Battling Myths & Gods

Battle Overview

Battle in Mythender is a ritual with a number of moving parts (using all the dice and tokens listed in What You Need to Play).

If you’re playing your first battle, these rules are introduced incrementally in the Tutorial Battle chapter.

Concepts

These concepts are important, high-level ideas that help the battle flow and everyone enjoy the most out of it.

• What to Think About During a Battle
• Really Important Concepts
• Physical & Metaphysical Nature of Battle
• The Shape of Foes
• Actions in Brief
• Blights

Running a Battle

Here’s the guidance for the Mythmaster running the battle, from how to describe it, setting up everyone’s stats, and the idea of rounds. At the end of the chapter, there’s a bit for the Mythmaster to know about the dirty tricks Myths use.

• Framing a Battle
• Initial Battle Stats
• Rounds
• The Myth’s Tricks

An Action

This section goes through all the steps and decisions you can make during your action, from the Weapons and Blights you might use to the effects you’ll put on your foes and the Mythic World.

• Steps to Your Action
• Scales of Action
• Form Your Action
  • Describe Being Awesome
  • Charge or Drain Your Weapon
  • Charge or Drain a Blight
• Gather & Roll Your Dice
• Suffer Corruption & Risk Fate
• Push Forward
  • Creating a Blight
  • Destroying a Blight
  • Wounding your Foe

The Ending

One thing is certain in every battle: someone’s going to die. Mythender death isn’t the same as a Myth Ending, but either way, this battle will come to a conclusion.

• Mythender Death & Making the Choice
• Myth Death & Being Screwed
• End of the Battle

Example

Here’s an eight-page example of one Mythender playing through a few turns in battle, using the same structure as in the Tutorial battle.

• Running Battle Example: Ben bar Yosef

Tactics & Reference

Some useful information for playing a battle.

• Basic Battle Tactics
• Battle in Brief

What to Think About During a Battle

Mythender’s battle system works like an ensemble cast comic book or action movie. Someone does something kick-ass, then the next person does something, and so on. Sometimes the person kicking ass is a hero, sometimes a villain. It can take the shape of sparring, when two combatants follow one another, but often it’s a camera change, focusing on the next person to do something awesome.

These battles are vast, taking place over a large space and a large number of combatants. Thecast can range from five to five thousand, the space of a football field to several square miles. It may stay on the ground, or the heavens may open with people falling and flying. The only bound is your imagination and desire—some fights are better when they’re small, and some are meant to be vast.

Battles in Media

Any epic ensemble cast fight sequence will show you what to do, from fantasy adventuring parties like in the Lord of the Rings movies, superhero teams like The Avengers, and soldier groups like G.I. Joe. For a sense of scope, look at movies with dramatic, powerful characters with equally immense foes, like 300 or Beowulf.

Everything I’ve listed has been an inspiration for this battle system. This is as much about making a comic- or movie-style battle as much as it is about incredible demigods beating the crap out of Myths.

The Silent Foe: Time

Heroes do not just fight against Myths, they fight against time. Myths will always gain theupper hand if they are given enough time; that is their nature. Sometimes, that’s because they have some other plan, or they have reinforcements coming, or they’ll just outlast the heroes if the heroes do not give it their all and then some. Regardless, just as in action movies, Mythenders do not have the luxury of being meek and whittle down myths. If they take too long, the Myth will gain enough power to outright annihilate them.

The Need for Power & the Risk of Corruption

Especially when fighting the greater Myths and gods, Mythenders need to tap into Mythic Power to overcome their foes. In doing so, they risk become the very thing they were forged to destroy. Every time Mythic Power is called upon, it’s like taking a wound to your soul—one you can’t feel, as you’re numb to pain in the heat of battle, so it is hard to know how deeply you’ve been cut.

Think about an epic fight in the Star Wars universe, and the temptation to call upon the Dark Side to defeat one who can use that same power freely, and you understand this dilemma.

But Mythenders don’t change in the middle of the battle. They change just afterward, in that first calm moment after all is done. Only in that calm do you feel each of those cuts into your being, and only then to we see if you have taken the final wound that annihilates your mortal nature.

Really Important Concepts

If you’re used to playing other combat-oriented roleplaying games, there are a couple big assumptions that you might have that aren’t true in Mythender. Some people understand these concepts right away, and others need to see these things in action before they truly comprehend how it works.

Actions Are About Power, Not Success & Failure

When you do an action, you will succeed. The only immediate failure in Mythender is failing to keep your Mythic nature under control, and never in what you do to assault a Myth.

So why even roll dice? Because the question of each action is how much power that action will give you. Every one gives you power to wound the Myth and survive the battle.

Hurl a spear at Thor, and it will hit. How much power will it give you? What will you do with that power?

There is No Such Thing As Defense

The adage “the best defense is a good offense” is literally true in Mythender. When someone attacks you, it will connect—again, there’s no failure. Your foes gain power, just as you do. The only thing you can do to keep yourself from being killed is to kill the other guy first. There is no parrying or dodging an attack, though you’re free to describe a bit of color when an attack happens and it doesn’t kill you (which is most of the time).

It’s a race to the other’s death. You’ll get beat down at times, but if you beat down the other guy even more, then you will prevail.

There is only One Myth in a Battle

While you might be fighting a horde of beasts, there’s only one actual Myth playsheet on the table. The Mythmaster has one set of stats representing every foe you see on the field of battle. Keeps things simple.

Physical & Metaphysical Nature of Battle

Battles in the Mythic World take place in a space unlike battles mortal make among themselves. It is not solely about being the most badass gal with a sword or beating the other guy to the punch, though that’s certainly part of it. The Mythic World is both physical and symbolic, as are its Myths.

The same is true for Mythenders.

Physical

This should be obvious. You can slaughter your foes with your skills, your blade, your cavalry, all that real-world stuff. Even much of magic is physical: lightning scorches your body, water drowns your lungs, etc.

Metaphysical

Here’s where it starts to get weird, as Myths and Mythenders can assault each other’s Mythic Hearts in different ways.

The Near-Physical

You can assault the Mythic soul of another being with faux-physical acts, like stabbing them in their aura with a ghost knife, having spirits rend their essence, and so on. Those are metaphysical, but they appear and feel physical, so it still makes sense to new Mythenders still used to how mortals war.

The Connection of Weapons

Weapons are connected to the Myths and Mythenders that wield them. By assaulting a Weapon, you’re assaulting that being directly, usually through Relic and Companion Weapons. By wounding and killing Companions, you’re attacking your foe directly.

This can manifest physically. Behead a lieutenant, and watch as the Myth has a new wound around her ribs. But it need not—Wounds don’t have to show to kill.

Also, this means that parrying with your Relic Weapon is kind of ridiculous, but also still totally badass since, from a story perspective, two Weapons are assaulting each other. Sparks should fly. (That said, there’s no rules for this sort of “we hurt each other at the same time” because there’s no such thing as defense in Mythender–you’ll see the rules soon enough.)

Assault of the Mind & Soul

Here’s where it gets strange: beings with Mythic Hearts are forces of will. By assaulting that will–making that Mythender or Myth feel something they don’t want to–you’re directly wounding that Heart. Causing a moment of fear, doubt, confusion, lust, loss, sadness, dismay, anything that doesn’t come purely and naturally from your foe is in and of itself an attack. Often, these attacks can manifest physically, since the physical and the symbolic are utterly linked–fear making cracks in skin or the like–but this isn’t always the case.

So, yes, if you can describe how you can pull it off with your Weapons and the situation, you can stab your foe in the hope with your ennui.

Wrap your head around that one.

Or don’t. Many Mythenders stick to the realm of the physical and near-physical. Also cool.

The Shape of Foes

Myths come in a few different shapes and sizes. Sometimes the Mythenders will face an army or horde of lesser monsters. Other times, a small group of powerful creatures or sorcerers. And always, at the end, a greater Myth or god, with its own host of lesser Myths.

Lesser Myths

The lesser foes know they are going to their doom when facing a Mythender. Mythenders can and will easily slaughter a dozen with a single, simple blow. They throw themselves away for the glory of Mythic Norden and the masters they serve, knowing that what they’re doing is pushing the Mythenders to take on Mythic Corruption. And should they succeed in pushing long enough, some even escape with a piece of that stolen power, that their god will take advantage of later.

Because there are so many, they count as one of their own Weapons, usually a Companion Weapon (such as The Horde or The Army).

Powerful Creatures & Sorcerers

These beings work in packs of three to twelve, and may have a small army of lesser Myths with them (as Companion Weapons). The fewer there are, the more powerful they tend to be. They too know that their lives are likely forfeit, but they are also more dangerous the longer they survive.

Greater Myths & Gods

The grand myths, ancient monsters, and gods are the most powerful of Myths. Their Endings are not guaranteed, for they do not simply seek to survive a battle, but to force Mythenders to embrace Corruption to fight them. So even if they are Ended, they may be reborn from a fallen Mythender. And as they are the most powerful of all Myths, the Mythic World grants them strength throughout the battle. If they last long enough, they will have enough power to sunder the Mythenders once and for all.

What This Means

Between these three categories, little changes within the rules. The gods have four Weapons while they others have three, just like Mythenders. Sometimes the god’s Weapon charge bonuses are different (Charge or Drain Your Weapon). And the powers the gods trigger each time they begin a new round increase with ferocity with their scale (The Myth’s Tricks).

The biggest difference, though, is in describing hurting or killing these foes. Casually describing killing a few lesser foes during an action is trivial, not even requiring Lightning Tokens to be spent. On the other hand, it takes great effort (and expenditure of Lightning) to merely wound a god. There’s more about this throughout the chapter, but you should know that going into a battle.

Framing a Battle

Framing a battle is about describing the set where the battle’s happening, how the Mythenders and the Myth enter, any opening witty or foretelling dialogue, things like that.

The Mythmaster will paint the scene, describing the location and the creatures or gods involved. Maybe there’s some banter between the Mythenders and their foes before violence happens. Maybe not. The Mythmaster has some guidance on this in Describe the World, and some sample sets for Mythic Norden in Some Battle Sets.

Take a moment to set up the tone of this battle, like the opening shot in a movie or comic’s extended fight scene. Don’t worry about having to rush into the fight; the Myth’s going to get the first action no matter what, because they always have the home field advantage.

Once the exposition and any pre-battle dialogue feels done, the Myth starts the first round.

The First Action

The Myth always gets the first action in a round, period. This is the advantage the Myths have because of the Mythic World’s backing, as actions aren’t just about doing something but about drawing power to slaughter your foes through what you’re doing.

That’s how the game works. Sometimes, Mythenders will describe being awesome in a way that seems like they should go first. Interrupt that. Myths are cheating assholes.

