Lore Master Rules

The following guide is intended for the Lore Master running the Campaign Format or Quest Format game experience for the player group, otherwise known as the “Player Party.”

 

Being the Lore Master means having a well-versed understanding of the rules and experience with the game (usually, not required, but it helps). The Lore Master is the “Boss” of the game, as it were. You are effectively the Villain, but also their friends, their confidants, their merchants, and so forth. When playing this multitude of roles, maintaining balance can be a difficult but rewarding experience. 

 

It is encouraged that the Lore Master remember that offering the Party a challenging experience is rewarding, but also that the effort they put into the design of the overall Campaign format adventure will encourage participation from the group and often lead to an even more rewarding overall experience. Remembering to be fair and to remove biases from a situation is the best way to play and continue to keep a consistent experience through the entire adventure. Whenever there is a dispute, diplomatic resolution and cooperation are always encouraged and recommended. 
 

The specifics of the Lore Master role are covered in each of the following sections, and how to act as a Lore Master in these scenarios, so that you can resolve each situation and ensure that the game rules are applied correctly.

The following section covers each of the game's main elements that are expected or required to be tracked, managed, and controlled by the Lore Master. Depending on your player party and the experience you collectively are aiming for, you may choose to ignore certain elements or not use them entirely. Each of the following descriptions is written in the context that you are including all game elements in your Campaign Format adventure.

[Actions]

  • The Lore Master is directly responsible for ensuring that all actions are completed and resolved, and that they are resolved in the correct order.
    • When players want to use specific Skills, actions, or cards, they will occasionally be instructed to perform a “check,” or you may require, as a Lore Master, that they perform a check to resolve that action. An example of this would be a character stating they want to “search a room for valuables,” and you tell them to make a Fate check to determine how rare the objects they find in that room are.
       
  • The Lore Master is not required to track how many actions each player has used during their turn.

    • This should be noticed or at least called out when a player attempts to do more with their specific turn than they are allowed.

    • In this same regard, Lore Masters should not “cheat” the system by allowing themselves to have extra actions during their turn unless it is specifically necessary for the story-driven elements to transpire.
       

  • When a player is performing one of the Campaign Format Specific actions (Interact with an Object, Use a Player Skill, or Interact with an NPC/Socialize) and the Skill involves the Lore Master acting as a NPC, remember for the thematic purposes of the game and roleplaying experience you shouldn’t allow characters to know things they couldn’t know reasonably, just as NPCs shouldn’t be unnaturally aware of the world at large in all scenarios.
  • How this applies to the Lore Master is by not making the character able to do, act, or know things that they reasonably would not in most circumstances, just to fulfill some plot element (However, it is also your Campaign format game, so play however you prefer!).

 

Whenever there are multiple effects that players are claiming should be resolved in “X, Y, Z order,” remember to, whenever possible, apply all effects in the order they are played in, as mentioned previously in the Actions section of this guide.

[Alignment] & [Renown]

  • The Lore Master is responsible for tracking the party’s Renown collectively per faction, region, or area, and awarding Renown points and statuses.
  • The other main responsibility of the Lore Master is being a resource of knowledge or guidance about these specific alignments, groups, or characters and their associated alignments (Dark, Chaotic, Light, Neutral).

 

  • The Lore Master is responsible for acting on behalf of Havokk’s major and minor factions.
    • The Campaign Format setting is not required to include any or all of the game’s Factions or lore elements; however, it is recommended that at least one of your Campaign format games incorporate pre-built story elements (to which you would then add onto and play out).

    • If a player character belongs to a specific Faction that would conflict with another player character’s faction and Hero character, the Lore Master must decide if these two characters could reasonably be cooperative as a team or if they would only seek to destroy each other and jeopardize the party.

      • If the determination is that the two players could not coexist in the same Party because of their factions, sometimes the better compromise is to not use one of the Factions, both, or to change the historical record of one/both characters (s) to somehow align. The Lore Master is responsible for resolving these situations, preferably before the Campaign format adventure begins.
      • If the determination is that the two players can work together, despite their differing factions, you could use this as a plot device or future quest related to the overall campaign, or even include a quest that explains how these two factions arrived at working together for this purpose.

