Focus

Blacksalt

This section of the book is still a work in progress, lots more content will come soon!

This book is about the setting of Dead Weight, Blacksalt Island. It's also possible to play Dead Weight using other settings if you want, but the rules are not generic, and will work better on dark settings with underpowered and desperate characters.

This book is also full of reference tables including equipment, class backgrounds and more. Ideally the players should have easy access to this.

Equipment

There are 5 item categories common, uncommon, valuable, rare and exotic. The categories set the item price and how hard it is to find during the interlude.

Again, if you really like statistics, this is the statistics map of the possible prices.

Free items (free)
name	description	tags
Water	2 units of water can fit one slot.	Quick

Common items (1d6 silver, average 3)
name	description	tags
Cloth	A piece of cloth, can be used as improvised bandages.	Slow
Camping supplies	Basic supplies for making a fire and cooking.	Camp
Bandages	A pack of 3 bandages, used to stop bleeding.	Quick
Drawing tools	Some papers and drawing tools, can be used to draw maps or write scrolls, Ud8.
Common clothes	Nothing fancy.	Equipment
3 meter pole	Good for looking for traps. (Big)	Equipment
Iron spikes	For fixing doors open and making sure things stay in place. Ud8.	Slow
Canteen	For holding water and other liquids.	Quick, Equipment
Ration	Removes the hungry affliction. If cooked during camp, can feed 2 (or 3) adventurers (if someone has the cooking skill)	Slow, Camp
Torches	A pack of 2 torches. Lights the way nearby for Ud4 decays.	Slow
Candles	A pack of 6 candles. Lights the way close for Ud6 decays.	Slow
Oil	For refueling the lantern.	Slow
Rope	10 meters of rope.	Slow
Special ration	Tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Does not remove the hungry affliction.	Camp
Sewing tools	Repairs one armor point from any light armor. Ud8 uses.	Camp
Small bag	For extra inventory space.	Equipment
Holy water	Can be thrown at undead for DEX 2PR, Ud6 uses.	Equipment
Shovel or pickaxe	Good for digging around.	Equipment

Uncommon items (2 + 2d6 silver, average 9)
name	description	tags
Climbing gear	15m of rope with a hook, spikes and other safety utensils for Ud6 climbs.	Slow
Waterskin	A large container for holding water and other liquids.	Slow, Equipment
Lockpicking tools	For opening simple locks. Ud20 uses.	Slow
Trapping kit	For making and disarming simple traps. Can build Ud6 traps. Stepping on a trap causes 4 wounds and immobilizes the target. Getting free requires 1 turn and a strength test.	Slow, Equipment
Lantern	Lights the way nearby for Ud8 decays. Uses oil. Quick to turn on and off, slow to refuel.	Quick, Slow
First aid kit	Heals one STR or DEX wound. Ud6 uses.	Camp
Medical supply	Pack of 2. Used in camp for healing 1 wound.	Camp
Healing tonic	Heals one INT or DEX wound. Ud4 uses.	Quick
Wine	Heals one PRE wound and removes Parched. Ud4, causes Nauseated if you drink too much.	Slow
Leatherworker's toolkit	Repairs one armor point from any medium or light armor. Ud6 uses.	Camp
Compass	Useful for not getting lost.	Quick
Small pouch	For extra inventory space.	Equipment
Backpack	For extra inventory space.	Equipment
Exorcism book	One extra die when banishing undead.

Valuable items (3 x 2d6 silver, average 20)
name	description	tags
Mechanics toolkit	For fixing, assembling and disassembling mechanical devices.
Ashes of insight	Identify a single magic item (slow) or reveals something invisible (quick)	Quick, Slow
Armourer supplies	Repairs one armor point from any armor. Ud6 uses.	Camp
Holy symbol	Used to perform miracles.
Wine of Yoros	Liquid courage. Heals one PRE and one INT wound.
Pack mule	Useful for carrying items on long journeys. Has 10 inventory spaces, requires 2 rations per day or grass.

Rare items (5 x 3d6 silver, average 50)
name	description	tags
Fine jewelry	Made of precious materials, not very useful in a dungeon.
Living ashes	+1 damage to a weapon during expedition, Ud4 uses.	Quick
Alchemic kit	Can be used for modifying, identifying and making potions.
Spell book	Simple spell book, holds 3 spells.

Exotic items (10 x 4d6 silver, average 140)
name	description	tags
Panacea	Cures any disease or affliction. Heals one wound in each attribute.
Holy relic	A relic retrieved from the grave of a saint.

Weapons

All weapons can be used with one hand, unless stated otherwise.

