Character Play

Rolls & Consequences

Spirit Roll

When your character witnesses or undergoes something disturbing, make a Spirit Roll by rolling one dark die. 

If you rolled higher than your current Holiday Spirit, increase it by 1 and develop a Condition – the way Claus Manor is changing you.

Risk Roll

When you attempt something risky, gather 6-sided dice.

  • Can your Skills aid in the task? Add a light die.
  • Are you accepting a Twist? Add another light die.
  • Are you risking your mind or body? Add a dark die.

Your dice should now be rolled.

If your highest die is a:

1–3

Things get worse. The GM describes how.

4-5

The attempt succeeds, but there’s a complication. The GM describes the complication, and the rest is up to you.

6

The attempt succeeds. Describe how.

However, your Holiday Spirit will increase by 1 if:

  • Your highest die is a dark die,
  • OR a dark and light die are tied for highest,
  • AND the dark die is higher than your Holiday Spirit.

When your Holiday Spirit goes up, you’ll – of course – develop a Trouble or advance an existing one to a new tier.

Unhappy with your roll? If the highest die is not a dark die, you may add a dark die and re-roll your dice. You may keep doing this until you’re satisfied with your result or until a dark die is the highest die in your roll.

Twists

Devilish bargains may be accepted to advance one’s aims within the Manor – a touch of naughty to achieve the nice. Players and the GM can offer a bonus light die for a roll by offering up a twist to the attempt – one that will invariably prove true. Twists might include:

  • Causing collateral damage or unintended harm.
  • Getting lost or separated from companions.
  • Sacrificing an important item.
  • Attracting unwanted attention.
  • Revealing secret information.

You’re always free to accept or reject twists.

Anyone may veto or suggest alterations to a proposed Twist, especially if it would also impact their character.

Holiday Spirit

Claus Manor brims with perpetual yuletide – a supernatural pressure upon its occupants. And what might take decades or centuries to rattle its immortal denizens, can shake an honest, hardworking human in weeks – if not days.

For a staff member to succumb to the spirit would be grounds for dismissal. After all, a hard line must be maintained between order and Christmas.

If a staff member reaches 6 Holiday Spirit, describe how they become a Christmas folk tale and remove them from play.

Staff Troubles

If the Claus family can’t escape the troubles of the holiday spirit, how can the staff expect to?

Whenever your character’s Holiday Spirit increases, they’ll develop a Trouble or advance an existing one to a new tier. 

A few to get you started: