MOUNTAIN

HOME
Karl Scheer
 An Ideagonk game
www.ideagonk.com
Mountain Home is copyright © 2021 Karl Scheer

This work is based on Blades in the Dark (found at http://

www.bladesinthedark.com/), product of One Seven Design, developed and
authored by John Harper, and licensed for our use under the Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/3.0/).

Blades in the Dark™ is a trademark of One Seven Design. The Forged in the
Dark Logo is © One Seven Design, and is used with permission.

This version is an incomplete, low-art ashcan: The rules and text are not
final. There are gaps in the text where art will hopefully eventually be.

Any recommendations or corrections are welcome and will make the final
game better. Thank you!

Mountain Home was laid out to be read as a two-page spread. I recommend

setting your PDF reader to a side-by-side view that supports this.

This book is heavily hyperlinked: You can click blue text to travel to the
section described.

Anyone who owns this book or has purchased this PDF has express
permission to print it for personal use.

For play materials, visit

https://turtlehat.itch.io/mountain-home/
Talk about the game on Discord at https://discord.gg/7PQhQ3SCzp
 Credits
Karl Scheer
Game design, writing, layout

Kate Scheer
Cover Artist, iconography

Juan Ochoa
Chapter Art

Galen Pejeau
Playbook Art

Jason Vanhee
Editor

Trevor Kearns
Dev Editor

Thanks
Thanks to my playtesters: Adam Hegemier, Dave Monday Cox, Dustin Niehoff,
Harrigan, Jeffrey Bo Doon, JonNotJon, Targrus, and more. Nate and Fred for
seeking out typos. The Game Production and Game Design folks on RPG Talk,
especially Tam H, and Brad Murray.

Acknowledgements
Mountain Home is a Forged in the Dark game based on Blades in the Dark by
John Harper. Thanks to games like Dwarf Fortress for helping spark my imag‐
ination about dwarves and emergent storytelling.

Mountain Home was created in Affinity Publisher.

Typefaces: Vollkorn, Vollkorn SC, Spectral SC, timeToPlay, Dicier
Table of Contents
An Introduction 6
What do you need to play?
The World of Mountain Home
Mechanics in a Nutshell

Creating a Founder 14
How to Make a Founder
Founder Playbooks

How to Play 48
The Conversation
Stress, Harm, and Weariness
Actions and Attributes
Action Rolls

Settlements 74
Tier and Hold
Treasure
Reputation
Faction Status
Settlement Goals

The Settlement Map 90

Claim Discovery
Claim Buildings
Types of Claim Buildings
The Play Phases 100
Expeditions
Settlement Phase
Entanglements

The First Session 132

Introduce the Game
Build the World
Run the First Expedition

Running the Game 146

Agendas & Principles
The GM Toolkit
Running an Expedition

Creating the World 182

Making the World Your Own
Regions
Factions
Random Claim Generation

Tables, Lists & Oracles 204

Dwarven Names
Dwarven Crafting
Oracles
An Introduction

M
ountain Home is a game about a group of dwarves setting out
from their homeland and struggling to create a new home
for themselves. It’s about a strange frontier life below
ground with unknown threats all around. The only civilizations
nearby are unfamiliar. The world is dangerous and one cannot be sure
if the settlement will make it, but at least you have your fellow
dwarves by your side.

The players work together to explore questions like…

◆ “Can we find what we need to survive?”
◆ “Who are our neighbors and how will we get along?”
◆ “How will the founders handle so much pressure?”
◆ “Will we find a permanent home here?”
◆ “What will become of our settlement?”
◆ “What will our legacy be?”

These questions are answered cooperatively in the course of playing

the game. There is no single win condition.

6
What do you need to play?
Mountain Home requires a group of 3-6 people, some pencils, six-sided
dice (d6s), and the playbook sheets available at
https://turtlehat.itch.io/mountain-home/

Digital materials for playing online are available here:

https://tinyurl.com/mountainhomedigital

A game of Mountain Home is expected to take around 10-15 in-game

years, but what’s right for each group is always different. Readers who
intend to be playing Mountain Home as a character should read this
book from the start, stopping at the “The First Session” section. Game
Masters should read the whole book.

Touchstones
When you’re pitching this game to others, consider other media that
involves journeys far from home, settling new places, and dealing with
strange folk such as:
◆ Dwarf Fortress ◆ Deep Space Nine
◆ Banner Saga ◆ King of Dragon Pass
◆ The Hobbit ◆ Massive Chalice

The World of Mountain Home

We play in a wild fantasy world, populated with a diverse cast of folks:
Dwarves, goblins, elves and more all scramble to get a foothold to call
their own in a vast, largely unsettled region.

Who or what inhabits this world is up to the group. Do strange, forgot‐

ten things lie buried beneath the earth for dwarves to find?Will they
benefit from these things or struggle to survive them? What magic
will the dwarves find? How will the other inhabitants feel about the
dwarves? During the first session everyone works together to design
the important regions and create the factions which the dwarves will
deal with.

7 A Brief Introduction
The Dwarves
Dwarves are just one of the many kinds of people in the world, but
they are the subject of the game. Dwarves are short of stature, often
have beards, and live underground in tightly-knit communities where
they depend each other to survive. Dwarves have a spiritual
connection with the mountains in which they live. They converse with
the spirits of the earth, scribe symbols of power called runes, and
craft dwarven brews with magical effects.

Players take on the role of founders, brave and capable leaders who
boldly leave their lives behind to create a new mountain home. Each
founder was chosen for their remarkable knowledge, capabilities and
experience. The founders strive to guide the settlement toward stable,
prosperous future. Mountain homes begin as small places, so the
founders take on many of responsibilities: they make decisions on
behalf of the settlement, toil away to excavate new buildings, go on
dangerous expeditions, deal with other factions.

The Settlement
Dwarves do not leave their homes on a whim. A great need,
impending danger, or new opportunity forced the founders to head far
out across the surface and found a new settlement. This small new
mountain home is the focus of the game.

As the experts and leaders of the mountain home, the founders will
make deals and engage in politics, dig deep, fight to defend each other,
and create wondrous things in the name of their settlement.

The Game Master

The Game Master (GM) functions as the narrator and facilitator for
the players. The GM describes the world, plays the role of the non-
player characters (NPCs), and guides the flow of conversation.

The GM is a guide who helps the players tell a story together, chal‐
lenges the dwarves, provides consequences in response to characters’
actions, and makes an expansive, vibrant world. The GM is not
responsible for feeding a story to the players or controlling the themes
that the players explore. See Running the Game on page TDB.

A Brief Introduction 8
Mechanics in a Nutshell
This overview of the game mechanics isn’t exhaustive or intended to
fully explain the game. Reference the page numbers listed for full
details and treat this as a starting point.

The players change the story just by narrating what their founders are
doing. When the players narrate something risky or uncertain the GM
asks for action rolls to help determine the outcome.

Taking actions
Action ratings, listed on the character playbook sheets, help to deter‐
mine the number of dice to roll for an action. Each playbook has a list
of action ratings, categorized by attribute, which are tracked by rows
of boxes. Your action rating is the number of marked boxes in the
labeled row for that action. Action ratings are covered in detail in the
Actions and Attributes section on page TBD.

Scout □ □ □ □ = Scout rating of 0

Dig ■ ■ □ □ = Dig rating of 2
Journey ■ ■ ■ □ = Journey rating of 3

For an action roll, a player rolls a number of six-sided dice equal to the
action rating. An action rating of three means the player rolls three
dice, written as 3D. With a rating of 0, roll two dice and take the
lowest. Modifiers that change this and are written as +1D to add a die
or -1D to remove one.

9 A Brief Introduction
Read the highest dice to determine the outcome of an action. Multiple
6s result in a critical success – the player accomplishes even more than
expected. A single 6 is a success. A highest result of 4-5 is a partial suc‐
cess, a success with consequences. The highest result being a 1-3 is a
failure with consequences. Look to the GM to see what consequences
come to pass. Action rolls are covered in Action Rolls section.

A failure: A partial A success: A critical

success: success:

1 3 4 3 3
5 1

6
1 6 6
2

Before the roll, the GM states the risk and reward of the action based
on the current situation. Players can change the risk and reward with
their action choice and narration. Players earn more dice by asking for
a Devil’s Bargain to get +1D in exchange for story-based
complications. Devil’s Bargains are covered in detail on page TBD.

Goals that are too complex for a single action are tracked with clocks.
Each successful player action ticks through one or more clock seg‐
ments until the clock is filled and the goal is complete. Clocks are
covered in detail on page TBD.

Dig into the Dig into the Dig into the

iron vein iron vein iron vein

0/4 3/4 4/4

Clock is just Clock is nearly Clock event
started finished happens!

A Brief Introduction 10
Dealing with consequences
Founders all have a stress track in their playbook. Players spend stress
to get +1D, help each other, get flashbacks to change the story, or resist
consequences of their rolls. Managing stress is covered on page TBD.

Insight Resisting with Taking no stress

rating of 3: 3 insight: with 3 insight:

23 4
■ □ □ □ Craft

5
■ ■ □ □ Scout
■ ■ ■ □ Study
4 6
Player rolls a 4, Player rolls a 6,
takes 2 stress. takes no stress.

When a player faces unwanted consequences, they can diminish or

avoid the consequence with a resistance roll. Players resist a con‐
sequence by rolling with an attribute rating. Your attribute rating is
the number of action ratings in the category with any marked boxes.
The player rolls their attribute rating and then takes 6 stress minus the
highest die that they rolled.

Dwarves deal with stress by indulging their obsessions, potentially

unmanaged selfish behaviors that they use to cope. Each founder must
find their own balance. If dwarves overindulge or max out their stress,
they select a permanent weariness on their playbook, a roleplayed
hindrance to their ability to help lead their mountain home. Indulging
an Obsession is covered on page TBD.

11 A Brief Introduction
Phases of play in a nutshell
Mountain Home cycles through several phases to help guide major
aspects of the story.

During the expedition phase, founders travel, go on episodic adven‐

tures and work together to protect the settlement. Play will happen at
a more rapid pace.

During the settlement phase, founders recover from expeditions,

explore the world underground, construct new buildings, and
negotiate for the good of the settlement. The Play Phases chapter
covers this in more detail on page TBD.

A new year provides a fresh start for the founders to gather their
resources and account for their progress.

Throughout all of these phases, the players use free play to narrate
interesting scenes and compelling moments as they wish.

A New Year

Free play

Settlement Expedition
Phase Phase

A Brief Introduction 12
Creating a Founder

C
reating a character starts with choosing a playbook, which is a
general archetype of a founding dwarf in Mountain Home. Your
playbook provides an area of expertise, signals how the
founder will contribute to the group, and also indicates what aspects
of the game the player finds interesting.
◆ Artisan: A crafter of mythical skill and renown
◆ Earthshaper: An expert miner, mason, and demolitionist
◆ Elder: A respected and wise pillar of the community
◆ Keeper: A capable logistical expert and librarian
◆ Runemaster: A master of the chiseled dwarven magic
◆ Shieldbearer: A stoic fighter and leader
◆ Warden: A vigilant scout and tracker

Full details on each of the Founder playbooks are explained after the
founder creation process on page TBD.

14
Choose your playbook
During founder creation, no action rating may end up above two.
Action ratings are raised later by gaining experience.

Action Bonuses
Each playbook has two bonuses to action ratings that help provide
context for the playbook’s specialization. On the playbook sheets, this
is already filled out.

Special Abilities
All playbooks have a list of special abilities that exemplify the unique
things that only founders with that ability can do. As founders grow in
experience, they will unlock more abilities that expand the breadth of
what they can do.

Downtime Bonus
Each playbook lists a +1D bonus to any downtime actions the founder
takes that fit the bonus description. These bonuses can relate to the
narrative context of an action or the action rating.

Experience
Every playbook has a unique way to gain experience (XP). Engaging in
this activity marks the playbook experience tracks that lead to new
abilities and increased action ratings.

15 Creating a Founder
Choose your Clan Legacy
Your legacy highlights a founder’s burdens and social expectations.
Your clan connection doesn’t have to be biological: founders can be
adopted, connected through adoption, marriage, or other way the
player wishes. Select two listed action ratings to improve.

Pillars of the Community: Your clan is known for leading guilds

and founding cities. Why is your clan so well-esteemed?
Pick 2: +1 dig, +1 command, +1 host

Lost Bloodline: Your clan name has nearly been lost. Why was it
buried in obscurity?
Pick 2: +1 study, +1 convince, +1 host

Shamed Family: Folks whisper gloomily about your clan history.

What events mar your past?
Pick 2: +1 craft, +1 skirmish, +1 journey

Forgekeepers: Your family is known for an artifact of great

renown. What is it and what does it do?
Pick 2: +1 craft, +1 dig, +1 infuse

Warlords: Your family led soldiers in combat. What historical

battles are in your family’s past?
Pick 2: +1 study, +1 convince, +1 command

Stoneheart: Your clan has intimate ties to the earth. Why have
you left? How are you close with the earth?
Pick 2: +1 dig, +1 stonespeak, +1 infuse

Skywatcher: Your folk wander the surface world. Why do you

eschew the typical dwarven homelands?
Pick 2: +1 craft, +1 scout, +1 journey

Unforged: Your surname is unproven. You must strive to put your

name into the annals of history. Who still doubts your potential?
Pick 2: +1 scout, +1 skirmish, +1 any other action rating

Creating a Founder 16
Choose Your Apprenticeship
In a founder’s earlier years, they took on an apprenticeship. This
doesn’t always inform a founder’s future. Players should use the
apprenticeship to highlight the turning points in their founder’s past.

Crafter: Weaver, smith, brewer, or cook. You made things with

your hands. What did you make?
Pick 2: +1 craft, +1 stonespeak, +1 infuse

Laborer: Miner, farmer, or carter. Your formative years involved

hard work, lots of sweat and exhaustion. What did you do?
Pick 2: +1 dig, +1 journey, +1 stonespeak

Social: Merchant, bartender, performer, or priest. Your

apprenticeship focused on serving or entertaining others. Who
valued your service most?
Pick 2: +1 craft, +1 convince, +1 host

Soldier: Scout, militia-member, conscript, captain. Your younger

years were spent in the military. Whom did you fight?
Pick 2: +1 scout, +1 skirmish, +1 command

Scholar: Librarian, scribe, teacher, or runecarver. Your

apprenticeship focused on learning, and knowledge. What was
your area of expertise or your greatest discovery?
Pick 2: +1 study, +1 stonespeak, +1 infuse

Ruler: Governor’s aid, royalty or administrator. You helped

manage a settlement. What did you learn?
Pick 2: +1 convince, +1 command,+1 host

Caregiver: Nurse, doctor, herder, veterinarian. You learned to

care for others. Whom did you care for?
Pick 2: +1 study, +1 convince, +1 host

17 Creating a Founder
Choose Your Obsession
Dwarves all have private obsessions — vices or antisocial behaviors
that don’t align with the values of the settlement. These various obses‐
sions relieve the dwarves of the stress accumulated from years of
selfless toil, but put them at risk of losing control.
◆ Gambling ◆ Hoarding
◆ Thievery ◆ Selfish Crafting
◆ Heresy ◆ Wandering
◆ Choose your own

Choose a Special Ability

Each playbook has a list of special abilities. These are things that only
founders with that playbook can do. The first special ability listed is a
safe choice for players who are unsure of what to pick, but players may
choose any ability from the list.

In addition to the listed playbook special abilities, founders can

choose special abilities from other playbooks twice per character
instead of an ability from their original playbook. On the printed
playbook sheets, this is shown as the veteran ability.

Create Your Personal Guild

The founders’ decision to strike out has inspired others to follow
along. Using the Guild creation instructions on page TBD, each player
creates a group of non-player characters with a specialty that matches
their founder’s recent associates before they set out.

Introduce yourself
Once all of the founders are complete, the group is ready ready to play.
The group introduces their founders to each other and set off to found
their new mountain home.

Creating a Founder 18
The Artisan
A crafter of mythical skill and renown

Artisans are the lifeblood of dwarven society. Their crafts bring fame,
treasure, and honor to their homelands. They are often well-versed in
a variety of crafts, including alchemy, brewing, and smithing.

Play an artisan if you want to solve problems with gear, the magic of
dwarven crafting, strange inventions and magic brews.

Who taught you to craft? What items do you specialize in crafting? What rare
ingredients have you heard of from this new land? Which other founder needs to
learn to care for their gear?

When you play an artisan, you gain XP when you create or leverage
something new for the mountain home. You get get +1D on downtime
actions when you work on anything involving crafting.

Action Bonuses
◆ Craft +1
◆ Infuse +2

The Artisan 20
Special Abilities
Inventor
You may flashback or use downtime actions to craft a new item, using
the same mechanism as the borrow aid rules. The item is a temporary,
non-magical tool.

Master Brewer
Take +1 result level for downtime actions inventing brews. Your kegs
of brew contain an additional usage. Begin with one special brew
recipe that you negotiate with the GM.

Intuitive Infusion
You may infuse magical ingredients into an item for a temporary
magical artifact that lasts for one expedition. Use the negotiation rules
to determine how it works, but no downtime project is necessary.
When you spend a downtime action to scavenge for or gather magical
materials, get +1 to your result level.

Productive
Get +1 reward level on one downtime action per year. Get +1D to
resistance rolls against fatigue or stamina.

Master Metalsmith
Take +1 to your result level on downtime actions relating to metal‐
smithing. Any metal items from your supply count as fine quality. You
begin with one special design that you negotiate with the GM.

Foreman
During downtime, you may select a building to be treated as tier+1 for
that year. Take -1 stress when leading a group action with a guild.

Jury Rig
When using devices beyond their intended purpose, gain +1D. When
you use a claim beyond its intended purpose, you may push yourself to
avoid damaging it during this use.

21 The Artisan
Common Dwarven Brews
Artisans start with the ability to brew special dwarven recipes from
the below list of brews. Each brew has a listed tier and number of uses
per supply in parentheses. Further brews can be researched or
invented. Some examples are detailed in the Oracles and Tables
section on page TBD.
◆ Ragebrew Porter (Tier I, 3 uses): A perpetually warm beer that heats
your blood and prepares you for battle. Get +1 reward level to your
combat rolls.
◆ Three-Eye Rye Stout (Tier II, 3 uses): A potent ale that binds the
drinker to the stirring of the earth. They hear every drip of cavern water and
every breath of a cave beetle. Get +1D to gather information.
◆ Mushroom Ale (Tier II, 2 uses): A strange brew that spiritually
attunes you to the earth. Gain +1D to stonespeak for the day.
◆ Silver Crown Black Lager (Tier I, 3 uses): Fermented in a barrel with
a single silver coin inside, this brew gives its drinker a silver tongue. Gain
increased reward level to convince or host.
◆ King Ailthod’s Wine (Tier I, 3 uses): This may be a poison, but it
tastes all right.

Artisan Items
◆ Smithing gear (1-2 supply): Fireproof apron, portable forge,
portable anvil, smith’s hammer, tongs. This kit can help you craft
or interact with artifacts and other dangerous things.
◆ Tinkering tools (1-2 supply): Tweezers, magnifying glass, drills,
small hammers, gears, wire. There are many strange contraptions
◆ Brewing gear (1-2 supply): Brewer’s yeast, barrels, carboy, keg.
Necessary for brewing on the go, but also good for cooking or
dealing with strange or dangerous ingredients.
◆ A keg of special brew (1 supply, 2 uses): Each use contains a
number of uses of your special dwarven brews. The exact number
depends on the description of the brew.
◆ A rare stone or gem with potential (1 supply): The sort of item
that would be perfect for a Runemaster’s craft, or perhaps an
emergency magical infusion.
◆ A rare animal part (1 supply): A perfect obscure ingredient that
could be used for an infusion or trade.

The Artisan 22
The Earthshaper
An expert miner, mason, and demolitionist

Earthshapers use their intimate knowledge of the stone and soil to

create tunnels, shape stone into buildings, and listen for unwelcome
guests. They are essential to a burgeoning dwarven society.

Play an Earthshaper if you want to expand the mountain home, solve

problems with explosives, and delve deep into the earth.

What structures have you excavated in the past? What do you hope to build in
the new mountain home? What ideals drive you to build these Mountain Homes
to outlast you?

When you play an Earthshaper, you gain XP when you carve out some‐
thing that will last. You get +1D for downtime when you dig, make use
of a mine or work with stone.

Action Bonuses
◆ Dig +2
◆ Craft +1

The Earthshaper 24
Special Abilities
Master Bombsmith
Your bomb satchels have one additional use. Get +1 result level to
downtime actions researching new explosives. Use the negotiation
rules for one recipe now.

Architect
Get +1D to action rolls to construct new buildings and reduced risk
level when demolishing structures.

Contingency Plans
Once you have spent time in any tunnel or structure, you may push
yourself to collapse it or trap someone inside.

Mine Boss
When leading laborious group actions, get +1D. When taking stress
from group actions with your guild, take no more than 1 stress.

Loyal Crew
Add two more uses of your guild members to your supply list.

Sapper
When digging to gain unwelcome entry into a location, or ambush
an opponent, gain +1D. Your explosive-related action rolls are never
high risk.

Soul Talisman
You may spend a downtime action to channel a part of yourself into a
decorative stone object. Whoever carries it transmits basic feelings
back to you. Maintaining this totem for more than a season costs 1
stress per year.

25 The Earthshaper
Common Bombs
Earthshapers begin with these bomb recipes. Bombs are described
with a tier and number of uses per supply in parentheses. A smoke
bomb is a tier 1 bomb with 2 uses.

Further bombs can be researched. Some examples are listed in the

Oracles and Tables section on page TBD.
◆ Black Powder Bomb (Tier II, 2 uses): A traditional explosive that
sends sharp rock fragments into the air.
◆ Smoke bomb (Tier I, 2 uses): Emits a putrid, eye-stinging smoke
for several minutes.
◆ Flare (Tier I, 3 uses): A long-burning blinding light to blind foes
and signal allies.
◆ Mining Charge (Tier III, 1 use): Mining charges take time and
care to set up. They are designed for large blasts as part of exca‐
vation, tunneling and other building projects.

Earthshaper Items
◆ Architecture and planning supplies (1-2 supply): Paper, quill,
straight edge. The sorts of supplies needed for tunnel analysis,
planning, and mining operations.
◆ Delving gear (1-2 supply): A fine helmet, a bullseye lantern, a
hefty cask of oil, funnel of black powder, a mithril-capped chisel
and hammer. Perfect for low-light environments,
◆ A bomb satchel (1 supply, 2 uses): Each use gives access to a
bomb recipe that the Earthshaper knows, for however many uses
the bomb specifies.
◆ Up-to-date settlement tunnel maps (1 supply): Between all of
the documents an Earthshaper maintains, they are sure to have the
necessary information on a nearby tunnel.

The Earthshaper 26
The Elder
A respected and wise pillar of the community

A wizened dwarf of numerous seasons. Deep in knowledge and often

long of beard or braid, Elders are sought out for their advice and
experience.

Play an elder if you want to draw from past experiences, leverage

social connections, and forgotten knowledge to solve problems in your
mountain home.

What lead you to leave your homeland despite your aching bones? Which other
founders have you seen grow up from childhood? What hope do you have for the
younger dwarves? What memories do you have of the factions here?

When you play an elder, you gain XP when you leverage your past to
solve problems in the present. You get +1D for downtime actions
relating to assistance, research, and diplomacy.

Action Bonuses
◆ Host +2
◆ Convince +1

The Elder 28
Special Abilities
Just Like Old Times
When you lead a group action that relates to your heritage or
apprenticeship, you cannot take more than 1 stress.

To be Young Again
You may take one harm to automatically succeed at an action or take
two harm to get a critical success for that action.

Never Forget a Braid

Your depth of knowledge for those around you gives +1D to
convince when dealing with an individual whom you have done
right by in the past.

Old Friends
You can push yourself to create a shared history with a non-player
character. Do a host fortune roll to determine the quality of your
relationship.

Aching Augury
+1 result level on action rolls to sense danger, ill omens or weather.
+1D to resist the consequences if you tried to prepare for the danger.

Memory Trove
You can assist your allies without risk to yourself by providing advice
based on past experiences as long as they will listen.

Extended Family
You may gather information by sending a letter to a family member
somewhere else in the world so as long as you don’t mind waiting for a
response. If you use stonespeak, you can ask the dead for
information as long as you own something of theirs to leverage.

29 The Elder
Elder Items
◆ Heirloom gear (1-2 supply): Fine clothes and jewelry, a detailed
genealogy tree, family signet hammer, a boar bristle brush. The
sort of things that are ideal in a dwarven social situation or for
making an impression.
◆ Correspondence kit (1-2 supply): Fine inks, parchment, wax, a
pigeon homed to the settlement. The ideal gear for polite requests,
diplomacy, or even a forgery.
◆ A historical memento (1 supply): An elder always has something
from the distant past on hand.
◆ Ceremonial tea set (1 supply): teapot, tea cups, tea bags.
◆ A pipe tobacco for a group (1 supply): Nothing brings relaxes the
social defenses of a group like a pack of good tobacco.
◆ A fine, old instrument (1 supply): A old musical instrument of
some sort that you can play skillfully enough.
◆ A small, fine gift (1 supply): With so many years to accumulate
knickknacks, it’s inevitable than an elder dwarf would have some‐
thing small for another to appreciate.

The Elder 30
The Keeper
A capable logistical expert and librarian

Dwarven societies last for centuries, accumulating stories, artifacts

and dangerous secrets. A keeper holds this knowledge and helps
regulate the flow of goods through a dwarven society. They are the
first dwarf to seek out when others need something rare.

Play a keeper if you want to support the mountain home with supplies
and obscure knowledge.

Where did you learn to keep knowledge or goods? Do you have any special
information or stories you keep to yourself? Which other founders’ clans have
you studied extensively?

When you play a keeper, you gain XP when you unearth a secret or
leverage your supply cache to help another. You get +1D for downtime
actions when you work on research or acquiring an asset.

Action Bonuses
◆ Journey +1
◆ Study +2

The Keeper 32
Keeper Special Abilities
Quartermaster
You can borrow aid to scrounge the fortress stores for ancient and
forgotten things or lost artifacts of limited use. When doing this, you
get +1 result level. Your first flashback to borrow aid in the form of an
item during an expedition costs no stress.

Archivist
During the settlement phase, you automatically get one tick towards
any downtime project involving research or learning. Get +1 result
level to all gather information rolls.

Here, catch!
You may spend two of your own supply boxes to refresh the uses of an
ally’s supply box at any time.

Intuitive Dealmaker
When you formalize a deal, you can immediately tell if the other party
intends to keep their word. You also get +1D to trade rolls.

Cartographer
When you journey, you are never exposed to high risk. You may take a
downtime action to create maps. When you travel to these places
again, you cannot be lost as a consequence of your actions.

Exotic Goods
You may roll to borrow aid at +1 result level even if the given asset is
normally regarded as inaccessible in the region.

Extra Rucksacks (x2)

Gain 2 supply boxes.

Chronicler
When you take a downtime action to record this year’s events, any two
players may relieve 1 stress.

Professional
When engaging in your obsession, roll twice and take the better result.

33 The Keeper
Keeper Items
◆ Knowledgeable gear (1-2 supply): Several relevant texts, an old
map of the surface, a personal account of an event, texts from
another faction’s past.
◆ A collection of old letters (1 supply): An old collection of letters
might provide information on an old event or connect the settle‐
ment to a new contact.
◆ One swig of a strong brew (2 supply): A single use of a dwarven
brew crafted an artisan, hardly more than a drop.
◆ A single common runestone (2 supply): A stray runemaster’s
rune with a weak and conventional effect, which could still be
useful in the right situation.
◆ A miscellaneous collection of tools (2 supply): Artisans have
access to any imaginable conventional tool that a dwarf may have
crafted or found.
◆ An archaeologists kit (1-2 supply): Fine brushes, picks, a shovel,
twine, stakes, magnifying spectacles.
◆ A bag of non-dwarven coins (1 supply): An old bag of coins from
past adventures is liable to grease palms anywhere.

The Keeper 34
The Runemaster
A master of the chiseled dwarven magic

Runemasters are the masters of the cryptic speech of stone. They craft
magic runes onto artifacts and activate fresh-chiseled runestones to
invoke the power of the earth. Their magic is a well-kept secret, even
among the dwarves.

