GM Guide
This guide provides principles for running the game, the inciting incident to kick off the campaign, and unique mechanics.
GM Principles
Paint the World in Contrast
The Age of Umbra is defined by opposites: light against darkness, hope against despair, life against the Soul Blight. Show the horrific beauty of the shadow-choked wilds alongside the desperate warmth of a Sacred Pyre. Let moments of genuine connection and joy shine brighter for the darkness that surrounds them. When depicting The Umbra's corrupted creatures, find the tragedy in their transformation—these were once living beings with souls.
Emphasize the Weight of Death
Death is not an end in this world—it's a beginning of something terrible. Every soul claimed by the Soul Blight rises again to destroy what it once loved. Make death meaningful, both in its immediate tragedy and its long-term consequences. NPCs should mourn the fallen, fear the risen, and treat each loss as a wound to the community. This weight should inform every dangerous decision.
Reward Hope with Darkness, and Darkness with Hope
When the characters experience a moment of triumph or connection, follow it with a reminder of the world's danger. When they suffer a terrible loss or face overwhelming darkness, offer them a glimpse of hope—a distant Pyre, a survivor in need, a clue to something that might make a difference. This rhythm keeps the tension alive while maintaining the campaign's emotional core.
The Umbra Is Always Watching
The Umbra is not just a mechanic—it's an ever-present threat that should feel like a character in itself. Describe how the darkness seems to press against the edges of firelight, how shadows move wrongly, how the air grows cold when corruption draws near. The Enduring have survived by respecting the darkness; your players should understand why.
The Inciting Incident
Within the swampy flood plains of the mountain-crowned region known as the Idol Hollows, an emergent fort village called Okros has stood resilient against the surrounding swampland dangers for over fifty years. Its massive walls of melted shields and stone encircle the village and central Sacred Pyre, whose flames climb above the tallest ramparts, a burning symbol of strength and safety visible from across the Idol Hollows.
A recent seismic event within the valley conjured a massive sinkhole referred to as the Shalk Chasm, uncovering an expanse of long-buried structures and vestiges from before the Old World. Concerned and curious about what boons or banes might await discovery within this subterranean catacomb, brave Enduring slowly investigate the mysteries below, while scouts seek allies from erudite places, such as The Celsian Athenaeum of Amber Reach.
Recently, one of Okros's hunting bands, led by Huntmaster Evrados (ridgeborne giant, he/him), delved into the Shalk Chasm in search of resources. There, they stumbled upon an eroded, forgotten temple to an obscure Veiled God. The huntmaster was caught by a monster and dragged into the depths of the temple, and though the remaining three hunters sought to find him, a terrible odor forced them to withdraw out of fear and revulsion.
When the band returned to the settlement and shared the news, Elder Akadona (wanderborne orc, she/her) and the village speakers debated the best course of action. Their heated dispute was interrupted—by Evrados's voice screaming for help from beyond the walls of the camp. Though scouts couldn't see Evrados in the murky swamp, the hunting band left the light of the Pyre to rush to their huntmaster's aid. The screams mercifully halted for a time.
Then the screams broke out again, Evrados's lament joined by the wails of his hunters.
The denizens of Okros are now terrified, the unsettling din heightening their agitation and fear. The shrieking doesn't change or wane over time, further exemplifying the unearthly nature of their cries. Desperate for an answer, Elder Akadona has gathered the party and requested that they investigate what happened to the huntmaster and his crew, seeking to save them if possible, and end their suffering if not.
Opening Questions:
- What monster is responsible, and how do they steal the voices of those missing?
- What is the monster's connection to the uncovered temple, and if they recoil back into their lair, what dangers lie within?
- Are Huntmaster Evrados and his team beyond rescue?
- What other macabre revelations might require reaching out to another settlement?
Campaign Mechanics
The Strength of Hate
The Umbra can seep into all manner of beings, twisting them into a malformed mockery of their former selves instilled with preternatural strength.
Adversaries and environments in this campaign can gain an additional type called Umbra-Touched. When an adversary is Umbra-Touched, describe how the Umbra has warped their essence and form. All Umbra-Touched adversaries critically succeed on attacks against a PC on a die roll of 19–20.
As the PCs gain scars, they themselves become slowly corrupted by the Umbra. When a PC deals damage, they deal extra damage equal to their number of scars. When a PC marks their last Hope slot with a scar, they don't retire, instead succumbing to the Umbra's influence and charging forever into the dark to join the terrors that stalk lightless spaces.
Fiery Beacons
Every surviving settlement within the Halcyon Domain huddles around the relative safety of a Sacred Pyre, a vibrant burning flame that is sparked by a Blessed Branch and continuously kindled by those given the mantle of Pyrekeeper. Blessed Branches are a rare and hallowed artifact carried as reliquaries by those who wish to expand the reach of the Enduring and found new encampments.
If the characters acquire a Blessed Branch, they can reignite an extinguished Sacred Pyre or create a new Sacred Pyre that stands as a bastion of warmth and safety.
Lurking Darkness
The Lurking Darkness represents the ever-present dangers of The Umbra. When the party finishes a short or long rest while not in the vicinity of a Sacred Pyre, roll a d12 for the Lurking Darkness:
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Describe how something monstrous found them in the dark. An adversary of the GM's choice initiates conflict. |
| 3–5 | Describe how something terrifying stalks nearby. You gain 2 Fear. |
| 6–9 | Describe how the imposing darkness intensifies. You gain a Fear. |
| 10–11 | Describe how the characters rest undisturbed. No effect. |
| 12 | Describe how the characters stumble upon a hopeful omen. Each PC gains a Hope. |
Keep Watch (Downtime Move): Describe how you stay vigilant against what lurks beyond your camp. When the GM makes a Lurking Darkness roll at the end of downtime, you roll your Hope Die and choose whether to replace their roll with yours. If multiple players choose this move, you can take the highest die roll.
Soul Blight
If a humanoid NPC or any PC dies, the GM can spend a Fear to immediately raise them as a Shambling Zombie—or 2 Fear to raise them as a Brawny Zombie—who tirelessly seeks to kill everyone they once cared for. Once their zombie form has been destroyed, the victim's blighted soul withdraws and joins the Umbra. Their features can appear on future Umbra-Touched adversaries.