OVERVIEW
Ascension is the system you use for all actions that aren’t Rites of the Dragon. It governs exploration, social interaction, environmental challenges, magic, and everything else you might attempt in the world.
When you want to do something uncertain—climb a cliff, convince a merchant, recall ancient lore, survive a blizzard—you roll dice based on which Element governs that action.
THE SIX ELEMENTS
There are six elements which govern actions which a living being might perform: the five familiar elements, of which all things are constructed, and a sixth element— or perhaps the lack thereof— an emptiness, the void.
Red actions are impulsive, physical, brave or foolish. They’re sparked by passion, emotions running high, and a love of freedom above all else.
- Examples: Charging into danger, passionate speeches, daring leaps, acts of defiance
Blue actions are clever, cunning, and logical. They’re taken toward achieving perfection and certainty, fulfilling one’s inherent potential.
- Examples: Analyzing clues, planning ahead, recalling information, manipulation through reason
Green actions are instinctive, harmonious, and accepting of the world as it is. They’re focused on growth, interdependence, and deep context.
- Examples: Reading natural signs, healing, understanding ecosystems, patient waiting
White actions are lawful and selfless. They advance the community rather than the individual, concerned with morality, fairness, and symmetry.
- Examples: Protecting others, keeping promises, enforcing rules, inspiring unity, self-sacrifice
Black actions are powerful and selfish, ambitious, willing to treat anything and everything as a resource to be spent. They involve sacrifice for gain.
- Examples: Intimidation, making deals, exploiting weaknesses, ruthless efficiency, necessary evils
Empty actions are mysterious and defy systematizing ontologies. They concern magic, metaphysics, the will to overcome and transgress the bounds of reality.
- Examples: Walking Strange Paths, touching the numinous, [redacted] things, existential insights
HOW DICE WORK
Starting and Ascending
Each element begins with a d4 die. Through play, your dice can Ascend through the following ranks:
d4 → d6 → d8 → d10 → d12 → d20
Explosions and Ascension
When you roll the maximum value on a die (whether naturally or boosted by Arete), the die explodes:
- Roll the die again
- Add the new result to your previous total
- If you roll max again, the die Ascends—it permanently becomes one rank higher
Example: You’re rolling a d6. You roll a 6 (max). The die explodes! You roll again and get another 6. Your die ascends to d8, and your total roll is 12.
You can keep rolling after an ascension - roll with your brand new shiny die! It can’t Ascend again within that same check, though.
d20 Ascension - Speaking with Authority
If a d20 would Ascend, instead of going higher, you gain the power to sacrifice of that die and declare an unalterable truth in the narrative. You don’t quite force the Dragon from th heavens and speak with Their authority, but it’s the next closest thing.
Discuss in your sidechannel with the Dragon what the details of this unalterable crux of reality are going to be, and then declare it unto the waiting universe.
See “How Dice Become [redacted]” below for further details on this process.
[redacted] DICE
If a die has ascended beyond a certain rank and then drops back down, that die becomes [redacted] to that rank.
[redacted] dice remember what they once were.
An [redacted] die rolls two dice for every die it would normally roll, and takes the best result.
Example: You had a d10, but sacrificed it down to d6 on the Dragon’s authority. Your d6 is now [redacted] unto d8. When you roll, you roll 2d6 and take the better result. When you ascend back to d8, you roll 2d8 and take the better. Once you reach d10, the die is no longer [redacted]—it has returned to its former height.
How Dice Become [redacted]
Voluntary d20 Sacrifice: You can sacrifice a d20 back down to d10 at any time for an Arete payout. That die becomes [redacted] unto d10.
[redacted] Sacrifice (d20 Ascension): When a d20 would ascend, you may perform an [redacted] Sacrifice:
- The die drops all the way to d4
- You gain a large Arete payout
- The die becomes [redacted] unto d20 permanently
- You speak a truth with the Dragon’s authority (but have a private chat with the Dragon, first)
This is the only way to create an [redacted] d20—a permanent mark of the force you came close enough to to touch.
Under certain circumstances, the Dragon may claim a sacrifice from you, or permit you to perform some specific action contingent upon your willingness to pay its cost. This can include specific Techne, or the ability to change your mana balance or Aspect, or the Dragon’s momentary whims.
Under certain circumstances, the Dragon will not ask first.
If dice are sacrificed in such circumstances, you accrue significant Arete from the process. Additionally, dice lost in such a circumstance become [redacted] unto the level they were at before the sacrifice occurred, except if the die was at the highest rank, at which point you will accrue an even greater amount of Arete, but the die will only be [redacted] unto d12.
MAKING ROLLS
When to Roll
Roll your element die when you’re trying to perform an action that:
- Is governed by one of the elements (or Emptiness)
- May or may not succeed
- Isn’t a contested combat (use the Rite of the Dragon for that)
You’re encouraged to suggest rolls even when the Dragon hasn’t requested them, when you think you’re performing an action aligned with one of the elements.
