WICKEDNESS

Rulebook

M Veselak
 Possum Creek Games Inc.
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Saugerties, NY, 12477
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Copyright © 2021 M Veselak
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Front cover illustration by Tucker Donovan.
Book design by Ruby Lavin.
Titles in Sweynheim Proto-Roman, Body in Jenson Pro.
Accents in Rusch and Ptolemy.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
First printing edition 2021.
ISBN: 978-1-954097-11-7 (Rulebook)
ISBN: 978-1-954097-12-4 (Playsheets)
ISBN: 978-1-954097-13-1 (Interpretation Guide)
ISBN: 978-1-954097-14-8 (PDF)
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For information on creating game materials and stories
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the Wickedness Third Party License at
www.possumcreekgames.com
 Table of Contents
RULEBOOK
About The Rulebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Truths, Troubles & Trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Safe Keeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
A Content Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Upset vs. Oofed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Humans First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Hmm Finger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Setting Up The Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chapter One: Truths 15
Creating the Covenmates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Understanding Your Covenmate's Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
What Does This Mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Sources of Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Creating The Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Creating the Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Creating The Underworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Weaving The Coven Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter Two: Troubles 25
Facing Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Deck Is A Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Coins, Swords, and Wands Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Fall Prey To A Folly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Solve It With Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Solve It With True Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
The Offers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter Three: Trials 33
Starting the Trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Learn From The Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Finale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Closing The Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Thanking One Another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Clean Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The Last Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
PLAY PAGES
About The Play Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Core Play Pages 42
The Pure Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
The Wild Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
The Old Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
The Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
The Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Underworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Alternate Setting: Cyberpunk 55
The Pure Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
The Wild Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
The Old Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
The Underworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Alternate Setting: Urban Fantasy 69
The Pure Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
The Wild Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
The Old Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
The Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
The City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
The Underworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
INTERPRETATION GUIDE
About The Interpretation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Challenges 87
The Suit of Swords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
The Suit of Wands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
The Suit of Coins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The Suit of Cups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Sanctuary Shatterings 112
The Ruins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
The Pariahs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
The Mundane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Kingdom Catastrophes 113
Ignorance Boils Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Poverty Stagnates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Despair Looms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Underworld Uprisings 114
Abduction of the Pure Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Corruption of the Wild Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Binding of the Old Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Inevitable Fates 115
The Book of Alternate Interpretations 119
The Suit of Swords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
The Suit of Wands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
The Suit of Coins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
The Suit of Cups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Afterword 137
The Coven lives in the Sanctuary: three figures bound by
fate to one another, to the movements of two worlds, and to
magic itself.
It is not an easy or normal life. The natural order should
be a harmony between the Covenmates, and between the
Underworld and the Kingdom Above. But where wisdom
does not reach, wickedness may dwell.

The Coven also lives in these three booklets, in a deck

of tarot cards, and in the hearts of three players. That’s all
you’ll need to meet them—that, and some pencils.
Wickedness is a roleplaying game where you, your deck,
and two friends will uncover the story of the coven. Each of
you will take on the role of one of the Covenmates, but your
fellow players (and the deck itself) will often help you define
your Covenmate around the edges. Otherwise, everyone
has an equal hand in portraying the two worlds and their
inhabitants, and in interpreting the cards’ decisions.

About This Book - 7

 Truths, Troubles & Trials
Wickedness is made up of three chapters, each of which
should take between one and two hours: Truths, Troubles,
and Trials.
During Truths, we’ll meet our three Covenmates,
learn what makes them tick, and decide who they are to
each other. Then we’ll build the worlds around them, ring
by ring. This will mostly look like discussing, circling, and
inventing options on each of the six game pages.
During Troubles, we’ll see how our Coven fares against
a series of challenges, and collect Wisdom from the mistakes
they make while trying to keep the Sanctuary, the world,
and one another from falling apart. Then, each Covenmate
will be asked to make a painful choice.
During Trials, the Coven will face more challenges, but
the rules will have changed just a little, and it’ll be time for
the Covenmates to put their collective Wisdom to work…
and determine their ultimate fates.
Of course, the worlds are delicately balanced, and if
any one force slips too far out of control, the game may end
abruptly (and apocalyptically).

Introduction - 9
 Safe Keeping
Any time we engage in a collaborative social activity, we
become vulnerable. In Wickedness, because the Coven are
other selves in another world, we’re vulnerable in ways we
usually aren’t in our day-to-day lives. Vulnerable play is
good, but only if we’re mindful. Here are some guidelines
for how to play gently with one another:

A Content Warning:
Wickedness is mild enough for kids, but it does contain
some potentially distressing themes: poverty, fantasy
marginalization, violence, dysfunctional relationships,
abandonment, romance, mental illness, and negative body
feelings.
If any of these has the potential to make you uncom-
fortable while playing the game, now would be a good time
to say so. We won’t ask why, and you can change your mind
later.

Upset vs. Oofed:

When you’re enjoying a piece of fiction, you might let your
sympathy run wild and feel the big emotions the characters
are feeling. This is fun, even when those big feelings are
otherwise negative, like fear, anger or loss. We call these
fun-bad feelings “oofs.”
Sometimes, though, we go from being oofed to being
upset in the regular, terrible way. It can be tricky to tell the
difference, but try to ask yourself, “Am I enjoying these
feelings?”
If at any point someone is having a big reaction to the
game, or if they’ve been very quiet, you can feel free to ask,
“Are you just oofed right now, or are you upset for real?”

10 - Introduction
 If they’re actually upset, we need to pause the game and
make a change.

Humans First:
Wickedness’s ritual-like rules can sometimes seem sacro-
sanct, but the rules and the cards are not in charge of us.
We can always pause the game to make sure everyone’s com-
fortable, physically and emotionally. We can always skip a
card that one of us finds upsetting. We can always change
anything that’s been written or said. The game will be just
fine. Humans come first.

The Hmm Finger:

Most of the storytelling in Wickedness is done collabora-
tively, but often the game will ask a question of one player in
particular. While you’re thinking, if you’re open to hearing
suggestions, put one finger pensively to your lips
and say “Hmm!” (You can also ask for
help out loud, if you’re stumped.)
If someone doesn’t put up a
Hmm Finger or ask for help,
don’t chime in. Once they’ve
answered the question, we
can return to freely making
suggestions.

If there are other RPG

safety tools you like, we can
play with those, too!

Introduction - 11
 Setting Up The Game
1. Make sure you have everything you need:
•  Yourself and two friends. Inviting The Deck: If
•  A tarot deck. you also use your tarot
deck for readings or for
•  The six game pages at the ritual, you may want to let
back of this book, printed. it know that what follows
•  Pencils. is a game where it asks
you questions about other
2. Create the Challenge Deck selves in another world,
by separating out the minor and invite it to play along.
Most decks seem to like
arcana (the 1-10, pages, knights, this little reversal, and the
queens, and kings), and shuf- chance to play; they are
fling them together. cards, after all.

3. Deal each player their

Covenmate’s Personal Arcana:
•  Separate out The Fool, The Magician, and The High
Priestess, and randomly deal one to each player, face
up.
•  Separate out The Sun, The Moon, and The Star, and
randomly deal one to each player, face up.
•  Separate out The Wheel of Fortune, The Chariot,
The Hanged Man, Strength, and The World, and
randomly deal one to each player, face up. Put the
two remaining cards back in the box.

12 - Introduction
1. Deal each player their Inevitable Fate, a small deck in a
semi-predetermined order:
•  Separate out Death, Judgment, and The Tower, and
randomly deal one face-down to each player.
•  Separate out Justice, Temperance, The Hierophant.
and The Empress, and randomly deal one face-down
to each player on top of the previous card. Put the
fourth card back in the box without looking.
•  Separate out The Lovers, The Hermit, The Devil,
and The Emperor. Randomly deal one face down
to each player on top of the previous cards. Put the
fourth card back in the box without looking.
•  Nobody looks at these!
2. You’re ready to begin the first chapter of the game:
Truths.

Introduction - 13
Chapter One

TRUTHS
 Creating the Covenmates
The three face up arcana you’ve been dealt will help you
decide who your Covenmate is. You should have one
Covenmate arcana, one celestial arcana, and one power
arcana.
The first card you were dealt determines which of the
Covenmates you’ll be playing:
•  If you were dealt The Fool, take the Pure Heart
covenmate page.
•  If you were dealt The Magician, take the Wild
Spirit covenmate page.
•  If you were dealt The High Priestess, take the Old
Soul covenmate page.
(If you desperately want to swap covenmate pages, you may do so.)

Everyone should take a moment to read over the

Covenmate pages. What’s written on the
right-hand side of your page is Definitely
True at the start of the game.
The celestial card you were dealt
determines your dominant affect:
•  If you were dealt The Sun,
you’re primarily driven by
reason and practicality.
•  If you were dealt The Moon,
you’re primarily driven by
emotion and mystery.
•  If you were dealt The Star,
you’re primarily driven by
faith and connections.
When you’re making choices for
your character, keep these in mind.

16 - Truths
 Read through what’s written under “My Power,” and
imagine your covenmate as someone these statements are
True of.
Read through what’s written under “My Follies.”
Imagine your Covenmate as someone who makes these
kinds of mistakes.
Notes About Gender, Age And
On the left-hand side Culture: The Old Soul is not
of your Covenmate page necessarily older than the other
are a number of statements Covenmates. The Pure Heart is not
that need to be filled out. necessarily younger. At least, not lit-
erally. This text refers to the members
For each, you may circle of the coven as Covenmates without
one of seven suggestions, connotations of gender or culture. At
circle more than one, or the table, feel free to call them witches,
warlocks, or whatever terminology
invent something. your group likes for them. This text
Share your deci- refers to the members of the Coven
with the neutral they pronoun, but
sion-making process with the Covenmates can use whatever
the other players, and ask pronouns they'd like.
for feedback.
When everyone’s made their choices, it’s time to share
a little bit about each of your characters. (Write down the
names and pronouns of the other two Covenmates!)

Truths - 17
Understanding Your Covenmate's Power
In the upper right corner of your Covenmate page, under
the heading “My Power,” there is a sentence about what
your magic can do, followed by three sentences about where
it comes from.
Everyone should complete the first statement of power
by looking at the three options listed in parentheses, circling
one of them, and crossing out the others.
The final card in your personal arcana gives your power one
more twist:
•  The Chariot: Choose between Travel Magic and
Sword Magic.
•  The Hanged Man: Choose between Ghost Magic
and Gravity Magic.
•  The Wheel of Fortune: Choose between Time
Magic and Luck Magic.
•  The World: Choose between Plant Magic and
Dream Magic.
•  Strength: Choose between Size Magic and Beast
Magic.
Write down this final use of your power on your Covenmate sheet.
What Does This Mean?
Naturally, we’ll have questions about our powers:
•  “What’s the difference between the Hanged Man’s
‘Ghost Magic’ power and the Old Soul’s power to
conjure spirits?”
•  “Can Time Magic change the past?”
•  “What does it look like to perform an act of magic?”
There are no answers to these questions in this book,
except that magic is boundless, strange, and costly. If we
want more specific details, we must decide on them together.

18 - Truths
 Sources of Power
The Coven can do petty magic on a whim. But sometimes
they need to roll up their sleeves and undertake a major
working.
When you perform an act Striking Sources, Disability
of True Magic, or are directed and Mental Illness: At the
to “strike a source” by a chal- start of the game, all sources
are true. But keep in mind that:
lenge, you’ll need to strike away The fact that the Pure Heart is
a fraction of your Covenmate’s Sprightly does not mean that
power. You have nine sources, they don't use a wheelchair,
each of which is a bolded word nor does it mean that when
Sprightly is struck that they are
or phrase in the three sentences suddenly disabled. Likewise,
beneath “My Power.” the fact that they have love for
While you have a source, it themself does not mean they
don't live with depression. It
is True of you. means only what the source
To strike a source, take a says: that they have love for
themself. Struck sources are
pencil and cross it out. It’s no injuries with a supernatural
longer True; you may no longer origin: physical, emotional, or
be that thing, do that thing, spiritual. We may eventually
or have that thing. If a source recover from them, with
patience and wisdom. When
seems like it’s a weakness or sources become blackened,
flaw that you’d be glad to be that injury heals crooked. Dis-
rid of, then we encourage you abilities and neurodivergence
are normal aspects of human
to reflect on what you might diversity. They don't make
become without that limita- a person broken, in the way
tion, and shiver. that struck sources do. Your
Covenmate can be disabled or
If a source has already been neurodivergent with all of their
struck, striking it again will sources intact.
cause it to blacken. Blot out the
source with ink, and replace it with one of the suggested
sources (or one of your own devising). The new, blackened
source can no longer be struck for spellcasting, but is as
immutably True as an unstruck source.

Truths - 19
 Creating The Sanctuary
Now that we know a little bit about the coven, we should
discover the place where they live. The Sanctuary is a strange
place, called home by strange forces; it doesn’t wholly belong
to anyone, but the Coven are its de facto custodians.
The first thing we must decide is the location of the
Sanctuary. We’ll circle one of the options listed on the
Sanctuary page, or suggest a new location of our own.
The Sanctuary has Resources, Friends, and Wonders.
Resources are mundane but useful aspects of the
Sanctuary that the Coven makes everyday use of: it starts
with Living Spaces and A Modest Sum of Gold, and we’ll
each circle or invent one more.
The Friends of the Sanctuary are the Coven’s allies,
guests and partners. We’ll each circle or invent one, giving
them a name and a detail. Friends of the Sanctuary might
live there alongside the Coven, or they may come and go, or
make appearances only under invitation.
The Sanctuary’s Wonders are the phantasmal, fantas-
tical properties, mythic relics, and impenetrable mysteries
that the Coven protects and maintains. We’ll each circle or
invent one. We can discuss what a Wonder is like, but we
should avoid defining what it does. Wonders can and should
surprise us in the next two chapters of the game.
Finally, the player who has The Star will draw three
symbols next to aspects of the Sanctuary: a little question
mark next to someone or something that’s not what it seems,
a little heart next to someone or something with secret feel-
ings, and a little skull next to someone or something that’s
doomed. We don’t have to talk about how or why these
things might be true, yet—forget about them first, and then
the next time we remember them, we can explore them.
If the Sanctuary ever runs out of Resources, Friends, or
Wonders, we’ll turn to the appropriate entry at the end of
the Interpretation Guide. It is likely that the game will end.

20 - Truths
 Creating the Kingdom
The Sanctuary exists within the Kingdom, which is a
straightforward, human sort of place. Not everyone in
the Kingdom knows or trusts magic—or the people who
wield it—but they often have some
need of it, so the Kingdom and the Other Details In Our
Sanctuary live in a sort of tenuous World: This chapter
symbiosis ... for now. of the game intentionally
leaves much of the mortal
The Kingdom needs sweeping world as a blank slate.
vistas, Leaders, and National Joys. The Coven stands apart
First, the Pure Heart will pick from the mortal world,
one or two countrysides, the Old and even though they
Soul will pick one or two settle- have lived and grown in it,
the Kingdom is in many
ments, and the Wild Heart will pick ways as foreign to them
one or two wildernesses. as the Underworld.
Second, we need to create a As players, we should feel
Leader for The Kingdom. Leaders free to add details, people,
or places to the Kingdom
hold most of the power in the mortal sheet whenever we feel
world, and are primarily concerned inspired or the story calls
with keeping it that way. We’ll for it.
decide who the Leader is as a group,
giving them a name and a detail. We
can pick an option from the list, or make up our own.
We’ll each circle a National Joy. National Joys are what
bonds the Kingdom’s identity together as a nation, what its
citizens are most proud of, and what keeps their hope alive
in difficult times.
Finally, the player who drew The Sun will invent a
second Leader for The Kingdom (a rival to the first), and give
the whole country a name.
The Kingdom has Ignorance, Poverty and Despair.
As the game progresses, these may worsen. If they do, mark
the next box in that chart and follow the accompanying
instructions. If the last box in any is checked for any of the
Kingdom’s aspects, go to the appropriate page at the end of
the Interpretation Guide. The game will likely end.

