Frostpunk the RPG Quick-Start Rules With Characters
Frostpunk the RPG Quick-Start Rules With Characters
FROSTPUNK
QUICK START RULES
• WORLD OF ICE AND STEAM ............... PAGE 2
• QUICK START RULES ..................................... PAGE 5
• FOR THE PEACE OF THE CITY .......... PAGE 22
• PEOPLE OF NEW LONDON ............... PAGE 29
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
FROSTPUNK
A WORLD OF
ICE AND STEAM
There are three constants: This is the first thing we will tell our children, when
Cold. those born in our new home are old enough to under-
Work. stand. You depend on the city—and the city depends on
And the Moan. the generator.
The first is an ever-present danger. The second is Then we will tell them how it got to be that way.
our best weapon to fight it. And the third is proof that
our weapon is working. VOICES OF THE NORTH
We have had bad nights in our city, many bad nights,
but the worst was the night the Moan stopped. There INTERRUPTED MOAN
were other close calls—times when we weren’t sure I remember the Moan.
we’d have enough coal to last until morning, or when It stopped, and there was another noise—a low
we noticed critical wear on a regulator, and frantically wail. The temperature dropped immediately. The gen-
had to repair it before it snapped and shut everything erator pushes the cold back constantly, but once that
push stops, the cold invades. Even in the earlier times,
down. Those events caused plenty of stress and con-
when the frost first hit, I didn’t see a moment like that,
cern, but each time we figured out a way past the prob-
because back then we didn’t know. Back then we
lem before it erupted into a full-bore disaster.
were scrambling all the time, thinking we could fix it,
But then, one night, as we huddled under blankets
we could stop it.
and tried to relax overworked muscles after a twelve-
Once we had gone north, though, we knew. The
hour shift, the Moan that is the constant noise at the cold had beaten us, and it would never be defeated,
center of our settlement stopped. The city became qui- only held at bay. So, when the generator went off, we
eter than the first days after our arrival, and heat rap- all knew it had won again. It would claim some of us in
idly fled from our buildings. We looked out doors and its unrelenting advance.
windows, hoping to see something other than what we, By morning, the generator was working again.
deep down, knew to be the truth. And nearly sixty people were dead.
Our hopes were dashed. The generator had shut
down.
The generator is the center of our city and our ex-
istence. If they break down on an especially bad day, REMARKS BY THE RIGHT REVEREND
people in the city will start dying in a matter of hours. NAOMI SUSSKIND ON THE
Hours. You may have ingenious plans, a hardworking FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT FROST
attitude, and plentiful resources, but if your generator Somewhere, well outside our city, sits a mound of
is not working, none of it will mean a thing. snow and ice that covers the remains of one of our own.
When we first arrived at our city sites, there were A citizen—more than one, in truth—wandered away
two things there: piles of resources and a steam gener- from our city at night, sat in the snow, and waited for
ator. Those who came before us knew our efforts would the inevitable to overtake them. It cannot have taken
be pointless without the generator, so they made sure long. Then snow and ice covered their tracks and their
we had one. Even in the pit that holds New London, the remains before we could find them, so they remain out
generator emerges above the rim as a landmark, show- there, a permanent part of the stark landscape that sur-
ing anyone nearby where the city is. Steam pours out of rounds us.
it in large pillars, kept compact by the frozen air. Can any of us say we do not understand their mo-
We build around the generator, quite literally. Our tivation? They lived the life we all live. A life of little
streets are either circles that surround the generator or sun and even less warmth. A life of long work days fol-
spokes leading out from it. All roads lead to it, and all of lowed by not enough rest, and days like that stacking on
our strength flows from it. each other and extending indefinitely into the future,
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A WORLD OF ICE AND STEAM
the same way the white land stretches into an indistinct city. Each other. We are not just living for what we can
grey horizon. And so some see no purpose in that labor, gain for ourselves, but for the life we can give to each
and they lose hope, and they walk out and become one other. We can remember the life we lived before, and
with the grey. we know this life is different. We depend on each other
You, however, have not. All of you hearing my voice like we never have before. In all we do, in every decision
right now have chosen not to give up. Chosen not to we make, four words stay in our minds, pointing us to
give in. I have asked myself a simple question: Why? what we need to do to make life and any chance at a
Some of it is the stubbornness of humanity. I have future possible:
walked through our infirmaries and seen people suffer- The city must survive.
ing from crushed limbs, struggling lungs, and all other
manner of ill health. I have seen them breathe what I THE WORLD BEFORE AND THE WORLD NOW
was sure would be their last breath, then breathe again.
I have seen people many believed would never walk
THOUGHTS OF
again lead a work crew back into a mine. For all their DEPUTY MARSHAL
weakness, our bodies sometimes simply do not seem to
know how to give up. CARVILLE BANKS
We are driven by more than mere instinct, though. Our settlements have many gathering places—
Every day we survive attests to the fact that we can sur- fighting pits, public houses, churches, cookhouses, and
vive. And in the course of that day, someone smiles, more. There is an unspoken agreement in all of them
someone laughs, and someone fights off the cold that we don’t talk about the old days. Our pubs, with
through the warmth of company of others. They may their shaky wooden walls and plain benches, are no
be brief moments, but that does not make them any less match for the taverns back home, with their abundant
real. Even if those moments were not ours as individu- flower boxes and polished wood. Our soups, which
als, they were ours as a community. are flavored with salt if we’re fortunate, are no match
That, in the end, is truly what keeps us going. Our for the delicately seasoned dishes we sipped in cheery
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
restaurants. And our churches are impressive for the FRIVOLITY IS LESSENED
fact that they haven’t collapsed on themselves, rather I am well aware that many among us do not see this
than for any stunning feat of architecture. as an improvement. They miss the grand theaters, the
Just because we don’t talk about it does not mean we magnificent orchestras, the long afternoons and nights
don’t remember, though. We do, and it stings. Some- of chatting and playing cards or dice.
times, rather than relying on smoldering coal, we burn Our pleasures are simpler today. A warm meal, a
wood, and the scent of woodsmoke traveling through good story, and a quick song before shuffling wearily
cold air reminds us of cozy fireplaces on a winter’s to bed. Our free time, such as it is, is often spent doing
night. Or when the light of a church is dim, and people tasks that are not our primary job but are still, by all
bow in prayer over a small candle, the glow of their fac- reasonable definitions, work. We build, we scavenge,
es looks the same as it did back then. we tend the young, we organize what we have. Time is a
We see those things, then we turn away. resource, and resources are not to be wasted
We are not well served by memory.