Difficulty Checks (DCs)
The Dragon sets a difficulty for your action. Sometimes you’ll be given a choice:
Example: DC is 4/8. You roll a 6.
- You can succeed at the lower tier (basic success)
- Or fail at the higher tier and gain Arete for the ambitious attempt
Taking Half
If an action is planned in advance (not a snap decision) and the DC is less than or equal to half your die rank, you can choose to take half and automatically succeed without rolling.
Example: You have a d8. Any DC of 4 or less on a planned action, you can just take 4 and succeed automatically.
You can decide to take half after rolling poorly. The Dragon will look at you funny, but it’s allowed.
Choosing Not to Ascend
When a die would ascend (from rolling max on an explosion), you can choose not to ascend and just keep rolling the die.
Example: You roll a d12, get 12, it explodes, you roll 12 again for a total of 24. You could at this point ascend the die to d20, or you could take it as an explosion and keep rolling. If you choose not to ascend a die in such a circumstance, you cannot ascend it in the same check, even if you roll more explosions.
This is especially useful at d20—you might want to take a total of 40 or greater, rather than being forced into an [redacted] Sacrifice.
ARETE - THE CURRENCY OF GROWTH
Arete is gained through failure. When you fail a roll, you gain motes of Arete that represent lessons learned, experience gained, and potential for future success.
Gaining Arete
- Mundane failure: 1 Arete
- Significant, amusing, or dramatically ironic failure: More Arete at Dragon’s discretion
- Sacrificing die ranks: Substantial Arete payouts
Spending Arete
Boost your own roll: Spend 1 Arete to increase your die result by 1 (can spend multiple)
Boost an ally’s roll: Spend 2 Arete to increase an ally’s die result by 1 (in the same scene)
Purchase Techne: Buy permanent abilities that improve your capabilities (see Techne section)
TECHNE - SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Techne are skills, talents, and special abilities you can purchase with Arete. They give you mechanical advantages under specific conditions.
Example Techne
Protector - Lower DC of White rolls by 3 when acting to protect someone you have a duty toward.
Academic - Lower DC of Blue rolls by 3 when researching, analyzing texts, or recalling scholarly knowledge.
Always Prepared - Once per session, declare you happen to have a useful mundane item relevant to your background.
Second Wind - Once per session, reroll any failed check.
More Techne options will be provided, and you can work with the Dragon to create custom Techne that fit your character.
STARLIGHT - CONSTELLATION POWERS
You are Starlit by your constellation. When your constellation’s trigger condition is active, you gain a significant advantage.
Using Starlight
Before rolling, when your trigger is active, choose one:
- Roll 2 dice (or 4 if [redacted]) and take the better result
- Lower the DC significantly
- Raise the stakes of success significantly
The Thirteen Constellations
The Empty Space - When dealing with complete unknowns, unnatural phenomena, existential dread, or Fate.
The Key-and-Gate - When opening new doors, literal or metaphorical. Pathfinding, or changing minds.
The Lantern-and-Eye - When finding correlations in data, seeking new information, processing narrative, putting pieces together.
The Beating Heart - If you don’t give up, no matter what, no matter how insane it is not to.
The Duelist’s Mask - If you’re hiding in the shadows, or playing a role; doing what is necessary.
The Unburnt Book - When keeping information alive at all costs, and standing up for liberty in the face of death.
The Sundered Wolf - When you destroy something beautiful and unique, or when you violate a norm for what you feel is a good reason.
The Hollow Skull - For seeing something through to the end, and enforcing that which feels inevitable.
The Golden Lion - When you’ve been underestimated and ill-considered, but you’re the one who’s playing to win.
The Fiend-Engine - When building things with complex moving parts, literal or metaphorical, with grand hopes of completing a Great Work.
The Soldier-and-Brother - For fighting unwinnable fights and standing for idealistic causes; for acting in support of a forbidden love.
The Falling Leaf - When you help something to a gentle conclusion, or providing comfort to those in need.
The Dreaming Serpent - When laying the groundwork for a long-term plan, or executing on that plan patiently considered.
QUICK REFERENCE
Die Progression
d4 → d6 → d8 → d10 → d12 → d20
When Dice Explode
- Roll max value → Roll again and add to total
- Roll max on explosion → Die ascends one rank
- d20 ascends → Speak an unalterable truth OR make [redacted] Sacrifice
[redacted] Dice
- Roll 2 dice, take best result
- Created by: chosen sacrifice from d20, sacrifices claimed by the Dragon, other circumstances
- [redacted] unto d20 only from: [redacted] Sacrifice when d20 ascends
Arete Uses
- 1 Arete = +1 to your roll
- 2 Arete = +1 to ally’s roll
- Spend to purchase Techne
Taking Half
- Must be planned action (not snap decision)
- DC ≤ half your die rank
- Auto-succeed without rolling
Growth comes through failure. Ascension comes through perseverance. Truth comes through sacrifice.