Name	Stats	Special Rules	rarity
Battle axe	STR 4+2B	2 hands.	valuable
Cane	STR 1+1		common
Driftwood Club	STR 2		free
Dagger	STR 1+3P		common
Small Knife	STR 1+1P	Easy to hide.	common
Falchion	STR 3+1B		uncommon
Flail	STR 2+2	Ignore shield tokens. If you miss, roll a d6, on a 1 you hit yourself with 1 wound.	uncommon
Quarterstaff	STR 1+2	On hit add one [dodge token]{.tip} to the attacker.	common
Cane	STR 1+1	Can be used as a conductor.	common
Sacrificial dagger	STR 1B+1	If all damage is reduced roll a d6, on 1 it breaks.	uncommon
Notched whip	DEX 1R+2B	If the enemy has no armor, add a stun token to the enemy. Can hit diagonally.	uncommon
Short Spear	STR 2+1B	2 hands. Can be used with 1 hand, but reduces the attack roll by 1 dice. Can hit diagonally.	common
Long Spear	STR 3+1B	2 tiles. 2 hands. Can be used with 1 hand, but reduces the attack roll by 1 dice. Can hit diagonally. When hitting tiles close use (-STR 1+1).	uncommon
Short sword	STR 2+1	If dual wielded, becomes 3+1.	uncommon
War hammer	STR 2P+3	If you hit roll a d6, on a 6 add a stun token to the enemy.	valuable
Throwing hatchet	DEX 2+1	Nearby. You can use STR to hit but if you do, flip a coin, on heads it hits with the handle, causing no damage. Ignores shield tokens. You can use STR to melee with no downsides.	uncommon
Scythe	DEX 1+2B	Ignore shield tokens.	uncommon
Short bow	DEX 2+1R	Nearby. 2 hands Need arrows.	uncommon
Crossbow	DEX 3P+1R	Nearby. 2 hands. Requires 2 actions to reload.	valuable

Shields

name	stats	rarity	special effect
Buckler	1 shield token	uncommon	Can be used on the same hand of an equipped weapon.
Small metal shield	1 shield token	uncommon
Small wooden shield	1 shield token	common	Breaks on 2d! when using one or more shield tokens.
Wooden shield	2 shield tokens	common	Breaks on 2d! when using one or more shield tokens. Can't dodge when equipped.
Leather shield	2 shield tokens	uncommon	Breaks on 1d! when using one or more shield tokens. Can't dodge when equipped.
Metal shield	2 shield tokens	valuable	Can't dodge when equipped.
Tower shield	3 shield tokens	rare	Big, occupy 2 slots. Can't dodge when equipped.
Spiked shield	2 shield tokens	rare	Causes 1 wound when blocking a melee attack.

Armor

Name	Stats	Special Effect	rarity	type
Heavy cape	1 AP	Can be worn with other armor.	uncommon	Cloth
Reinforced trenchcoat	1 AP		uncommon	Cloth
Gambeson	1 AP	Can be worn under heavy armor.	valuable	Cloth
Leather armor	1 AP		uncommon	Leather
Padded armor	Leather	valuable	2 AP	Rolling 4 doesn't break the armor.
Gladiator Armor	Leather	uncommon	1 AP, 1 Ap
Scale Armor	Heavy	valuable	2 AP
Chainmail	3 AP	Can't be used against impact attacks.	valuable	Heavy
Gothic plate armor	Heavy	rare	2, 3 AP	Occupy 2 slots. Reduces dexterity die by one.
Soldier helmet	Leather	uncommon	2 AP	Always breaks 1 and only 1 AP on use.
Cage helmet	Leather	valuable	1 AP
Close helmet	Heavy	rare	2 AP
Frog-mouth helm	Heavy	exotic	3 AP

The Dead Vigil

One of the most notable things about Blacksalt is the dead vigil. Any creature that dies in Blacksalt has a chance to come back to life as an undead, humans will almost always come back, animals and other smaller creatures can come back to life but that's not common. This effect is called the dead vigil.

The cause of the dead vigil is uncertain, some blame the old king for trying to achieve eternal life, others say it's because of something buried deep in the island tunnels, but no one knows for sure.

Any corpse, if left undisturbed, will come back to life after 1d6 weeks as a Freshly risen corpse or Reanimated husk, depending on the state of conservation and will start looking for other people to attack. If the corpse is too damaged or somehow unsuitable, it may come back as ghost, like a shadow; that's rare though, and ghosts are extremely dangerous, so people avoid destroying corpses.

