From the World of

Wanderhome is copyright of Possum Creek Games Inc.

Wanderhome Reference Document is an independent production by trouser_mouse and is not affiliated with
Possum Creek Games Inc. It is published under the Wanderhome Third Party License.
Wanderhome Reference Document
This is an unofficial document, and is not published by Possum Creek Games.

It is intended to help people run Wanderhome, and shows one way the game and play sessions could be
run. It’s not showing the “right” way to play, as what works best for you will depend on your group.

Although Jay Dragon is happy for the Wanderhome content in this document to be shared, it's not an
endorsement.
Game Overview Wanderhome PDF Page References
1. You're animal-folk in a world which was once at war and is now at peace. The game is
about journey, exploration and fellowship. It's interested in the way the seasons, world Lore Game Mechanics
and people change. It's not really concerned with complex stories or action or physical ● The World of Wanderhome, p. 7 ● Journeying Tools, p. 11
conflict.
● Tokens, p. 18
2. You get a token when you do something at a cost to yourself or describe the world ● How to run a game with no Games
around you. Master (GM) and other styles of play,
p. 26
3. You spend a token to push the story forward, solve something important or make the ● Before We Embark questions, p. 24
world a kinder place.
● Quick Start, p. 34
4. Kith are NPCs, Traits are aspects of their personality. ● Playbooks, p. 48
● Seasons, Months, Holidays, p.189
5. Natures are all parts of a place, e.g. a town might be made up of a Market, a Road and a
Bridge. ● Natures, p.137
● Traits, p. 113
6. You journey in places made up of Natures, meet Kith and learn about the world and
the people in it and sometimes help them with their problems.

Example One-Shot Structure Unofficial Online Play Template

1. Introduce Wanderhome and the game world If you play Wanderhome online, one way to do this is to use the Google Slides template
found here.
2. The mechanics - Journey Tools, Tokens
Although the template is "View Only", you can easily save a copy for yourself to use.
3. How a rotating GM works
If you have Google Drive and are signed in, you can click on File in the top left, and then
click Make a Copy, Entire presentation, and then select the location to save it in your
4. Characters, introductions, questions Google Drive.

5. Pick a Season - helps when we are describing the world If you do not have Google Drive or are not signed in, you can click on File in the top left,
and then click Download. You can then share the template with your group in whatever
way you normally do.
6. Pick Natures, Kith, Small and Forgotten Gods, place name
To share this online with your group, save it in your Google Drive. Select the file in
7. Before We Embark questions Drive and use the following options: Right Click>Get Link. Set the permission options
as: Anyone With Link>Editor. Click Done.
Introduction Game Mechanics
Wanderhome is a dice-less and GM-agnostic pastoral fantasy role-playing game about Journeying Tools, p. 11
travelling animal-folk, the land they inhabit, and the way the seasons, world and people
change. These are some basic tools which allow us to have a healthy and safe conversation. They
are not conversation-enders; they help us find a way forward if we need to guide the
conversation. They should be accepted with compassion and grace if someone uses one.
As we arrive at each new place sometimes we'll help people we meet with their problems,
and sometimes we’ll just spend time with them and learn more about the world.

The game can be episodic: we might just wander along and see where the road takes us,
Tokens, p. 18
moving through stand-alone scenes; or we might choose to craft a more traditional story There are no dice or stats in Wanderhome. Instead, we use tokens to help the game flow:
that unfolds as we make our journey.
● You get a token when you do something at a cost to yourself or describe the world
The game is about the journey, exploration and fellowship. It's not concerned with around you.
complex stories or action or physical conflict. ● You spend a token to push the story forward, solve something important or make
the world a kinder place.

The World of Wanderhome, p. 7

At the bottom of your playbook in the grey bar, there is a list that shows some things you
can do to gain or spend a token.

The world of Wanderhome is called the Hæth. It was once plagued by a great war but is For example, you might get a token when you stop what you’re doing to helping a crying
now at peace. The world is: child (Inconvenience yourself to help someone else), and then spend the token later on to
clear a blocked road (Provide a solution for an aspect of a material or immediate problem).
● A beautiful and boundless land, full of life and soul � there are small and
forgotten gods and spirits, that hide behind rocks and in waves, and deal-making A good rule of thumb may be: spend a token when it feels important to the story or
crossroads daemons, and even the great sky gods themselves. Small and forgotten character. If you need a token and don't have one, just do something there and then that
gods can take whatever form we choose. gains you one e.g., describe something happening in the world as the scene unfolds.