Still, the changes are not all negative. The world as it WE SHARE THE BURDEN OF WORK
was before was far from perfect. If I press myself, I can We have much work to do, and it takes large parts of
develop a list of ways the world has changed for—well, every day, but we also occasionally have assistance with-
if not the better, then not the worse, either. out which survival would be impossible. Before the Great
Frost, civilization developed the mighty automatons,
PRIORITIES ARE CLEARER and a select number of them continue to function to this
It was easy, in the times before, to sometimes get day. While the knowledge to create them is lost, some of
lost in many competing demands for our time. We wor- the machines are sturdy enough to keep working, and we
ried about obtaining tasteful trappings for our homes, have even been able to make some basic repairs.
attending the proper social gatherings, and making When functional, an automaton performs perhaps
good impressions on the right people. ten percent of our city’s work. When in human history
Most of that is now cast aside. We have one priority, have we had something non-human that does as much
day in and day out, and that is survival. What machines of our work for us? The only correct answer is never.
need to function to keep us warm? How much food do we While we still must work long hours to survive, autom-
need? Are the sick receiving proper care? These are clear, atons have pitched in to do more work than we could
elemental needs, and they take up almost our entire lives. have done for ourselves, making survival possible. As
We don’t have to worry about whether or not we are they age and fall to the wayside, we salute their creators,
making progress on these items. While in the past we may and hope someday to rediscover the knowledge to build
have wondered about our social standing and how we were them anew.
viewed, in our present, we know when we have succeeded
in fixing a machine, feeding a family, or healing a patient.
The needs we face are relentless and demanding, to
the point that they are our only considerations.
WASTE IS REDUCED
You could not walk through one of our old
cities without seeing how much we wasted. Pro-
duce rotted in merchants’ stalls, industrial fa-
cilities dumped materials into rivers and lakes,
and buildings full of useful bricks and beams
were left to rot and crumble.
Now, we waste nothing. Anything that
can be used is used. Any part of a plant or
animal that is at all edible is consumed.
Anything broken is repaired. The nail
you salvage today may be critical in
sealing a gap and keeping out a deadly
wind tomorrow. We know that every
last thing we have is precious.
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QUICK START RULES
FROSTPUNK
A CONVERSATION
Engaging with Frostpunk: The Roleplaying Game is a shared conversation, whether around a physical or virtual tabletop. The
gamemaster shares details of what’s around you, and what other people are doing. For example, they might say: “You leave the
food tent. It’s still bitterly cold as the sun—that you never see—hasn’t risen yet. The fresh snowfall from last night crunches as
you sink past the ice-encrusted top layer to the soft powder underneath. The Beacon Master tromps by, face stoic as ever, but
glances in your direction. What do you do?”
Then the players will join the conversation, narrating what their character’s are doing, or even speaking as though they
are the character. For example, they might:
• Aleksy (as Clara): “A good day to you sir.” I nod my head to the Beacon Master. GM: He nods stiffly in your direction.
His frown deepens a touch.
• Qadira (as Martha): I ignore him, huddle more in my furs, and start walking toward the supply tent, muttering about
how we’ve a long trip ahead of us. GM: Okay. You notice the challenges of walking in the new snowpack.
• Joaquín (as Arnold): “Martha, where are you going?” Qadira: “To the supply tent. Big trip coming up.” Joaquín: I
follow her. Qadira: I’ll follow, too. GM: Great.
• Emilee (as Justin): I wait until everyone is moving away from me. Is the Beacon Master still looking at us? GM: He’s
a little ways down the street, but he looks back again. Emilee: I give him a hand signal saying I want to talk. GM: You
know him well enough? Emilee: I speak with everybody. All the time. And you said he had a knack for spotting things.
Pretty sure an unsubtle hand single will get his attention. GM: Okay, sounds good. He gives you a nod and abruptly
steps toward an alley. Emilee: I follow.
• GM: What are the rest of you doing right now?
As you think of the next thing to say and the next thing to do, the story will unfold. Just as an especially engaging con-
versation at a party will last longer and draw more interest, the more the players participate, the more they will create an
engaging and unforgettable gaming session.
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
D8 1 D4
AWARENESS (Ingenuity)
CRITICAL CRITICAL CRITICAL
ATTRIBUTE
WOUND WOUND
D4 +
CLOSE COMBAT (Agility)
WOUND
AGILITY
INITIATIVE
INGENUITY RESOLVE
7 ANOTHER 2 ATTRIBUTES
ALL FEATS
D8 D10 D10
CONVICTION INGENUITY WOUND D4
WOUND WOUND WOUND
MEDICINE (Ingenuity)
D6 D10 D8
WOUND UPGRADES/ WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
DOWNGRADES
2
PERSUASION (Influence)
WOUND WOUND
D6 D12 ITEM RANGE WOUNDS CRIT SUCC. MODS
WOUND
Knife 0 1 5
D10
INFLUENCE RESOLVE SCAVENGING (Conviction) Glow Worm: An ingenious personal device worn on your jacket.
D8 Keeps a character warm enough, despite low storm temperatures. Can melt enough snow
D6 + WOUND D6
for the water needs of one person. Provides light as a flashlight.
WOUND WOUND
D6 + WOUND FATIGUE TRACK
Rope: 30 feet of rope. Food: Two days food rations.
RUN/SPRINT FEAT ROLL MARTHA Trauma Kit: Can be used to make an Apply Trauma Care Feat.