The most "elegant" way to dispose of a body is a proper burial ritual, and a coffin with the seal of Cador, which will stop the corpse from returning. This is a relatively new technique. Over the years, people didn't know how to deal with their dead. Different groups of people tried many different rituals and techniques to stop their dead from coming back, usually with horrible consequences.

Warrior Background

Footman

Trained to fight in an army, footmen are specialized in fighting as a unit, protecting allies and countering enemy attacks. Footmen start with the hardened special trait, allowing them to reduce any damage they receive.

Equipment

Backpack, Spear (STR 3+1B), metal shield(2 shield tokens), padded armor (2 AP), soldier helmet (2 AP), 2d6 silver coins.

Manoeuvers

Turtle: (2 actions) Raise your shield, get on one knee and brace for impact. Perform a defend action (adding the appropriate number of shield tokens) and for this turn you can't receive fatigue for defending.
Aegis: During the enemy turn, you may spend a shield token to swap places and receive an attack in place of an adjacent (including diagonals) ally.
Payback: After spending a shield token for successfully blocking a melee attack you may add a stun token to the attacking enemy.

Gladiator

Gladiators are used to gambling their lives away for money. To them, the only difference is that Blacksalt island pays better.

They start with the battle trance special trait, allowing them to chain attacks, as long as they do the last blow to an enemy.

Equipment

Bag, Falchion (STR 3+1B), wooden shield(1 shield token), gladiator armor (1, 1 AP), cage helmet(1 AP), 2d6 silver coins.

Manoeuvers

Bash: (STR 1, 1 action) Bash with your shield or weapon hilt, on a hit add a stun token to target.
Disarm: (-DEX 1, 1 action) On hit the target drops the wielded weapon close.
Glorious finish: (1 action) Perform a regular attack. If the gladiator kills the last enemy in the combat with this attack, the whole party recovers one presence fatigue or wound. On a failure the gladiator receives 1 presence fatigue. If the combat was purposely stalled, or the target is currently immobilized or harmless in any way, this has no effect; this only works when there's real danger involved.

Barbarian

What they lack in formal training, barbarians compensate with pure brutality. For them, attack is by far the best defense.

Barbarians have the berserker special trait which allows them to keep fighting while ignoring fatigue or wounds.

Equipment

Battle Axe (STR 4+2B), loincloth, war paint, medical supplies x 2, 1d6 coins.

Manoeuvers

Roar: (PRE, 1 action) All enemies nearby. The barbarian must perform a presence test for each target. Causes a stun token. Can only be performed once per battle. Only works on enemies with the living tag.
Charge: (1 action) The barbarian pushes the target backward, moving in a straight line, dragging the target. If charge hits a wall, place characters as close as possible at the wall, cause 1 wound and one stun token to the target. Uses regular move speed. Does not work on enemies with the ghost tag.
Reckless attack: (1 action) Perform an attack that will cause 1 extra wound. Your next defense will have disadvantage.

Thief Background

Stalker

The stalker starts with the trait dauntless, making critical hits much more likely.

Equipment

Backpack, Ud10 throwing hatchets (DEX 1X+1), animal bones for crafting, Ud4 trapping kit, cloth tunic, 1d6 silver coins.

Manoeuvers

Clean Kill: (1 action) Attacks with equipped weapon. Deals double damage if target is immobilized.
Incapacitating strike: (1 action) Attacks with equipped weapon, reduce damage to 1 wound. Immobilizes target for one turn.
Fast trapping: (1 action) Quickly arm and throw a trapping kit 3 tiles away.

Lone Rogue

Too smart or too dumb to hang out with other thieves, the lone rogue is someone who made a living by robbing people on the roads. The lone rogue is constantly on the move, chasing opportunities and fleeing from past mistakes. Often outnumbered, a lone rogue is specialized in getting in and out of combat quickly.

The lone rogue start with the trait slippery, allowing the rogue to spend a dodge token during the enemy turn to move 1 tile.

Equipment

2 short swords (STR 2+1), leather armor (1 AP), climbing tools, stolen golden icon, 1d6 silver coins.

Manoeuvers

Wing it: (1 action) Throws a melee weapon using -DEX instead of STR with range of 3 tiles. Use the weapon's regular damage.
Outsmart: Once per combat, you may use presence or intelligence instead of dexterity or strength.
Quick thinking: (1 action) Test presence or intelligence on a success add 1 dodge token.

Hoodlum

As a result of growing up in dangerous cities of the Empire, hoodlums are used to violence, and Blacksalt is full of opportunities for those who are capable of it. Hoodlums are specialized in overwhelming enemies that are outnumbered.

