Foreword : Good King's Jest is a narrative focused game with dark themes, violence, and suggestive content. Combat is infrequent and deadly, healing is long and painful, and you are mortal. This game and the contents within are to be treated seriously.
Surely the skull says, lying in the garden...
Chattering finch and water-fly
Are not merrier than I.
For here among the flowers I lie
Laughing everlastingly.
No, I may not tell the best;
Surely, friends, I might have guessed
Death was but the Good King's Jest,
It was hid so carefully.
- G. K. Chesterton WELCOME TO THE DARK AGES The year is 776 AD, 300 years after the fall of Rome. The British Isles are home to a number of Kingdoms, now long independent from Roman rule. The world has forgotten the splendor and glory of the old Empire. Technology as been forgotten and the the world grows smaller. This is an age of Darkness, and there are shapes moving in the shadows.
To someone who saw Rome at its height in the year 118 AD, this world would seem like a nightmare. They would remember when the maps were full, when trade ran from Carthage to Constantinople. But now the edges of the map have closed in.
But you did not see the golden age of before. This is the only world you have ever known. Your people have forgotten much of their history.
KINGDOMS & FACTIONS
Map : (Will be posted after 2 sessions)
Urland -
Wessex -
Mercia -
Northumbria -
Madri -
Saxon Tribes -
Franken Empire -
Remnant Legion -
Shattered Roman Empire - Et de ligno sanguis stillabit... And blood shall drop from wood, and the stone shall give his voice, and the people shall be troubled.
- 4 Ezra 5.5
CHARACTER CREATION 1. At Character Creation, choose a new Base Trait description from the following options. Change text only.
Might: X - Sword Arm (Add to Melee Attacks)
Might: X - Healthy (Add to Healing Roll)
-
Agility: X - Quick Hands (Add to Melee Attacks)
Agility: X - Fast Fingers (Add to Ranged Attacks)
-
Wisdom: X - Eloquent (Add to Social Rolls)
Wisdom: X - Cunning (Add to Melee Attacks)
Wisdom: X - Iron Will (Add to Healing Roll)
2. You have a pool of 11 points to put into the following Stats/Traits. Each skill requires a minimum of one point.
Might - Agility - Wisdom - Life - Power
3. Now pick One Skillset and One Archetype.
Skillset : Athletic: 1 - You are strong.
Language: 1 - You can speak clearly and read.
Healing: 1 - You understand wounds and the body.
Marksman: 1 - You have fantastic vision.
Builder: 1 - You know how to create what you need.
Thievery: 1 - You know how to take what you need.
Archetype : Peasant: 1 - You are a humble farmer.
Expert: 1 - You are a master of your trade.
Warrior: 1 - You are a trained soldier
Royal: 1 - You are of the Nobility
Rogue: 1 - You are of the underbelly.
Courtier: 1 - You are an advisor to the Court.
4. Traits and Stats are done, now its time to be creative.
In the description put down some character ideas and general description of the character's appearance and attitude.
5. Write down 1 or 2 personal flaws your character has. Be interesting and creative. If you need ideas talk to me (GM).
6. If you have loyalty or blood relations to one of the Houses/Nobility mark it down in your Description.
That's it, now you have a character for GKJ! The Druids waved their golden knives
And danced around the Oak
When they had sacrificed a man;
But though the learned search and scan
No single modern person can
Entirely see the joke.
But though they cut the throats of men
They cut not down the tree,
And from the blood the saplings spring
Of oak-woods yet to be.
But Ivywood, Lord Ivywood,
He rots the tree as ivy would,
He clings and crawls as ivy would
About the sacred tree.
- G. K. Chesterton
MECHANICS Magic Mortals meddle in the world of the unnatural at their peril. Magic is wrong. Not in the moral sense, magic is not evil nor good. It is alien, warping, beyond the minds of men, and superior to the laws of Newton.
Warfare There are 3 scales to warfare and fighting.
- Clash : 1 vs 1
- Conflict : More than 2 and less than 30 individuals involved.