SWEENY
6
D12
10m/20m
5
UNARMED = WOUNDS: 1 CRITICAL SUCCESS: 6 MODIFICATIONS
PASSIONATE DOCTOR
CHARACTER MARTHA
SWEENY
SHEET
The folded character sheet should be placed on
PASSIONATE DOCTOR
I hack the bone. The blood gushes. The warmth is…inviting. <Shudder> Is
this what I’ve become? All my life wanting to heal. Kept out because those
men couldn’t handle breasts! Now I have my chance—at the end of the
the table in front of you when you’re ready to play the world. Did I really want this? This cold, where the only warmth
is blood?
Can’t let that out. I can help. I can heal. I can protect those
game. Your character’s illustration and name will face who need protecting. And they’ll never know my thoughts, be-
cause I will never let them be seen.
the players at the table, allowing for easier immersion WHILE ROLEPLAYING, ASK YOURSELF WHAT
MARTHA’S RESPONSES ARE TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
for ease of leaping into the game. The Frostpunk core Personality: Very dedicated and warm on the surface, always ready to
defend those you know.
rulebook contains the full-page character sheets used Bonds: Arnold Pierce, Healing
during campaign play.) In the old world, Martha’s gender prevented her from practicing
medicine in an official capacity. She worked in secret instead, help-
ing those around her as best she could.
As you read through these rules, you will see red-cir- When the frost began spreading, things deteriorated quickly in London.
Many groups tried to bring order to the chaos, but almost all of them made things
worse, killing people who didn’t listen to them and forcing people into obedience.
acter sheet. These areas will explain the rules for that
She met Arnold Pierce soon before leaving for New London. He saved her from a
looter, and she fixed a leg injury he had suffered. They traveled together to New Lon-
don, helping each other to cross the perilous frostland. While they appreciated each
CHARACTER DETAILS
Rolling dice is only a small part of what makes role-
playing so enjoyable. The rest comes from becoming
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QUICK START RULES
the character at the gaming table, making the decisions color-coding on the record sheet, allowing them to use
the character would make as they respond to the chal- colors to prompt them which dice to grab, e.g., a green
lenges the game throws their way. die. Whichever way works best for you, run with it!
The inside of each pre-generated player character is a
first-person fiction vignette, along with some questions
the players can ask themselves that will help them ease
into how they wish to play the characters. There is also
ATTRIBUTES 3
Attributes represent the core elements of your
a more in-depth background description, along with a character. Everything else, from skills to the actions
series of keywords that serve as tags the player can use to you take, including combat, rest upon the bedrock of
help them decide how they’ll react in a given situation. these natural elements. Attributes are represented on
the character sheet by color-coded polyhedral icons, as
• Background: Your profession before the Great Frost. described above.
• Disposition: Your inherent world viewpoint: Dice Core uses the following Attributes:
positive or negative, optimistic or pessimistic,
•
hopeful or discontented.
Integrity: Your inner moral values, the lines ENDURANCE
you will not cross. What people cannot see on Endurance represents your character’s physical
the surface but can only perceive through your strength and stamina.
words and deeds as they observe your life.
Personality: The attitude and body language
•
you portray; what everyone sees and feels the AGILITY
moment they encounter you. How easily can you dodge through a street of rush-
• Bonds: Even in a post-apocalyptic world— ing people or snag the falling piece of evidence of a ter-
perhaps especially in such a world—who you rible crime before it disappears down a crevasse? Agil-
care about, along with the people and places ity is your character’s ability to physically react quickly
you know, are crucial. These Bonds provide and with finesse in a given situation.
compelling reasons for why you want to protect
your city or your people—or why you don’t.
CONVICTION
DICE 1 When the pain is too much, will you still stand back
up? When there’s an innocent person in your way and
Dice Core uses the following polyhedral dice, with a a hundred other lives are on the line, will you pull the
series of corresponding icons throughout the rules and knife with a steady hand? Your character’s Conviction
on the character sheets: D4 4 , D6 6 , D8 8 , D10 10 , measures their mental strength and drive.
and D12 12 . Building a Dice Pool and taking actions
will be covered shortly. But from the very start, keep
this in mind: the Upgrades/Downgrades graphic on the INGENUITY
character sheet 2 shows that your odds of succeeding Who’s currently the best hunter feeding New Lon-
at a given action increase as the dice grows; i.e., a 6 is don? How damaged can the automoton you stole be
better than a 4 , a 8 is better than a 6 , and so on. and still function? If I punch a guard, will I be arrested?
Your character’s knowledge, decision-making process,
DICE ICONS and general wisdom about how to react in various situ-
ations is represented by their Ingenuity.
As indicated, the character sheet uses color-coded
dice icons to help players easily select dice during the
game. Each icon is color-coded, shape-coded, and INFLUENCE
word-coded. This allows any player to decide which When you walk into a room, do others orient to-
code they’ll use for their dice and play style. For ward you? Can you quirk a smile and raise an eyebrow,
example, some will use polyhedrals they already have and suddenly there are extra food rations on the table
and will use either the word-code (D4) or shape-code for you? Or can you talk the toughest thug into divulg-
(triangle) to clue them which dice to grab. Others will ing their feelings? Your charismatic ability to influence
find it useful to acquire polyhedrals that match the events is covered here.
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
• Scavenging: Just a little bit of scrap and you’ll
RESOLVE have a makeshift weapon or a firing engine.
Does karma love you? Do you always seem to have • Stealth: Slipping through the snow, or standing
an edge just when you need it? Do you have the flair to unseen in a crowd, you know the benefits of not
unleash a burst of energy, luck, or both? Resolve rep- being noticed.
resents that ephemeral knack for the coin always land-
ing on your chosen side, the sudden energetic charge,
or the lucky break opening right as you need it. INGENUITY
SKILLS
• Awareness: Whether in a deep conversation or
hanging on a cliff, you notice the unusual.
• Engineering: You dream of cogs and understand
While attributes represent the inherent elements of how to visualize and plan any construction.
your character, skills are learned areas of knowledge.
• Forgery: A letter, a footprint in the snow, or a
These cover a wide range of abilities, from combat and
splash of blood—you can fake nearly anything.
engineering, to scholarship and general book learning
and knowledge. While any character can attempt any ac- • Investigation: Who stole the food? What’s that
tion in the game, skills increase the odds you’ll succeed. sound in the night? What’s this pile of junk for?