Truths - 21
 Creating The Underworld
The Kingdom’s dark opposite is the Underworld, strange
lands of magic and peril beneath and behind the mortal
world. It is part of the natural order, existing in balance
with the Kingdom above, but the workings of the Coven
and their magic stir its Denizens... and whet its appetite.
•  As a group, we should decide what kind of
Underworld we’re dealing with (chthonic, infernal,
or mirror).
•  The player who drew The Star will choose one kind
of Denizen that inhabits the Underworld.
•  The player who drew The Moon will choose a Barrier
that must be reckoned with in order to enter or exit.
•  Each player follows the instructions written for their
Covenmate at 0 Claim on the Underworld page.
The Underworld has a Claim over each of the
Covenmates. When the Underworld’s Claim on a
Covenmate worsens, follow the accompanying instructions.
If any Covenmate’s Claim gets to 4, go to the appropriate
page at the end of the Interpretation Guide. The game will
end.

22 - Truths
 Weaving The Coven Together
Each of our Covenmate pages has six questions, three
addressed to each of the other Covenmates. Together we’ll
ask twelve questions, two for each of us from each of us,
starting with the Pure Heart asking the Old Soul a ques-
tion and ending with the Old Soul asking the Pure Heart
a question.
It’s always important to remember the Hmm Finger, but it’s
especially important now!
If an answer does not satisfy its asker, they may ask one
follow-up question for clarification.
Once twelve questions have been asked, we’ll collectively
ask the thirteenth question of our tarot deck:
What troubles await us?
Then, we should take a short break to stretch, eat, drink,
and refocus.

Truths - 23
 Chapter Two

TROUBLES
 Facing Challenges
The stack of minor arcana is the Challenge Deck. Flip over
the top card! This is the Coven’s current challenge.
Every challenge will begin by naming one of the Major
Arcana. The Covenmate who has that arcana reads the
Interpretation Guide entry out loud, and the group follows
the instructions therein. Anyone may further flesh out the
challenge by volunteering further information about the
challenge.
The Deck Is A Player
Every tarot deck is different, as is every game of Wickedness.
Coins may sometimes be called pentacles, wands may some-
times be staves, pages may sometimes be ladies. Therefore,
the Interpretation Guide is a series of approximations.
We’re empowered to change whatever terms we need in
order to play with our chosen deck.
The assumed symbolism in the Interpretation Guide is
based largely on the art of the popular Rider-Waite tarot
deck, but not every deck has the same elements in its illus-
trations, or the same emotional mood or tone. The main
advantage of using tarot cards over dice to randomize the
game is this richness of symbolism, so we should be sure
to let the cards themselves guide the flavor, tone, and
detail-building of our challenges.
If a challenge as written absolutely doesn’t fit our deck’s
illustration (or the lore of the game so far), it is up to us
as players to bend the challenge to fit. When doing so, we
have three guidelines to follow: challenges are always some-
thing that will have negative consequences if unaddressed,
challenges always expose a weakness or vulnerability of the
coven, and the player holding the major arcana named by
the entry should have the most say in how to reinterpret it.
In general, we should aim to follow both the spirit of the
game and the spirit of the cards.

26 - Troubles
 Coins, Swords, and Wands Challenges
For these challenges, once the instructions in the interpre-
tation guide have been read, each member of the Coven
establishes themselves in the scene. When a Covenmate
makes an attempt to resolve the challenge, their player picks
one of the following:
The Cups Suit: Cups chal-
•  Fall Prey To A Folly lenges are special. They're
•  Solve It With Wisdom resolved according to their
•  Solve It With True Magic entries in the Interpreta-
tion Guide. They'll tell us
Each of us may only perform whether we've solved them,
one of these options per challenge. or failed.
We perform them in any order,
and it’s okay to discuss what we’re going to do, go back and
change things, and talk about how each attempt changes
the nature of the challenge.
Then, if no one solves it, the Coven fails the challenge.

Troubles - 27
 Fall Prey To A Folly
The covenmates are powerful, resourceful individuals, but
when they fail, they fail spectacularly. Each covenmate page
has a special list of seven Follies that that covenmate is
prone to—the mistakes they must
Follies and Teamwork: learn from on their life’s journey.
Falling prey to Folly When you Fall Prey to A Folly, say
doesn't necessarily mean
a Covenmate is out of the how that Folly makes the situation
action, unless it makes worse and what it reflects upon
sense to the story. If your Covenmate, then draw the
another Covenmate is
solving a challenge with top card of the Challenge Deck. It’s
Wisdom or Big Magic, you now a Wisdom card in your hand.
should still describe how
your Covenmate supports, You shouldn’t repeat the same
hinders, or plays into their Folly twice in a row (unless it’s
plan, if appropriate. perfect for the story).

Solve It With Wisdom

If you’ve collected enough Wisdom cards, you can resolve a
challenge using a combination of mundane cleverness, petty
magic, diplomacy, and the Coven’s resources.
To solve a challenge with Wisdom, discard Wisdom
cards with a combined worth of at least triple the challenge
card’s value (Pages are worth 11,
Knights are worth 12, and Kings Covenmates In Absentia:
and Queens are worth a witch’s lucky The final Folly on each
13). Describe how your character Covenmate's sheet pulls
them away from the
successfully solves the challenge. action for the next chal-
(Put discarded Wisdom cards lenge. They can still act,
but we have to explain
in the center of the play space—they how they are influencing
don’t go back in the box just yet.) the situation from afar.

28 - Troubles
 Solve It With True Magic
The Coven’s magic can accomplish almost
anything, but this power can be costly.
To use True Magic, you’ll say
which element of your
Power you’re calling on,
how the spell unfolds,
and then strike one
of your sources. Using
True Magic always solves
a challenge.
When a Challenge is
Solved, put its card back in
the box. It’s removed from the
game.
When We Fail To Solve A
Challenge, each member of the
Coven picks one of the penalties
below. (We can all pick the same options, if we’d like, but
doing so might prove foolish.)
•  Describe how the Kingdom’s Ignorance, Poverty, or
Despair worsen, how the Coven can tell, and update
the Kingdom page accordingly.
•  Describe how one of the Sanctuary’s Resources,
Friends, or Wonders is lost, desecrated, or
destroyed. Strike it from the Sanctuary page.
•  Worsen the Underworld’s claim over you on the
Underworld page.
Then we put the card back in the box. It’s removed from
the game.

Troubles - 29
 The Offers
Remember our Inevitable Fates?
The three small decks of three
secret cards you’ve been trying
not to think about?
When the Challenge
Deck runs out of cards,
it’s time for us to each face
the first card of our
Inevitable Fate, starting
with the holder of The
Sun. Once they’ve read
their card’s entry in the
Interpretation Guide and
made the choice it offers,
the Moon will reveal their
Inevitable Fate, read, and
decide. Finally, the Star
will read and interpret their own Fate.
If you accept the twist offered to you by your Fate and
claim the card beneath it, your Power evolves to incorporate
one of the following:
•  The Empress: Choose between Earth Magic and
Celebration Magic.
•  The Hierophant: Choose between Key Magic and
Fire Magic.
•  Justice: Choose between Law Magic and Air
Magic.
•  Temperance: Choose between Balance Magic and
Water Magic.
Write down this final use of your power on your
Covenmate sheet.

30 - Troubles
 If you turn down Fate’s offer, we’ll put the card you drew
and the one beneath it back in the box.
Finally, each of us will ask one of these questions of each
of the others, starting with the Sun and ending with the
Star:
•  Was it an easy choice to make?
•  How can you just give up so much?
•  Is this really what you want?
•  How could you bear to leave us?
•  Are we holding you back?
•  When can we see you?
•  Are you ever coming back to us?
Then, we’ll ask a seventh question of the deck: How
is this all going to end?
With that, the second chapter of the game is
closed. We should take a
break, stretch, eat and drink
together, and ruminate.

Troubles - 31
Chapter Three

TRIALS
 Starting the Trials
Collect the discard pile from Estranged Covenmates:
the last chapter and sort it into Depending on the twists and
ascending order, so that the turns of fate, one or more
lowest-value card is on the top members of the Coven may
no longer be living in the
and the highest-value card is Sanctuary. Challenges still
on the bottom. This is our new capture the attention of the
Challenge Deck. Flip the top entire Coven, no matter how
far-flung, but we may have
card; this is our current challenge. to explain how estranged
This chapter works a lot members find out about them,
or how they find the time to
like Troubles. We can still solve help. Being estranged doesn't
challenges with Wisdom or True have to mean they never visit;
Magic, and we can still Fall Prey all it means is that the Coven
is no longer their primary
To Folly. But there’s also some- focus.
thing new we can do, instead:

Learn From The Past

Tell us how this Challenge presents
you with an opportunity to repeat
one of your Follies; how you real-
ize, resist, and alter the pattern
this time around; and what this
change might mean, moving forward.
Then cross out that Folly and recover a
stricken (but not blackened) source.
We should use this new option
wisely. It does not solve Challenges,
and we can still only choose one
option per Challenge.
We should make sure we gather
our Wisdom (and our Wisdom cards)
for the finale!

34 - Trials
 The Finale
When the last challenge in the Challenge Deck is resolved,
it’s time for us to each flip the last cards in our Inevitable
Fate. These challenges can only be solved with Wisdom, and
only by the player who drew them.
•  Whoever has drawn Judgment will go first, to
determine the fate of the Kingdom.
•  Whoever has drawn Death will go second, to
determine the fate of the Underworld.
•  Whoever has drawn The Tower will go third, to
determine the fate of the Sanctuary and the Coven.
When all three challenges have been addressed, the
game is over and the story is complete.

Trials - 35
 Closing The Game
The game is over! Whether we’ve found a peaceful ending or
the world has fallen down around our ears, we should take
some measures, now, to clear the boundaries between the
Coven’s world and ours.

Thanking One Another

We’ve just done a lot of creative work together. It’s important
to acknowledge and thank each other for that! Sometimes
gratitude is best expressed through joy and sorrow and
excitement. So we should take a moment to talk about the
game, and what resonated with us.
Be sure, as you put the cards away, to thank your tarot
deck as well.

Clean Up
We’ll make sure not just to clean up the game components,
but also any drinks, snacks, moved furniture and other such
things that may have been put into disarray by the game.
We would hate to be poor guests.

The Last Question

When the game is put away and the space is clean and we’ve
talked ourselves out, a final question closes the game:
“What’s next?”

36 - Trials
Trials - 37
WICKEDNESS
Play Pages

M Veselak
This booklet contains the play pages required to play a game
of Wickedness—the three Covenmates and the three set-
ting elements. We can write directly in the booklet if we’re
feeling bold, or we can print copies of them.
The first set of play pages are the original, core coven
and world by M Veselak. They’re probably the best choice
for players new to Wickedness or to roleplaying games in
general.
The second set of play pages convert the game into a
cyberpunk setting. We should choose these sheets if our
group is excited to reinterpret the mythic, feudal challenges
in the Interpretation Guide to fit a world where magic and
technology are blurred together. These play pages were
designed by Jamila R. Nedjadi of Sword Queen Games. You
can find their other games at temporalhiccup.itch.io.
The third set brings Wickedness into a modern world of
Urban Fantasy, where magic is a hidden force and the coven
is more grounded in their neighborhood’s community.
These were written by Caro Asercion, whose other games
can be found at seaexcursion.itch.io.

About The Play Pages - 41

 The Fool Gets The
PURE HEART
CIRCLE ONE, OR WRITE YOUR OWN.
You May Call Me:
Alex, Charley, Rose, Violet, Winter, Holly, Tovi,
The Tranquil, A Young Name, A Fading Name,
A Flower Name, A Bittersweet Name

My Most Important Tool Is:

A Wand Of Holly, Soft White Gloves,
My Animal Familiar, Enchanted Dough, An Herb Garden,
A Hand Mirror, A Song Of Home

My Medicine Leaves A Telltale Sign:

A Curious New Birthmark, A Lingering Scent,
An Unearthly Color, A Lightness Of Body,
A Wondrous Appetite, A Radiant Glow

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Phantom Bruises, Withered Limbs, Color Drain,
The Stench Of Death, A Lost Loved One’s Face,
A Seductive Stranger, A Stalking Beast

Ask The Old Soul Two Of The Following:

• Why did you invite me to the coven?
• What do you always tell me, but I never seem to
grasp?
• In what way am I wiser than you, if any?

Ask The Wild Spirit Two Of The Following:

• What pet name did you give me?
• What about me annoys you the most?
• When has my courage impressed you, if ever?

42 - Core Play Pages

My power is best used as medicine, but it can
also (empower, understand, pacify) others.
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• On the surface, I am sprightly, lovely and healthy.
(Blacken with dull, clutzy, a broken doll, or another
pitiable state.)
• I have love for myself, for my friends, and for all
things that grow. (Blacken with sweet treats, the
ringing of bells, snowstorms, any free and careless
thing.)
• Deep down, I am innocent, angry, and stronger
than you think. (Blacken with spoiled, tired,
frivolous, or another way the worlds have overused
you.)

My Follies:
• Be thwarted by your inexperience.
• Imperil yourself.
• Stumble into a contract you don’t understand.
• Make a humble offer, which is rejected.
• Reveal too much, endangering the coven.
• Ignore the wisdom of one of your coven-mates.
• Go sulk in frustration or humiliation. Draw two
cards, but be physically absent next challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Core Play Pages - 43

 The Magician Gets The
WILD SPIRIT
CIRCLE ONE, OR TWO,
OR WRITE YOUR OWN.

You May Call Me:

Eris, Lilith, Morgan, Scarlet, Wolf, Circe, Judyth,
Madelyn, A Powerful Name, A Reckless Name,
A Stolen Name, A Sexy Name

When Danger Calls, I Wield:

A Club Of Red Oak, A Flaming Sword, A Gigantic Labrys,
More Enchanted Knives Than I Can Count,
A Stare That Kills, My Bonded Beast, Claws Of My Own

I Move:
Like Liquid Silk, With Arrogance, Like A Knife,
With Inevitability, Like A Big Cat, With A Jaunty Swagger,
Like Something Huge And Iron

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Temporary Dismemberment, Snaking Chains,
Monstrous Mirrors, An Innocent I’ve Hurt,
A Scale Of Judgment, A Lonely Song, Mazes And Veils

Ask The Old Soul Two Of The Following:

• How do you keep me under control?
• What future do you see for me?
• How have I disappointed you most?

Ask The Pure Heart Two Of The Following:

• Who from my past do you remind me of?
• What have I never been strong enough to do?
• When did I frighten you most?

