Critical: Sanctuary – Season 1 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• • Introduction: Terms Used in Roleplaying Games
  • Game Contents
• Part 1: Player Characters
  • Creating a Character (Hero)
    • Attributes
    • Choosing a Character
    • Choosing a Name
    • Choosing a Background
    • Skills
    • Gathering Starting Equipment
  • Skill Checks
    • Difficulty Levels
    • Types of Checks
    • Applying Bonuses
    • Hero Tokens
• Part 2: The Gamemaster
  • Introduction to the First Season – Sanctuary
  • Running the Episodes
    • Structure of an Episode Booklet
    • Preparing for an Episode
  • Choosing Difficulty According to the Number of Players
  • The 4 Key Elements of Any Episode
  • Gamemaster's Tools
  • NPC Cards
  • The Gamemaster's Screen
  • Combat
    • Difficulty Level of Combat Checks

Introduction: Terms Used in Roleplaying Games

• Player Character (PC) / hero: the character embodied by a player throughout the story. These terms appear in the rulebook and in the episode descriptions.
• Non-Player Character (NPC): the secondary participants of the story – allies, enemies, and sometimes both. They are controlled by the Gamemaster.
• Gamemaster (GM): the player whose task is to lead the other players through the story and to play the various characters they meet on the way.
• D6, D8, D12: six-, eight- and twelve-sided dice that you will use during the game to make checks.
• Gameplay: as in other classic RPGs, the Gamemaster describes what is happening in the scene, and the players decide how their characters react to it.
• Leveling up: the process reflecting the growth of your character's abilities as they gain experience during the story campaign.

Game Contents

Gamemaster components: 1 Gamemaster's screen; 1 "What is a Roleplaying Game?" booklet; 1 Season 1 overview booklet; 9 booklets of episodes of approx. 30 minutes each; 2 Clue tokens; 4 Curse tokens; 36 Narrative tokens; 12 Wound cards; 12 Status cards; 10 NPC cards; 32 Episode cards; 1 World map card; 2 D6; 1 dry-erase marker.

Player components: 4 double-sided Character cards; 4 name cards; 12 Ability cards; 8 Background cards; 4 Starting Equipment cards; 8 Ordinary Equipment cards; 12 Legendary Equipment cards; 4 envelopes; 4 Hero tokens; 4 Element tokens (for the Sorcerer); 4 Attribute tokens (for the Thief); 4 D12; 1 D8.

Part 1: Player Characters

This section contains the rules that relate to player characters. Accordingly, it is intended first of all for the players, but will also be useful to the Gamemaster.

When playing Critical: Sanctuary for the first time, pay particular attention to the sections marked with the first-game symbol.

Creating a Character (Hero)

Diving into an RPG always begins with creating a character. You will play your hero, and they will come to life in the story told by the Gamemaster, weaving their fate into the common legend.

The character creation process consists of 4 steps:

1. Choose a character
2. Choose a name
3. Choose a background
4. Gather starting equipment

Important! If you are playing the first season, your characters will take shape as you progress through the story. At the start of the story it is enough to decide on the character's class, choose the card with its picture, and choose a name.

Attributes

The 4 Attributes reflect the sum of your character's capabilities: Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity and Communication. Strength and Dexterity show physical abilities, while Intelligence and Communication show social ones.

Choosing a Character

First take the corresponding Character card. In this season there are 4 double-sided Character cards, giving you a choice. Each character belongs to a particular class, which determines their key Attribute, Background and starting equipment.

On each Character card one of the Attributes is highlighted in red – this is the character's key Attribute. It reflects the character's specialization, and also indicates that a +1 bonus is added to the dice results when checking this Attribute (see p. 5).

Additional information. The card also contains various information that will help you bring your character to life. You can draw inspiration from the suggested description or devise the character's personality yourself.

The parts of a Character card: Illustration; Health reserve; Weapon; Equipment; Class; Character traits (a Merit and a Flaw); Features; Background (a quote); Attributes; Abilities.

Choosing a Name

It is time to give your character a name. Choose carefully, because until the end of the campaign both the Gamemaster and the other players will address you exclusively by this name. Write the chosen name on one of the special name cards. You can draw inspiration from favorite books or films, use your own nickname, or invent a unique name.

