Forgeborn
A Roleplaying Game about Crafting Magical Objects
The Sword of the Red Phoenix. The Flamewright Hammer. The Nightfall Cloak. The Boots of Nythrial. These powerful artifacts were all crafted by the Master Smiths of the Forge, and now after many trials, much training, and years of apprenticeship you’ve joined their number. You can only hope that you will be worthy to place your works among the treasures of the Citadel, to be held in its well-guarded vault until a hero shall come and prove his need to the Masters.
<1>Overview
This is a game for 2-4 players plus a GM. Each of the players represents a Master of the Citadel of the Forge, responsible for crafting wondrous objects and endowing them upon the supplicant heroes who require them to fulfill their quests and fight the evils that plague the kingdom.
<1>The Map of the Realm
Create a map of the realm using a die-drop method. First, gather a collection of dice that includes 4d4, 6d6, 3d8, 1d12, and 1d20. Hold them in your hands several inches above a sheet of paper blank save for a compass rose indicating the cardinal directions. Drop them over the paper, letting them fall where they may. Replace any dice that fall beyond the edge of the map by re-dropping them one at a time. Lift the dice and mark the map.
●	The d20 is the Lair of the Dragon, a mountain fastness. Mark its location with an asterisk, or draw a mountain. Note the number on the die nearby; this is the dragon’s power.
●	The d12 is the Citadel of the Forge. Mark the location with a pentagon, or draw a tower. Note the number on the die nearby; this is the Citadel’s power.
●	The highest d8 is the City of the Prince, the capital of the Realm. In case of ties, use the d8 that’s closest to the center of the map. Mark the location with a crown. Give the Prince a power of 8. The other d8s are ruins. Mark their locations with diamonds. Note the numbers on the dice near the corresponding locations; these are the powers of the monstrous guardians of the ruins.
●	The d4s are villages. Mark them with a triangle; note the number on each die. This corresponds to the problem the village faces that requires a hero. 1 = a villain’s injustice or tyranny; 2 = a monster’s depredations; 3 = ill luck, disaster, or misfortune; 4 = 
●	The even d6s are mountains; the odd d6s are forests. Create mountain ranges by connecting the even d6s. Create forests similarly, but forests don’t go over mountains.
●	Connect the City of the Prince, the villages, and the Citadel of the Forge with each other by roads. Roads don’t cross mountains, but you can draw a trail (a dotted line) through the mountains to link up unconnected road networks. 
●	Connect the Lair of the Dragon and the ruins to their nearest settlement by a trail as long as it’s not too far and looks reasonable, aesthetically and geographically. Trails of this sort don’t cross mountains.
<1>Characters
<2>Master Smiths of the Forge
Each player controls one Master Smith of the Forge, capable of creating wondrous artifacts of power, beauty, and usefulness. Each player divides 11 points among his or her Master Smith’s four Humours and his or her Body, minimum 1, maximum 3.
●	Bile = Diamonds (d4). Intensity, ferocity, anger (destructive rage). Fire.
●	Black Bile = Spades (d6). Ruefulness, sadness, grief (black depression). Earth.
●	Breath = Clubs (d8). Calmness, tranquility, serenity (indolent torpor). Air.
●	Body = (d12). Aether.
●	Blood = Hearts (d20). Happiness, joy, elation (giddy delirium). Water.
Take a deck of cards and divide it into suits. Each player draws cards as appropriate from each pile based on the Master Smith’s stats, one for one--so a Master Smith with Breath 3 draws three Clubs.
Place a pawn or marker on the map to signify your Master Smith’s location whenever you leave the Citadel of the Forge.
<2>Heroes and Heroines
You can have heroes do things for you. Play a face card from your hand to reveal a hero. Draw to replace it. You have to put the hero on a village whose number corresponds to the suit of the face card you’ve played (1=Diamonds, 2=Spades, 3=Clubs, 4=Hearts). Heroes and heroines roll dice to take action. They get a d12 Body die, plus dice corresponding to their suit (Jacks get 1 suit die, Queens get 2, and Kings get 3).