Dice Core uses the following skills; each contains a You look into all of those things.
cursory description. Also note that not all skills are found • Medicine: From first aid to dietary and physical
on all character sheets. Instead, the full list is provided for upkeep, you know how to keep others well.
the gamemaster to use as guidelines during each game. • Mechanic: Engineers plan and build, but only
Linked Attributes: Skills are organized by their you keep it running—or bring it back to life.
Linked Attribute. This means that in a Feat, when • Scholarship: A special job classifications skill
you use that skill, you must use the corresponding that ties into your character’s Background.*
Attribute, as noted in the Sample Feats section (see p.
• Agriculture, Husbandry, and Fishing
12) and as indicated on the character sheet with each
• Armed Forces
skill (in parenthesis next to each name).
• Building
• Factory
ENDURANCE • Mines and Quarries
• Professional, Clerical, and Local Gov’t
• Athletics: You can keep climbing, keep working, • Retail, Foodstuffs, and Hostelries
keep running, or even just keep walking. • Transport and Communications
• Intensity: When others give up because of • Workshops and Handicraft
mental or physical exhaustion, you keep going. • Theology
• Survival: Trapped, alone and in the cold, you
know what must be done to survive.
INFLUENCE
AGILITY • Acting: Bluffing past a guard or hiding as a
convalescent in the corner, you can fake your
• Close Combat: Whether hand-to-hand, a knife way through many situations.
or a staff, you put your opponent down.
• Animal Handling: A pet dog, a horse, or even a
• Gymnastics: Leaping, jumping, dodging: action
wolf out in the dark—you have a way with animals.
is a fine dance you master with ease.
• Ranged Combat: Whether you’re using a bow, • Persuasion: Whether you need an extra meal,
javelin, or gun, you know how to aim and hit a another pair of gloves, or a covered workshift,
moving target. there’s always a mark to provide it.
• Sleight of Hand: The coin dances, the coin
disappears; distraction is always the game. * As noted above, Scholarship is divided into nine sub-Schol-
arship Skills, each of which is connected to a character’s Back-
ground. In other words, if your character has Scholarship, it is
CONVICTION automatically centered on your character’s Background.
If you are attempting a Research Feat (see p. 9) for information
• Engagement: You’re always on alert, finding a that is found within another Background that is not part of your
concealed weapon or discovering an escape route. skill apply a . The GM may apply if the Classifications are
• Leadership: It’s not about stepping in front, but very removed from each other, such as Armed Forces and Factory.
knowing those behind will follow.
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QUICK START RULES
+
+ Linked + Upgrade/
Feat Die + Skill Die
Attribute Die Downgrade
8 + 1 Die + 1 Die + or
+
UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES
Once the Feat Pool of three dice is built, based
+
upon the details from your character sheet or from
the GM, there is the possibility of Upgrading the
+ dice (i.e., exchanging a lower-value die for a high-
er-value die) or Downgrading the dice (i.e., ex-
Upgrade means automatically Upgrading one of changing a higher-value die for a lower-value die).
the dice in the Feat Pool by one better value; see below
for more details. MAKING A FEAT ROLL
Once the Feat Pool is finalized and any or
made, the player rolls the dice and totals the rolled
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
10
QUICK START RULES
DIFFICULTY
RATING TARGET
FATIGUE
The failure of a Feat may cause Fatigue, depending
Very Easy 7 or more
upon the severity of that failure. For example, a Breaking
Easy 10 or more Down the Door failure likely wouldn’t cause an actual
STANDARD 13 OR MORE
Wound that would need to be tracked in the game, but it
could leave you with a bruised shoulder, represented by
Hard 16 or more Fatigue. If you have enough Fatigue, Wounds can occur.
Very Hard 19 or more Anytime a player attempts a Feat and the die roll re-
sult has 3 or more Critical Failures (i.e., is 9 or more
Master 22 or more
below the Difficulty Rating), a box is checked off of the
Legendary 25 or more Fatigue Track.
What Feats can end in the loss of Fatigue is based
The gamemaster always starts at Standard difficulty upon the Feat in question. A Sway or Pick Lock is not
and then shifts the difficulty up or down based on a va- likely to end in Fatigue, whereas a Jumping or Close At-
riety of factors. Difficulties generally shift up in steps of tack certainly would. The final decision on which Feats
three, but the gamemaster can choose to use the num- may apply Fatigue in failure is up to the GM.
bers in between if they desire a little more granularity
in their Difficulty Rating. FATIGUE APPLIES
DOWNGRADES
OPPOSED ROLLS For every Fatigue point, apply a to all Feats.
Feat Rolls against NPCs are called Opposed (Feat) This is cumulative, based upon the number of Fatigue
Rolls and follow the same basic format above for build- points. However, a character should never have more
ing the Feat Pools on both sides; in this instance, the than applied to them from any source after
GM will often tell you what dice to select for your Feat all have been applied (see Using Upgrades/Down-
Pool if an NPC is targeting you. The result of the target’s grades, p. 13).
Feat Roll generates the Difficulty Rating against which
the active participant rolls.
ADDITIONAL RULES
The following additional rules apply:
• Wounds: If a player needs to check off a Fatigue
box and the track is filled, automatically take a
Wound (see p. 16).
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
12
QUICK START RULES
COVERT OPS
and change the final Feat Pool to: 4 + 4 + 12 .
You roll and come up with a 17. Not bad at all for
your dice… but a failure. Next time, have the better
• Sneaking: Gear and tactics to promote sneaking
bowman take the shot; you’ll have to just sneak
through with that light active, knowing the GM will should provide an . They can stack to ,
likely throw on an for it if anyone comes hunting... but not unless there are extraordinary
circumstances.
USING
• Spotting: Vision and other enhancements give .
UPGRADES/ SOCIAL
DOWNGRADES • Good argument: When a player makes an
argument that is logically sound or appeals to the
interests of the other party through roleplaying
and from a character sheet are always applied. (i.e., not by making a Feat Roll), they receive an .