Play the Runemaster if you want to leverage dwarven magic, carve

magic runes, and speak with dead dwarven ancestors.

How do you see the dwarves’ relationship with a mountain? Are you beholden to
the mountain or do you work to coexist? Who trained you stonespeak or are you
a natural?

When you play a Runemaster, you gain XP when you embody the will
of the mountain. You get +1D during downtime to work on runes, rit‐
uals, or research.

Action Bonuses
◆ Study +1
◆ Stonespeak +2

The Runemaster 36
Runemaster Special Abilities
Words of Power
You may use stonespeak to move earth, carve tunnels, or hurl rocks,
including to build and excavate during downtime.

A Favorite Rune
Choose one of the common runes you know. When you produce a rune
from your supply, you get an additional rune.

Runic Discovery (x2)

You have discovered a new rune that you can use in haste and easily
produce. Use the negotiation rules to create it.

Decorative Runes
You may emboss objects and items with permanent runes. These
change or enhance the function of these objects. This requires a long-
term project. Use the negotiation rules to create the rune.

Earthen Effigy
You may take the time to create a clay version of yourself that you can
control. You must mark 1 stress to swap between bodies.

Epochs Apart
Your time attuned to the earth has changed you. Your skin is stone. You
no longer need to eat. You age far slower than your fellow dwarves.
You may push yourself to move through earth and stone for a few sec‐
onds, or resist damage that a stone could weather.

Runic Circle (x2)

You learn a Runic Ritual, which is done as a meters-wide circle of
runes. A runic circle’s effects are great but also time consuming, dan‐
gerous, or costly. Use the negotiation rules to outline the ritual.

Ancestor Worship
When you conduct a ritual to talk to an ancestor, you put the echoes of
their spirit into an object and can ask them three questions.

37 The Runemaster
Common Runestones
Runemasters start with the ability to access magic runes. They select
four magic runes that they already know how to craft from the fol‐
lowing common runes.

Using runes requires the founder to mark supply. Each supply gives
the founder 3 runes. Further runes can be researched later. There are
examples in the Oracles and Tables chapter on page TBD.
◆ Beacon: A beam of light shines from the stone.
◆ Throughburn: This rock catches fire and burns up like dry wood in
a matter of minutes.
◆ Stonesplit: After a brief moment, this rock bursts into pieces as
though it was a small bomb.
◆ Mirrormarble: This round fist-sized stone will roll in an attempt
to match the movements of the marble it is paired to.
◆ Hollowshout: Emits a shout or phrase previously whispered into
the stone.
◆ Shell Echo: Turn any conical shape into a funnel where you get
rough translations of other languages and can hear otherwise
inaduible noises.

Runemaster Items
◆ Runesmithing gear (1 supply): A rare-metal chisel, a bag of
smooth stones, jeweler’s eye. Perfect for making runes, inscribing
metals, and inspecting gems.
◆ Pre-chiseled runestones (1 supply, 3 uses): When used, each of
these uses gives the runemaster one of their known runes.
◆ Dowsing rod (1 supply): A dowsing rod can help a runemaster feel
in tune with the earth or detect anomalies.
◆ A bag of strange rocks and metals (1 supply): These could be
useful in dwarven rituals, gifts, or a quick infusion.
◆ An effigy of an honored ancestor (1 supply): This effigy might
increase the effect of a conversation with a dead ancestor or help
ease a conversation with another dwarf.

The Runemaster 38
The Shieldbearer
A stoic fighter and leader

Shieldbearers are the backbone of any dwarven militia. Never far

from their shields, these dwarves confidently fill leadership roles in
dwarven society.

Play a Shieldbearer if you want to lead from the front, protect your
fellow dwarves, and act skillfully in combat.

What early life lessons taught you to lead from the front? Which other founders
do you want most to fight at your side? Who forged your fine weapons for you
and why?

When you play a Shieldbearer, you gain XP when you defend your fel‐
lows. You get +1D during downtime when you work on diplomacy,
patrolling, or assisting others.

Action Bonuses
◆ Skirmish +2
◆ Command +1

The Shieldbearer 40
Shieldbearer Special Abilities
Martyr
When you take the consequences of another dwarf’s failed move, get
+1 to the result of the resistance roll. The first time you take harm on
an expedition, you may push yourself to resist the harm instead of a
resistance roll.

What Honesty Demands

When you speak honestly such that you are made vulnerable or
sharing personal or settlement information, those you speak with will
speak honestly in return.

Unyielding
When you take incapacitating harm, you can continue for the rest of
the expedition without having to push yourself.

Dwarven Paragon
When you issue commands or lead group actions in combat, those
who listen to you will fight with honor. They gain +1 armor.

We Help Each Other

When you lead a group action, one player who failed the roll may
reroll. When you work with a guild during downtime, you may take 1
stress to let your guild reroll.

Calloused Hands
Once per year, if you spend a downtime action on someone else's
downtime project, clear 1 stress and get another downtime action.

Contests of Skill
When tending to your fellows, you may instead host a contest of skill.
Roll any action rating to do the hosting.

When the Walls Fell

Get +1 result level to action rolls when dealing with trespassers at the
settlement.

41 The Shieldbearer
Shieldbearer Items
◆ A fine, named shield (1 supply): A shield of such fine con‐
struction that it can deflect blows more dangerous than the average
shield. Defending with this shield gives -1 risk level.
◆ A fine signature one-handed weapon (1 supply): Your finely
crafted signature weapon. It gives +1 result level against opponents
the weapon has been designed to fight against.
◆ A scroll recounting a historical battle (1 supply): This could
provide useful tactical, geographical, or historical information.
◆ A warhorn (1 supply): A warhorn can inspire others or send a
signal across great distances, in battle or otherwise.
◆ A bottle of Ragebrew (1 supply): A single swig of ragebrew, sure
to give the drinker an edge in their next fight.

The Shieldbearer 42
The Warden
A vigilant scout and tracker

Wardens are the brave dwarves of action protecting society from

incursion. They navigate the twisted passageways and abandoned
ruins in the crust of the earth with confidence and ease.

What leads you to prowl the tunnels around the mountain home instead of
spending the time inside with your fellow dwarves? What is the furthest you’ve
ever been from home? What dangerous beasts have you heard may stalk these
new lands?

When you play a Warden, you gain XP when you protect the mountain
home with cunning. You get+1D during downtime actions when you
scout, investigate, or patrol.

Action Bonuses
◆ Scout +2
◆ Journey +1

The Warden 44
Special Abilities
Companion
You have adopted an animal no larger than a pony that is capable of
helping you in your tasks. This is a one-member personal guild of the
type guard, scout, or laborer. You can communicate with your pet in
basic terms.

Marching Orders
Leading group actions with journey or scout will not result in
more than 1 stress.

Teamster
You can haul items that most individuals normally cannot budge.
Once per year, you may assist in another downtime action through
heavy labor for 0 stress.

Forager
When you complete a 4-segment long term-project to head out of the
settlement and gather supplies, gain 4 extra supply that does not
refresh at the start of the year.

Friend of Stone
Get +1D when tracking. You may push yourself to identify any creature
by its tracks, smell, or markings, or to hide yourself in the earth.

Trapmaster
With time to prepare the area ahead of time, get +1 reward level to
ambush, trap, or scare off foes. When an unfriendly faction enters
your settlement’s territory, you may always get the drop on them.

An Eye For Openings

When you have time to plan an attack, you get +1 reward level of the
attack action. Also get +1 reward level to Gather Information rolls
seeking out nearby danger to others.

Long Patrol
You may take a downtime action to reduce the outsiders entangle‐
ments track by 1. If you take the lead for an engagement roll, get +1D.

45 The Warden
Special Items
◆ Trapping gear (1-2 supply): A snare trap, a bear trap, caltrops.
◆ A collapsible crossbow (0 supply): This crossbow easily comes
apart and can be stowed in a compact place, but it takes some time
to put together.
◆ A bag of pungent mushrooms (1 supply, 2 uses): They might be
delicious, but these mushrooms stink enough to attract all sorts of
attention, from other folks or animals.
◆ A hand mirror (1 supply): A small, practical mirror that is perfect
for spying around corners or making a distraction with a light.
◆ Signal fire supplies (1 supply): Supplies for a fire that can either
create a great fire or a lot of smoke.
◆ An heirloom spyglass (1 supply): From a past family member,
this telescope can give +1 result level of scouting and spying tasks.
◆ Local Surveys and Reports (1 supply): Wardens always have the
most recent information on what’s happening in and around the
mountain home.

The Warden 46
How to Play

M
ountain Home uses the Forged in the Dark engine made by
John Harper to help manage the story of the new mountain
home. Mountain Home is meant to emphasize rapid story‐
telling through the management of scenes and phases to guide the
groups focus from one important matter to the next.

Players each control a single dwarf called a founder, tracked on a play‐

book. The players narrate their characters’ actions in a conversation
with the GM, who provides context for the situations and scenes. The
players build and roll pools of six-sided dice to resolve questions of
their characters’ fates. The players manage the settlement together,
using a settlement sheet to track its progress. Together, the players dig
deep and delight in their creation.

The GM plays the role of the rest of the world. The GM controls the
other factions outside the settlement, as well as the NPCs within it,
and helps control the flow of play. The GM uses the expressed inter‐
ests and ideas from the players to make sure the game is about what
they care about.

48
The Conversation
Mountain Home is played through conversation. People ask questions,
narrate what they’re doing, and develop a natural back and forth. The
GM acts a guide.

Respect
Consider each players’ desires and interests. Acknowledge and respect
their ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Treat them as they want to be
treated. Take other players’ contributions seriously. Work to
communicate your thoughts and ideas so that everyone can under‐
stand each other.

Make room for everyone

Because Mountain Home is powered by conversation, giving everyone
opportunities to speak is critical to letting everyone play. Check in
with quiet players. Prompt people who haven’t spoken for a while on
their thoughts. Check for verbal or visual cues that someone might be
ready to have something to say.

Be aware of boundaries
We use lines, veils, the x-card, and other safety tools to establish
boundaries during play, covered on page TBD. Heed these tools. Each
player is in control their own founder's thoughts and feelings. Don’t
tell them what they think or what they do.

Get consent
When you’re interacting with other characters and have ideas for new
scenes or want to establish a fact about the setting, check in with the
other players who have a stake in it.

The founders are interested in the same ultimate goal of the safety of
their mountain home, so check with the other players before creating
a situation that involves dissent or fighting among the characters.

49 How To Play
Phases of Mountain Home
Phases are the broad sections of play in Mountain Home that contain
the noteworthy action and story developments. There are special rules
about what happens and when. Each of these phases is described in
the following chapters.

Expedition Phase
A new mountain home is an active place that sends out dwarves to
deal with threats and secure resources and glory. These are expe‐
ditions, opportunities for the founders to change the world for better
or worse. Venture forth with care: the other factions are watching.

Settlement Phase
The settlement phase turns the focus back toward the settlement.
Founders construct buildings, deal with their stress, and toil away
beneath the earth. The fruits of their labor are traded with the outside
world to further accumulate treasure.

A New Year
Dwarves are busy creatures. Their time on this planet is long, and a
year is not a daunting span of time. At the end of the Year, the group
takes account of the mountain home’s accomplishments and the game
circles back to the expedition phase.

Free play
Not all play in Mountain Home must take place within the rigid struc‐
ture of the above phases. The long time-scale of Mountain Home means
that players will skip to the interesting moments, taking care to skim
past the lulls in action.

Free play works as individual scenes. Anyone, player or GM, can take
the time to focus on a particular moment in time to see how the char‐
acters behave and what happens. Play scenes one at a time, ending
them when the moments for characterization have passed, the scene
has slowed, or any the questions have been resolved.

While doing action rolls in free-play scenes is allowed, minimize the

action rolls, their stakes, and the severity of the consequences.

How To Play 50
Stress, Harm, and Weariness
Stress is a representation of a dwarf’s luck, endurance, and
stubbornness — the things that keep a dwarf going against all odds.
Stress is tracked on each character’s playbook as a nine box track.

Players can spend stress to improve their chances during action rolls,
assist others, avoid the negative consequences of bad results, create
flashbacks to accomplish things without planning, or push themselves
to do things unique to their founder playbook.

Harm
Dwarves may end up taking harm as a consequence of action rolls. The
GM will describe the harm and which of the below harm types it is.
The player marks the appropriate box on their playbook, taking a -1D
penalty to future action and resistance rolls of the given type.

Each type of harm can only be taken once. Incredibly dangerous

circumstances may result in multiple types of harm being marked at
once. When every type of harm has been taken and a founder takes
harm again, they become incapacitated. Once a founder is incapaci‐
tated, they are no longer able to participate in the expedition unless
they push themself for each action they take.
◆ Dazed: -1D on insight actions and resistance rolls
◆ Injured: -1D on prowess actions and resistance rolls
◆ Exhausted: -1D on resolve actions and resistance rolls
◆ Incapacitated: You must push yourself to act at all. Become weary
at the end of the expedition.

51 How To Play
Becoming Weary
When a founder becomes incapacitated from marking all of their
stress or all of the harm options, they become weary. Weariness is a
permanent change to the founder’s personality due to the stress of
their most recent expedition. The player chooses any weariness and
clears all stress at the beginning of the next settlement phase. The
player chooses when and how to bring weariness into the story.
◆ Homebody: You are losing your taste for excitement.
◆ Unsteady: You are becoming unreliable, and cannot be relied on
like you used to.
◆ Impersonal: You are less social than before, avoid others, and are
losing your kinship with your fellow dwarves.
◆ Selfish: You are beginning to focus on yourself to the detriment of
others. You have stopped putting the mountain home first.

When a founder chooses the last available weariness option, they

become fully world-weary and must leave play in some way. How the
founder leaves the story is up to the player. A founder could die, retire,
leave the settlement, or anything else. Retirement is always available
to founders: a character does not need to become weary to be replaced.

Character Death
Character death is almost always a player choice. The player decides if
their founder died or merely becomes unplayable when they their
founder becomes world-weary. This can also just be from a logical
narrative decision. Rare situations of extreme harm such as drowning
in lava may also kill a founder without any choice.

Choosing a new character

Weariness is an obvious opportunity to retire a character, but retiring
and replacing a character may happen at any time.

Replacing a character means the player goes through the character

generation process on page TBD. Consider the already-named guild
members or family members who have been there since the creation
of the mountain in less of a leadership role.

How To Play 52
Actions and Attributes
Player dice rolls use action ratings to determine the outcome of risky
situations. Action ratings describe founders’ ability to capably act
while minimizing risk or complication.

How exactly character leverages these action ratings to accomplish

goals is up to the player’s narration. See the process in the Action Rolls
section on page TBD.

Each action has a rating from 0 to 4. Without special training, action

ratings may not be higher than a rating of 3.

□ □ □ □ Scout = Scout rating of 0

■ ■ □ □ Dig = Dig rating of 2
■ ■ ■ □ Journey = Journey rating of 3

There are times where player descriptions could align with more than
one action rating. Both study or craft could be used to investigate
how a contraption works, where craft would be more hands-on, and
study would be a more academic approach. Any of command,
convince, or host could all be used to convince someone to do
something. Journey and dig can both be used to navigate under‐
ground. In these moments, talk about the intentions, narration,
possible risks and rewards. It’s up to the player to pick which action
rating they are using.

Attributes
All actions are separated into three categories, called attributes.
Attributes are used for resistance rolls, where founders avoid con‐
sequences. Your attribute rating is equal to the number of action
ratings above rating 0 in that category. With a scout of 2 and a study
of 3, the insight rating is 2.

Insight rating of 2:
□ □ □ □ Craft
■ ■ □ □ Scout
■ ■ ■ □ Study

53 How To Play
Command
Commanding is a dwarf using honor, rank, authority, or intimidation
to get others to do what they want. This might be sending others off to
do dangerous tasks or leading from the front, but what matters is that
it’s force of will causing others to act.

Consequences from command actions could include: loss of control,

damaging relationships, or orders being enacted poorly or misunder‐
stood.
◆ Instruction ◆ Use of shock or threats
◆ Leveraging authority ◆ Appeal to obligation

Convince
Convincing is changing the minds of others using charm, logic, or
argument. Convince isn’t always about changing someone’s mind in
the long term.

Consequences from convince actions could include building resent‐

ment, misunderstandings, folks acting in secret, or damaging
relationships.
◆ Rhetoric ◆ Storytelling
◆ Logic ◆ Social pressure

Craft
Crafting is engaging in construction, tinkering, or prototyping. Craft
represents hands-on ingenuity and dexterity.

Consequences from craft actions can include damaging a device,

taking too long, creating something with flaws, or missing the nec‐
essary supplies to finalize construction.
◆ Create a prototype ◆ Repair a damaged item
◆ Engage in smithing or other ◆ Tinker with a trap or lock
arts

How To Play 54
Dig
Digging is mining, setting off explosives, creating new tunnels, con‐
structing underground, or masonry. Dig represents mastery of a
dwarf’s underground world.

Consequences from dig actions can include uncovering dangerous

passages, collapsing tunnels, dwarves getting injured, and excavation
falling behind schedule.

◆ Carve out tunnels ◆ Safely use bombs

◆ Masonry ◆ Collapse a tunnel

Host
Hosting is taking care of guests, acting on dwarven tradition, cooking
meals, respecting others’ culture, or making connections with others.
Host can be used to glean information, build lasting relationships, or
heal injuries.

Consequences from host actions can include cultural misunder‐

standings, revealing bad news, or not getting everything desired.

◆ Learn about other people ◆ Engage in long term care

◆ Create common ground ◆ Entertain guests

Journey
When dwarves journey, they travel far afield. They manage supplies,
find paths, manage maps, cover tracks, help tired fellow travelers, and
set up camp.

Consequences from journey rolls can include getting lost, being

injured, spending too many supplies, getting discovered or being fol‐
lowed, or discovering that the path has changed.

◆ Find the path ◆ Manage supplies

◆ Set up camp ◆ Create maps

55 How To Play
Scout
Scouting is spotting clues, getting the drop on one’s prey, following
tracks, hunting, ambushing foes at a distance, and reconnaissance.
Scouting is quick, intuitive and physical.

Possible consequences from scouting rolls include being spotted,

losing sight of the target before getting full information, taking too
long, or not getting detailed enough information.

◆ Notice hidden things ◆ Discover lost paths

◆ Follow obscured tracks ◆ Ambush or snipe a foe

Skirmish
Skirmishing is engaging in combat with a foe or holding the line with
other soldiers. Skirmish might be used to fight an encroaching mon‐
ster or defend against an invading bandit army.

Consequences from skirmish actions can include getting hurt, losing

ground, not protecting allies, or loss of morale.

◆ Engage in a melee ◆ Scare off an enemy

◆ Hold the line ◆ Fight in a duel

Study
Studying is analyzing, inspecting, and processing information. It
might be reading through ledgers, disassembling machines, or
spending time in a library.

Consequences from study actions can include misunderstandings,

unwelcome news, lack of a conclusion, or loss of time.

◆ Solve mysteries ◆ Experiment

◆ Research in tomes ◆ Prepare inventions

How To Play 56
Special Actions
Dwarves have special magic tied to their connection with the earth,
tracked by special actions. Having a rating of 1 or more in a special
actions gives founders the ability to do the actions listed below. It is
still necessary to roll in situations where there is danger or risk. When
a founder tries to exceed the boundaries of these descriptions, the GM
may ask for a resistance roll, the founder taking harm, or both.

Stonespeak
When dwarves stonespeak, they call on their unique ability to
speak to their ancestors and the earth. They often connect with the
personified spirit of their mountain home.
◆ Get a hunch or inkling from the mountain
◆ Briefly summon the spirit of an ancestor
◆ Slowly move pebbles, sand, or dirt from a distance
◆ Contribute to a downtime clock to invent a new rune
◆ Scrawl a known rune for a limited or imprecise version of its effect

Infuse
When dwarves infuse, they manipulate and interact with the
magical properties of objects, often fusing them into dwarven crafts,
from fireproof dragon scale armor to magic brews.
◆ Channel a raw ingredient’s inert magical properties with limited
precision
◆ Understand something’s magical properties, either quickly during
an expedition or more reliabily as a long-term project
◆ Work a long-term project to invent a new dwarven brew or artifact
◆ Concentrate several uses of a magical item, such as a magical
dwaren brew, to create a more potent version

57 How To Play
Rolling the Dice
When something happens during the narration of the game that is
uncertain or risky, the GM may call for a roll.

Mountain Home uses six-sided dice, where the player rolls a number of
dice based on the action rating in use and the circumstances around
the roll. The highest dice determine the outcome of the roll. This is
referred to as the result level.

The number of dice is determined by a rating (such as journey, or

settlement tier). For a journey action with a journey rating of 2,
roll 2 dice, referred to as 2D. Modifications to the dice pool by adding
or subtracting dice is indicated with +1D or -1D. If the final rating is 0,
the player rolls two dice and takes the lowest result.

There are several types of player rolls:

◆ Action Roll: When founders undertake dangerous or opposed
actions, usually during an expedition.
◆ Downtime Roll: During downtime, players work on long term
projects or other activities without the direct pressure of an expe‐
dition as the year goes by.
◆ Resistance Roll: Players make resistance rolls to avoid the con‐
sequences of their founders’ actions. The roll determines how
much stress the character takes in return for reducing the con‐
sequence. Players also make resistance rolls when indulging in
their obsession.
◆ Fortune Roll: Fortune rolls determine the outcome of things out‐
side of the dwarves’ control. These rolls are often determined by
traits such as action ratings, faction tier, the status of a clock, or
specific event descriptions such as famine or earthquakes.

How To Play 58
Action Rolls
Action rolls help resolve the dangerous, uncertain, and risky things
the founders do to change the story, when it’s not clear what will
happen next.
◆ The action must be narrated. No one rolls dice until a player
describes what happens. Action rolls are a quick interruption to aid
in storytelling. With the action roll complete, return to the story.
◆ The action must be possible. Players choose the goal and the
action rating when they attempt a task, so it is up to them to say
what is possible and what is not. The GM’s response to the viability
of the action comes in the form of risk and reward.
◆ The action must have risk. Action rolls are for the moments
when the group wonders what happens next.
◆ Player rolls always change the story. Even if a roll fails, con‐
sequences change the story.
◆ Action rolls are a conversation. The group may need to pause and
discuss the situation, risk or reward, actions, and item use. The
player can change their narration, goal, or action choice, get an
item, or even pass on the action.

The Goal and Action

To accomplish something uncertain, the player starts by declaring
their character’s intent and narrating what they do.
Player: I would like to find a way through the catacombs into the
troglodyte mines.
The player chooses the action rating to match what their founder is
doing. The dwarf may inspect tunnels quietly using scout, or listen
to the whispers of the mountain by using stonespeak. The player’s
dice pool begins with dice equal to the chosen action rating.
Player: I’m going to use scout since I’ve been in these tunnels before and I
think I can find a way in. I spend some time checking the tunnels for
telltale sign of troglodyte picks.

59 How To Play
The Risk and Reward
The GM uses the narration, action rating, and the goal to determine
the risk and reward for a roll.

Risk is the possible negative consequences for the founder when they
don’t get a fully successful result.
◆ Low Risk: The situation is probably under control. Consider if a
roll is even necessary.
◆ Medium Risk: You are taking a chance or acting under duress.
Things could go badly.
◆ High Risk: You’re attempting something dangerous. The founder is
in danger of total loss of control.
GM: You know these tunnels are filled with traps and lots of patrols from
your previous trips down here. The risk is high.

Reward is how much an action could accomplish if successful.

◆ Low Reward: The chosen action is unlikely to make much progress
towards the player’s goal given the character’s situation. A small
change or one clock segment.
◆ Medium Reward: The action is suitable for the goal. Success will
change the world in a meaningful way. A medium change or two
clock segments.
◆ High Reward: The character’s action and situation align well. Suc‐
cess will change the world significantly. A large change or three
clock segments.

The GM uses the situational context and all of the player’s choices to
determine the risk and reward. Scaling a cliff without climbing gear is
high risk. Hosting friends at home is a low risk. An attack with a bomb
in combat might have a high reward. Discuss the situation if the
possibilities are unclear.
GM: This is medium reward. Finding one troglodyte tunnel will lead you
the rest of the way fairly easily.

How To Play 60
The Optional bonus dice
The player may want bonus dice for better odds. Players may:
◆ Accept help from one other player, where that player spends 1
stress to provide +1D. The founder must be able to physically help
and also exposes themselves to the risks from the roll.
◆ Push yourself, spending 2 stress to gain either +1D or increased
effect, or accept a Devil’s Bargain.

Devil’s Bargains
Founders sometimes take risks great, either on behalf of their
mountain home or simply out of ambition. Players accept Devil’s
Bargains for their characters to represent these risks.

Devil’s Bargains can be complications inspired by the game’s tools like

harm or loss of treasure; or story complications such as committing a
serious social blunder with settlement allies. Look beyond the imme‐
diate situation. Consider factions, incomplete long-term clocks, or set‐
tlement resources.

Players may ask for or GMs may offer a Devil’s Brgain. Everyone is
welcome to suggest bargains, but the GM has the final say over the
validity of Devil’s Bargains.

Once a player accepts a Devil’s Bargain, it happens regardless of the

result of the action roll. The player gets +1D and the Devil’s Bargain
comes to pass.
Player: I would like a Devil’s Bargain on this one.

GM: How about you leave proof that you were in the the tunnels and the
troglodytes inevitably notice your passage?

Player: That sounds great. I can deal with that later. I accept.

GM: All right. A jagged rock is going to catch your tunic. The troglodytes
will find it eventually. I’m creating a four-segment clock titled “The trogs
find their way to the mountain home.”

61 How To Play
Roll the Dice
Once the details for the roll are settled, the player rolls the dice. The
result level of the roll determines what happens.
◆ If there are multiple 6s, the result level is a critical success.
The results exceed expectations, and there are no consequences.
◆ If the highest result is a single 6, the action result level is a
success. The character gets what they want.
◆ If the highest result is a 4-5, the action result level is a partial
success. This means that the character gets what they want, but
with additional consequence such as injury, new trouble, or a
reduced reward.
◆ If the highest result is a 1-3, the result level is a failure. The
character does not get what they want and also falls victim to fur‐
ther consequences.

The GM provides context on what happens, including any con‐

sequences, and continues the story.
Player: My scout is a 2 and with the Devil’s Bargain, I’m rolling 3D. My
highest result was a 5. Partial success!

1 3 5
GM: Great! You find a passageway that leads through the catacombs and
into their mines. But this abandoned mineshaft has been turned into a
dormitory. Any attempts to sneak in further could easily result in you
being detected by its residents.

How To Play 62
Consequences
If the roll was not a critical or full success, the GM provides con‐
sequences for the action. Consequences are always proportionate to
the risk level and result level of the roll. Consequences may include:
◆ Reduced reward: The action does not accomplish as much as
initially thought.
◆ Complication: The situation is complicated, such as bad news, loss
of control, confusion, or undesired attention.
◆ Lost opportunity: Your window to act has closed.
◆ Worse position: The founder is in additional danger.
◆ Harm: The founder suffers harm.

GM guidance on consequences is detailed in the Consequences section

on page TBD.

63 How To Play
Resisting consequences
Players always have the choice to attempt to avoid the consequences
that come their characters’ way. This leverages the luck and toughness
of their founders.

First, the player announces that their founder is resisting the con‐
sequences that have come their way. Then the GM says how the con‐
sequences are changed. Severe consequences cannot be fully negated.
Plummeting a great distance might not be something that can be
negated. The extent to which a consequence is reduced is up to the GM.
Players may not resist a single consequence multiple times. The
resistance roll takes place before the consequences come into effect.

The GM uses the nature of the consequences and the player’s

narration of how their founder avoids the consequences to determine
which attribute resists the consequence:
◆ Insight resists deception or misunderstandings
◆ Prowess resists physical strain or injury.
◆ Resolve resists mental strain or loss of will.

The player rolls the dice for that attribute and takes 6 minutes the
highest result stress, to a minimum of 0.

With 3 insight, 6-4 = 2 stress to resist

3
2 4
Since the GM controls how consequences are resisted, this is one of
the methods they should use to set the tone of the game. Minimizing
resistance can make the game feel difficult or gritty. Frequently resist‐
ing any consequence fully can make the dwarves feel heroic.