Initial Battle Stats

When a battle starts, Mythenders and Myths set their dice and tokens:

Mythenders

Any Thunder or Lightning you had left over from the last battle should have already been discarded. If not, discard them now. Likewise, any charge boxes that you have checked and not drained are erased, unless you preserved them after the previous battle.

Take starting Thunder based on how much Corruption you’ve gained, based on your current Form:

• Mortal Form: start with 1 Thunder die
• Paragon Form: start with 2 Thunder dice
• Supernatural Form: start with 4 Thunder dice
• Godly Form: start with 6 Thunder dice

The stronger your link to the Mythic World, the more power you command at the start.

If you had a moment to rest (i.e. had a Mythender Moment before this battle), then you may also erase the marks on the drain and charge boxes, except for those charge marks you’ve preserved after a battle (End of the Battle). Along with that, your Wound track should also be completely healed.

Myths

If the Myth has any Intrinsic Weapons, they start the battle with the middle charge box charged for each one of those Weapons. If the Myth gained any additional charges based on what’s happened during the adventure up to now, charge off that many more boxes on any Weapon, at your discretion.

Myths get Storm dice, starting Thunder dice, and starting Might based on their write-up.

Blights

Only Lasting Blights start in a battle. Any Blights that weren’t Lasting from the previous battle should already be gone. If not, remove them now. (The exception is if there was no time taken to rest between the last battle and this one.)

Actions in Brief

In a battle, the Mythenders are trying to End a Myth (a monster or god) either before the Myth slaughters them all or builds up enough power by surviving the battle to beat them down. It consists of rounds where the Myth takes one action and then the Mythenders take one action each.

On each action, you’ll pick out a Weapon you’re using, sometimes along with a Blight, and describe the awesome thing you’re doing. Then you’ll roll your dice—your Storm dice () and your Thunder dice ()—and count up your successes. Your Storm dice are the measure of your power in a single action, and your Thunder dice are the measure of your strength of presence in the battle. Successes on Storm dice give you more Thunder dice for the future, and successes on Thunder dice give you a new thing called Lightning Tokens.

Lightning Tokens are what you use to do permanent things like Wound the fuck out of your foe or cause a Blight that you can keep drawing power from. Wounding a Myth until it’s Ended is how the Mythenders win, and vice versa. Causing a Blight is a way for you and all your friends to gain power during a battle…which in turn will help you Wound the fuck out of creation.

Here’s the thing: when you get Wounded, you lose Thunder dice—you roll the dice and lose certain ones. If you run out, you’re Ended. So you need Thunder dice, or you’ll die.

There’s another important piece of an action: the Mythic die (). Some actions will have you roll it, and some won’t. When you do, you’ll get great stuff for it, depending on the sort of action. But it always comes at a price of possibly losing a piece of your mortality and edge closer to dark apotheosis and becoming a hateful Myth.

Fun fact: the Mythmaster never gets to roll the Mythic die. That’s just for you, Mythenders. Power and temptation. Sweet, sexy power. Tasty, tantalizing temptation.

The rest of this chapter will go into this and a bunch more, but that’s the short of it.

Rounds

Battles play out in rounds of action beats. During each round, everyone will get to go once.

Myths start each round

Each round starts with the Mythmaster playing the Myth’s action beat. After that, each of the Mythenders get to go.

Mythender turn order

Mythenders get to decide what order they go in each round. You don’t have to decide the entire lineup right away; one person can go, and based on what happens, the others can decide who’s next. Whatever order you choose for this round doesn’t impact other rounds; you freely decide each time.

If they can’t decide, then the round’s over! Naturally, the Mythmaster is encouraged to help the Mythenders decide rather than be an asshole about it.

End of the Round

If the Myth is alive at the end, the Myth triggers that round’s Gathering Rage—some effect that happens because the Myth keeps building power from the Mythic World. Some effects are delayed, only happening once the battle is over. Some effects, and this is always the case when fighting a Greater Myth, happens right away.

There’s more about Gathering Rage at The Myth’s Tricks.

Going More Than Once a Round

There is a dirty trick that allows you to go twice in a round, a Gift called Swiftness. You can find that in the Gifts chapter.

Blights

Blights are scars on the world inflicted by beings of Myth—monsters, gods, and Mythenders alike—that continue to harm those around it. Blights are fueled by the Mythic power inherent in the land, like geysers of power. Those who create blights can draw that power to fuel greater action.

Blights are impossible to create or destroy for anyone except Mythenders, Myths, and the Mythic World itself. In and out of battle, you’ll create, use, and destroy Blights.

What Blights Do

Blights serve as a wellspring of power for Myths and Mythenders. They change the land, making it more incredible, savage, and awe-inspiring. During battle, they give you more power when you use them, and grow with each use.

Blight Cards

Blights are written down on little Blight Cards. The power charged into and drained from a Blight is recorded on the track on the righthand side.

BLIGHT ☐ Lasting

Description: ________________________

Created by: _________________________

Charges: ☐▸☐▸☐▸☐▸☐

Blight Quick Reference

Creating or destroying a Blight outside of battle: Epic, Badass Feat

Creating one in battle costs 2 Lightning tokens. Destroying one costs 3 Lightning tokens for each charge marked, minimum 0 (6 times for lasting Blights, minimum 6).

When you use this Blight in battle, you may either:

• Charge a box to gain one bonus Storm die.
• Or drain all charged boxes for that many bonus Thunder dice.

Creating & Destroying Blights

The rules for creating and destroying Blights during a battle can be found at Creating a Blight, and noted on the quick reference section on the Blight Cards. The rules for creating and destroying Blights outside of battle can be found as part of Performing Badass, Epic Feats.

Fleeting, Lasting & Personal Blights

Fleeting Blights

Blights made during a battle are fleeting—they only have enough power in them to fuel while a battle rages around it, and then die when the battle calms. They’ll go away at the end of a battle unless someone invests power in turning it into a Lasting Blight.

Lasting Blights

Blights made outside battle, and those bolstered after a battle, are Lasting. They persist until someone destroys them. For those, check off the Lasting box at the top of the card.

The Mythic World may turn a Blight created during a battle into a Lasting one as a Lesser Myth dies (see Gathering Rage). It can do this regardless of who created the Blight. The Blight is a part of the Mythic World once it’s created, after all.

Mythenders may turn a Blight from a battle into a Lasting Blight by spending surplus Lightning tokens during a battle’s aftermath (End of the Battle) or doing a Badass, Epic Feat as your Mythender’s Moment.

Personal Blights

Mythenders have Personal Blights as part of their Fate. These are not like true Blights, in that they aren’t special wellsprings of power that you can call on. They’re a symptom of the wellspring of power you already have from your Mythic Heart. However, you can use it to create a true Blight, by describing how you turn your Personal Blight to 11.

Different Sorts of Blights

Blights can take many forms, so long as they change the land and those present can feel its effects. The following is by no means a comprehensive list; it’s here to give you a basic idea, so you can quickly make Blights in play. By all means, get creative!

There are no special rules for these individual types of Blights, just a way of thinking about them so you can incorporate them into your play.

Catastrophes

Catastrophic Blights that scar the land, sea, or air (or all three) are a very common form of Blight. Causing living fire to rage through fields, the sky to rain lightning-spears, lava bursting forth from the earth, magical whirlpools—if it’s a natural disaster that you can describe as Mythic, it’s a catastrophic Blight.

Entities

Summoning beings from nowhere happens often around Mythenders that claim dominion over spirits or the dead. Having nature spirits manifest and fight with you, earth spirits move the land as you desire, or the dead rising for one last go at battle—if it involves creating a new entity or entities on the battlefield, it’s this sort of Blight.

Auras & Impositions

Anything that makes others feel something is an imposing Blight. Auras that describe feeling revulsion, desire, fear, rage, or any other emotion or basic instinct can be a Blight.

These sorts of Blights can’t force a Mythender to do something because of an alien feeling; that’s beyond the power of the Mythic World, because Mythenders still have free will (for the time being). However, it can still wound them in battle, as battle is both physical and metaphysical. See Physical & Metaphysical Nature of Battle.

Curses

Curses are Blights that impose their will directly on mortals and the creatures of the Mythic World. Making mortals ill or have amnesia, animals feral and nigh-invulnerable, or the essence of bad luck are a few examples of curse Blights.

Like with Auras, these Blights tend to be more metaphysical in danger than physical.

The Locality of Blights

Blights cover as much ground as makes sense, and can be accessed as long as the Blight’s effects can be felt or you can justify involving it. A Blight about ever-burning fields only exists around that field, though you can describe calling upon those fires to spread or become elemental creatures of fire. A Blight about primal thunder everywhere exists everywhere. Go with what makes sense for what you’ve described.

Steps to Your Action

There are three overall steps to each turn: describe how you’re awesome in this moment, roll dice and gain power, and push forward with your effects.

Each of these steps are broken up into bits of decisions and actions, and are covered in detail on the following pages.

Form Your Action

You’ll choose the scale of your action, what Weapon you’ll use, any Blight you’ll use, and describe what you do in the battle. You’ll then charge or drain the Weapon and Blight to determine your dice for this action.

Describe Being Awesome

Once you know what your action consists of, you’ll describe it being totally fucking awesome.

Roll Dice & Gain Power

You’ll gather dice based on what you described, roll them, and then gain Thunder die, Lightning tokens and Might tokens based on that roll.

You might also check off a Corruption box and possibly a Fate box.

Push Forward

If you have enough Lightning tokens to cause an effect—such as wounding a foe or creating a Blight—and want to, you can spend Lightning to cause one or more and describe what happens as a result of your action. Otherwise, the Mythmaster describes the result.

Note that you can share Lightning tokens with your friends to help them pay for effects they otherwise can’t afford in that moment.

If This Seems Intimidating

This might seem like a lot of rules, but the core of the game’s easy to figure out—you roll a bunch of dice and pick out successes. From there, it’s about deciding what leads to rolling those dice and what you do with those successes. But it is a lot of stuff to read, because battling in Mythender is about the story of your epic fights, and that takes a bit to talk about.

If you’re having some panic because there are a lot of pages in this section, don’t worry! There are quite a few little decisions that can happen during an action, but you won’t be doing all of them at once. These pages get wordy to help explain the ideas.

This chapter isn’t set up to teach you how to play. For that, check out the Tutorial Battle chapter. It introduces ideas slowly, and doesn’t go into every single thing you can possibly decide on. It’s built to be the first battle in a two-battle convention or single session game.

And there’s the Battle Quick Reference that just lists the steps in brief, with page references if you need more.

Use Pencil

These rules involve checking things off on your playsheet that will be erased later. So use pencil, and try to be gentle on your character sheets.

Scales of Action

When a Mythender acts in battle, he chooses the scale of that action. That scale determines how safe or risky the action is, and how much power is granted by that action.

