Dracurouge:Rule Section

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# INTRODUCTION

## TO YE HONORABLE KNIGHTS

Welcome to our magnificent Land of the Everdark!

This book, "Knights of the Everdark: Dracurouge," is the rulebook for a tabletop role-playing game (henceforth abbreviated as TRPG.) A TRPG is a game in which a single game master, in this game known as "Dracul," works together with Player Characters (henceforth abbreviated as PCs) role-played by the other players in order to create a story together.

Contained in this book are the rules that will allow you to create that story, as well as an explanation of the setting. Even if you are already an experienced TRPG player, you should read the entire book thoroughly at least once.

## WHAT IS DRACUROUGE?

In the Land of the Everdark, the Sun shines above us no longer, and creatures of the night rule the world—clans of noble undead known as "Knights." This TRPG tells the story of these knights and this land.

The knights of the Everdark are haunted by the specter of their impending fall from grace. They must live their lives with strength, nobility and beauty to resist succumbing to the monsters within themselves. Such is the Knightly Path.

## THE OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME

The central goal of this game is for Dracul and the players to tell a single story together, from beginning to end. Though it is called a "game," it is not a competition, nor does it have winners and losers. Banish all such notions from your mind now.

A TRPG is a tapestry upon which a variety of different stories can be told, from the pastoral to the thrilling. But it is not a tapestry that can be woven alone. The players are the threads; Dracul is the loom. Both must cooperate in order to weave a story, and the story reflects what all of them put into it.

That's why it's important to keep in mind that the objective of players in this game is not for their PCs to win. Even if the PCs end up in conflict with each other, the players must maintain a spirit of mutual cooperation. This will allow them to make the story interesting for everyone. Cooperation is one of the key concepts around which this TRPG is designed.

## ESSENTIAL TERMS

In this section, you'll learn various important terms used throughout these books. While these terms are all explained in more detail in other sections, you should be familiar with them in case they appear before you read those sections.

### SETTING TERMINOLOGY

- The Everdark -

The setting of this game. 2000 years ago, the ancestor of the knights, Dracul, swallowed up the sun; no longer does it shine in the sky, and that is why this land has been known as the Everdark ever since. Knights of Dracul's bloodline strive to preserve and defend the Everdark to this day.

- Knight -

Knights are the members of the six noble clans that consider it their duty to protect the Everdark. They are similar to what we would today call 'vampires,' but also possess a mighty power known as 'Realization.' As the Sun has been destroyed, they have few weaknesses and are essentially immortal.

Their main vulnerabilities are the condition of thirst brought on by loneliness and fatigue, and the risk of falling if they do not live in keeping with the Knightly Path.

- Realization -

The miraculous ability to rewrite parts of the world with sheer force of will, possessed by all knights. Using this ability, knights can manipulate all of their surroundings as they please.

- Falling -

The most common means by which knights cease to be. When knights accumulates more thirst than they can bear, they turn into creatures akin to beasts, abominations far more fearsome than any knight. This is known as falling. To fall is the ultimate sin for a knight, and to allow other knights to fall the ultimate shame. As a result, it is the duty of all knights to hunt and slay their fallen comrades.

In order to prevent this from coming to pass, all knights must share affection with their comrades and loved ones in order to erase their thirst with warmth. If one's thirst is not promptly sated, one will inevitably turn into a werewolf, black goat, or nightbeast. This process is irreversible, and there is no recourse left for a fallen knight but to be hunted down and dealt with.

### RULE TERMINOLOGY

- Dracul -

The special player known in most other TRPGs as the "dungeon master" or "game master." They serve as the host of the game, directing the scenario, maintaining the pace of the game and making sure that everyone follows the rules. In recognition of their authority, in Dracurouge they assume the mantle of the very creator of the Everdark itself, the great Ancestor Dracul.

Though Dracul does not have a player character of their own, it's important to remember that they are a participant in the game as well—they have the right to enjoy themselves.

- Player -

A participant in the TRPG. When used in this book, it typically denotes a player other than Dracul who role-plays their own PC.

- Scenario -

A scenario is that period of play which covers a single, self-contained story in Dracurouge. While the same scenario may last for several meetings of the players, and the same characters may journey through several scenarios, the game is designed with relatively short plot arcs in mind.

Each scenario consists of three divisions known as Pre-Play, Main Play, and Post-Play. Main Play, in which the story itself is told, is divided into Acts, which are in turn divided into Scenes.

- Character -

As with characters in a book and characters in a movie, characters are fictional personages that appear within the story.

- PC -

Player characters, or PCs, are those characters created and role-played by each individual player. They can be considered to be the 'main characters' of every scenario.