Armor
When a founder would physical harm, they instead resist the injury by
using a defensive item like a shield. Instead of rolling resistance, the
player marks the item as used. Depending on the situation, it may be
necessary to flash back to have the item ready.

How To Play 64
Working Together
The founders work together to further their goals, protect each other
from harm, and reduce risk. There are several kinds of actions that
can be taken towards these ends.

Assist another player

To assist, the player says what their founder does to help, takes 1
stress, and gives the aided player +1D to their roll. Assisting exposes
both founders to the consequences of the action. The assisting founder
must have an action rating in something that can help.

Only one player may provide assistance for a given roll. Players should
share dice when assisting a roll if they can: It will be possible to see if
the aid made a difference.

Lead a Group Action

When several dwarves are all put at risk by working together, choose a
leader and decide on an action. To guide the group, the leader can
either use command or the chosen action rating. All founders do an
action roll, and the entire group uses the best result. The leader takes 1
stress for each failure in the group. Consider the nature of the group’s
involvement when evaluating risk and reward.

Set up another player

When a founder successfully takes an unrelated action to make things
easier for someone else, a success will give their action either +1
reward level or -1 risk level, depending on what the setup action is.

Protect Someone
A founder can spend 1 stress to jump in and take the consequences of
another character’s failure if they would be physically capable of
doing so. The protecting founder takes the consequences and may
resist as normal.

To protect someone, the protected player needs to grant permission to

the other player. The player says which consequences they are taking
on. You can’t always protect someone from all consequences.

65 How To Play
Pushing Yourself
Founders can choose to push themselves to either take +1D or an
increased result during an action roll or gain other bonus abilities.
Pushing yourself is a representation of a founder spending their luck,
putting in extra effort, and tiring themselves out to get what they want
in moments of danger. Some playbook special abilities are enabled
with a push. Once the stress is spent, the ability can be used. A player
cannot accept a Devil’s Bargain and do a push on the same action roll.

Gathering Information
When founders seek out information that they need to move forward
with their goals, the action roll consequences should determine the
quality of the information. Even a failure should not prevent the
founders from learning something. A poor result should bring hard
truths, inconvenience, unwanted attention, or bad news.

More elaborate research such as experimentation or excavating a

buried library may involve downtime projects instead.

Gaining Experience
Each playbook has XP tracks that are used to unlock special abilities or
upgrade action ratings by attribute. When an XP track is filled, clear
the track and unlock something new from that category, either a new
special ability or increasing an action rating by 1. To increase action
ratings above 3, the mountain home must have a training ground To
advance a special action such as Stone speak, any filled XP track
may be used, but it also costs 1 status with the spirit of the Mountain.

During the session, a founder marks 1 XP every time they protect

another dwarf or lead a group action. XP gained from protecting is
marked in the XP in the track for the attribute that would resist that
sort of harm. XP from a group action goes in the attribute track for the
chosen group action rating.

XP is also gained at the end of the year. The players review the
questions listed at the End of the Year on page TBD for each character,
including a unique playbook XP question in addition to the shared
end-of-year question list.

How To Play 66
Flashbacks
Flashbacks keep the session moving along with a focus on the present
so that the group doesn’t have to worry about exhaustively preparing
or knowing everything ahead of time. They can help the group start
expeditions without planning out the exact details. Along with other
creative uses, flashbacks can be used to exist to:
◆ Roleplay new scenes to better characterize the founders.
◆ Gain tools and solutions to newly encountered problems.
◆ Counter new complications that the GM has just presented to the
founders.

Flashbacks can add to the story, but they cannot alter what has already
happened. Plot twists, founder preparedness, or new context that
makes a situation seem not so dire are all possible, but nothing that’s
been agreed upon can ever be undone.

When a player wishes to undertake a flashback during any phase or

moment in the game, the GM chooses a cost in stress according to the
narrative weight, probability of it having happened, and complexity
of the planned flashback:
◆ 0 stress: A simple scene that the founder would have been easy to
imagine happening before the present moment.
◆ 1 stress: A complex or unlikely situation.
◆ 2 (or more) stress: A highly unlikely or very elaborate situation
with many contingencies.

Once the founder has marked the stress, the flashback scene is played
out as any other scene would be. This might include an action roll to
resolve uncertainty, paying treasure for an additional downtime
action, simple conversations with other characters, or taking
preparatory steps like putting on armor.

Flashbacks don’t guarantee success — just an opportunity to attempt a

thing in the past that has a direct connection to some problem or sit‐
uation the founders face in the present.

67 How To Play
No Stress cost
The warden reveals that she was already wearing her armor underneath
her robes at the dinner party with the paladins because she did not trust
them to maintain the peace.

The shieldbearer flashes back to a few moments before the founders

entered the busy tavern, when she pressed a few coins into the bouncer’s
hand, convincing the bouncer to unlock the rear exit for the dwarves
in case of trouble.

The artisan flashes back to a scene where his father tells him stories about
friendship with the ents many years ago, just to establish a more context
about his behavior with the ents during their diplomatic meeting.

1 Stress
The elder flashes back to a scene where they smoked a pipe with a troll
emissary. This host action convinced the troll emissary to give them free
passage on their bridges in times of need. This enables the dwarves to
retreat across the bridge without the werewolves being able to follow.

In order to have dwarven beer bread on the journey currently being under‐
taken, the Earthshaper flashes back and pays 1 treasure to take a
downtime action to dig and complete an in-progress bakery.

2+ Stress
The artisan flashes back to crafting modifications to all of the
founders’ mining harnesses to keep them weighed down in the Temple of
the Wind. This is done with only the faintest suspicion that it would be
necessary to traverse the ruins.

The runemaster flashes back to scout over and hide a stonesplit rune
underneath the lizardfolks’ crystal altar. The stonesplit rune was placed
weeks before the lizardfolk betrayed the dwarves, but the flashback allows
the runemaster to stonespeak the altar into exploding on command
in the present.

How To Play 68
Guilds
A guild is a small group of experts who live in the mountain home
and are capable of helping in important tasks.

Creating a guild
Every founder gets a guild during character creation. You can get
additional guilds by constructing buildings to house them. Choose a
type from below:

Guild Types
◆ Crafters: Smiths, brewers, and makers of things
◆ Guards: Tunnel-watchers, soldiers, and law enforcement
◆ Scouts: Scouts, tunnel wardens, and explorers
◆ Scholars: Runesmiths, librarians, and priests
◆ Laborers: Miners, farmers, and teamsters

Edges & Flaws

The player assigns a new guild one edge and one flaw.

Edges
◆ Independent: This guild can be trusted to act on its own.
◆ Loyal: This guild is unquestionably loyal to the settlement.
◆ Tenacious: This guild does not give up when challenged.
◆ Inventive: This guild devises clever solutions on its own.
◆ Honorable: This guild is known to be honest in its dealings.

Flaws
◆ Reckless: The guild’s actions can cause trouble elsewhere.
◆ Slow: This guild cannot be rushed.
◆ Unreliable: This guild can’t always be trusted to get the job done
how you’d like.
◆ Wild: This guild is drunken, debauched, or loud-mouthed.
◆ Stubborn: This guild is very set in their ways.

69 How To Play
Guild Allies & Rivals
When first creating a guild, name one guild member as an ally and one
as a rival in a new guild. A guild owner can always work with their
rival, even if they don’t always get along. These dwarves will be
brought in to scenes as the guilds help out. Elaborate on the shared
history of these dwarves and your founder.

Using Your Guild

To get an advantage from a guild during an action, the player must
spend 1 supply and mark off a guild box in their playbook supply
section for one use. They say which dwarves are helping and how.

A guild’s type or edge must apply to the task for the guild to be able to
help. Laborers won’t be able to help in combat and scholars won’t be
able to help mine out a tunnel. There are three ways to use a guild to
accomplish tasks:
◆ When assigning a task for a guild to do on its own, make a
fortune roll using settlement tier to determine their level of
success. The guild takes on all the risk of the action. The risk comes
from the guild’s approach, edges, and flaws.
◆ When using a guild to work with a founder, do a group action.
Your founder will lead the action. The guild uses the settlement tier.
Doing this exposes the founder and guild to similar consequences.
◆ When using a guild to assist on an action, the guild gives +1D
on the action roll. With the founder doing most of the action,
they are exposed to the brunt of the risk.

Guild Harm & Healing

Guilds can take harm as a consequence similar to a founder, but with
unique levels of harm. To heal an injured guild, include them in a host
settlement action. Replacing a destroyed guild costs Tier + 2 Treasure.
◆ Exhausted: When acting on its own or when numbers are a major
factor, the guild’s reward level is reduced.
◆ Injured: This guild operates with -1D.
◆ Broken: This guild needs to heal to continue acting.
◆ Destroyed: All members are dead, incapacitated, or have fled.

How To Play 70
Supplies
Supply is a resource that players spend to bring items into use during
play. Items aren’t specified until needed — it is enough to know that
founders have full packs and companions nearby until then. Each
playbook has a list of items available to all dwarves and a list unique
to their playbook.

Founders start with 3 supply at the beginning of the year. Each unit
can be used to check one box to obtain an item or guild on a playbook.
Once the player marks the box or boxes on their playbook, they have
the item for the rest of the year, and play continues. Using an item like
armor for a defensive effect or extra dice can only be used once per
activation or supply spent.

×
□ A one-handed dwarven weapon
Linked boxes mean that the item costs the total number of linked
boxes to unlock. Unlinked boxes let players take that item multiple
times or, if it’s a list, mark one box to take a few items and all boxes to
take the whole list.

×
□□ Mining gear: A pick axe, a helmet, a lantern and oil,
some rucksacks, rope, a canary
If a player uses up their starting supply and needs access to more, they
may unlock 2 supply for 1 stress once per year and unlock 2 supply for
1 treasure once per year.

When a listed item has multiple uses listed, that means that the
founder can have that item multiple times. The playbooks show this as
separate line items.

Special items
Some playbooks have access to special items: Artisans have special
brews, Earthshapers have access to bombs, and the Runemaster has
stones engraved with powerful runes. Items described as “fine” can
provide +1 reward level when used to accomplish related actions.
Additionally all of these playbooks can invent new special items for
their playbook by using the Invention negotiation rules on page TBD.
There are lists of example recipes for inspiration on page TBD.

71 How To Play
Using Items
The GM decides if an action roll requires an item to even be possible,
or if an item will help. Activating an item can give founders at least
one of the following things:
◆ Permission to do something: Activating an item lets founders do
things that cannot be done as a lone dwarf. With a shield, a dwarf
might deflect a blow; without spelunking gear, a dwarf cannot nav‐
igate dangerous caves. A two handed weapon might be necessary to
harm a well-armored foe.
◆ Changed action roll reward: Fighting an armed foe without a
weapon reduces the reward level. Carousing with some pipeweed
might make a founder’s guests like them more.
◆ Reduced action roll risk: Using climbing gear to slow a descent
reduces the likelihood of a fatal fall. Using a lantern in a dark cave
reduces the chance that a founder gets lost.

The Standard Item List

All dwarves have access to these things.
◆ A few guild members (1 supply, 2 uses)
◆ A one-handed dwarven weapon (1 supply):
◆ A hand crossbow and a quiver of quarrels (1 supply):
◆ A hefty two-handed weapon (2 supply): Warhammer, greataxe,
greatsword, etc.
◆ Wooden shield or leather armor (1 supply)
◆ Chainmail (2 supply)
◆ Mining gear (1-2 supply): A pick axe, a helmet, a lantern and oil,
some rucksacks, rope, a canary
◆ Climbing gear (1-2 supply): Cold weather clothing, rope, pitons,
hammer, crampons, climbing axe, slings
◆ Cartographer's Gear (1-2 supply): Waterproof case, ink and
paper, a ledger, a compass
◆ Hospitality gear (1-2 supply): Poultices, pipe and pipeweed, some
ale for the road
◆ Travel gear (1-2 supply): A few rucksacks, cloak, bedroll,
a journey’s rations

How To Play 72
Settlements

T
he settlement is the shared mountain home of all of the
founders in the game and the central focus of the entire game.
With the first session, the settlement begins as an undeveloped
place where dwarves have placed tents and enough supplies to get by.
If the settlement thrives, it may end up being sprawling halls of
carved stone where dwarves thrive on trade and craft, a impenetrable
fortress or collapse into dust. We play to find out what will come of
this place.

Mountain Home focuses on the high-level, life-changing aspects of a

settlement. This means that food isn’t tracked by the pound and no
one is expected to worry about exact population numbers. Treasure is
only tracked for the settlement, since most dwarves don’t have the
need for it. We track the treasure that the whole settlement
accumulates instead.

When it comes to buildings, Mountain Home does not track individual

homes or streets. Only important buildings necessary to keep the set‐
tlement operating are mapped.

74
Tier and Hold
Tier and hold summarize a settlement or faction’s strength, power,
and relationship with the region. Tier and hold are used to describe all
factions, not just the mountain home.
◆ Tier I - Settling: Your settlement’s place in the region is unstable,
your population is small and a dangerous event could threaten the
whole mountain home’s stability. A mountain home might have a
hundred dwarves.
◆ Tier II - Established: Your settlement has started to find its
footing, and organizations are starting to form. Daily life isn’t
entirely occupied with survival. A mountain home might have
several hundred dwarves.
◆ Tier III - Secure: Your settlement’s immediate needs are met, and
your place in the region is more secure. You are prepared to take on
greater challenges. A mountain home might have a thousand
dwarves. A non-dwarven faction might have several towns.
◆ Tier IV - Burgeoning: The mountain home is a remarkable place
flourishing under the ground. The few remaining challenges are
broad in scope. A mountain home might have a several thousand
dwarves. A non-dwarven faction may have multiple cities.
◆ Tier V - Outgrowing: When mountain homes reach tier V, it is
time to form a new mountain home. The small mountain farms and
cramped tunnels can’t hold this many dwarves for long. A non-
dwarven faction may be outgrowing the region.

A settlement or faction has either a strong or a weak hold on its tier. A

strong hold means that the settlement has some resilience about its
position and can handle a crisis. A weak hold means that the settle‐
ment is barely hanging on to its place in its tier. A hold reduction
penalty will reduce a settlement with a weak hold to the next lower
tier and a strong hold.

Settlement Failure
A dwarven settlement fails when it is of settling tier, weak hold, and
is downgraded one further time. At this point, the settlement fails.
This might be from invasion, abandonment, or death to any number
of things.

75 Settlements
Advancement
To advance a settlement’s hold, the settlement must have 10 repu‐
tation marked, arrive at the end of the year, and spend 6 treasure.
Clear the reputation track when you advance.

Factions advance from a weak hold to a strong hold, and then to the
next tier with a weak hold. For a settlement to advance from a strong
hold to the next tier, it must meet the following requirements:
◆ A number of food production buildings dedicated to production
equal to the current settlement tier.
◆ Settlement buildings whose tiers add up to the new tier × 2
If the settlement would advance from tier 1 to tier 2, it would need 1
dedicated farm, and for all buildings to have tiers that add up to 4. 2
tier 1 buildings and one tier 2 building will do.

When the settlement advances in tier, the group unlocks one of the
special abilities from the settlement playbook.

Choosing an End Condition

Mountain Home has no requirements for how long it should be played,
but it is ideal to plan out a group’s rough intentions.

Mountain Home does best with enough game time to see the players’
mountain home change, often 10-15 in-game years. Talk as a group
about what questions need to be answered. When those questions are
answered, it is time to work towards the end of the campaign. Some
possible end questions include the following:
◆ Will the dwarves be able to learn about their past?
◆ Will the settlement become stable, with a promising future?
◆ Will the mountain home make peace with their neighbors?
◆ Will the mountain home outshine its homeland?

The process of ending a campaign should be a group discussion. Con‐

sider doing a check-in every couple of sessions to see how the group
feels about the story so far.

Settlements 76
Treasure
Treasure is an approximation of wealth for the whole settlement. A
settlement uses treasure to fund its adventures, equip its soldiers,
engage in trade, or expand. Treasure covers buying power, gifts, trin‐
kets, and resources to be spent on projects.

Treasure isn’t a currency or carried by individual dwarves. Most goods

required for survival are simply provided as part of cooperative settle‐
ment life. Treasure is only necessary for acquiring items when they are
rare, complex, or need to be acquired through trade. Spending
treasure internally usually means leveraging supply caches or settle‐
ment labor to create something.

Here are some examples of treasure of various values:

◆ 1 Treasure: A small chest of coins. A collection of cheap militia
swords. A finely crafted item.
◆ 2 Treasure: A year’s profit from the iron mines. A handful of
sturdy sets of armor.
◆ 4 Treasure: The payroll of a militia. A gift for a neighboring
kingdom.
◆ 6 Treasure: An enchanted artifact. A unique runestone pillar.
◆ 8 Treasure: An esteemed monarch’s family treasure.

Reputation
Reputation tracks the renown and accomplishment that the mountain
home has accumulated throughout the year. Good governance,
thrilling conquests, and accumulation of riches ensure that others will
hear about the settlement and treat it with respect.

Reputation is a 10-segment track. Once the reputation track fills, the

settlement will have the opportunity to increase in tier, which rep‐
resents the settlement’s growth and increase in stability. Reputation
can sometimes be spent to push the settlement to work harder for the
settlement’s benefit, but at the cost of the happiness of its citizens.

77 Settlements
Faction Status
Faction statuses are used to track other factions’ opinions of the
mountain home. For the most part, these numbers are used to track
the relationship that the dwarves have with other factions, and inform
the GM’s decisions about how factions behave. Sometimes have
mechanical effects.
◆ +3 Allied: This faction will attempt to help the settlement even if
it’s not to their own interests. They expect the same of the dwarves.
◆ +2 Friendly: This faction will help the settlement out as long as it
does not seriously inconvenience them.
◆ +1 Helpful: This faction will help the dwarves so long as it doesn’t
cause trouble or problems for them.
◆ 0 Neutral
◆ -1 Interfering: This faction will happily profit from the settle‐
ment’s misery, but will not go out of their way to risk themselves to
harm the mountain home.
◆ -2 Hostile: This faction seeks out ways to inconvenience or harm
the settlement. They might even risk their own well-being a bit to
enact harm. They expect the same from the settlement and be pre‐
pared for it.
◆ -3 War: This faction is actively going out of its way to eliminate or
harm the mountain home. They presume the same from the settle‐
ment and are actively taking precautions to defend themselves.
While at war, the settlement takes -1 result level for all Trade rolls.

Settlements 78
Settlement Goals
A settlement goal highlights the themes and interests of the group. A
settlement goal primarily provides a reason that the founders have set
out from their homeland.

This will provide context for many of the expeditions, adventures, and
interactions with neighboring factions. The group will need to discuss
the exact nature of the new settlement. Merely selecting a settlement
goal doesn’t fully set the stage. Discuss the exact nature of why the
founders set out. Invent the historical context and make the founders’
decision to settle this place meaningful.

Settlement goals also grant special abilities that can be unlocked once
the mountain home begins to grow.

There are four provided goals that players can choose from:
◆ Reclaim the Lost Fortress: The dwarves learn of an abandoned or
fallen military establishment in dangerous territory.
◆ Rebuild the Buried Metropolis: The dwarves seek to reclaim a
dwarven city of once-great renown that met a terrible fate.
◆ The Exodus: The dwarves have become unhomed and are forced
into a strange land to find a new place to call their own.
◆ The Mother Lode: Remarkable magical energies or riches have
drawn dwarves to a particular spot in the world.

79 Settlements
Discoveries
Each time a claim is fully explored on the settlement map, use the
below discovery tables to do an oracle roll. The results are unique for
each settlement goal. Each result contains story prompts, open-ended
problems, and specific mechanical rules that apply to that situation.

The Discovery clock is a 4-segment on the settlement sheet. When the

clock is filled, clear the clock and choose the lowest value event that
has not been chosen yet. If the table result is the same result as the last
discovery, take the next highest one.

1-3: Steady Discovery Progress

1-3 Mark 1 segment on the discovery clock
4-5 Mark 2 segments on the discovery clock
6 Mark 3 segments on the discovery clock

4-5: Tier 1 Discoveries 6: Tier 2 Discoveries

1-3 Event 1 1-3 Event 4
4-5 Event 2 4-5 Event 5
6 Event 3 6 Event 6

Settlements 80
Reclaim the Lost Fortress
In centuries past, a dwarven military settlement of some renown fell
to its foes. Were the dwarves sealed in and lost to time? Did their ene‐
mies storm the gates and destroy them? What brings you back? Do
your foes remain, or are things different now?

The collapsed and trap-filled passageways make the abandoned

fortress completely in need of significant repair if not complete
rebuilding. The dwarves will have to begin anew to reclaim their
fortress.

Themes
Conflict, old enemies, historical wars, past failures

Questions for the group

◆ Why did this fortress fall?
◆ Do any historical enemies remain?
◆ What stories do dwarves tell of the lost fortress?

Special Abilities
◆ Battle-Ready: Add +1 action rating to scout, command, or
skirmish, up to a max rating of 3.
◆ Citizen Militia: Give all guilds an additional guards or scouts role.
◆ Tablet of Foes: Unearthed documents of a traditional enemy.
Studying through a 4-segment downtime clock enables you to
learn weaknesses or secrets about your foes. These secrets reduce
the risks of rolls against your foes and may create new
opportunities for expeditions.
◆ Duty: Players can take a downtime action to convert one internal
entanglements track box into one stress.
◆ Echoes of Battle: Once per year, when your dwarves bolster each
other’s spirits in battle by chanting of past glory, unite your fellows
against even the greatest foes. Name the ancient battle of which
you sing. Your actions will not be high risk.

81 Settlements
Lost Fortress Discoveries
Tier 1
1-3: Before the Fortress' fall, sappers' tunnels and other sabotage made
this area a massive vulnerability. Create a clock to represent this
danger. What was originally here? How did it contribute to the fortress' fall?
4-5: The founders discover evidence of a battle, long-dead dwarves
isolated in a small chamber. These dwarves' souls are restless. Can you
put them to rest?
6: A damaged old building that was destroyed in the fall of the
fortress. If rebuilt, it could be put to use. What building is damaged here?

Tier 2
1-3: When this segment of the old fortress fell, it was sabotaged by the
attackers. Why is it unsafe to build here? What can be done to fix it? Which
faction did this?
4-5: Before this chamber was lost, it was used to keep prisoners. Who
was kept here? Why? Are there signs that the original dwarves were unjust?
6: A fully constructed Ark of Mastery lies here encased in a series of
deadly traps and protective barriers.

Settlements 82
Rebuild the Buried Metropolis
A dwarven city of the past, known for its sprawling tunnels of visitors
and merchants, has crumbled and collapsed. The roads to the settle‐
ment have been consumed by the wild.

While very little of the old city remains, its history is alive and well in
dwarven memory. There work on the settlement pales in comparison
to the work to re-establish trade connections and make the treasure
flow again.

Themes
Past success and failures, politics, old grudges

Questions for the group

◆ What made the metropolis flourish?
◆ What caused the metropolis’ downfall?
◆ How was the metropolis thought of by its neighbors?

Special Abilities
◆ Homeland Connection: You may always trade with your home‐
land, not only potential trade partners in your region. Reduce the
reputation cost to increase tier by 1.
◆ Cultural Understanding: Each founder gets +1 action rating
command, host, or convince, up to a max rating of 3.
◆ Ancillary Diplomats: During downtime, you may use a downtime
action to gain 2 reputation.
◆ Collective Contributors: Give all guilds an additional crafters or
scholars role.
◆ Songs of Toil: Once per year, when you lead workers in toil to the
rhythm of laborer’s tunes, your picks are steady and your measure‐
ments are true. Name the workers or locations honored in song.
Treat results of 1-3 as 4-5.

83 Settlements
Buried Metropolis Discoveries
Tier 1
1-3: A cache of trade goods, worth 3 treasure if the founders can find
the right buyer.
4-5: A cache of old dwarven supplies. These are still free of rust and
ready to use.
6: A building in horrible disrepair. Why is it damaged? Does this provide
clues about why the metropolis failed?

Tier 2
1-3: A fully functional building, sealed off by the workers before they
left. Messages are inside. What do the messages say?
4-5: Old treaties and messages in a lost lockbox point to a past
relationship with a faction that the founders do not get along with
now. What faction is this? Is it clear why the relationship has soured? What did
the dwarves of the past share in common with this faction? Is this something
that could be used to rekindle the relationship?
6: A dwarven vault. It will need to be broken into. With the quality of
the vault, this is a long term project. Why was it sealed? What traps clearly
block the way? What objects within will help the dwarves recapture the metropo‐
lis' former glory?

Settlements 84
The Exodus
Something is wrong with your old home. This is no mere trial that the
homeland can weather. It’s time to leave. Exodus mountain homes are
disconnected places that have completely lost any potential support
network from a homeland.

Exoduses emphasize being alone, homesickness, and loss of a pre‐

vious place. An Exodus settlement will feel more like a new frontier,
on the edges of civilization.

Themes
Severing ties, disconnection, subsistence, loneliness

Questions for the group

◆ What has forced the dwarves out of the homeland? Does it pursue
the founders?
◆ What allies have the dwarves left behind?
◆ Why did the founders choose these new lands?

Special Abilities
◆ Independent Streak: Each founder gets +1 to journey, hunt, or
scout, up to a max rating of 3.
◆ Domestication Techniques: Fill an 8-segment clock to gain access
to a unique creature as a pack or riding animal. This enables the
settlement build a ranch or a stable at any surface, open, or sus‐
tenance claim.
◆ Survival Packs: All founders get +1 supply each year.
◆ Songs of Home: Once per year, when you sing to mourn the loss of
your homeland, you soften the hearts of your audience. Name what
you miss about your homeland. The next immediate and applicable
action roll will be low risk.
◆ Tight-Knit: Heal one extra condition when taking a hosting action
during the settlement phase.

85 Settlements
Exodus Discoveries
Tier 1
1-3: A useful historical object. Which current faction might this relate to?
Does it reveal any surprising truths?
4-5: Travelers. Another sort of folks that live underground are under‐
taking a pilgrimage. They've temporarily entered the mountain home.
Who are these folks? Why do they travel?
6: In these chambers, there are the old bones of a giant creature. The
bones are massive! What could it be? Why is it dead? Do more of its kind
remain?

Tier 2
1-3: A collection of strange plants that clearly have magical properties.
What techniques might the dwarves employ to identify the plants? Are they dan‐
gerous? Could these be used to help the dwarves survive?
4-5: An ancient, potentially powerful artifact with no perceivable use.
Who created it? Why is it buried underground? What could be done to figure out
how it works?
6: Unheard of terrain: A surface-like biome exists below the world.
This place can also be treated like a surface claim of the GM's choice.
What does it mean? Why is it here?

Settlements 86
The Mother Lode
Deep underground, there is a wealth of resources to be leveraged. This
might be a buried magical artifact, a manifesting leyline, ancient
spellbooks, or a massive vein of mithril.

The exact description of the mother lode matters a lot for a settle‐
ment. The group should talk in detail about what has driven the
dwarves to settle, whether it’s magic, material wealth, or something
else remarkable.

Themes
History, ambition, greed, digging too deep

Questions for the group

◆ What exactly does the mother lode contain?
◆ Why has no one else claimed it?
◆ Is this resource being leveraged for the homeland?
◆ In what ways will this be dangerous? Who will become jealous?

Special Abilities
◆ Worker’s Ethic: Each founder gets +1 action rating dig, infuse,
or convince, up to a max rating of 3.
◆ The Earthen Rhythm: Your mountain home resounds with the
invigorating rhythm of metal on metal and shifting earth. Describe
the cadence of the tune and the crafts they wordlessly honor. Rolls
to explore claims in the settlement get +1 result level.
◆ Mountain Resonance: Founders may spend a downtime action to
reduce the mountain entanglements track by 1.
◆ Generosity: Founders can spend 1 supply to get +1D on social rolls
through sharing gifts of the confluence. Be wary, for others might
get greedy.
◆ Dedicated: Founders get +1D to resistance rolls against magical
effects.

87 Settlements
Mother Lode Discoveries
For the mother load, any discoveries of the Mother Lode can be mined
by constructing a Lodeworks (III T). Whenever you activate the
lodeworks to either get the special material for narrative purposes or
sell the goods, do a tier 3 fortune roll.