A Legendary action is safe. It doesn’t draw dangerous power from the world of Myth, so there’s no risk your mortal soul. It’s the closest that Mythenders have to a “normal” action.

When you’re describing Legendary, limit yourself to feats that are only demigodlike. Impressive acts of physical violence, stoic resolve, or vast cunning are right on-target. Minor unreal talents, like small effects of sorcery or willworking, are also within the bounds of a Legendary action. Such an action should come from a literal interpretation of one of your Weapons.

_Example: Seeing the winged horses of the valkyrie out of reach of his sword, William kicks at a nearby tree (using his _Strongest of my Tribe_ Weapon). It breaks at the base, and he hurls the newly felled tree at his foes._

A Mythic action is a powerful action that breaks the laws of the world. It risks corrupting your mortal soul, but with rewards of greater power. Along with your action.

When you’re describing a Mythic action, get crazy. You’re tapping into a limitless power source that merely asks you to risk your very freedom for that power. Going beyond the impossible is expected. Leap mountains. Fight in mid-air. Freeze rivers with a word. Cause your weapons to glow with malice.

These actions also stem from your Weapons, either mixed with ancient, corrupting energy, from inspiration from your Fate, or just taking a previous action and turning it to 11.

_Example: Erik screams, picks up his war-wolf (his Weapon, _My War-Wolf, the Son of Fenrir), and hurls it at the dragon’s head. He and it glow with blood-red energy, and the wolf bursts into holy fire as it strikes.

A Titanic action is powerful and dramatic. It draws so much power from the world of Myth that it wounds you, even as it grants you incredible power.

When you’re describing a Titanic action, go bigger than anyone’s done in the adventure so far. This is your nuclear weapon. If you’re familiar with fighty anime or Japanese RPGs, think of Titanic actions as the ultimate move that come rocketing out of heaven. These are Big Deals. They literally and figuratively shake the earth.

Take metaphorical inspiration from your Weapons or Fate, or take a literal action to an outlandish conclusion.

Example: Jonah the Worthy spits at the dry earth. From that springs a geyser, flooding the plains around everyone. A hydra made purely of water bursts forth, slaughtering those in its path. Jonah mumbles words of power, controlling his water-spawn with foul magics (using his Power of the Sea Weapon).

These Aren’t Strict Categories

The differences between these can be fuzzy, but as you play, you’ll get a sense of what actions feel like they’re in one category or another. Don’t stress too much about these; part of the Mythmaster’s job is to help you all maintain a sense of consistency here.

Form Your Action

Looking to be fucking metal? Here’s what you get your screaming awesome on.

Actions in Battle

Once during each round, the Myth and each Mythender take an action. This action is often some form of attack, usually physical but sometimes metaphorical or psychological. Sometimes it’s an act where you’re posturing to gain power, like a tactical pause or taking a moment to channel great energy. Whatever it is, as long as you know how and can convince everyone else at the table that this action pushes the battle forward, it’s a valid action.

Think of actions like a camera shot or comic book panel; it’s a quick moment of badassery.

Exceptions to Rules

The rules for battle are set: how many Weapons you can use, what you get for the dice you roll, and so on. But every Mythender and Myth have special tricks called Gifts (in their own chapter: Your Heart’s Gifts) that lets them break these rules. In every case, a Gift used takes precedence over the battle rules. And unless otherwise stated, you may only used a given Gift once per action.

Pick a Scale

Each action must be a Legendary, Mythic, or Titanic action (see Scales of Action).

Myths do not choose one of these scales. The Mythmaster may describe any scale of action they wish, but use the Legendary action rules. (There are some tricks a myth can do that Mythenders can’t, though. See The Myth’s Tricks.)

Choose Your Weapon

Every action involves one of your Weapons. When you describe your action, talk about how that Weapon is integral to the action. It’ll be used in the next step, when you gather dice.

You might want to work in more than one Weapon into your description. That’s great! If you have a Companion Weapon about a warhorse and a Relic Weapon about a magical spear, tell us how you ride into battle on your horse and charge at the beast with your spear! You just need to pick one to be the focus for the action. Whichever one is more prominent in the action is the one you’ll use for these rules.

Use a Blight (optional)

Decide whether you’ll use one of the Blights in play that your side has access to, if there are any. Describe how that works in conjunction with your action, and you’ll use it when gathering dice.

As with Weapons, you can describe more than one Blight. You can charge a second Blight on an action, but you can only benefit from one when gathering dice.

Describe Being Awesome

Describe what your Mythender (or Myth) does, like you’d describe a really good moment in a movie or comic action scene. Work in the Weapon you chose, the Blight if you’re using one, and whatever other cool stuff you think works or this moment—what the last person did, another Weapon you have, a fun line of dialogue, etc.

Reflect the scale of this action in your description. Mythic actions should feel grander than the Legendary actions that have happened so far, and vice versa. Titanic actions should feel like the highest moments of the battle. If your description doesn’t match your choice, the Mythmaster will call you on it, requiring you to re-describe or change scale.

Looking Forward to Your Effect

Whatever results happen when you Push Forward must be an natural consequence of what you’re describing now. If you want to inflict a Wound on your foe, you need to describe attacking. If you want to create or destroy a Blight, you need to describe how it happens. Your description doesn’t mean the mechanical effect will definitely happen—you will need to pay the Lightning cost—but it cannot happen if you don’t describe it now.

Note on Attacking Weapons

If you describe attacking a foe’s Weapon—usually a Companion Weapon, but you can also describe attacking Relics or even Intrinsic Weapons—then that counts as attacking the foe directly. The power of the Mythic World means that Weapons are a part of the one wielding it, and vice versa.

However, you cannot destroy a Weapon in its entirety while the being wielding it still lives and breathes. You can slaughter some Companions, but you cannot kill the last of them. Relics chip, but do not shatter. Intrinsic Weapons feel weaker, but can still be called upon.

When to Stop Describing

Stop just before describing how badly you hurt your foe or cause some sort of vicious Blight. The effects and consequences of your actions are done after you roll dice, when you Push Forward.

Note that you’re never just trying to do something. Your action will never fail. The question is how much power you gain from it and if you can make your effect something that will last longer than a moment.

On Revising Your Action

Once you come up with your action and start describing it, you or the Mythmaster might realize that what you’re describing is a different scale, really involves a different Weapon, doesn’t actually use the Blight you want to, etc. When this happens, take a moment to either rephrase what you’re doing to match what you picked, or change what you picked to match what you’re doing. Once they match up, you’re ready to move onto the next step.

Charge or Drain Your Weapon

Handling raw Mythic Power is dangerous and corrupting. Weapons (and Blights) make it safer, if slower than just ripping power from the beating metaphoric heart of the Mythic World. This is done by charging and draining power.

Charging and draining determines the dice you grab for this action.

Your Weapon in Action

Each time you use a Weapon, you must decide whether you want to charge one of its boxes or drain all of the charged boxes. If a Weapon has no boxes charged, then the only choice is to charge one.

You don’t have to incorporate into your description whether you’re charging to drain your Weapon. It’s enough it make your action match the scale. Still, some people like to change up their descriptions, and that’s fantastic. Do whatever makes you comfortable or excited.

Weapon Charge Boxes

 +3 Dice  +2 Dice  +2 Might
   ☐☐     ☐☐     ☐☐

   ☐☐     ☐☐     ☐☐

   ☐☐     ☐☐     ☐☐

The boxes to the left of your Weapons are the charge boxes. These are double boxes, with one box on the top overlapping a bottom, starred box.

Each Weapon has three columns of boxes, labeled +3 Dice, +2 Dice, and +2 Might. (Note: gods have different boxes.)

☐☐
When neither charge box is checked for a Weapon, that bonus is free to charge.

☒☐
When the top box is checked and the bottom is unchecked, that bonus is charged and ready to be drained.

☒☒
When both boxes are checked, that bonus is drained. You may not charge or drain it again for the time being.

Different Bonuses

Gods may have different bonuses for their charge boxes, noted in their write-up and on their Myth sheets.

Charging Your Weapon

☐☐  →  ☒☐

charging a Weapon box

When you charge your Weapon, put a check in one of the top charge box for that weapon. You may put it in any of the three bonuses for that weapon, though usually it makes the most sense to start with the left-most +3 Dice box and go right.

If you’re using a Weapon that already has all of its top charge boxes filled, you may still use that Weapon, but you get no benefit for charging it. Which means you might want to pick another Weapon for this action, unless you’re really, really keen on that being the important part of this action’s description.

Draining Your Weapon

☒☐  →  ☒☒

draining a Weapon box

When you drain your Weapon, you put a check in the bottom charge box in every bonus for that Weapon that are ready to be drained. If only one is ready, you drain that one. If two or three are ready, you drain all that are.

There is no partial draining. You must take all of the benefits from charged boxes.

Weapon Bonus Dice: gain 3 bonus Storm dice if you drained the +3 Dice box. Gain 2 bonus Storm Dice if you drained the +2 Dice box. If you drained both, gain +5.

You may pay 2 Might tokens to make all of the Weapon bonus dice on this action bonus Thunder dice instead. This cost is waived if you’re draining from a Relic Weapon. Relics may freely be Storm or bonus Thunder. If you do this, all of the bonus dice become bonus Thunder; you may not split them up.

Might Gained: gain 2 Might tokens if you drained the +2 Might box. These may be used immediately, including to turn the bonus dice from this Weapon into bonus Thunder dice. Weapons drained may be used again in battle. However, until the Mythender rests after a battle, the checked charge and drain boxes do not reset.

Draining Weapons & Titanic Actions

Note that you don’t roll any Storm dice on Titanic actions (Gather and Roll Your Dice), even any bonus Storm dice gained by draining Weapons and charging Blights. If you turn these bonus dice into Thunder dice, you may use them normally.

The Weapon Types

The three Weapon types have different rules, triggered at different parts of battle.

Intrinsic Weapons retain any undrained charge boxes for free when a battle is over. Other Weapons require you to pay Might for them if you wish to retain those charges. (See Resting, Weapon Charges & Wounds)

For Myths, the middle charge box for each Intrinsic Weapon is checked at the start of the battle.

Bonus dice from Relic Weapons may become Thunder dice for free. You must pay 2 Might tokens for the others.

Companion Weapons gain a free charge when you’re Wounded.

Charge or Drain a Blight

As with Weapons, when you use a Blight in battle, you decide whether you’ll charge or drain it. Blights work a bit differently than Weapons, partly because you as a group share the charges on a Blight and can work together to make a powerful Blight that one of you can drain in a crucial moment.

Charging and draining determines additional dice you grab for this action. You may only use a Blight created by your side; a Mythender cannot charge a Blight made by a Myth, and vice versa.