The hoodlum starts with the trait cold blooded, allowing them to ignore armor when attacking or defending from enemies that are flanked.

Equipment

Backpack, dagger (STR 1+3P), reinforced clothes (1 AP), lock-picking tools, 2d6 stolen coins, valuable stolen boots.

Maneuvers

Dirty tricks: (1 action) 2 tiles. Kick sand in opponent's eyes or any other dirty trick. Any ally attacking this enemy has advantage. Only works on living enemies.
Knife in the back: Once per turn, when attacking a flanked enemy with a dagger, you can perform a free attack. Roll an extra die for that attack.
Going somewhere?: During the enemy actions, you may block an enemy from moving. Add a stun token to yourself. The enemy will still spend an action.

Moon-curser

Specialized in getting in and out of places unnoticed. Moon cursers are the masters of contraband, infiltration and deception. The moon-curser starts with the trait night-stalker, allowing them to ignore any darkness penalties.

Equipment

Backpack, pack mule, short sword(STR 2+1), black reinforced hood and vest (1 AP), Ud6 sleeping darts, 3d6 counterfeit coins.

Manoeuvers

Fade into darkness: (1 action) Immediately hide in the nearby shadows, nearby enemies will not know where you are and will mostly likely change targets. Moving requires a dexterity test or be revealed. Cannot be carrying any light sources. Also add 1 dodge token.
Blades in the dark: (1 action) Requires the target to be unaware of your presence and a bladed weapon. Attack normally then cause double the damage.
Moving Shadows: Spend one dodge token to perform an extra action.

Schools of Magic

Time in spell descriptions

When a spell mentions turns without specifying if it's an exploration turn or combat turn, it means that the context should be used. If that spell is cast during combat, it will last that many combat turns; if it's cast during exploration, it will last that many exploration turns.

When a spell has a duration that explicitly mentions exploration turns, it can also be cast in combat, but remember that the whole combat lasts only one exploration turn.

When rolling for duration, unless specified otherwise, the roll is made by the player as soon as the spell has been cast.

Necromancers of Yadar

Controlling the dead and the dark forces of the void is the Necromancers of Yadar's specialty. Their techniques are strictly forbidden in most places of the world, but in Blacksalt, no one cares - they will take whatever works.

Tales tell that Yadar is a small island, hidden in the black sea, populated only by the undead, and ruled by three Necromancers. No one knows exactly where the island is, but Yadar disciples are everywhere, spreading the necromancer's teachings to the rest of the world.

While necromancers are not combat focused, their high-utility spells can be used in clever ways to help solve different problems.

Spells

Pain: 2 actions during combat. Add 3 stun tokens to a nearby living or undead enemy. Reduce the number of tokens using the enemy resistance.
Command undead: The wizard may issue one simple command to an undead. That undead wil try to follow that command for the next 2 exploration turns. Only works on undead up to level 3. The command may be "renewed" by casting the spell again. If cast during a combat, it will last through the whole combat and for the next exploration turn. If unable to follow the command for any reason, the undead will just stay in place without moving.
Explode corpse: Explode any corpse that the dead vigil hasn't set upon yet. Causes 2 wound to everyone close, which can be reduced by armor and resistances. Also works on undead under the Command undead spell.
Phobia: The target nearby creature gets terrified of a chosen person or object for 1d6 turns.
Black night: Absolute darkness covers a nearby area; anything close to that area is engulfed in it and can't see. The wizard can see normally through the darkness.
Nightmare: A target nearby creature immediately falls into a restless sleep, having horrible nightmares. The creature will wake up normally if disturbed. Only works on creatures that can sleep. The creature can be woken up normaly.
Bonedance: Bends the bones of a nearby creature in an unnatural way for the duration of the combat. All tests made against that creature are made with advantage. Halves that creature move speed.

Equipment

Sacrificial dagger (STR 1B+1), chalk, poisonous vials, inscribed skull (grimoire and conductor), cloak with mask, 2d6 silver coins.

Alchemists of the Golden Ridge

The secret order of the Golden Ridge is focused on transmuting and creating magic potions and artifacts. For centuries they stayed in the Golden Ridge, extracting and transmuting the local fauna and flora, until the news of Blacksalt reached them. The number of supernatural elements in Blacksalt is endlessly valuable to them.