● A land of animal-folk � mousey soldiers, pigeon merchants, squirrel musicians,

gecko fishermen. Everyone is an animal and you can’t assume much about someone
based on their look.
How to run a game with no Games Master (GM), p. 26
● Full of buggy livestock, pets, and wild creatures � there's herds of chubby If there is no fixed GM in Wanderhome, we are all responsible for giving a voice to the
bumble bees and stag beetles the size of houses, and so on. Because all the people are world and people we meet.
animals, bugs usually take the place of traditional animal roles e.g. cattle and food.
● Describing the world, and what is happening around us is something everyone does.
● A place with widespread culture of hospitality � when you arrive somewhere
new you will always be able to find some sort of lodging and food etc. If you hurt or ● We all jump in to play NPCs (called Kith), build on what others have said, and find
lash out at your host, they will still kick you out! out together what happens next.
● There are some additional Journeying Tools at the end of this guide which may help
● A place where people are fundamentally good � the exceptions are the mighty: you rotate the Guide role between everyone at the table.
generals, lords, heroes, soldiers, and people who have become weighed down with
power. We'll usually only meet every-day people who are good and mean well.
Giving a voice to the world doesn't mean we have to know what lies ahead � if we're not
sure what comes next or feel a bit stuck, that’s okay: we'll just ask the group and decide
together.
Playbooks Caretaker, p. 48
Pays attention and tends to the small and
Pilgrim, p. 80
In search of a faraway place, carried by
forgotten gods, helping each one find a their faith and desire to reach a home that
We use playbooks to create our characters. home. might not even exist.
Each playbook represents a specific kind of person you might find across the Hæth. Dancer, p. 52 Poet, p. 84
Opens up to the magical and strange A writer using their journeys as inspiration
We can all pick different playbooks, or have duplicates. Each group can decide this forces in the world, inviting them to dance for their project, trying to tie together the
together. and exist in the moment. threads that intertwine the history of this
land with their own heart.
Take a moment to look at the things you can always do at the bottom of your
playbook. You don't have to always do them, but these can help gesture towards what Exile, p. 56
kind of person your character is, and there are some things you can do that generate Banished from their homeland, and Ragamuffin, p. 88
tokens. travelling through the Hæth to look for A little rascal of a kid who just wants to
somewhere that can take them in and help cause problems and have fun.
them heal.
Shepherd, p. 92
Firelight, p. 60 Tends to a herd of bumblebees, keeping an
Accompanied by a firefly that lights their eye out as they travel to different pastures.
path, and helps guide people through the
world.
Teacher, p. 96
A travelling professor, who visits kids
Fool, p. 64 throughout the Hæth to instruct them on
Unused to and unfamiliar with the specialised knowledge and hidden secrets.
complicated and tangled world outside.
Approaches everything with the same
naїve optimism. Vagabond, p. 100
Once convicted by a faraway and cruel
authority, and forced to reinvent
Guardian, p. 68 themselves on the road.
Takes care of a young ward with a difficult
past and in desperate need of care.
Veteran, p. 104
Once a great hero, who held the entire
Moth-Tender, p. 72 world on the tip of their blade. No longer.
Assists carrier moths that fly across the
Hæth, delivering letters and parcels to
everyone who needs them.

Peddler, p. 76
Transports supplies and wares from place
to place, ensuring each community has
access to everything they need to survive.
Seasons, Months and Holidays Leap Silt
1. Tillsoil, p. 192 7. Firetop, p. 222
The Great Arc of the Year Phenomena: A Cold Leap, p. 193 Phenomena: A Dry Silt, p. 223
There are five seasons in a year. Each season has two months, and a holiday to announce 2. Monsoon, p. 194 8. Grasping, p. 224
its conclusion. During the holiday, choose an advancement for your character. Phenomena: The Great Flood, p. 195 Phenomena: The Biggest Storm in a
Holiday: The Sun Parade, p. 196-197 While, p. 225
When you complete a full rotation of the seasons, a new year begins. Give the new year a Alternate Holiday: Restlie, p. 198 Holiday: Candlefeast, p. 226-227
name that feels fitting. Alternate Holiday: Rime Gala, p. 228
Alternate Holiday: Ablution, p. 199
Alternate Holiday: Nameless Day, p. 229