44 - Core Play Pages

 My power is best used for violence, but is
also suited to (seduction, transformation,
inspiring awe & terror).
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• On the surface, I am strong, glorious, and
invincible. (Blacken with scarred, twisted, ablaze, or
some other mark of unending pain.)
• I fight for myself, for my friends, and for what is
right. (Blacken with security, my ego, the thrill of
battle, or any senseless, self-destructive thing.)
• Deep down, I am caring, afraid, and will listen to
reason. (Blacken with heartless, a hungry beast, the
doom of this nation, however the worlds may have
taken your humanity.)

My Follies:
• Underestimate the problem.
• Do more harm than good.
• Escalate the hostility between the coven and
another faction. Put your coven-mates in danger.
• Be goaded into making the wrong move.
• Blame the cowardice of one of your coven-mates.
• Act impulsively and get badly hurt. Draw two cards,
but be physically absent next challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Core Play Pages - 45

 The High Priestess Gets The
OLD SOUL
CIRCLE ONE, OR TWO,
OR WRITE YOUR OWN.

You May Call Me:

Agatha, Chandler, Minerva, Shirley, Taylor, Claudia,
Henrietta Hawthorne, Maggie, A Quiet Name, A Worn-Out
Name, A Jewel Name, A Grim Name

The Predictions I Trust Most Come From:

A Clouded Crystal, A Brass Pendulum, My Ensorceled Birds,
An Expensive Brand Of Tea Leaf, Fingerbone Runestones,
Star Charts, Dreams

I Have A Benign Fixation On:

A Craft Skill, Jokes And Riddles, Strategy Games,
Hosting Soirees, A Stringed Instrument, Townsfolk Gossip,
Tales Of Romance And Adventure

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Deja Vu, Mocking Laughter, False Memories, Stolen Breath,
A Shadow Overhead, Cascades Of Unreadable Text,
An Ominous Hourglass

Ask The Wild Spirit Two Of The Following:

• Why am I less than what I could be?
• How will you be the absolute death of me?
• Why did you used to revere me, and what changed?

Ask the Pure Heart two of the following:

• How did I lose my innocence?
• When did I lose your trust?
• What would turn you into me?

46 - Core Play Pages

 My power is best used to seek knowledge,
but is also used to (conjure spirits, pass
unseen, lay curses).
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• On the surface, I am tidy, harmless and lively.
(Blacken with pallid, crazed, shadow-riddled, or some
other diminishment that looms.)
• I see the value in myself, in my friends and in
the company of others. (Blacken with history,
arachnids, puppets, or some other tangling, dusty
thing.)
• Deep down, I am honorable, unsure, and have
hope for the future. (Blacken with unreachable,
unknowable, unaccountably petty, or another reason
the world will forget you.)

My Follies:
• Fail to act until it’s too late.
• Dispense unsolicited advice, communicated poorly.
• Withhold vital information from your coven-mates.
• Insist on a burdensome tradition, ceremony or
etiquette
• Exclaim your neutrality in this matter.
• Chide the foolishness of one of your coven-mates.
• Depart on mysterious business. Draw two cards,
but be physically absent next challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Core Play Pages - 47

THE
SANCTUARY
Home & Hearth
The Sanctuary Is Located:
PICK ONE
In a Bad Neighborhood Of Capital City,
Down a Winding Path Through The
Woods, In A Fortress Ruin On A Lonely
Cliff, Above A Shop In Quiet Seaside
Town

Resources:
EACH COVENMATE
CIRCLES OR INVENTS ONE
• (Living Spaces)
• (A Modest Sum of Gold)
• A Shopfront
• Stables and Horses
• Livestock
• A Receiving Room for Important
Guests
• Safe Shelter for The Lost
• Potion Reagents
• A Well-Stocked Library
• A Workshop and Tools
• An Observatory Tower
• Local Goodwill
• The Royal Family’s Favor
 Friends:
EACH COVENMATE CIRCLES ONE,
GIVING A NAME AND A DETAIL
• A Noble Patron • A Transformed Servant
• A Military Admirer • A Dangerous Spirit
• A Charismatic Merchant Bound By Old Magic
• A Grateful Thief • Minor Sprites, and their
• A Smug Entertainer Spokescreature
• A Peasant Family • The Faded Goddess of a
Forgotten Shrine
• A Cunning Orphan
• A Very Old Cat
• A Sweet Child

Wonders:
CIRCLE OR INVENT ONE, EACH
• (A Circle of Protection) • A Door to Somewhere
• A Celestial Garden Truly Special
• An Ancient Statue • A Hole to Nowhere
• A Midnight Fountain • An Upside-Down Room
• An Elaborate Orrery • An Enormous Egg
• A Flying Machine
• A Clock With A Sense
Of Humor
• Dreamy, Maze-Like
Corridors
• Gateways to Distant &
Exotic Places
 THE KINGDOM
Of Mortalkind
Countrysides:
Knitworks Of Pastures, Fertile River Valleys, Golden Seas Of
Grain, Battered Fishing Villages, Orchards And Vineyards

Settlements:
A Shining Metropolis, A Smog-Choked Irontown, Mountain
Strongholds, A Breezy Trade Port, Sprawling Burgs

Wildernesses:
Storm-Smashed Mountains, A Forest Thick And Dark,
Pernicious Bogs, A Pitiless Desert, Hostile Winter

Leaders:
WHO HOLDS THE REAL POWER? DECIDE AS A
GROUP, THEN GIVE THEM A NAME & DETAIL.
• The Old Monarch • A Council of Shadowy
• Their Popular Spouse Ministers
• Their Brutal Eldest • A Celebrated War Hero
• Their Devious Youngest • An All-Wealthy Merchant
• A Religious Authority

National Joys:
CIRCLE OR INVENT ONE, EACH
(A Grandiose Palace), Historic Architecture, Bustling
Markets, Old War Memorials, A Prestigious University,
Revelrous Dance Halls, A Kind And Gentle Sea, Unspoilt
Natural Beauty, A Ubiquitous National Animal, A World-
Famous Performer, A Proud History of Monster-Slaying,
Many Silly Holidays, A Beloved Celebrity Couple

50 - Core Play Pages

 Aspects
Ignorance:
ADD TO SWORDS CHALLENGES
0–-–The Kingdom’s ignorance starts at 0
1–-–The Kingdom is now at war with a neighbor. Name
them. Who’s from there?
2–-–One of the Sanctuary’s Friends is being harassed daily.
Who and why?
3–-–Add a Witch Hunter to the Kingdom’s Leaders, with a
name and detail.
x–-–Read the Ignorance entry in the Interpretation Guide.

Poverty:
ADD TO COINS CHALLENGES
0–-–The Kingdom’s Poverty starts at 0
1–-–Who lines the streets? Pick one: Beggars, Thieves,
Orphans
2–-–What is now in short supply? Pick two: Food, Clothing,
Shelter, Medicine.
3–-–What’s in shambles? Pick three: the roads, the markets,
the law, the peace
x–-–Read the Poverty entry in the Interpretation Guide.

Despair:
ADD TO WANDS CHALLENGES
0–-–The Kingdom’s Despair starts at 0
1–-–Cross out a National Joy, describing how it is ruined for
everyone.
2–-–Cross out two National Joys, describing how they are
despoiled.
3–-–Cross out a National Joy, describing how it fades.
x–-–Read the Despair entry in the Interpretation Guide.

Core Play Pages - 51

 THE
UNDERWORLD
Realm of Mysteries & The Dead
It is part of the natural order, existing in balance with
the Kingdom above, but the workings of the Coven
& their magic stir its denizens...and whet its appetite.

The Underworld Is A Realm

Beneath & Behind The Mortal World:
PICK ONE AS A COVEN
Chthonic, Infernal, Mirror

There Is A Barrier To The Underworld:

A Ferocious Guardian, An Unsolvable Riddle,
A Devious Labyrinth, Delirious Waters,
An Exhaustion Of Stairs, A Toll To Pay

The Underworld Has Laws Governing:

Hospitality, Food and Drink, Raiment, Trade and
Bargaining, Honesty and Deception, Forbidden Speech

The Underworld Has A Ruler:

The Underworld Has Denizens:

Spirit Merchants, Meddlesome Muses, Envious
Doppelgangers, Torturer Devils, Demon Bureaucrats,
Trickster Fae, (Shades of the Dead)
IF A CHARACTER DIES, ADD THEM BELOW.
 Claims
The Pure Heart:
0–-–When the game begins, circle one kind of Denizen,
and add one to the Sanctuary’s Friends.
1–-–Add a new folly to your page: “Plead with the
Underworld for aid.”
2–-–You have learned what the Underworld Ruler desires,
and why. Write it, below. From now on, add +1 card value
to all Wands challenges.
3–-–Add “a beautiful present that I cannot discard” to the
menaces on your covenmate page.
x–-–Read the Abduction of the Pure Heart entry in the
interpretation guide.

The Wild Spirit:

0–-–When the game begins, give the Underworld’s ruler a
name and a title.
1–-–Draw a skull next to one of the Sanctuary’s Friends,
who has drawn the ire of the underworld.
2–-–You have learned the Underworld Ruler’s strengths
and powers. Write them, below. From now on, add +1 card
value to all Wands challenges.
3–-–Add “a binding that tightens whenever I resist” to the
menaces on your covenmate page.
x–-–Read the Corruption of the Wild Spirit entry in the
interpretation guide.

The Old Soul:

0–-–When the game begins, circle three Laws, and decide
what they mean.
1–-–You must be more careful. Cross out one of your Follies.
2–-–You have learned the Underworld Ruler’s weaknesses
and limits. Write them, above. From now on, add +1 card
value to all Wands challenges.
3–-–The time for frivolity is over. Cross out your fixation
(and the word “benign”) and replace it with “Countering the
Underworld.”
x–-–Read the Binding of the Old Soul entry in the interpre-
tation guide.

Core Play Pages - 53

 Alternate Setting

CYBERPUNK
by Jamila R. Nedjadi
 THE CYBERPUNK
PURE HEART
CIRCLE ONE, OR TWO, OR WRITE YOUR OWN.
You May Call Me:
Neon, KittyKat333, Blindfold, VenusRising, Witch_Hazel,
An Untested Name, A Name Easily Forgotten, A Name of
Quiet Strength

My Most Important Tool Is:

My Pastel Hacker Keyboard Covered In Stickers, My Bright
Holo-Glasses, My Emoji Power Words, A Fragmented AI I
Rescued, An Abandoned Radio Tower, A Virtual Idol Who
Sings Duets With Me, A Neon Light Cycle

My Medicine Leaves A Telltale Sign:

A Recovered Memory, A Song In Their Heart, Their Presence
On The Internet Altered, A Brighter Augmented Reality,
Surveillance Glitches, Augments That Rebuild Themselves

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Buggy Augments, Daemons That Know My Name, An Online
Blog That Details My Private Thoughts, A Cycle-Gang Leader
I’m Falling In Love With, An AI That’s In Love With Me, A
Second Me That Stalks Me From The Dark Web

Ask The Old Soul Two Of The Following:

• Who did I replace in the coven? Why can I never be
as good as they were?
• What path have you seen for me? Why won’t I
believe you?
• What do I know about you that no one else knows?

56 - Cyberpunk Setting
Ask The Wild Spirit Two Of The Following:
• Who do I remind you of? Why can’t you be with
them?
• What has my innocence cost you?
• What do you love about me, but can’t tell me?

My power is best used for recovery, but it can

also (empower, translate, amuse) others.
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• On the surface, I am spunky, cute and trusting.
(Blacken with fearful, spiteful, flawed, or a
vulnerability that was taken advantage of.)
• I have love for myself, for my friends, and for all
things beautiful. (Blacken with riches, thrilling
temptation, masks one cannot see past, any free and
careless thing.)
• Deep down, I am innocent, angry, and stronger
than you think. (Blacken with ignorant, hurtful,
cruel, or another way the worlds have spoiled you.)

My Follies:
• Be thwarted by your naivete.
• Invite danger.
• Trust the wrong person.
• Offer something that is not yours to give.
• Reveal too much, endangering the coven.
• Ignore the wisdom of one of your coven-mates.
• Get caught up in distraction or fall in love at the
wrong moment. Draw two cards, but be physically
absent next challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Cyberpunk Setting - 57
 THE CYBERPUNK
WILD SPIRIT
CIRCLE ONE, OR TWO, OR WRITE YOUR OWN.

You May Call Me:

Blade, WyldChylde046, Werewolf, Saturn, Armageddon,
A Stolen Name, A Name Whispered In Hushed Tones, A
Name Of Sound And Fury

When Danger Calls, I Wield:

A Neon Blade, My Reprogrammed Mech, An Army Of
Drones, Void Daggers, Information That Destroys Lives,
Genetically Enhanced Reflexes, Augments And Implants That
Bleed Ozone

I Move:
With Speed That Can’t Be Tracked, Hidden In Holo-Shadow,
On The Back Of A Mech-Cat, Through Liquid Metal That
Rebuilds Me, Through Personal Black Holes, From Screen To
Screen, Through The Storms That Answer My Call

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Trained Assassins That Bleed Shadow, Constant Surveillance,
An Ex-Lover Who Knows My Every Weakness, A Data
Packet Of My Secret Shame, A Control Chip, Calls From
An Innocent Paying For My Mistake, A Promise To Escape
Off-World

Ask The Old Soul Two Of The Following:

• How have you tamed my heart? Why are you guilty
about it?
• What prophecy did I break? Why do you pay the
price?
• How did your failed wisdom cost me everything?

58 - Cyberpunk Setting
Ask The Pure Heart Two Of The Following:
• Why do I scare you? Why do you stay close to me
anyway?
• What did you protect me from?
• Why do you have the power to destroy me?

My power is best used for violence, but is also

suited to (seduction, corruption, disabling tech).
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• On the surface, I am slick, mysterious, and
invincible. (Blacken with prideful, desperate,
dangerous, or some other mark of battle fatigue.)
• I fight for myself, for my friends, and for change.
(Blacken with thrills, my ego, spite, or any senseless,
self-destructive thing.)
• Deep down, I am caring, afraid, and will listen
to reason. (Blacken with heartless, a collared beast,
a lost cause, however the city may have taken your
humanity.)

My Follies:
• Underestimate the problem.
• Do more harm than good.
• Escalate hostilities and face the consequences.
• Endanger the innocent.
• Succumb to pride or hubris.
• Hurt one of your coven-mates.
• Get drawn into a duel or deal with an ex-lover.
Draw two cards, but be physically absent next
challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Cyberpunk Setting - 59
 THE CYBERPUNK
OLD SOUL
CIRCLE ONE, OR TWO, OR WRITE YOUR OWN.

You May Call Me:

Hard_Drive, Oraculus000, Monarch, Ganymede,
PhoenixFyre, An Old Fashioned Name, A Name Given With
Regret, A Name Of Calm And Beauty

The Predictions I Trust Most Come From:

An Algorithm I Created, Messages From An Unknown
Sender, Randomized Data Packets, The Dreams I Have
While Connected To The Net, An Android That Houses The
Fragmented Soul Of My Lover, A Dance Club That Puts Me
In A Trance, Corrupted Videos From My Future Self

I Have A Benign Fixation On:

AI Dance Groups, Conspiracy Theory Forums, Abandoned
Websites, Fanfiction, Gossip Over Secret Channels, Changing
My Face Plates To Match My Mood, Video Games

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

An AI That Is Learning To Replace Me, Failing Augments
That Can’t Be Replaced, Rewritten Memories, A Storm That
Responds To My Emotion, A Countdown Clock, My Younger
Self Housed In An Android, Dreams That Follow Me Into
Virtual Reality
Ask The Wild Spirit Two Of The Following:
• What precious thing did I give up to make you
stronger?
• How do you bring me closer to my doom?
• Who do I remind you of? Why does it hurt you?