Spells

Glue: Creates a strong adhesive that covers something nearby. In combat, this locks an enemy in place; they must succeed a test and spend one action to get free.
Machine spirit: Fixes a target machine or metal armor. Doesn't work on machines that are too big.
Smoke form: The wizard turns into smoke, and can move around for a few short seconds, or one combat turn (2 actions). The wizard cannot be harmed while in smoke form. If, after moving, the wizard has no space to turn back into human form the wizard will immediately die, while trying to occupy any available space.
Silver cannon: The wizard can use silver coins as a ranged weapon attacking with INT 3P. The wizard must spend 1 silver for each shot.
Transmute: 2 actions in combat, 1 exploration turn or free action during camp. The wizard may mix elemental extracts to create tonics. Requires an alchemic toolkit and a bottle.

Transmuting

Elemental extracts can be found in corpses and monster remains. To get the elemental extract from a corpse, a wizard requires an alchemic toolkit and one exploration turn. For each point in intelligence proficiency the wizard can get the extract from an extra corpse nearby in that turn. Check the bestiary for what type of extract an enemy has. If there is nothing on the enemy sheet, that enemy has no viable extract.

A single inventory slot can store two different extracts. You can stack as many extracts of the same type in the same slot as you want.

Elemental Extracts
Element	Yig	Grai
Flame	-1	+1
Water	+1	-1
Smoke	0	-1
Necro	-1	0
Rot	0	+1
Ether	+1	0

To make a potion, the wizard can mix any number of extracts available. Add all from the Yig column first, then from the Grai column second. The numbers must match one of the recipes.

A Healing Tonic (2,0) can be made adding water (+1, -1), ether (+1, 0) and rot (0, +1). An alternative would be adding ether (+1, 0) twice.

Potion	Yig	Grai	Effect
Healing tonic	2	0	Heals 1 intelligence or dexterity wound. Ud4 uses.
Potion of giants	0	3	Heals all strength wounds and fatigue. Ud4 uses.
Explosive potion	-2	2	Can be thrown to a nearby tile, causing 2 wounds to anyone in that tile and 1 wound to anyone close; damage can be reduced.
Tonic of bravery	1	1	Character can't get terrified during this expedition.
Anti-poison tonic	1	-1	Cures Nausea and simple poisons.
Mercurial tonic	0	0	Get 1 extra combat action for this and the next Ud4 turns (test at the end of the turn).
Tonic of focus	-1	-1	Cures 2 presence wounds.
Purging hot-water	+1	+1	Cures 2 strength wounds, causes 1 presence wound. Ud4 uses.

Equipment

Cane (conductor, STR 1+1), alchemic tools, tattered trench coat, old tome (grimoire), 3d6 silver coins, 1 gold coin.

Thaumaturgists of Ravenhome

Castle Ravenhome is a prestigious institution that offers daily classes, teachers and a title to anyone who completes the program. Ravenhome selects children from all over the world by a mysterious process, and invite them to study there. More than half of the students die horribly during the course, though.

Spells

Magic Missile: During this combat, the wizard can use magic missiles as a ranged weapon, attacking with INT 3.
Arcane prison: A target person or object gets trapped in an arcane crystal, locked in time and space. They can't act or be interacted with for 1d6 turns.
Magic Shield: During this combat, the wizard gets a shield token at the start of the wizard's turn.
Arcane Seal: Protects a nearby person or object from spells for 1d6 exploration turns.
Pocket reality: Creates a bag that looks very small on the outside, but has 3 slots. Anything inside does not count towards encumbrance. It lasts until the end of the expedition.
Arcane fire: Target 2 nearby tiles: anything standing in those tiles takes 2 wounds per turn, which can be reduced. Lasts until the end of the combat.

Equipment

Small Knife (STR 1+1P), ornate garments, Wand (conductor), scattered notes (grimoire), cloak, 2d6 silver coins.

Wandering Mystics

Their order is not hierarchical or ordered; rather, they adhere to a strict moral code. They typically select children who are lost as their apprentices. It is common for them not to stay in a place for too long, and they usually share their observations with fellow Wanderers through writing with invisible ink.

Most places do not welcome them and see them as tricksters and freeloaders.

Spells

Magic mouth: Creates a magic mouth at a far location, which will repeat a phrase for the wizard, loudly or quietly at the wizard's discretion.
Arcane eye: The wizard can see through a floating, glowing eye that can be controlled. The eye can't move further than far away from the wizard. If the eye gets damage, it disappears and the wizard receives 1 intelligence wound.
Knock/Lock: Locks or opens a door nearby. Will unlock any simple mechanical lock.
Mind fog: A close target cannot form memories of the next 1d4 turns. The GM should roll the dice in secret.
Weave fate: Roll up to the wizard's available intelligence dice and keep them around. You may use them to replace any dice result you roll in the next 2d6 exploration turns. For every dice you don't use after that, receive one intelligence wound. The GM should roll the timer and keep it in secret.
Mystic ink: Creates an glowing colorful ink that only other wizards with the mystic ink spell can see. The wizard's hands can be used to paint with this ink.
Morbid touch: Conjures a see-through hand with a morbid aura toward a nearby target. Attacks with (INT 2P), then dissipates.