This Blight in Action

Each time you use a Blight, you must decide whether you want to charge one of its boxes or drain all of the charged boxes. If a Blight has no boxes charged, then the only choice is to charge one. (When a Blight is created, it starts with at least one charge box checked. The only way it will have no boxes checked is if it was just drained.)

As with Weapons, you don’t have to incorporate into your description whether you’re charging to drain your Blight. It’s enough it make your action match the scale. Still, some people like to change up their descriptions, and that’s fantastic. Do whatever makes you comfortable or excited.

Blight Charge Boxes

Charges: ☒▸☐▸☐▸☐▸☐

Blight charge boxes are simpler than Weapons. There’s a track of five single boxes, without any individual labels like what Weapons have. (Unlike when you drain a Weapon, you don’t need to keep track of drained Blight charge boxes, so you just erase them when they’re drained.)

Charging This Blight

Charges: ☒▸☐▸☐▸☐▸☐    →    Charges: ☒▸☒▸☐▸☐▸☐

charging the second box

When you charge the Blight, check the top-most unchecked box.

Mythenders will only charge one box. Myths will charge as many boxes as there are Mythenders they are currently facing. So if there are three Mythenders, the Myth will check three boxes off. If there are more Mythenders than there are boxes to check off, then the Myth only checks off the remaining boxes.

Blight Bonus Dice: gain one bonus Storm die this action for charging a Blight. A Myth only ever gets 1 Storm die, regardless of how many boxes it checked off.

If all of the boxes on this Blight are already checked, you still gain the bonus die for using this Blight, but there are no other benefits. It’s probably better to use a different Blight, if one exists and is available to you, or drain this one.

Charging Blights & Titanic Actions

Note that you don’t roll any Storm dice on Titanic actions (Your Heart’s Gifts), even the bonus Storm die gained by charging Blights. However, you still may want to charge a Blight, so that you can drain on a later action.

You can use the Thunder dice gained for draining a Blight (see below) on Titanic actions without any penalty.

Draining This Blight

Charges: ☒▸☒▸☒▸☒▸☒    →    Charges: ☐▸☐▸☐▸☐▸☐

draining all five boxes

When you drain this Blight, note how many charges is has, then erase them all.

There is no partial draining. You must drain all of this Blight’s boxes.

Blight Bonus Dice: gain bonus Thunder dice equal to the number of charged boxes were just on this Blight.

Even though the Blight’s accumulated power is entirely drained, it still exists and can be charged in future actions. However, it’s also vulnerable to being destroyed (Destroying a Blight): it costs nothing for a Myth or Mythender to, as part of an action, destroy a non-Lasting Blight that has no charges.

Charging a Second Blight

You may incorporate a second Blight into your description, if one is available. You may charge that Blight, but you do not get any bonus dice from it.

You may not drain more than one Blight during an action.

Gather & Roll Your Dice

Once you’ve charged or drained your Weapons and any Blights, time to roll those bones!

Gather Your Dice

Legendary and Mythic actions are mostly the same. The only difference is that you also use the Mythic die for Mythic actions. Titanic actions are quite different; they still use most of the same dice pools, but do different things with the result.

Legendary Actions

Grab your base Storm dice and your current Thunder dice. Add in any bonus dice from your Weapon and Blight. Make sure you’ve checked the charge or drain boxes on the Weapon and Blight. Take note of any Gifts that may give you additional dice, notably Harbinger of Storm.

Mythic Actions

Follow everything for Legendary actions. Then grab the Mythic die and progress your Corruption track by one (see Suffer Corruption & Risk Fate). If progressing your Corruption track causes you to change form, you should add that into your description.

Titanic Actions

Do not grab any Storm dice at all, regardless of any Weapon or Blight bonus dice or Gifts. Grab your current Thunder dice, as well as any bonus Thunder Dice from your draining your Weapon or Blight. Take note of any Gifts that may give you additional dice.

Then grab the Mythic die and progress your Corruption track by one. As with Mythic actions, if progressing your Corruption track causes you to change form, you should add that into your description.

Roll All Those Dice! (Legendary & Mythic Actions)

Since Legendary and Mythic actions are very similar, their die-rolling is described together.

Gain Lightning from Thunder Dice

Each Thunder die that succeeds (comes up , , and ) gives you 1 Lightning token.

Gain Thunder from Storm Dice

Each Storm die that succeeds (comes up , , and ) gives you 1 Thunder die.

Gain Thunder from the Mythic Die (Mythic Actions)

Gain additional Thunder dice equal to the number on the Mythic die ( = 1 Thunder die, = 5 Thunder dice, etc.). Then deal with Suffer Corruption & Risk Fate, since you rolled the Mythic die.

Collect your Pools

Discard all bonus dice rolled. Then take all the Thunder dice you’ve rolled and earned this action and return them to your Thunder pool. Add the Lightning you’ve collected this turn to your Lightning pool.

Roll All Those Dice! (Titanic Actions)

Gain Lightning from Thunder Dice

Each Thunder die that succeeds (comes up , , and ) gives you 3 Lightning tokens, not just 1.

Each Thunder die that fails (comes up , , and ) is immediately discarded. Titanic actions are dangerous, as Thunder is lost. If all of your dice came up failures, then at the end of this action, you have died. You still get to finish your action, though! After (or as part of) Pushing Forward, go to Mythender Death & Making the Choice.

Gain Might from the Mythic Die

Gain additional Might tokens equal to the number on the Mythic die ( = 1 Might token, = 5 Might tokens, etc.). Then deal with Suffer Corruption & Risk Fate, since you rolled the Mythic die.

Collect your Pools

Discard any bonus dice rolled. Then take all the Thunder dice you haven’t lost during this action and return them to your Thunder pool. Add the Lightning you’ve collected this turn to your Lightning pool. Add the Might to your Might pool. You may also spend the Might immediately on any result-modifying Gifts.

If You Gained Nothing

If you did a Legendary action and gained no Thunder or Lightning due to this roll, that means the action has succeeded, but the Mythic World is resisting you. You may spend 1 Might token to reroll all your Storm and Thunder dice and take that result instead.

If this second roll gains you nothing, you may claim either 1 Thunder die or 1 Lightning token. In any case, this option only exists on rolls where you gained nothing; for rerolling at other times, look at the Relentlessness Gift (Your Heart’s Gifts).

Using Gifts During Rolls

As long as you can pay the Might cost, you may use whatever Gifts you have on this roll that modify your dice or the result. Keep in mind that you may only use a Gift once per round.

If you gained a Gift just now thanks to rolling the Mythic die and progressing your Fate, you may use that Gift immediately if it applies, either affecting the results of the roll or using it with an effect you cause this action when you Push Forward.

In the rare instance that a Gift tells you that you must use it, you don’t have the option. This is the case with the Blaze of Glory Gift (Your Heart’s Gifts), that has you roll two Mythic dice and add them together as your Mythic die result.

Note: no Gift allows you to reroll the Mythic die. Ever. It always stands as rolled.

Suffer Corruption & Risk Fate

If you rolled the Mythic die, there are a couple more things you have to do on your playsheet: progress your Corruption track before you roll and possibly progress your Fate track after you roll.

If you didn’t roll the Mythic die (or you’re the Mythmaster, who never rolls the Mythic die), ignore this entire section. No Corruption for you this time!

Before you Roll: Suffer Corruption

→ ☐ 4 → ☐ 4      →    → ☒ 4 → ☐ 4

checking first Corruption box

This is talked about in more detail on Suffering Corruption, but the process is repeated here briefly.

When you gain Corruption, you check off the first available Corruption box, starting with the top-left 4. Follow the arrows for further Corruption. If all of the boxes are already filled in, you don’t need to check anything.

If you fill in a Corruption row

→ ☒ 4 → ☐ 4      →    → ☒ 4 → ☒ 4

checking second Corruption box, transforming into Paragon Form

If you fill in a row, you transform: filling in your second box turns you into your Paragon Form, filling in your fourth box turns you into you Supernatural Form, and filling in your final box turns you into your Godly Form.

If you transform, work that transformation into your description (since you know you’ll change form because you know you’re grabbing the Mythic die and will gain Corruption that causes the change), or you can work that into the action’s aftermath when you Push Forward.

After you Roll: Check for Fate

After you’ve rolled your dice, in addition to everything else you get, you’ll compare the number on the Mythic die with the Corruption number you just checked (the number next to that box, either 4, 3, or 2). If you already had all of the boxes checked, your Corruption number is 2.

(If you have the Blaze of Glory Gift, both dice added together count as the number on the Mythic die. Which means you’re almost guaranteed to progress your Fate.)

If the Mythic die is equal to or higher than the Corruption number, then you’ve lost a piece of your mortality. Congratulations! You embrace more of your Mythic nature, and get a Gift! Check off the top-most unchecked Fate box.

Otherwise, you hold onto your mortality. Don’t check off a Fate box.

Choosing to Embrace Fate

If the Mythic die was less than your Corruption number, but you really, really want to lose more of your mortality—maybe you need a new Gift, or maybe you just want on the fast track to being as asshole god—you can choose to give up a piece of your soul and check off a Fate box anyway. After all, you’re a Mythender. Who are we to stop you from embracing your Mythic Fate?

This doesn’t change the number on the die or any Thunder or Might you gained from the Mythic Die, just makes it so that you give up a piece of yourself.

If you checked off Fate box with an Apotheosis number

☒ 6

If you checked off a Fate box with an Apotheosis number next to it, that means that at the end of this battle, if you are still standing, you’ll check to see if you become a Myth. See Becoming a Myth.

If you don’t have any Fate boxes to check off

If you’re out of unchecked Fate boxes, for one, you’re pretty much fucked at the end of this Battle. It’s unlikely you’ll come out of it still mortal.

Your Mythic Heart cannot sustain any more Gifts. You may gain one temporarily, but it goes away at the end of your action.

Gaining Gifts

Fate GIFTS         Might Cost
 X • Bloodlust         2
 ☒ • Grievous Harm     2

If you checked off any Fate boxes, then you gain Gifts! Each blank Gift slot next to a checked Fate box is available for placing a new Gift. Write the name of the Gift and its Might cost in the boxes to the right of the Fate box.

When you have a Gift slot open, you may pick a new Gift or upgrade an existing Gift you have. You may do this at any time, not just right this moment. If you choose one right now, you may immediately take benefit from it (if you pay the Might cost) before you Push Forward.

Read the Your Heart’s Gifts chapter for more information, as well as the list of Gifts and upgrades you may choose from.

Push Forward

The last part of your action, after describing what you’re doing, rolling dice for it, getting stuff, and suffering Corruption, is wrapping it up by saying what happens because of your action. This is Pushing Forward. The two things you’ll do is cause any effects and then describe the aftermath of your action.