However, and beyond the character sheet can When they do both, they receive .
also be awarded by the GM. They should be the primary
• Intimidating appearance: Characters with an
(if not sole) rewards for different tactical decisions
Endurance of 10 or 12 automatically receive
made in the course of gameplay. If players do something
an on Intimidation Feat rolls. Intimidating
that gives them an obvious advantage, that should be
tactics generally receive an , though
reflected by giving them an or even . Conversely,
gamemasters may use discretion in determining
if players take an action that would obviously hinder
the effectiveness of particular tactics.
them (whether by trying something difficult, such as
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
COMBAT NON-FEAT
• Cover, partial: Player in cover receives an on
Defense Rolls. ACTIONS
• Cover, total: Player in cover receives on In Dice Core, actions fit into one of two categories:
Defense Rolls, but on their attacks made Feat and non-Feat. The Sample Feats listed earlier in
while in cover. this section provide the basic idea for what Feat actions
• Multiple weapons attack: When using multiple are. Those actions and all similar actions fit into the
weapons in a single attack, take on each attack. same time frame, meaning you can only take one such
action per turn (during any portion of the game that
COMBAT
requires Initiative Order; see above).
There are certain non-Feat actions that can be taken
in a turn along with a Feat; on any turn, you can take
The following covers combat within Dice Core. one Feat action and up to two non-Feat actions. In the
vast majority of circumstances, non-Feat actions will
MOVEMENT 6
not involve a dice roll, though gamemasters have dis-
cretion to include a roll if they think something about a
All character movement is in meters, as is indicated player’s situation imposes significant difficulty (such as
on your character sheet. attempting to make a hand gesture while being affected
by a paralytic agent). Non-Feat actions are listed below
(if an action is not listed below, assume it takes the time
INITIATIVE needed for a Feat, and thus should be considered a Feat
If at any point the players and GM determine that action, even if there is no roll involved):
the order of various actions taken by players and NPCs • Certain Awareness Rolls: While Engagement
matters (usually combat but could be covert sneaking rolls require a Feat action, certain Awareness
into a camp), they roll for Initiative Order using the fol- rolls can be made (per GM discretion) as a non-
Feat action. This action would be for things such
lowing rule:
as looking quickly around a room, noticing the
sources of a loud noise, and so on. This should not
ROLLING INITIATIVE 7 be used to give detailed information to players.
When rolling Initiative, players select their Agil- • Drop item: If something is in your hands and you
don’t want it there, you can drop it!
ity, Ingenuity, and Resolve Attribute Dice and roll,
summing the numbers and informing the GM of the • Drop prone: You may drop to the ground as a
results. (For ease of selection during the game, each non-Feat action. The gamemaster determines
character sheet includes an Initiative box where these what effect that has on attacks and Defense based
dice are already located.) The GM then rolls for each on particular circumstances.
NPC, as needed. • Gesture: Simple hand motions—pointing, a
finger over the lips to request silence, that sort of
thing—can be made as a non-Feat action.
INITIATIVE ORDER • Run: This means moving up to or equal to the
The GM builds the Initiative Order, highest to low- distance indicated by your Run movement speed.
est value results, for all players and each NPC. The GM • Sprint: This means moving up to or equal to the
will then start at the highest value, allowing that player distance indicated by your Sprint movement speed
their Feat, then shift down to the next highest value for and greater than your Run movement speed.
their Feat, and so on, for the first round. If there are ties, This is a non-Feat action, but you receive a on
anyone who rolled second (or third, and so on), takes any attacks made while sprinting. Attacks made
against you while you are sprinting also receive
their actions second (and third, and so on).
a . If a character Sprints more than two turns
consecutively, apply a Fatigue point (see p. 11).
• Talk: You can say a few quick sentences. Basic
guideline: If you can say it in three seconds, you
can say it as a non-Feat action.
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QUICK START RULES
• Turn Simple Device On/Off : If the power switch and PCs will use the Defense Rating, or perhaps even some
to a simple device is within movement range, you players will do it one way and some another. Determining
can turn it on or off as a non-Feat action. The beforehand what your group will use can significantly cut
basic standard for this action is a light switch—if down on potential confusion during the game.
the power switch is the same level of complexity
as a light switch, this action can be used. If it’s
significantly more complicated, it will take a full
Feat action. SURPRISE
You may attempt to surprise other characters, using
DEFENSE ROLL 8
The target of the Combat roll makes a Defense Roll,
rolling their Armor + Agility + Resolve Dice. (For ease
of selection during the game, your character sheet in-
cludes a Defense box where these dice are already lo-
cated.) The result of that Defense Roll generates the
Difficulty Rating against which the attacker rolls.
The damage generated if the attacker roll is equal
to or higher than the Difficulty Rating generated by the
Defense Roll is covered under Damage (see below)
DEFENSE RATING
(OPTIONAL)
Rather than make a separate Defense Roll, some
groups may prefer to use a static target number to com-
pare to attack rolls. All NPCs (and creatures) include a
Defense Rating (in parenthesis next to Defense), which
is the average Defense roll of that NPC, that can be
used as a threshold
Your group should determine before you start a session
how this will work at your table. For example, you might just
have NPCs using the Defense Rating, or perhaps all NPCs
15
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
DAMAGE
• Defender: Generally speaking, a target needs
to make a successful Awareness roll against a
DR of 13 to notice a planned surprise attack
(assuming they have a way to perceive the As noted above, when making an Opposed Feat Roll
intended battleground, such as line of sight or for a Combat Feat, both players (or the player and the
a monitoring device at the scene). GM) roll. The defender makes a Defense Roll by select-
• Additional Effects: Characters who are ing their Armor, Agility, and Resolve dice (again, not-
surprised take an immediate –3 to their ed under Defense on their character sheet) and rolls,
Initiative roll and a on their first Defense roll. summing the numbers, while the attacker makes their
Ranged/Close Attack Feat Roll. The higher number
SAMPLE WEAPONS
FIREARMS • ITEM RANGE WOUNDS CRITICAL SUCCESS MODIFICATIONS NOTES
Pistol 20/40 1 4 +
Apply cumulative
Hunting Rifle 80/160 2 3 + for every 10 meters
below 30
Knife 0 1 5
Spear 2 2 4
Sledgehammer 1 2 3 +
Sabre 1 1 3
16
QUICK START RULES
COMBAT EXAMPLE
Despite all your best talking, combat explodes in the frostland. You’re trying to use your composite bow to hit a
raider that’s running to reinforce a position to return fire on your team. It’s your turn in the Initiative Order.