The Five Seasons Bright

3. Blooommeadow, p. 202 Chill
The fives seasons are: Leap, Bright, Breathe, Silt, Chill.
Phenomena: A Majestic Bloom, p. 203 9. Snowblanket, p. 232
Leap Silt 4. Devildays, p. 204 Phenomena: A Deep Snow, p. 233
1. Tillsoil - when it is time to unthaw the 7. Firetop - when all the trees turn red Phenomena: A Meteor Shower, p. 205 10. Frostbite, p. 234
ground and plant crops and orange and it is custom to light many Holiday: The Day of Song, p. 206-207 Phenomena: The Eclipse, p. 235
bonfires
2. Monsoon - when the rains are heavy Alternate Holiday: Callaleah, p. 208 Holiday: New Years, p. 236-237
and constant 8. Grasping - when the leaves fall from Alternate Holiday: Bloody Night, p. 238
the trees and the plants look like claws Alternate Holiday: Old Api's Fair, p. 209
Holiday- The Sun Parade pointing at the heavens Alternate Holiday: Sunrise, p. 239
Holiday - Candle Feast Breathe
Bright 5. Swarming, p. 212
3. Bloommeadow - when fields and trees Chill Phenomena: Cicada Season, p. 213
are covered in flowers
9. Snowblanket - when the world goes 6. Gateling, p. 214
4. Devildays - a month of relaxation, quiet and calm under the weight of heavy Phenomena: A Fleeting Gateling, p. 215
sleep, and escape from the burning heat snow.
Holiday: The Moon Dance, p. 216-217
Holiday - The Day of Song 10. Frostbite - when the air is bitter and
dreadfully cold, and few dare travel from Alternate Holiday: Reflections Day, p. 218
town to town. Alternate Holiday: Pyre, p. 219
Breathe Holiday - New Years
5. Swarming - the traditional mating
season for many bugs and a time when
the air is filled with music
6. Gateling - the shortest month of the
year, of cold nights but hot days
Holiday - The Moon Dance
Natures 1. Comfortable Natures 4. Sprawling Natures
(Might be: cosy, relaxing) (Might be: large, irregular)
When we arrive in a new place, it is made up of three natures. 1. Farm, p. 140 1. Carnival, p. 164
2. Garden, p. 141 2. Castle, p. 165
Natures are the building blocks of places. They inform the look and feel of the place, and 3. Market, p. 142 3. Furnace, p. 166
how the place shapes the people who engage with it.
4. Monastery, p. 143 4. Metropolis, p. 167
For example, the place we visit might be a village with a Road, a Bridge, and a Tower. It 5. Tower, p. 144 5. Palace, p. 168
can have other things too, but we should pick the natures we’re most interested in 6. Workshop, p. 145 6. University, p. 169
exploring.

The natures also don't have to be literal. A giant hill might literally be a rocky hill, but 2. Verdant Natures 5. Lonely Natures
metaphorically be a Tower and use the Tower Nature. Or, maybe you explore some (Might be: natural, countryside) (Might be: sad, remote)
tunnels so deep you can almost see the sky again, and the tunnels are an inverted Tower.
1. Field, p. 148 1. Cave, p. 172
Comfortable, Verdant, and Liminal natures are common throughout the Hæth; 2. Glen, p. 149 2. Graveyard, p. 173
Sprawling, Lonely, and Desolate natures are more rare. 3. Hallow, p. 150 3. Mirage, p. 174
4. Hillock, p. 151 4. Mirror, p. 175
5. Lagoon, p. 152 5. Moor, p. 176
6. Swamp, p. 153 6. Wilderness, p. 177

3. Liminal Natures 6. Desolate Natures

(Might be: transitional, boundary, (Might be: wretched, challenging)
threshold) 1. Desert, p. 180
1. Bridge, p. 156 2. Labyrinth, p. 181
2. Island, p. 157 3. Maelstrom, p. 182
3. Lake, p. 158 4. Mountain, p. 183
4. Port, p. 159 5. Ruin, p. 184
5. Road, p. 160 6. Waste, p. 185
6. Tavern, p. 161
Kith and Traits 1. Artistic Traits 5. Physical Traits
1. Crafty, p. 114 1. Adventurous, p. 122
NPCs in Wanderhome are called Kith. They are the people we encounter in the Hæth. 2. Dramatic, p. 114 2. Passionate, p. 122
3. Imaginative, p. 114 3. Resolute, p. 122
When we make a Kith together, all we are doing is making an NPC. We give them a 4. Poetic, p. 115 4. Sturdy, p. 123
name, pronouns, decide what animal they are, a relationship to someone (another Kith or 5. •Glamorous, p. 115 5. •Feral, p. 123
player character), and some Traits. We might also decide some other details about them,
or let those emerge as we play. 6. •Miraculous, p. 115 6. •Mighty, p. 123