In Dracurouge, the PCs are all knights who became immortal after having accolades bestowed upon them. The various actions that they can take are determined by their choices of House, Path, and Renown.

- NPC -

Non-player characters, or NPCs, are characters role-played by Dracul that interact with the PCs in order to tell the story.

- Actions -

The various abilities possessed by the PCs. They are divided into Combat Actions and Social Actions.

- Exemplum -

A special ability unique to every PC that has an ongoing effect.

- Bonds -

The emotional connections that the PCs share with each other and with other characters. They are divided into Rouge and Noir.

- Rouge -

Bonds that represent a positive emotion felt by a PC towards someone. There are 6 different types of Rouge, and when fulfilled, they allow the PC to acquire warmth.

- Noir -

Bonds that represent a negative emotion felt by a PC towards someone. There are 6 different types of Noir, and when fulfilled, they force the PC to acquire thirst.

- Warmth -

Points acquired by a PC when they succeed in fulfilling Rouge. They can be used to decrease that PC's thirst.

- Thirst -

Points acquired by a PC when one of their Noir becomes fulfilled. Although possessing thirst makes a PC stronger, if they acquire too much, they place themselves at risk of falling. A fallen PC can no longer be played.

- Noblesse Oblige -

Points acquired by a PC as a reward for elegant, valorous or otherwise knightly actions. They can be used to reroll dice.

### GENERAL TERMINOLOGY

- nd6 -

An instruction to roll n six-sided dice.

- d66 -

A special method of rolling the dice. Roll two six-sided dice, then choose one die to be the ones digit and the other to be the tens digit of the final result. You should then have a number between 11 and 66.

- Various types of brackets: will add later -

# SCENARIO FLOW

* Note: I decided to rename Session to Scenario to remove the implication that each session has to be a single meeting, since, you know, we don't do eight-hour TRPG marathons as much as the Japanese like to. The term 'Scenario' for a written module is probably impossible to preserve, but also not very important.

Each scenario can be broadly divided into three phases known as Pre-Play, Main Play and Post-Play. Though the terminology may make it sound like a rigid process, Pre-Play and Post-Play refer in general to the normal actions you would take to prepare for and clean up after any game.

## PRE-PLAY IN DETAIL

Pre-Play is essential, and this section will explain why. You can't just jump into a TRPG without doing any preparation at all, whether you're Dracul, or a player. In the first place, you should consider Pre-Play to include the task of actually getting together for a session. This means making the time and place of the session clear to everyone if you're Dracul, and showing up on time or letting Dracul know in advance that you can't make it if you're a player.

Use the tools at your disposal such as the phone, e-mail, and your social networks to arrange this.

DECIDING WHO DRACUL IS

Prior to starting the game, and ideally prior to the session itself, you must decide who Dracul is.

Anyone can assume the mantle of Dracul, but of course it is essential that they be present at the session. It's best to decide well in advance so that someone isn't forced into the role who doesn't want it, and so that the chosen Dracul has a chance to prepare.

SESSION TIMING

All of the players should make allowances for the timing of the session. If possible, it's best to dedicate an entirely free day to each session. For an online session, you should make sure to be specific about the date and time.

PREPARING THE PLACE

When all the players are gathered, you should choose a place to play. Whether you decide to use a public space or somebody's house, make sure that you have permission to use it and that everyone accounts for the time it takes to get there.

CREATING PCS

If any player (other than Dracul) hasn't already created a PC, they should do so during Pre-Play. Make sure to account for the extra time this will take in your scheduling.

SEATING ORDER

In order to make turn order easy, consider sitting around the table in the order of the PCs' Paths: Nightbeast -> Hunter -> Pilgrim -> Guard -> Lord -> Sage.

## MAIN PLAY

As its name implies, Main Play is the main part of the scenario, where the participants cooperate to create a story together. It is divided into segments known as the Prologue, the Main Act, the Final Act, and the Epilogue. Each of these in turn contain a number of different scenes.

Page 227 shows a chart that each participant that illustrates the flow of the game. Each term will be explained in more detail later.

Pre-Play

```
   Handout
   PC Creation, etc.

```

Main Play

```
   Prologue
       PC Self-Introduction
       Lasting Bonds
       Scenario Introduction, etc.
   Main Act
       Combat or Social Scene
       Intermission
       Combat or Social Scene
       Intermission
       ...
   Final Act
   Intermission
   Epilogue

```

Post-Play

### SCENES

A scenario consists of a series of scenes. Each scene takes place at a different place and time, and focuses on a different series of events. How a scene is typically run is explained below.