The GM tells you the NPC managed to reach long range for your bow (more than 60 meters) before you could
fire, so you need to apply a . Also, the target moved behind a low snowbank and so is in cover, so you’ll need to
apply a second .
Since you know you already have , you decide to take a chance and try to convince the GM that you are
taking careful aim; they agree and give you an , but the penalty they apply is that you cannot move the next turn.
You then come up with an even wilder idea. In your conversations with the raiders—before things went
sideways—you heard them whistling loudly at each other, as though communicating. You make your argument to
the GM that for your one Non-Feat Action, you will whistle very loudly in an attempt to mimic the raiders and see
if you can’t shock the NPC into a poor decision.
The GM laughs at the audacity, agrees, and tells you to make a Con Feat [16] Roll. You don’t have Acting but
will give it your best shot and build the Feat Pool: 8 (Feat Die) + 4 (No Skill) + 10 (Influence Attribute). You roll
and get a 22! Not only did you just max out your roll, but you achieved two Critical Successes. The GM describes
the NPC stumbling and coming to a standstill, looking in confusion in your direction. As a result, you get another ;
the GM, because of the amazing two Critical Successes, decides to give you a third .
You already know this is a Ranged Attack Feat, so you start to build the Feat Pool: 8 (Feat Die) + 6 +
(Ranged Combat Skill) + 8 (Agility Attribute). You then have and . (You quickly review the Modifications
column of the composite bow on your character sheet and find there are no Modifications.) While you can apply
them in any fashion you wish, you decide to cancel the with , leaving you an . You decide to the highest
die, leaving you with a 8 + 6 + 10 .
The GM grabs the Defense dice of the NPC: 6 + (Armor) + 6 (Agility) + 8 (Resolve). After the of 8 to
a 10 , the GM rolls simultaneously with you. The NPC generates a low Difficulty Rating of 11, but your roll is only a
10! Since this is an important moment, you Spend Resolve—marking that on your sheet—to roll a 12 . You get an
8, which transforms your 10 to an 18!
You then review your composite bow stats on your character sheet. You note that by equaling or exceeding the
target’s DR, you will inflict 1 Wound. However, you also note the weapon’s Critical Success is 4. By rolling 7 over the
DR, you get one Critical Success, so instead of just 1 Wound, the NPC will apply 2 Wounds. (If you’d rolled just one
more on that Spend Resolve die, you would’ve had 19, or two Critical Successes, so the target would’ve received
3 Wounds.)
Regardless, two Wounds is a great result, and they are applied to the NPC, which will severely limit them. It’s
now the next player’s turn.
17
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
HEALING
Here’s an example Wound Track from a character
that’s advanced through many game sessions:
WOUND TRACK
When healing, you start at the bottom of the wound
list and move to the top.
SKILL
ANOTHER 2 SKILLS
HEALING FEATS
ATTRIBUTE Make a First Aid Feat or Trauma Care Feat (must
use Trauma Kit), both of which you can find on the
ANOTHER 2 ATTRIBUTES
Sample Feats table (see p. 12), against the following Dif-
ficulty Rating:
ALL FEATS
WOUNDS DIFFICULTY
Attribute
Hard (16)
Wound
Wound Boxes: On your character sheet, each Skill
and Attribute has Wound boxes you check upon re- All Feats Wound Very Hard (19)
ceiving such a Wound. This is an easy way to determine Knocked Out
when are applied for future Feat Rolls. Multiple Very Hard (19)
(KO)
cannot be applied to the same Skill or Attribute (i.e.,
the same die).
For example, if you’ve taken an Attribute Wound
RESULTS
and choose to apply that Wound to Agility, you would • First Aid Success: Heal 1 Wound
mark the box underneath the Agility icon, as well as the • Trauma Care Success: Heal 2 Wounds
Wound boxes for Agility in the Initiative and Defense • Critical Successes: For each Critical
sections. For future Initiative, Defense, and Skill Feat Success in First Aid or Trauma Care, heal 1
rolls with a Linked Agility Attribute, after building the additional Wound.
Feat Pool, you then automatically apply the from that
When a cell is healed of damage, remember to erase
Agility Wound.
the Wounds on the corresponding Skills and Attributes.
Cumulative: All are cumulative. For example, a
If the character is healed of the Knocked Out Wound,
player with a Close Combat Skill Wound, an Agility
they immediately wake up.
Wound and an All Feats Wound would apply
For example, using the Wound Track above, let’s say
after building the Dice Pool for a Close Attack Feat. (As
that a player has received six Wounds, so when another
usual, though, remember that no more than a net three
player attempts a First Aid Feat, their Difficulty Rating
Modifications can be applied to a Feat.)
is 19. They roll a 25, giving them two Critical Success,
Specifics (Optional): To the right of each Wound
so the character heals a total of three Wounds. The next
descriptor, in each cell of the Wound Track, is space
First Aid Feat to heal Wounds on that character would
where you may, if you so choose, write in the type of
roll against a Skill Wound, so the Difficulty Rating
Wound your character received, based upon where it’s
would only be 13.
applied. For example, if your character takes a “Skill
No Medicine Skill: If a character does not have the
Wound,” and they apply it to Ranged Combat, the
Medicine Skill, they may still try to make a First Aid
Wound could be a “broken hand” for your character’s
Feat, using the usual 4 . If a character attempts a Trau-
trigger finger (you would write that in). Meanwhile, if
ma Care Feat, as they have the Trauma Kit, but do not
they continue with more Wounds and have to apply
have the Medicine Skill, in addition to the 4 , apply
an “Attribute Wound,” and you decide to apply it to In-
one (which means , as the Feat itself applies one).
genuity, that could be a nasty “concussion” (again, you
would write that in). Each of those provide a wonderful
way for you to create the roleplaying you want to expe- TIMING
rience going forward. A character can only make one Healing Feat for an-
other specific character once per day. That means, how-
18
QUICK START RULES
HOPE &
ever, that if multiple people want to try a Healing Feat
for a character in a day, they can.