Choosing a Background

Each Background card is linked to a particular character class and reflects the life path they have taken. Your Background card must contain the symbol of your character's class. Choose one of the Background cards belonging to the right class and place it in the corresponding zone next to your Character card.

The parts of a Background card: Class; Name; Description; Effects.

The Background card deepens your understanding of the chosen class and also gives your hero three Skills. You will use these Skills when making checks (see p. 5).

Skills

Skills reflect the character's abilities in various fields, the experience they have acquired through their line of work, and their other capabilities. There are 12 Skills, belonging to the 4 Attributes. For some special actions, Skills outside this classification may be used.

Strength	Intelligence	Dexterity	Communication
Athletics	Knowledge	Know-how (Resourcefulness)	Manipulation
Combat	Investigation	Handling	Persuasion
Stealth	Perception	Survival	Empathy

Gathering Starting Equipment

Finally, equip your character according to their class. The class symbol is present on the Starting Equipment cards.

Note: if you are playing the first season, you will obtain your starting equipment during Episode 0.

The parts of an Equipment card: Class; Name; Illustration; Attack type; Effects.

Great job! You have finished creating your character and they are ready for adventure!

Skill Checks

During the game the Gamemaster may ask you to make a Skill check to find out whether you succeed at the action you intend.

Even if in real life you are a professional mountaineer, that does not apply to your character, so if your character needs to climb a cliff, the Gamemaster will ask you to make a Skill check to make sure they succeed.

The Gamemaster is the only one who decides whether a Skill check is required in each specific case.

Every check has a difficulty level, which determines the value you must achieve to accomplish the intended action. The difficulty of a check may be stated in the episode description or determined by the Gamemaster himself, but never by the players.

Checks are presented as follows: type of check (group or individual), what is being checked (Skill, Attribute), difficulty (number). Example: ask the player to make an individual Athletics check (Strength) 2.

To make a check, roll the D12 and add to the rolled value any bonuses you have (see below). Then compare the resulting result with the difficulty of the check announced by the Gamemaster. If your result is greater than or equal to the difficulty level, the check is a success. If the result is lower, it is a failure.

Difficulty Levels

Every check has a difficulty level that determines the value needed for success. Below is the scale the Gamemaster will use to determine the difficulty of a check.

Difficulty	Level
1	Easy
2	Moderate
3	Hard
4	Very Hard
5	Heroic
6+	Legendary

Types of Checks

There are two types of checks: individual and group.

Individual checks. In an individual check, each affected player makes a roll and applies the result of the check to their own character.

Example: Lexa and Briar are trying to sneak into a fortified camp, while Azalia covers them by watching over the area. The Gamemaster asks Lexa and Briar to make an individual Stealth (Strength) 3 check, and Azalia an individual Perception (Intelligence) 2 check. Each of these players makes the corresponding check to determine whether they succeeded in what they intended.

Group checks. In this case all characters in the group make the check announced by the Gamemaster, and if at least one of them succeeds, the check is considered passed for the whole group.

Example: the group managed to sneak into the camp. Lexa, Briar and Azalia are searching for the invasion plans in the baron's tent. The Gamemaster asks them to make a group Investigation (Intelligence) 2 check. If at least one of them succeeds, they find the plans they are looking for.

Applying Bonuses

After you have rolled the D12, you can apply additional bonuses to achieve success. The values of all applied bonuses are added together.

Key Attribute. If the check is based on your character's key Attribute, add a +1 bonus (add 1 to the value rolled on the die).

Example: since Briar is a warrior by class, she adds a +1 bonus to all checks based on Strength.

Skills. If your Background card contains the Skill being checked (regardless of the Attribute indicated in brackets – the Attribute serves as a reminder and may differ in the case of a special check), add a +1 bonus.

Example: since Briar chose the gladiator Background card, she adds a +1 bonus to all Athletics, Combat and Survival checks, as indicated on the card. In addition, the Athletics and Combat Skills are based on the Strength Attribute, so Briar, as a warrior, will add a +2 bonus to checks of these Skills.

Equipment. Some items of your equipment can give you an additional bonus to the result of the die roll.

Example: the traveler's cloak adds a +1 bonus to Stealth (Strength) and Survival (Dexterity) checks that you make. (Card text: "Add a +1 bonus to Stealth (Strength) checks. Add a +1 bonus to Survival (Dexterity) checks.")

Abilities. Your Ability cards can also give additional bonuses (see p. 7).