[Combat]

  • The Lore Master is directly responsible for all aspects of combat related to NPC characters, and any cards, effects, or abilities used on or by those characters – or in other words, the Lore Master controls all non-player characters and makes decisions for them during the combat phase of each player’s turn.
     

  • At the beginning of each player’s combat phase of their turn and based on the turn order structure your playgroup decided on previously, the Lore Master is responsible for assigning the turn order and ensuring that all actions are resolved in the correct order during each turn.

 

  • The Lore Master is not required to track each player’s modifiers to their stats, only their own and the objects they control.
    • However, it is strongly recommended that the Lore Master take notes or make a digital record of ongoing effects, so these are not lost or applied incorrectly, whenever possible (or request that a player confirm their total values at that time).
    • When applying this logic to the Combat phase of each player’s turn specifically, this includes effects that are only effective during this phase of the turn.

[Currency and Compensation]

  • The Lore Master is directly responsible for the distribution of gold from all NPC sources, and all gold awarded through quests, defeating opposing characters, and any other related tasks.

 

  • The only gold-related aspect of the game that the Lore Master will not directly have some involvement in is keeping track of each player’s gold (though we do recommend it). It is advised to keep a written log or digital list of all gold dispersed to players for your tracking.
    • If a player is unsure if they added up their available gold correctly, you could remind them of their running total.

[Events]

  • Event cards are very simplistic in that there are no special Campaign Format rules associated with these cards. As a Lore Master, when you or the Party play Event cards, you may choose to describe how the event applies to the current gameplay scenario, but this is not required. For those who prefer a role-playing experience, this is encouraged.

[Experience & Leveling]

  • The Lore Master is directly responsible for the calculations on Experience points awarded from each object during the game.
    • We highly recommend that, as a Lore Master, you make notes or keep a digital record of actions and events occurring so that players are rewarded accordingly. When awarding experience points to players, also don’t be afraid to award experience in whatever ways you deem fitting, as this, in turn, will reward the players and their gameplay experience as well.

 

  • Our Playtesting has shown that keeping a calculator nearby or a calculator app on a mobile device/PC is the most efficient way to track experience when you are tracking every card, effect, or ability that awards experience.

  • I am working on a better, more efficient method of tracking this. Your feedback matters!

 

  • An alternative method of tracking experience is by choosing a set amount that is awarded to players at the end of a game round, or when specific conditions are met.
    • If your play group decides to adopt an alternative experience and leveling structure other than what has been outlined previously in this guide, you must determine this before the Campaign format adventure begins.

 

  • The Lore Master is also responsible for tracking the overall “level” of the game.
    • For example, if the Party members are level 50, then you will need to determine whether you want to apply the same level to all characters (recommended) or if there are individualized levels, tracking and applying each of these individualized bonuses to stats and abilities.

      • We recommend that NPCs and all characters controlled by the Lore Master are equal to the Party’s level to offer the most consistently challenging and rewarding experience possible.

[Items & Equipment]

  • The Lore master is directly responsible for verifying the variable list of items available to player characters when interacting with NPCs, or acquiring awards, item buy/sell prices, and any NPC-related interaction with Items and equipment.

    • There is a small selection of Epic Items that carry either significant power or story-specific purpose, which should be taken into consideration when awarding players these items. The descriptions for these items can be found and worked into your Campaign format adventure, but it is recommended that you consider their effects before awarding these items too early on, as they could affect your overall Campaign format experience.

[Skills]

  • The Lore Master is responsible for all Skill checks related to NPCs and any non-party objects.
    • Resolving the success and order of operations of Skills is important in various ways. An example of this would be whether you are applying a Status Effect, such as Stun, before or after another effect that would benefit from that Status Effect being "processed" first.
    • Being aware of timing and modifiers is the key to successfully resolving effects.
       
  • The Lore Master is expected to resolve any dispute or question about a Skill.
    • One unique aspect of the Lore Master’s involvement with resolving Skill checks, for story-driven purposes or even balance when needed, is deciding if there is a penalty to a Skill or check based on the required checks, or whether the Skill simply fails.

      • The recommended action to take is applying a penalty to the overall check value. Base the penalty on the overall difficulty of the check or situation.

