ Sing of Their Deeds; Lore Definitions)

Supplies (Both) — The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)

Equipment (Both) — The weapons, armour, and items a Character carries, bought with Supplies; each Character has 1 Armour, 2 Weapon, and 3 Item slots (Worn items take no slot). Each piece carries Lore terms that govern its use. (→ Equipment; Recruitment)

Stats

Each character has six attributes (base value in brackets); Might, Aim, and Valour may each be raised to +3.

Might (M) — [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)

Aim (A) — [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)

Valour (V) — [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)

Ward (W) — [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)

Pace (P) — [0] Adds +1” per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)

Endurance (E) — [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)

Sight — Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0”–24”). A character beyond another’s Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)

The turn & Deeds

Turn — One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)

Initiative — Rolled each Turn: D12 + the highest Valour on your side; the winner activates first. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)

Act — A character’s activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)

Deed — One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aid, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)

Move Deed — Moves 3” + Pace on the first of an Act, 3” on later ones (floor 0”); costs +1 Deed through Difficult Ground. (→ Deeds)

Free Move Deed — A Move Deed granted by an event: 3” flat, with no Pace bonus, taken in addition to the Act’s three Deeds. (→ Book of Trials)

Aid — A Deed (cost 1) that lets a Knocked Down ally within 1” Stand at once, out of turn and even if Tired, at no cost to them; not while Engaged. It never appears in the Shadow’s action flow. (→ Deeds)

Guard — A Deed that ends the Act and grants +1 Ward until the character’s next Act. (→ Deeds)

Check — The core resolution: D12 + modifier; 7+ succeeds (a different threshold is written out, e.g. “9+”). Each +1 shifts success by ~8%. (→ Core Concepts)

Advantage / Disadvantage — Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)

Combat

Assault — Close combat within 1”. Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser’s Ward), then may push 2” to break off or remain Engaged. (→ Close Combat)

Fire — Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)

Harm — Damage remaining after Ward is subtracted; this is what comes off Endurance. A blow fully absorbed by Ward deals no Harm. (→ Close Combat)

Charge — Moving into Engagement, or into Reach, and Assaulting in the same Act grants +1 Might; a Character already Engaged at the start of their Act gains nothing. Only the first Assault of that Act benefits. (→ Close Combat)

Group Assault — +1 Might for each allied Character Engaged with the same Foe and not Engaged with any other. (→ Close Combat)

Close Fire — A Fire Deed at a target within 6” gains Advantage. (→ Ranged Combat)

Moving Target — −1 Aim if the firer has moved this Turn, and −1 if the target has; at most −2. (→ Ranged Combat)

Crowded Target — Firing at a Foe within 1” of another character randomly determines who is hit. (→ Ranged Combat)

High Ground — Attacking or defending from more than 2” above a Foe grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on that Deed. (→ Ranged Combat)

Cover — Terrain that obscures a target from the shooter; Fire against a character in Cover suffers −2 Aim, judged from the shooter’s position. (→ The Ground Itself)

Engaged — Within 1” of a Foe. An Engaged Character may take no Deed but Assault or Stand, and leaves only by winning an Assault and pushing 2”, or when a Foe is taken Out of Action. An Engaged Character may repeat the Assault Deed within an Act. (→ Close Combat)

Reach — A weapon trait allowing Assault from beyond 1” without becoming Engaged; full rule in Lore Definitions. (→ Lore Definitions)

Movement, terrain & sight

Difficult Ground — Terrain that cannot be strided freely (bog, rubble, briar, scree, standing water); a Move Deed starting in, ending in, or crossing it costs +1 Deed (distance is normal). (→ The Ground Itself)

Falling — A drop of 3” or less is safe; a longer fall deals Harm equal to inches fallen − 3 (Ward does not apply) and leaves the character Knocked Down. (→ The Ground Itself)

Climb — A Deed (cost 2) that moves a character 3” vertically. (→ Deeds)