Tier 1
1-3: Footprints or other evidence indicate that another faction has
found its way into the mountain home and discovered a portion of the
mother lode. Which faction was it? Is this an opportunity for trade or a threat
to the mountain? Which faction might it have been?
4-5: Spare material harvested from the lode in a previous attempt by
someone else. This could be sold for 3 treasure or researched with a
clock to speed up future projects. Who attempted this harvest? What forced
them to leave this material here?
6: A hollowed-out or defunct segment of the mother lode. This could
be researched to speed up future efforts or used as a Tier II T
lodeworks.

Tier 2
1-3: A room with access to a healthy portion of the mother lode that is
ready to be mined. A Lodeworks can be built here.
4-5: Leylines or strange energies have shifted the mother lode here to
be even stranger than usual. How could this be leveraged for the mountain
home? Could it be used to create an artifact? What research must be done first?
6: Pristine mother lode. The Lodeworks here is tier V T.

Settlements 88
The Settlement Map

E
ach mountain home develops a map that depicts the rough area
of the settlement. In the beginning, it describes an initial single
chamber, and a small portion of the unclaimed surface world
near the entrance to the new mountain home.
◆ The map is divided into 25 claims, individual locations that
must be discovered and upgraded. Founders use exploration
during the settlement phase to explore, dig out, or discover these
map locations.
◆ Claims are hidden. When players explore the location, the claim
is generated and revealed.
◆ Claims are alive.When you discover a new claim, roll for a
discovery and use the results for the settlement goal to learn about
unique occurrences here. The rules for this are on page TBD.

The top row of the claims map describes the surface world. Below the
line for the surface are layers of depth, starting at 1 and increasing to
4. Every settlement starts with one known 1-depth claim: the base
camp, an earthy cave where the dwarves start their new home. The
three leftmost surface locations are randomly generated immediately.

90
Claim Discovery
Discovering a claim requires the founders to complete an exploration
clock that has as many segments as the depth, with surface clocks
always being 2 segments. For example, the surface is a 2-segment
clock, while a depth 3 claim is a 3-segment clock. Founders can only
work on discovering claims that are adjacent to discovered claims.

When this clock is complete, the new location is mapped out and
roughly known. Easy access tunnels have been discovered, and its
dangers are identified. Work crews may move to the location and
begin to develop it for use.

Claim Buildings
Each claim location can house two buildings. Buildings are the useful,
developed infrastructure of the settlement, from alehouses, to farms,
to ironworks.

Constructing a building requires safe access to an open claim location,

narrative access to the needed resources, and the completion of a
clock based on tier. Buildings require completion of a clock that is 3
segments plus the level of the building being created.

91 The Settlement Map

Building Levels
Building level is a summary of the quality of the building. This is used
to indicate trade value for the trade phase if the building can be
traded, and also is used to track if the settlement has grown enough to
upgrade in tier.

Buildings that produce tradeable goods are marked with a “T” next to
the building level.

Use of Claim Buildings

In play, buildings may be used one of these ways:
◆ Activate for a listed mechanical effect. It becomes available for
another use next year.
◆ Dedicate a building permanently to get the listed effect. Once a
building has been dedicated, it can’t be used for anything else.
◆ Make something with the goods that a building produces for a
narrative purpose.
◆ Ready building goods for trade. Add (building level-1)D to the
trade pool. This is done at the beginning of the settlement phase.
◆ Damage a building for a creative use. Get a unique effect, and
then the building requires the completion of a (building level +1)-
segment repair clock before it can be used again.
◆ Mitigate a problem. Some buildings state that they can mitigate
certain problems. Mitigation means that the threat of a bad event
arises building’s features are used to avoid the fictional and
mechanical consequences of the event. This uses the building for
the year.

Buildings reset and become available again during the building acti‐
vation phase.

Generally, buildings do not need to be activated at any specific time as

long as it is fictionally appropriate. If a building can be activated to
help with an entanglement roll, it will need to be done at the time of or
before the roll. Flashbacks can always be used to get a building acti‐
vation done in time.

The Settlement Map 92

Types of Claim Buildings
Build Anywhere
Auctioneer’s Hall (II): Activate to get +1D from on a trade roll where
you’re already selling goods.
Bakery (I T): Activate to let players take dwarven beer bread as an
item this season (1 box), which can be used to heal one injury.
Brewery (II T): Activate to do a “tend” action at settlement tier.
Hospital (II): Upgraded from an infirmary. Activate to heal two
founders or guild harm.
Infirmary (I): Activate to heal one founder or guild harm.
Manager’s Office (II): Dedicate to increase a building’s tier and xD
values by 1.
Merchant’s Guild (I): Dedicate to get a merchant’s guild OR activate
to get a second trade roll this year.
Minecart Hub (III): This will require some animals or fuel to move
the carts. Activate to get one of the following:
◆ +1 reward level on the next downtime action to construct a
building.
◆ +2 supply for an expedition taking place in or immediately around
the settlement
Monument: A monument to greatness or history! Prevents entangle‐
ment relating to a single guild. Costs 6 treasure to make. Activate to
melt down and destroy this building for 4 treasure in return.
Orrery (IV): Dedicate to allow this new downtime action that can only
be done once per year.
◆ Astrological Predictions: Do a study fortune roll to reach
conclusions using your understanding of the world. On 4+, choose
a seasonal, or weather-related entanglement that either cannot
happen or will come to pass during next year's entanglement
phase. On a 5 or lower, mark the mountain entanglements track.
Public Tavern (II T): Dedicate to remove a flaw from a guild.
Settlement Quarter (I): Dedicate to reduce the amount of reputation
required to increase settlement hold by 2.
Temple (II): Dedicate to allow a new downtime action: Pray to reduce
the mountain entanglements track by 1.

93 The Settlement Map

Build On the Surface
Surface Mountain
Guard Outpost (I): Activate during entanglements to change the
harried supply lines roll by -1D.

Surface Hills
Caravansary (II): Activate to get +1 result level when borrowing aid.
Farm (I T): Activate during entanglements to change the failed har‐
vest fortune roll by -1D OR dedicate to allow the settlement to upgrade
to the next tier.
Merchant Inn/Quarter (I T): Dedicate to allow founders to do gather
information rolls to learn rumors and news of distant factions and
other regions.
Trade Road (I): Activate to get +1D to engagement rolls involving
traveling from the settlement OR dedicate to get +1D to trade rolls.

Surface Forest
Hunting Lodge (I T): Activate during entanglements to change the
failed harvest fortune roll by -1D OR dedicate to allow the settlement
to upgrade to the next tier.
Lumber Mill (I T): Activate to tick one segment on a claim building
construction or repair clock.
Trade Road (I): Activate to get +1D to engagement rolls involving
traveling from the settlement OR dedicate to get +1D to trade rolls.

Surface River
Cistern (I): Activate to change the drought entanglement fortune roll
by -1D.
Fishing Docks (I T): Activate during entanglements to change the
failed harvest fortune roll by -1D OR dedicate to allow the settlement
to upgrade to the next tier.
Riverside Docks (I T): Activate to get +1D to engagement rolls
relating to river travel OR dedicate to get +1D to trade rolls.
Water Wheel (I): Automation! Activate another claim building
building a second time.

The Settlement Map 94

Build Anywhere Underground
Emergency Fail-safes (I): Activate to mitigate one volcano or earth‐
quake entanglement. The building becomes damaged.
Quarry (I T): Activate to provide enough stone for other public works
OR activate to mark one segment on a claim clock.
Reinforced tunnels (I): Activate to mitigate one unsteady foun‐
dations entanglement. The building becomes damaged.
Vaults (I): Dedicate to allow storing up to 4 additional treasure.

Build In Open Places

Clay Pocket
Kiln (I T): Dedicate to allow founders to store the benefit of a food-
generating building for later up to four times. □ □ □ □

Winding Tunnels
Traps (I): Activate during an entanglement involving unwelcome
invasion. The invaders begin injured, inconvenienced, or in a tight
spot. This damages the building.

95 The Settlement Map

Build For Sustenance
Earthy Caves
Farm (I T): Activate during entanglements to change the failed har‐
vest fortune roll by -1D OR dedicate to allow the settlement to upgrade
to the next tier.
Fishing Docks (I T): Activate during entanglements to change the
failed harvest fortune roll by -1D OR dedicate to allow the settlement
to upgrade to the next tier.
Underground Water Source (I): Activate to change the drought
entanglement fortune roll by -1D.
Well (I): Activate to change the drought entanglement fortune roll by -
1D.

Mushroom Forest
Mushroom Farm (II T): Activate during entanglements to change the
failed harvest fortune roll by -2D OR dedicate to allow the settlement
to upgrade to the next tier.

Domesticable Animal Nest

Dedicate to provide access to discovered animals such as Giant ants,
giant pill-bugs, badgers or moles. What the animals provide can vary
by species.

Ranch (III T): Activate during entanglements to change the failed

harvest fortune roll by -3D OR dedicate to allow the settlement to
upgrade to the next tier.
Stables (III T): Dedicate to allow guilds to have the “mobility” edge,
enabling them to cover great distances with ease. Activate to permit a
1 supply mounts item during an expedition.

The Settlement Map 96

Build For Riches
Copper Vein
Bronze Guildhall (I): Dedicate to allow the purchase of a guild with
an extra flaw.
Bronzeworks (I T): Sell at Tier, not Tier-1.

Gem Cluster
Jewelcrafter (II T): Activate to generate 2 treasure OR mitigate a guild
problem.

Iron Vein
Iron Guildhall: Dedicate to allow the purchase of a guild.
Iron Toolsmith (II T): Dedicate to improve the quality of playbook
gear items by 1.
Iron Weaponsmith (II T): Dedicate to improve the quality of either a
founder’s weapon or armor items by 1.
Ironworks (II T): Sell at Tier, not Tier-1.

Silver Vein
Silver Mint (II T): Sell at Tier, not Tier-1.

Saltpeter Vein
Gunsmith (II T): Activate to let players take simple firearms and
bombs as an item this season (2 boxes).

Gold Vein
Coin Mint (III T): Sell at Tier, not Tier-1.

Mithril Cluster
If anyone from outside the settlement ever sees mithril, mark one box
on the outsider entanglement track.

Mithril Mint (IV T): Activate to roll dice equal to settlement tier. You
earn treasure equal to the result.
Mithril Smith (IV T): Dedicate to add another edge to a guild.
Mithrilworks (IV T): Sell at Tier, not Tier-1.

97 The Settlement Map

Build in Unique Spaces
Ancient Ruin
Research Library (II): Activate to get +1D to gather information rolls
relating to history.
Salvage Site (II T): Activate to get +1D to borrow aid by trading
salvage or finding old items.

Lava-filled Caverns
Lava-Powered Forges (III): Activate to use any one mint or met‐
alwork building a second time.

Remnant Worksite
This place is populated with automated contraptions toiling away on
seemingly pointless work.

Salvage Site (II T): Activate to get +1D to borrow aid by trading
salvage or finding old items.

Dragon Nest/Den of Incomprehensible Horrors

There’s nothing to build here. You’re in peril.

Special Buildings
These special buildings can only be built once their unique special
requirements are met.

Ark of Mastery (III): Requires an 8-segment clock to build. Tomes

containing special techniques must be found and recovered first. Ded‐
icate to let you raise actions up to a rating of 4.
Training Grounds (II): Requires a guru to be hired for the settlement.
Dedicate to choose an XP track (Insight, Prowess, Resolve, Play‐
book). Downtime training the chosen XP track now gives 2 XP boxes.
Specialty Farm (I): Activate to provide access to the strange crops
that the settlement has discovered.

The Settlement Map 98

The Play Phases

G
ameplay in Mountain Home is arranged in several phases to
structure the progression of time and to balance between
scenes about the settlement and their adventures. Throughout
these phases, the group should seek out interesting moments to role-
play specific scenes that help characterize the founders and the
mountain home.

The phases of the game are a cycle. Play through them sequentially,
giving each enough time for the players to feel satisfied with how it
develops the saga of their mountain home. Once the group reaches the
end of the list, return to the start of a new year and begin again, until
the group has resolved all the questions it has about the mountain
home and its founders. The phases are:

1. The New Year

2. Expeditions
3. Settlement Phase
4. The End of the Year

100
The New Year
Play in Mountain Home is tracked by the year. At the beginning of a ses‐
sion, update the new year on the settlement sheet. The founders will
likely hold council to determine what must be done this year.

This is a good opportunity for free play conversations to happen

around the fortress. Set the scene for the year. How has the mountain
home changed? What is the mood? Has the space where the founders
meet to decide their next course of action changed since the last year?

Each founder resets their supply to its of maximum of 3 if they spent

any in the previous year.

101 The Play Phases

Expeditions
There is often a clear matter of import that the founders wish to solve.
These urgent matters are played out as expeditions. Expeditions
cover the adventurous, fast-paced events during the year.

When it is time for the founders to leave their council chambers and
set out, the players determine the expedition goal, the method, and
the time scale. The GM run the expedition that the players choose. The
dwarves will assemble, gather supplies, and take bold action.

Sometimes players will have a complex goal that seems too large for
one mission. Split this goal into multiple expeditions. Founders can
undertake as many expeditions as they want in a year, but they will
have to wait until the new year to resupply.

Expeditions are for matter important enough to draw the attention of

the founders If there are no matters urgent enough for the founders to
deal with, then continue on with the year.

Traveling to the Expedition

Is the expedition taking place far away? Are there dangerous
things between you and your destination? If the answers to either
of these questions is yes, a journey roll is necessary before the
beginning of the expedition.

Discuss the terrain the dwarves must travel through and the dangers
they may encounter. Do the dwarves already have maps? Have the
founders taken this path before? This can inform the action roll risk
and reward. Even when the journey roll is a failure, the dwarves
arrive at their destination. The roll determines the condition they
arrive in. Did they lose supplies? Did they get injured? Did the
window of opportunity begin to close?

If the dwarves are traveling outside of their region for the expedition,
consider separate journey rolls for each region that they travel
through. Avoid rolls for return trips unless the trip is dire; we know
the dwarves can make the trip, and the urgency is often gone.

The Play Phases 102

Objective
The objective is the founders’ stated reason for the expedition. The
players choose why the founders are heading out on the expedition to
set the objective. These should be simple, clear statements such as
“Establish a trade deal with the ents” or “Prevent the ogres from
damming the river.”

As a group, discuss what about the expedition demands the expertise

of the founders. Talk about the expected dangers and risks so that
everyone is in agreement about what’s happening. The GM should
help the players consider their expedition options, remind the players
of pending faction clocks, and maker sure the consequences of choos‐
ing to act or not are clear.

Expeditions are exciting and a major draw of the game, but they are
not always necessary: Sometimes industrious dwarves must simply
toil away on their settlements. Players may choose to skip any expe‐
ditions and move on to the settlement phase.

Method
The method describes what happens during the opening scene of the
expedition. If this expedition is a raid, the method could be how and
where the founders are ambushing their enemies. If the expedition is
a diplomatic deal, the method may be who they are dealing with and
how the founders intend to convince them. Each expedition type has a
method question.

The GM should help the players understand the way that their method
would be perceived by other factions in the world, and what specific
challenges their method might bring.

Type
Expedition types are rough guideline for possible themes that an
expedition may focus on. The GM should use expedition type, the
method, and the engagement questions to get insight into the mission
and possible rewards at the end of the expedition.

103 The Play Phases

Engagement Rolls
The engagement roll is used to determine how well the expedition
begins with the moment described by the method. Use the expedition
type engagement questions below to determine the number of dice
that the players roll. The roll always begins at 1D, for luck.

After the roll, the expedition begins immediately with the founders in
the situation determined by the roll.
◆ 1-3: The founders are immediately at risk or have had their
expectations subverted.
◆ 4-5: Complications arise that require adaptation, a change of plans,
or difficult choices.
◆ 6: The expedition begins according to the plan.

The Expedition Itself

Once the expedition begins, the GM provides context on its chal‐
lenges, and dangers, prompting the founders for what they do in
response. The GM may use clocks to track objectives and threats,
marking clock segments as the situation progresses, or simply keep
track of objectives through narration.

The nature and scope of an expedition can vary dramatically

depending on the situation and the goals.

The Play Phases 104

Expedition Types
The following list of expedition types are used to help flesh out the
parameters of an expedition. While some of the types are broad,
players may find themselves doing unique expeditions that are out‐
side of the parameters of these types. When this happens, the group
should work out unique methods and engagement questions to make
the expedition work.

Diplomacy
Arrange trades, come to agreements, and develop new bonds. Get
access to new materials, treasure or information.

Method: What deal will you put forward?

Engagement Questions
◆ Have you proven yourselves to be honorable to the other
party? Take +1D.
◆ Have you earned their skepticism or mistrust? Take -1D.
◆ Will your deal benefit the other party? Take +1D.
◆ Does your brazen plan reveal dwarven greed or ambition?
Take -1D.
◆ Are you offering gifts or goods? Take +1D.
◆ Are you just offering promises in the future? Take -1D.

105 The Play Phases

Raid
Attack, harass, or impede the settlement’s enemies. Solve problems
with violence, intimidation, and harassment. Attack rival caravans,
steal property back from its thieves, or assassinate kings.

Method: How will you set up your attack?

Engagement Questions
◆ Are you starting your raid by taking advantage of your
enemy’s weakness? Take +1D.
◆ Are you racing to act before you can be fully prepared?
Take -1D.
◆ Do you have allies, assistance or secret information guiding
your plans? Take +1D.
◆ Do your enemies suspect something of you? Take -1D.
◆ Will your enemies fight you with honor? Take +1D.
◆ Will your enemies respond with tricks and subterfuge?
Take -1D.

Survey
Explore the earth, travel down underground roads, explore the long-
forgotten. Scavenge dwarven ruins, map out new regions, or explore
buried marvels.

Method: How will you navigate this dangerous place?

Engagement Questions
◆ Do you take this sort of journey often? Take +1D.
◆ Is this terrain unfamiliar or the journey hard? Take -1D.
◆ Do you have local guides or time to plan? Take +1D.
◆ Are you acting in haste? Take -1D.
◆ Do the stories of this place speak of something dangerous?
Take -1D.
◆ Are the dangers well-known to you? Take +1D.

The Play Phases 106

Artifact
Forge, discover, or recover a powerful artifact, tool, or magic ingredi‐
ents for the settlement. This could be scavenging ruins, delving a
dungeon, or engaging in a bargain.

Method: How will you acquire or harness the artifact?

Engagement Questions
◆ Will this help create a legacy for your settlement? +1D.
◆ Are the arcane powers you’re dealing with dangerous or
erratic? Take -1D.
◆ Is the artifact of dwarven make? Take +1D.
◆ Is this magic outside the traditional areas of dwarven exper‐
tise? Take -1D.
◆ Will this magic be used to create or protect someone? Take +1D.
Is this magic being used for destruction? Take -1D.

Homeland
Return to the dwarven homeland. Request aid, provide tribute, or
show proof of wealth.

Method: What do you bring home? How will you present it?

Engagement Questions
◆ Do you come bearing good news? Take +1D.
◆ Do you intend to ask for aid? Take -1D.
◆ How did things go well when you were last here, well or ill?
Take +1D or -1D , respectively.
◆ Is your visit accompanied with gifts or tribute? Take +1D.
◆ Is your matter urgent? Take -1D.

107 The Play Phases

The End of the Expedition
At the end of the expedition, review what the founders accomplished.
Gain resources and adjust the settlement numbers and faction sta‐
tuses based on what the founders have done.

Reputation
Award between 1 and 4 reputation based on how much the expedition
changed other factions’ perceptions of the mountain home. 4 repu‐
tation should be awarded glorious deeds that will be spoken of for
centuries and 1 reputation would be for an expectation that any
faction could have accomplished.

Treasure
Expeditions often yield treasure in the form of plunder, freshly
crafted items, tribute from other factions, or newly mined gold.

The GM should be flexible about awarding treasure. Expeditions often

involve dwarves beyond the founders, and other dwarves such as guild
members might have gathered treasure. Players do not have to narrate
gathering treasure in order to acquire some.

Faction Status
When an expedition affects another faction’s wants and needs, the
settlement’s status with them may change. All but the most dramatic
actions will adjust a faction status by +/- 1. Keep in mind that the
mountain is also a faction that the dwarves must heed.

Entanglements Tracks
If the expedition left chaos, damaged the settlement’s reputation, or
demonstrated aggressive intent, mark the outsider entanglements
track. If the dwarves were mired in interpersonal strife, dug reck‐
lessly, or went against the desires of the mountain they inhabit, mark
the mountain entanglements track.

Only mark these tracks more than once per expedition in the most
extreme situations such as betraying an ally or acting in against the
values of the mountain home. These things might warrant filling a
whole section of the track.

The Play Phases 108

Settlement Phase
Activate Buildings
Each building in the mountain home own may be activated during the
settlement phase to get its effects. See the Use of Claim Buildings
section on page TBD.

Downtime Activities
During downtime, each founder can each perform 2 downtime
activities. Players may spend 1 treasure or mark the mountain
entanglements track to get 1 additional downtime activity.

Downtime activities are opportunities to look into the founders’ lives.

Try to turn downtime activities into brief moments of free play.
Include other founders, or use them as moments to interact with other
important dwarves.

Borrow Aid
When a founder wants help from another faction in the form of
materials, hasty inventions, or labor that are not readily available in
the settlement, name another faction, possibly including the home‐
land, to ask for help. The mountain home will be expected to return or
repay whatever was requested as soon as possible.

Roll an appropriate action rating to describe how the founder gets aid,
where result indicates the quality of the aid.
◆ Critical: Tier +2
◆ 6: Tier +1
◆ 4-5: Tier
◆ 1-3: Tier -1

After the roll, players may spend 1 treasure, or 1 reputation, or make

promises, often in the form of new clocks, to increase the tier quality
by 1.

109 The Play Phases

Long-term Project
Long-term projects cover all the activities that dwarves can work on
year over year that aren’t covered by other actions. The player and GM
should discuss desired results, other expectations, and how the project
fits into the group’s game world. If a project is too ambitious for a
single clock, it may be best to use linked clocks to describe the different
steps necessary to complete the player’s goal.

When beginning a long-term project, the GM provides a clock size

that describes the amount of effort it will take to complete the project.
Founders use any narrated, fictionally appropriate action rating of
their choice to make progress, ticking segments until it is completed.
◆ Critical: Five ticks.
◆ 6: Three ticks.
◆ 4-5: Two ticks.
◆ 1-3: One tick.

Players may spend 1 treasure to improve the result level after the
action roll.

Some common projects have given clock sizes in the rulebook, partic‐
ularly around exploring and constructing buildings in the settlement.
For example:
◆ Explore an unknown claim: As many segments as the depth,
scout, journey, stonespeak
◆ Construct a tier 3 claim building: 6 segments, dig
◆ Repair a claim building: 4 segments, dig

The Play Phases 110

Tend to your fellows
Take the time to host a meaningful event to help soothe the injuries
and egos of other dwarves. Choose which dwarves and guilds attend
the meal, party, or ceremony.

Do a long-term project roll. While host is the most obvious action of

choice, dwarves can also be creative and use other skills, such as using
craft to focus on the quality of the meal.

Instead of ticking a clock, remove one condition from any one of the
dwarves in attendance for each tick the roll earned. These can be
spread across the founders and guilds however the host wishes.

Train
Mark one segment on an XP track for an attribute or playbook
advancement.

Indulge Obsession
The founder indulges in their obsession by rolling their lowest
attribute (either insight, prowess, or resolve). Clear stress equal
to the highest die result.

If the highest dice in the result is higher than the amount of marked
stress, the founder overindulges in their obsession, to the detriment
of the founder and the mountain home. Choose how:
◆ Attract trouble: Roll another outsider entanglement.
◆ Wander off: This founder cannot be played for the the next year.
Clear all of their harm when they return. The player can create and
play another founder or a guild member until then.
◆ Shame: Your antisocial behavior has become public. Work with
your GM to create a downtime clock to cover the consequences or
necessary atonement.
◆ Neglect your work: Mark a segment in the mountain entangle‐
ments track.

111 The Play Phases

End of the Year
The end of the year wraps up the mountain home’s actions. The settle‐
ment’s trades are tallied, founders and the settlement may advance,
and unforeseen events come to pass.

Trade or Isolation
The settlement may roll to see how well it traded with its neighbors
throughout the year. This is a fortune roll. Adding goods for trade can
bring it up to 0D or more, where it can then be rolled. After adding any
trade goods, answer the following questions to tweak the rating:
◆ Are you at war with anyone? Take -1D.
◆ Are you leveraging active trade deals? Take +1D.
◆ Have you cornered the market on specialty goods? Take +1D.
◆ Are you isolated by wilderness or dangerous paths? Take -1D.
◆ Critical: (Tier +2) treasure
◆ 6: (Tier+1) treasure
◆ 4-5: (Tier) treasure
◆ 1-3: (Tier-1) treasure, mark the outsiders entanglements track

If a settlement isolates itself rather than trade, it loses opportunities

to make connections. Mark the outsiders entanglements track twice.

Advancement
Review each founder’s actions for the year by asking the following
questions. Founders earn 1 XP in a track of their choice if they can
answer yes and 2 XP if there are multiple examples answering yes.
◆ Did you perform your playbook-specific XP trigger?
◆ Did you express your beliefs, pursue your drives, or honor your
clan legacy or your background?
◆ Did you share a non-expedition phase scene with another founder?
◆ Did you struggle with your obsession or weariness?

Tier advancement
At the end of the year, the settlement may advance in tier or hold in
accordance with the Advancement rules on page TBD.

The Play Phases 112

Entanglements
Entanglements represent the complications that come to pass during
the year. There are two kinds of entanglements:

Outsider entanglements are the pressure from neighbors and the

outside world in general. As the mountain home interacts with the
world, others will form opinions about the settlement and prepare to
act in accordance with them.

Mountain entanglements are manifestations of the spirit of the

mountain. These manifest as weather, disasters, or harvest quality,
and in subtle emotional pressure on the dwarves, who can all hear the
subtle speech of the stone around them.

Entanglements may threaten a settlement’s survival. Careless

dwarves can be brought low by a sudden famine. Be sure that it is clear
how buildings in the settlement can mitigate such disasters.

Some entanglement results will begin urgent matters that the

founders must address immediately. This might mean interrupting
the rest of the settlement phase with an unexpected expedition or just
a scene or two that is roleplayed out. Prompt the founders for action
and give them room to act. Create clocks, manipulate reputations, and
call for simple rolls for players.

The listed suggestions in each entry are suggestions, not limitations.

Encourage the group to use creative solutions, bargain, or head out
into the world to circumvent the consequences of entanglements.

113 The Play Phases

Rolling for Entanglements
The mountain home will encounter one outsider entanglement and
one mountain entanglement every year no matter what. These should
be rolled for at the end of the year after the settlement phase, but if it
works best for the GM’s preparation style, it’s fine to delay entangle‐
ments and faction turns until the beginning of the near year, which is
often the next session.

For each one, roll one d6 of a lighter color to determine the type of
event and another d6 of a darker color to find the specific event. Add
the number of full entanglement tracks to the specific event roll. After
the roll, reduce the marks in track from right to left by the a number
of segments based on the second die’s result:
◆ 1-3: Clear no segments
◆ 5-7: Clear 1 segment
◆ 8-9: Clear 2 segments
◆ 10: Clear 3 segments

Resolve the effect of the table

There are some effects where the GM may have a choice of the event.
Try to choose the viable result, if any. If no options are valid, look to
the next event in the list.

The Play Phases 114

Outsider Entanglements
Every 4 boxes marked in the Outsider Entanglements track adds 1 to
your roll for entanglements at the end of the year.

Outsider Entanglements Track

With each tier fully marked, add +1 to any outsider
entanglement rolls.
□ □ □ □ +1 □ □ □ □ +2 □ □ □ □ +3 □ □ □ □ +4

1-2: Rivals 3-4: Guests

1-2 Boundary Crossing 1-2 Unexpected Guests
3-4 Harried Supply Line 3-4 Traders
5-6 Posturing 5-6 News from Abroad
7 Show of Force 7-8 Price Negotiations
8 Sappers 9-10 Trade Secrets
9 Raid
10 Under Siege

5: Allies 6: Monsters
1-2 Meeting Request 1-3 Herd Movement
3-4 Trading Favors 4-5 Claim Harassment
5-6 Reveal Information 6-7 A Rare Creature
7 Call for Aid 8-9 Cursed Moon
8-9 Diplomatic Maneuvering 10 Beasts Below
10 Tribute

115 The Play Phases

Rivals
Boundary Crossing: Someone has entered the territory regarded
as yours. Which faction is ignoring your borders? What trouble will come to
pass if you let it continue?
◆ Denounce them, losing 1 status.
◆ Tick an outsider entanglement track twice.
Harried Supply line: Traders are having trouble making their
routes. What supplies are being stolen? What has driven them to steal? Do a
settlement tier fortune roll:
◆ Critical: Damage a tradable claim.
◆ 6: No money can be made by trade this year.
◆ 4-5: Reduce the trade roll by 2D this year.