* Describe the scene

Dracul should inform the players of what the scene is about - i.e. where and when it is taking place, and what is happening. This does not have to be in great detail, but the players may find themselves aimless if thrown into a scene without any objectives for their characters to accomplish, or proactive NPCs for them to react to. The players themselves are welcome to suggest their next course of action.

* Play out the scene

Those involved in the scene should all play it out according to their own wishes. Social Scenes, Combat Scenes, and the Final Act all have various rules that affect the way those scenes are played out.

* Ending the scene

When Dracul judges that the objective of the scene has been accomplished, the scene should end promptly. It is then followed by an intermission.

### THE PROLOGUE

The Prologue is the first part of the game proper, taking place immediately after Pre-Play and at the beginning of Main Play. During the Prologue, each player introduces their PC and acquires their starting Bonds. Dracul may also wish to explain other information or special rules pertinent to the scenario at this time.

#### SELF-INTRODUCTIONS

At the beginning of the Prologue, each player should briefly introduce their PC.

Scenes will go smoother when every player knows basic information about the other PCs that their characters would also logically know. Of course, if Dracul approves, it is also permissible for their characters to be complete strangers to each other.

#### LASTING BONDS

Dracul may, at this time, assign the characters Lasting Bonds to a pivotal NPC in the scenario.

Lasting Bonds are special Bonds fundamental to the story that will remain in force until its conclusion. Unlike other Bonds, Lasting Bonds do not disappear when fulfilled, but instead reset to 1 point. They can also not be caused to disappear by any means other than the end of the scenario or Dracul's express permission.

If a scenario is intended to last longer than one session, and you repeat the Pre-Play process, PCs that already have Lasting Bonds should not acquire them again a second time at the beginning of the following sessions.

During Pre-Play, the PCs can also freely form Bonds with each other if they mutually agree upon them. Generally these should be Rouge, but if Dracul approves they can also be Noir. These all begin with 1 point.

Players can, with Dracul's permission, form additional Bonds with NPCs in the same way.

If any players want to have a bond with each other but can't decide what it should be, they can roll 1d6 and consult the following table.

1d6 Rouge Noir

1 Pity Contempt
2 Friendship Jealousy
3 Trust Desire
4 Love Anger
5 Respect Killing Intent
6 Loyalty Grudge

### THE MAIN ACT

The Main Act is the part of each scenario where the PCs take center stage and the bulk of the story is told.

Each Main Act is composed of a multitude of social scenes and combat scenes, which can be thought of as the different sets of a play. These two types of scenes allow for different sorts of Actions which are reflected differently in the narrative, even though the rules used to handle them are the same.

By default, every PC appears automatically in every scene, though Dracul is at liberty to change this.

#### SOCIAL SCENES

Social scenes are those scenes that depict conversations, peaceful journeys, or other occurrences that can be considered part of everyday life. That is not to say that conflict is not in play and tensions are not running high, but even if they are, there is a veneer of civility over it all and an observer from afar might mistake the occasion for a calm one. Drawing one's blade on an occasion like this would be a most unchivalrous act.

As a result, during social scenes, PCs can only use Social Actions.

#### COMBAT SCENES

Combat scenes, unsurprisingly, depict martial combat or a similar conflict of wills. Be it a clash of blades or a similarly competitive occasion like an argument or race, the characters involved are holding nothing back when it comes to striving to best one another. They can exhibit their true power at such times.

During combat scenes, PCs can only use Combat Actions.

#### ROUND PROGRESSION

Mechanically, each scene is divided into abstract units of time known as rounds. As its name indicates, Round Progression refers to the process of these rounds taken place. During each round, both PCs and NPCs can perform a number of actions.

##### THE ROUND LIMIT

Scenes during the Main Act are all automatically terminated after the end of the second round. If it does not make narrative sense for them to end at this time, they can continue, but only in roleplay—no further mechanical effects happen, and Dracul should try to move on to another scene as soon as possible.

### THE FINAL ACT

The Final Act is the climax of the story. It is treated as a special scene; although the Final Act uses Round Progression, PCs can use both Social Actions and Combat Actions during this scene.

#### EXCEPTION TO THE ROUND LIMIT

Unlike other scenes, the Final Act does not have a round limit. It lasts until the either all of the PCs or all hostile NPCs have been incapacitated. Alternately, Dracul can declare it to be over when the objective of the scene has been accomplished.

#### NOBLESSE OBLIGE DURING THE FINAL ACT

The amount of Noblesse Oblige that can be used on a single check during the Climax is equal to the current round number. So during the first round, only 1 point can be used during each check, and during the 3rd round, 3 points can be used.