Equipment

Backpack, Cane (STR 1+1, conductor), wine, holy water, healing tonic, heavy cloak (AP 1), 2d6 silver coins.

The Awakened

Most Awakened believe themselves to be cursed; they never studied magic, but the Void found them. Although they don't fully comprehend their powers, they've learned to use them to survive. The Awakened don't need a grimoire and can meditate to remember spells.

Spells

Light: Illuminates nearby room for 1 decay.
Haste: A nearby creature has their movement speed doubled until the end of the combat.
Shackles: The wizard creates magical shackles that hold a nearby creature in place, adding 2 stun tokens per turn. It lasts as long as the wizard keeps channeling the spell. The wizard can't move or act while channeling.
Telekinesis: The wizard may pull or push a close object using intelligence as strength. Or use any weapon with intelligence as strength for one turn.
Hover: The wizard can hover one meter above the ground, water or similar. Lasts 1d6 turns.
Nether swap: Immediately swaps place with a target creature.
Soul punch: Set your cursed hand aflame and punch a close target. If attack is successful cause 3 damage instead, that damage cannot be reduced by armor or resistances.

Equipment

Cursed hand (conductor, STR 2+1P), ashes of insight, ornate clothes, 1d6 silver coins.

Gods

Clerics always follow one god and one god only. Some won't even believe in other gods. While the divine effects of the clerics can easily be felt and seen through the world their actual existence is hard to be actually proven. Some even say that there are no gods in this world, and all clerics are actually just magic users that don't know their own potential.

The main consensus is that are 2 types of gods in the world, the old gods and the new gods.

Old gods are the ones that lived before the creation of the current world. Before this world, there was another one, and some event caused it to be destroyed, while creating the current one. These beings are so powerful that they didn't fade when their world was destroyed. Not much is known of them and their worship is strictly forbidden in most cultures, but secret cults can be found all over Blacksalt island nonetheless.

The new gods are the gods that appeared after the origin of the world. They are the ones worshipped by most humans and other intelligent creatures.

Goshkalon

The God of Laughter, Goshkalon is a quite controversial god. His influence is mostly perceived as benign, but he's worshipped by goblins, gnolls and other evil cults. His blessings are never straightforward, usually having some ironic humor to them, never really fixing any real problems, only numbing the symptoms and effects of them.

Often venerated at the sites of great tragedies, gathering followers are among the desperate and hopeless. Worshipping Goshkalon gives its devotees so much bliss that some will pray so obsessively that they often die from hunger, thirst, and exhaustion without even feeling it.

Sacrifice: Offer a number of teeth to a fire, which will boil and disappear. For every handful of teeth roll a risk dice (1d!): if triggered, Goshkalon will be pleased.

Equipment

Scythe(STR 2X+2), clay statue (holy symbol), improvised armor (1 AP), a purse full of teeth, 3d6 silver coins.

Prayers

Bliss: (Close) Choose one affliction the target currently has; during this expedition, that affliction will have no effect, but can't be removed.
Euphoria: (Close) Target recovers 2 fatigue. During this combat, the target can ignore wounds and fatigue when counting available dice. They can still receive wounds and fatigue normally.
Ignorance: (Nearby) The target can't use any INT based attacks for 2d6 rounds.
Numbness: (Nearby ally) Heal all PRE wounds, but cause one fatigue in STR and DEX.
Hyperfocus: (Nearby) For the next 1d6 turns of combat, the target will have 3 actions, but can only perform the same action. The target can change actions between rounds.
Apotheosis: All nearby allies recovers all fatigue, then, next turn, get it back. [Prayers]

Cador

The God of death, Cador, wants order to be brought back to the world. Cador is the great enemy of the undead; his zealots hunt them down and seal their corpses so the dead vigil doesn't set in. Cador's clerics start with the skill ward the dead.

Sacrifice: To please Cador, the cleric must capture and then kill an undead during the sacrifice ritual.

Equipment

War hammer (STR 1P+3), Ancient talisman (holy symbol), Ud6 flasks of holy water, thick cloak (1 AP), 3d6 silver coins.