Cause Effects

With the Lightning Tokens you already possessed at the beginning of this action and those you just gained, you may cause these effects:

• Create a Blight
• Destroy a Blight
• Wound Your Foe

Some Gifts may also give other options for effects.

You may cause more than one effect, though you cannot cause the same one more than once on a given action (e.g. you can’t Wound twice in one action).

Sharing Lightning

Mythenders have the advantage of numbers. You may ask for help from others to cover the costs of causing effects, but only if you cannot afford it all. You must pay for at least half of the total cost during this action, and you can only take Lightning from others if you need it cover to cost. This is not compulsory; others may choose to or not to volunteer Lightning.

Describe the Action’s Aftermath

The guidance here is pretty much the same as in describing the action in the first place. Be awesome. Whatever action was done actually happens—there’s no trying in Mythender. And above all, make sure it feels like it makes sense to everyone else at the table, whatever “makes sense” means to you all in this moment.

Who Describes The Effect

If the Mythender did not cause any effects on this action, then the Mythmaster describes the aftermath of this moment.

If the Mythender did cause even one effect, then the Mythmaster shuts up and that player gets to sell his own action, describing the aftermath and effect created.

The Mythmaster always describes the Myth’s aftermath.

Mythmasters Describing a Mythender’s Aftermath

When a Mythmaster describes a Mythender’s aftermath, he will describe the awesome thing that happens because of the action (and may choose to invite the player to add to it). He will sell the success, even though the effect is fleeting. The Mythender didn’t screw up or fail, he just didn’t put all of his juice into the moment.

If you really want to describe your own aftermath, cause an effect. Description is for closers!

Describing a Fleeting Aftermath

If an effect wasn’t caused, then the action’s aftermath is fleeting. The action is still successful—actions always are in battle—but it doesn’t last. Your blow connects and the foe is knocked back or suffers a wound that shows, but doesn’t kill. Your threats and posturing causes some of the horde to flee, but still so many more remain. Your magics flash and draw power, but don’t last against the Mythic World’s raw will.

Again, Mythmasters always describe fleeting aftermaths, no matter whose action it is.

If you’re fighting against a large horde of monsters or a Mythender’s vast army, feel free to casually describe killing a few people. That’s the equivalent of a central threat getting a flesh wound. As long as it doesn’t seriously change the way the army or horde would look in a camera shot, it works. Don’t describe killing a mass of them in a fleeting action.

If you’re attacking a Weapon, remember that you cannot destroy it in its entirety.

Describing a Lasting Aftermath

If you caused one or more effects, then the action’s aftermath is lasting. Your sword bites deep into the Myth’s neck, blood spattering across the battlefield. The spirits you conjured swirl around and torment your foes, remaining to aid your cohorts as well. The lightning the Myth called down from the sky ceases as you cause the clouds to know fear and rout.

Again, Mythmasters describe the Myth’s effects and aftermath, and the players describe their own Mythenders’ effects.

If you’re fighting against a large horde or army, get a bit crazy. Slaughter a whole mess of people. You cannot change the nature of a Weapon; if it’s My Army of Mourning, you can’t make it less than an army. But still, make it brutal. If you’re fighting against a horde directly, you can carve away a good number of them, as long as there are enough left to continue battle.

Describing a Battle’s End

If your action caused the battle to End, then your aftermath is about the killing blow. Don’t hold back. Nothing is safe.

Creating a Blight

To create a Blight, pay 2 Lightning tokens. Then grab a new Blight card and write the description of the Blight and your name on it. It starts with its first charge box checked.

As always, the Blight you make must be related to the action you described.

BLIGHT ☐ Lasting

Description: The ground continuously spews magma—melting the snow, charring the earth, setting trees aflame

Created by: Rashid

Charges: ☒▸☐▸☐▸☐▸☐

Whenever creating a new Blight, grab a fresh Blight Card. Fill it out with a flavorful description of what’s going on. Include the name of who created it and check the first charge box off.

If it’s a Lasting Blight, check off the Lasting box. Otherwise, leave it unchecked (though it may be checked later if it’s made into a Lasting Blight).

Mirrored Blights

If you want to tap into the same Blight that the other side has created, describe your action as channeling it somehow, and you can create a Blight that has the same name. This represents you tapping into the same sense of power that your foe; however, they aren’t linked beyond that. The charge boxes are separate for each side. Your new mirrored Blight starts as all Blights do, at one charge box checked.

If one is destroyed, the other remains; you’re just destroying the link the other side has to this Blight.

If you mirror a Lasting Blight, your mirror of that isn’t automatically Lasting. You need to make it Lasting through the normal way of pouring Lightning tokens into it after a battle or performing a Badass, Epic Feat.

Destroying a Blight

To destroy a Blight that isn’t Lasting, pay 3 Lightning tokens per charge. If one charge box is checked, the cost is 3 Lightning tokens. If two, 6 Lightning tokens, and so on. For Blights that have just been drained and left with no charge boxes checked, destroying it is free.

If the Blight is Lasting, destroying it in Battle is more costly: 6 Lightning tokens per charge. Should a Lasting Blight have no charges, it still costs 6 Lightning tokens to destroy.

When you destroy a Blight, rip the card up.

Destroyed Blights Don’t Come Back

That Blight can never be created again during this adventure, by any side.

If you destroy one of two mirrored Blights, the other side cannot re-make that Blight, even if the other one is still around.

Wounding your Foe

WOUNDS
☐ 3
  ↓
☐ 4
  ↓
☐ 5
  ↓
  6
Your Wound Cost: 3

When you cause a Wound, you target one foe and hurt them in a way that can’t just be shrugged off. They then roll to see how much power that wound cost them, before you describe your action’s aftermath.

Causing the Wound

To Wound a foe, spend Lightning tokens equal to that foe’s Wound cost. A Myth’s wound cost is listed on its sheet, at least 3 and sometimes as high as 8. A Mythender’s wound cost is always 3.

Wounding Someone Who Has Not Acted Yet

If you choose to Wound someone who has not yet acted in this battle, they are not yet exposed fully to you. Their Wound cost is three times what it would otherwise be. (This makes it nearly impossible to slaughter anyone, Mythender or Myth, before they get a chance to go.)

Mark the Wound

☐ 3   →   ☒ 3
  ↓        ↓

checking Wound box 3

☒ 3       ☒ 3
  ↓        ↓
☐ 4   →   ☒ 4
  ↓        ↓

checking Wound box 4

☒ 5       ☒ 5
  ↓        ↓
  6   →     6
  ↓        ↓

out of Wound boxes to check

From here, the Wounded foe handles everything. First, he’ll mark the top-most unmarked box. For Mythenders, that’s the 3 Wound box. If that’s marked, the 4 Wound box. Then the 5 Wound box. If everything’s already marked, then do not put a new mark; treat it as if you marked the 6 Wound box.

Whatever box is marked gives you your Wound number. If you couldn’t mark a box, then your wound number is 6.

Some Myths have different tracks than Mythenders do. Shown here are what Mythenders suffer, but the process is the same for Myths.

Roll Your Thunder Pool

Once you have your Wound number, roll all of your Thunder Dice. Any that come up less than your Wound number are immediately discarded. Keep those that are equal or higher than your Wound number.

Wound Numbers Higher Than 6

Sometimes, thanks to Gifts (like Grievous Harm, Your Heart’s Gifts) or doubling down (below), you’ll end up with a Wound number higher than 6. Since you’re rolling six-diced dice, there’s no number higher than 6 on them! That means you do something a little different.

First, you roll all your Thunder Dice, and discard anything less than 6. After that, if your Wound number is 7, then you’ll discard one of the s you rolled, if any. If your Wound number is 8 or higher, you’ll discard two s, if any rolled.

This tends to cause someone to die.

If You Have Thunder Dice Left

Congratulations! You aren’t dead…yet.

When the aftermath is described, you might want to work into your description the amount of Thunder dice lost— when your foe had fifteen dice, losing two looks and feels different than losing ten. You don’t have to work that in: only if you’re inspired.

Just remember that you aren’t out of the fight, at least not yet. There are always tricks to build up your Thunder pool quickly, at risks and costs.

If You Lost No Thunder Dice

This is the best possible result! But keep in mind that you’ve still been Wounded, and that the next Wound is more likely to hurt you further. You didn’t get away clean; it just didn’t slow you down.

Do not expect such treatment the next time.

If You Have No Thunder Dice Left

Well, fuck. You’re dead. And if you’re the last one left on your side (or the only one, in the case of Myths), the others have won. Go to End of the Battle.

Unless you’re a Mythender. Mythenders are bastards that can choose to come back from death, by taking on more Corruption. See Mythender Death & Making the Choice.

Special Notes

Doubling Down

You can only inflict one Wound on a given foe per action, but you can pay more to increase its power. If you spend double your foe’s Wound cost, then its Wound number for this roll is increased by one. This doesn’t change which Wound box is checked, just the Wound number.

You may increase the Wound number further, for a total of two higher, by paying quadruple the Lightning cost. You cannot increase any more than that through spending Lightning.

Resisting Doubling Down & Grievous Harm (Myths Only)

If you’re being Wounded and your foe doubles down or uses Grievous Harm Gift to increase your Wound number, you can reduce it back down to the original number by spending your own Lightning. You can pay your Wound cost to reduce it down by 1, and double your Wound cost to reduce it by 2. If your Wound number is raised higher than that, you cannot reduce it further.

When you are doing this, you aren’t defending yourself from a blow or anything like that. Instead, you’re drawing from the Mythic World to heal your wounds with haste and give you a moment of reprieve. The other side still gets to describe this Wound you suffer.

Also, you cannot lower your Wound number to less than what it is on the Wound box you just checked off.

Spreading the Pain (Myths Only)

Myths have tricks for Wounding more than one Mythender in The Myth’s Tricks.

Mythender Death & Making the Choice

Mythenders aren’t easily killed! Whenever a Mythender runs out of Thunder dice, whether due to being Wounded or a Titanic action, he has a choice: to die as a mortal, or to survive by taking in even more Corruption and permanently edging closer to Fate.

If you die, your Mythender’s story ends right then and there—a heroic death. If you survive, pulling on the Mythic power to overcome death leaves a permanent scar upon your mortality. This does not apply to Murdering Another Mythender. Those deaths always hold.

The Mortal Choice to Die

If you wish to retain your mortality, you can embrace this killing wound as a mortal and die. Your character’s story is over, dying a hero rather than living long enough to be corrupted by the Mythic World.

Immediately describe the death scene; this is your Mythender’s final moment, go out with glory. You can ask others to give you ideas, but no matter what, this is your moment.

If your Mythender has any Lightning tokens at this moment, you may include in your death one last act to help someone else out, and give one other Mythender your Lightning.

The Mythic Choice to Survive

If you wish to continue the fight, you can embrace your Fate and shrug off this Wound. This corrupts you further, and being Wounded so devastatingly dents your momentum. Describe how your Mythic nature keeps you from a Wound that would kill a lesser being.