60 - Cyberpunk Setting
 Ask the Pure Heart two of the following:
• What did I cruelly destroy to protect you?
• How did I betray you in the past? Why have you
forgiven me?
• What painful legacy will you inherit from me?

My power is best used to seek knowledge,

but is also used to (conjure AI, avoid detection,
spread designer viruses).
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• On the surface, I am mature, experienced, and
haunting. (Blacken with broken, paranoid, despairing,
or some other diminishment that looms.)
• I see the value in myself, in my friends, and in
finding common ground. (Blacken with history,
cruelty, manipulation, or some other thing that cools
the heart.)
• Deep down, I am honorbound, doubtful, and have
hope for the future. (Blacken with unreachable,
unknowable, unaccountably petty, or another reason
the world will fear you for generations.)
My Follies:
• Fail to act until it’s too late.
• Give the wrong advice, for your own purposes.
• Withhold vital information from your coven-mates.
• Insist on working with someone powerful and
dangerous.
• Manipulate someone against their best interests.
• Chide the foolishness of one of your coven-mates.
• Get caught up in business that is not yours. Draw
two cards, but be physically absent next challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Cyberpunk Setting - 61
THE SANCTUARY
Safe Haven in the City

The Sanctuary Is Located In:

PICK ONE
The Backroom Of A Dive Bar, An Abandoned Mega-Corp
Facility, A Sentient Ship, The Void Space Of The Internet

Resources:
EACH COVENMATES CIRCLES
OR INVENTS ONE
• (Home Away From Home)
• (Stolen Bank Accounts From The Mega Rich)
• An Online Forum Full Of Secrets
• A Warehouse Full Of Discontinued Androids
• A Stolen Material Fabricator
• Light Cycles And Neon Blades
• A Private Server For Important Guests
• Rare Augments And Soul Nodes
• Memory Tools For Virtual Access
• A Pirate Radio Transmitter
• Many Small Surveillance Drones
• Personal Mech-Suits
• An Illegal Library Of Ancient Paper
• A Sentient And Friendly Workshop

62 - Cyberpunk Setting
 Friends:
EACH COVENMATES CIRCLES ONE,
GIVING A NAME AND A DETAIL
• An AI Oracle • A Protective Assassin
• A Hard-Boiled Detective • A Corporate
• A Ghost In The Machine Whistleblower
• A Megastar Pop Idol • A Robot The Size Of A
• A Hacker With A Building
Conscience • A Mercenary With A
• A Virus Cat Made Of Heart Of Gold
Memes • An Online Celebrity
• A Discarded Android Who Rebuilds
Themselves
• An Android With A
Broken Heart

Wonders:
CIRCLE OR INVENT ONE, EACH
• Neon Rain • A Prayer Tree Of Incense
• A Butler AI And Mystery
• An Ancient Shrine • A Transforming Vehicle
• A Telepathic Android • Holographic Memories
• A Set Of Hoverboards • A Direct Line To The
• Our Own Personal Dead
Virtual Reality • A Menagerie Of
• A Garden Full Of Real Mechanical Animals
Plants • A Digital Angel

Cyberpunk Setting - 63
 THE CITY
The Last Of Its Kind
Central Sectors:
Buildings Of Light And Sound, Beautiful Homes Surrounded
By Holographic Forests, Dense Corporate Centers, Carefully
Tended Gardens Full Of Animal Automatons, Rooftop Parks

Fringe Sectors:
Bustling Food Markets, Shrines Dedicated To Forgotten Gods,
Halfway Houses Full Of Art, Tarp-And-Bootleg Bazaars,
Planned Housing Apartments For Workers

Abandoned Sectors:
Belching Factories, Dangerous Bars, Overgrown Hydroponic
Greenhouses, Dead Riverbeds, Ancient Landfills

Leaders:
WHO HOLDS THE REAL POWER? DECIDE AS A
GROUP, THEN GIVE THEM A NAME & DETAIL.
• The Last Real Human • Genetically Engineered
• A Council Of Anonymous Politicians
Leaders • A Royal Family Of Clones
• An AI Created From The • An Omniscient AI
Hopes Of Humans Hidden In Shadow
• A Hero From The Galaxy • The Last Of A God
Wars Housed In A Machine

Aspects Of Beauty:
CIRCLE OR INVENT ONE, EACH
(Mega-Corp Headquarters), Preserved Historic Architecture,
Curated Weather Patterns, Miles Of AI-Controlled Race Tracks,
Daily Concerts Of Ethereal Light And Sound, Temples Of Gold
That Reach The Sky, A Heaven-Like Augmented Reality, A
Virtual Library, A Brand Of Incredible Snacks & Sodas

64 - Cyberpunk Setting
 Aspects
Ignorance:
ADD TO SWORDS CHALLENGES
0–-–The City’s Ignorance starts at 0
1–-–Those who originally owned this land have risen up to
declare war. Name them. Who fights with them?
2–-–One of the Sanctuary’s Friends is being harassed daily.
Who and Why?
3–-–Add a branch of Magic Acquisitions to the mega-corp.
Why do they want to do with our magic, should they dis-
cover us?
x–-–Read the Ignorance entry in the Interpretation Guide

Poverty:
ADD TO COINS CHALLENGES
0–-–The City’s Poverty starts at 0
1–-–Who now claims ownership of the streets? Pick one:
discarded robots of war, cycle gangs, crime syndicates oper-
ating openly.
2–-–What is now in short supply? Pick two: Augmentation
upkeep, medicine, jobs, real food.
3–-–What’s in shambles? Pick three: communication
systems, modes of transportation, a semblance of compas-
sionate authority, accurate news sources.
x–-–Read the Poverty entry in the Interpretation Guide

Despair:
ADD TO WANDS CHALLENGES
0–-–The City’s Despair starts at 0
1–-–Cross out an aspect of beauty. How does it fade?
2–-–Cross out two aspects of beauty. How are they appro-
priated and ruined?
3–-–Cross out an aspect of beauty. How is it corrupted?
x–-–Read the Despair entry in the Interpretation Guide

Cyberpunk Setting - 65
 THE
UNDERWORLD
Realm of Mysteries & The Dead
The Underworld Is A:
PICK ONE AS A COVEN
Powerful Crime Syndicate, Secret Supernatural Force,
Dark Mirror Of The City,
It operates in the shadows, but is a part of the natural order
that sustains and corrupts the City. The Mega-Corp is aware
of them, and they work in sync towards achieving their
own goals. However, the Coven and their magic entices the
Underworld with powers it wishes to possess.

There Is A Barrier To The Underworld:

A Cruel Guardian, A Maze Of Networks & Riddles, A
Labyrinth Through The Virtual World, A Dark Ritual That
Asks For Too Much, An AI That Feeds On & Corrupts
Memories, A Toll To Pay

The Underworld Has Laws Governing:

Social Contracts & Conduct, Hospitality, Food and Drink,
Strict Dress Code, Trade & Bargaining, Honesty &
Deception, Forbidden Speech, Control & Collateral

The Underworld Has A Ruler:

The Underworld Has Denizens:

Unshackled AI Who Have Turned To Violence,
Memory Hunters, Contract Killers, Cruel Holo-Ghosts,
Psychic Soldiers, Cybernetic Doppelgangers
IF A CHARACTER DIES, ADD THEM BELOW.
Describe how their consciousness is appropriated or rebuilt by
an AI, program, robot, or something similar.

66 - Cyberpunk Setting
 Claims
The Pure Heart:
0–-–When the game begins, circle one kind of Denizen and
add one of the Sanctuary’s friends.
1–-–Add a new folly to your page: “Receive help from the
Underworld and pay the price, or allow someone else to.”
2–-–You have learned what the Underworld Ruler desires,
and why. Write it below. From now on, add +1 card value to
all Wands challenges.
3–-–Add “A beautiful person for whom I am responsible” to
the menaces on your covenmate page.
x–-–Read the Abduction of the Pure Heart entry in the
interpretation guide.

The Wild Spirit:

0–-–When the game begins, give the Underworld’s ruler a
name and a title.
1–-–Draw a skull next to one of the Sanctuary’s Friends,
who has drawn ire from the Underworld.
2–-–You have learned the Underworld Ruler’s strengths
and powers. Write them below. From now on, add +1 card
value to all Wands challenges.
3–-–Add “strange compulsions” to the menaces on your
covenmate page.
x–-–Read the Corruption of the Wild Spirit entry in the
interpretation guide.

The Old Soul:

0–-–When the game begins, circle three Laws, below, and
decide what they mean.
1–-–You must be more careful. Cross out one of your Follies.
2–-–You have learned the Underworld Ruler’s weaknesses
and limits. Write them below. From now on, add +1 card
value to all Wands challenges.
3–-–The time for frivolity is over. Cross out your fixation
(and the word “benign”) and replace it with “Toying with
the Underworld.”
x–-–Read the Binding of the Old Soul entry in the interpre-
tation guide.

Cyberpunk Setting - 67
 Alternate Setting

URBAN FANTASY
by Caro Asercion
 THE URBAN FANTASY
PURE HEART
CIRCLE ONE, OR WRITE YOUR OWN.
You May Call Me:
Dust, Faith, Cedar Willow, Pepper, Joy, A Delicate Name,
A Colorful Name, An Untested Name, A Handcrafted Name

I Am Driven By:
Faith & Connections
I Came To This City In Search Of:

I Came To This City To Escape:

A Humble Life, My Family, Adventure, The Pull Of Magic,
My Fortune, My True Love, A Deal Too Good To Be True,
The Truth About My Past, The Figure In My Dreams

My Style:
Loose And Flowy, Prim Cardigan, Spare Transit Pass,
#nofilter, Messenger Bag, Flower Crowns, Still Figuring It Out

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Phantom Mold, Sleepless Nights, Corrupted Technology,
Nightmares About Home, A Hellhound The Color Of Slate,
Fraying Cloth, Unnatural Shadows

Ask The Old Soul Two Of The Following:

• What do I see in you that reminds me of home?
• When did I first earn your respect?
• How did you first hear of me?

70 - Urban Fantasy Setting

Ask The Wild Spirit Two Of The Following:
• Where did we meet once before I joined the coven,
and do I remember the encounter?
• What skill have you promised to teach me, and how
did I convince you?
• How did you first show me the beauty of this city?

My power is best used as medicine, but it can

also (empower, understand, pacify) others.
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• At first glance, I am inquisitive, tender, and an
outsider. (Blacken with dispassionate, irritable, jaded,
or some other banal and cynical state.)
• I find wonder in myself, in my friends, and in the
city itself. (Blacken with baubles, blatant lies, online
gossip, or anything else that is dangerous in excess.)
• At my core, I am honest, naïve, and steadfast in my
beliefs. (Blacken with desperate, frail, a pushover, or
some other way the world belittles you.)

My Follies:
• Make a faux pas, offending someone.
• Trip headfirst into danger.
• Concede defeat before you have made an attempt.
• Fall prey to inexperience.
• Make a promise you cannot keep, knowingly or
unknowingly.
• Dismiss your covenmates as domineering or bossy.
• Succumb to feelings of homesickness or melancholy.
Draw two cards, but be physically absent next
challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Urban Fantasy Setting - 71

 THE URBAN FANTASY
WILD SPIRIT
CIRCLE ONE, OR TWO, OR WRITE YOUR OWN.

You May Call Me:

Ivy, Perseus, Lucky, Saint, Candor, A Playful Name, A Metal
Name, A Sharp Name, A Coy Name

I Am Driven By:
Emotion & Mystery

I Have Abandoned: I Still Carry With Me:

An Old Grudge, An Old Flame, An Old Knife, Advice From
My First Mentor, An Unclaimed Debt, A Family Heirloom,
The Song In My Heart, A Mystery From My Youth, More
Friends Than I Care To Admit

My Style:
Athleisure, Glittercore, Insouciant Button-Up, Anxiety Meds,
Flannel And Denim, Sundress, Crystal Pendant

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Broken Windowpanes, Visions Of Natural Disaster, An Deck
Of Rigged Cards, A Lack Of Appetite, Fire In My Lungs,
Whispers Of Inadequacy, An Unshakeable Tailwind

Ask The Old Soul Two Of The Following:

• What part of my lifestyle do you find most
distasteful?
• Why am I forever beholden to you?
• What truth of my past have I confessed only to you?

72 - Urban Fantasy Setting

Ask The Pure Heart Two Of The Following:
• Which of my vices can you most easily overlook?
• Which of your virtues do I find hardest to emulate
myself?
• Which of my escapades will you never let me live
down?
My power is best used for violence, but is
also suited to (seduction, transformation,
inspiring awe & terror).
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• At first glance, I am mighty, foolhardy, and sharp.
(Blacken with ruthless, a burnished knife, an empty
bottle, or some callous and unfeeling object.)
• I draw strength from myself, from my friends,
and from the city itself. (Blacken with infernos,
bloodlust, the pain of innocents, or anything brutish
and visceral.)
• At my core, I am resilient, uncertain, and kinder
than I let on. (Blacken with hedonistic, ravenous,
a threat to myself, or some other way that you have
forsaken self-discipline.)
My Follies:
• Act with unearned overconfidence.
• Pick a side before understanding all the facts.
• Care more for things than for people.
• Endanger a loved one or a covenmate.
• Ask for a favor from a far more dangerous friend or
faction.
• Dismiss your covenmates as out of touch or
self-absorbed.
• Vanish to the city's shifting streets. Draw two cards,
but be physically absent next challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Urban Fantasy Setting - 73

 THE URBAN FANTASY
OLD SOUL
CIRCLE ONE, OR WRITE YOUR OWN.
You May Call Me:
Patience, Rye, Fairweather, Charity, Jade, Heavy Name, A
Familiar Name, A Threadbare Name, A Durable Name
I Am Driven By:
Reason & Practicality

I Have Always Learned Best By:

I Have Never Learned Anything Useful By:
Reading Books, Reading People, Reading Nature, Listening
To Patterns, Listening To My Dreams, Moving Cautiously,
Failing Upwards, Working Backwards, Working Alone

My Style:
Health Goth, Med School Textbooks, Wire-Rimmed Glasses,
Hi-Top Flats, Too Many Keychains, Knitting Needles Mid-
Scarf, Tasteful Slob

The Underworld Menaces Me With:

Overwhelming Silence, Creative Stagnancy, The Scent Of
Festering Rot, Numbed Fingertips, Mocking Thunderstorms,
Unsolvable Riddles, A Letter I Can Never Send

Ask The Wild Spirit Two Of The Following:

• When did you first concede that you had something
to learn from me?
• What argument never fails to put us at each other's
throats?
• How have I most let you down?

74 - Urban Fantasy Setting

Ask The Pure Heart Two Of The Following:
• What advice do I give you, but never follow myself?
• In what way have you sworn to never be like me?
• When did I lose my wonder for the city?