### THE EPILOGUE

The epilogue is, much as its name indicates, the epilogue of the story. Round Progression does not occur during it and no checks can be made. It is nothing more than the natural conclusion to the story in accordance with the actions that the PCs have taken thus far. Each player is welciome to roleplay however they would like. Dracul, of course, is is also free to roleplay in any fashion.

When Dracul judges the story has been brought to a satisfactory close, the Epilogue ends and Post-Play begins.

### INTERMISSIONS

At the end of each scene, there is a brief pause known as intermission. When the intermission is complete, the next scene begins. An intermission is not a scene of its own.

During every intermission, each PC can increase or decrease one Bond of their choice by a single point. They can also choose to create a new Bond with 1 point.

The intermission following the Final Act is a special one in which two unique events take place.

First, each PC should use their warmth to erase any remaining thirst they have at this time, to the extent that it is possible. Warmth cannot be carried over to future sessions, so there is no reason not to use it.

Second, after all PCs have used their remaining warmth, if any of them still have 3 or more thirst, they will have to roll one last time on the Fall Table.

## POST-PLAY

Post-Play mainly involves cleaning up after yourself, as is necessary gaming etiquette, but there are two final tasks related to PCs in preparation for using them in the next scenario.

If you were playing a one-shot and don't intend to use the same PCs again, you can skip these.

### THE PCS RESET

If any PC has any remaining warmth or Noblesse Oblige, both of those reset to 0 points.
However, thirst and all Bonds the PC still possesses carry over as-is to the next session.

### PC ADVANCEMENT

After completing a session, all the players who participated get the chance to advance or alter their PCs. This can generally be left for the players themselves to do, but events that took place during the scenario may compel them to alter their character in certain ways, or they may wish to ask Dracul for suggestions.

When players wish to advance or change things about PCs, they must inform Dracul of their plans and have them approved. It is possible to do this between sessions or during Pre-Play as well.

* Acquiring new Renown or an Exemplum

The PCs can acquire a single new Renown, or choose a new Exemplum available within the Renown they already have.

* Acquiring a new Action or Path

If a player wants to change their available Actions before the next session, they can choose new Actions available within their existing House and Path and change to those.
If Dracul approves, they can also change to a new Path entirely. Everything about their character, from their Vow to their Actions, will then reflect the new Path.

* Changing Lasting Bonds

If between scenarios (or even during a scenario, if there's a good reason) a player wants to change the nature of their PC's Lasting Bonds, they can do so with Dracul's approval. If they want to swap between a Rouge and a Noir, the bond resets to 1 point of intensity.

# BONDS

This section explains in detail one of the most key concepts of Dracurouge, Bonds. As a refresher, the word Rouge refers to a Bond based on a positive emotion, and the word Noire to a Bond based on a negative emotion.

## ACQUIRING BONDS

The various actions that PCs can perform, as well as the choices players make during intermissions, may allow them to acquire new Bonds towards a target. Both Rouge and Noir come in 6 different types, such as Friendship or Anger, indicating the emotion that they represent. You can have multiple Rouge and/or Noir towards the same target, as long as they represent a different emotion.

When acquiring a new bond, every player can choose the type of bond acquired, within the limits prescribed by the action that lead to it. For example, most actions specify that one must acquire either Rouge or Noir, rather than allowing a choice between the two. It is also common for them to specify the target of the bond.

When one acquires a bond of the same type and towards the same target as a bond they already have, rather than gaining an identical bond, it adds points of intensity to the existing bond. Bonds can have from 1 to 5 points, while bonds that do not exist are considered to have 0 points (and if something causes a bond to be reduced to 0 points, it generally ceases to exist.)

Consult the tables below for the 6 different types of both Rouge and Noir.

ROUGE
Keyword Details

Pity
Friendship
Trust
Love
Respect
Loyalty

NOIR
Keyword Details

Contempt
Jealousy
Desire
Anger
Killing I.
Grudge

## BONDS AND POINTS

If something would cause you to acquire a bond that you already have a second time, it instead strengthens the bond by adding additional points to it.

If a Bond accumulates 5 or more points, that bond becomes fulfilled and turns into either thirst or warmth. The fulfilled Bond is then erased.
However, if the bond had in excess of 5 points, a new bond of the same type is created with the excess points assigned to it.

* If a Rouge is fulfilled: Gain 1 point of Warmth
* If a Noir is fulfilled: Gain 1 point of Thirst

If a Bond would drop to 0 points or below, it disappears.