Hero Tokens

Earned Hero tokens are common to all player characters. When one of you receives a Hero token (usually after a critical failure), that token becomes the common property of the whole group. A group can never have more than 4 Hero tokens.

When the Gamemaster asks you to make a Skill check, you may discard one of the tokens to add the Hero die (D8) to the roll and add up the results. Roll both dice, the D12 and the D8, and add up the results.

Example: Briar and Lexa tried to steal the baron's plans but were caught. Jacqueline wants to influence the powerful baron to save them from execution. The Gamemaster asks Jacqueline to make an individual Manipulation (Communication) 5 check, and she decides to use a Hero token. Jacqueline rolls the D12 and the D8 and gets a total of 4 (1+3). She adds a +2 bonus (+1 because she is a thief by class and Communication is her key Attribute, and another +1 because her spy Background card includes the Manipulation Skill). Thus Jacqueline manages to reach a final value of 6, which allows her to sway the baron and save her friends from a grim fate.

Critical Success and Critical Failure

There are two extreme outcomes of any check – a critical success, if luck smiled on you, and a critical failure, if you were unlucky.

Critical Success. If on a Skill check you rolled a value twice the difficulty of the check or even higher, it is a critical success. Such an impressive result will bring you a doubled benefit.

Critical Failure. If on a Skill check you rolled the red X on the D12, you suffer a critical failure. You cannot add any bonuses to the roll, and the final result of such a check may turn into a catastrophe for you. If the result of the check implies any deprivations, they are doubled. However, as compensation, you receive one Hero token.

Critical Failure in a group check. If the whole group failed the check and at least one of the players rolled the red X on the D12, such a failure is considered a critical failure for the whole group and it receives 1 Hero token. Otherwise, the X on the die is ignored and the group does not receive a Hero token.

Health Reserve

Your character has 3 Health points – no more, no less. Thus they can endure up to 3 Wounds and/or Statuses before becoming Exhausted.

Wound cards. Wound cards reflect the physical damage suffered by your character. When your character receives a Wound, place the corresponding number of Wound cards next to your Character card.

Attention! The artistic description on Wound cards has no effect on your character and is intended only to involve you more in what is happening.

Status cards. Status cards reflect harmful effects to which your character is subject. Each such card not only uses up 1 Health point, but also carries an additional negative effect. The consequences of such effects will manifest fully during the course of the first season. Upon receiving a Status card, place it together with the Wound cards you have received.

Important! Status cards cannot be discarded like Wound cards when healing. However, the card itself says how you can get rid of it.

Exhaustion

When you receive a 4th Wound and/or Status card, your character becomes Exhausted. This means you will have to withdraw from participation in the current story scene. Discard all your Wound and/or Status cards and take the "Exhausted" Status card. You will be able to take part in subsequent story scenes, but this will involve certain difficulties. (Exhausted card text: the difficulty of all your checks increases by 1; discard this card at the end of the next episode.)

Example: as a result of a vicious attack by a skeleton warrior, Briar receives 1 Wound. Together with those she already had, this is her 4th Wound card. Now Briar is Exhausted. She discards all her Wound cards and receives the "Exhausted" Status card from the Gamemaster. She will have to sit out the rest of this scene, but in the next one she will return. In the next episode Briar will still be considered Exhausted. The effect of this is described in more detail on the Status card itself.

Healing

Each episode will state how and when you can heal your wounds, if such a possibility is provided.

Example: at the start of an episode it may say that you can heal 1 Wound. Then each player may discard 1 Wound card of their character.

You can also use your equipment for healing, if you have something suitable.

Equipment

Equipment includes weapons, armor and other useful items that can increase your chances of success. There are 3 types of equipment: Starting, Ordinary and Legendary.

Obtaining Equipment

You will obtain your Starting equipment during Episode 0 (see p. 4). Equipment of the other types you will acquire during your adventures. When you obtain an Ordinary Equipment card, take a random card from the corresponding deck. When you obtain Legendary equipment, take a random card from the equipment deck of your class.

Using Equipment

Some equipment can be used a limited number of times. We recommend marking with Narrative tokens how many times it has been used. Then your equipment will need to be refreshed to be able to use it again. As with healing, the episode description will state when you can refresh your equipment. Consumable equipment is always refreshed to its maximum.