My power is best used to seek knowledge,

but is also used to (conjure spirits, pass
unseen, lay curses).
It Comes From The Following Sources:
• At first glance, I am practical, self-sufficient,
and stubborn. (Blacken with frigid, demanding, a
mausoleum, or something frightening to the world.)
• I believe in myself, in my friends, and in the city
itself. (Blacken with shadows, entropy, spite, or
anything that gnaws and hungers.)
• At my core, I am incisive, lonely, and wise beyond my
years. (Blacken with obsolete, haunted, burnt out, or
another way you have been ground down by the city.)

My Follies:
• Ignore the problem until it bubbles over.
• Focus on details at the expense of the bigger picture.
• Bury yourself in your practice, at cost to your
relationships.
• Withhold wisdom or advice against your better
judgement.
• Insist on a solution that is circuitous, outdated, or
burdensome.
• Dismiss your covenmates as impulsive or impudent.
• Retreat to your study in isolation. Draw two cards,
but be physically absent next challenge.
FALL PREY TO A FOLLY DURING A
CHALLENGE TO DRAW A WISDOM CARD.

Urban Fantasy Setting - 75

THE SANCTUARY
Our Home, Our Community

Resources:
EACH COVENMATES CIRCLES
OR INVENTS ONE
• (Living Spaces)
• (A Modest Sum Of Money)
• A Bargain With The Subway Ghosts
• Rooftop Access
• Reliable High-Speed Wi-Fi
• Bicycles And Enough Space To Store Them
• The Local Bodega's Goodwill
• A Community Garden
• Social Media Notoriety
• A Washer-Dryer
• A Kitchen Alchemy Workshop
• Courteous Neighbors
• An Extra Room And Spare Bedding

76 - Urban Fantasy Setting

 Friends:
EACH COVENMATES CIRCLES ONE,
GIVING A NAME AND A DETAIL
• A Fickle Streetlamp • The Voice In The
Sprite Windowpanes
• An Impressionable • An Envoy From The
Barista-Witch Starfolk
• A Backroom Florist • A Passionate Troupe Of
• A Scrappy Cajón Busker Actors
• The Neighborhood • The Pigeon Queen
Gargoyle • The Bartender Down The
• An Opinionated Lifestyle Street
Blogger • A Lingering Wilderness
• A Slick Muralist Revenant

Wonders:
CIRCLE OR INVENT ONE, EACH
• (A Ward Of Protection) Old Swords
• A Shrewd Enchanted • An Internet
Teakettle Scrying-Glass
• A Fire-Escape Forest • A Cupboard Of Dreams
• A Star Clock, Thrifted • A Sprawling Indoor Fruit
• A Refrigerator With Too Tree
Much Space • A Chimney Phoenix Egg
• A Stuffed Animal • A Belligerent Sourdough
Burdened With Memories Starter
• A Closet Packed With • An Unerring Transit Map

Urban Fantasy Setting - 77

 THE CITY
The Waking City
The Neighborhood's Appearance:
CHOSEN BY THE PURE HEART
Mirrored Glass, Homey Brickwork, Wrought Iron & Steam,
Cobblestone Pavement, Constant Construction Scaffolding,
Window Boxes & Trellises, Water Towers & Radio Towers

The Neighborhood's History:

CHOSEN BY THE OLD SOUL
Former Tenements Now Renovated, Home To Immigrants &
Outcasts, The City's University Quarters, A Young But Thriving
Queer Scene, A Hub Of Magical Commerce, A Shipping District-
Turned-Boardwalk, Host To The City's Most Puzzling Mysteries

The Neighborhood's Residents:

CHOSEN BY THE WILD SPIRIT
Righteous & Just, Coolly Reserved, Avoidant But Kind,
Forward-Facing, Capricious In Their Mirth, Fussy &
Exacting, Proud of Their Diligence

Leaders:
WHO HOLDS THE REAL POWER? DECIDE AS A
GROUP, THEN GIVE THEM A NAME & DETAIL.
• An Encroaching • The Indifferent Mayor
Corporation • An Area Celebrity
• Its Silver-Tongued • A Social Media Influencer
Spokesperson • Delinquent Teens
• The City Council
Representatives • Our Landlord

Local Joys:
CIRCLE OR INVENT ONE, EACH
Block Party Holidays, A Venerated Museum, Outdoor
Summer Performances, Night Markets & Food Festivals,
The Best Damn Coffee In Town, Lavishly Curated Gardens,
Raw, Unmanicured Wilderness, A Notorious Apothecary,
Infamous Among Mages Worldwide

78 - Urban Fantasy Setting

 Aspects
Ignorance:
ADD TO SWORDS CHALLENGES
0–-–The Neighborhood's ignorance starts at 0.
1–-–Pick one to add to the Neighborhood's Residents:
Skeptical and suspicious, Short-tempered.
2–-–Show how the Neighborhood begins to lose its unique
spark. Alter its Appearance to reflect these changes.
3–-–Blacken the Neighborhood's History as its people
begin to forget their roots. Who still fights to remember it?
x–-–Read the Ignorance entry in the interpretation Guide.

Poverty:
ADD TO COINS CHALLENGES
0–-– The Neighborhood's poverty starts at 0.
1–-–Add a Burgeoning Startup to the Neighborhood as
a new Leader, with a name and a detail. Who suffers as a
result of their profit?
2–-–Which Wonder costs too much to maintain? Is there
any way to salvage or repurpose it? If so, replace it; if not,
cross it out.
3–-–One of the Sanctuary's Friends moves away as the cost
of living becomes untenable. Who? Cross them out.
x–-–Read the Poverty entry in the interpretation Guide.

Despair:
ADD TO WANDS CHALLENGES
0–-–The Neighborhood's despair starts at 0.
1–-–Cross out a local joy, describing how it is co-opted or
exploited.
2–-–Cross out two local joys, describing how they are com-
bined into something new that loses the spirit of both.
3–-–Cross out a local joy, describing how it is cast aside.
x–-–Read the Despair entry in the interpretation Guide.

Urban Fantasy Setting - 79

 THE
UNDERWORLD
Realm of Strange & Potent Magic
The Underworld Is:
PICK ONE AS A COVEN
Corporate, Subterranean, Old-Money

It is a neighborhood beneath and behind the

mundane world. It is part of the natural order,
existing in balance with the City, but the
workings of the Coven and their magic stir its
denizens...and whet its appetite.
There Is A Barrier To The Underworld:
Bureaucracy And Paperwork, Twisting Cackling Tunnels, Jagged
Walkways, A Boorish Gatekeeper, Cursed Turnstile Tolls

The Underworld Has Laws Governing:

Travel, Oaths and Favors, Labor and Business, Violence,
Language and Communication, Magic, Technology

The Underworld Has A Face:

The Underworld Has Denizens:

Malevolent Statuary, Greedy Devils, Con Artists In Suits,
Spectres Hungry For Power, Beasts Of Waste & Refuse,
Insidious Machinery, A Rival Coven
IF A CHARACTER DIES, ADD THEM BELOW.

80 - Urban Fantasy Setting

 Claims
The Pure Heart:
0–-– When the game begins, circle one kind of Denizen, and
add one to the Sanctuary's Friends.
1–-–Draw an eye next to the Leader who has taken an interest
in you. Why does their attention make you nervous?
2–-–You have learned the Underworld Face's weaknesses and
limits. Write them below. From now on, add +1 card value to
all Wands challenges.
3–-–Magic comes harder and harder to you these days.
Strike through one of your sources, or blacken a struck one,
immediately.
x–-–Read the Abduction of the Pure Heart entry in the
interpretation guide.

The Wild Spirit:

0–-–When the game begins, circle three Laws, and decide
what they mean. Which do you despise most?
1–-–Draw a seedling next to the Local Joy you have been
frequenting more often than usual as of late. How is it trans-
forming? How are you transforming with it?
2–-–You have learned what the Underworld Face desires, and
why. Write it below. From now on, add +1 card value to all
Wands challenges.
3–-–Choose one, and add it to your sheet underneath "I have
abandoned": temperance, caution, hope, mercy.
x–-–Read the Corruption of the Wild Spirit entry in the
interpretation guide.

The Old Soul:

0–-–When the game begins, give the Underworld's Face a
name and a title. Where did you learn these things?
1–-–Draw a spiral next to the Sanctuary Friend who has
drawn your suspicion or ire. Why can you no longer trust
them?
2–-–You have learned the Underworld Face's strengths and
powers. Write them below. From now on, add +1 card value
to all Wands challenges.
3–-–Add "an insatiable hunger for the truth" to the list
of menaces on your covenmate page. Add "wild-eyed and
unkempt" to your style.
x–-–Read the Binding of the Old Soul entry in the interpre-
tation guide.

Urban Fantasy Setting - 81

WICKEDNESS
Interpretation Guide

M Veselak
Presented in this booklet is the Wickedness Interpretation
Guide. Like other tarot interpretation guides, it can be used
to decipher truths from cards—but rather than answering
personal questions or divining the future, it tells us about
the world of Wickedness and the Challenges that face its
Coven.
The first set of four suits in this guide, as well as the
Inevitable Fates section that follows, were written by
Wickedness’s creator, M Veselak, and represent the core
game experience. At the back of this booklet are four alter-
nate suits by Adira Slattery, Kira Magrann, Raine Grayson
and Quinn Milton. We can substitute these for one or all of
the core suits if we want to keep the experience fresh after
playing Wickedness several times.
If we wish to preserve some surprise and mystery for
ourselves, we should avoid reading this book from front
to back, but we aren’t forbidden from doing so. Complete
instructions for how to use these entries can be found in the
Wickedness Rulebook.

About The Interpretation Guide - 85

 The Suit of
SWORDS
Ace of Swords
The High Priestess reads: One of the Kingdom’s Leaders
has died under mysterious circumstances. Strike them
out, and Worsen the Kingdom’s Ignorance and Despair as
conspiracies and accusations run wild. The Pure Heart will
tell us who died, and the Wild Spirit will tell us the likeliest
culprit. Can we solve the crime before stray fingers begin to
point to the Coven?

Two of Swords
The Moon reads: I’ve been challenged to a duel, so Worsen
the Kingdom’s Ignorance. The holder of The Sun will tell us
who issued the challenge, the holder of The Star will tell us
what I did to offend them, and I’ll tell you how I feel about
it. The Kingdom is watching, to see how we respond. What
should I do?

Three of Swords
The Moon reads: One of the Sanctuary’s Friends is actually
no friend to us at all: they’ve badly used us, and betrayed
the Coven. The holder of The Sun will tell us who our false
Friend is, and the holder of The Star will say how and why
they’ve harmed us. Unless we solve this challenge with
Wisdom, we must strike this Friend from the Sanctuary
page. How do we put a stop to this plot?

Four of Swords
The High Priestess reads: A little-known statue dedicated to
our craft has been desecrated. It is the latest in a long string
of vandalism against shrines and memorials of magic. The
Pure Heart will tell us what the statue used to depict, and
the Wild Spirit will tell us the likeliest culprit. What can we
do to protect our history?

88 - Swords
Five of Swords
The Magician reads: The Old Soul will tell us where we are
walking and the Pure Heart will say which of our Friends
are with us when we are accosted. Several toughs emerge
from hiding, and one asks us if we’re part of the Coven,
spitting out the words. More encircle us to block any escape.
How do we react to this sudden confrontation?

Six of Swords
The Moon reads: A number of the Kingdom’s people have
gone missing, including a Friend of the Sanctuary—I’ll
choose whom. Investigation reveals that a rogue Denizen
of the Underworld is spiriting them all away to the lands
below. Whoever holds The Sun will tell us what strange
trait all the missing persons have in common, and whoever
holds The Star will tell us about the Denizen itself. Can we
recover our Friend—or the other captives—from the realm
of mystery?

Seven of Swords
The Fool reads: I was robbed coming home from market. I’ll
tell you what I was buying, why it was important to me, and
how what happened to me is my own fault. Then, you tell
me: How will I ever feel safe again?

Eight of Swords
The Magician reads: I have been arrested and imprisoned
in the castle dungeons. The Old Soul will tell us of what
crimes I stand accused, and the Pure Heart will tell me
whether I am innocent. If we can clear my name or solve my
legal standing, we solve this challenge. If I have to break out
of here, we fail. So, what’s the plan?

Swords - 89
Nine of Swords
The Moon reads: An army of the Underworld appears each
night on the outskirts of the Kingdom to terrorize the pop-
ulace and vanishes by daybreak. The holder of The Sun will
tell us about the havoc they’re wreaking. The holder of The
Star will tell us what their lieutenant is demanding of the
Coven, in exchange for their withdrawal. What should we
do about these attacks?

Ten of Swords
The Magician reads: An angry mob has unexpectedly
surrounded the Sanctuary, and will soon breach the thresh-
old if we do not act. The Old Soul will tell us the mob’s
grievances, and the Pure Heart will tell us whose face we
are surprised to recognize among the crowd. How will our
home survive this assault?

Page of Swords
The Magician reads: A gang of rowdy children keeps daring
each other to trespass onto the grounds of the Sanctuary,
and now they’ve taken to shouting cruel words and even
throwing pebbles at us. How can we discourage them from
bothering us in the future? If we solve this challenge in a
way that charms the children or their parents, we can lessen
the Kingdom’s Ignorance by 1, or discover a new National
Joy.

90 - Swords
Knight of Swords
The Magician reads: The Kingdom is now at war with one
of its neighbors. (If it was already at war, it’s now fighting on
two fronts.) I’ll write down this neighboring power’s name,
and we’ll each supply one detail about it. A foreigner from
our neighbor state has fled onto the Sanctuary’s grounds,
and a mixed mob of guards and angry commonfolk are
demanding we turn over the “spy.” What do we do? If we
solve this challenge with Wisdom, we may add a Friend to
the Sanctuary.

Queen of Swords
The Magician reads: Someone from my past, someone I care
for, is in danger. The Pure Heart will annoy me with three
questions about who this person is and what they mean to
me. The Old Soul will try to warn me what trap lies in wait
for me. Then, you’ll decide whether to help me or wash your
hands of the situation. If I solve this challenge personally,
I’ll add my Friend to the Sanctuary page.

King of Swords
The Fool reads: If the Kingdom is not at war, it is preparing
for war, and if the Kingdom is at war, then it is going badly.
In either case, we have been summoned by one of its Leaders
(the Old Soul will tell us which) to help contribute to a spe-
cial project of war (the Wild Soul will tell us what makes it
so dangerous). If we solve this challenge with Wisdom, we
may prevent or end the war and either lessen the Kingdom’s
Ignorance by 1, or add a new Friend to the Sanctuary.

Swords - 91
The Suit of
WANDS
Ace of Wands
The Magician reads: You haven't seen me coming or going
for some time, and that’s because a Menace from the
Underworld has reached out and ensnared me in my most
private place. Worsen the Underworld's Claim over me,
and I’ll discard a Wisdom card. Now that the two of you’ve
found where I’m caught, how do we get me free?

Two of Wands
The High Priestess reads: All of my predictions, of late, have
been false visions, tainted by a flickering Menace. Worsen
the Underworld’s Claim over me, and I’ll discard a Wisdom
card. How can we clear the pall of the Underworld from
over me, and restore my second sight?

Three of Wands
The Fool reads: I have awoken, without warning or fanfare,
with a horrifying mark of the Underworld's Menace on my
face. Worsen the Underworld's Claim on me, and I’ll discard
a Wisdom card. I can't even leave the Sanctuary without
inspiring fear and alarm in the kingdom's populace... How
do I get rid of this mark?