## LASTING BONDS

Each PC has Lasting Bonds, most commonly assigned to them by Dracul during the Pre-Act, or taken towards the other PCs by each player. Lasting Bonds are for the most part handled with the same rules as other bonds, but are marked on a different section of the character sheet.

When a Lasting Bond is fulfilled, it is not erased, but instead resets to having 1 point. If a Lasting Bond would drop to 0 points or below, it also resets to having 1 point.

Other than by gaining and losing points, Lasting Bonds cannot be modified and altered in any way until the end of the scenario without Dracul's express permission.

Like other Bonds, Lasting Bonds carry over to the next scenario.

## NOIR TOWARDS YOURSELF

By taking 1 point of Noir towards themselves, any PC can reroll a a number of dice equal only to the number of dice they rolled for the check. This can be done multiple times on the same check, but if you acquire Noir towards yourselves to the point that it is fulfilled and turns into Thirst, you can no longer reroll that check.

## WARMTH

When you fulfill a Rouge, you acquire Warmth.

At any time, as long as they have at least 1 point of Warmth, a PC can decrease their Warmth by 1 in order to also decrease their Thirst by 1.

Any unused Warmth is lost at the end of the session.

## THIRST

When you fulfill a Noir, you acquire Thirst.

The only way to decrease your Thirst is by using Warmth.

When making a Check, players can add the amount of Thirst they have to the largest die roll in their Action Check (this can cause the die roll to exceed 7.)

Example: If a PC has 2 Thirst, when making their Action Check, they can add 2 to the highest die roll.

## THE FALL TABLE

When a PC gains Thirst and it results in their Thirst being 3 or higher, they must immediately roll [2d6-Thirst] on the Fall Table, and repeat this every time they gain Thirst until it drops back below 2.

In addition, in the intermission following the Epilogue, if they still have 3 or more Thirst, they must roll on the Fall Table one more time.

You may reroll on the Fall Table and the Omen Table by taking a point of Noir towards yourself. However, just like on checks, if you fulfill your Noir towards yourself, you can not reroll any longer.

FALL TABLE

Roll Effect
0 or less You have completely Fallen. You immediately become a Wallflower and also a Werewolf, Black Goat, or Nightbeast. After the current scene, you are removed from the game. Refer to "Destruction and Complete Falls" on page 247.
1 Your tainted spirit warps your physical form... Roll twice on the Omen Table. After the end of the session, your Path changes to Nightbeast (unless it already is.)
2~3 Your tainted spirit warps your physical form... Roll once on the Omen Table. After the end of the session, your Path changes to Nightbeast (unless it already is.)
4-5 Your noble heart has at long last fallen. You lose all Rouge you have towards the target with which you have the highest number of Rouge. You gain points of Noir equal to the number of Rouge you lost. If this causes your Thirst to increase to 3 or higher, roll on the Fall Table again.
6 The beast inside you stirs... You take 2 points of Noir of your choice towards the target whose Noir caused you to roll on the Fall Table.
7 The beast inside you stirs... You take 1 points of Noir of your choice towards the target whose Noir caused you to roll on the Fall Table.
8 You suppress your raging heart... It's a painful feeling, but nothing happens.
9 You calm your wild emotions and regain control of yourself! Decrease your Thirst by 1!

OMEN TABLE

Roll Effect
2 You have completely Fallen. You immediately become a Wallflower and also a Werewolf, Black Goat, or Nightbeast. After the current scene, you are removed from the game. Refer to "Destruction and Complete Falls" on page 247.
3 Your head becomes that of a beast (A wolf, a Black Goat, a bat, etc.)
4 You grow the wings of a night bird.
5 You grow the wings of a bat.
6 Your hands mutate, growing long talons.
7 Two twisted horns sprout from your head.
8 You grow the ears and tail of a wolf.
9 Your skin takes upon a deathly pallor.
10 Your eyes glimmer with sinister light.
11 Your fangs protrude, like a wolf's.
12 You undergo no visible change...

Warning: If you roll an Omen that you already have on the Omen Table, you do not have to roll again, but you are mechanically considered to possess that Omen twice. Write it a second time on your character sheet.

## PRESENCE

Unlike PCs, NPCs have a measurement called Presence. This is similar to Hit Points in other TRPGs, and replaces the Thirst and Warmth that other characters possess as a simpler way of tracking their endurance.

### DECREASING PRESENCE

PCs may use Actions that normally form Bonds upon NPCs. However, instead of adding points of Rouge and Noir, they instead decrease their target's Presence by the same number of points. It does not matter whether the bond is Rouge or Noir; they both decrease the target's Presence.