Whenever a hero you’ve revealed does something that would gain victory points, you get them.
<1>Playing the Game
<2>The General Rule
Anytime you have a conflict or otherwise have to take action in the game, describe what your character does and discard cards up to your Body score to gain dice for the conflict. Roll the dice you’ve gathered. Any die that turns up prime (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, or 19) contributes a success. Any die that comes up with a square or a cube (4, 8, 9, 16) is volatile. Any die that comes up 1 is both successful and volatile. Any other die is inert, and has no effect.
Heroes and heroines just roll their dice. NPCs automatically have successes equal to their power and don’t normally experience complications.
You can use the dice imbued within an artifact of wondrous power if you can describe how it helps you. This may require the GM to describe the situation that you’re facing so that you can figure out a way to use the artifact. Or maybe it’s obvious; you still have to describe it.
Complications mean that you experience an imbalance of your humours. Check off the next emotional state appropriate to the smallest die you rolled; you have to role-play that emotional state in order to make use of that type of die from then on. Once you’ve checked off a sequence of three emotions, the next complication you experience means that your Master Smith is out of the game. You can keep playing any heroes you have in play, though.
Heroes and heroines just lose dice if they experience complications. Once they’re out of dice, they’ve been killed or are otherwise out of play.
At the end of a conflict, draw up to your maximum.
<2>Things You Can Do
<3>Create an Artifact of Wondrous Power
If you’re in the Citadel of the Forge, you can create a wondrous artifact. Decide on the artifact’s form. Sacrifice a point of the appropriate stat; Body is wild.
●	Diamond. A jewel, gem, ring, or crown.
●	Spades. A bladed weapon.
●	Clubs. A mace, club, hammer, or staff.
●	Hearts. A useful item of some sort--a cloak, a hat, boots, gloves, or similar item.
Decide on the artifact’s function. Sacrifice a point of the appropriate stat; Body is wild.
●	Diamond. Wealth, fortune, fame, glory, riches. Flight. Wish Fulfillment. Fire.
●	Spades. Combat, physical action. Protection. Speed. Earth.
●	Clubs. Information, knowledge, wisdom. Invisibility. Prophecy. Air.
●	Hearts. Persuasion, leadership. Glamour (Illusion), Charm. Water.
Name the artifact and imbue it with magical power. Others may help you. Discard a card of the appropriate suit to take a die of the indicated size. You can use d12s up to your Body score if you’re willing to put it at risk.
Roll the dice you’ve gathered. Successes imbue the item with a die of that type, and increase its power by one.
Volatile dice produce complications, as above. Anyone who helped you may suffer complications; you get to distribute them.
Put the item in the vault. You gain victory points equal to the power of the item. Anyone who helped you 
<3>Journey Through the Realm
You can move from the Citadel and go to other places. A move from one location to another by road is a “free move,” and you can do something else. A second move along a road ends the turn. Anything else is a conflict.
<3>Guide a Hero/Heroine
You can move a hero/heroine you’ve revealed from one location to another, or have him or her do anything you can do. You do this instead of taking your own action.
<3> Take an Item from the Vault
You have to get the other Master Smiths to concede that it is appropriate by law and prophecy for the artifact to be taken from the vault.
<3>Test a Hero
Any time a hero or heroine is at the Citadel, they may be tested. 
<3>Face the Dragon
If you win, you get victory points equal to the dragon’s power. Once the dragon is defeated, the game is over. The Master Smith with the most victory points wins.
<3>Explore the Ruins
Once the guardian of the ruins has been dealt with, you can explore it for resources. Roll a d8 and draw a card of the appropriate suit if you roll a 4 or less; otherwise you find nothing.
<3>Bargain in a Village
Once a village has had its problem dealt with, it becomes a place where you can acquire materials for the crafting of items.
<3>Beseech the Prince
The prince will give you resources.