You may choose to narrate coming back either right away or on your next turn. Any Lightning tokens you had or gained remain with you (contrary to prior versions these rules).

Progressing Corruption & Fate

Advance your Corruption by one. Advance your Fate by one and gain a Gift. See Suffer Corruption & Risk Fate for those processes. Then you’ll mark permanent Corruption and Fate, as per Permanent Corruption & Fate.

→ ☒ 4 → ☐ 4           X     X
    ↓                 ☒  → (☒)
→(☒)4 → ☒ 4           ☐     ☒

Rashid chooses to survive death, gaining permanent Corruption and Fate

Getting Back Into the Battle

Either immediately after your death, at any point in the Mythenders’ turn, or (if you haven’t done so by that point) at the end of the battle, you may narrate either how you narrowly escaped death or even how you in fact did die and just came back to life. If you haven’t taken an action this round and it’s a legitimate moment for you to do so, get your vengeance on!

Once you’re back in the battle, gain Thunder dice based on the starting Thunder rules (1 Thunder die if you’re in your Mortal form, 2 in Paragon, 4 in Supernatural, and 6 in Godly).

Myth Death & Being Screwed

When a Myth loses all its Thunder Dice, it’s dead. Ended. The battle’s over.

Some gods have the power to overcome this once, if they can pay the toll. But even among gods is that a rare thing. (See the One More Breath Gift, Your Heart’s Gifts.)

That’s it. Move onto End of the Battle.

Note: the tutorial battle has a special Gift built in, Practice Death, so that every Mythender gets to have a three actions. See the write-up for the einjerhar in Mythic Norden for more details.

End of the Battle

There is only one way a battle will end: when one side is dead.

All the Mythenders Die

If all the Mythenders die, either because of choosing to die, because of Gathering Rage, or because battle paused due to Murdering Another Mythender and they all died, the battle is naturally over.

Everyone collaborates to describe how the Myth wins and how the Mythenders die. The adventure is now over—though it’s an opportunity to create new Mythenders based on this event (When Mythenders Die & Fall) and have them continue this quest. That, however, is a whole new adventure.

The Myth is Ended

When a Myth runs out of Thunder dice, it is defeated and Ended!

The Fall of Mythenders

Before describing the End, check to see if any Mythenders fall. This is covered in Becoming a Myth.

You may have the idea of Murdering Another Mythender in order to keep him from falling, but the moment the Myth is ended, this is checked. You already had your chance to Murder before now. This is the one thing that Murder cannot interrupt.

Describing the End

Everyone collaborates, even those who died in this battle, to describe some bit about how the Ending happens, starting with the Mythender who did the killing blow. How did your foe finally go down? What happened with the corpse, if any? What about the surrounding landscape and all the calamities that have happened?

If any Mythenders became Myths, include that in the description. Remember, they will be taken away by the Mythic World and unable to be Ended right at this moment.

Aftermath Effects

The Mythmaster will apply any aftermath effects from Gathering Rage (The Myth’s Tricks), and describe how those come into play.

The End of a God

If this is the End of this adventure’s god or greater Myth, the adventure is over. Everyone shares in describing how the world is changed because of this, whether they lived, died, or fell. This is the adventure’s dénouement; relish it!

Discard Thunder & Lightning

When a battle is over, discard your Thunder and Lightning. Hang onto the Might you have.

Converting Blights into Lasting Blights

Sometimes, a Mythmaster may be able to turn a Blight made in the battle into a Lasting Blight. Doing so just means taking the Blight, regardless of who owns it, and claiming it for the Mythic World. Rewrite the name on the Blight (if need be) and check the Lasting box.

Mythenders may also do this, claiming a Blight as a Lasting Blight or creating a new Lasting Blight from nothing. If the Mythenders collectively have 15 Lightning left over, they may turn an existing Blight into a Lasting one that one of them owns, regardless of who did before. Or, with 20 Lightning, they may created a new Lasting Blight.

If you don’t have enough Lightning, you can count every 2 Thunder dice you collectively have as 1 Lightning token for this purpose.

The Mythmaster will claim a Blight first, if he has the option. Blights that are already Lasting cannot be claimed by another.

When turning a Blight Lasting, feel free to reword it, describing how the Blight’s shifted after the moment of battle is over. A Blight like “The blue flames bursting forth from the lost souls” could turn into “The Plains of Suffering”, making a moment in a battle become an iconic scar on the world.

Gaining More Might

If, after paying for any Lasting Blights, the group collectively has at least 20 Lightning left, every Mythender gains 2 Might tokens. This new Might can, of course, be used to keep Weapon charges upon resting (below).

Again, if you don’t have enough Lightning, you can use Thunder dice as above.

Resting, Weapon Charges & Wounds

This happens during the Mythenders’ time, but once the Mythenders have a moment to rest, all checked Weapon charge and drain boxes are erased. In addition, you fully heal; all checks on Wound boxes are erased.

Holding Onto Undrained Charges

If you have Weapons with undrained charges, they go away when you rest unless you expend energy and effort to retain them. This is all a part of your Mythic Heart calming down outside of battle. You may keep an undrained charge box by paying 1 Might token; you may do this for any and all undrained charges you have.

Intrinsic Weapons keep charges for free. Your Relics may be (at least metaphorically) sheathed and your Companions may catch their breath, but those talents and emotions within never calm down.

Note: this must be paid every time you rest after battle. If you charge a Weapon during one battle and don’t drain it on your next battle, it must be paid for again to retain that charge.

The Myth’s Tricks

The Myths have a few tricks they can pull off that Mythenders can’t.

Mixing Weapon Types

Some powerful Myths have Greater Weapons that count as two types: Intrinsic/Relic, Intrinsic/Companion, or Relic/Companion. These Weapons get the benefits of both types. (More on Greater Weapons in the Extended Rules, Gaining Greater Weapons.)

Recharging Might

Might Recharge: 2

At the beginning of each round after the first, the Myth gains more Might. Each one has a Might Recharge stat.

Example: the einherjar (Mythic Norden) have a Might Recharge of 2. They start a turn with 1 Might, which means they gain 2 more Might, for a total of 3.

Wounding More Than One Mythender

Myths face multiple Mythenders, and as long as the description of the action can apply to Wounding more that one, it can.

Pay for the first Mythender normally. For each additional Mythender, you may pay their Wound Cost or spend 1 Might token in place of that Wound cost.

If you do anything to increase the Wound number, either doubling down or using the Grievous Harm gift, you must pay those costs individually. For doubling down, that must still be done with Lightning tokens; Might cannot be used in place for that, though you can use Might to cover the first part of the cost.

Example: Jörmungandr’s (Mythic Norden) blood poisons the land and strikes the three Mythenders it’s facing. It has 10 Lightning tokens and 18 Might tokens. It spends 3 Lightning to Wound the first Mythender and pays 2 Might tokens to Wound the other two. The Mythmaster wants to bring the pain, so he spends 6 more Lightning to double down: 3 for the first Mythender, and 3 for the second one. The third Mythender only has to roll normally for a Wound.

Gathering Rage

Myths gain power during a battle. At the end of each round it’s still alive, an effect is triggered. Some effects take place immediately, and some happen as the aftermath, at the end of the battle. The effects for each round are listed as part of the Myth.

This effect is at the end of the round, thus it happens before the Myth’s next turn. Sometimes, a round won’t have a Gathering Rage effect associated with it.

Immediate Effects

• Gain X Thunder/Lightning/Might. If Thunder is gained, they’re real Thunder dice, held on until the Myth is Wounded, as normal.
• Create or Charge a Blight. If charging a Blight, it’s charged normally; one box for each Mythender the Myth is fighting.
• Push Mythender Corruption. The Myth forces the Mythenders to push their Corruption (not Fate) by one. This costs 1 Might token per Mythender to activate.
• End battle on its terms The Myth decides if it gets to flee or die, right now. The Mythenders have lost this battle, even if the Myth decides to die, because the Greater Myth of this adventure checks one more Weapon charge box.
• Charge a Weapon. The Myth gets to charge any Weapon charge box. The effect may specify more than one charge.
• Sunder a Weapon. The Myth may now sunder a Weapon (see below) on a future action. This can only be done once this battle.
• Wound the Mythenders. The Myth immediately gets to Wound the Mythenders just by still being present. It costs 1 Might token per Mythender to activate, and the Wound number cannot be increased in any way. The Myth doesn’t have to target every Mythender.
• End the Mythenders. The Myth has gained enough power to slaughter outright the Mythenders. The Mythenders lose, and there’s no coming back from this death. Only the greater Myths and gods have this ability.

Aftermath Effects

• Create a Lasting Blight. Either take one of the Blights created in this battle, by any side, and turn it into a Lasting Blight for the Myth; or make a new Blight based on what happened in the battle.
• Give the God a Charge/Thunder/Lightning/Might. The Greater Myth the Mythenders will eventually fight will become stronger because of the energy gained in this moment. It may give an additional Weapon charge, Thunder for its pool, starting Lightning (in which case, it will start with some Lightning in its battle), or Might.

Sundering Weapons

A Gathering Rage trigger may allow a Myth to sunder one of its own Weapons for a quick boost of power. This is a different Weapon option beyond charging and draining. When a Myth sunders a Weapon, it destroys it—cross it off the sheet. It’s no longer available.

The rewards for sundering a Weapon depends on how much power was already poured into it through charges. The rewards are either extra Thunder dice to be rolled this turn (not bonus Thunder dice, actual Thunder dice), extra Lightning tokens, or more Might tokens.

• If the Weapon has no charges: 4 Thunder, 5 Lightning, or 2 Might
• If the Weapon has one charge: 6 Thunder, 10 Lightning, or 4 Might
• If the Weapon has two charges: 8 Thunder, 15 Lightning, or 6 Might
• If the Weapon has all three charges: 10 Thunder, 20 Lightning, or 8 Might

No mixing; you take either all Thunder dice, Lightning tokens, or Might tokens. The Myth may also charge or drain another Weapon this turn. So this isn’t a small boost. When doing this, describe how the Myth destroys the Weapon horrifically and irrevocably.

Example: Odin (Mythic Norden) decides to sunder his Wolves, Geri and Freki. They have one charge. He uses his Spear, Gungnir to skewer them, cut them open, and flinging the entrails onto the Mythenders. The Mythmaster takes the 6 Thunder dice, and rolls them along with the rest of the dice. He crosses off Geri and Freki and gets to check off charging Gungnir. The dice he gained are normal Thunder dice, so he’ll be keeping them until he’s Wounded.