Combat Actions that do this can be considered direct attacks against the target, while Social Actions can be envisioned as talking them down or otherwise dissuading them from hostile actions.

When an NPC's Presence is reduced to 0 or below, they become a Wallflower, and every PC gains one point of Warmth.

### WALLFLOWERS =

A NPC with no Presence, or a character of another type whom has fallen, is known as a Wallflower.

As far as the rules are concerned, Wallflowers have ceased to exist. They cannot be made the target of any action and nothing can affect them.

However, if Dracul wishes, NPCs that become Wallflowers can continue to be present in the narrative. The same is true of fallen characters.

## ROUND PROGRESSION

This section explains in detail the Round Progression system used during scenes.

Scenes are divided into abstract units of time known as Rounds, and the process of going through these is known as Round Progression. The PCs' goal in Round Progression is most commonly to decrease the Presence of the Supporting Roles in order to advance the story to the next step.

During every Round, each PC and NPC gets to take turns. With their turns, they can take Actions in order to create or strengthen Rouge and Noir, and converse and roleplay to weave an exciting narrative around themselves.

Once all parties have taken their turns, the Round ends.

Round Progression Starts
 Declare Participating NPCs
 Decide Position of Characters
Round Start
 Noblesse Oblige
 Acquire Resistance
 PC Turns
 Nightbeast
 Hunter
 Pilgrim
 Vanguard
 Lord
 Sage
 NPC Turns
 Choose and roleplay Actions
 Choose and roleplay Resistance
 Move
 Turn End Processing
 Harmony
Round Progression Ends When...
 All PCs or NPCs retreat
 Round Limit Reached

### THE START OF ROUND PROGRESSION

* Declare participating NPCs

Dracul should begin by declaring which NPCs are participating in Round Progression and placing them on the Area Map.

* Place Characters

All PCs and NPCs should be placed on the Area Map.

* The Area Map

The Area Map consists of three neighboring areas known as the Throne, the Court, and the Garden arranged in a line.

The titles of these areas refer metaphorically to the interior, the middle, and the periphery. They are not literally a throne, a court, and a garden. (Not always, in any case.)

* Area Borders

The line between the Throne and the Court, as swell as between the Court and the Garden, are known as Area Borders. They can be thought of as pathways that connect areas to areas, and can be targeted by some Actions.

* NPC placement

Dracul is at liberty to place NPCs anywhere, though if using a pre-made scenario, it may specify a location for them.

* PC placement

Finally, each Player can choose to place their own PC in either the Court or the Garden.

### THE STEPS OF ROUND PROGRESSION

During Round Progression, Rounds repeat, and the situation changes as it does. Below are listed the steps of Round Progression.

* Noblesse Oblige

At the beginning of the round, Dracul gives every player one free point of Noblisse Oblige.

* Acquiring Resistance

Each PC then acquires 2 points of Resistance, with which they can make Resistance Checks. This allows them to make hostile Actions performed against them more difficult.

The amount of Resistance available to each player resets each round. It cannot be kept from one round to the next if unused.

* Turn Order

Unless some effect specifies otherwise, all PCs take their turns before NPCs do.

* PC Turn Order

PCs take turns on the order of their Paths.

Nightbeast -> Hunter -> Pilgrim -> Vanguard -> Lord -> Sage

If multiple PCs have the same Path, they should choose among themselves which of them will go first and stick to this order throughout the session.

* PC Turns

Dracul should inform each player when their turn comes. After that, the active player performs the following steps.

* Action Check and Movement

Roll the dice, then before you choose your actions, decide whether you are going to move.

* Choose and roleplay your actions

Choose which actions you can use with the dice you rolled. You may roleplay at this time if you wish. After Dracul has finished executing and roleplaying the results of all your actions, your turn ends.

* Turn end

If necessary, process any effects of Actions that specify they take effect at the end of your turn. The turn is then over.

* NPC turns

Dracul should follow the below steps to execute NPC turns.
It is not necessary to go through their turns one by one; they can all be executed at once.

* Move the NPCs

If Dracul wishes, each NPCs can move to an adjacent area.

* Choose actions

Dracul should choose an action based on the Initiative available during each Scene and select actions for the NPCs to use, roleplaying if neccesary. The default Initiative is [The number of PCs x 7].

* Resistance Checks

The PCs can make Resistance Checks at this time.

* End Turn

When Dracul is finished the turn is over.

* Harmony

During scenes specified by the scenario, each PC may gain an extra point to one of their Bonds. This is known as Harmony.

It can be thought of as a tool to bring about a certain mood in the scenario, like background music.

* Round ends

At the end of the round, every PC loses any remaining Resistance they have, and then the round is over.

