Broken Sorcery
Chapter 15
Exploration
While your GM may bring some preconceived aspects for your game world, Broken Sorcery encourages GMs to randomly generate your world in collaboration with you.
The World Map
Your GM displays a blank Hex-Map in the center of the table and asks if you wish to start the game in a Village, Town, City/Keep, or the Wilderness. Alternatively, you may opt for a random starting location. The hex-map may be pre-filled with coastlines and mountain ranges.
While exploring or gathering information, roll a d10 to determine the Hex’s Biome (25% it is the same as a revealed adjacent Hex), and a d100 for the Hex’s Bioluminescence Level. Your GM may secretly roll d30s for the Hex’s Points of Interest, indicating if rumors exist.
Areas may appear mundane at first—you may unknowingly pass a secluded Wizard’s Tower just a stone’s throw through the brush. The GM should track undiscovered Points of Interest which you might discover later. Information gathering and rumors are your best allies to uncover secrets.
| # | BIOME |
|---|---|
| 1 | Canyon (d4) |
| 2 | Dark Forest |
| 3 | Desert (d2) |
| 4 | Grasslands |
| 5 | Hills |
| 6 | Lake (d2) |
| 7 | Mountains (d2) |
| 8 | River |
| 9 | Swamp |
| 10 | Tranquil Forest |
| # | POINT OF INTEREST |
|---|---|
| 1 | Abandoned Mine |
| 2 | Ancient Observatory |
| 3 | Ancient Temple |
| 4 | Bandit Hideout |
| 5 | Broken Landscape |
| 6 | Castle / Keep |
| 7 | Cave / Cavern |
| 8 | City / Megalopolis |
| 9 | Cottage (d4) |
| 10 | Dragon's Lair |
| 11 | Druid Cult |
| 12 | Dryad Tree |
| 13 | Fairy Glade |
| 14 | Fountain |
| 15 | Giant Bones |
| 16 | Gnome Workshops |
| 17 | Goblin Tunnels |
| 18 | Graveyard |
| 19 | Monastery |
| 20 | Necromancer’s Tower |
| 21 | Old Battlefield |
| 22 | Orc Fortification (d4) |
| 23 | Ruined Keep / Tower (d2) |
| 24 | Sacred Grove |
| 25 | Spawning Ground |
| 26 | Standing Stones |
| 27 | Town |
| 28 | Village |
| 29 | Windmill |
| 30 | Wizard’s Tower (d4) |
Travel
Long distance movement is measured in Hexes. Each Hex is approximately 6 miles.
A normal day’s Travel consists of about 9 hours of hiking or riding—a few hours of which are spent resting and scouting. Your base movement on foot through plains, hills, and farmlands is 2 Hexes per Day.
Travel is hastened or slowed depending on your mode, landscape, and conditions.
| TRAVEL MODIFIERS | HEXES |
|---|---|
| Deserts, swamps, or forests | -1 |
| Mountains or ice | -2 |
| Forced march (Constitution Check) | +1 |
| Established roads | +1 |
| Mounted | +2 |
| Heavy rain, snow, or extreme heat | –1 |
| Hurricane or blizzard | –2 |
Time
Time should be recorded in Days. Your Earth has four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, each of which lasts a period of 90 days, with a total of 360 days in a year.
At the start of the campaign choose a Season (or roll a d4), roll 2d100 for the current year, and 3d30 for the current day.
Note the starting date for the campaign—for example, Day 45 of Winter, Year 123.
Weather
As seasons change, so does the Weather.
| # | SPRING (day 1–90) |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Unchanged |
| 3–4 | Drizzling |
| 5 | Sunny & Calm |
| 6 | Overcast |
| 7 | Thick Mist |
| 8 | Clear & Windy |
| 9 | Soft Thunderstorm |
| 10 | Hailstorm |
| 11 | Late Frost |
| 12 | Violent Rainstorm |
| # | SUMMER (day 91–180) |
|---|---|
| 1–6 | Unchanged |
| 7–9 | Warm & Clear |
| 10–11 | Hot |
| 12 | Thundershowers |
| # | AUTUMN (day 181–270) |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Unchanged |
| 4 | Crisp & Clear |
| 5 | Steady Rain |
| 6 | Cold & Overcast |
| 7 | Thick Mist |
| 8 | Cold & Windy |
| 9 | Sleet |
| 10 | Snow Flurries |
| 11 | Rainstorm |
| 12 | Cold Snap |
| # | WINTER (day 271–360) |
|---|---|
| 1–6 | Unchanged |
| 7 | Cold & Clear |
| 8 | Steady Rain |
| 9 | Light Snow |
| 10 | Heavy Snow |
| 11 | Blizzard |
| 12 | Dire Frost |
Survival
You require food, water, and shelter.
Hunting
Hunting takes several hours and requires a ranged Weapon.
-
Check: Perception
-
If you have the Hunting Background, get an automatic success (d4 for 17–20)
A success provides enough to feed the party for one or more days.
| # | RESULT |
|---|---|
| 1–14 | – |
| 15–16 | Squirrel stew tonight |
| 17 | Pheasant or waterfowl |
| 18 | Boar |
| 19 | Deer |
| 20 | Bear |
Foraging
Foraging for edible food and drinkable water takes a few hours.
-
Check: Perception
-
There is a small chance—noted in the column marked with an exclamation (!)—you’ll get sick: –1 Constitution and –2 max HP for d4 days
-
If you have the Herbalist Background, get an automatic success (d4 for 17–20)
A success provides enough to feed d4 people for one day.
| # | RESULT |
|---|---|
| 1–14 | – |
| 15–16 | Water |
| 17 | Water |
| 18 | Mushroom soup! |
| 19 | Nuts & berries |
| 20 | Stewed greens & roots |
Planes
The Universe holds ancient mysteries and places beyond imagination: The Planes of Existence, accessed only through Magic, such as the Portal Spell.
Material Plane: The physical world: Earth.
Elemental Planes: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air: Harsh environments dominantly composed of a single element. Conjure Elemental taps into these Planes and transfers energy and consciousness from the Elemental Plane to another.
Astral Plane: An amorphous galaxy Plane made of stars and cosmic fabric. When you gaze at the sky at night you look into the Astral Plane. Home to many Celestials who may descend to the Material Plane at will.
Ethereal Plane: A misty realm of smoke and vapor overlapping the Material and Elemental Planes in key locations, allowing travel between these places to those who can find it. Considered “Wells of Power” by the Druids.
Otherworld: The chaotic kingdom of the Fey—ripe with Magic.
Shadow Realm: A place of deep dwelling and darkness. Source of the Shadow Reavers.
Underworld: The hollow inner core of the Earth; lair to subterranean Beasts and Demigods.