Traits are features of their personality, like Friendly or Quiet, and help give an idea of 2. Grounded Traits 6. Social Traits
what the Kith is like. This doesn't mean the character can't also be other things as well � 1. Honest, p. 116 1. Caring, p. 124
everyone changes and has different aspects of their personality � but the Traits give us a
baseline to help characterise the Kith consistently no matter who plays the character. 2. Quiet, p. 116 2. Friendly, p. 124
3. Watchful, p. 116 3. Proper, p. 124
If you are playing a Kith and would like your character to interact with them, one way to 4. Wise, p. 117 4. Raucous, p. 125
approach this is to ask if someone else would like to play the Kith. This means we are each 5. •Intertwined, p. 117 5. •Empathetic, p. 125
playing only one side of the conversation.
6. •Invisible, p. 117 6. •Many-Faced, p. 125
Some traits have a small symbol next to them.
● Traits marked with “•” indicate magical or supernatural abilities. 3. Intellectual Traits 7. Traumatised Traits
● Traits marked with “‡“ indicate the result of trauma and pain. 1. Ambitious, p. 118 1. ‡Cautious, p.128
2. Cunning, p. 118 2. ‡Empty, p.128
If we want our journey to be more mundane and grounded, we can ignore magical or 3. Inquisitive, p. 118 3. ‡Frantic, p.128
supernatural traits, or use them sparingly.
4. Learned, p. 119 4. ‡Furious, p.129
5. •Oracular, p. 119 5. ‡Grieving, p.129
If we want our journey to be more cosy and upbeat, we can ignore traumatised traits, or
use them sparingly. 6. •Witchy, p. 119 6. ‡Hurt, p.129
7. ‡Lost, p.130
4. Personal Traits 8. ‡Nervous, p.130
1. Cheerful, p. 120 9. ‡Starving, p.130
2. Chill, p. 120 10. ‡Heroic, p.131
3. Confident, p. 120 11. ‡Royal, p.131
4. Pensive, p. 121 12. ‡Dead, p.131
5. •Luminescent, p. 121
6. •Venerable, p. 121
Before We Embark, p. 24 Get A Token, p. 18
Once we have our place, some kith, and each other, we are nearly ready to play. All we Get a token when you do something at a cost to yourself or describe the world around
have to do is answer some questions together. you.
● Inconvenience yourself to help someone else.
1. What sort of place did we just travel from?
● Give away something you hold dear.
2. Do we feel our journey has been long? ● Pause for a moment and get some rest.
● Leave an offering to a small or forgotten god.
3. Is there somewhere we hope to go? ● Speak your true feelings on a subject.
● Take a moment to bask in the grandeur of the world, and describe it to the table.
4. And finally answer this question silently, in our heads: Where is my home? ● Take a moment to watch a tiny moment of beauty, and describe it to the table.
● Take a moment to marvel at something no one has ever seen before, and ask the table
And with that, our journey begins. to describe it.

Journeying Tools, p. 11 Spend A Token, p. 19

● “Let’s do this instead.” Spend a token to push the story forward, solve something important, or help make the
world a better, kinder space.
● “Do we want to?”
● Provide a solution for an aspect of a material or immediate problem.
● “Where to next?”
● Ease someone’s pain, if only for a moment.
● “What do you think?”
● Keep someone safe from the difficulties of the world.
● “Hold on.”
● Offer someone the chance to connect with you on a personal level.
● “No.” ● Find what someone needs to give them a chance to change fundamentally.
● Stepping away. ● Reveal something hidden about the person in front of you, and ask them what it is.
● Know something important about the place you’re in, and tell the table about it.
● Listen to the shared wisdom of the many small and forgotten gods, and ask the table
Guide Tools what they tell you.

If you have never played a GM-less game before, these additional tools may help you
rotate the Guide role between everyone at the table.
● "Can I add something?" (not from your character's point of view, but as the guide)
● "Can I switch with someone?" (to stop guiding)
● "Can I switch with you?" (to start guiding)