Rerolling Dice

Some equipment allows you to reroll dice during a Skill check. You can reroll some or all of your dice, including a die showing the red X. A check can be rerolled only once.

Weapons

You can use only one weapon at any given moment. Place the weapon in use to the left of your Character card, and all your other weapons to the right.

The Weapon card will state whether it can be used in melee combat, ranged combat, or both. At the start or end of your turn you may change the weapon in use without spending an action on it.

If you have no weapon, you can attack an enemy bare-handed or throw whatever comes to hand at them, but in this case the difficulty of the check increases by 1 and your attack will not inflict more than 1 damage even on a critical success.

Trading Equipment

Your character may trade their Starting and Ordinary equipment with other characters. Legendary equipment can only be traded with a character of the same class.

Leveling Up

During your adventures your character will gain experience and level up. When your character gains a new level, you may choose:

• Gain another level 1 Ability
• Raise the level of an Ability you already have to level 2

The Gamemaster will tell you when your character gains a new level. Some Abilities have a limited number of uses, but, unlike healing and refreshing equipment, the Ability use counter is reset before the start of each episode.

Ability cards show: Name; Level; Description; Class; Effects.

Warrior Abilities. You are skilled in the art of combat, which makes you a formidable killing machine able to endure the most severe damage.

Ranger Abilities. Marksmanship and survival are your strengths. Even at long range you rarely miss your target. Unlike the warrior, you rely not on brute force but on an accurate and deadly shot.

Sorcerer Abilities. For every spell learned, a new magical tattoo will adorn your skin. Whether it is an icy whirlwind attack or a spell of restoring strength, you will certainly be useful to your group.

Thief Abilities. Hiding in the shadows, you prefer to catch the enemy off guard and to help your comrades (or use them?) in order to lay your hands on some treasure under the cover of the noise.

Example Ability card (Ranger): HUNTER'S INSTINCT, level 2 – "The ability to take a hit helps you survive in the wild." Add a +1 bonus to Survival checks. Once per episode: when you take damage, you can ignore all Wounds.

Saving Progress

At the end of a game session, put all the cards belonging to you into the envelope intended for your class. This allows you to keep all your components until the next game.

Part 2: The Gamemaster

THIS SECTION IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE GAMEMASTER!

Introduction to the First Season – Sanctuary

Before you begin studying the individual episodes, we recommend reading the Season 1 overview booklet. There you will find a description of the world into which your players will be plunged, as well as information about the Pathfinders' Guild. You will read the first paragraph of this booklet to the players during Episode 0.

You will also find descriptions of the goddess Owl, the Council and the Taask family – entities the players will meet on their way, and, of course, a full overview of the whole first season, which will let you form an idea of the plot as a whole.

Running the Episodes

Once you have finished with the overview booklet, you can study the episodes themselves in more detail. Each episode contains all the information necessary to run a game session. The episodes are written to teach you how to play the role of Gamemaster, and gradually reveal all aspects of an RPG to the players.

Although at first the episodes are rather straightforward and simple, later they become more and more flexible and give considerable room for improvisation.

Do not forget that the main aspect of an RPG is to have fun. If you missed some important fragment of the narrative, just go back to it. And if you do not know how to resolve a situation, consult your players. There are no winners and losers here, only a company of friends who have gathered to experience an exciting story together.

Structure of an Episode Booklet

Example page (Episode 5 – Sanctuary of the Monkey God, Scene 1 – Fort – Day 13) is shown in the rulebook with numbered callouts:

1. Setup and episode overview. This section describes all the components needed to run the episode, as well as a brief overview of the events in it. (Example: Episode cards 17, 18 and 19; NPC card 07; Status cards "Immobilized" and "Frightened" (02 and 03) and Curse tokens. Summarize the previous episode or ask the players to do so. Healing: none / Refreshing equipment: yes.)

2. Symbols. These symbols in the margins draw your attention to important moments in the episodes and to key checks: Story; Investigation; Roleplay; Action scenes; Check for the Gamemaster; Check for the players.

3. Text inserts. Text inserts indicate the moment at which to use a particular component. Some of them are to be given to the players, others only shown. Terms in the text inserts:

• Healing: indicates how many Wound and/or Status cards the players can discard from their Character cards.
• Refreshing equipment: indicates whether the players can refresh their consumable equipment.
• Give / hand out: indicates the need to hand the players a certain component, which they will keep for further use.
• Show / place: indicates the need to show the players certain components and let them examine them. You can place them in front of your screen or fix them in the pockets in the central section of the screen so that they are in view all the time.