Four of Wands
The Star reads: Whenever I attempt to eat anything, lately,
I am violently assaulted by my Underworld Menace, which
vanishes directly after spoiling the meal. Worsen the
Underworld’s Claim over me, and I’ll discard a Wisdom
card. I’m getting weaker with every missed meal, and the
Menace is getting stronger. How can we keep me from
starving?

94 - Wands
Five of Wands
The Moon reads: The Kingdom’s citizens have been treating
me with even more fear and suspicion than normal, and
even the Sanctuary’s mortal Friends react the same way.
(I must discard a Wisdom card, or else strike a source.) It
turns out that they’re seeing me as a manifestation of the
Underworld’s Menace against me, although nothing looks
different to any of us. How can we break this illusion?

Six of Wands
The Sun reads: A Denizen from the Underworld has stolen
my voice and is riding around the countryside on its strange
steed. (I must discard a Wisdom card, or else strike a
source.) The holder of The Star will tell us how it tricked my
speech away from me, and the holder of The Moon will tell
us what strange declarations it’s making across the country.
How can we put an end to this chicanery and restore my
voice?

Seven of Wands
The Moon reads: Whenever I’m alone for any small period
of time, I’m attacked by one of my Underworld Menaces,
which appears only to me and which vanishes when others
inquire what is wrong. (I must discard a Wisdom card, or
else strike a source.) I’ve been staying close to others, but the
attacks are becoming increasingly disruptive to our Coven’s
activities, and are preventing me from sleeping or attending
to hygiene. How can I stand on my own, again?

Wands - 95
Eight of Wands
The Sun reads: I have been vanishing, literally and involun-
tarily, and my disappearances are getting longer each time. It
seems like I’m being pulled into the Underworld: the holder
of The Moon will tell me what strange visions it’s showing
me, and the holder of The Star will tell me all the things I’ve
missed in my absence from the Sanctuary. (I must discard a
Wisdom card, or else strike a source.) How can we anchor
me back in the mortal world, before I disappear completely?

Nine of Wands
The Moon reads: I’ve had a strange dream involving my
Underworld Menace, which we will collectively describe,
and since then, my power has been unreliable, failing at the
worst times. Put this challenge card on top of The Moon.
Until I can spend 13 Wisdom to solve it, it remains, block-
ing off my use of magic. No one else may solve it for me, but
we’ll move on to the next challenge.

Ten of Wands
The Sun reads: I’ve sustained a minor injury—you’ll both
decide how—and despite how minor it is, it’s clearly bother-
ing me much more than it should. Ever since, my power has
been unreliable, failing at the worst times. Put this challenge
card on top of The Sun. Until I can spend 13 Wisdom to
solve it, it remains, blocking off my use of magic. No one else
may solve it for me, but we’ll move on to the next challenge.

Page of Wands
The Star reads: Add a new Menace to my page: a whispered
voice that insists that I am the Underworld’s rightful ruler,
and have confused myself for a mortal practitioner. How
can we be sure of my true identity? If we solve this challenge
with Wisdom, I may recover a stricken source (but not a
blackened one). The new Menace remains.

96 - Wands
Knight of Wands
The Magician reads: An agent of the Underworld has stolen
my body, and is doing such a good job of impersonating me
that you might never have noticed. Each of you will tell me
what tipped you off that I wasn’t myself, and I’ll tell you
how long I’ve been floating around helplessly watching.
How do we get my body back? If we solve this challenge
with Wisdom, I may recover a stricken source (but not a
blackened one).

Queen of Wands
The High Priestess reads: I have not left bed in three whole
days, and I say that my Underworld Menace is present with
me, waiting for me to die so that it can take my soul to the
Underworld, though neither of you can see it with the naked
eye. How can we get me back up to my old business, again?
If we solve this challenge with Wisdom, I may recover a
stricken source (but not a blackened one).

King of Wands
The Fool reads: The Ruler of the Underworld has sent for
me, with a promise of protection—but for me, only. The
Wild Soul will tell me what the Ruler wants with me. The
Old Soul will warn me of what dangers lie in wait despite
the promise of protection. If we solve this challenge with
Wisdom, I may recover a stricken source (but not a black-
ened one).

Wands - 97
The Suit of
COINS
Ace of Coins
The High Priestess reads: The capital is experiencing a food
shortage, the kind which has historically led to accusa-
tions about blighted fields and soured water. Worsen the
Kingdom’s Poverty and Ignorance. What can we do to show
our goodwill to the Kingdom?

Two of Coins
The Sun reads: The coven’s finances have been out of bal-
ance for some time, and we must finally decide what to
sacrifice. Everyone who has a Wisdom card must discard
one due to worry. Perhaps we’ve been too generous, or too
self-indulgent, or we’ve spent too much attention on our
personal projects and not enough on productive labor.
Every Covenmate must admit one way in which they are
responsible for our shortfall, and then we can ask ourselves:
How do we pay off our debts?

Three of Coins
The Sun reads: Part of the Sanctuary has fallen into dis-
repair. Strike a Resource or Wonder from the Sanctuary,
and describe how it has collapsed, flooded, or been infested
to the point of destruction. The damage is threatening to
spread to the rest of our home. How can we keep the place
from falling down around our ears?

Four of Coins
The Magician reads: An official from the Kingdom’s treasury
believes that the coven is withholding taxable income from
the crown. The Pure Heart will give the official a name and
a detail under the Kingdom’s Leaders, and the Old Soul will
tell us what raised their suspicions. They’ve been snooping
around our Sanctuary—and asking impertinent questions
of our Friends. How can we restore our good standing, or at
least put an end to this distraction?

100 - Coins
Five of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A Friend of the Sanctuary (the Star
will decide whom) has grown increasingly ill of late, and the
sickness has so far resisted all of our charms and poultices.
The only known cure requires an extraordinary reagent,
which is unfortunately under lock and key in an unfriendly
merchant’s private collection. What can we do for them?

Six of Coins
The Sun reads: A mountebank of a magician is traveling
the kingdom, giving away dangerously faulty charms and
spending cursed gold like water. The holder of The Star will
tell us the magician’s name and the holder of The Moon will
tell us how their philosophy of magic is dangerous. Not only
is the charlatan taking our business, but they’re undermin-
ing what little trust the populace has in magic. Shall we put
a stop to this? And how?

Seven of Coins
The Sun reads: We’ve all been busy, lately, with vital pursuits
and our personal troubles, but that’s no excuse for neglect.
The Sanctuary’s usual lack of tidiness has slipped out of
control and become a literal disaster. We’ll each say which
aspect of the mess we find the most appalling, inconvenient
or dangerous. To solve this challenge, we must clear away all
three—but how, given that this mess fights back?

Eight of Coins
The Fool reads: Despite their mistrust, the Kingdom has had
an endless stream of requests for us to fulfill: we’ll each say
one kind of labor the Coven has taken on for the Kingdom’s
leaders or general populace. The coin has been nice, but
we’re starting to fall behind (myself especially, I’ll admit…
I miss having time for other things!). How can we put our
lives back in balance?

Coins - 101
Nine of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A tricksy Denizen has been smug-
gling Underworld liquors into the Kingdom and selling
them to mortals. The Wild Spirit will tell us what they
taste like and the Pure Heart will tell us their terrible side
effects. Worst of all, once drunk on these spirits, a mortal
never sobers—so how can we prevent the Kingdom from
becoming a stumbling mess?

Ten of Coins
The Fool reads: We have been busy, and between our crafts,
the Sanctuary’s finances have become quite complicated—
no matter how prudent and diligent we are, we always seem
to spend coin as fast as we can collect it. The Faire is coming
up, and we deserve a break—I am, in particular, excited
to go—but how will we afford to enjoy it, with the cost of
tickets, games, food and trinkets?

Page of Coins
The High Priestess reads: An aristocrat is offering a handsome
sum of gold to have us place a nasty curse on a convicted
criminal. There’s just one issue: the criminal is innocent,
and the aristocrat is guilty. The Pure Heart will tell us the
nature of the crime, and the Wild Spirit will say how the
aristocrat framed them. How do we untangle this dilemma?
If we solve this challenge in a way that pleases the aristocrat,
we may add a new Resource to our Sanctuary with his pay-
ment. Otherwise, add them to the Kingdom’s Leaders.

102 - Coins
Knight of Coins
The Magician reads: The merchant caravans carrying our
spell reagents, among other precious things, have been
blockaded by a Great Beast. The Pure Heart will decide
what dreadful form it takes, and the Old Soul will tell us
its terrible power. If we’re going to practice our craft undi-
minished, the creature must be dealt with—and if we solve
this challenge with Wisdom, we may add a new Wonder to
our Sanctuary.

Queen of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A merchant wishes for our Coven
to cure their relation of a mysterious illness. The Wild Spirit
will tell us the victim’s symptoms, and the Pure Heart will
tell us its cause. What’s the best treatment we can adminis-
ter? If we solve this challenge with Wisdom, we may add a
new Resource or Friend to our Sanctuary.

King of Coins
The High Priestess reads: The Kingdom’s Leaders have redou-
bled this year’s taxes, and our Coven must pay as dearly as
the rest of the populace. How will we fend off the tax collec-
tors, and is there any way we can help our fellow subjects?
If we solve this challenge with Wisdom, we may lessen the
Kingdom’s Poverty or add a Resource to our Sanctuary.

Coins - 103
The Suit of
CUPS
Ace of Cups
The Magician reads: I’ve been especially
rude and erratic lately, leaving
the Sanctuary at strange hours
with no word of when I’ll be
back, returning exhausted
and in disarray, and not doing
my share of the Sanctuary’s
upkeep. I’ll write down
where I’m sneaking off to
on my Covenmate page, and
accidentally leave you three clues
as to where I’m going. Each of you will come up with a
theory about where I’m disappearing to, and if you both
guess wrong, I’ll add my Wisdom cards to the bottom of
the Challenge Deck and we fail the challenge. If one of you
guesses right, you may each try to convince me to open up. If
I tell you what’s bothering me, we can each draw a Wisdom
card and this challenge is solved.

Two of Cups
The Star reads: The two of you are bickering, as you often
do, and you’ve called upon me to mediate. Whoever holds
The Sun will tell us what sparked the fighting, and whoever
holds The Moon will tell us how it’s actually about a pattern
of behavior. If I find that one of you is correct, the winner
draws a Wisdom card. If I can figure out the real reason
for this fight, I’ll draw a Wisdom card, instead. If either of
you storms out of the conversation, you can draw a Wisdom
card and we fail the challenge.

Three of Cups
The Fool reads: Despite the Coven’s struggles, we’re settling
into an idyllic period of mutual company and support, with
minimal bickering. We may each describe a scene of care
or comfort between the three of us, then draw a Wisdom
card. If we all enjoy one another’s company without harm,
we solve this challenge.

106 - Cups
Four of Cups
The Fool reads: I’m overhearing a conversation I wasn’t sup-
posed to: you’re both discussing how best to push me to my
true potential. Answer me this question: What do you each
think I need to become my best self? Argue it out, until I
make my presence known. I’ll tell you with my words or
with my actions whether I think you’re right or wrong about
me. If you’re right, I’ll take all of your wisdom cards and
you’ll cross out one of my Follies. If you’re both wrong, we
fail this challenge.

Five of Cups
The High Priestess reads: I have become withdrawn and,
alarmingly, I’ve lost interest in my usual Fixations. How
do each of you check in on me? If your attempt to connect
with me can draw me out of my rumination, you may draw
a Wisdom card, but if I reject you to continue my deep and
somber vigil, I’ll draw a Wisdom card. Then, if I have no
Wisdom cards, we fail this challenge.

Six of Cups
The Fool reads: I want to know how the two of you first
met, and who you were to each other, back before we were
a Coven. I’ll approach one of you to beg the story out of,
and ask six questions. When my curiosity is sated or your
patience expires, the third Covenmate, who was eavesdrop-
ping, may take me aside to correct the story. If I get the
truth, we solve the challenge. If I don’t deserve to hear it,
we fail.

Seven of Cups
The Star reads: Covenmates, something has been bothering
me, lately: What is the grand purpose of magic? Each of
you will tell me what you believe the highest aim of magical
practice is, and its truest form. If just one of your answers
inspires me, I’ll draw a Wisdom card, but if both of your
answers inspire me, I’ll try to unite them into one thesis
of magic, and you can each draw a Wisdom card instead.
If neither of your answers inspires me, we fail to solve this
challenge.

Cups - 107
Eight of Cups
The Fool reads: I’ve just received a letter from the home I
had before the Coven: something is amiss there—the
Wild Spirit will say what—and I have to go back and see it
righted. I’ll tell you my plan, and the Old Soul will say why
they disapprove. Then, if either of you have a Wisdom card
you can offer me, you may hand it over and tell me what vital
aid you’re lending me for my journey. If neither of you lend
me aid, I’ll strike a source for the magic I inexpertly waste,
and we fail to solve this challenge.
Nine of Cups
The Star reads: It’s a gift-giving day! In observance of this
ancient ritual, I’ll present the holder of The Moon with a
gift, who will present the holder of The Sun with a gift, who
will present me with a gift. If any of the gifts are not perfect,
we fail the challenge.
Ten of Cups
The Fool reads: I’m going to tell you which of the Kingdom’s
National Joys I’ve never actually seen or participated in, and
you’re going to plan a trip out from the Sanctuary to show
me. One of you will tell me how important it is, and the
other will warn me of how disappointing it can be. After I
see it for myself, I’ll decide which of you was right and give
them a Wisdom card. If you’re swayed from your original
opinion, you can draw one, as well. Either way, we’ve solved
the challenge.
Page of Cups
The Magician reads: A Denizen of the Underworld has come
seeking sanctuary with the Coven. The Pure Heart will tell
us what kind of Denizen it is and why it deserves protec-
tion. The Old Soul will tell us exactly what kind of harm
it could do if we decide to let it in. On the count of three,
we’ll vote Aye if we’re letting the denizen in: one, two, three!
If we voted unanimously for the Denizen to stay, we’ll add
them to the Sanctuary’s Friends. If we let the Denizen stay,
but not unanimously, it gets up to trouble and we fail this
challenge. If we voted Nay, we’ve solved the challenge—and
if it was unanimous, we can reduce the Underworld’s Claim
on someone by 1.

108 - Cups
Knight of Cups
The High Priestess reads: The two of you are smitten, lately,
by the same new acquaintance—each of you say what you
love most about them, and I’ll tell you why they’re bad news.
Then, each of you tell me how you plan to win their heart,
and I’ll tell you how they respond. If you both succeed in your
courtship, we’ll add this person to the Sanctuary’s Friends,
but if your appeal falls flat, you’ll draw a Wisdom card. If
both of your courtships go badly, we fail the challenge.

Queen of Cups
The Star reads: If the two of you have the same number of
struck sources, I’ll tell each of you what you can learn from
the other, and if you agree, you’ll draw a Wisdom card and
I’ll cross out one of your Follies, and either way we pass the
challenge. If one of you has more struck sources than the
other, we’ll both strategize on how to restore you, and if we
can spend 13 Wisdom between the two of us, we’ll recover
one of your struck sources. Otherwise, we fail the challenge.

King of Cups
The Star reads: A letter has arrived, addressed to “the
esteemed leader” of our coven. On the count of three, we’ll
point to who we think the leader of our coven is. Ready?
One, two, three! If it’s unanimous OR we each got one vote,
we’ll all draw Wisdom cards and the challenge is solved. But
if anyone got exactly two votes, the dissenting covenmate
explains themself, and we fail the challenge.