Posturing: A faction throws their weight around without expecting

their behavior to lead to violence. What are they trying to take and why?
◆ Forfeit 1 treasure per rival faction tier.
◆ Stand up and lose 1 status.
Show of Force: An unfriendly faction demands a favor of the
mountain home. If the settlement does not provide what they ask for,
tick an entanglements clock twice. What are they demanding of you? Why
can’t they do it themselves?

Sappers: A faction is infiltrating the settlement. Track this with a

four-segment clock. When complete, damage a claim until this is dealt
with. What are they sapping? Who is in the tunnels?

Raid: A faction has arrived to take something by force. Do a faction

tier fortune roll to see if they get what they want before the founders
react. What do they want? What has driven them to violence?

Under Siege: An at-war faction has brought their forces to the set‐
tlement, intending to destroy or damage it. What force has arrived? How
can you drive them off?

The Play Phases 116

Guests
Unexpected Guests: Folks from elsewhere have arrived at the set‐
tlement unannounced. Welcome or not, the guests must be fed. They
may bring bad news or lucrative offers, but the laws of hospitality are
the same either way. Where are these people from? Do they ask you for any‐
thing? What do they give in return?

Traders: Folks, possibly from outside the region, have arrived with
goods to trade. Name the traders and where they come from. What
rumors and news do they bring? Where did they come from? What goods do
they seek? What are they selling?

News from Abroad: Travelers have come from outside the region.
Add a new detail to a region or a faction that exists outside the region.
Who are these folks? Where do they come from? What news do they bring?

Price Negotiations: A trade partner is not happy with their deals.

Lose (partner tier × 1) treasure in profits or solve the problem here and
now. If you're making promises, consider a clock to describe future
troubles. What is the problem with your trade deals? What are they asking for
in addition to what's already been arranged?

Trade Secrets: An outside faction is pulling the strings of one of

the guilds or a settlement ally. Who is doing this? Why are they
vulnerable? Make a clock to demonstrate the information leak or
product loss. Either pay for their loyalty in (Tier × 1) treasure, get
involved, or deal with the consequences later. Who has betrayed this
information? Whom are they sharing with? What are they betraying the
mountain home for?

117 The Play Phases

Allies
Meeting Request: Our allies or potential allies have arrived to
discuss the future. Who are they? What do they want to discuss? Do they
present future opportunities? Ultimatums?

Trading Favors: A faction with a neutral or positive status is

asking for a favor. They have something to offer in return. What have
they asked of you? Are they giving you the full picture?

Reveal Information: As a favor, a faction with a positive status

arrives with information. This could be a favor, but the information
could also be for sale. Do they bring news of impending danger? What
opportunities have they revealed?

Call for Aid: A faction with a positive status, possibly the home‐
land, has sent word asking for a large favor. If the founders refuse,
either lose (1 reputation × faction tier) or 1 status with this faction.
What do they request? Why is their request so urgent?

Diplomatic Maneuvering: A faction, patron, client, or contact

that was previously aligned with with the settlement has flipped to be
loyal to a rival. If it’s a faction, flip the status with this faction from
positive to negative. Who is pulling their strings? What excuses do they give?

Tribute: Another faction has arrived and is seeking tribute valued at

around (settlement tier × 1) treasure. If the founders offer promises
instead of tribute, create a clock to represent the faction’s patience.
What do they offer you? Is there anything they are expecting in return?

The Play Phases 118

Monsters
Herd Movement: A herd of creatures is migrating through the
land around the settlement. Until the year ends, there is an
opportunity to hunt them. Of what use can these beasts be to dwarves?
Where do they rest? Will others hunt them?

Claim Harassment: Smaller creatures have begun to show up in

and around one of the claims by burrowing or other means. Unless the
founders deal with the creatures, they may damage a claim. What are
these creatures? Why are they damaging your claim?

A Rare Creature: A remarkable magical creature was spotted in

nearby lands. What is this creature known for? Is it dangerous? How long will
it stay? Do others hunt it?

Cursed Moon: The astral bodies have reached a cursed alignment,

and now a monster walks the earth. What is this creature like? What do the
tales tell of it? What are its motives?

Beasts Below: Creatures ancient and terrible have emerged from

below the settlement and have put the mountain home under siege! It
is up to the founders to defend their settlement!

119 The Play Phases

Mountain Entanglements
The first page of the settlement map also tracks the status that the set‐
tlement has with the spirit of the mountain. If the settlement’s status
with the mountain is negative, mark the entanglements track before
rolling for entanglements.

Mountain Entanglements Track

With each tier fully marked, add +1 to any outsider
entanglement rolls.
□ □ □ □ +1 □ □ □ □ +2 □ □ □ □ +3 □ □ □ □ +4

1: Harsh Conditions 2-3: Dwarves

1-2 Drought 1-2 Guild Opportunity
3-4 Famine 3-4 Unauthorized
5-6 Missing Supplies Construction
7 Surface Weather 5 Unmanaged
8 Tunnel Collapse or Obsession
Gas Leak 6 Guild Bickering
9 Unsteady Foundations 7 Settlers
10 Volcano or 8 Feud
Earthquake 9 Forge Calling
10 Revolt

4: Cultural Events 5-6: Environmental

1 Friendly Competition 1 Dig Find
2 Storytelling Affair 2 Extra Yield
3 Religious Holiday 3-4 Natural Discovery
4 Barrel Tapping 5 Buried History
5 Historical Anniversary 6-7 Revealed Chambers
6 Harvest or Planting 8-9 Earthly Omens
7 Community Aid 10 Unearthed Artifact
8 Ancestral Encounter
9 A Joining
10 Dwarf Carving

The Play Phases 120

Harsh Conditions
Drought: A sudden lack of water has the settlement on edge. It’s
hard to water crops, and ale must be rationed. How do the dwarves react?
What factions can you depend on for help? Do a (Tier) fortune roll:
◆ Critical: Mark 4 boxes on the mountain entanglements track and
roll again on the settlement table.
◆ 6: Mark 2 boxes on the mountain entanglements track.
◆ 4-5: Mark 1 box on the mountain entanglements track.

You may spend 1 treasure, get help from another faction for -1 status,
or divide 2 stress among the founders to reduce the number of dice.

Famine: You are struggling to produce enough food this year. Some‐
thing will have to be done to keep the dwarves fed. What caused the crop
failure? Which dwarves complain the loudest? How do you find food to get by?
Do a tier fortune roll.

To change the fortune roll by -1D any number of times: Spend 2

treasure, beg aid another faction for -1 status, activate a Farm, or
divide 3 stress between the founders.
◆ Critical: As a 6, but roll again for mountain entanglements.
◆ 6: Reduce the settlement hold from strong to weak.
◆ 4-5: Mark 1 box on the mountain entanglement track.

Missing Supplies: There was a miscount in the number of supplies

in the settlement. Either lose one treasure, tick the mountain
entanglement clock twice, or trade at -1D this year. Which dwarf or
dwarves are hoarding supplies? To what end? What debts did you fail to pay?

Surface Weather: Floods, thunderstorms or wildfires have hit

hard this year. What weather is tormenting the surface? Is this sort of weather
typical? Do a settlement tier fortune roll.
◆ Critical: Damage all the buildings in three surface claims.
◆ 6: Damage all the buildings in two surface claims.
◆ 4-5: Damage all the buildings in a single surface claim.
◆ 1-3: Choose a surface building that can’t be used for a year.

121 The Play Phases

Tunnel Collapse: Part of the settlement is entirely cut off. Start a
clock for unearthing the passageways into a given section of the set‐
tlement. None of the buildings are usable in the meantime. Who was
injured in the collapse? Who’s missing? What caused the collapse?

Gas Leak: Development has inadvertently released a pocket of

deadly gas. Select a recently developed building that cannot be used
for the year. What caused the leak? Who noticed it just in time?

Unsteady Foundations: Caves shift and the settlement is threat‐

ened. Figure out how well the buildings fare. Can be mitigated by
Reinforced Tunnels. Do a tier fortune roll:
◆ 6: A disaster! Destroy all the buildings in two claims.
◆ 4-5: Destroy all buildings in one claim.
◆ 1-3: Damage 3 claims.

Volcano: Make a settlement tier fortune roll. Start any claim

destruction from the highest levels of the claims map. Can be mit‐
igated by Emergency Fail-safes.
◆ Critical: 4 claim buildings are destroyed.
◆ 6: 3 claim buildings are destroyed.
◆ 4-5: 1 claim building is destroyed.
◆ 1-3: No claims are destroyed

Earthquake: Make a settlement tier fortune roll. Start any claim

destruction from the lowest levels of the claims map. Can be mitigated
by Emergency Fail-safes.
◆ Critical: 4 claim buildings are destroyed.
◆ 6: 3 claim buildings are destroyed.
◆ 4-5: 1 claim building is destroyed.
◆ 1-3: No claims are destroyed.

The Play Phases 122

Dwarves
Guild Opportunity: One of the guilds has made a discovery that
shows promise for the settlement. Which dwarves made the discovery?
What action do they recommend? The GM may do a fortune roll to figure
out exactly how good the situation is.
◆ 6: A lucky break.
◆ 4-5: A challenging opportunity.
◆ 1-3: A dangerous opening.

Unauthorized Construction: Some guild members have made

the decision that they know better than the settlement what to build.
Start a building construction somewhere on the map. Start a clock to
fill it. Which dwarves know better but act anyway? Are they planning on using
this building for themselves, or are they sharing?

Unmanaged Obsession: Another dwarf in the settlement, likely

one in a guild, is not dealing with their obsession well. Start a clock to
represent the implications of this dwarf not being set back on track,
and set the stage. What obsessions does this dwarf have? How are they
affecting the settlement?

Guild Bickering: One of the guilds has caused trouble due to one
of their flaws. Which dwarves are acting out of line? Who did they wrong?
What excuses are they making? Either lose (settlement tier +1) reputation,
make an example of one of the guild members, or face reprisals from
the wronged party. This can be mitigated by a Temple or gems.

Settlers: Folks from afar have shown up with the hope of making
the settlement their home. Where do these people hail from? Why do they
want to settle your mountain home? Are they dwarves? Either turn them
away and tick an outsider entanglements clock three times, or accept
them into the settlement and spend 1 treasure to mark the mountain
entanglement track twice and get 3 reputation.

123 The Play Phases

Feud: Two guilds in the mountain home are in a serious disagree‐
ment. The GM will highlight two NPCs that each highlight a particular
industry and bring the issue up. Until it is resolved, a building that is
representative of the conflict will not operate.

Forge Calling: When the spirit of the forge calls, a dwarf must
answer! A dwarf in the fort is struck with an impulsive need to craft.
This impetus might come from a benevolent spirit, a mischievous god,
or a dark impulse.

The GM creates a racing set of 6-segment clocks. The first clock rep‐
resents the dwarf’s attempt to make a worthy creation. The second
clock represents their descent into madness. The second clock
advances every faction turn and starts with the same number of seg‐
ments ticked as the highest-level mountain entanglements clock.

Revolt: The dwarves of the settlement have serious grievances and

demand a change in leadership or serious concessions. Name the
dwarf who represents these demands.

Until this is resolved, buildings cannot be used. The founders

essentially have no control over the settlement. Start clocks to rep‐
resent competing attempts to control the mountain home.

The Play Phases 124

Cultural Events
Friendly Competition: A group of dwarves would like to test
who's skills are the best. Have a dwarf, founder or otherwise, choose a
competitive event from baking to wrestling. Interested founders
should compete. What prize will be awarded to the winner? Which dwarf
won the last time there was an event like this? The winner should get +1 XP
in an applicable track.

Storytelling Affair: Some dwarves have gathered for a night of

storytelling and comradery. What is the occasion for this gathering? Do the
stories have any thematic connection? Any founders who tell a story get
+1XP in the resolve XP track.

Religious Holiday: A particular religious holiday is prominent

this year for reasons relating to current events. Most of the mountain
home is attending. How do you aid the ceremony? What activities or rituals
honoring this event take place? Create a small clock to track a successful
ceremony. If the founders helping with the holiday fill the clock,
improve the mountain home's status with the mountain’s spirit.

Barrel Tapping: A dwarf in the settlement has chosen to open a

particularly old keg of booze and is hosting a party to do so. What is the
barrel? Is it well made? Is there an occasion that they are using to justify opening
the barrel? Founders and guilds who attend should clear 1 harm.

Historical Anniversary: The anniversary for an event in your

community's past has come around and it is has particular
importance this year. What is the anniversary for? Why does it matter more
this year than usual? How does the mountain home typically celebrate?
Founders who celebrate the anniversary should take turns having
scenes about how they participate, and gain XP in the playbook track.

125 The Play Phases

Harvest or Planting: This year, the planting or harvest season is
getting additional attention. Which is being celebrated this year and why?
How does your mountain home celebrate this? Make a small clock to track
the seasonal event as the founders prepare and celebrate. If the clock
is filled, the founders each get +1 supply for their next expedition.

Community Aid: A task that can't be done alone, such as raising a

barn on the surface world, moving a massive boulder, or boring a well
through hard stone, needs to get done, so a large group of dwarves
need to come together. Who has asked for help? How are they expressing
thanks? Do the dwarves come eagerly to help? What do they all bring? What
will happen if the project isn’t done? Create a small clock for the attending
dwarves to fill as they aid the community. If the task is completed suc‐
cessfully, get +1 reputation.

Ancestral Encounter: Someone strong in stonespeech is

summoning long-passed ancestor to the mountain home for a conver‐
sation. Why is this ancestor being summoned and by whom? What does the
dwarf hope to gain? What does the ceremony look like? Anyone who seeks
information from this spirit may roll to gather information.

A Joining: Two dwarves have chosen to be united in marriage and

are having a ceremony. Who are the two dwarves getting married? Are there
any familial complications? What are the plans for the ceremony? Founders
who wish to participate should summarize their help as an action roll,
gaining +1XP in the action's XP track if they were able to help.

Dwarf Carving: Dwarven children can be hewn from stone when

dwarves cannot have children in a traditional manner. Someone in the
settlement has made the decision to sculpt a dwarf and imbue it with a soul. Who
is this dwarf? Why did they choose to sculpt a child? What aspects of the sculp‐
ture do they need help with? Create a six-segment clock for the help this
dwarf needs to finish their project, if there's any urgency or other
concerns, make it a racing clock.

The Play Phases 126

Environmental
Dig Find: A routine dig has unearthed something strange and
unknown to dwarven civilization. The dwarves will have to undertake
an investigation if they want to know what it is and what it means for
the settlement. What did the dwarves find? Consider using the Tables,
Lists & Oracles chapter on page TBD to determine what was found.

Extra Yield: One of the settlement claims that produces goods has
done well this year. If the settlement trades with this claim, double the
amount of dice it produces for trade. What sort of luck or dwarven effort
has caused this bounty?

A Natural Discovery: Somewhere underground, the dwarves of

the settlement have discovered something new and remarkable: a
creature or animal with noteworthy properties. What is it? How rare is
it? Consider the example crops and animals on page TBD.

Buried History: A dwarf has discovered a new area containing

ancient secrets or knowledge, perhaps a lost monument or a buried
danger. What new information or challenges have you just unearthed? What
regional history or factions does this relate to?

127 The Play Phases

Revealed Chambers: A dwarf has stumbled upon an entirely new
chamber in this area. Roll for another location type. Treat this location
as both types, meaning that it’s possible to construct more types of
buildings here. Which dwarf stumbled on this new chamber? What secrets
have they uncovered?

Earthly Omens: Omens are when strange news comes through

augury about the mountain home. Consider a fortune roll about this
coming news and a clock to track when it will come. Reference the
Tables, Lists & Oracles chapter on page TBD for ideas if necessary.
◆ Critical: The mountain is in dire need of the founders’ help.
◆ 6: The mountain has found something that the settlement is doing
to be rude or inadequate.
◆ 4-5: The mountain has a gift, hidden in the nearby soil.
◆ 1-3: The mountain has information on a nearby event.

Unearthed Artifact: Someone has discovered a powerful

magical item beneath the settlement. Consider the Oracles chapter on
page TBD to determine what the item is. Who will desire to take this item
from you? Who originally created it? Why was it lost underground?

The Play Phases 128

Faction Turns
All factions in the world act with ambition and purpose. After
finishing the settlement phase and end-of-year procedures, the GM
will select 3-6 factions (never the mountain home) that attempt to
progress a single faction clock, done with faction tier fortune rolls.

The GM should choose factions and clocks to advance based on the

current focus of the settlement. Focus on factions reacting to the set‐
tlement’s actions or lack of attention.

Faction clocks are visible to the players. Show the players the clocks at
the table and demonstrate the effects of these clocks in the story
whenever possible. Use rumors from travelers, smoke on the horizon,
or information gleaned from meetings with other factions.

A completed clock takes effect immediately, sometimes with changes

in the game mechanics such as changes to faction holds, destroying
factions, creating new factions, tweaking reputations, building new
danger clocks, shifting reputations, manipulating entanglement
tracks, or more narrative events such as armies approaching the set‐
tlement’s gates.

A good faction clock

A good faction clock is ambitious and unambiguous. The consequences
of the clock should be clear to the players. Ideally, clock titles imply
the ambitious goals of their factions. These clocks should threaten or
tease at the boundaries of settlement interests and goals. The founders
will feel driven to act with urgency and ambition, or in order to not
feel left out.

Clocks should remind the players that they are not alone in the world.
A faction clock must be thematic and appropriate to the faction and,
when completed, must change the world forever. These factions are
capable and self-interested, not pawns for the players. These clocks
are one of the GM’s tools for bringing life to the world.

Introduce new clocks at the beginning of the faction turn. For getting
more ideas or inspiration, look to the Faction Oracles on page TBD.

129 The Play Phases

Faction Goals
Interesting faction turns can compel the founders to act by inspiring
regular, interesting expeditions. Encourage this by creating factions
with goals that do not initially exist in a balance. Create sets of 3
factions with goals and clocks that the factions believe are incompati‐
ble. Include the Mountain Home when possible. Consider visualizing
these goals as triangles of faction names, with arrows pointing from
faction to faction indicating what they want.

The factions will have to either pursue clocks that stop the other
factions from acting or race to complete their goals. This creates ten‐
sion and invites the dwarves to intervene to help their allies or create
peace where there might otherwise be none.

Use factions of different tiers or give the clocks different segment

sizes to create asymmetry and tension. Some examples:

Research Tensions
◆ Lamia Magicians need rare materials from culturally significant
gnoll farmer grounds to complete their research.
◆ The mountain home needs the gnoll farmers to house and feed
dwarven settlers that the mountain home cannot yet support.
◆ Gnoll farmers are dependent on the Mountain Home because they
have foresworn violence.

Securing the Valley

◆ Halfling pirates wish to tax and manage the river trade.
◆ The Orc Empress wishes to dam the river to better manage her
farmland.
◆ The road to the mountain home exists in the land to be flooded.

The Play Phases 130

The First Session

A
role-playing game’s first session is one of its most important
moments. It’s the time when everyone gets to create a setting,
build their characters, and imagine the endless possibilities
that the game holds.

The whole group will get to build the world together, and create a
group of dwarves with a shared goal who will inhabit the new
mountain home. By the end of the first session, the players will have
created characters, determined the mountain home in which they
reside, and set up many factions to interact with throughout the rest
of the game.

132
Introduce the Game
First, it is important to introduce the game to everyone. Make sure
that all players know what Mountain Home is about: it is a game of
influential founders guiding a small settlement through its founding.
Discuss the group’s plot interests and the big ideas that they might like
to explore. Make sure that everyone is aware that in Mountain Home,
the years pass quickly. The game is about politics and, often, adven‐
ture. Discuss the GM’s goals and principles as well.

133 The First Session

Talk about boundaries & Safety
There are many methodologies that have been invented for making
sure that all the players at the table feel comfortable with the subject
matter of the game. Since mountain home play isn’t scripted and
players and GMs alike cannot be sure how others will feel about what
is said at the table, the group uses safety tools.

Regardless of how the group engages in safety, remember that the

group is filled with real people whose mental health is more
important than any story the group creates. Respect them as people,
and their collective stories will be better.

Here are two safety tools to consider using for the group:

Lines and Veils

During the first session, discuss what topics everyone at the table is
not comfortable having in the game at all. Lines have been put around
these stops, and they will not come up. Discuss what topics may be
allowed at the table but that players do not want to act out or see in
detail. When these things come up, acknowledge that they have hap‐
pened and move on. These topics have veils placed around them.

Lines and Veils were designed by Ron Edwards, described at https://

rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/30906/what-do-the-terms-lines-
and-veils-mean

The X Card
Place an index card with an X on it on the table, or agree on a verbal
cue or hand signal. When players use this, the table has stumbled into
a topic or subject matter that makes a player uncomfortable at the
table. Without going into great detail, discuss if the story needs to be
rewound or edited, or have a chronological skip forward or something
else to bring the game back to something that everyone can enjoy.
Respect the new boundaries established at the table and continue with
the game.

The X-card by John Stavropoulos can be found at

https://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg

The First Session 134

Make the Founders & Their Home
Guide the players through the distinct themes or adventures that the
settlement playbook goals may encourage. Reclaiming an abandoned
fort and establishing a busy trading settlement make for two different
games.

Look over the founder playbook choices. It’s important to review the
founder playbooks before players pick them so that all players get an
idea of what they might want to play. Similarly, the information with
which founder playbooks are chosen might circle back and affect set‐
tlement choice. The players are playing major figures in their
community so their playbook choices will also drive the personality of
the settlement.

Decide on a Settlement Goal

Let the players make this decision as a group. The game master should
chime in as well, making sure to answer questions and possibly help if
the discussion stalls.

135 The First Session

Choose your Founder Playbooks
Help the players discuss which playbooks they want to use. It is per‐
missible for multiple players to use the same playbook, although this
might mean the group has to be extra careful about communication.
(Some players value having a niche.) Players may also swap to new
founders later in play, so their decisions are not necessarily final.
Players will select their clan legacy, apprenticeships, and initial spe‐
cial abilities using the instructions in the Creating a Founder chapter
on page TBD.

Ask extra questions about the dwarves. It’s important to get additional
context about the founders to set the stage for the game to come. You
should ask questions about the founders with the goal of determining
which founders have shared histories, why they were chosen to found
a new settlement, and what threats have the dwarves thinking of
home. Some prompts for the players include:
◆ Why were you chosen for the journey to the new settlement?
◆ Whom among the party do you know? What is your shared
history? What do you owe them?
◆ Name an NPC dwarf who is coming along and your relationship
with them.
◆ Which of the founders do you owe your life to?
◆ Which founder’s clan has a complex history with your own?
◆ Do you feel obligated to found this new mountain home, or is this
about your ambitions?

Founder playbooks are listed on page TBD.

The First Session 136

Build the World
Each group builds a unique world for Mountain Home. While all tables
will be telling stories of settling dwarves, the context of these tales
varies depending on where they take place. Use the Creating a World
chapter to create a setting for the game on page TBD.

Be sure to get input from all players. The GM should ask questions
about the world from everyone, making sure that everyone gets to
speak. Even the GM should have a say over what the setting is like.

Create the truths about your world

Each Mountain Home game has a unique combination of truths, facts
about the world as a whole, which influence how the game will go. This
includes things like how influential magic is, the general tone, and
who else inhabits the world.

What makes this new region unique?

The majority of the world is in turmoil, but this region is different: A
new moment has come that has caused it to be open for settlement.

Dwarves are not conquerors; they live in the largely undesirable

underground. The dwarves are moving into the new region at the
beginning of the game out of a one-of-a-kind opportunity. The con‐
text for why the dwarves can settle this place informs the group of the
past history of the world.

Create factions for the new region

Use the Faction Generation section on page TBD to create factions for
the new region with the group. Be curious about the new factions: ask
extra questions about them or what their goals are and delve into
interesting aspects about them that will make them more enjoyable to
interact with in the future.

137 The First Session

Learn about your shared history
The founders are about to be disconnected from their homeland, but
those connections to their old home still matter. The group should
work together to build a shared history for their homeland and their
characters, which will make their efforts in the Mountain Home feel
more meaningful. Be sure to get input from everyone. Prompt the
players with questions like these:
◆ Why does your homeland need this settlement?
◆ Why have you left? What have you left behind?
◆ What dangers do they face at home?
◆ What faction your mountain home does your homeland have a
strained relationship with?
◆ What is your homeland’s relationship with two factions near your
starting locations?
◆ What are your personal histories with other nearby factions?

The First Session 138

Journey to the Settlement
When the dwarven founders and their guilds travel into their new
region and towards their settlement, they will meet several new
neighbors, the factions that the group has already created as part of
the worldbuilding.

The dwarves will have brief roleplayed scenes with some of these
factions, where the founders learn who lives here, what their ideolo‐
gies are, and how they feel about the dwarves showing up.

For one faction per group member, frame a scene about a leg of the
journey to the mountain home. Narrate an interruption on their jour‐
ney. A small number of members of a faction should will have a
chance encounter with the founders. Before the conversation starts,
have a player do a 2D fortune roll to determine the first impressions.
Make sure every player gets a turn. This sets the mood and the topic
for the conversation. With the faction for the the GM, rather than
rolling, have a faction react poorly and set the faction status to -2.
◆ Critical: +1 status, the faction offers a gift of +1 treasure.
◆ 6: +1 status, the faction offers helpful advice.
◆ 4-5: 0 status, the faction announces its intentions.
◆ 1-3: -1 status, the faction gives a small warning or threat.

139 The First Session

The GM uses the result of the engagement roll to inform the
interaction and set this faction’s status with the settlement. Role-play
the brief interaction as a free play scene. Focus on giving first impres‐
sions of the faction and introducing representative NPCs in them. The
factions should part ways without coming to blows or exchanging
much more than words. Once the players have met 2-4 of the
neighbors, have them arrive at their settlement.

A faction might...
◆ Warn them about another faction they dislike
◆ Demand that the dwarves stay off their land
◆ Announce their ideology or intentions
◆ Force the dwarves to take a long way around
◆ Behave as though they’re planning on robbing the travelers
◆ Provide them with a better path forward

These scenes work as a tutorial, providing the players time to get used
to role-playing their characters, introducing the basic themes of the
game and the major parties in the new region, and offering some
practice with the dice-rolling mechanics. Make sure that the players
end these scenes with a clearer picture of how to play the game.

The First Session 140

Meet the Mountain
The GM uses the Claim Generation section on page TBD to randomly
generate and describe the surface world around the settlement which
is described in the three leftmost claims on the surface. The group
works together to describe the various visual aspects of the first
chamber. Consider framing this as a montage of any initial excavation
or exploration and setting up a base. Take the time to prompt players
for details about the new Settlement.

Name the new mountain home. This could be an old name from pre‐
vious occupants or something descriptive that the founders have
experienced. Start at settling (I) tier with a strong hold, 0 reputation
and 2 treasure.

The mountain is not a mere place — it has a personality. As the

dwarves approach, they will sense the feelings and motivations of this
newly discovered spirit.

141 The First Session

The players will name one positive aspect of the mountain, and the
GM will name another:
◆ Sheltering ◆ Giving
◆ Proud ◆ Playful
◆ Nourishing ◆ Wise
◆ Calming

The GM then chooses one negative trait:

◆ Ornery ◆ Cruel
◆ Spiteful ◆ Hasty
◆ Greedy ◆ Hungry

Use these answers to populate the Mountain Section of the settlement

sheet. Start the mountain spirit status at 0 on the settlement sheet.