4. Checks. Ask the players to make a Skill check and then read the text corresponding to the result of the check: successful check or failed check. For more about checks see p. 5.

Preparing for an Episode

When preparing for an episode, we recommend selecting all the necessary components in advance and reading the episode booklet through in full at least once. Moreover, to guide the players through the adventures in the best way, we recommend reading the episode booklet the day before the game and then once more right before the game.

The better you know the episode, the easier it will be for you to conduct what is happening and even to improvise.

Choosing Difficulty According to the Number of Players

At the start of the game, during the first episode, give the players Hero tokens according to the table.

Number of players	1–2	3	4
Hero tokens	3	2	1

During the first season you may sometimes give the players Hero tokens if they are having a really hard time. However, try not to abuse this, since in some episodes dangerous situations are provided on purpose to give what is happening more drama.

The 4 Key Elements of Any Episode

All episodes are built around 4 key elements that will help you understand the purpose of each scene: Story, Investigation, Roleplay and Action scene.

Story. Story passages should be read aloud. They create the atmosphere and set the scenery for the upcoming scene. You can use them as sources of inspiration to elaborate the description of the scene and create a convincing atmosphere.

Roleplay. During a scene you will play the role of one or several NPCs. Try to encourage the players to talk with your characters by giving them additional information. The players need to ask the right questions to steer the conversation in the right direction.

Investigation. During scenes involving investigation, the players need to find certain pieces of information and put forward hypotheses. Make sure that you have described the scene precisely, and, if necessary, nudge the players slightly toward the goal.

Action scenes. Action scenes are the hardest to run, since you need to give equal attention to each of the players and give them an opportunity to speak up and perform some action. Address each of the players in turn. Start with one of them and ask what he wants to do. Ask him to make Skill checks, if such are required. Then move on to the next player and do the same, until all the players have taken part in the action scene. The most common kind of action scene is a combat scene, but sometimes it may be secretly infiltrating a camp, escaping from a collapsing temple, and the like.

Gamemaster's Tools

For your first game, follow the instructions in Episode 0. It will state which components to use and what to show and hand over to the players. If you are unsure about something or want more information, refer to this section.

You, as Gamemaster, have several tools at your disposal to tell your story.

Episode cards. When you describe a scene, show the players the corresponding Episode card. The illustrations on these cards help the players picture what surrounds them in the scene. The description of each episode will state which cards you should show the players and when.

Narrative tokens. These tokens represent various aspects of the story, such as the passage of time, the number of resources, the health reserve of NPCs, and so on. They are also convenient for marking how many uses of consumable equipment remain.

Gamemaster's die. In most cases you will need a D6 to determine during combat whether NPCs inflict damage on the player characters. Your die rolls must remain secret; make them behind the screen.

Curse tokens. Curse tokens are the opposite of Hero tokens. When a player character is cursed, they cannot use Hero tokens. A player can never have more than one Curse token. To get rid of a Curse token, the player must go through a critical failure without receiving a Hero token for it. After that they discard the Curse token.

Clue tokens. By collecting these tokens during the narrative, the players can use them at certain moments to obtain additional information and unlock additional options for developing the scene. The episodes will give instructions on how to make use of such tokens.

NPC Cards

These are the cards of characters, both allies and enemies, whom the heroes will meet during their adventures.

1. Weakness. Some NPCs have weaknesses. Having discovered an enemy's weak point, it will be easier for the players to deal with them. For more on discovering weaknesses see p. 11.

2. Special ability. Some NPCs have a special ability that triggers during an attack. The Combat table on the NPC card states on what D6 result this ability is activated.

3. Difficulty, Attack and Health. These values show the difficulty of checks against this NPC, the number of attacks this NPC makes against player characters, and the health reserve, after which this NPC will be defeated. The health reserve of some NPCs depends on the number of players, as indicated by the corresponding symbol.

   Example: the Otherworlder's health reserve is 5 (heart) per player (player-count symbol). Since three players are taking part in the game (not counting the Gamemaster), the Otherworlder's health reserve is an impressive 3 × 5 = 15.