Shrouded — Beyond a Foe’s Sight; attacks against a Shrouded character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim. (→ Effects; Sight, Shroud & Light)

Hidden — Gained by the Hide Deed (behind cover, out of the Foe’s line of sight); cannot be targeted by Fire from behind that cover, and grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on the Deed that reveals them, which then ends Hidden. Also ends on receiving an Assault or Fire. (→ Effects)

Light source — Removes the Shrouded status within its radius; figures inside cannot be Shrouded and are visible to all (the Lore term Light (X”)). (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)

Statuses

Out of Action (OOA) — Endurance reduced to 0 or less; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)

Wounded — After taking 4 cumulative Harm this Trial, and again at each further 4: −1 Pace, −1 Might, −1 Aim until the next Trial. (→ Effects)

Knocked Down — From taking 4 or more Harm from one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)

Tired — Marks a character that has completed its Act this Turn; it cannot Act again until every character is Tired and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Effects)

Shaken — From failing a Panic check: −1 Might and −1 Aim until a Panic check is passed; checks at the start of each Act. (→ Panic; Effects)

Panicked — From failing a second Panic check: spends Deeds fleeing to the nearest board edge (leaving the board counts as OOA). (→ Panic; Effects)

Infirm — Applied outside a Trial: −2 Endurance until the next Trial. (→ Effects)

Panic check — Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)

Trials & objectives

Battle (Both) — One tabletop engagement, from deployment to the end of the final Turn. The environmental tables are rolled once per Battle, and Lore that triggers “once per Battle” or “each Battle” is scoped to it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Sight, Shroud & Light)

Trial (Both) — The objective a Battle is fought for; one Battle plays out one Trial. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. (→ Book of Trials)

Major Trial (Both) — The primary objective of a Battle, stated on the Trial’s own page. Fulfilling it rolls Battlefield Finds at Advantage in the Aftermath; failing it, at Disadvantage. Referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)

Minor Trial (Both) — The secondary objective of a Battle — a Waymark count, or a restraint on how the Major Trial is won. Completing it adds +2 to the Battlefield Finds roll. (→ Book of Trials; After the Trial)

Aftermath (Both) — The steps played once a Battle ends, in the order After the Trial gives them: Battlefield Finds, then Injury and Death for every Pilgrim taken Out of Action, then Vows Fulfilled. (→ After the Trial)

Injury (Both) — The Aftermath roll for each Pilgrim taken Out of Action: a D12 on the Injury and Death table, reading Death, Grievous Wound, Injured or Full Recovery. A Pilgrim who was Infirm rolls two and keeps the lower. (→ After the Trial)

Crossing (Both) — A Trial archetype: reach a point or get through. (→ The Crossing)

Vigil (Both) — A Trial archetype: hold ground or endure. (→ The Vigil)

Reckoning (Both) — A Trial archetype: confront or defeat. (→ The Reckoning)

Waymark (Both) — A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9” apart); a character within 1” may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

Songs, Vows & Blessings

Song (Both) — A thematic category of Vows (e.g. Song of Might, Song of Vigil). (→ Songs & Vows)

Vow (Both) — A sworn objective with a completion count (shown in brackets) that grants a reward when fulfilled; up to 3 sworn per Trial, progress persists across Trials, and rewards are distributed once 5 unique Vows are complete. (→ Songs & Vows)

Blessing (Both) — A one-use act of divine aid; choose up to 3 before a Trial, each spent after use. The eight: Lanhesir’s Lantern, Wyrsel’s Turn, Auruin’s Stroke, Maelis’s Calm, Enlaith’s Shelter, Cuthelir’s Step, Brael’s Mercy, Coluin’s Voice. (→ Blessings)

Campaign

Beyond the skirmish game. These four terms are not yet verified against the campaign rules.