Prayers

Mercy: Immediately kills close any creature that would die if it received 4 wounds or less.
Seal: Creates a 3m line that no undead can cross during this expedition.
Borrowed Time: Target cannot die for the next 2d6 turns. All wounds are placed normally and after the effect is done, the target can die again.
Judgment: All undead nearby receive a stun token and a wound.
Memento mori: Target undead starts taking 1 wound per turn. Lasts 2d6 turns.
Dirge: Place a token on a nearby target that lasts 1d6 turns. If that target dies with the token, all nearby living creatures heal 2 wounds.

Yulak

God of purity, Yulak is not only the god of purity but also the god of fire and punishment. She is merciless and so are her disciples.

Sacrifice: To please Yulak, the cleric must self-flagellate, causing 2 wounds and bleeding to self.

Equipment

Notched whip (DEX 1R+2B), torture equipment, rope, book of sins (holy symbol), tattered cloak, 1d6 coins.

Prayers

Detect Evil: Everything nearby that's evil or undead glows with a green light, lasts for 1d6 turns.
Righteous Fury: A close target gets 3 extra dice in the next row and the angry affliction. Add one wound to any damage caused by the target in the next row.
Cleansing Flames: Holds a close target while chanting, burning the target from inside, attacking with STR 1PR+6. If the target is an ally, cure any affliction, except cursed, doomed or plagued.
Martyr: Cause one wound to the cleric: all nearby allies recover from bleeding, terrified, shaken and sleepy.
Purge the filth: A target nearby gets extremely nauseous, vomiting a black slime and can't act for 2 combat turns or 1 exploration turn. After that, the target heals 3 wounds.

Akhzu

God of nature and chimeras, Akhzu embraces the chaos and the natural flow of the wild.

Sacrifice: To pacify Akhzu, the cleric must feed the earth, burying 2 rations.

Equipment

Flail (STR 2X+2), human skin drum (holy symbol), leather armor (1 AP), 2d6 silver coins.

Prayers

Season of changes: Choose a nearby ally. That ally may move any number of wounds and fatigues from one attribute to another.
Eyes of the forest: Creates a magical eye on a Distant tree that you can currently see. You can see though the magical eye during the current expedition. The eye dies if the tree is cut.
Prayer of Summer: Repair one armor point from everyone nearby, including enemies.
Prayer of Spring: Cures one wound from everyone nearby, including enemies.
Prayer of Winter: Causes 2 wounds to everyone nearby; the cleric and allies receive only 1 wound.
Prayer of Autumn: A weakness takes over everyone nearby, including allies and the cleric. Removes all shield and dodge tokens.

Kaal Rafir

The god of plague and diseases, Kaal Rafir, is the first of the new gods. Originally, he was one of the old gods, the god of entropy and cold, but after siding with the new gods during their uprising, he was punished.

Kaal Rafir disciples usually have small mice, cockroaches or locusts as companions. Those companions can be ordered around for very simple tasks, but they are not intelligent nor can communicate. A companion has 1hp. If for any reason a companion dies, a new companion will show up during next camp, the cleric can choose a different animal for the new companion.

Sacrifice: Kaal Rafir doesn't require sacrifices, but praying to him at the camp will restore the cleric's powers. But, when angered, the whole party takes 2 non-lethal presence fatigue.

Equipment

Diseased Staff (STR 2X+2), dead animal (holy symbol), leather trench coat (1 AP), small animal companion, 1d6 silver coins.

Prayers

Hold: Paralyzes nearby target for 1d6 turns, reducing the target's actions to zero.
Silence: Absolute silence covers a nearby area; no spells may be cast.
Swarm: Summons a swarm of insects that can be commanded by the cleric.
Entropy: Causes everyone nearby, except the caster, to spend an action or take 2 non-lethal fatigue.
Decay: A nearby target is cursed for 5 turns, taking 1 non-lethal fatigue at the start of the turn.

Equipment

Flail (STR 2X+2), forbidden scriptures (holy symbol), leather trench coat (1 AP), 3d6 silver coins.

Old Gods

Ulass

The Never-ending.

Achernar

The silver star.

Gyrrath

The hungry one.

Ngaazh'theg

The eye of the sea.

History

Origins

Blacksalt is an ancient island, found more than a thousand years ago by several lost sea travelers. The island apparently had risen from the ocean floor by some volcanic activity and was covered in a thick layer of black salt and algae. Ancient traces of an underwater civilization were found there, intriguing the people from the main continent, but it was the island's rich mineral resources and fertile land that paved the way for fast colonization.

The island was lawless, and many different groups started settling there. Castles and strongholds were built and conflict between the different settlements began as soon as they met. The conflict proved extremely expensive to everyone involved and the Treaty of Yoros was created, dividing Blacksalt between different kingdoms that would stay in their territory.