- Campaign : Greater than 30, usually involving Armies.
+Clash+
Both combatants roll their melee. Each star represents One Damage to the Life Stat. Each star cancel's out your opponent's Damage to you. Any damage not cancelled is taken to the life pool.
The Clash end's when both combatant's agree to yield, resulting in a draw, or one combatant is brought to 0 life, resulting in fighting with honor.
+Conflict+
Two parties encounter each other. Combat is taken in turns. Agility determines turn order, with higher agility going first. If agility is the same, agility is rolled.
Each turn, players can move Five Squares on the board. Characters can make melee attacks on any touching square, including diagonal attacks. (unless it is a corner wall) Players can attack diagonally, but can NOT move diagonally. If attack with ranged attack, can fire at any distance, but requires line of sight.
The battlefield is brutal and chaotic. All dice stars apply direct damage to an opponent's life pool on that turn. Conflicts only end when all opposing characters are at Zero life points, all have surrendered and thrown away their weapons, or a combination of both.
+Campaign+
Only characters with the Royal, Courtier, or Warrior traits can conduct and enter Campaigns.
There are no rolls for Campaigns.
Power Points Power points are super simple. They add one confirmed star to your roll. One power point is restored every 2 in game days.
Healing All wounds linger, some wounds stay. Anytime damage is taken, it is not restored automatically at the end of every session.
Every 2 in game days, you may roll to recover life points and add them back to your pool.
When your Life Stat reaches zero, you are Broken. You may or may not be conscious depending on the circumstances. If any additional damage occurs to your body, you die.
+ Healing Timeline +
- Within an hour, you must roll to survive. If you fail, you die.
- Within the first day, you must roll to recover, if you fail, you return to the prior test immediately and roll to survive.
- After the first day of recovery, you will roll to see if you are crippled.
- After 2 days, you may roll for life points.
God mounted upon the tree, where he suffered torments for humanity's need, and a loathsome death for the relief of the peoples. Many a tree beneath its bark was then streaked with bloody tears, red and viscous: the sap was turned into blood.
- Christ III
- - - -
Surely the skull says, lying in the garden...
Chattering finch and water-fly
Are not merrier than I.
For here among the flowers I lie
Laughing everlastingly.
No, I may not tell the best;
Surely, friends, I might have guessed
Death was but the Good King's Jest,
It was hid so carefully.
- G. K. Chesterton
WELCOME TO THE DARK AGES
The year is 776 AD, 300 years after the fall of Rome. The British Isles are home to a number of Kingdoms, now long independent from Roman rule. The world has forgotten the splendor and glory of the old Empire. Technology as been forgotten and the the world grows smaller. This is an age of Darkness, and there are shapes moving in the shadows.
To someone who saw Rome at its height in the year 118 AD, this world would seem like a nightmare. They would remember when the maps were full, when trade ran from Carthage to Constantinople. But now the edges of the map have closed in.
But you did not see the golden age of before. This is the only world you have ever known. Your people have forgotten much of their history.
KINGDOMS & FACTIONS
Map : (Will be posted after 2 sessions)
Urland -
Wessex -
Mercia -
Northumbria -
Madri -
Saxon Tribes -
Franken Empire -
Remnant Legion -
Shattered Roman Empire -
Et de ligno sanguis stillabit...
And blood shall drop from wood, and the stone shall give his voice, and the people shall be troubled.
- 4 Ezra 5.5
CHARACTER CREATION
1. At Character Creation, choose a new Base Trait description from the following options. Change text only.
Might: X - Sword Arm (Add to Melee Attacks)
Might: X - Healthy (Add to Healing Roll)
-
Agility: X - Quick Hands (Add to Melee Attacks)
Agility: X - Fast Fingers (Add to Ranged Attacks)
-
Wisdom: X - Eloquent (Add to Social Rolls)
Wisdom: X - Cunning (Add to Melee Attacks)
Wisdom: X - Iron Will (Add to Healing Roll)
2. You have a pool of 11 points to put into the following Stats/Traits. Each skill requires a minimum of one point.
Might - Agility - Wisdom - Life - Power
3. Now pick One Skillset and One Archetype.
Skillset :
Athletic: 1 - You are strong.