Doom (Campaign) — The campaign’s rising peril; it only ever increases. (→ Campaign)

Renown / Legacy (Campaign) — Campaign progression currencies. (→ Campaign)

Hallowed (Campaign) — A volatile, Oathband-level signed stat. (→ Campaign)

Finale (Campaign) — The campaign’s final Landmark, and the Trial played there, which decides the campaign. (→ Measure the Road; Book of Endings)

Champion (Campaign) — A named leader of the Shadow, rolled on the Shadow Champions table when a Trial calls for one. Its abilities come from Champion’s Scars, gained as Doom rises. (→ Shadow Champions; Champion’s Scars)

Staggered (Campaign) — Not a base status: on the Heights road, failing a Pace check on vertical terrain leaves a character Staggered and ends the Move. (→ Campaign / Heights)

25Lore Definitions

The canonical home for every Lore term in Pilgrimage. Equipment, abilities, and Origins all resolve their definitions here; other sections link to this glossary rather than restating it. Parametric terms (e.g. Aim (X)) are alphabetised by their keyword. Terms marked (Origin) are the unique Oathband origins from Sing of Their Deeds.

Activate (X) — This item’s effect must be roused by spending X Deeds. Once activated it remains in effect for the rest of the Trial unless stated otherwise.

Aim (X) — Aim is modified by X.

Aimed — This weapon cannot be fired if the wielder has moved this Act.

Ambush (Campaign) — Counts as Shrouded from the start of the Battle until it first makes an Assault.

Amphibious (Campaign) — Water imposes no penalty on this character’s movement: shallows, deep water and pools are open ground to it.

Animal (Campaign) — This character ignores objectives and focuses exclusively on Foes.

Assault Ward (X) — Improves Ward from Assault Deeds by X.

Bestial (Campaign) — Ignores objectives and always targets the nearest enemy figure, whatever side it is on.

Blade Master — Denies a foe’s Group Assault bonus.

Blooded (Origin) — Every member gains +1 Might on Assault Deeds when Wounded or Knocked Down.

Born Leader — When this Character is the Leader, allies within 6” may use their Valour for any check that calls upon it.

Branded (Origin) — Every member may reroll a single die when making a Panic check. Must accept the second result.

Bulwark — All Fire Deeds directed against allies within 1” are automatically directed against this character instead.

Call to Valour — When this item is activated, every allied Character within 12” who is Shaken immediately recovers, and every Panicked ally becomes Shaken.

Coil (Campaign) — On winning an Assault against a figure in water, this character may forgo damage to Bind it instead: the figure cannot Move, and next Turn it is Swept downstream.

Consumable (X) — This item may be used X times per Trial. Spent uses are restored before the next Trial.

Cursed (Campaign) — If dealt damage by an Oathband member whose Hallowed exceeds this character’s Valour, the difference is dealt as additional damage. If this character takes an Oathband member Out of Action, that member suffers −1 to their Injury Roll after the Trial.

Damage (X) — Damage dealt is modified by X.

Dash — Once per Trial, a Move Deed may be taken freely.

Deadstrike (Campaign) — +2 damage on Assault Deeds.

Deploy — This item must be set in place before it can be used: spend a Use Deed to fix it to a terrain feature the Character is in base contact with. It remains there for the rest of the Trial.

Descend — While this item is Deployed, any Character may move down the vertical surface it is fixed to as part of an ordinary Move Deed, counting inches descended as inches moved. They take no falling damage.

Dispossession (Origin) — Every member begins each Battle with +1 to their starting Deed total, on their first Act only.

Faithful (Origin) — Choose 4 Blessings before each Battle instead of 3.

Far-Ranging (Origin) — All members ignore the Moving Target penalty on Fire Deeds. When firing at a target beyond 12”, gain +1 Aim.

Fated — Once per Trial, reroll one die. Must accept the second result.

Fell-Handed — +1 Might on Assault Deeds when the only allied Character Engaged with the target.

Fen-Shroud (Campaign) — Treated as Shrouded unless at least one Pilgrim is within 6”, regardless of light, weather, or landmark proximity.