DISCONTENT
Wounds can be treated daily through attempts at
Healing Feats (even if it is just one), with success treated as
described above. Failure does not change the character’s
condition unless the Feat Roll has three or more Critical No matter what, the city must survive. While the
Failures (i.e., the Feat rolls nine or less below the DR); in lack of resources can destroy your city—in which case
this case, one additional Wound is immediately applied. your characters likely die as well—nothing impacts the
Skill Wounds: Unlike Attribute Wounds, which can city more powerfully than Hope and Discontent.
only be healed through a Healing Feat, Skill Wounds • Hope: Hope represents citizens’ belief that
can heal on their own. For every two days the character things will get better and that they are not
is not involved in any strenuous activities, they auto- working in the bitter cold for nothing. The more
matically heal one Skill Wound on the Wound Track Hope a city and its people have, the more likely
(provided all Wounds below it on the track are healed). they are to work together in hard times and trust
If they are involved in strenuous activities, this increas- what they hear from their leaders. The less Hope
es to every four days. there is, the less likely they are to help the leaders
Spending Resolve: A player may spend Resolve to or anyone attached to them, and they will be less
add a die to a Healing Feat. willing to do hard things for the sake of the city.
• Discontent: Discontent represents the day-to-
RUNNING IN
day happiness and satisfaction of the people
in the city. Low Discontent means the people
enjoy their lives and are relatively happy. They
THE SNOW
are better able to endure a short-term crisis and
are unlikely to steal from each other or get into
fights. High Discontent, by contrast, can lead to
large-scale riots and looting if left unchecked.
The following additional rules and details enable
you to bring Frostpunk to your table in a way that will
make it memorable. TRACKING BOTH
Besides Hope, Discontent, and Population (which
Hope and Discontent run on a scale from 1 to 15.
are noted in the mission), you, as the gamemaster, may
Ideally, a city will have high Hope and low Discontent.
decide which of these to use or not use in your first
To start this Frostpunk game, set both Hope and Dis-
game. But we highly recommend them all for the most
content to 8. The gamemaster should track both num-
immersive Frostpunk experience.
bers in a way that is easily visible for the players. (The
quick-start rules Gamemaster Screen has an area for
tracking on the front.)
FAITH & ORDER As Hope increases, people should pitch in more to
Life in the frostland can be merciless and set-
help their city, work together, and focus on common
tlement leaders have a regular question to ask: In
problems. The PCs would benefit from this, as the in-
a world of uncertainty, how do I inspire people to
continue? For Frostpunk purposes, approaches are
creased cooperation would mean that citizens are more
grouped into two categories: Faith and Order. willing to help them out. More cooperation could mean
The primary purpose of Faith is to unite people in on Feats to persuade people to help, while lower
belief of a cause greater than themselves, to encour- Hope could result in . High Hope could result in the
age them to work toward something they cannot PCs gaining extra Resolute Points.
always perceive or understand. The organizing ideas As Discontent increases, disagreements with lead-
of Order is that proper procedures breed good hab- ers, thoughts of relocation, and public brawling all
its, and proper habits build good character. increase. The PCs will find the city increasingly diffi-
While full rules for Faith and Order are beyond cult to navigate as high Discontent turns it into a vio-
the scope of this QSR. NPCs in the mission have rat- lence-prone place.
ings for both that the gamemaster can use or ignore
as they see fit.
19
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
POPULATION AWARDING
The central job of cities is keeping people alive. Ev-
ery morning, designated teams make an exact count of
RESOLUTE POINTS
those still living and momentarily mourn those who The player group starts the adventure in these rules
died. They bring bodies to burial pits or cemeteries, with 2 Resolute Points. Resolute Points are communal,
then set about trying to keep anyone else from dying in but they are always earned individually.
the next twenty-four hours. When players accomplish one of the following ac-
Characters should feel every death, whether it’s some- tions, reward them with a Resolute Point:
one from their team or anyone in the city. Here are some • Significantly advances the plot
suggestions for how to make this impactful (whether the • Solves a problem that’s blocked the group
deaths happen during the day or are found at sunrise):
• Delivers an appropriately humorous moment
• Every time someone in the city dies, sound a bell.
• If the players are away from the city, when they • Engages in teamwork-oriented action
return, update the number so the players will • Performs especially imaginative actions
work to find out what changed—and what went
wrong. Reaching out to the captain would be a The goal is simple: Reward the players for making
good idea to get the news. the game more fun for everyone so that they are en-
• Naming every single NPC brings extra life to couraged to do it more.
your games. Have a handy list of random names
to read off to add weight to the event. The
captain could even assign the players to read the SPENDING
names of the dead to the town.
RESOLUTE POINTS
LOSING POPULATION Resolute Points can be spent by individual players
on specific actions, as noted below. (The number in pa-
For these rules, the city population starts at 642. At rentheses indicates the number of points that must be
the start of every day, change the population based on used for that specific action.) When points are spent,
what happened the previous day. remove them from the pool. Remember, though, if
The gamemaster should track this number in an eas- you’re going to ask for the right to spend the group’s
ily seen way. (The quick-start rules Gamemaster Screen
points, be prepared to make your case for why it’s im-
has an area on the front for easy tracking.)
portant and how it will advance the group’s success!
20
QUICK START RULES
21
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
MISSION
In this adventure, the players will be thrown in the the players move from this path, that’s okay; the game
middle of the various tensions, factions and hardships will still be fun.
of life in the “last city on earth.”
THE GOAL
This mission’s goal is to highlight the many aspects
The following are the pre-generated player char-
of the world of Frostpunk, from dissatisfaction with
acters in this mission (they are bolded in the text):
the government to the constant fear of freezing, as
• Clara Kevin: Passive Tinkerer
well as working with the different factions spreading
• Justin “Holy” Camburn: Bard Priest
their influence in order to make the city match their
• Martha Sweeny: Passionate Doctor
vision.