#### THE END OF ROUND PROGRESSION

Round progression ends when the following criteria are met.

* All PCs or NPCs are incapacitated

When either all PCs or NPCs participating in Round Progression have withdrawn or become Wallflowers, Dracul should declare Round Progression to be over.

* Round Limit Reached

In scenes other than the Final Act, when the Round Limit is reached, Dracul should declare Round Progression to be over.

### SERVANTS

Below are the special rules for servants.

* Noir caused by Servants

If a character hostile to the servant's master is in the same area as them, and that character attempts to move to another area, they take a point of Noir towards the master of that servant.

* Servants killing each other

If two servants with different allegiances are in the same area, rather than inflicting Noir, they turn one of the opposing Servants into a wallflower.

* Multiple servant effects

If multiple types of servants are present in the same area, they all have effects as normal. For example, if there is a type of servant that grants allies Resistance Power and another type of servant that grants them Applause Points, allies in the area receive both these effects. However, if either servant becomes a Wallflower, the effect they produce is lost.

* Servant movement

At the end of the round, the master of a servant may choose to move them to an adjacent area.

## CHECKS AND ACTIONS

This section of the rules, perhaps the most important one, covers the Actions that characters can take, and the Checks that determine which Actions are possible to take and if they are successful. Needless to say, these rules are critical to know.

There are two types of Checks: those used to determine your ability to take Actions, known as Action Checks, and those used to oppose NPC actions, known as Resistance Checks.

### NOBLESSE OBLIGE =

It is Dracul's duty to award all the PCs with a bonus issued in anticipation of their elegant, valorous and knightly actions. This bonus is known as Noblesse Oblige. It can be thought of as applause for those splendid knights who have arrived to set all that is amiss in the world right once again.

Dracul gives each player a point of Noblesse Oblige at the beginning of each round. Actions taken by the PCs may allow them to acquire additional Noblesse Oblige.

Noblesse Oblige is primarily used by the players to add additional dice to their Action Checks.

### ACTION CHECKS

The Check made in order to determine which Actions a PC can take is known as an Action Check.
The process of making them follows the steps listed below:

* Roll the dice

The player by default rolls 4d6.
This may be altered by another Action someone has taken, an Exemplum, or a similar ongoing effect. They may also use Noblesse Oblige to roll additional dice.

* Using Noblesse Oblige

As long as a player has at least 1 point of Noblesse Oblige, they may spend a point of Noblesse Oblige to increase the number of dice rolled on their Action Check by 1.
By default, only a single point of Noblesse Oblige can be used per Action Check. However, during the Final Act, the number of points of Noblesse Oblige that can be used is equal to the number of the current Round. For example, during the third round, up to 3 points of Noblesse Oblige can be used per Action Check.

* The Pips of Glory

If either at least two 1s or two 6s are rolled on an Action Check, an extra 10 is added to the check per such pair rolled, as if that number had been rolled on an additional die. This rule is known as "The Pips of Glory."

Example 1: A roll of 2, 4, 6, 6 becomes 2, 4, 6, 6, 10.
Example 2: A roll of 1, 1, 1, 1 becomes 1, 1, 1, 1, 10, 10.
Example 3: A roll of 3, 6, 6, 6, becomes 3, 6, 6, 6, 10 as only a single pair of two was rolled.

* Dice Modifiers

The numbers rolled may be altered by another Action someone has taken, an Exemplum, or a similar ongoing effect. They may also be modified by your Thirst.

* Dice Modifiers applied by Thirst

If a PC has 1 or more points of Thirst, they may add the number of points of Thirst they have to their highest die roll. This can increase the number rolled to 7 or above. However, if the Pips of Glory were invoked, Thirst should not be added to any of the extra 10s added by it.

Example: A PC with 2 Thirst rolls 1, 3, 5, 5. This becomes 1, 3, 5, 7.

* Movement

After rolling the dice, but prior to choosing their Actions, a player can decide to move their PC to an adjacent area on the Area Map.

* Choosing Actions

The player can now choose Actions from among those available to them, and choose targets for those Actions so long as they are within range.

When they do this, they must spend dice from their Action Check in order to pay the Cost of each Action. They can combine multiple dice in order to pay for a single Action, and also use any die to pay the cost of a cheaper Actions. However, the following things are not possible:

- Dividing a single die roll to pay for multiple Actions.
- Executing the same Action multiple times even if you could afford the cost.