Basic Battle Tactics

Build up Thunder

Building your Thunder pool is how you get more Lightning tokens and remain alive in battle. And it makes how you use the bonus dice from Weapons tactically important. Sometimes, you’ll need that to be bonus Storm dice in order to build up your Thunder pool, especially if you think that the Myth will be alive for another round. Other times—especially when you want to bring a vicious Wound on a god—it’s worth making the bonus dice Thunder instead for a potential boost of Lightning tokens.

So just because you can make your Weapon bonus dice as Thunder doesn’t mean it’s always the best tactic. That’s especially true when you need to replenish your Thunder pool after you’ve been Wounded and lost a bunch.

Use Blights

Blights are a cheap way to invest in a future action, and especially among Mythenders who take many actions in a round to the Myth’s single one. You can either wait for it to be charged completely, or you can drain it earlier than that—don’t feel you’re required to wait until a Blight is fully charged before draining it.

A fine way to use Blights to your advantage is having the first Mythender in a round create a Blight and others charge it so the last Mythender in that round drains it.

Pool Lightning

The Mythenders’ greatest advantage is the ability to pool their Lightning tokens together to cause effects. Don’t discount this ability you all have.

Every Wound Matters

Even if your foe doesn’t lose much in the way of Thunder dice when Wounded, that still one Wound closer to needing to roll all s. And if you increase the foe’s Wound number, one of two things will happen: they’ll lose more Thunder dice, or they’ll spend Lightning to counteract that raise. Either way, it’s a win for you.

Drain Might

Given all the things that foes can do with Might tokens, your best bet is to give them reason to keep spending in order to drain their Might pool. This is especially true when fighting Greater Myths, as they begin battles with vast Thunder and Might pools and continue generating more dice and tokens. Gifts like Vicious Denial exist to make the other person have to spend Might to continue acting normally, and the god’s One Last Breath Gift is guaranteed to drain a lot of Might. The same is true for Gifts like Relentlessness, Bloodlust, and all the others that exist to make a bad roll useful, at a cost.

Goading a foe into using Swiftness can be effective at draining Might, though at the expense of your foe taking another action against you.

Eventually, a Greater Myth’s Might pool will get low enough to where the Mythenders can take it down.

Diversify in Gifts

If everyone has the Grievous Harm Gift, sure, everyone can hit harder. But if you diversify, you can as a group achieve some pretty monumental things. For instance:

Rashid has the Grievous Harm Gift with the Aiding upgrade. Beatrice has the Master Tactician Gift and the Harbinger of Storm Gift with the Surging upgrade, and Tzofiya has the Mighty Presence Gift and the Relentlessness Gift.

Beatrice can generate a significant amount of Thunder dice, thanks to the Surging upgrade, and give much of that Thunder to Tzofiya thanks to Master Tactician. Tzofiya generates much more Lighting on a Titanic action than others, and can reroll the failed dice thanks to Relentlessness. Then, when she uses all those Lightning tokens to Wound a Myth, she can double down and Rashid can also aid her with his Grievous Harm.

Pretty vicious, huh? Of course, all those tricks take quite a bit of Might to pull off, but when you can pull it off, it’s pretty damned explosive.

Mythmaster: Push the Mythenders

It’s important to remember that the Mythmaster’s goal isn’t to kill the Mythenders; it’s to turn them, to make them Fall. And the best way to do that is to survive the battle as long as possible—the longer the battle, the more opportunity the Mythenders have to take on Mythic power and Corruption. Use every trick at your disposal to remain alive (which involves Wounding them as much as possible, so that their Thunder pools keep getting depleted.)

Running Battle Example: Ben bar Yosef

Ben bar Yosef, a war-priest from a far distant land (Exile Crusader of Death), is fighting against a dozen frost jötnar (Mythic Norden). Alongside him are two fellow Mythenders, Beatrice of Normandy and Rashid al-Jabbar. The battle is set on frosted plains with a few evergreen trees here and there, all darkened by storm clouds above.

This running example will use the structure from the Tutorial Battle chapter.

First Turn

This is the first round; among the Mythenders, Ben is going first. (The Myth, as always, went before them.) He’s a fresh character, so nothing’s checked off. His Weapons:

WEAPONS                                            +3 Dice  +2 Dice  +2 Might
My righteous might in slaying demons …is my weapon     ☐☐     ☐☐     ☐☐
  ☒ Intrinsic  ☐ Relic  ☐ Companion
My cursed mace, Exodus               …is my weapon     ☐☐     ☐☐     ☐☐
  ☐ Intrinsic  ☒ Relic  ☐ Companion
My counselor and good friend, David  …is my weapon     ☐☐     ☐☐     ☐☐
  ☐ Intrinsic  ☐ Relic  ☒ Companion

Describing Being Awesome

Ben starts off with a Legendary action. He decides to launch right in with My righteous might in slaying demons, charging it. He’s also going to describe using My cursed mace, Exodus, but that’s less important to the description he’s about to do, so that won’t get charged.

His description:

Ben raises his mace, and with his might proven over and over by slaying demons in his own lands, he brings down a tree. The tree cracks and falls on one of the blasphemous giants!

He then checks off the +3 dice charged box on that Weapon:

My righteous might in slaying demons …is my weapon     ☒☐     ☐☐     ☐☐
  ☒ Intrinsic  ☐ Relic  ☐ Companion

Gathering & Rolling Dice

Ben has the base Storm rating of 3, so he grabs his 3 Storm dice. He has 1 Thunder die from the start of the battle, and together, he rolls them: .

That gives him 1 success on Thunder dice, giving him his first Lightning token of the battle, and 2 successes on his Storm pool, which means he gains 2 more Thunder dice (for a total of 3 Thunder dice in his pool).

Pushing Forward

Because Ben didn’t cause any effects, the Mythmaster describes what happens:

The tree comes crashing down, cracking one Frost Giant in the skull. Ice-blue blood drips from his head, and he screams in pain. The one beside him takes a step back from approaching the Mythender he first saw as puny.

Note that the Mythender sells the narrative of Ben’s power in this moment of battle. Even though he didn’t create a lasting effect, Ben’s still a kickass Mythender, and that should always reflect in the storytelling.

Running Battle Example (Part 2)

Second Turn

At this point, everyone else has gone. Beatrice used her Unmatchable Guile to frighten and confuse their foes, and Rashid use his Righteous Scimitar to stab one and render it lame. At the top of the second round, the Myth went first. Now Ben’s going.

Describing Being Awesome

Ben will continue to use My righteous might in slaying demons. He’s going to charge that Weapon again, this time checking off the +2 dice charge box.

WEAPONS                                            +3 Dice  +2 Dice  +2 Might
My righteous might in slaying demons …is my weapon     ☒☐     ☒☐     ☐☐
  ☒ Intrinsic  ☐ Relic  ☐ Companion

This will be a Mythic action, so he’ll get to use the Mythic die and beef up his description of being awesome in battle:

Ben picks up the tree he fell—a tall, massive hulk of a thing—by the trunk and beats the nearest giant to death.

The Mythmaster stops the action for a second, and asks “Is that all? This is Mythic?”

Ben’s player questions him with “Isn’t a small dude picking up a giant tree Mythic enough?” but decides to take the opening anyway, and adds more.

Ben picks up the tree he fell—a tall, massive hulk of a thing—by the trunk and beats the nearest giant to death. Not satisfied with that, he then hurls the tree at the giant in the distance conjuring foul magics, piercing him in the chest.

The Mythmaster has no problem with Ben describing killing one of the twelve giants, because there’s still eleven to go, and this is a Mythic action. (See The Shape of Foes.)

Gathering & Rolling Dice

Ben grabs his 3 Storm dice, the 3 Thunder dice in his pool, and the Mythic die. He rolls them: .

He gets 6 more Thunder dice for his pool! Two are from the 2 Storm successes, and 4 from the number on the Mythic die. But no Lightning this time. Oh no!

Suffering Corruption

Because Ben rolled the Mythic die, he must suffer Corruption. As he’s a fresh character, he has no Corruption checked yet, so he checks off the first Corruption box:

Corruption
 → ☒ 4 → ☐ 4    Paragon: I appear as… My mace bleeds and wails with mothers’ laments
          ↓
   ☐ 3 ← ☐ 3    Supernatural: I appear as… My face loses flesh, showing Death’s skull-face
    ↓
   ☐ 2 → ☐ 2    Godly: I appear as… A giant bone-god, with vast bleached-white bat wings

That isn’t enough for Ben to change form yet, so he appears as normal: a short man in full plate armor, whose eyes have seen countless deaths.

Suffering Fate

Fate GIFTS         Might Cost
 X •  Bloodlust         2
 ☒ •  ______________    2

Because Ben rolled the Mythic die, he has to see if he Suffers Fate. His Corruption number is 4 (from the Corruption box he just checked), and the Mythic die is —that’s equal to or higher than the Corruption number, so he suffers Fate!

He checks off the his first Fate box, giving him a new Gift slot to use now or later. For now, he’ll hold off filling one in.

Pushing Forward

Ben wants to make a Blight from this, but he only has 1 Lightning token. That’s half the cost of a Blight, so another Mythender can help him out. Rashid tosses him 1 Lightning token from his pool. Ben then takes a Blight card and makes a new Blight (see below).

Because he caused an effect, he gets to Push Forward:

The tree pins that second jötunn down with a solid thud that all standing can feel. As he struggles to get up, he’s buried in the beginning of what becomes an avalanche that rivals the Flood in magnitude!

He then checks the Blight’s first charge box before tossing the card on the table for the other Mythenders to use:

BLIGHT ☐ Lasting

Description: The Avalanche!

Created by: Ben, slayer of demons

Charges: ☒▸☐▸☐▸☐▸☐

Running Battle Example (Page 3)

Myth’s Turn & Being Wounded

Myth’s Action

The frost jötnar are not taking this “get beat up by Mythenders” crap lying down. (Well, except for the one that Ben beat to death… and the one pinned to the ground by a tree.)

On his turn, the Mythmaster describes the giants rushing all three of them, carving a way through their Companions with their horrendous Weapons of ice. The Myth has the first two charge boxes checked off, and drains them for five bonus dice.

WEAPONS                                            +3 Dice  +2 Dice  +2 Might
Ice weapons sharper than any steel  …is my weapon     ☒☒     ☒☒     ☐☐
  ☐ Intrinsic  ☒ Relic  ☐ Companion

Since this is a Relic Weapon, it doesn’t cost Might to make these bonus Thunder dice. They also have a Blight from earlier, Ice Spears Emerging From The Ground, that charging will grant a bonus Storm die.

(Note: because this is using the Tutorial Battle format, the Mythmaster changed the frost jötnar’s stats from what they are in the Norden chapter.)

The Mythmaster rolls a bunch of dice: 4 Storm dice, 1 bonus Storm die, 7 Thunder dice, and 5 bonus Thunder dice: .