4. Combat table. During combat, consult the table at the bottom of the NPC card to find out the result of the attack carried out and to see whether the NPC's special ability was activated. The table shows the symbols on the D6 and the results corresponding to them. The red X symbol always means a failure, regardless of whether this symbol came up on your D6 or is used according to the combat table.

Example NPC card: CAPTAIN. Difficulty 4, Attack 1, Health 4. Quote: "I have crossed the Seven Seas twice and know every reef of this accursed archipelago from here to Ebony Port. I am friends with the messengers of the gods and easily read the direction of the wind. But right now you are really driving me to white heat with your stories about a treasure map, you landlubber!" Weakness: Lust for gold – It is not easy to suppress a lust for gold... The heroes can try to talk the captain round to avoid a conflict. If the heroes have any valuable equipment, ask the players to make a group Persuasion (Communication) 3 check and then discard that equipment. If they have nothing valuable, ask the players to make a group Manipulation (Communication) 5 check. Special ability: Boarding! – There is nothing better than a successful boarding in which you can cut your opponents in half and appropriate their treasure. In the next round all NPCs (including the captain) inflict 1 more Wound. Combat table: first symbol (target) = 1 Wound; second symbol (flame) = Boarding!; third symbol (skull) = 2 Wounds.

The Gamemaster's Screen

The Gamemaster's screen is very important – it hides your components and other information, helping to create an aura of mystery around the development of events in the game. Use one of the central pockets to show the illustrations on Episode cards, and the other for the NPC card. The screen also has useful excerpts from the rules that will answer most of your possible questions, so that you do not have to consult the rulebook too often.

Combat

You have almost learned everything you need to run exciting sessions of Critical: Sanctuary. One last thing remains – combat scenes. These are scenes to which a beginner Gamemaster should pay particular attention. The key information from this section of the rules is also on your screen, so that you can quickly refer to it during play. Read the section below carefully.

Combat scenes are special action scenes during which the heroes' lives will be in danger more than once. Battles take place between player characters and NPCs. As with other action scenes, you should divide them into turns and rounds so that every player and every one of your NPCs has an opportunity to take part in the scene (for more on action scenes see p. 9).

The following game aspects are used in combat scenes:

• Difficulty level of combat checks
• Critical success and critical failure in combat
• Initiative
• Combat rounds and combat actions

Difficulty Level of Combat Checks

During combat, the difficulty of checks of any Skills that the players make equals the difficulty level on the card of the NPC they are opposing. This value is located on the right of your NPC card. If the heroes have come into battle with several opponents at once, decide which character is fighting whom, and use the corresponding difficulty for each check. If you have trouble determining the difficulty, simply use the highest difficulty level among the participating characters.

Critical Success and Critical Failure in Combat

Critical Success. If a player achieves a critical success in combat, they receive the bonus stated in the description of the corresponding action (see p. 11).

Critical Failure. If a player rolls a critical failure on the die in combat, this gives the Gamemaster the right to reroll one or several of his D6 in the next attack against that player's character.

Initiative

This important step determines the order in which player characters and NPCs act. Ask the players to make a group Perception (Intelligence) check. If they succeed, they can attack first; otherwise your characters begin the attack.

Attention! If the heroes have met a group of different opponents, use the highest difficulty level of the opponents for the group Perception (Intelligence) check.

Combat Rounds and Combat Actions

During a combat round both sides have an opportunity to carry out their intended actions or react to the opponent's actions. Characters act in turn until a winner is determined.

Player Characters' Turn

On their turn, each player's character can make a move, one combat action, and use one of their Equipment cards. There are 4 kinds of basic combat actions:

• Attack. Ask the player to make a Combat (Strength) check. On a success, the attacked character takes damage equal to the damage of the attacker's weapon. On a critical success this damage is doubled.

  Attention! The weapon type shows whether it can be used in melee combat, in ranged combat, or in both. It is up to you to decide whether a hero can use their weapon in a given situation.

• Support. Ask the player to make an Empathy (Communication) check. On a success, another hero of the choice of the player making the check receives a +1 bonus to their next roll, as well as the ability to reroll it. On a critical success the bonus becomes +2 instead of +1.

• Take Cover. Ask the player to make a Survival (Dexterity) check. On a success, all damage that their character will receive is reduced by 1 until the start of their next turn. On a critical success all damage is reduced by 2.