[Spellcraft]

  • The Lore Master is directly responsible for all Spirit checks and checks related to Spellcraft cards relating to NPC characters, and any cards, effects, or abilities used on or by those characters.
    • In the Campaign format, Spellcraft cards have a variety of rules that are not applied in the Area or Quest format rules, so it is important that the Lore Master is aware of these rules and how they are resolved.
       
  • The Lore Master will be required to make determinations of Line of Sight and applicable area of effect when players (including the Lore Master) play Spellcraft cards.
    • As a Lore Master, your responsibility of running the game is a large task, but when specifically determining scenarios like these, keep the rules fair and consistent, meaning that simply because you are the “Boss” doesn’t mean you can see things you wouldn’t normally or affect characters outside of the applicable range.
      • In the interest of an immersive experience, it is recommended that you find a reasonable solution that appeases the player party and follows the game rules whenever possible.
         

  • There are many types of modifiers and additional effects that can be applied to Spellcraft cards through the Spell Mastery and Secondary Effects mentioned in their descriptions. We recommend that any player, including the Lore Master, keep a detailed list of each Spell or Ritual you commonly use with these effects applied, so you have it as a quick reference.*

    • For example, if you enjoy playing the “Fireball” Spell card, you could make a list of Spellcraft Mastery tier bonuses applied to this card, so that when played, you only need to match your Spirit check to the Mastery Tier and see the total combined effect.
      • *Cards and tracking elements are being developed to assist players with these items. Your feedback matters!

 

There are multiple opportunities to reward players for their deeds and to distribute those rewards. Of the various types of rewards that are distributed to players, common examples are: Experience points, Renown points, Gold, and (if you're really generous) Cards. However, as the Lore Master, you may use your discretion on how and what to distribute to your players.

 

Some examples of additional rewards could be: Providing your players with a temporary boon from a Mage they encounter and assist, or having the Party spend a fortnight at a luxurious resort after rescuing the Princess of a small kingdom. In the Lore, there are references to special locations, items, and objects throughout the game world. These types of rewards should be distributed more sparingly throughout the entire Campaign format experience.

 

When determining the types of rewards you distribute to your Party, ensure that the rewards are fair for the effort the players put into these tasks or adventures. If players do not feel they are being properly rewarded, they will not want to continue their adventures!

  • An example of when to include a Story Reward in the Loot deck is the specific cards described, such as “The Ytaxia Bloom” card. If you were arranging an encounter that included Chimeraxion as the Lore Master’s Hero character, this special item could be awarded at the end of the encounter as a special reward, or it could be included in the Loot deck cards, but only when encountering Chimeraxion as another way to distribute this card to your Party.
     

When the Lore Master is building their Loot Deck and deciding the cards to be awarded to players, it is recommended that the Lore Master use the Item Distribution table from the Items and Equipment section of this guide. As a general guideline, the EXP value of rewards included in the Loot deck should not exceed the highest EXP value of the character being defeated, or the EXP value of the object that is awarding the card from the Loot deck in the first place.
 

Experience points awarded to players should be equally distributed to all players whenever possible, to create a consistent and fair player level and difficulty level for the overall campaign. As the Lore Master you may use your discretion here, but if one player happens to exceed the other players in level, then this could lead to the party relying too much on this singular character’s strength, just as how if one player is significantly stronger than the rest this can create situations where under-powered players don’t feel like they are contributing or that they are unable to.
 

Renown points may be awarded either to the entire group, individual players, or both. Depending on the factions that players are associated with, this is expected to be tracked individually. If the Party agrees to track Renown separately, it is recommended as a general guideline to stagger the points awarded to individual players, as this implies their actions collectively as a group are recognized on a larger scale. The Lore Master may decide to award Renown points per the previously described section of this guide or decide to award these points at their discretion
 

Gold being awarded to players can be in virtually any amount, but the specific amounts awarded to players should vary depending on how the gold is being provided. For example, players defeating a low-level threat might be awarded 3-5 gold, while a powerful character might be carrying upwards of 100 gold.

  • When determining the maximum or minimum amount of gold to award to players, an example method of gold distribution is to award “X times 10” per source, where “X” is the EXP value of the source. An example of this would be a character with an EXP value of 8 could award up to 80 gold when defeated.

A realm rich with danger and excitement, Havokk has the potential to offer many adventures to players, and as the Lore Master for the Campaign format setting, it is their responsibility to develop, create, and maintain the story and adventure the party experiences. When designing this campaign format adventure, it is recommended that, as a Lore Master, they (at the very least) establish a “chapter” of the story for players to experience at a time.