Language: 1 - You can speak clearly and read.
Healing: 1 - You understand wounds and the body.
Marksman: 1 - You have fantastic vision.
Builder: 1 - You know how to create what you need.
Thievery: 1 - You know how to take what you need.
Archetype :
Peasant: 1 - You are a humble farmer.
Expert: 1 - You are a master of your trade.
Warrior: 1 - You are a trained soldier
Royal: 1 - You are of the Nobility
Rogue: 1 - You are of the underbelly.
Courtier: 1 - You are an advisor to the Court.
4. Traits and Stats are done, now its time to be creative.
In the description put down some character ideas and general description of the character's appearance and attitude.
5. Write down 1 or 2 personal flaws your character has. Be interesting and creative. If you need ideas talk to me (GM).
6. If you have loyalty or blood relations to one of the Houses/Nobility mark it down in your Description.
That's it, now you have a character for GKJ!
The Druids waved their golden knives
And danced around the Oak
When they had sacrificed a man;
But though the learned search and scan
No single modern person can
Entirely see the joke.
But though they cut the throats of men
They cut not down the tree,
And from the blood the saplings spring
Of oak-woods yet to be.
But Ivywood, Lord Ivywood,
He rots the tree as ivy would,
He clings and crawls as ivy would
About the sacred tree.
- G. K. Chesterton
MECHANICS
Magic
Mortals meddle in the world of the unnatural at their peril. Magic is wrong. Not in the moral sense, magic is not evil nor good. It is alien, warping, beyond the minds of men, and superior to the laws of Newton.
Warfare
There are 3 scales to warfare and fighting.
- Clash : 1 vs 1
- Conflict : More than 2 and less than 30 individuals involved.
- Campaign : Greater than 30, usually involving Armies.
+Clash+
Both combatants roll their melee. Each star represents One Damage to the Life Stat. Each star cancel's out your opponent's Damage to you. Any damage not cancelled is taken to the life pool.
The Clash end's when both combatant's agree to yield, resulting in a draw, or one combatant is brought to 0 life, resulting in fighting with honor.
+Conflict+
Two parties encounter each other. Combat is taken in turns. Agility determines turn order, with higher agility going first. If agility is the same, agility is rolled.
Each turn, players can move Five Squares on the board. Characters can make melee attacks on any touching square, including diagonal attacks. (unless it is a corner wall) Players can attack diagonally, but can NOT move diagonally. If attack with ranged attack, can fire at any distance, but requires line of sight.
The battlefield is brutal and chaotic. All dice stars apply direct damage to an opponent's life pool on that turn. Conflicts only end when all opposing characters are at Zero life points, all have surrendered and thrown away their weapons, or a combination of both.
+Campaign+
Only characters with the Royal, Courtier, or Warrior traits can conduct and enter Campaigns.
There are no rolls for Campaigns.
Power Points
Power points are super simple. They add one confirmed star to your roll. One power point is restored every 2 in game days.
Healing
All wounds linger, some wounds stay. Anytime damage is taken, it is not restored automatically at the end of every session.
Every 2 in game days, you may roll to recover life points and add them back to your pool.
When your Life Stat reaches zero, you are Broken. You may or may not be conscious depending on the circumstances. If any additional damage occurs to your body, you die.
+ Healing Timeline +
- Within an hour, you must roll to survive. If you fail, you die.
- Within the first day, you must roll to recover, if you fail, you return to the prior test immediately and roll to survive.
- After the first day of recovery, you will roll to see if you are crippled.
- After 2 days, you may roll for life points.
God mounted upon the tree, where he suffered torments for humanity's need, and a loathsome death for the relief of the peoples. Many a tree beneath its bark was then streaked with bloody tears, red and viscous: the sap was turned into blood.
- Christ III
- - - -