Flight — May move out of an Assault freely and is never considered Engaged.

Fling — When winning an Assault, may push the opponent up to 4” rather than 2”.

Flying (Campaign) — Ignores all terrain effects on Move Deeds, including Difficult Ground and Uneven Footing; may not benefit from Cover. (Distinct from Flight.)

Ghost — May deploy, before the start of a Trial, anywhere on the board, provided not within 12” of an enemy.

Grimface (Campaign) — An enemy must pass a Valour check (9+) before making an Assault against this character. On a failure it may not Assault this character this Act.

Grip (Campaign) — A figure this character beats in an Assault cannot take a Move Deed during the next Turn.

Group (X) (Campaign) — Generated as X instances of this Foe, which act together as a single Unit and cannot end an Act more than 3” apart.

Guardian — Once per Trial, when an allied character within 6” has an opponent move into Assault range, this character may immediately spend up to three Deeds to intercept them, and begin an Assault if it has a Deed available once Engaged. Cannot use if Tired.

Hammerhand — Always counts as carrying a Hand Weapon, even when unarmed.

Healer — Once per Trial, spend a Use Deed to restore 3 Endurance or remove one Status from an allied Character within 1”.

Hearthguard (Origin) — Once a Turn, if an allied character takes damage, you may transfer up to 2 points of that damage to an allied character within 3” that has this Lore term.

Knockdown (X) — Inflicts the Knocked Down effect when X or more Harm is dealt.

Large (Campaign) — Does not count as Shrouded when within 12” of its attacker: a thing this size is known by its presence, not by sight.

Light (X”) — Figures within X” of this light source may not be Shrouded.

Longsuffering — Once per Trial, when this character takes damage that would cause the Knocked Down status, ignore it.

Off-Hand — This item is borne in the off hand. A Character may carry only one Off-Hand item, and may not use it while wielding a Two Handed weapon.

Outriders (Origin) — Add +1 to the Oathband’s Initiative roll each Turn. All members gain +1 Pace on their first Move Deed each Turn.

Pace (X) — Pace is modified by X.

Pack Instinct (Campaign) — +1 Might for each other figure of the same type within 2”, to a maximum of +2.

Parry — Once per Trial, deny all damage from one Assault or Fire Deed. Declare before dice are rolled.

Precision — +1 damage against rivals without the Tired status.

Quick — Fire Deeds with this weapon are not impacted by Moving Target roll modifiers.

Quick Draw — Once per Trial, a Fire Deed does not end the Act.

Range (X”) — Enables the Fire Deed when the target is X” away or less.

Reach (X”) — Enables Assault Deeds from a distance of 1+X”. If the Attacker loses the Assault they receive no damage, unless their Defender is close enough to deal it with their own weapons (1” + the X” Reach of any weapons). A Character attacking with Reach gains Group Assault from allies Engaged with the target, and moving into Reach counts as closing for Charge.

Reckless — +1 Might and −1 Ward in Assault.

Regeneration (Campaign) — While below its starting Endurance, this character recovers 1 Endurance per Turn until back to its starting value.

Restore (X) — Spend a Use Deed: this Character, or an allied Character within 1”, regains X Endurance, up to their starting value.

Reveal — Using this item declares the user to all. They immediately lose the Hidden status and may not become Hidden or count as Shrouded until the start of their next Act.

Roadbound (Campaign) — This Foe’s profile is set by the road it is encountered on; look it up in the corresponding Book of the Road.

Scarswallow (Campaign) — Recovers 1 Endurance at the start of each Turn, up to its starting Endurance. (A Champion’s Scar of the same name has the same effect.)

Scrambler — Climb Deed costs 1 and has no limit per Act.

Shadowborn (Campaign) — All damage dealt to this character is halved (minimum 1) unless the Oathband’s Hallowed exceeds this character’s Valour; if it does, the Oathband’s Hallowed applies as bonus damage on every hit instead.