The First Session 142

Run the First Expedition
The first expedition sets the stage for the settlement’s early years. It
should focus on one of the primary concerns the settlement may have:
food, shelter, or neighbors. Normally, players will have complete con‐
trol over what they want to do for a session, but this session is differ‐
ent. The players are going to have less confidence and be less
comfortable with the rules, so it’s the GM’s job to bridge the gap. Since
everyone is already zoomed in on the settlement, it’s time to start
some action.

The expedition should begin with a pressing danger or need. The

starting situation should prompt the players to immediate action and
result in implications for future years and maybe even decades. Below
are some examples categorized by settlement goal.

Reclaim The Lost Fortress

◆ Breaks in the ancient defenses leave the fortress uninhabitable and
indefensible. They must be repaired or otherwise addressed.
◆ This war-torn region is home to numerous groups who will do any‐
thing to survive, including threatening and charging the founders
to live here. Negotiate a deal to be left to your business.
◆ Several timeworn dwarves still live here and reveal that the ene‐
mies who previously threatened the fortress have not all left. How
will the founders make it safe to inhabit?

Rebuild The Buried Metropolis

◆ Other folks are laying claim to the land above the ancient metropo‐
lis, and the founders must solve the dispute before they can con‐
sider this place home.
◆ The unearthed settlement contains unwelcome truths of the mis‐
deeds of your ancestors. You will have to resolve any potential
schisms between the settlers before moving on.
◆ A curse has been laid on the abandoned city such that it cannot be
safely occupied until the curse is removed. Who placed it and why?

143 The First Session

The Exodus
◆ The settlers are weary from their journey, but the surface here is
unsafe. The dwarves must dig through the night and in dangerous
conditions to make it to safety in time.
◆ The dwarves have put down roots, but their traditional crops are
not growing in the unusual soil. Until the founders find a new food
source, they cannot accept this place as home.
◆ Some of the people who have forced the dwarves from their home
have pursued the founders here. The dwarves must find a way to
fend them off or evade their notice.

The Mother Lode

◆ The mother lode drawing the dwarves here is dangerous and unre‐
fined. Without finding a way to handle the natural properties of
this places, it may remain too dangerous to settle.
◆ There is a dangerous layer of magic preventing this site from being
settled. The dwarves will have to figure out why it is here and try to
remove it.
◆ There is a group of protectors who have walled off the mother lode
from outsiders for their own good. They believe the site should not
be dealt with. The founders must convince the protectors to let
them pass and become stewards of this place.

After the Expedition

Once the first expedition is complete, enter the normal cycle of yearly
play, starting with the settlement phase.

The First Session 144

Running the Game

A
s the GM, your role is governed by agendas and principles.
Although these aren’t as concrete as the rules for the players,
they are still rules. The GM’s toolkit below will highlight the
tools at your disposal when running a game.

Agendas
Play to find out: Play without a firm notion of what the story will
be. All the players have influence over the direction of the game.
Delight in whatever story the group arrives ends up with.

Portray the world honestly: Provide honest answers to

player questions. Give the details necessary to move the plot forward.
Create a real place that believable people inhabit. Acknowledge and
leverage all the interesting details your group has created together.

Bring the World to Life: Describe the world with the intent to
craft a living place. Name your NPCs and give them mannerisms and
goals. Mountain Home covers a long period of time, so illustrate the
sights, sounds, and moods of the changing seasons and years.

146
Principles
◆ Carve the World From Jagged Stone
◆ Speak to the Founders
◆ Consider Their Legacy
◆ Delight in Their Creation
◆ Shake the Foundations
◆ Challenge the Founders’ Unity
◆ Emphasize common personhood

Carve the World from Jagged Stone: This world is dan‐

gerous. Show your players the unforgiving, unmapped wilderness.
Wake the monsters lying in slumber. Evoke the dangerous mistakes of
the past for the dwarves to resolve. The founders must either sculpt
this world or be consumed by it.

Speak to the Founders: The player characters are the focus of

this story, not the players. During the game, speak to the founders by
name, not their players.

Consider Their Legacy: Mountain Home can span decades. Bring

issues about civilization and settlement to the forefront — the
founders are trying to make history. Look to the horizon.

Delight in Their Creation: The players and their founders are

building something awesome. The world and settlement are wonder‐
ful because the group is making it. Even though part of the job of the
GM is to challenge the players, you must embrace their ideas. Feed off
the group’s enthusiasm and return it in kind.

147 Running the Game

Shake the Foundations: While the players’ and their dwarves’
creations are something to take delight in, do not keep them safe.
Probe the strength of the settlement’s walls, test the depth of their
coffers, stretch their bonds with their neighbors. All the trials that
your founders overcome will make them proud as well as bring them
closer together.

Challenge the Founders’ Unity: In the moments of strife

when the settlement’s future is on the line, the founders’ bonds are
tested. Find the ideological differences between the founders and
make them look for answers.

Emphasize Common Personhood: While all the main charac‐

ters are dwarves, the world is filled with other folks. These other
people may not have the same values and ideals as the dwarves.
Differentiate these folks by making humans seem short-sighted, elves
seem petty, or goblins seem reckless, but do not lose sight of how these
are all people with wants and needs. Strike a balance between their
fundamental differences and everyone’s common sentience. Every
creature can and should communicate and be understood, given time
and patience.

Running the Game 148

The GM Toolkit
The GM toolkit consists of the best practices and possible procedures
for those moments when the players look to the GM for what happens
next. Rather than an exhaustive list, this is a set of ideas to consult
and use as part of your job.
◆ Ask the players questions
◆ Get to the action
◆ Show looming danger
◆ Follow through
◆ Bring in a guild member
◆ Tell them the consequences and ask
◆ Create a new clock
◆ Tick a clock segment
◆ Offer a Devil’s Bargain
◆ Work off screen
◆ Unearth something strange

Ask the players questions

The players are creative people who are working to build the story
right alongside the GM. The whole group has good ideas, so when you
are struggling to think of something, ask the group. Asking the
players for information about dwarven history or their settlement
helps grow their connections.

Ask the players for context on their actions or their choices. What led
them to this moment? Ask how they know an NPC. Ask about their
guild members’ personalities.

When you ask the players questions, you’re asking them to use their
creative muscles. This can intimidate players who aren’t used to being
trusted with the game world. Ask leading questions to focus the
players’ creativity. Don’t ask, “What was your previous mountain
home like?” Ask, “what forced you to leave your previous mountain
home?” Ask, “what about the halflings here has kept them from find‐
ing allies?” rather than asking, “What are the halflings here like?”

149 Running the Game

Get to the action
Mountain Home covers a huge span of time. The game cannot cover
every moment in dwarven life. Think about the big picture. Skip from
important scene to scene and let the players do the same thing.
Mountain Home’s phases are already designed to do this, but don’t be
afraid to cut away from quiet periods during expeditions or encourage
the players to choose to have scenes during free play.

Show looming danger

Signs of future danger are a great way to avoid the punishment of one
more hard consequence. You can demonstrate that a severe con‐
sequence is coming soon as a less severe consequence. Clocks facilitate
this well when the danger is beyond the immediate scope. It’s not
enough to plan for this danger in your head: You have to show it to the
players for it to be meaningful.

Follow through
If you’ve telegraphed looming danger, follow through if the founders
don’t take the opportunity to deal with it. Sometimes this means
something within the scene, and sometimes this means filling a clock
that you’ve had on the sidelines for a while. Use the tools that you’ve
already been working with, from clocks to other factions’ statuses.

Running the Game 150

Bring in a guild member
Mountain Home’s guild system means that all players have named
dwarves on their playbook with opinions of how the character is
doing at their job. Leverage these allies and rivals for scenes in the
mountain home. Use them to bring news to the founders or to help
ground an entanglement in the lives of dwarves that they know.

Similarly, be sure to have named NPCs to leverage when factions come

calling. These named NPCs will be representative of their factions to
the characters. Be sure to make these NPCs emblematic of their orig‐
inating factions and while also still being persons in their own right.

Tell them the consequences and ask

There are times when doing an action roll would give too much
attention to a task. Perhaps it’s not relevant to the scope of the game,
or taking the time to deal with potential consequences would slow
down play. Perhaps the task itself is interesting, but the potential fail‐
ure scenarios are not. In these cases, tell the player what it would take
and let them choose to do it. This might mean time, resources,
marking an item, or getting what they want for free.

Create a new clock

Clocks are one of the most robust, flexible mechanics in Mountain
Home. Use clocks readily to set up future scenarios, challenge your
dwarves to solve problems, or help players organize their future goals.

Be creative about how to use clocks. Feel free to experiment with

different types of clocks than the ones detailed in the Clocks section.
For more information on clocks, see page TBD.

151 Running the Game

Tick a clock segment
Ticking a clock segment is a powerful symbol of time being wasted,
danger approaching, or opportunities being lost. If you’re unsure of
what to do, look to your clocks and consider ticking one. This can be a
powerful call for your players to act.

Offer a Devil’s Bargain

Devil’s Bargains are a flexible tool. Players are allowed to offer Devil’s
Bargains, so you can leverage the creativity of the players. Devil’s
Bargains give players additional dice, so they can have the confidence
to take actions they might otherwise not. The complications of Devil’s
Bargains do not have to be immediate, either, so you can keep the
game moving forward during the scene.

Regularly offering Devil’s Bargains means that the players will

become used to thinking of them, ask for them, and embrace the
complications that come with them.

Work off screen

Mountain Home has tools for working off-screen in the form of the
entanglement tracks, clocks, and faction tracking. Consider these
things during play when looking for characters, factions, or
complications to bring in.

Unearth something Strange

The world of Mountain Home is an ancient place with many forgotten
things. Ancient settlements, monsters, and magic exist abandoned
and unexplained. When the founders look to see what is in the world,
what others are fighting over, or what they are running from, consider
something strange and forgotten.

Running the Game 152

Action Roll Consequences
When players roll and don’t get a full success, they look to the
GM for the consequences for their action. The consequences should
keep the story interesting, change the story and continue to provide
potential paths forward.

Consequences should be proportional to the risk of the action

and the result level. Talking through the possible consequences of a
failing action with your players before the roll can help you make sure
everyone is on the same page about what is happening in the story and
what is at stake. A detailed explanation is particularly useful for get‐
ting all players in agreement with what is happening in the story when
action rolls are not normal risk or normal reward levels.

Consequences aren’t always as clear cut as choosing one of the

single categories below. Many changes in the story come in the form
of multiple consequences.

Consequence severity can be used to control the tone and difficulty of

the game. More high-risk rolls with severe consequences will make
the founders look weak and in over their heads. Constant light-con‐
sequence risk rolls leave the players feeling unchallenged.

The consequences of an action roll must change the story. Players

shouldn’t feel like they are able to keep trying the same action over
and over again. Mountain Home moves too quickly to dwell on single
situations for too long. Consequences from partial successes can and
often should move the story forward.

Almost always, the consequences from a partial success should hit less
hard than the consequences from a total failure. Similarly, high-risk
rolls should increase how hard the consequences hit the players.
Sometimes combinations of several lesser consequences can be a
reasonable substitute for a single major consequence. Where a player
might be disarmed on a normal-risk roll, their weapon might be
broken on a high-risk roll.

153 Running the Game

Because a partial success still counts as a success, no consequence on a
partial success should ever cancel out the accomplishment of a suc‐
cessful roll.

When dealing with consequences, look to the mechanical tools of the

game as well as the story to represent what has happened. The players
have many resources at risk, including treasure, supply, and entangle‐
ment tracks. Tick clocks describing long- and short-term threats.
Clocks can make story-based threats concrete and put off con‐
sequences into the future so that failed rolls are not as difficult to bear.

Consequence hardness
Risk: Low Medium High

Partial Success: Light Medium Hard

Failure: Medium Hard Very hard

Running the Game 154

Reduced Reward
This consequence represents a limited ability to accomplish a goal.
While the founder succeeds, they don’t succeed to the extent they
might have originally anticipated. The founder may have successfully
excavated a passageway, but it’s too small for an army to move
through quickly. Perhaps the founder struck a blow against their
enemy, but the strike was not fatal.

Complication
This consequence means that the character may have gotten what they
wanted, but there is new trouble or danger. The GM might introduce
an immediate threat such as being caught red handed, a new enemy, a
tunnel cave-in, or item loss.

The complication could also be further reaching in the form of repu‐

tation changes, ticking an entanglement track, or creating or ticking a
clock. Minor complications might mean filling one tick, where a
standard complication might be two. Ticking and creating clocks have
broad possibilities and story implications.

Lost Opportunity
There can be a lot of narrative weight resting on a founder’s shoulders
when they act. Sometimes this comes in the form of limited windows
of opportunity.

Just as old opportunities fade, new ones — sometimes less

advantageous ones — often open up. This might mean that the
founders must try alternate actions or using different items to help, or
attempting new approaches.

Lost opportunities might mean that the person selling the gem you
need wasn’t convinced by your attempts to bargain and sold it to
someone else. If you need it now, you’ll have to command the buyer to
give it up, or perhaps pilfer it.

155 Running the Game

Worse Position
A worse position manifests in the founders losing some control over
the situation. Perhaps they successfully escaped the tunnel collapse,
only to find themselves face to face with a dangerous cave beast.
Perhaps the character leapt from one side of a cliff to another, but
barely caught the ledge by their fingertips.

In these situations, the character may have made progress toward

their goal, but the stakes are now higher. This escalates the tension
and points towards larger, more dangerous consequences in the
future. As the situation becomes increasingly tense, the founders will
encounter more high-risk rolls with more significant consequences.

Inflict Harm
An obvious consequence for a lot of action-oriented situations is
inflicting physical harm on the founders, their guilds, or their allies.
Founders have harm sections on their playbooks describing various
injuries and their penalties for themselves and their guilds. Any other
character in Mountain Home works differently — it’s entirely up to the
GM and the story. A tough NPC might have a clock describing its
health, whereas a weaker, less important NPC might be harmed once
and eliminated.

Running the Game 156

Clocks
The GM uses clocks when progress towards important goals are
beyond the scope of a single action. Clocks are ticked by marking off a
number of segments. Players usually tick clocks with action rolls. The
GM might tick a clock as a consequence for a bad player roll.

Whenever multiple players are contributing towards a complex goal

that can’t simply be completed in a single roll, consider a clock.
Similarly, when something dangerous looms over the settlement but
may not come to pass immediately, a clock is an excellent way to show
the event slowly coming closer.

Clock rules
A clock has two parts:
◆ A name, which is a simple phrase describing the thing that
happens when the clock has all its segments ticked
◆ A circle divided into segments, which are ticked as the story
progresses towards the name coming into fruition
A clock name must signal a pending change to the story. If the
clock is about someone’s opinion of another group or character
changing, that person must act on it when the clock completes. If a
clock is about fighting a war, the war is over when the clock is filled.

When clocks are ticked, signs of the clock progressing should

manifest in the world. If an elven army marches on an orcish village,
demonstrate signs of war on the horizon. If kobolds are attempting to
dig their way into the settlement, the dwarves should hear the echoing
sounds of picks hitting stone getting ever closer.

An individual clock should have 3-8 segments to tick. If you want to

track something that would take more than 8 segments, use linked
clocks that break up the event into smaller objectives.

Even though clocks are managed by the GM, clocks should always be
public information. Consider notecards, papers facing away from
your game master screen, or a public screen on your virtual tabletop if
you are playing digitally.

157 Running the Game

How Do Clocks Get Ticked?
The reward level of a player action controls how many clock ticks they
may get from an individual action roll.
◆ High reward: 3 ticks
◆ Normal reward: 2 ticks
◆ Low reward: 1 tick

The GM’s clocks often describe pending dangers or the desires of

other factions. Founders may not want these things to happen when
they describe the actions of enemies or rivals. These clocks are ticked
either as consequences from player rolls or as part of the faction
turns, which occur at the end of every year. Consequences that tick
clocks relate to the the action roll risk:
◆ High risk: 3 ticks
◆ Normal risk: 2 ticks
◆ Low risk: 1 tick

Clocks are meant to describe things that are happening in the world.
This means that if the world changes, the clock should change to
reflect that narrative element, too. If the world changes in such a way
that a clock no longer matters or that the situation has already come to
pass, update the clock. Remove the clock, tick more clock segments,
change the clock name, or clear some clock segments that were pre‐
viously ticked. It is far more important that your clock reflects the
situation in the story than that you work to match your story to
your clock.

Running the Game 158

Types of Clocks
There are some types of clocks that the game rules outline throughout
the book. These will exist in your game no matter what and are nec‐
essary for the game to run smoothly.

Long-term project clocks: Players work on projects during the

settlement phase. Specific rules in the settlement phase chapter
govern how to advance these clocks and when. These clocks should
describe projects and long-term goals that the founders are interested
in. Perhaps they are diplomatic missions, research for inventions, or
attempts to speak to distant mountains.

Claim clocks: Claim clocks are a special type of long-term project

used to manipulate the claims map to meet the settlement’s needs.
Players will use claim clocks to explore claims, create or upgrade
buildings, and repair them when damaged.

Faction clocks: Other factions have long-term ambitions in the

same way that the mountain home does. The GM uses these clocks to
summarize the ambitious events in the lives of other factions as they
gain strength and meddle with the dwarves or each other.

Ways To Use Clocks

Clocks are creative tools to be used to solve numerous unexpected
problems in game. While there are few limits on how they can be used,
here are some examples:

Expedition clocks: Track the goals of the dwarves throughout an

expedition by using clocks. Expedition clocks might describe the
stamina of a dangerous foe, the progress of a dwarven sapping tunnel,
or the endurance of a dwarven militia holding out until they can be
supported. Expedition clocks can cover a smaller goal within a larger
mission or describe the major expedition goal. Use expedition clocks
when you want to control the pacing, clearly demonstrate objective
progress, and open participation on an objective to multiple founders.
These clocks aren’t necessarily ticked through a specific action, so the
founders can be creative to find solutions.

159 Running the Game

Danger clocks: Clocks can track any sort of upcoming danger for
the founders. When the clock completes, the danger comes to pass. A
clock could track a collapsing tunnel about to trap the dwarves, or a
gnome patrol discovering the sneaking players. Since the danger hap‐
pens in the future, the founders dawdling or failing rolls will add seg‐
ments to the clock.

Draining clocks: A draining clock is like a danger clock, except

that these clocks represent the endurance of something, such as the
diminishing integrity of a wall holding back a magma flood or some‐
one’s trust in the settlement as they are repeatedly let down. These
clocks start full, and as founders fail rolls or dedicate time to other
tasks, untick clock segments until the clock is drained. When the clock
is empty, the endurance of the thing fails, with negative consequences
for the founders.

Racing clocks: Use two clocks that cannot both be completed. The
first clock that gets completed wins. This could be two factions racing
to discover something or the strengths of two fighting forces.

Tug-of-war clocks: Tug-of-war clocks have events for when they

empty and when they fill. This could be something like “the guild
members are ready to strike,” where emptying the clock demonstrates
their problems being solved, and the clock filling demonstrates the
guild being exasperated and finally striking.

Linked clocks: Some complex tasks may at first seem to require

clocks with more than 8 segments. Subdivide these into multiple
ordered clocks for simplicity. Creating a complex invention might first
start with a clock to research, a clock to create a successful prototype,
and a clock to ready the creation for production.

Running the Game 160

Clock Best Practices
Clocks are open-ended tools that can be used in a multitude of ways.
While they are versatile, there are best practices for their use that can
help make play run smoothly.

Clocks mean something. If a clock is filled, something must change.

Don’t stop at telling the players that clocks complete. Adjust faction
tiers, change holds from strong to weak, alter statuses, show rumors
of the things that changed. Every single clock should make the players
feel affected.

Shift consequences onto clocks. When players repeatedly fail rolls,

there is a risk that the consequences will build into something
insurmountable. Consider creating or advancing a clock that has
longer-term consequences instead. Actions could attract attention,
drain supplies, or exasperate allies.

Use clocks for Devil’s Bargains. Using Devil’s Bargains to create

complications only in the moment can make things difficult for the
founders. Offer Devil’s Bargains that create looming problems in the
future, or tick clocks that already exist to help regulate difficulty and
show complex problems on the horizon.

Don’t be too specific. Use the clock names to describe looming prob‐
lems in an open-ended way. “King Magrek has had it with you” is more
interesting and more flexible than “King Magrek is going to harass
your traders.” Flexible or vague clock names also let the players’ imag‐
inations do some of the work for you.

Focus on the obstacle. The players determine how to solve a problem

presented by a clock. Use “infiltrate the centaur fortress,” not “climb
over the centaur fortress walls.”

Layer the obstacles. Smaller, less ambitious clocks can sometimes be

easier to manage in complex situations. For a diplomatic mission, con‐
sider “prove you’re not a threat to the crabfolk” leading into “agree
upon a treaty.”

161 Running the Game

Start with a twist. When using clocks for consequences, think further
afield than the situation at hand. Bring in new factions, or reveal star‐
tling plans, pending betrayals, or other dangers the players might
never have expected.

Make clocks a regular part of play. Don’t hide clocks away or only
make them accessible during downtime and faction turns. Clocks
should become a natural, obvious tool at the table.

Keep existing clocks in mind. Clocks are an effective tool for

brainstorming as a GM for session prep or immediate consequences
during a player failure. You might already have a thread to pull on.

Leverage the whole world. Look beyond the expedition, the current
year and the settlement. Have clocks affect more than the dwarves’
immediate surroundings. Put the settlement, the dwarves’ reputation,
the land, and even other factions in peril.

Use clock length for pacing. When building clocks for a mission-
length objective, consider about two or three clock segments per
founder for a fast-paced mission. Four segments per player may make
for a longer mission. This is best split across linked clocks, or separate
clocks for optional goals.

Maintain your clocks. Remove irrelevant clocks if players haven’t

taken actions that affect them, or the story they tell isn’t relevant
anymore. Keep your play area material relevant. The public clocks
should be interesting, impactful, and pressing.

Use more than player actions. Changing the clock with an action roll
means that the game world has changed. Changing the game world
can also mean changing a clock. This can mean deciding that clocks
have been completed when it seems fictionally appropriate even with‐
out action rolls to finish them.

Running the Game 162

Rolling the Dice
For the most part, the GM doesn’t roll dice in Mountain Home. Most of
the time, if the fate of the settlement or a character is involved, it’s the
players who roll. However, there are situations when the GM rolls to
determine something outside of the characters’ hands.

Fortune Rolls
The GM makes fortune rolls to determine the impact of factions and
forces on the world.

Most typically, these rolls are done by rolling dice equal to the tier of
the faction or element involved. For instance, when rolling to see how
well a faction endures a famine, roll its tier. The most common
instance of the GM making fortune rolls is the faction turns. Fortune
Rolls for faction clocks tick clocks at the same pace as founder long-
term projects.

When a faction’s tier does not apply, consult the Determining tier
section on page TBD for concluding what tier something count as be
for a fortune roll. Add or remove up to one die for major changes in
advantage or disadvantage. Some variations of fortune rolls hit
harder for a larger-tier thing and affect the settlement. This includes
drought, famine, earthquakes, and other dangerous natural forces.

Fortune roll result examples:

◆ 1-3: Bad result, 1 clock tick, or a small effect
◆ 4-5: Mixed result, 2 clock ticks, or a limited effect.
◆ 6: Good result, 3 clock ticks, or a standard effect.
◆ Critical: Exceptional result, 5 clock ticks, or a great effect.

163 Running the Game

Oracle Rolls
The GM uses oracle rolls to realize fate outside of anyone’s hands.
These rolls involve using two d6s and rolling them in an ordered fash‐
ion. This book recommends a dark and a light d6, where the light d6 is
used first and the dark one second. This way you can roll them both at
the same time.

There are two levels of information involved when you consult an

oracle. Most of the time the die result from your first die will guide
you to where to look up what the second die means.

In some cases, such as determining what players find underground

and determining the settlement entanglements, one of the die results
is modified by a number.

Running the Game 164

Preparing an Expedition
In Mountain Home, the founders get to choose what expeditions they
undertake, and the GM is responsible for crafting an expedition with
unique scenes and challenges for the players. This can end up being
serious improvisational work for the GM. Consider calling for a short
break during the session while preparing for your expedition if you
are not comfortable starting immediately.

Use questions like these to focus your expeditions:

◆ What are the major barriers to the founders' goals? Another
faction? Nature? The location where the expedition will take
place? Differences of approach or opinions among the founders
themselves?
◆ Are there NPCs or factions that could embody these challenges?
◆ What are the consequences of things going wrong?
◆ What challenges or risks could be turned into clocks?
◆ What would be the most compelling opening scene?
◆ Is this expedition complex enough to be broken into multiple
smaller ones?
◆ Is there an existing clock that might apply to this situation?
◆ Where can challenges or barriers be connected to the life stories of
the individual founders?
Any preparations that you undertake should be regarded as flexible.
Never make a plan that you're not willing to change. You should adapt
to your players' interests, incorporate their ideas, and be prepared to
drop concepts that are not working in the moment.

165 Running the Game

Running an Expedition
Use tools like clocks to track expedition progress. Be willing to respond
to player rolls with both sweeping successes and significant con‐
sequences for failure. Make the objectives and the dangers clear to
everyone playing.

If you are using clocks to track expedition goals and danger, tune the
clock size with your players in mind. A single successful high-reward
roll can tick 3 clock segments, so a 6-segment clock could be completed
in just two rolls, but it could also take 6 low-reward actions to
complete. Failures might not contribute at all. Plan for about two seg‐
ments per success. Regardless of your primary objective clock size,
make sure that as complications arise, you provide all of your
founders with opportunities to take on challenges that fit their spe‐
cialties and interests.

Remember that clocks are both for tracking the state of the objective
and for tracking the state of the world. If the story has moved on from
a clock, clean it up or complete it when appropriate.

Expeditions are an important part of Mountain Home, but they are

not the sole focus of the game. With this in mind, try to keep expe‐
ditions short enough that you don’t have to rush through the other
scenes that happen during a year in the settlement. This means that
each player will probably only do several rolls during an expedition.

Running the Game 166

Expedition Structure
The Method
The purpose of the expedition. Ensure that the method at the start of
the expedition is a forking path with interesting failure choices.
Before the method comes into play, frame any scenes as narrative and
avoid action rolls. Use the method as a moment to start building ten‐
sion, highlight the specific dangers of the expedition, and preview
future challenges.

The Focus
When choosing what to focus an expedition on, consider your players'
stated goal and the obstacles that could stand in the way of it. Look at
the answers to the questions you may have asked earlier.

Ensure that all players have chances to act. Create at least one chal‐
lenge with each founder in mind so that all players have moments to
act. Adjust clock size (and sometimes difficulty) for importance to the
story, not realism. Have the challenges build in tension and stakes as
they get nearer to their goal. Present challenges that call into question
the dwarves’ goals, the opinions of others, and their ability to stand
together when challenged.

The End
At some point during the expedition, it will feel like the outcome has
been decided. While you should certainly roleplay any interesting
scenes, use a critical eye to consider if the expedition is at an end.
Consider allowing players to narrate their final moments, both
triumphant and tragic, as the expedition wraps up without involving
dice once the uncertainty about the objective is resolved.

167 Running the Game

Diplomacy
Diplomatic expeditions allow the founders to make an arrangement
with another group. These situations are unlikely to have open conflict
and may focus on some of these questions:
◆ What does the other group want?
◆ What do the dwarves want?
◆ How do these folks lack trust in the dwarves?
◆ How can the dwarves prove themselves or build more trust?
◆ Who would interfere to prevent this from happening?
◆ What would make for an acceptable or unacceptable outcome?