This fleeting peace allowed major infrastructure to be built and trade routes to be created.

The fall

Then suddenly the first antediluvian catacomb was found, changing everything. Down in those caves the kings and queens would cohort with ancient beings giving them extraordinary powers, and they didn't want to share. Aided by the ancient beings' magic, the war between settlements raged on, devastating the land, creating famine, supernatural plagues and eventually the infamous dead vigil would strike. No one knows who or what caused it, but suddenly the dead started to come back to life hunting down the living. In the current state of the island the dead were by far a majority.

Not much was left of the old kingdoms, only small fortified settlements, castles haunted by the undead and isolated hamlets. This caused Blacksalt to be mostly abandoned and forgotten.

Renaissance

Centuries later, the hordes of the undead had dispersed, and most of the tales of Blacksalt kingdoms forgotten. Pirates re-discovered the island and started trading with the few that were still living there. As soon as the ancient artifacts were found news spread fast.

This coincided with a major war happening in the main continent, where a gigantic military and political unity known simply as The Empire started dominating every kingdom it could reach. To win this war, magical artifacts were necessary and the Empire financed expeditions to Blacksalt and payed high prices for anything found. This "gold rush" was intense and fast, and several settlements were rebuilt in a few months - most notably Yoros, the biggest port-city of Blacksalt.

Geography

Blacksalt is a large island in the southern hemisphere of the planet. The climate is warm in the north and gets wet and cold in the south.

The terrain is mostly flat and near the sea level in the in the north, while mountainous and rocky in the south.

The northeast part of Blacksalt is colloquially known as Yoros Island, while techinically being part of Blacksalt, Yoros river separates most of it from the rest.

On the east part there are five smaller islands closing the Kumar Bay, with Saint Julien Isle being the biggest and the only one populated.

Blacksalt Island

Very early work in progress of the island map. The final version will be interactive.

Yoros

Settlement size: City (5)

A major port city in Blacksalt. Famous for its high quality wine.

Yoros is bursting with commerce and is the main connection between the main continent and Blacksalt. The Emperor is the official ruler of Yoros, but the empire's influence is very limited in Blacksalt, with the Guild of Commerce having all the real power.

Kumar Port City

Settlement size: City (5)

A big port city that services the Kumar Bay. The official use of this port is to transport large goods to Yoros, but, in actuality, Kumar is the center of a huge smuggling network, sending magical items to the highest bidder.

The city is in a swamp area rich in natural oil, and since they don't have a lot of available farmland, most of their food comes from ships or from Brutburg.

Steinsburg

Settlement size: Stronghold (4)

A stronghold that once held the undead march centuries ago, Steinsburg is nowhere near its former glory, but is still a sight to behold. The stone stronghold is built on the mountains and its huge walls are still impenetrable.

The people there still live under strict military tradition and are always alert for any undead threat.

Brutburg

Settlement size: Stronghold (4)

A military stronghold in the cold south. Once a noble house that fought valiantly against the undead during the first dead vigil, now decadent and ruined.

Somehow, the farmers of Brutburg manage to plant even in the harsh cold; some say the food of Brutburg is grown using abominable rituals.

Trinta

Settlement size: Fief (3)

A fief ruled by the tyrant lord Ishnar Zul, descendant of a long line of lords from the early days of the exploration of Blacksalt. Trinta has huge farmlands and lots of cattle, being responsible for most of the island food production.

The sample dungeon takes place in Trinta.

Luna

Settlement size: Fief (3)

A farming fief, isolated from most commercial routes, Luna is a somewhat peaceful settlement in the cold plains. Luna was once a military stronghold, but that fortress is long abandoned.

The people of Luna avoid going near the stronghold, and local stories tell of people disappearing inside.

Luna is uncomfortably close to Fallen Agnar, but has never been attacked by the undead from there. Some whisper of a mysterious pact between them.

Cefit

Settlement size: Hamlet (2)

A small trading post set in the middle of the road between Brutburg and Kumar Port-City. Cefit consists of a small inn, a few farmers and shops. The people that live here are mostly recluses and prefer to stay out of outsider's business.

Fallen Agnar

Agnar was specially hit by the dead vigil centuries ago, being completely destroyed. It quickly became the central point from where the undead hordes came. Organized undead marched down to Brutburg and Yoros, spawning Tales of a powerful necromancer lich controlling the hordes. Those tales were never confirmed, though.

Today, Agnar is the haunted remains of a city, where not even the bravest explorers dare to venture.