Example of legal dice use: If the dice rolled are 2, 3, 3, 6, then the 3 can be used to perform an action with cost 3 or less.
The 3 and 6 can also be added together to perform one action with cost 9 or less.
The two 3s an be added together to perform one action with cost 6 or less.
All the dice can be used separately to perform four actions which respectively have cost 2 or less, cost 3 or less, cost 3 or less, and cost 6 or less.
All four dice can be added together to perform one action with cost 14 or less.

Example of illegal dice use: If the dice rolled are 2, 2, 5, 6, and you want to perform actions with costs of 2, 3, 4, and 6, even though the sum of both are 15, you can't. You'll have to give up on one of the two cheapest actions.

* Payments

The total value of die or dice paid for each Action is known as the Payment. As long as the Payment equals or exceeds the minimum Cost of the Action, the Action can be taken.

* Actions take effect

Once the conditions to activate them have been satisfied, the Actions take effect.
At this time, Dracul or the players are welcome to roleplay. You can use the Reaction Table on page 221 or think of something by yourself.

* Check ends

After the player no longer has any actions they can take or wish to take, the Action Check ends.

### RESISTANCE CHECKS

When other characters take Actions, the PCs can attempt to negate them using Resistance Checks. NPCs, however, cannot do this.

Not sure what the second sentence here refers to.

The rules of making a Resistance Check are described below

* Resistance Power

Resistance Power expresses the number of dice available to a player for them to make Resistance Checks with. Normally, this is a maximum of 2 per round. However, Actions may increase or decrease the amount available to them.

* Choosing the target

Each PC can choose to target a single Action taken during each turn. This is not limited by the area the user of the action is in, or its target.
Moreover, multiple PCs may attempt Resistance Checks against the same action. If they mutually agree to, they can combine the result of their Resistance Checks into a single sum.

* Roll the dice

The PC making the Resistance Checks rolls a number of dice equal to the amount of Resistance they are spending. The sum of these dice is known as their Result.
Die rolls for a Resistance Check differ from an Action Check in the following ways:
- Noblesse Oblige cannot be spent.
- The Pips of Glory cannot be invoked.

* Resistance Checks and cost

If the character making the Resistance Check is a target of the targeted action, and the result of the Resistance Check is equal to or exceeds the cost of the action, the action is negated.

If the character making the Resistance Check is not a target of the targeted action, and the result of the Resistance Check exceeds the cost of the action, the action is negated.

* Acquiring Bonds

When an action targeting another character is successfully negated, the player of that character may, if Dracul permits, take one point of Rouge towards the PC that negated the action. If the attempt to negate this action fails, Dracul may tell the PC who attempted to do so to take a point of Noir towards the user of the action.

not sure what this last sentence means

## OTHER RULES

### THE EFFECTS OF THE SUN

The Sun is the most dreaded enemy of the Knights. To represent its effects, Bonds towards it are handled with special rules.

#### NOIR TOWARDS THE SUN

Certain enemy NPCs possess Actions which inflict points of "Noir towards the Sun." Bonds with the Sun, such as these, are handled specially to reflect the uniqueness of such NPCs.
They obey the following rules.

* No PC can ever possess Rouge towards the Sun.
* A PC that fulfills a Noir towards the Sun immediately loses 1 point of Warmth (they do not gain Thirst.)
* If a PC has 0 points of Warmth, and fulfills a Noir towards the Sun, they are destroyed.

#### DESTRUCTION AND COMPLETE FALLS

As knights, PCs in this game are virtually immortal. Yet there are means by which they can be destroyed or meet with a similarly permanent fate.

While how these should be roleplayed is up to Dracul and the players, both should refer to the sections below to learn the precise consequences of these tragedies.

In most cases, a PC that suffers such a fate immediately becomes a Wallflower. Like NPCs who become Wallflowers, they cease to exist so far as the rules are concerned. They are no longer subject to rule effects of any kind and cannot be targeted by actions.
A PC that has become a Wallflower is, at the end of the scene, considered to have left the game or been destroyed.
Until then, Dracul may allow the player to roleplay out their last moments.

##### COMPLETE FALLS

Some results on the Fall Table may cause a PC to experience a Complete Fall.
A character who has completely fallen transforms either into a werewolf, a Black Goat, or a Nightbeast. The player can choose which one to become.

* If PCs die

When a player's PC is destroyed, Dracul can allow them to continue participating in the scenario by letting them roleplay Supporting NPCs present in scenes. In addition, Dracul may have fallen PCs reappear in a future scene as Supporting NPCs with a Presence of 5. Dracul can also allow the player to roleplay their former PC at this time.

If all PCs are forced to withdraw from the game, the scenario should immediately skip to the Epilogue. After describing the final fate of the PCs and other key players, the scenario must then end.