Possible clocks & objectives

◆ Do a favor for the other faction to earn their trust
◆ The faction asks a high price of the dwarves
◆ Take a stance or an action that proves your loyalty
◆ The faction is hiding a dangerous secret from the founders
◆ A third party is vying for a conflicting goal
◆ Participate in an exchange of gifts
◆ Successfully participate in a cultural ritual

Possible Outcomes
◆ A major change in faction status
◆ Resolving or canceling a faction clock
◆ A solution to an entanglement
◆ A major loan of resources or aid

Running the Game 168

Raid
Raids involve some kind of conflict with another faction, although it’s
rarely violence for its own sake. It’s usually about taking something or
proving something. Focus on the big picture rather than individual
acts of violence whenever possible.
◆ What do the founders really want out of this attack?
◆ What sort of resistance will this faction put up?
◆ Does this faction have any reason to fight to the death?
◆ What will the long-term repercussions of the raid be?
◆ How does the raid environment make the conflict unique?
◆ What will the target’s reaction be during the attack?
◆ How might other factions react to the raid, possibly during it?
Possible Clocks & Objectives
◆ Reduce enemy morale
◆ Steal treasure or artifacts
◆ Provide reinforcements in time
◆ Support a rebel faction
◆ Defend against enemy reinforcements
◆ The enemies employ a new trick or weapon
◆ Survive or handle an ambush
◆ The target is about to escape
◆ Enemies are threatening something the dwarves care about

Possible Outcomes
◆ Another faction’s resources
◆ Stopping a faction from completing a clock
◆ Reducing a faction’s tier or hold
◆ Change the opinions or beliefs of a faction

169 Running the Game

Survey
Surveys are expeditions that focus on travel and exploration. Focus on
the strangeness of the new locations, whether it’s an underground
ruin or a strange forest. Emphasize opportunities to learn new things
and meet unusual people.

Claims in the Mountain Home are typically discovered through

downtime exploration, but a survey expedition might be appropriate
for remarkable situations with extra danger or urgency.
◆ What dangers will your players face?
◆ What hidden opportunities or treasures lie hidden here?
◆ What tales or myths have the dwarves heard? Are they true?
◆ Why is this place unmapped?
◆ Who inhabits this place?

Possible Clocks & Objectives

◆ Make it through immediate danger
◆ Find a way through
◆ Survive a dangerous environment
◆ Find an important landmark
◆ Someone has placed dangerous traps or obstacles
◆ The supplies are drawn thin
◆ Another person or faction is a master of the path forward. Do the
dwarves ask for help?
◆ Structural dangers like floods, weather, or tunnel collapse force the
dwarves to act in haste

Possible Outcomes
◆ Access to new resources or passages
◆ Treasure
◆ Fill or resolve a clock
◆ Connector to or discover a new region

Running the Game 170

Artifact
Artifact expeditions focus on harnessing magical power. The chal‐
lenges can vary, but the goal is almost always recovering or building a
magical or remarkable item.
◆ Who constructed the artifact and for what purpose?
◆ Why is this source of power not currently being used?
◆ Has this artifact been hidden for good reason?
◆ Who else seeks this magic?
◆ How has this magic changed the world around it?

Possible Clocks & Objectives

◆ A magical source that the dwarves could harness is fading. Find it
before it disperses
◆ Construct something to harness magical energy
◆ Bypass or defeat the guardians of a magical object
◆ Unearth a known but hidden artifact
◆ Dispel or bypass a protective barrier or vault
◆ The artifact has warped the environment in dangerous ways
◆ Craft a solution to harness an artifact
◆ Another party is racing to take the artifact before the dwarves

Possible Outcomes
◆ A new magical artifact
◆ A method of using an old or raw artifact
◆ Clearing clocks related to the artifact’s danger

171 Running the Game

Homeland
When dwarves return to their homeland, they are dealing with
questions of past history and their homeland’s expectations of them.
◆ How have things changed since the founders left?
◆ Has the new settlement met the hopes of the homeland?
◆ What tribute did the founders bring?
◆ How are the founders’ families doing?
◆ Has anyone followed the founders to the homeland?
◆ What ongoing events complicate the visit?

Possible Clocks & Objectives

◆ Assuage the concerns of a skeptical or adversarial homeland
faction
◆ Convince the homeland to send aid to the Mountain Home
◆ Impress the homeland’s founders with gifts
◆ Search the libraries for important history
◆ Some dwarves in the homeland disapprove of the Mountain
Home’s actions
◆ The homeland needs immediate aid
◆ New Mountain Home allies are asking the dwarves to put the
homeland in jeopardy
◆ The homeland is put under siege
◆ The homelands asks the dwarves to take settlers that the Mountain
Home cannot hold
◆ Some of the founders’ families are having personal troubles

Possible Outcomes
◆ New founders or guilds
◆ Treasure or increased supplies
◆ Information
◆ Political intercession on the founders’ behalf

Running the Game 172

Negotiating for Inventions
Whenever a founder works to invent a new brew, rune, invention, or
magical thing, the player discusses the boundaries of their invention
with the GM. Inventions are for creating anything that the dwarves
wouldn’t normally have access to.

1. The player says what the new invention does.

2. The player says what rare, strange, or adverse aspects of this
design have kept it in obscurity.
3. The GM says what drawbacks the item has from the list below.
4. The GM says what tier the new item is.

The player and the GM should work together to make these things
have mechanical effects where possible.

Drawbacks
◆ Complex ◆ Rare
◆ Conspicuous ◆ Unreliable
◆ Consumable ◆ Volatile
The Invention Clock
Downtime invention clocks are assigned a size by the GM, where quick
inventions are 4 segments and complex inventions should be around 8
segments. When this clock is finished, the founder can create the item
using a single downtime action.

Changes to existing items require one downtime action without the

invention clock. Crafting an item takes one downtime action done
with an appropriate action rating.
◆ Critical: Item tier is settlement tier+ 2
◆ 6: Item tier is +1
◆ 4-5: Item tier is tier
◆ 1-3: Item tier is tier-1

Players can spend 1 treasure or 2 stress after the roll to increase the
tier of the final creation by 1 any number of times.

173 Running the Game

Determining Tier
When it comes to acquiring assets, inventions, monsters, fortune
rolls, and the power of other factions, figuring out their tier can mean
determining their ability to affect the world.

To determine the tier of something, consider the relevant factors

below and add the numbers together. Start with 0 and add 1 for every‐
thing that is true. Skip factors that do not matter. Tiers generally
shouldn’t exceed 6.
◆ This affects many people.
◆ This affects a large area.
◆ This lasts for a while.
◆ This effect is permanent.
◆ This effect is powerful or overwhelming.
◆ The result is reliable or safe.
◆ The result is subtle or hidden.
◆ The result is easy to produce or readily available.

Running the Game 174

Great Smithing
Any dwarf can hammer out a sword or patch a hole in a suit of armor.
All settlements have stores of hammers and wooden buckets. Getting
access to these materials in games is a simple matter of marking off a
box from your playbook supply or doing a “borrow aid” downtime
action. Great Smithing is different.

Great Smithing is for such things fixing an ancient magic artifact,

crafting a strange meteorite into a special shield, crafting a special
personalized suit of armor as a gesture of peace, or etching runes into
a weapon to magical effect.

Some possible results from a Great Smithing project include:

◆ An item of increased quality: An entbane axe with increased
reward level against treefolk, or a meteorite sword with a blade of
unparalleled strength.
◆ An item with a unique effect: A rust beetle fang sword that rusts
metal on contact, or a judge’s shield that glows near liars.
◆ Forging a ceremonial artifact of great beauty or symbolic
value: Forging a suit of armor for the goblin king to seal a peace
treaty, or making a special pick for a miner who saved your life.
◆ Building a unique invention: Making a repeating crossbow that
you invented, or manufacturing a special trap that captures but
does not kill giants.
◆ Repairs to artifacts beyond your skill: Fixing a strange fireball
wand found during a dig, or repairing a snapped magic sword
made of an unknown metal.

175 Running the Game

Negotiation Flow
For great smithing, the prompting process works the same as general
negotiations but with slightly different prompts.

1. The player and the GM discuss desired effects or what the player
can do with the dwarf’s known techniques, runes, and materials.
2. The GM states the minimum tier level of this item.
3. The player announces what special materials, techniques or runes
they will need to finish the project.
4. The player says what rare, strange or adverse aspects of this design
have kept it in obscurity, out of common usage.
5. The GM says what drawbacks the item has from the list above.

The player may discover that this process means that they do not have
everything they require at the moment to complete their smithing
project. If that were to happen, the determined factors about what the
item would do, quality, special materials, unique effects and
drawbacks will all still apply. It’s simply a matter of getting what you
need and choosing to do the downtime action later.

Running the Game 176

Playing NPCs
NPCs are the primary way that a GM has to interact with the founders.
NPCs should feel like real, whole people rather than pawns in a game.
The GM often has limited time to interact with the players in a scene
through any given NPC, so focus on making the time useful, interest‐
ing, and impactful.

When you first bring in an NPC, figure out their mannerisms,

relationship with the founders, and beliefs. Use this information to
drive the NPC’s actions on screen. Have your NPCs actions clearly
demonstrate what they want of the founders. Have your NPCs press
your players to act in their interests.

When first creating an NPC, especially if they are a dwarf, consider

prompting your players for any shared history that they might have.
Are they from a familiar clan? Did these characters meet during a past
event in the campaign? Bring in details from the game’s world to
make these characters have depth.

While you portray your NPCs, remember that they are not precious
resources to be kept safe. Involve the NPCs in the results of faction
clocks, action consequences, and more.

177 Running the Game

Playing Solo
Playing Mountain Home solo with a single founder presents some chal‐
lenges due to the downtime action limitations. There is so much that
needs to be done around the settlement each year, and this amount of
work is simply too much for a single founder. The following changes
should make the game work better for a solo player:
◆ Choose 2 apprenticeships instead of 1
◆ Have your founder lead 2 guilds instead of 1
◆ Start with 5 supply every year instead of 3
◆ Give the founder 4 actions during downtime instead of 2

Alternatively, play Mountain Home with multiple founders and a

single player. A more varied cast creates more opportunities for char‐
acter development.

Oracles
The Oracles chapter is filled with oracles to spark creativity. Use these
during solo play to help inspire character and GM actions.

Making the Game Your Own

Changing the Entanglements
The variable nature of events in the mountain home can do a lot to set
the tone of the game. The first of the two dice rolls in the entangle‐
ments roll determines the event category. Change the types of events
that trouble your dwarves or replace events to more finely tune your
mountain home’s themes.

Repeat Entanglements
If an entanglement comes up too often and becomes uninteresting,
consider using the initial event (and how the founders acted) as
inspiration to continue where that event left off.

Alternatively, replace stale events with entirely new ones as a new

form of preparation. Remember that entanglements should create
opportunities for the founders to make hard decisions so that the
group can better characterize the founders and the mountain home.

Running the Game 178

Running a One-Shot
While Mountain Home is designed to flourish across years of play, one-
shots can highlight fun aspects of the game a single session.

What to Emphasize, What to Cut?

Mountain Home consists of several major elements: A special
introductory session focused on worldbuilding, action-filled expe‐
ditions, and the year-over-year play during which mountain homes
evolve. With a single session, it isn't possible to explore the entirety of
the game, so the GM must choose what to emphasize.

Design a one-shot that spotlights your strengths as a GM. If you are

not comfortable with worldbuilding improvisation, consider a single,
detailed expedition with a premise that you prepared ahead of time.

Run a Single Expedition

Single expeditions are ideal for shorter one-shots. Focus on a single
major expedition. Reclaim an overtaken fortress through combat,
hold the lines against an invading army, undertake a single tense
diplomatic mission, or delve a dungeon for specific artifacts. These
sorts of action-forward expeditions can skip the aspects of Mountain
Home that make it most unique, but it can be a good choice for players
who just want some quick fun.

Be sure to help players understand how to use supply, take advantage

of their guilds, and make sure players understand resistance rolls. Use
clocks to track important objectives and help players learn the dice
mechanics as play progresses.

Run Just the First Session

Running a first session highlights the most collaborative aspects of
Mountain Home. The group gets to build a world, choose a goal, create
characters, tie them together, then complete the first expedition to get
a mountain home started.

It may be necessary to skip some more detailed aspects of the first ses‐
sion such as rolling to create factions or reviewing the settlement
goals in detail.

179 Running the Game

Run a Single Full Year Cycle
When running a full cycle of Mountain Home across several years of
play time, consider avoiding the intricacies of creating exact buildings
and exploring claims. Replace these mechanics (and uses of clocks)
with fortune rolls. This lets players experience the feeling of develop‐
ing a settlement without waiting multiple years for their hard work to
come to fruition.

Keep expeditions quick so that your group can focus on the world
changing and the intricacies of factional politics.

Methods
Speed Up the Worldbuilding
For convention games, select the settlement goal in advance. Consider
creating the world or premise ahead of time so that the players can
focus on learning to play. If you'd like to emphasize the worldbuilding
aspects of the game, prompt each of the players for a one-sentence
faction idea rather than rolling for details. This makes worldbuilding
more like a brainstorming session than anything mechanical.

Avoid Founder Creation

Mountain Home character creation is quite fast, but for some players it
can be very hard to choose just one playbook. Consider pre-making
characters, one of each of the playbooks, for players to choose from at
the beginning of the session.

Simplify Downtime
The results of downtime should affect the one-shot. Let players
choose what they want to build without a limiting list of buildings.
Improvise results of the buildings that take effect immediately, like a
brewery providing all the players some of the artisan's brews in their
next adventure.

Unless you are doing multiple yearly cycles, complete buildings and
claim exploration with a single roll. Use the outcome of the roll to
determine quality or complications rather than project progress.

Running the Game 180

Creating the World

M
ountain Home is a unique experience for every group. No two
worlds are alike. Some aspects of the world are enforced by
the rules, but there are times where the group is intended to
fill in the blanks. Any listed choices should serve only as examples for
the group. Your individual group may emphasize, tweak, or subdue
these elements depending on the playbooks, settlement type, and
interests the group has.

The group will have to decide how exactly various forms of magic
work, how other folks besides dwarves exist in the world, and how
much influence the founders have. Consider how the group’s various
answers will affect the stories the group tells and how it sets the tone
for the game.

182
Dwarven Life
Dwarves live in the inhospitable spaces between the earth and stone
underground. Over centuries, dwarves work collectively to shape the
inflexible earth into great cities. Mountain homes leverage the exper‐
tise and wisdom of their founding dwarves to make tough decisions
for the whole. These founding councils resolve disputes, solve prob‐
lems for their mountain homes, and are a uniting force for the
dwarves in the settlement.

Dwarves live as clans in shared dwellings with shared property, where

they try to ensure that everyone is fed, housed, and has a way to con‐
tribute. Some are still driven by the lure of wealth to act in selfish
ways, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

Dwarves are long-lived. Many dwarves live to 500 years or older. They
think on a scope beyond that of their human players. Mountain Home
expresses that scale by extending play across decades. While the
dwarves underneath steadily toil, generations of the shorter-lived
people above desperately try to thrive through feast, famine, and war.

Portraying Dwarves
Dwarves are often portrayed as booze-soaked, unkempt, bearded
men. This is not the rule for dwarves in Mountain Home. There are no
rules on gender, gender roles, presentation, or facial hair. It’s up to the
group to determine exactly what place any of these things have in the
game. Make sure everyone feels included. Any reference to beards or
hair should be taken as flexible references to things such as dwarven
grooming or decoration.

183 Creating the World

Why Dwarves Set Out
When a mountain home is under threat or short on resources, the set‐
tlement may choose to migrate. These decisions to leave are made with
solemnity. Dwarves travel over land to get to their new home out of
pragmatism: it’s easier to travel if you’re not mining the whole way.
The settlement goals list reasons the founders may have set out in Set‐
tlements chapter on page TBD.

This World is in Flux

The world of Mountain Home has just undergone a significant change
that has opened a new land for settlement. Factions, including the
dwarves, are beginning to put down roots. The exact nature of this
opportunity is up to the group. What has opened up this region? Some
possibilities include:
◆ The land’s original people abandoned it. But why?
◆ The empire that kept the land isolated has fallen.
◆ A magical plague eliminated its past inhabitants.
◆ This land is newly formed, by magic or mundane means.
◆ A god was slain and this land is its body giving life.
◆ A curse prevented settlers for 1000 years.

Exploration Underground
The underground is complex and full of secrets: large caverns,
winding tunnels, underwater rivers, false walls, even mazes. There is
almost always something underground when dwarves explore, even if
it is slow going. When exploring underground, the founders likely
won’t need a fully-equipped mining expedition to find something
noteworthy: it can just be a matter of spelunking. Possibilities include:
◆ Ancient ruins fill the underground. Whatever kind of under‐
ground-dwelling folk who once lived here are long gone.
◆ There are strange beasts that burrow through the earth or inhabit
numerous natural passageways. Very few folks live down here
besides the dwarves.
◆ The many older versions of the world are buried on top of each
other, as though the surface world is constantly being pulled
underground.

Creating the World 184

A Connection to the Mountain
All dwarves feel the magical whispers of the mountain where they
make their home. When the mountain feels sorrow, so do the dwarves
within. When the dwarves of a settlement undergo hardship, their
mountain feels it too. These feelings can create dangerous cycles of
rambunctious dwarves, tunnel collapses, and droughts. The dwarves
and their homeland must find an equilibrium.

Most dwarves’ connection with the mountain is clumsy intuition, a

hunch, or a feeling. A miner might feel a sense of dread in time to
dodge a cave-in, or a sense of safety in a sound tunnel. Other dwarves
use ritual, meditation, and divination to be more attuned to the earth.
These stonespeakers can instruct the earth to move on its own,
channel the power of the earth into runes, and connect with the lives
of their ancestors.

Dwarves often view the current events in their settlements — such as

bad mine yields, disease, or losing a war — as judgments from the
mountain upon the settlement or its leadership. Ill tidings and bad
luck may be a sign that it’s time for change.
◆ While hunches and feelings are common, an ability to truly stone‐
speak is rare among dwarves.
◆ Dwarves undergo training and rituals to become attuned with a
mountain and learn to stonespeak.
◆ A mountain’s desires are regular and clear. A mountain and its
dwarves work together to enact common goals.

185 Creating the World

Respected Ancestors
Dwarves venerate their ancestors alongside the spirit of their
mountain home. Stonespeakers dedicate their time to using the
knowledge of the past to provide guidance. Stonespeakers can even
summon the voices of ancestors who have been returned to the earth
to gain wisdom and knowledge.
◆ Interactions with ancestral spirits are rare events that take effort
and ritual from powerful stonespeakers.
◆ Dwarven ancestors regularly intervene and participate in dwarven
life through the stonespeaking dwarves of a mountain home.
◆ Only certain ancestors can be summoned back from beyond the
grave: those whose memories have lived on for decades after they
have passed.

Creating the World 186

Magical Dwarven Crafting
Dwarves have a strong intuition when it comes to items’ intrinsic
properties. They identify the most potent properties of stones, metals,
gems, minerals, foods, and mythical beasts. By accentuating these
properties in their craft, dwarves infuse magic into the objects them‐
selves and create subtle magics.

Brewing
Dwarven brews grant magic effects to the imbiber far beyond the
stupor of the alcoholic beverages of the surface world. Whereas the
best-regarded mundane drinks may have complex flavors, a dwarven
Ragebrew pulls courage from the depths of the heart. A Mushroom
Ale grounds the drinker’s mind such that they can speak with stone.
◆ Dwarven brews are a rare, mild form of magic. Recipes provide
peculiar, limited magical results.
◆ Potions, regardless of their strength, take their toll on the drinker.
They are only taken in times of danger or need.
◆ Dwarven brews are potent, powerful drinks akin to potions, sought
after by folks across the world.

Rune Magic
Runecrafting is a form of magic unique to dwarves. Careful etchings,
often filled with rare metals, impart unique effects into the objects
upon which they rest. Runecrafting is a careful art that requires not
only the replication of shapes, but a deep understanding of the funda‐
mental properties of words, which dwarves infuse to magical effect.

Common rune designs stabilize tunnel walls, heat water, and alert
guards of trespassers. Some more legendary runemasters enchant
weapons, bind ancestors to stone, or create runes that spout forth fire.
◆ Rune magic takes hours if not days of painstaking work. Only
experts can make runes in the best conditions.
◆ Hasty runes still have power, but lack finesse or precision. They can
be used to solve a problem in a pinch.
◆ Rune magic is dynamic and fast, not unlike a wizard’s sorcerous
magic. Chiseling runes in advance is all that a dwarf needs to do to
have powerful magic at their fingertips.

187 Creating the World

Artifacts
Dwarves’ knack for bringing out the innate qualities of materials
make them skilled crafters of magical artifacts. When given time with
most extraordinary ingredients, they can produce items of great
power. This might be integrating dragon-scales into armor to make it
resist fire, or infusing a meteor into a hammer that heats the metal its
being used to work. The nature of the artifact often depends on the
crafter’s personality.

Throughout the known world, other civilizations, from orcs to elves,

all have their own methods of creating these powerful artifacts fit for
a hero. Every artifact in the world is storied and unique.
◆ Artifacts are exceedingly rare and coveted by all peoples. The
secrets to make them are almost entirely lost, and only the most
skilled crafters can manage the task.
◆ Artifacts are regarded as dangerous and too powerful to be made.
Some folks seek out ancient items of power, while other factions
seek to destroy all knowledge of them.
◆ Civilizations of all sorts can engage in the difficult process of cre‐
ating artifacts, all with their own methods. Elves might sing to
trees, while dwarves forge items with rare materials.

Creating the World 188

People of the World
The world is filled with folks who aren’t dwarves, but exactly who is
there and what their relationships with the dwarves are is up to the
group. Work on making the relationships historical. Build context
around ancient grudges and alliances.
◆ There aren’t many different types of folks out there in the world,
but they are all well traveled. This region’s people are exemplary of
the rest of the world.
◆ Every region of the world is busy and unique. Cosmopolitan trade
cities contain tens or hundreds of peoples.

189 Creating the World

Other Folks’ Magic
Magic can set the tone for the diversity of challenges presented to the
founders during their expeditions. Try to envision what other folks
think of dwarven magic, and what the dwarves think of others’. Do
other folks have innate magical powers like dwarves do? Is their
magic all unique? How often do folks find ways to meddle with dan‐
gerous things beyond their knowledge?
◆ Magic is rare, and dwarves are one of the few peoples in the world
capable of doing magic.
◆ Most folks in the world have their own unique types of magic, and
how exactly magic manifests depends deeply on what kind of
person they are.
◆ Past misuses of magic mean that using magic is frowned upon by
most people.

Remnants
Cold humanoid constructs are sometimes found in the ruins of lost
civilizations, wandering alone across the floors of oceans, or laboring
away on impractical tasks. The remnants and their solemn labors have
perplexed all folks of the world. Some have tried to deconstruct the
remnants to understand them, but have been unable to pull apart
their stony shells. Some have tried to take advantage of their work,
only to have their buildings collapsed inward from Remnants stacking
all the load-bearing columns in the town square.
◆ Remnants are largely the things of folk tales, and only the most
well-traveled people have seen them.
◆ Remnants litter the entire world. While few people have found uses
for them, the magical civilization that left them seems to have been
everywhere.
◆ Many dwarves say that remnants are dwarven creations from a
bygone age, but there is no proof. Sometimes dwarves wander the
world looking for proof and ways to control them.

Creating the World 190

The World Map
A world map consists of high-level geographical regions connected as
a web. Each region is a distinct area with a physical nature that forces
the various factions housed within to mix and meddle with each other.

Our new settlement exists in a region that the group will work
together to create during the first session. Similarly, the group devel‐
ops some details about the founders’ original home region and some
other areas nearby the new mountain home. Regions are connected to
each other in a web of relationships, after they are created using the
instructions below.

Regions contain factions, who are the relevant groups in an area. They
might be small cults, roving bandits, city-states, or even an arm of an
empire extending into the area. These factions are a major force in
keeping Mountain Home lively and interesting.

Underneath a portion of the settlement’s region is the claim map, the

area underneath the earth where the settlement is located. The claim
map is a random grid of locations, where players discover their
surroundings as the years progress. These locations can change the
settlement’s fate and fortune in the years to come.

Faction and region generation uses oracle dice: Roll a pair of distinct
d6s and use them to look up two layers of tables.

191 Creating the World

Regions
Regions are generated randomly, but should be changed to suit the
group ideas as needed. All players should feel free to provide input,
but the GM has final say. If facts about a region or the world have
already been established, disregard the contradictory information
from the generator and write down what has already been established
as true.

If any facts about a region change during the course of play, the region
should be updated. Use the facts about a region to inform and inspire
during play, but do not limit yourself to it.

Region
All regions have the following characteristics, which are each
explained on the following pages.
◆ Age: Collapse, Ambition, Conquest, Golden Age
◆ Pressure: Within, Without, Environment, Mystic Forces
◆ Multiple factions
◆ Dominant Terrain: Islands, Coastline, Wetland, Highlands, River
country, Plains, Forest, Desert/semi-arid
◆ Connected regions (and the nature of the connections)

Making Regions
During the first session, the players will learn about two primary
regions: the region containing their original homeland and the region
containing their new settlement.

The Age, Pressure, Terrain descriptions, and factions in the settled

region are determined as part of the first session cooperatively by the
group. Feel free to use the following random tables, but do not feel
beholden to any rolled results. If there’s pressure coming into the
region, the GM builds the source of that pressure this session, too.

During future sessions, regions are built as needed by the players or

the GM when they come into focus.

Creating the World 192

Age
A region’s age is a high-level summary of the problems and concerns
of a given region. The Age of a region can be used for thematic
inspiration and inform what drives the factions to interact.

1-4: Opposition 5/6: Extremes

1-2 Age of Conquest 1-5 Age of Collapse
3-6 Age of Ambition 6 Golden Age
◆ Age of Collapse: Factions shrink in tier and well-being. Resources
and allies are scarce.
◆ Age of Ambition: Factions are fighting amongst themselves,
planning each other’s demise, being usurped. Diplomacy, plots and
schemes are the order of the age.
◆ Age of Conquest: Factions are at war and eating each other to sur‐
vive. One faction may be ascendant and clearly gaining strength
over the others. Alliances are unstable. Armies are being mustered.
◆ Golden Age: Factions grow and thrive, but not at each other’s
expense.

193 Creating the World

Pressure
A region’s Pressure is a rough guide to the cause of troubles and anxi‐
eties for the people within the region. Use the following table to deter‐
mine what is causing the pressure. This is used to inspire the group
when creating the problems for the founders and factions to solve.

1-3: 4-6:
1-3 Within 1-5 Without
4-6 Environment 6 Mystic
◆ Within: A powerful faction rises from within the region. The other
players may be scrambling to deal with the clearly ascendant
faction before it quickly overcomes its foes.
◆ Without: The faction causing pressure is from another region.
Their agents or armies are beginning to encroach and displace the
familiar folks.
◆ Environment: Drought, scarcity or some other great need is caus‐
ing concern. No one can take the prosperity of past times for
granted anymore.
◆ Mystic Forces: Arcane or forgotten things are awakening. This
could be incomprehensible weather events, mystic portals, unusual
creatures, or something more.

Creating the World 194

Faction Tiers
Each region has a set of tiers for the factions of the region. When cre‐
ating initial factions for the home region, use the following base tiers:
◆ 3 factions at settling tier (I)
◆ 2 factions at established tier (II)
◆ 2 factions at at secure tier or higher (III-IV)

Too many powerful factions can make things more difficult for the
settlement. Lower-tier factions help reinforce the fact that these
regions are newly settled spaces without a long history of settlement.
In a region where the dwarves are going to be positioned as challenged
underdogs, increase the number of higher-tier factions.

The Age of the region may alter the tier of a single faction.
◆ Golden Age: Increase one faction tier
◆ Collapse: Reduce one faction tier.
For regions other than the mountain home’s region it is far less
important to detail every faction. Leave room to create factions later or
summarize one or two factions as a high level. Provide details when
they matter.

Dominant Terrain
The Dominant Terrain is simply a description of the typical terrain in
the region. This doesn’t describe the entire region, but it’s the average.
Use the terrain to get inspiration for environmental danger, what fills
the gap during travel, and the aesthetic of the location.

1-4: Common 5-6: Uncommon

1-2 Forest 1 Rainforest
3-4 Plains 2 Wetland
5-6 Highlands 3 Coastline
4 Islands
5 River Country
6 Desert/semi-arid

195 Creating the World

Connected Regions
The relationship between two regions can either be a line or an arrow.
Show possible pressure going from one region to the other by using an
arrow. Use a line if there is no pressure. Pressure could be in the form
of migrants, invasion forces, disease, or anything else. The detail of
the connection is the direction and what it is. Is it an invasion?
Weather patterns? A plague?

Creating the World 196

Factions
Factions are one of the critical pieces to making Mountain Home a
complex world where the founders must act to avoid being left behind.
Factions are ambitious and have goals that affect each other in
concrete ways. The faction clocks should behave like calls to action for
the dwarves.

When generating a faction, use the various tables and lists below.