 

Depending on the players or the Campaign format setting, a “chapter” could encompass multiple play sessions, over periods of days, weeks, or months. By providing players with sections of the overall story, this allows the Lore Master to change and dynamically adapt the game events, rather than planning the entire Campaign around a rigid story or timeline that may not unfold as they have designed if any unplanned variances occur. 

 

The first essential component of creating an adventure in Havokk is determining where the adventure begins. Information about the lore of Havokk and its characters, and notable locations of importance that could be used as a basis for the Campaign format adventure, is found in the Lore & Characters section. Once a centralized location has been decided, the Lore Master should begin to shape the environment the Party will encounter on their journey. Creating characters, markets, geographical locations, quests, and related aspects of Havokk at large.

Recommended Setup Items

Description

Physical Location / Environment

  • Havokk is at large, one colossal continent with a series of surrounding islands and smaller landmasses, with few other continents explored or recorded. When designing the area you wish to begin in, the examples in the Lore chapter of the book can define specific types of environments, such as jungles, or cityscapes, etc. But ask: how large is the scale we want to define? Is a region a group of large city-states, or a land mass?
  • Decide if there are going to be any rivers, lakes, streams, or other water sources of significant size or shape.
  • Mountain ranges, canyons, and other types of vertical obstacles or environments should be considered. Do these separate entire parts of the realm?
  • How difficult will it be to travel between these areas?

Geographical Landmarks / Specific Locations

  • Specific locations outlined in the story content, such as “Ruins of Agnememnon” or “Drak Scurat’s Jaws,” are special locations and should be noted on maps and known to NPC characters in nearby regions.
  • Create your unique locations and unique geographical sights or areas to create additional quests and encounter opportunities.

Political Scale / Social Structure / Economics

  • The lore of Havokk has established that one main governing body controls the majority of the realm, the Coalition of Unified Havokk. They are a peaceful organization that includes all species and strives to create a better Havokk. Other political bodies of Havokk are the Brokers of the One Tree, the Nelven, and Thresher Reef (home of the Sharkmen). Several of these areas and locations are large enough to provide an entire Campaign format adventure.

  • When determining how large you want each chapter of your adventure to be, consider that a large metropolitan city can provide an entire adventure within itself!

  • In addition to the scale of the adventure, determine the overall economic state of your realm. Are resources readily available? What level of poverty is affecting the area you are in? Are areas more affected by the surrounding conflict in a better or worse economic state?

Era / Timing

  • The introduction of Heroes of Havokk lore and adventure takes place in what is known as the “Era of Conflict.” This chronologically would be compared to a high-fantasy medieval era with some minor steampunk and industrial revolution elements included.
  • The specific era or year you decide to start your adventure in is up to you and your playgroup.
  • Additional lore and sponsored game content will be released over time to fill in lore gaps, but the intention has always been to provide a timeline for the sake of context and to assist you in writing your adventures, not telling you the only path you can take.

Health / Wellness

  • Like establishing the economic state of a town, city, or region, the overall state of being is often affected by wartime scenarios or states of conflict and disarray. This could mean that in one area there is a Mental Ailment affecting the characters in the area. Or that the conditions of the region have led to an outbreak of disease, causing Physical Ailments.
  • You could apply modifiers or conditions to NPCS under the control of a dark wizard, or have a disease spread in the vicinity of a dark creature.

To develop your adventures on Havokk, think of the realm as a whole, more of a large land mass with surrounding islands – the spherical planet on the grand scale is yours to define and explore. The content provided to players through this guide is intended to provide you with the tools and contextual resources to build out your adventures on Havokk, but the journey you take is up to you! 

Using the Cards

Included in this section are the rules and descriptions associated with card-related elements and using the game cards themselves. Characters, Events, Items, Skills, Spellcraft are covered in more detail, and the rules corresponding to them.

 

Expanding your Realm

Included in this section are the resources related to non-card game elements, such as the Player leveling system, Alignments & Factions, Movement, and other related items.

 

Lore Master Rules

Included in this section are the resources available to Lore Masters, expectations for their rule, and recommendations on running Campaign Format adventures.