That gives the Myth 3 more Thunder dice for its pool, and 5 Lightning tokens to add to its existing 4 Lightning.

Using a Gift

The Mythmaster decides that’s not enough, and pays 2 of the Myth’s 8 Might tokens to use the Relentlessness Gift (Your Heart’s Gifts)—that means he’ll reroll the failed Thunder dice, including the bonus Thunder dice, coming up with: . The Myth gets 9 Lightning tokens instead of 5. It’s about time to Wound the Mythenders!

The Myth spends 3 of its 13 Lightning tokens to Wound Ben—all Mythenders have a Wound Cost of 3. It also spends 3 more to Wound Beatrice and a further 3 to Wound Rashid (total of 9 Lightning spent).

Ben’s Wound

WOUNDS
☒ 3
  ↓
☐ 4
  ↓
☐ 5
  ↓
  6

This is Ben’s first Wound, so he’s going to check off the first Wound box: 3.

He rolls the 9 Thunder dice in his pool, and hopes for s and higher on each: .

Four dice were less than , so they’re discarded, leaving Ben with 5 Thunder dice. He’s still alive! But a bit worse for wear. The Mythmaster pushes forward with some vicious description:

The giants hurl their ice-weapons (the Weapon) into the air, and they hammer down as the Ice Spears (the Blight) in the ground thrust up, finding purchase in each of your Mythenders. Your blood flows into the thirsty ground as you are each stuck like pigs prepared for a great feast!

Ben’s Companion Weapon

Ben has a Companion Weapon, My counselor and good friend, David. As with all Companions, he’s charged when Ben is Wounded. David hasn’t been charged yet this game, so he gets his first charge, +3 dice:

My counselor and good friend, David  …is my weapon     ☒☐     ☐☐     ☐☐
  ☐ Intrinsic  ☐ Relic  ☒ Companion

But Wait! Ben Uses a Gift

Ben has the Bloodlust Gift (Your Heart’s Gifts), which lets him gain Lightning for each Thunder die lost, at the cost of 2 Might tokens. Ben spends 2 Might and gets 4 Lightning to put in his empty pool. Take that, frost jötnar!

Running Battle Example (Page 4)

Third & Final Turn

Ben is about to get his righteous vengeance on! He decided to go second this round, letting Beatrice further charge up their Blight (which she and Rashid also charged on previous turns).

Describing Being Awesome

Ben will use the same Weapon again, and this time he’ll drain it. Not only that, but he’s going to do a Titanic action, and drain the Blight as well! Loads of dice!

WEAPONS                                            +3 Dice  +2 Dice  +2 Might
My righteous might in slaying demons …is my weapon     ☒☒     ☒☒     ☐☐
  ☒ Intrinsic  ☐ Relic  ☐ Companion

BLIGHT ☐ Lasting

Description: The Avalanche!

Created by: Ben, slayer of demons

Charges: ☒▸☒▸☒▸☒▸☐

     ↓

Charges: ☐▸☐▸☐▸☐▸☐

Because Ben is doing a Titanic action, he won’t be rolling any Storm dice. Normally, the bonus dice from draining a Weapon is bonus Storm. He can turn that into bonus Thunder dice by paying 2 Might—it’s free for Relics, but he’s been charging an Intrinsic Weapon.

He also gets bonus Thunder dice for draining the Blight. Between the 4 charges on the Blight and the 5 bonus dice from draining his Weapon, he gets 9 bonus Thunder dice…on top of the 5 Thunder dice in his pool!

He’ll also have to roll the Mythic die, and make this description more insane than before. Since he knows he’ll change to his Paragon Form (see below), he works that in:

Ben’s mace begins to pour blood, blood that wails with the lament of every mother whose son or daughter Ben has brutally slain when he was a young and foolish warrior. He wipes some of the blood on his hands. Then he goes to pick up a thick branch off of the tree he hurled. He walks slowly, and no one stops him; no one dares.

With those bloody hands, he grips the branch and chokes it, staring at the throats of all the giants still standing. “You are nothing! You are all less than this branch I hold! Feel my might!” And as he chokes the branch, the giants all fall to their knees, choking as well. Iceblood spurts from their mouths, and that blood wails their mothers’ lament.

The Mythmaster backs up. “Yes…that is Titanic.”

“Fuck yes, it is,” Ben’s player says.

Gathering & Rolling Dice

Ben grabs his 5 Thunder dice, 9 bonus Thunder dice, and the Mythic die. He rolls them and gets: .

Each success gives him 3 Lightning. Seven successes means 21 Lightning! Well enough to seriously Wound this Myth. But as this is a Titanic Action, all of the failures are discarded; Ben will only have 2 Thunder dice left after this turn. Still, he plans on there not being a turn after this one.

Since this was a Titanic action, the Mythic die grants him additional Might: in this case, 3 Might tokens for the on the die.

Suffering Corruption

Because Ben rolled the Mythic die again, he’ll have to suffer Corruption. Since he’s suffered Corruption once before, he’ll check off the next Corruption box:

→ ☒ 4 → ☒ 4    Paragon: I appear as… My mace bleeds and wails with mothers’ laments

Ben already described turning into this Form. Because the Mythic Die was less than the Corruption Number of 4, Ben is able to resist his Fate. He could choose to let it happen anyway, but Ben’s in the Mythending business, not the Mythmaking one, so he doesn’t.

Pushing Forward

WOUNDS
☒ 3
  ↓
☒ 4
  ↓
☐ 5
  ↓
  6

With the 4 Lightning he had at the start of this turn, he has 25 Lightning now. The frost jötnar have a Wound Cost of 4, so he gladly pays 8 Lightning to double down the Wound. The Myth was already Wounded once, in the previous turn by Beatrice, so it checks off its second box: 4.

With the doubling down, the Wound number becomes 5 (though the 4 box remains checked, not the 5). Ben has an open Gift slot, so he fills that slot with the Grievous Harm Gift (Your Heart’s Gifts)—that lets him pay 2 Might tokens to increase the Wound number by an additional 1. He grins as he does so and pays the Might.

The Myth now only keeps s when rolling its Wound. It had 10 Thunder dice when Beatrice Wounded it, and lost 4 dice, leaving 6.

The Mythmaster rolls: . No s! The Myth is Ended!

Ben starts his description of the Ending, and everyone else, including the Mythmaster, join in. There is some rejoicing, some wailing of jötnar mothers, and a lot of Mythic Power flowing around.

Battle in Brief

Starting Rounds & Action Order

The Myth always starts off each round. After that, the Mythenders may choose their order. Once everyone has gone, a new round begins again (provided that both sides are still alive).

Describe Being Awesome

Describe how you’re bringing the pain to your foes. Don’t skimp on the awesome.

Scale

Mythenders have a choice of three scales: Legendary, where you’re doing general badassery; Mythic, where you’re tapping more into Mythic power and accepting Corruption; and Titanic, where you’re tapping so much into Myth that it hurts you while it gives you power.

Legendary actions involve rolling Storm and Thunder dice. Mythic actions also involve the Mythic die and Corruption. Titanic actions involve the Mythic die, Corruption, and risking your Thunder dice to gain many more Lightning and Might tokens.

Myths don’t choose a scale. Everything is described however the Mythmaster likes. From a rules perspective, Myths only roll Legendary actions.

Weapon

You’ll charge or drain a Weapon. If you’re charging a Weapon, you’ll check off one charge box. If you’re draining a Weapon, you’ll check off all the drain boxes that are charged, and gain bonuses based on the boxes drained.

Bonuses from Weapons are Storm dice, though they may become Thunder dice by spending 2 Might tokens—or free, if using a Relic Weapon.

Blight

You may charge or drain a Blight. If you’re charging a Blight, you’ll gain 1 bonus Storm die. If you’re draining a Blight, you’ll erase all of its charges and gain 1 bonus Thunder die for each charge drained.

Roll Dice & Gain Power

Legendary Actions & Myth Actions

For each Thunder die that’s , , or , gain 1 Lightning token. Roll your Storm and Thunder. For each Storm die that’s , , or , gain 1 Thunder die. Take the dice you rolled and all your gains back to their respective pools on your playsheet, discarding all bonus dice.

Mythic Actions

Same as Legendary Actions, but also roll the Mythic die. Gain additional Thunder dice equal to the number on the Mythic die ( means 4 Thunder dice, for example).

Titanic Actions

Roll only Thunder dice, and the Mythic die. For each Thunder die that’s , , or , gain 3 Lightning tokens. Discard each that were 3 or less. Gain Might tokens equal to the number on the Mythic die ( means 4 Might tokens, for example).

The Mythic Die & Suffering Corruption

Immediately suffer Corruption and check to see if you’re force to progress your Fate by comparing the Mythic die to your Corruption number. If you progress your Fate, gain a new Gift slot, which may be filled at any time. If you aren’t forced to, you may still chose to progress your Fate.

Push Forward

You may spend Lightning to cause a Wound. Refer to your foe’s Wound cost.

Myths: if Wounding multiple foes, spend 3 Lightning tokens or 1 Might token for each additional foe. When a foe is Wounded, he checks off the next Wound box and rolls his Thunder dice, keeping only those that are equal to or higher than the Wound number.

You may spend Lightning tokens to cause a Blight and destroy a Blight. Causing a Blight costs 2 Lightning tokens. Destroying a Blight costs 3 Lightning tokens for each charge box checked (minimum 0); if the Blight is Lasting, 6 Lightning tokens for each charge box (minimum 6).

You may cause a Wound, cause a Blight, and destroy a Blight all in the same action, but you may not do more than one of any of those (e.g. Wound twice, make two Blights).

Mythenders who cause effects describe Pushing Forward. Otherwise, the Mythmaster describes Pushing Forward for Mythenders that don’t spend effects, as well as for the Myth.

Death

If a Mythender loses all his Thunder dice—due to being Wounded or rolling a treacherous Titanic action—he may choose between dying and embracing Fate to stave off death. If a Myth loses all its Thunder dice, the battle is over with the Mythenders victorious!

Myth’s Special Tricks

At the beginning of each round after the first, a Myth gains Might equal to its recharge rate. At the end of each round, a Gathering Rage power activates.

Weapon Types

Undrained charges from Intrinsic Weapons are retained after a battle at no cost.

Bonus dice from Relic Weapons may be Thunder dice at no cost.

Companion Weapons gain a free change when you’re Wounded.

Gifts

You may use a Gift you have whenever appropriate, but each one only once per turn unless otherwise specified. You may only use the Swiftness Gift once per round.

Gift slots you gain may be immediately filled in and that Gift used right away, provided you can spend the Might cost and the Gift is something you can do right at the moment you take it. You may also hold off on filling in that Gift slot until a later time, in which case you can use it as soon as you fill it in (provided you’re able to use it in that moment).