Sharpshooter — Ignore Cover penalties on Fire Deeds.

Sight (X”) — Reduce the Sight of Foes looking at this Character by X.

Skirmisher — Ignores penalties from Difficult Ground.

Slowstep (Campaign) — −1 Pace, and never gains the Charge bonus.

Songsworn (Origin) — The Oathband may swear one additional Vow before each Battle. Vow slot limit increased by 1 permanently.

Spotter — Allied Characters within 3” may use this Character’s Sight for Fire Deeds.

Stalker — May target Hidden characters with Fire Deeds as normal.

Starsight — Extend the character’s Sight by +3” on top of the Trial’s default.

Steadfast — This character cannot be pushed or moved involuntarily by any means.

Steelwill (Campaign) — Never makes Panic checks.

Stonewill — When this Character fails their first Panic check of the Trial, ignore it.

Survivors (Origin) — Once per Battle, when a member would be taken OOA by a single hit, roll D12. On 8+ they survive with 1 Endurance remaining, and are immediately Knocked Down.

Swift — Improve Pace by +1.

Take Courage — If an allied Character can see whatever bears this Lore, they gain Advantage on Valour checks.

Throw — This item can be thrown up to 3” + Might. If an item has been Activated, its effects persist after being thrown.

Tough — +1 Ward on top of equipped Armour Ward bonus.

Trample (Campaign) — This character moves through figures rather than round them, stopping only to Assault its target. Every figure it passes through or ends within 1” of is Trampled: roll D12 + this character’s Might against the figure’s D12 + Might; on a win, deal the difference as damage and the figure is Knocked Down. A figure that wins takes nothing and deals nothing back. It makes no distinction between sides.

Two Handed — This item takes up both weapon slots and blocks the use of items with the Off-Hand Lore term.

Undying (Campaign) — Immune to Panic. When taken Out of Action, pass a Valour check (7+) to remain at 1 Endurance instead.

Unseen (Origin) — When determining whether a character is Shrouded, reduce the Sight of their attacker by 3”. Any member deploying in Cover may begin Hidden.

Venom (Campaign) — When this character wins an Assault it may forgo damage to leave the target Envenomed instead: −1 to all of that figure’s rolls, cumulative, for the rest of the Battle.

Wallcrawl (Campaign) — Ignores Difficult Ground and webbing.

Wanderers (Origin) — Every member treats Difficult Ground as normal ground for Move Deeds, including boggy ground and rubble.

Ward (X) — Ward is modified by X.

Warrior — No Pace penalty for wearing Armour.

Wild Children (Origin) — Every member gains +1 Valour when in Difficult Ground.

Worn — This item does not take up an Equipment slot.

About Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is a fantasy skirmish game played with miniatures on a table, alone or with a friend. A small Oathband of believers walks a dark road, and the road makes them pay for every mile of it.

You do not play a hero. You play an Oathband, a band of Pilgrims who are collectively the protagonist of this story. None among them are irreplaceable, yet all of them matter.

This is the first release in a modular series of zines. Each complements the others and is designed to be played on a single evening or combined into a longer campaign. The battle engine you hold now — Trials, Vows, Renown, Legacy — is the foundation everything else is built on.

Future releases will extend the road: new terrain, new roads, new Shadows to walk against, and a full solo campaign of procedurally generated journeys leading to a Finale worth reaching. Every rule you learn here walks into them with you.

Start with this. Walk the road. Redeem what was lost.

Average play time: 1 hour

The book

Pilgrimage: Skirmish — the complete rules, v1.0. 25 chapters in 4 books, with front and back matter and 8 figures. Rules text synced from the canonical record on 2026-10-10; this printing is that record, frozen.

The setting

Set in Fraunces and Spectral on a 13 pt baseline, A4, two columns of 78.5 mm in a type area of 53 lines of 13 pt. Bronze for what is counted, verdigris for what is named, and nothing else coloured.

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