Awakening
If you are reading this, then you are your game’s first Storyteller. Your job is to bring the world to life. When your group is ready, begin reading below…
There is only darkness. Emptiness. Nothingness. For a moment, you are both everything and nothing. Reality begins to reconstruct in shattered glass pieces: a shape solidifies before you—a raccoon. His face betrays a startled reaction at your abrupt arrival, but his reaction has an underlying calmness and professionalism. "Just another unexpected entrance," he seems to say without words, quickly regaining his composure.
Ruffling through a stack of papers covered in twisting arcane runes, he stops on one, "According to this, you were killed by a giant crab!" He mimics the motion of pincers with a wry chuckle. "That’s a messy one... but we’ll take care of you."
A quick study of your face and the raccoon's jovial expression fades. "Ah, memory hazy… that happens. I’m Theo, I help dead Ravens in their transition back to the material world. We are the unseen hands of the Corveir Mages Guild," he asserts with reverence.
A sensation of familiarity tugs at your awareness. You are a Raven. The sense of duty and loyalty is unmistakable.
"We investigate magical incidents and deal with messes that could smear the Guild's good name. Here, this should help you remember,” he hands out a small package to each person.
Hand each character an Origin Character Pack. As they open the cards, keep them in order. Have each person set their deck with the ancestry card face up. Guide the players through the instructions below.
Character Setup
Each player turns their deck face up, revealing their Ancestry card. Each player takes turns revealing who they are (e.g., “I’m a Mettlebound”).
Set the Ancestry card in front of you and reveal the next two cards on top of the deck in the same way. These are your Background and Trait cards. Collectively these three cards are called your Roots.
Next, have everyone look in their deck for their Character Card, it has a space for your character’s name and bubbles to fill in. Set this card next to your roots.
Your Roots have small colored symbols in the bottom right corner. Look for the matching symbols on your character Character Card. For each matching symbol, fill in one bubble on your Character Card. These are called Skill Ranks. You will fill in a total of four bubbles. Ignore the white circle with the number in it. You’ll find a Sharpie in the box labeled “Dice”.
In the example images, you can see that being a Leyfal grants you a skill rank in Wild and Sense.
Pick Your Token & Name Your Character
Look in your stack of cards for a thick card with six character portraits, choose the one you like the most and pop it out. This is you! Show it to the other players so they know what you look like. Set the other tokens aside, you won’t need them. Now that you know what you look like, give your character a name. Be creative. Choose something that sounds epic and heroic to you.
Setting up Each Players Play Area
Take a moment to help each player set up their play area. There are just a few cards that start “in play” (face up in front of you). Walk everyone through each step slowly:
Remove the two instruction cards from your deck and set them aside for reference.
Your Character Card and your Ancestry card start in play, you should already have them in front of you; your other two Roots cards are put back into your deck, face down.
Weapon and Armor cards start the game in play. Everyone starts with two weapons: one for close combat (melee), and another for long-distance combat (ranged). Put the Ravenhand Glove equipment card underneath your Ancestry Card; the Ravenhand won’t be used in this first encounter.
All other cards are placed face-down in your deck. Your deck should have ten cards. Shuffle it.
Each player needs two twenty-sided dice (d20).
Choose one die to be your health (HP)—all players start with 10 HP. Set the die to 10.
The other die will be used to roll your attacks and abilities.
Each player should have two six-sided dice; these will be used to count things like the number of times you have used your Ancestry card.
Your play area should look like the image below.
Mastergear
Legendfall is brought to life by giving players special roles. When a player takes on a role, their character holds a piece of equipment known as Mastergear. If you are playing with more than four players, one or more players may not have mastergear, but that’s ok! Roles are not fixed; players can swap Mastergear at the start of each encounter.
Before you proceed, look in the Awakening Pack for the four mastergear cards, they should be at the top. Lay each of them out in front of you.
The Beastheart
The raccoon, Theo, rests an amulet on the table. Its gem pulses with a steady heartbeat. “This role is challenging; the Beastheart must think like a monster, even if that means seeing through their eyes while harm is done. The Beastheart requires someone who can bear its weight. One must not shy away from pain. Who will volunteer to take the Beastheart?
Wait for a player to volunteer and then hand them the Beastheart card.
“It takes great courage to live with the heart of a beast… stay strong.”
The Wayfinder
He pulls out an old bronze compass; its needle seems to point directly at him. “One of you is the Wayfinder, with a mastery of maps, the land, and the environment. You have a unique connection to this world, unlike any other.”
The compass seems to nod as if listening to him as he speaks. “Which one of you will be our Wayfinder?”
Wait for a player to volunteer and hand them the Wayfinder card.
“It takes wisdom to recognize that the land is neither friend nor foe, but it can be both if your timing is right or wrong.”
The Titanback
With great effort, he hoists a backpack onto the table and opens it a crack for you to see the inside… there is the darkness of night and the twinkling of stars. “I believe I left an apple in here.” He reaches inside and pulls out a pair of socks with a bemused look of frustration. He tosses it aside and continues...
“A well-operating cell needs someone with the mind to care for the group’s needs; this includes treasure, equipment, and supplies. Who among you is able?”
When a player volunteers, hand them the Titanback card.
“Excellent! Don’t underestimate this duty. Having the right tool in the right moment is life or death.” He pushes the pack across the table.
Give the Titanback the Treasure, XP, and Class Training cards included in the Awakening pack; they will be asked to use these cards in future encounters.
Book of the Storyteller
I see you already have chosen your storyteller. They seem to be a very beautiful and handsome person indeed. Well chosen! I don’t have any advice here, I think your party is in good hands.
Take the Book of the Storyteller card and put it in your play area, tell each other player to do the same, these cards start in play.
Resurrection & The Small Print
Before reading this section aloud, find the Corruption cards (black cards) in the Awakening Pack and lay them out in front of you, there should be six.
The raccoon’s paw rests heavily on the document as he begins to read. "Under our mutual agreement, as per section 9, subsection 11, a Raven who meets an untimely end on duty is to be risen posthaste."
Theo seems to hesitate for a moment, uneasy with the implications of the next words. "The Guild, however, is absolved of any repercussions that may arise from the revival process - physical impairments, madness, and magical corruption." He rubs his paws together in an unconscious gesture of discomfort.
"But seeing as this is your first or maybe second death, you most likely have nothing to worry about. Let's get you back." And with that, he rings a small black bell, and the world begins to disassemble, twisting into fractals, only to reverse, unwind, and reveal blue sky and white clouds.
As you take your first gasp of fresh air, you know you are somehow changed.
Hand each player a single corruption card. Players shuffle this card into their deck.