Cups - 109
 The Book of
INEVITABLE
FATES
 Sanctuary Shatterings
The Ruins
The Sun reads: If the Sanctuary loses all of its resources,
it becomes a ruin which can no longer support the Coven.
Argue about what to do and where to go. If the Coven goes
their separate ways for good, the game is over and the Coven
has lost. Otherwise, migrate to a new location on a hand-
written blank page, leaving behind any Wonders you can’t
fit in a wagon and any Friends who can’t follow you. Make
up two new Resources, and crumple up the Sanctuary page
(but don’t discard it).

The Pariahs
The Star reads: If the Sanctuary loses all of its friends, the
Coven loses the game, and is forced to flee the Kingdom.
What can you take with you? What must be left behind?
What do you hope you find in the next place you flee to?
Discuss as you leave behind your play area and step outside,
together.

The Mundane
The Moon reads: If the Sanctuary loses all of its Wonders,
the Coven loses the game, because the age of magic is at
an end. Turn out the lights, begin putting away the game,
cleaning up the room, and answer: What will you do as
ordinary individuals? Will you stay together or disband the
Coven? How will you survive in the dark age that is to come?

112 - Inevitable Fates

 Kingdom Catastrophes
Ignorance Boils Over
The High Priestess reads: A frenzy of hatred has descended
over the Kingdom, raging against foreigners, heretics, and
especially practitioners of magic. When the violence begins
in earnest, each Covenmate may use True Magic or at least
13 Wisdom to avoid one heartbreak, but the rest come
to pass: A Resource on the Sanctuary page is destroyed,
a Wonder on the Sanctuary page is destroyed, one of the
Sanctuary’s Friends betrays us, and the Underworld’s Claim
over each of us worsens.
When the dust settles, set Ignorance back to 2.

Poverty Stagnates
The Magician reads: There is an inevitable, deadly populist
revolt in motion, which may well end in tragedy. We will
discuss which side of the conflict we’re on, and any concerns
we have about interfering in mortal politics. Then, when
the violence begins in earnest, each covenmate may use
True Magic or at least 13 Wisdom to avoid one heartbreak,
but the rest come to pass: Depose and replace one of the
Kingdom’s Leaders (giving the new Leader an even worse
detail), Worsen Ignorance, Worsen Despair, destroy a
Wonder on the Sanctuary page, kill everyone’s favorite
Friend on the Sanctuary page.
When the dust settles, set Poverty back to 2.

Despair Looms
The Fool reads: The gloom of the Underworld has overtaken
the Kingdom, and the Menaces it uses to plague the Coven
are unleashed on mortalkind, as well. From this point for-
ward, at the beginning of every challenge, the Covenmate
chosen to read that challenge must discard a Wisdom card
or else Worsen the Underworld’s Claim over them.

Inevitable Fates - 113

 Underworld Uprisings
Abduction of the Pure Heart
The Fool reads: The Underworld has abducted me, to con-
sume my heart and use me as a shield to walk unopposed by
the Coven or the gods. Each of you, take my hands in your
own as I tell you how the forces of the Underworld sweep
over the Kingdom, and you will tell me the futile lengths
you go to save them, or stop it. Together, we’ll decide what
happens to each Covenmate, to the Sanctuary and all its
Friends. Finally: I will tell you both how sorry I am.

Corruption of the Wild Spirit

The Magician reads: The Underworld has corrupted me, to
consume my spirit and use me as an unstoppable weapon
in its Ruler’s campaign. Each of you, take my hands in your
own as I tell you how the forces of the Underworld sweep
over the Kingdom, and you will tell me the futile lengths
you go to save them, or stop it. Together, we’ll decide what
happens to each Covenmate, to the Sanctuary and all its
Friends. Finally: I will tell you both how sorry I am.

Binding of the Old Soul

The High Priestess reads: The Underworld binds me to read
the future from my soul and repeal the ancient laws that
restrain it. Each of you, take my hands in your own as I
tell you how the forces of the Underworld sweep over the
Kingdom, and you will tell me the futile lengths you go to
save them, or stop it. Together, we’ll decide what happens
to each Covenmate, to the Sanctuary and all its Friends.
Finally: I will tell you both how sorry I am.

114 - Inevitable Fates

 Inevitable Fates
The Devil
A denizen of the Underworld (the player to my left will tell
me whom) has offered to teach me the secrets of my true
potential. If I agree to their training, I will strike the third
source from the second line of my sources and gain a new
Folly: “Lose control over forces not meant for me.” Then,
I’ll claim the card beneath this one as an extension of my
Power.

The Hermit
I have an opportunity to learn more about the very nature
of magic itself, but it will require uninterrupted concentra-
tion and study—possibly for years. If I can bear to leave my
Covenmates behind for that long, I’ll strike “My Friends”
from the second line of my sources, draw two Wisdom
cards of my choice from the discard pile, and claim the card
beneath this one as an extension of my Power.

The Lovers
An admirer (the player to my left will tell me whom) has
been hinting that they would like to start a family with me—
the domestic, strictly-mortal kind of family, which can’t be
built in a sanctuary of magic forever on the brink of crisis.
If this is something I want, I’ll strike a Resource, Friend or
Wonder from the Sanctuary, then add “My Family” to the
second line of my sources. If I do, I’ll claim the card beneath
this one as an extension of my Power.

The Emperor
One of the Kingdom’s Leaders has half-invited, half-com-
manded me to come to the Palace and serve as court
magician. The position comes with prestige and influence,
but will require me to be away from the Sanctuary and

Inevitable Fates - 115

Coven, often for long periods. If I agree to take up the posi-
tion, I’ll strike either “Myself ” or “My Friends” from the
second line of my sources, and claim the card beneath this
one as an extension of my Power. I’ll also keep The Emperor
arcana, which I can use in place of Wisdom to solve any one
Coins or Swords challenge with my influence at court. If I
do, I’ll put The Emperor back in the box.

Judgment
The Kingdom’s Leaders are finally coming to blows, fangs
bared and claws bloodied. The player to my right will tell us
what the final straw was, and the player to my left will tell us
what horrors will befall the Kingdom if I do not intervene.
This challenge takes 20 Wisdom to solve, plus another
Wisdom for each point of Ignorance, Poverty and Despair,
plus another 10 Wisdom if the Kingdom is at war.
If I solve the challenge with Wisdom, I’ll tell you how
I save the Kingdom, and what its future holds. If I can’t,
doom comes to the mortal world.

Death
The Underworld is out of balance, its denizens amok and
its menace bubbling up into the mortal world above. I must
travel there and set things right. The player to my left will
tell us how the Barrier between worlds has changed, and the
player to my right will tell us what surprise the Ruler of that
place has in store for me.
This challenge takes 20 Wisdom to solve, plus 5 for
every source I’ve struck or blackened, plus another 10 if we
failed to solve the Judgment challenge.
If I solve the challenge with Wisdom, I’ll tell you how
I restore the natural order once and for all and whether
I return unscathed. If I can’t, fill my Underworld Claims
track and turn to the appropriate page on the Interpretation
Guide. The game is over.

116 - Inevitable Fates

The Tower
Both of you answer me, truthfully:
• Will we live together in the Sanctuary forever?
• Do we have anything left to teach each other?
• Is there more left to our story?
• Do you love me?
For each “No” from either of you, this Challenge takes
5 Wisdom to solve.
If I solve this challenge, I’ll tell you how the Sanctuary
continues on with or without us, and how our wisdom and
magic passes on to its new Coven.
If I can’t, the Sanctuary will lie empty, and all knowl-
edge of our art is lost. We, the players, should separate and
sit in silence. Either way, the game is complete.

Inevitable Fates - 117

 The Book of
ALTERNATE
INTERPRETATIONS
 THE SUIT OF SWORDS
by Quinn Milton
Ace of Swords
The Magician reads: A National Joy has died or been dese-
crated. Strike it out, and worsen the Kingdom’s Ignorance.
One of the Joy’s relics must be safely transported to the site
of mourning. The High Priestess tells us which relic it is,
and the Fool names the force trying to take the relic for
themselves. Can we help the vanguard without drawing the
ire of the mourners?

Two of Swords
The Magician reads: Enter a contender to the throne.
The Kingdom is divided by faith in its leadership. Mark
Ignorance. The Fool names the contender and how they
sway the public to their side. High Priestess, how does the
leader seize control of the populous? Both are calling for our
allegiance. We must choose, but will we choose wisely?

Three of Swords
The Moon reads: One of our Friends has died. Sun, tell us
who died and how, and strike their name. Star, tell us what
task did this friend leave unfinished. Everyone, go around
and say how you are appearing to cope, and the person to
your left will say how the Denizens are pulling at your heart.
Can you get up again and finish your Friend’s mission?

120 - Alternate Suits

Four of Swords
The High Priestess reads: One of the Leaders wants to awaken
an old power to secure the Kingdom’s defenses. Fool, why
is this power best left slumbering? Magician, where is the
power locked up? We may be able to convince the Leader
to leave it to rest, but if not, more drastic measures must be
taken. What follies come when we forget the old myths?

Five of Swords
The Moon reads: The Denizens have opened a tear to the
Underworld. Sun, name the National Joy this rift opens
upon. A military leader wants to level the area, which will
succeed in closing the rift at the cost of the Joy. Star, what
weapon will be used to destroy the rift? There may be a way
to lessen the cost. Do the ends always justify the means?

Six of Swords
The Fool reads: Our neighbors in the Kingdom are trying
to drive out one of our Friends. Magician, describe how
our friend harmed the community, and how the mob has
skewed the story. High Priestess, what does our Friend
stand to discover if they are banished? If we succeed in this
challenge, our friend gets to choose whether to leave or
stay. If we fail the challenge, the community wound festers.
What is our place in this conflict?

Seven of Swords
The Magician reads: One of our Friends has been captured
by an enemy of the Kingdom. High Priestess, who has been
captured, and what does the enemy want from them? Fool,
tell us why brute force cannot be used to get them back.
Some situations require a careful hand—or a manipulative
one. Will our hands tremble?

Alternate Suits - 121

Eight of Swords
The Magician reads: A great ailment threatens the
Kingdom, but all deny it exists. Fool, tell us how it touches
the Sanctuary. High Priestess, name a Leader and tell us
what they gain by ignoring the illness. If the people will
open their eyes, the crisis may be averted. How do we get
them to see?

Nine of Swords
The Moon reads: Something forbidden has crossed the
Underworld Barrier, and none in the nearby town can sleep
a wink. Star, what fears beset the townsfolk? Sun, tell us
what sign manifests that the Barrier has been disturbed.
Are we ready to face our fears, and the hard truths beneath
them?

Ten of Swords
The Moon reads: An old wound has come back to haunt you.
Who or what is it? Sun, tell us what crucial task the Moon
is being distracted from. Star, why is this happening now?
Wounds fester when left unattended, but sometimes scars
merely ache. Which is this?

Page of Swords
The High Priestess reads: A demagogue is rising to popular
power, reimagining old texts to suit current fears. Fool, tell
us what this cult names as taboo. Magician, how do the
followers style themselves? If the cult goes unchecked, the
Kingdom will be divided again. Can truth prevail if it is
difficult to swallow?
If we solve this with Wisdom, we may reduce the
Kingdom’s Ignorance by 1 or add a National Joy from times
of old.

122 - Alternate Suits

Knight of Swords
The Fool reads: A new resource for the Kingdom is dis-
covered in a Wilderness, and it is quickly being mined
by a charismatic entrepreneur. Magician, tell us what the
resource is, and what bounty it offers the Kingdom. High
Priestess, what harm will come to the Wilderness if this
goes on? The Knight has a singular focus; what tools do we
have to stay their blade?
If we solve this with Wisdom, we may add a Friend or
Resource to the Sanctuary.

Queen of Swords
The Magician reads: The Ruler has called upon all magic
users to aid in the war effort, with promises of prestige for
those who comply. Fool, what will it cost the coven to join
the war? High Priestess, what do we risk by refusing? All
must answer the Kingdom’s call in times of strife. Where
does the Coven’s allegiance lie?
If we solve this with Wisdom, we may reduce the
Kingdom’s ignorance by 1.

King of Swords
The Magician reads: Your teacher has come to town, bring-
ing with them memories of old, for good or ill. What does it
look like when you regress to the time when you were their
student? Fool, what does the teacher say they need from the
Magician? High Priestess, how does their request put the
Magician at risk? Our teachers may help us grow, but are
they willing to let us grow beyond them?
If we solve this with Wisdom, we may add a new
Wonder or Friend to the Sanctuary.

Alternate Suits - 123

 THE SUIT OF WANDS
by Raine Grayson
Ace of Wands
The Fool reads: A puckish Denizen of the Underworld has
decided to wage a prank war—and I’m its target. Take turns
regaling how I’m subject to its shenanigans. I’ll strike a
source—one that has been altered from the spirit’s antics—
and discard a Wisdom card. How will we win this prank
war once and for all?

Two of Wands
The High Priestess reads: One of the Kingdom’s Leaders
is at our door, seeking council after being exposed to an
unspeakable scandal. They swear it wasn’t them—it was
an agent from the Underworld trying to besmirch their
name. The Wild Spirit tells us what the scandal is, but the
Pure Heart dishes the important juicy detail. Worsen the
Kingdom’s Ignorance. It’s up to us to renounce or back the
leader’s claim—what do we do?

Three of Wands
The Moon reads: I can’t stop seeing marks of the Underworld’s
Menace in everyday life—from the faces of the Kingdom’s
peoples to my own reflection. Increase the Underworld’s
Claim on me, and I’ll discard a Wisdom card. My trust in
reality is faltering—How do we banish these visions?

124 - Alternate Suits

Four of Wands
The Magician reads: I’ve been spell casting in my sleep,
mumbling about warding away visions of the Underworld.
At first, it was amusing, but it’s gone from silly incantations
to intense magics, leaving us all worried and groggy. Increase
the Underworld’s Claim on me, and I’ll discard a Wisdom
card. What must we do to get a good night’s slumber again?

Five of Wands
The Sun reads: A spell went awry and I’ve accidentally
invoked a Denizen of the Underworld into our Sanctuary.
An amateur mistake—I’ll discard a Wisdom card. The
holder of The Moon describes how it’s actually quite cute
and why we should keep it. The holder of The Star will tell
us how it’s destroying all our stuff and must go this instant!
What are we going to do about it? If we choose to tame
them, we may strike them as a Denizen and add them as a
Friend of the Sanctuary.

Six of Wands
The Fool reads: A Denizen of the Underworld hungry for
entertainment has abducted me and is demanding I perform
its favorite story. Increase the Underworld’s Claim on me.
I’ve got no clue what story the Denizen’s favors, so together
we must write one. Is it good enough to earn our freedom?

Seven of Wands
The Magician reads: I’ve lost a talisman of great personal
importance to me to the Underworld. I’ll tell you all what it
is and we’ll collectively come up with how the Underworld
took it. I’ll discard a Wisdom card, or else strike a source.
Now that it’s gone, my magic and confidence have been
debilitated. What can replace it?