• Detect a Weakness. Ask the player to make a Perception (Intelligence) check. On a success, reveal the enemy's weakness to the players. On a critical success, lower the enemy's difficulty level by 1 for all subsequent checks.

NPCs' Turn

During your characters' turn, each of them can move and make attacks.

To make an attack, choose a player character and roll the same number of D6 as the Attack value of your character. Determine the result of the roll according to the table at the bottom of the character card.

Example: the heroes are fighting two cursed gorillas. The gorilla card states that it attacks twice, so you roll 2 D6 for each gorilla.

Attention! NPCs can take other actions that seem appropriate to you; just describe what is happening to the players. The players, in turn, can also declare actions not described above, so use the Skills table on your screen to choose a suitable check.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if all the player characters are Exhausted? Do not forget that they can return to the game in the next scene. Yes, they will still be Exhausted, but they will nevertheless continue the adventure. If you see that the players are too uncomfortable in this situation, you may meet them halfway and cheat by adjusting the roll results behind your screen in their favor.

If my NPC has more than one attack, can I attack the same player character twice? Of course. It is up to you how to manage your character. You can unleash a flurry of blows on one hero or distribute the attacks equally among them.

Can a player use the Ring of Fire in addition to their combat action? Yes. The Sorcerer's Ring of Fire counts as equipment. You can, for example, as your action try to detect the enemy's weakness, and then use the Ring of Fire.

If a player character is about to become Exhausted, can they use the Scroll of Protection to avoid it? No. However, when the hero returns in the next scene, they can use the Scroll of Protection to discard their "Exhausted" Status card.

How do melee and ranged attacks work? First of all, make sure the attack does not contradict common sense. It would be very difficult for a Ranger to use a bow in melee combat, and a warrior standing at the top of a tower can hardly attack an enemy below with his sword. To make it easier to navigate less clear-cut situations, consider a distance of 1 to 5 meters to be melee range. If the enemy is more than 5 meters away, a ranged weapon is required.

What Next?

It appears you have managed to complete the story campaign and defeat Silas. Great job! However, this is not yet the end of your path. As you may have suspected after reading the epilogue, new adventures and new mysteries await you. See you in Season 2!

But why not create your own story?

Reusing the Game Components

Critical is not just an introductory game. The contents of the box will give you everything you need for a full tabletop roleplaying adventure. Use it again, transform it and carry over into a new game the elements you liked best. You can use the game components as a basis for your own adventures and explorations.

On the game's official website you will find new stories set in the same world, and can enjoy them using the game components you already have. You can also join the game's online community.

Our Approach to Creating an Adventure

Want to invent your own story? Great! Just start describing an adventure in which you yourself would gladly take part. Below we have left a few notes on the methods we use in our projects. We hope they will be useful to you and help in creating your own adventures.

In Search of Inspiration

From concept to images. If you have an idea for an original scenario, or some film or series has captured your imagination, start by visualizing the characters and locations needed for your new story, and pick several images that will help realize your idea.

From images to concept. Do you have an illustration, a setting or simply a general atmosphere that inspires you? Take it as a basis and try to imagine what could happen there. Or perhaps you have a character in your head whom you could include in the story? Give free rein to your imagination, and as you begin to define the goals and course of the adventure, the story will flow on its own.

With both approaches you need to find a way to involve the characters in the story and come up with plausible motivation for them to take part in the events provoked by your villain.

Duration

Each episode lasts about 30 minutes. This corresponds to 2 or 3 scenes that have a logical sequence, each tied to a place and time (similar to scenes in a film). Scenes with investigation or with plenty of roleplay may turn out slightly longer if the players are fully involved in their roles, and action scenes may take longer if the heroes have got into serious trouble. Over time, gaining experience and looking back at the script of this season, you will learn to sense the right balance.

Difficulty

The rules specify choosing difficulty for basic actions, but some situations may require a more complex approach, for example because of an unusual environment or many opponents. You can also draw inspiration from the episodes of the first season until you learn to choose adequate difficulty for your scenes yourself.

Do not forget the following points:

• Raise the level of tension of the story gradually, increasing the difficulty as the plot develops.
• Good equipment can make up for a lack of Skills among the characters in the group or compensate for the weaknesses of individual heroes.

By diving into Critical you open the door to many possibilities, exciting adventures and amazing worlds. You are limited only by your own imagination!