Faction:
◆ Name:
◆ Figureheads:
◆ Major Drive:
◆ Organization:
◆ Tier:
◆ Faction Clocks

First session Generation

To generate a faction, roll two pairs of d6s and assign each of those
pairs to any two of the following aspects for a faction: Figureheads,
Major drive or Organization. The GM manually chooses the final
aspect without rolling dice.

During the first session, each of the players will contribute partial
information on a single faction. After the first session, this is mostly
done by the GM.

Name
The name of a faction should be generated last, once the faction has
been fully created. For inspiration, look to the faction naming oracle
on page TBD.s

197 Creating the World

Figureheads
A faction's figurehead is a description of what the well-known,
famous or leading people of this faction are like.

This is not necessarily representative of the whole. For example, a

faction that is primarily draconic might also include many kobold
armies or human goldsmiths. A faction ruled by a troglodyte warrior
might be classified as troglodyte even if many of the peasants are
humans. Many factions can be diverse, so use the determined
figurehead as a guide, not a rule.

1-3: 4-6:
1-3 Animal folk 1-4 Humanoids
4-6 Mythical folk 5 Magical folk
6 Unconventional
These lists are mere guidelines. If the group has ideas based on the
category label, use those instead. These lists are not exhaustive.
◆ Mythical Folk: Fomorians, minotaurs, giants, gnolls, troglodytes,
trolls, bugbears, centaurs, cyclops, mutant variant of humanoid,
ettins, kobolds, merfolk, ogres
◆ Animal Folk: Diverse folk, crab people, antfolk, otter people,
spider people, lizardfolk, frog people, turtle people, goat folks, fish
people, bear folk, wolf folk, jackal folk
◆ Humanoids: Diverse folk, humans, elves, orcs, halflings, goblins,
dwarves, gnomes, angel/devil-touched, firbolgs, were-folk
◆ Magical folk: Ents, undead, ghosts, vampires, mushroom people,
fire salamanders, dryads, fey, golems, a dragon
◆ Unconventional: Clockwork constructs, strange floating sentient
clouds, crystal creatures, remnants, living landscapes, oozes

Creating the World 198

Major Drive
A faction’s major drive is the impetus behind its choices. These inter‐
ests are likely to drive which clocks a faction pursues and what ene‐
mies and allies the faction makes. A faction is not strictly limited by its
drive: Factions of engineers would still have support networks of
farmers, hunters, innkeepers and more.

1-3: 4-6:
1-4 Resources 1-3 Reputation
5-6 Conquest 4-5 Higher power
6 Knowledge

◆ Knowledge: Scholars, engineers, oracles, archaeologists, teachers

◆ Conquest: Bandits, rebels, soldiers, mercenaries, questing knights,
pirates
◆ Resources: Looters, farmers, miners, hunters, gatherers, traders
◆ Reputation: Relic hunters, monster hunters, paladins, bards, fine
crafters, missionaries
◆ Higher Power: Monks, witches, priests, cultists, necromancers,
warlocks, inscrutable behavior

199 Creating the World

Organization
Organization describes how a faction lives. They might be a large, set‐
tled population, a nomadic band, or an exclusive organization like a
conclave of magicians.

1-3: 4-6:
1-4 Mobile 1-4 Settled (+tier)
5 Exclusive 5-6 Secluded
6 Empire (+tier)

◆ Exclusive: Outpost, academy, tower

◆ Secluded: Druid’s circle, hermits, monastery, worship/pilgrimage/
relic site
◆ Mobile: Vagrants, minstrels, caravan, army, navy, nomads
◆ Settled (+tier): Haven, outpost, town, fortress, city
◆ Empire (+tier): Trading company, civilization, horde, theocracy

Tier
Faction tier describes the relative power, size, and capability of a
faction in the same way it describes the settlement. Consider the avail‐
able faction tiers in the region and assign a tier. If all factions tiers are
filled, feel free to choose any tier that’s appropriate to the concept. If
the faction is an empire or settled, use a secure or higher tier.

No faction may exist below tier 1. If a faction is ever reduced below tier
1, it is destroyed.

Clocks
Clocks describe the current activities and ambitions of a faction. Leave
the clocks section blank during faction creation, but be ready to add
clocks during the faction turns part of the game or at the end of the
session. The GM creates faction clocks using what the group learned
about the factions during the session. The faction oracles on page TBD
may be useful for getting ideas.

Creating the World 200

Random Claim Generation
The claim map, described in the Settlement Map chapter on page TBD,
is populated as the group explores underground, using these rules.

Claim Generation
When the players unveil a claim through the Discovery Process on
page TBD, use the tables below to determine the claim type.

The settlement always starts in the depth 1 location, as an earthy cave.

Unveil the three closest surface claims immediately.

The Mountain Home printouts are separate sheets for each new depth.
As the settlement goes deeper, add new sheets.

201 Creating the World

Determining Claims
Roll a d6 to determine the location type. Roll a second d6 to determine
the location rarity, adding the depth level to the rarity result. For a
surface claim, roll just 1D for the surface location type without rolling
location type or rarity.

Surface - 1d6
1-2 Mountains
3-4 Hills
5 Forest
6 River

Location type: d6 Rarity: d6+depth

1-2 Open 1-3 Common
3-4 Value 4-7 Uncommon
5 Sustenance 8-9 Rare
6 Remarkable 10 Unique

Rarity Open Sustenance

Common Stony Caverns Earthy caves
Uncommon Winding Tunnels Underground water
Rare Buried Ravine Mushroom forest
Unique Failed dwarven Domesticable animals
settlement

Rarity Value Remarkable

Common Clay pocket / Ancient ruin
Copper vein
Uncommon Silver / Gems / Iron Lava-filled caverns
Rare Saltpeter / Gold Remnant Worksite
Unique Mithril Dragon nest

Creating the World 202

Tables, Lists & Oracles

R
andom tables and oracles are both GM tools for providing
inspirational starting points when the group looks to the GM
to see what happens.

Oracles are random tables with high-level concepts, themes, or ideas

that can help a GM in an abstract sense or aid in solo play. The purpose
of an oracle table is to help guide the mind towards interesting ideas,
rather than providing hard and fast rules. It’s often wise to combine
the results of multiple oracles to build up a good idea.

The random tables on names, items, and magic will aid a GM whose
group is looking to create items, and guide their players in crafting or
artifact-related endeavors.

204
Dwarf Personal Name Syllables
Roll two distinct dice to get a syllable. Roll as many times as feels
appropriate.

1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Er Az Lun Ur Ka Bor
2 Iz Druc Tul Ist Um And
3 Dur Dor Bur In Glo Rak
4 Rel Bur Reis Eth Hur Tur
5 Din Li Ith Ola Lo Sna
6 Im Ig Dar Yrn Thro Dwae

Dwarven Family Name Segments

Roll two distinct dice for each segment.

1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Ale Gravel Mountain Gold Spear Dust
2 Axe Stone Forge Oak Shield Shine
3 Pick Proud Hammer Bronze Coal Moss
4 Shovel Might Thunder Magma Stout Dark
5 Sword Honor Steel Sickle Red Blue
6 Pale Strong Copper Iron Black Strike

Dwarven Family Final Segments

1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Bearer Seeker Splitter Carver Chant Fall
2 Finder Forge Walker Caller Helm Anvil
3 Proud Mane Mantle Beer Song Hill
4 Break Gut Branch Tunnel Hold Crag
5 Guard Foot Keeper Beard Skull Vow
6 Maker Bane Hunter Braid Gem Shaper

205 Tables, Lists & Oracles

Dwarven Crafting
Runestones
◆ Liar’s Rune (I): Vibrates loudly when held on the body of someone
who is lying. Etch with: tooth fillings of a convict.
◆ Grapeshot (I): When placed into water, this pebble slowly converts
it into wine over the next few hours. Etch with: a dried wine.
◆ Smeller (II): Etch with: slain dire boar blood. Give an object a sense
of smell. When it smells a thing of the crafter’s choice, the item
glows or otherwise indicates a problem.
◆ Knock (III): Etch with resin of giant spider silk. Place the rock
facing a cave wall. After 3 hours, creates a doorway up to 3 feet deep
in the stone, correctly sized for a dwarf. If the rune is disturbed in
any way, the doorway disappears and starts to reform.
◆ Unlock Rock (II): Etch ghoul bone. Held over a lock, the lock will
slowly burn from the inside as though filled with acid until it
opens, but so does the key. The owner should notice!
◆ Homeward Rune: Etch in a foldable steel frame. When assembled,
you can pull the item with the matching rune back through the
frame to return it. Gear returned this way sometimes come
through the frame at dangerous speeds.
◆ Drinkability (I): Etched in salt and resin. This stone fizzles when
placed in unsafe water or beverages. The steady fizzlig will
eventually purify the drink.
◆ Bane (III): Etched with salt, vinegar and something from the sub‐
ject of the bane. A bane rune causes pain, discomfort, and unease
for the subject of the bane and those like them. +1 reward level to
harm or fend off the subject.
◆ Translation rune (III): Whispering quietly to this rune causes it to
slowly spells out the words in the language that the holder is think‐
ing thinking of.
◆ Shielding Rune (II): Etched with ground iridescent beetle shells.
When the object with this runes is struck, that blow is deflected
without any need for a resistance roll.

Tables, Lists & Oracles 206

Brews
◆ Tunnelwind Red (I/3): Fermented in the open tunnels, no two
tunnelwind red have the exact same flavors. Lends confidence to the
drinker’s step and keenness of vision. Get +1D to a subsequent
scout and journey action.
◆ Gravesmoke Brown Ale (III/3): This beer is infused with a hearty
smoke from runebound woods and exotic minerals in dwarven temples. Its
strange properties give the drinker the ability to see nearby spirits
of the dead.
◆ Braidgrown Sour (I/3): A sour brewed from a hearty yeast with some
special kick that purges most poisons and toxins from your system. Resist
any consequences from poison or sickness.
◆ Devellenian Deep Tunnel Stout (I/3): Brewed in special sap-lined
barrels and carefully aged, this beer can inebriate all but the most stout folks.
It is alarmingly flammable. Even the slightest spark will set it alight.
◆ Mead of Poetry (IV/1): The secret recipe of this blood-tinged mead is kept
secret, even from many dwarves. Just a sip inspires invention. Gain +1 result
level to craft inventions and study actions for the rest of the year.
◆ A Drink of Great Levity (III): Brewed on mountain tops with grains
exclusively brewed on the surface world and more fizzy than just about any
other dwarven drink. Helps the drinker stay afloat in water and leap
great distances. Requires harpy bladder.
◆ Drummer’s Gin (II): Requires a cask of decades-old maple previously
used for marching drums. Helps the drinker keep pace and avoid
fatigue during long journeys.
◆ Salamander Sour (I): This sour is brewed at high temperatures in tunnels
near the center of the earth. It is drunk by miners in hot veins near lava
to protect them from fire and burning. Requires salamander skin.
◆ Grim Torch Red (IV): Grim Torch Red is is a forbidden brew in many
mountain homes due to the dangerous results. Certain to give the drinker
fiery hiccups for a few minutes. Requires ash from demon’s bones.
◆ Graveyard Blackberry Cider (II): Often used in dwarven rituals by
priests, but is often frowned upon for the use of graves. The drinker briefly
gains the ability to speak summon and speak with ghosts, no
matter how they died or where their spirit resides. Requires
blackberries grown on the grave of a buried person.

207 Tables, Lists & Oracles

◆ False Flag Grog (I): A harsh grog made from barnacles from the bottom of
a stolen ship. The kick of this powerful Grog can summon a dwarf
back from the brink, letting them act despite becoming incapaci‐
tated or weary for a short while.
◆ Stone Cold Scrumpy (I/3): Every dwarven clan has its own scrumpy
recipe, but they all have the same effect regardless of the flavor. Brewed in a
cold cavern with granite marbles, this cider keeps the drinker
warm no matter what. Any exhaustion will set in once the brew
wears off.
◆ Troll Blood Wine (III/1): Troll Blood Wine is known for tasting awful.
Few dwarves can manage to drink a full glass. You can digest poison and
regrow anything, but not always as it was in the first place.
Requires troll blood.
◆ Griffon Eggnog (II/1): Griffon eggnog is rarely brewed due to the diffi‐
culty of safely obtaining griffon eggs. Drinkers of griffon eggnog find
themselves more in tune with the emotions of animals. Animals
will be able to sense the drinker’s emotions in turn.
◆ Lightning Bug Metheglin (I/2): This metheglin has a strange tang
from the lightning bugs. Gives the drinker a glowing aura. Requires
Dire lightning bugs wings.

Tables, Lists & Oracles 208

Smithing Techniques
◆ Broken Haft Technique (I): Intricate telescoping makes this
weapon cost no supply.
◆ Lichbone Armor (III): This armor absorbs any killing blow but is
destroyed in the process
◆ Drake Scale Gauntlets (II): The wearer’s whole arms are immune
to fire and lava for short exposures.
◆ Dragon Tooth Claw Hammer (IV): Attempting to pry something
loose with this hammer heats the object until it comes loose, burns
up, or melts.
◆ Harpy Feather Bracelets (III): The wearer can spread their arms
wide to land safely during a fall.
◆ Pickled Basilisk Eye Earring (III): When a dwarf holds one
earring to their eye, the holder can barely move but can see
through the other earring.
◆ Great Worm Gastrolith (II): Any weapon sharpened with this
whetstone’s next blow will strike true. +1 result level.
◆ Silver Golem-Metal Shield (III): This shield will pull itself in the
direction of a dangerous blow, making it easier to block. Your first
resistance of physical attack is at +1D.
◆ Crashed Meteorite Hammer (II): Something in this hammer
pulls it towards other metals. Gain +1 reward when striking
armored foes.
◆ Wooly Unicorn Horn Calling Horn (II): When the horn player
focuses on another location and blows the horn, the horn call will
be heard clearly at the other location.
◆ Salamander Skin Cloak (I): The inside of the cloak is always
warm enough to help dough rise.
◆ Quillipede Chitin Shield (II): When you use this item to avoid
physical harm, your attacker takes harm
◆ Lightfish Lamp (II): So long as the bulb in the lamp is kept wet, it
emits a modest light.
◆ Dire Boarbone Shovel (II): When excavating with this shovel, it
gets tired, not its wielder. As long as the shovel has opportunities to
rest between digs, the wielder will not become tired or suffer con‐
sequences from slowing down.

209 Tables, Lists & Oracles

Bombs
◆ Tanglefoot Cluster (III/1): Setting off this booby trap shoots out
spirals of sticky, tangled ropes that are bound to entangle any
unwelcome visitor.
◆ Caltrops (I/2): Small spiky metal objects that are painful to step
on. Scatter in a passage to prevent easy access or pursuit.
◆ Glue Bag (II/1): An easy-to-burst bag of fast-drying glue. Likely to
keep anyone who bursts the bag stuck in place and dealing with
glue for a few minutes.
◆ Eyebite Smoker (II/1): When shaken, these canisters bellow out a
harsh smoke that makes it impossible to not cough and cry in the
chamber the smoker was set off in.
◆ Acid Flask (II/1): A powerful, dangerous liquid in a small glass
vial. It’s likely to eat its way through whatever it’s poured on given
some time.
◆ Alarm Trap (I/3): When the thin wires are broken, this device
makes enough noise to alert anyone nearby.

Discoverable Crops
◆ Whisper Weed: If two people take a bite from one of these
mushrooms, they mentally trade a secret.
◆ Eclipse Mushroom: A healing mushroom if eaten in the darkness
and a dangerous poison in the sunlight.
◆ Wicker Root: Something about wicker root’s fragile, dry roots
makes it very sensitive to sentient life.
◆ Glimmer Petals: Glimmer petals pull in magic from the
surrounding area into themselves to grow. They require no light or
even soil. The petals disable artifacts, spoil magic brews, and con‐
found wizards.
◆ Ruby Cones: These pine-like trees produce seed pods that are
nearly as hard as the rubies they resemble.
◆ Steelvine: Steelvine produces coils of tough, thorny vines that are
hard to cut and hard to navigate through. Planting steelvine is
likely to deter all but the most determined trespassers.

Tables, Lists & Oracles 210

Discoverable Animals
◆ Poll Dogs: Giant pill bugs, large enough to ride.
◆ Riding Moles: Capable of digging and pulling carts, domesticable
and good for food.
◆ Giant Ants: The danger with giant ants is that individual ants can’t
be domesticated. They work for the queen, but maybe the founders
can solve that.
◆ Cave Grubs: Large maggot-like things the size of one’s fist. They
are slow, live in colonies, and are very nutritious.
◆ Giant Worms: Dirt-eating, tunneling tube-like creatures that can
make great fertilizer or undermine tunnels, depending on where
they are tunneling.
◆ Wyrms: Dragon-like creatures that cannot breathe fire. Dan‐
gerous, untamed, and ancient, they could easily cause great harm
or trouble to the mountain home.
◆ Giant Beetles: Obstinate, industrious and well-armored, beetles
usually try to mind their own business.
◆ Bats: Common and observant underground mammals. Their
guano can be useful for various purposes.
◆ Salamanders: Salamanders are lizards attuned to the element of
fire. They naturally give off a great amount of heat and are often a
sign of volcanic activity.
◆ Greater Armadillos: About the size of ponies, armored, and rel‐
atively docile, these might be good candidates for domestication.
◆ Badgers: Badgers of any size are fierce burrowing creatures. They
can be tamed as guard animals.
◆ Giant Rats: Prone to behaving like pests if they reside in the
mountain home, but perhaps they can be of some use.

211 Tables, Lists & Oracles

Simple Question Oracles
When dealing in yes or no questions, roll a single d6. Use an approxi‐
mate probability as a guide. Where something is very likely, answer
“yes” on a 2-6. Something with even odds might be “yes’”on a 4-6.
Choose the odds based on the situation.

Miscellaneous Oracles
Combat Actions Consequences
1 Attack 1 Lost opportunity
2 Secure an 2 Complication
advantage 3 Reduced reward
3 Defend 4 Worse position
4 Taunt, converse, 5 Inflict harm
or goad
6 Resources or
5 Trick, intimidate clocks
6 Use the environ‐
ment

Tables, Lists & Oracles 212

Faction Turns
Clock
Clock Target Clock Goal Methods
1,2 Player 1 Assemble forces 1,2 Attack
settlement 2 Prevent access 2 Subterfuge
3 Player 3 Build an alliance 3 Diplomacy
opportunity
4 Establish 4 Crafting
4 Player ally dominance 5 Magic
5 Player enemy 5,6 Gain resources 6 Social
6 Anyone else or information

Faction Naming
Group Types
1-2 3 4 5-6
1 Conclave 1 Fiefdom 1 Guardians 1 Sodality
2 Assembly 2 Duchy 2 Company 2 Order
3 Collective 3 Kingdom 3 Band 3 Academy
4 Association 4 Union 4 Society 4 Clan
5 Custodians 5 Council 5 Guild 5 Enclave
6 Inheritors 6 Family 6 League 6 Wardens

Nouns
Noun
1-3 4-6 Descriptors

1 Ideology 1 Artifact or 1 Color

2 Geography symbol 2 Quality
3 Job 2 Religion or god 3 Objective
4 Animal 3 Important event 4 Historical
5 Natural object 4 Goal or objective 5 Thematic
6 Person 5 Resource or imagery
material 6 None
6 Tool or weapon

213 Tables, Lists & Oracles

High-level Faction Goals
1 Mystical 2 Honor 3 Knowledge
1 Collect old magic 1 Right a wrong 1 Root out spies
2 Magical research 2 Aid an ally 2 Explore
3 Create an artifact 3 Champion a 3 Trade deal
4 Capture a mytho‐ cause 4 Form an academy
logical creature 4 Protect another 5 Knowledge
5 Get magical aid faction exchange
6 Summon 5 Offer tribute 6 Unearth lost
something 6 Escalate a conflict history

5 Stability 5 Aggression 6 Subterfuge

1 Enhance defenses 1 Threaten a 1 Political
2 Gain new allies neighbor interference

3 Cultivate land 2 Rob or steal 2 Spy on rivals

4 Feat of 3 Seek revenge 3 Flush out spies

engineering 4 Raise an army 4 Discredit a
5 Create a new 5 Extort someone faction
settlement weaker 5 Foil another’s
6 Reach unity 6 Undermine an magic
enemy 6 Factional split

Goal Fallout
1 Requires
another’s land
2 Conflicting
ideologies
3 Breaks a promise
4 Threatens
balance of power
5 Require’s some‐
one’s resources
6 No fallout

Tables, Lists & Oracles 214

Items
Random Random
Magical Things Clothing Clothing Runes
1 Wand 1 Tunic or dress 1 Lightness
2 Potion 2 Breeches 2 Warmth
3 Clothing 3 Coat 3 Durability
4 Rune 4 Shoes or boots 4 Softness
5 Weapon 5 Gloves 5 Fitting
6 Armor 6 Hat 6 Camouflage

Armor Runes Weapon Runes

1 Fire 1 Fire
2 Swiftness 2 Swiftness
3 Piercing 3 Piercing
4 Force 4 Force
5 Weight 5 Weight
6 Detection or bane 6 Detection or bane

Item Runes 1-3 4-6

1 Cleanliness 1 Darkness
2 Food preservation 2 Beacon
3 Light-emitting 3 Messaging
4 Durability 4 Repair
5 Noise dampening 5 Repulsion/attraction
6 Friction 6 Messaging

215 Tables, Lists & Oracles

Theme
1 Personal 2 Interactions 3 Desires
1 Understanding 1 Conflict 1 Fame
2 Loss 2 War 2 Greed
3 Burdens 3 Revenge 3 Pride
4 Destiny 4 Cost 4 Freedom
5 Skill 5 Danger 5 Innocence
6 Opportunity 6 Trade 6 Shelter

Outside
4 Forces 5 Connections 6 Society
1 Corruption 1 Family 1 Community
2 Magic 2 Relationships 2 Trade
3 Religion 3 Allies 3 Language
4 Ruin 4 Protection 4 History
5 Nature 5 Debt 5 Promises
6 Disease 6 Love 6 Secrets

Actions
1 Hostile 2 Request 3 Alter
1 Intimidate 1 Convince 1 Craft
2 Attack 2 Command 2 Reinforce
3 Destroy 3 Beseech 3 Support
4 Assassinate 4 Infiltrate 4 Aid
5 Capture 5 Bribe 5 Secure
6 Defend 6 Manipulate 6 Change

4 Socialize 5 Move 6 Know

1 Mourn 1 Explore 1 Study
2 Confront 2 Flee 2 Understand
3 Confuse 3 Summon 3 Create
4 Challenge 4 Repel 4 Disassemble
5 Respect 5 Avoid 5 Channel
6 Discuss 6 Remove 6 Suppress

Tables, Lists & Oracles 216

Places of Civilization
1 Underground 2 Military 3 Somber
1 Well 1 Tower 1 Grotto
2 Mine 2 Battlefield 2 Monolith
3 Cave 3 Outpost 3 Sanctuary
4 Dungeon 4 Keep 4 Temple
5 Barrow 5 Prison 5 Monastery
6 Crypt 6 Fortress 6 Megalith

Liminal
4 Civilization 5 Natural 6 Spaces
1 Hamlet 1 Den 1 Campsite
2 Town 2 Trail 2 Crossroads
3 Cottage 3 Ruin 3 Inn
4 Hovel 4 Nest 4 Ship
5 Academy 5 Watering hole 5 Port
6 Palace 6 Lair 6 Bridge

217 Tables, Lists & Oracles

Underground Places
Barren
1 Nature 2 Living 3 Built
1 Empty ravine 1 Fungal forest 1 Burial chamber
2 Dead-end 2 Animal 2 Tower, now
chamber burrows buried
3 Lonely path 3 River 3 Abandoned
4 Winding 4 Underwater mine
tunnels lake 4 Failed outpost
5 Steady decline 5 Egg-filled 5 Sealed-off
6 Open cavern chamber chamber
6 Animal colony 6 Lost library

4 Dangerous 5 Mystical 6 Valuable

1 Caved-in 1 Remnant 1 Buried treasure
passage automatons 2 Abandoned
2 Giant pit 2 Inactive artifact
3 Sinkhole magical portal 3 Pocket of gems
4 Flammable gas 3 Cache of 4 Ancient armor
pocket ancient texts 5 Buried treasure
5 Unstable 4 Glowing cache
ceilings meteor 6 Map to a lost
6 Lava flow 5 Magic crystal place
6 Sealed tomb

Tables, Lists & Oracles 218

Place Description
1 Nature 2 Civilization 3 Magic
1 Verdant 1 Rich 1 Corrupted
2 Poisoned 2 Sparse 2 Arcane
3 Wild 3 Diverse 3 Ancient
4 Tame 4 Settled 4 Strange
5 Dead 5 Populated 5 Cosmic
6 Barren 6 Abandoned 6 Divine

4 Construction 5 Environment 6 Atmosphere

1 Broken 1 Overrun 1 Peaceful
2 Reinforced 2 Dangerous 2 Dangerous
3 Rebuilt 3 Cold 3 Bright
4 Protected 4 Warm 4 Shadowy
5 Large 5 Growing 5 Grim
6 Small 6 Collapsing 6 Forgotten

219 Tables, Lists & Oracles

Monsters, creatures, and Beasts
Monstrous Dangerous
Changes Creatures Animal Types
1 Corrupted 1 Animal 1 Insect
2 Creature 2 Sentient 2 Scavenger
combination creature
3 Burrower
3 Demonic 3 Mythical beast
4 Prey
4 Overgrown 4 Undead
5 Herd animal
5 Elemental 4 Plant
6 Predator
6 Mutant 5 Ancient
remnant

Tables, Lists & Oracles 220

Index
Action Ratings 53 Elder 28
Action Rolls 59 End of Year 112. See Also
Agenda 146 Phases
Armor 64 Advancement. See Experi‐
Artisan 20 ence
Assist 65. See Also Stress Entanglements 113
Attributes 53 Outsider 115
Bombs 210 Expeditions 102. See Also
Borrow Aid 109. See Also Running Expeditions,
Downtime Activities Phases
Brews 22, 207 End 108
Buildings 91 Engagement Rolls 104
Levels 92 The First 143
Types 93 Method 103
Use 92 Objective 103
Claims 90. See Also Type 103, 105
Buildings Experience 66. See Also End
Discovery 91 of Year, Advancement
Random Generation 201 Faction
Clocks 157 Generation 197
Best Practices 161 Status 78
Types 159 Faction Turn 129. See Also Tier
Command 54 and Hold
Consequences 63 First Session 132
GM Choosing 153 Flashbacks 67
Convince 54 Fortune Rolls 163
Craft 54 Founder 14
Creating a Founder 136. See Gathering Information 66
Also Founder GM Toolkit 149
Creating a World 137, 182 Great Smithing 175, 209. See
Questions 184 Also Negotiation
Death 52 Group Action 65
Devil's Bargains 61 Guilds 69
Dig 55 Harm 51. See Also Tend to
Downtime Activities 109 Your Fellows
Dwarves 183 Host 55
Earthshaper 24

221 Index
Indulge Obsession 111. See Running the Game 146
Also Downtime Activities Safety 49, 134
Infuse 57 Scout 56
Inventions 173 Set Up 65
Isolation. See Trade Settlement 74
Items 72 Advancement 76
Journey 55, 102 Failure 75
Keeper 32 Type
Long-term Projects 110. See Buried Metropolis 83
Also Downtime Activities Exodus 85
Mountain 141 Lost Fortress 81
Negotiation 173 Mother Lode 87
New Year 101. See Also Phases Settlement Map 90
NPCs 177 Settlement Phase 109
Obsession 18 Shieldbearer 40
Oracles 204 Skirmish 56
Rolling 164 Special Actions 57
Phases 50, 100 Stonespeak 57
Playbook 15 Stress 51
Principles 147 Study 56
Protect Someone 65. See Supplies 71
Also Stress, Consequences Tend to Your Fellows 111. See
Region Also Downtime Activities
Generation 192 Tier and Hold 75
Reputation 77 Trade 112
Resisting Consequences 64. Train 111. See Also Experi‐
See Also Stress, Attributes ence, Downtime Activities
Dice Results 62 Treasure 77
Reward 60 Warden 44
Risk 60 Weariness 52
Runemaster 36 World Map 191. See Also
Runes 38, 206 Region
Running Expeditions 165.
See Also Expeditions

Index 222