Alternate Suits - 125

Eight of Wands
The Star reads: Denizens of the Underworld have thrown
our Sanctuary under an inky black void. Increase the
Underworld’s claim on me. As soon as I finish reading this,
the other players must close their eyes and I must run to
draw all the curtains and turn off all the lights in our play
space. I may help the other players by looking at their play
sheets and Wisdom cards (if I can see them!) but the other
players may not open their eyes until we’ve finished the
challenge. How will we find the light again?

Nine of Wands
The Sun reads: Ever since I brought an antique mirror home
from the market, important objects have gone missing,
appearing only in the mirror’s reflection. The holder of The
Star will tell us what’s gone missing and The holder of The
Moon will finally get a good look at what’s taking it, telling
us who they are and what they want. How do we handle
them and get our stuff back?

Ten of Wands
The High Priestess reads: The Ruler of the Underworld
has bribed me with a very powerful gift. Increase the
Underworld’s Claim on me. The Pure Heart tells us what
the gift appears to be. The Wild Spirit tells what it really is.
I’m intoxicated by the power it endows me with even though
it mars me with painful manifestations of my Underworld
Menace every time I use it. How can we curb my depen-
dence on using the gift?

126 - Alternate Suits

Page of Wands
The Moon reads: The Ruler of the Underworld is trying to
entice me to join their dominion by tainting my dreams
with visions of our inevitable future together. I’ve gone lucid
during one of these dreams and as a result have taken some-
thing I shouldn’t have back into the waking world—we’ll
decide what it is together, then I’ll tell us what secret it
holds. What do we do with it? If we solve this challenge with
Wisdom, I may lessen the Underworld’s Claim on me and
we may keep what I’ve taken, adding it to the Sanctuary’s
Resources.

Knight of Wands
The Star reads: An ethereal path has appeared overnight
that’s drawn the Kingdom’s people to the Underworld’s
Barrier, entranced and scrambling over one another as they
try to follow the path deep into the Underworld. We must
work fast or we’ll lose them—how do we steer them another
way? If we solve this challenge with Wisdom, lessen the
Kingdom’s Despair.

Queen of Wands
The Sun reads: The Ruler of the Underworld has stolen my
voice, promising only to give it back once I’ve done them
a favor. I’ll draw a picture on the back of my play sheet
expressing what the Ruler is demanding me to do; I cannot
speak for the rest of the round. If we solve this challenge
with Wisdom, I may recover a stricken source (but not a
blackened one).

King of Wands
The Moon reads: Add a new Menace to my page: an
urgent whisper beckoning me to cross the Barrier of the
Underworld. I can’t resist the call and you’ve found me at
the Barrier, ready to succumb to its wishes. Can you talk me
off the ledge? If we solve this challenge with Wisdom, I may
lessen the Underworld’s Claim on me.

Alternate Suits - 127

 THE SUIT OF COINS
by Adira Slattery
Ace of Coins
The Sun reads: Debt seems to hound us at every turn, and
we’ve started to be turned away from stores for fear we will
be unable to pay. The stress and embarrassment causes each
of us to discard a Wisdom card, as we each relay an uncom-
fortable encounter with a shopkeep. How do we prove to
the local merchants that we are good for it?

Two of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A Friend of ours has decided to
set out on a journey. Who is leaving? Strike them from the
Sanctuary. The Pure Heart will state their destination, and
the Wild Spirit will state what great challenge awaits them.
We cannot allow our Friend to leave empty handed, and so
we ask ourselves: How can we help them get ready for this
journey?

Three of Coins
The Magician reads: A prolonged war nearly bankrupts
the Kingdom, and we find tax collectors hounding us for
“advances.” Worsen the Kingdom’s Poverty, and if it’s not
already at war, name its neighbor and enemy. How do we
keep the collectors at bay without ending up in dire straits
ourselves?

128 - Alternate Suits

Four of Coins
The Sun reads: A wild and unexpected cyclone strikes the
Kingdom. Worsen the Kingdom’s Poverty or Despair. A
small group of refugees arrive at our doorstep, but it is still
too many for our household to handle. How can we manage
to shelter and feed them all through the storm?

Five of Coins
The Fool reads: We have an especially good month and decide
to treat ourselves; each of us will state how we indulge.
When we awake the next day, we find that there was an
accounting error and we spent money we didn’t really have.
How can we hope to balance the books?

Six of Coins
The Magician reads: A powerful creditor of ours feels they
are owed more money. They have taken to camping outside
of the Sanctuary and are harassing us every time we try to
leave. The Pure Heart will give them a name and a detail
under the Kingdom’s Leaders, and the Old Soul will tell us
what we already paid to them. Then we ask ourselves: How
can we ever appease them?

Seven of Coins
The Sun reads: A string of robberies plagues travelers
coming to and from our Sanctuary. Fear of robbery is not
only scaring away business, but now frequent guard patrols
(which the Kingdom instituted to “protect” the area) have
been hassling what few customers we do have! How will we
convince people to start engaging our services again?

Alternate Suits - 129

Eight of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A Leader of the Kingdom arrives
under cover of darkness, asking us to perform a healing ser-
vice for their beloved. The Moon will tell us about the love
they hold, and the Star will tell us of the terrible incurable
malady. The Leader states that they will pay anything, and
offers ridiculous sums. How can we tell them that this is
beyond even our powers, without incurring their wrath?

Nine of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A messenger from the Kingdom
arrives, stating that we now must pay for an expensive
royal license to practice witchcraft. How do we pay for this
license? If we refuse to pay, worsen the Kingdom’s Ignorance,
regardless of whether we solved the challenge.

Ten of Coins
The Sun reads: One of our clients refuses to pay for a magical
service we have already provided. The Moon will state what
magic we worked, and the Star will tell us why the client
isn’t satisfied. How can we make the client happy and still
get paid?

Page of Coins
The High Priestess reads: The Kingdom has appointed a new
auditor and they have taken it upon themselves to check
into our finances. But when they arrive, the auditor offers to
leave in exchange for a substantial bribe: they merely want
one of the Sanctuary’s Wonders. If we refuse, the auditor
will say our books are in disarray no matter what and levy a
massive fine against us. Do we give it to them, striking the
Wonder, or do we shoulder the fine, adding the auditor to
the Kingdom’s Leaders? Then, we must ask ourselves: How
do we keep them from doing this over and over?

130 - Alternate Suits

Knight of Coins
The Fool reads: We decide to go swimming in a river, and
some of the locals join us as we splash and play. As the hours
go on, rains set in and the river floods dangerously. All of the
surrounding area is devastated, and there is even mumbling
from the locals that we caused this on purpose. How do we
help them rebuild? If we solve this challenge with Wisdom,
we may lessen the Kingdom’s Ignorance or add a new Friend
to our Sanctuary.

Queen of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A Denizen of the Underworld
arrives suddenly, wishing to claim a debt on behalf of a
Shade. You choose one, but if there are no Shades the Pure
Heart names them and provides a detail about their life,
while the Wild Spirit states how they died. This debt is
exorbitant, but we do owe the Shade. How can we ever repay
them? If we solve this challenge with Wisdom, we may add
a new Wonder to our Sanctuary or strike a Law from the
Underworld.

King of Coins
The High Priestess reads: A landowner arrives, holding the
deed for the land our Sanctuary sits on. The Pure Heart
will give them a name and a detail under the Kingdom’s
Leaders, and the Wild Spirit will tell us what terrible thing
the landowner did to come into possession of the deed. The
landowner tells us we need to be out in a fortnight. How
will we keep the right to live in our home? If we solve this
challenge with Wisdom, we may add a new Resource to our
Sanctuary.

Alternate Suits - 131

 THE SUIT OF CUPS
by Kira Magrann
Ace of Cups
The Fool reads: I’ve been giving away too much of my
energy recently trying to care for the two of you. Instead of
doing my own self-care I’ve let resentment build. I lash out
emotionally at both of you about something unrelated. If
either of you lash out back, we fail. If you draw a successful
boundary with me and ask me to do some self-care, we solve
this challenge. If we get intimate afterwards in any way as a
group, we can each recover a struck source.

Two of Cups
The Star reads: My lover outside the Coven is stealing me
away for romantic trysts every evening. The lack of attention
is starting to get to you both. You both approach me about
it. How do I respond? If it’s defensive, we fail the challenge.
If I listen and make a plan to more equitably distribute my
affections, you can both draw Wisdom cards. If I make you
both feel special while doing it, I can also draw a Wisdom
card.

Three of Cups
The Magician reads: We all got way stoned last night during
our full moon coven celebration and woke up with no
memory of the spells we cast. We can each describe what we
did last night and have each person respond with what they
think about what happened. If we all had a good time we
solve this challenge, but if any of us didn’t, we fail.

132 - Alternate Suits

Four of Cups
The Fool reads: While deep in meditation I accidentally
stumble into both your subconscious dream minds. Your
dream selves speak to me, and they tell me a secret your
waking self would rather I not know. What do they tell
me? Once awake, if I can help you both address your secrets
without revealing how I found out, I can take a Wisdom
card. If I reveal the truth and it hurts someone, we all fail.

Five of Cups
The High Priestess reads: I did something a while ago that
sometimes weighs on my mind, though the two of you have
forgotten it. What is it? Instead of talking to you directly
about it, I’ve acted guilty and taken it out on you. If you can
figure out that I’m regretting my actions, you can both take
Wisdom cards. If I can forgive myself, and you can listen as
I’m vulnerable about it, I can take a Wisdom card and we
solve this challenge.

Six of Cups
The Fool reads: I’ll ask you both what fun, carefree thing we
should do to forget about our troubles for a short while. If
I like your answer, you may draw a Wisdom card. If I like
both of them, we solve this challenge. If it involves intimacy
of any kind, strike out one of your Follies.

Seven of Cups
The Star reads: I’m certain I’m speaking with my Covenmates,
but no, these are doppelgangers sent by unknown magics.
Each of you will act as your doppelgangers with the inten-
tion, by knowing my Follies, to lead me into despair. If your
ill intent is convincing, each take a Wisdom card. I can
choose whether to believe you based on how convincing your
argument is. If I follow your logic and fall into despair, we
fail this challenge. If I decide not to, we each take a Wisdom
card. If I realize it's not you because you’re acting strange, we
solve this challenge.

Alternate Suits - 133

Eight of Cups
The Fool reads: I’ve been having repetitive nightmares that
both of you will leave me. Reassure me neither of you is
going anywhere. If you’re frustrated by having to reassure
me again, we fail. If it's uncomfortable but you manage, we
each draw a Wisdom card. If you can somehow bring me joy
in addition to assuaging my fears, we solve this challenge.

Nine of Cups
The Star reads: There are many challenges we face right now,
but I’m so grateful for the both of you. Can I accept what
you’ve been giving me and ask nothing more? If I’m too
demanding and it upsets either of you, we fail this challenge.
If I am able to ask for what I need and be grateful for what
you’re able to provide, we each draw a Wisdom card and
solve this challenge.

Ten of Cups
The Star reads: I’ve felt as though I’m drifting further from
the ideals that both of you have. Recent events have changed
me. What are the new ideals? I’m afraid you’ll no longer
accept me as I change. The two of you have noticed I’m wor-
ried. If I keep my feelings obscured, we fail this challenge. If
you ask me about it, we each draw a Wisdom card. If I have
the strength to confront you both and ask how you feel, we
solve this challenge.

134 - Alternate Suits

Page of Cups
The High Priestess reads: Lately I feel all tapped out on my
usual creative ritual ideas. It’s clear I need a break, but
I refuse to take one. If you can convince or trick me into
slowing down and resting, we solve this challenge. If not, we
fail and I’ll strike a source.

Knight of Cups
The Magician reads: I’ve noticed The Fool has been spend-
ing more time with the other Covenmate instead of me. I
miss when we would go on dates just the two of us. Can
you give me some of the quality time I’ve been needing? If
you’re too wrapped up in the other Covenmate, we fail. If
you can give some of your romantic attention to just me,
we solve this challenge. If you and the other Covenmate are
also understanding, we each draw a Wisdom card.

Queen of Cups
The Fool reads: I want us to remember the fire we once had
when we started this coven. Shall we all have a romantic
evening under the stars? If you both agree, we each draw a
Wisdom card. If only one of you agrees, we fail this chal-
lenge. If we can all agree on the same way to romantically
charge our evening, we solve this challenge and can each
recover a struck source.

King of Cups
The Fool reads: I’m in a mood because nothing seems to be
going right recently. I need consoling. How do each of you
do it? If you both successfully console me (I’ll let you know
if you do) we may each draw a Wisdom card. If even one of
you succeeds, we solve this challenge. If not, we fail.

Alternate Suits - 135

AFTERWORD
 Thank you for playing Wickedness!
This game was written by M Veselak, and is dedicated
to all the queer covens she’s loved and grown up with. She
hopes that you and your friends had fun... and if you cried
a little, she’s smirking about that, too. You can find her
on twitter @Nightlingbug, where she would appreciate a
shoutout, and maybe even some highlights from your game.
Wickedness was copyedited by Dominique Dickey
(they/them). Dominique is a writer, editor, cultural
consultant, and all-around RPG hooligan. In addition
to creating TRIAL, a narrative courtroom tabletop role-
playing game about race in the criminal justice system,
Dominique has written for Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Sea of
Legends, and Monte Cook Games. Their TTRPG Tomorrow
on Revelation III, about surviving and building community
on a hyper-capitalist space station, is forthcoming in 2021.
Updates on their work, pets, and tea preferences can be found
at dominiquedickey.com, or on twitter @DomSDickey.

138 - Afterword
Wickedness was made possible by all our generous
Kickstarter backers, including:
Adriel Lamas, Alex Levene, Alice Kyra, Angel Cowen,
April the Gay Spaceship, Arioch Morningstar, Aron
Kearney, Avram Thomas King, Ben Rabin, Blake C.
Sutton, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Briar Bone, BW Diederich,
Cara Dianne, Caroline, Cayendi, Cheryl Alvarez, Chloe
Dollar, Chou Thao, Chris George, Christian Rivero,
Colin D., Corey Wasson, Courtney Danielle, Courtney
Wang, Dana Lexa, Daphne Day, Dark Mother of MV,
Earl “Owen” Minoza, Ellie Worthy, Elliott Freeman,
Emma Rose, Farmer Zanath, Foxblade13, Genevieve
Casagrande, Gerson Cortés Palacios, Grant Starr,
Hannah Huston, Jack Covell, Jacob Bowen, Jacques
Stout, Jandris, Jay Alex Rockford, Jess Hester, Jonathan
N., Joshua Gilley, Judson Easton Packard, Justin R, Kat
Mattingale, Kelly Roth, Keshet Roman, Laura W, Leith
Hutton, Lilith Bentley, Logan Rollins, Mairead, Marley
Myrianthopoulos, Maya Ziv, Mean Latifah, Michael
Vacha, Mikenzi, Mimihimihuluhupi’ekspialiana’a,
Mistress Azariel, Molly Knox Ostertag, Neil Byrne,
Nic Rosenberg, Olivia Solbrig, Paige Olson, Philip W
Rogers Jr, Phoenix Fyre Wilde, PrettyWithHorns, Raine
Grayson, Ravin Craig, Rose, Ruby Kemp, Ryan Hanlon,
Scott Ferrell, Jr., Shaan Heng-Devan, Sumeet Panchal,
Tabletop Roleplaying Gays, The Anarchist Jurisdiction of
Portland, Thomas Gordanier, Valentine Monfeuga, Vika
Noxx, William Elliott, Zack Eccleston, and Zoe Olsen.

Afterword - 139