• Arnold Pierce: Dedicated Servant
For example:
• People are angry with the child labor laws
If an NPC is bolded, you can find their description
• The Bishop and the Marshal will try to
and game stats in the Characters of the Frostland (some
convince the players to support their cause
will only have the game stats).
If a Feat is suggested and it is not found in the Sam- • Fear of low supplies will make people afraid of
ple Feats, it will be displayed as: (D8 + Gymnastics + working faster and disregarding safety
Agility [13] Feat). When running this mission, it’s important to give
This mission is divided into three parts, breaking up time and energy to these elements so players can
the major sections of the plot. This helps with pacing. If understand the disparate aspects of New London.
22
FOR THE PEACE OF THE CITY
PART ONE
BOOK OF LAWS
As the city is founded and an influx of refugees
TROUBLE IN
spurs growth, the need to govern and ease pres-
sures of people living in a community and trying to PARADISE
The session begins with Leftenant Westover speak-
survive expands exponentially. Many laws are pru-
dent, easing discontent while drawing out hope. ing to a crowd, celebrating the opening of the prosthetics
Others are more strident, alleviating issues while in- factory that will allow many people to get new arms or
troducing oft-times unintentional ramifications. And legs and return to work. It’s around 9:30 a.m.
some laws come as the city and its people move Westover is standing on a small movable podium.
perhaps too strongly on the path of Faith or Order, The players are all standing to the right of the podi-
spawning pernicious and even horrifying conse- um. Behind him is both Bishop Alistair and Marshal
quences. Burnham, the leaders of Faith and Order within the
As with Faith and Order, full rules for these city. They both seem calm, but the players can tell there
laws are beyond the scope of this QSR. Howev- is tension between the two of them.
er, the mission directly deals with those laws, and The players are here on Westover’s request; he said
how players’ choices connected to them will de- he wished to talk to them after he finished with the fac-
termine the outcome. tory opening.
Westover will thank Clara Kevin personally for
their help in creating the factory. After Westover gives
23
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
coming and standing at attention for the first time as PART TWO
new expedition members. He then asks you to follow
him back to his office. HUNTING
• • • FOR RABBITS
Westover leads the players to his office on the sec-
ond floor of the town hall. From there, the players are The following is not set in chronological order,
invited to sit while he takes his seat behind his desk,
as the players will largely dictate where and when
after making sure the door is firmly closed and no one
they look and how they want to proceed. As such,
is listening in. The room has little in the way of personal
items but does have papers and books everywhere—the this section will give all the different places the
largest collection of books in the city, in fact. players may go to find clues. If the players go to
After some small talk, Westover tells the players a spot not listed, you can move clues to locations
that he has something that needs to be taken care of where the players do go.
today. The players are given the following information
about the current issue:
• Westover has received a piece of paper on his
desk letting him know that at 3:30 p.m., there
will be an explosion in the coal mine unless the
THE MARSHAL
The Marshal is located near the generator. The build-
prosthetics factory is shut down.
ing is a full metal structure, a rare sight. Two guards
• Only the people in this room as well as the
stand outside it with batons in their hands, though the
Marshal and Bishop are aware of the threat.
players may notice they are not paying close attention,
• Tensions have been high in the city, with coal with one nearly falling asleep.
supplies low, and Westover fears that telling The guards will let the player characters enter the
people will cause more issues then it will fix. facility without saying anything. Once inside, the play-
• He doesn’t want to close the mine unless he ers will see Burham repairing a gun in the center of
has no other choice. the room. The room itself only has a desk and two jail
• He believes both the Marshal and Bishop have cells. There is another door, locked, on the far side of
information the players can look into. the room. Burham will welcome the group in without
• The Marshal knows about a theft in his looking up from his gun.
armory. Standing next to the armory door is a man in his
thirties. He looks uncomfortable when the players come
• The Bishop has information about an
in. Players should role a (Notice Something Unusual,
unusual confusion.
Social [13] Feat). If they succeed, they will notice the
• They can also check the mine for clues, but man seems uncomfortable with Justin in particular. The
they need to be discreet. man’s name is Leo Maston
• He recommends talking to the foreman If asked about the bomb threat, he says he’s not sure
about any questions they may have (Tyler he can trust the player group to handle the situation
MaCath) well, even if he does trust Arnold. He then tries to hag-
Westover finishes by thanking the players for gle with the players to get what he wants in return for
their service and apologizing for this being their first the evidence.
assignment. • The Marshal knows someone stole equipment
from the armory but won‘t let the players look
at the crime scene without helping him.
He wants the players to convince Westover
he needs guard towers to watch over troubled
areas of the city.
He will also accept the players giving him
breaking-and-entering rights.
• The players can also sneak in and find the info,
but they might be discovered.
24
FOR THE PEACE OF THE CITY
• Leo Maston
• Jackson Hamish
• Clara Kevin
• Brandon Norn (passed away)
• Westover
ARMORY
In the armory, the players are pointed by the Marshal
to the missing equipment, or they will need a (Search
an Area [13] Feat) to find the missing supplies. The
supplies in question are two empty boxes containing
materials that can make a bomb.
Players may make a (Engineering + Intelligence
[13] Feat); success tells them that only someone with
strong knowledge of explosives could make this bomb.
25
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
THE BISHOP She will mention that the document she received
was a written confession placed on her pulpit during
the night. She will not say more, because God would
not be happy if she violated the sacred nature of the
Giving the Bishop mandatory worship will create confession. However, if she can give God something he
some unrest, especially from followers of Order. In wants in return, she may be able to make an exception.
addition, if the players get Westover to institute this • The Bishop will give the paper to the players if
before they talk to the Marshall, the Marshall will they support one of the following:
not help them at all. • Mandatory worship every Sabbath
Making the Bishop second in command will
• Westover’s endorsement of the Bishop as
cause less unrest but may still cause trouble in the
future. Any Sway Feat performed with the Marshall
second in command for the city
after this has its Difficulty Rating increased by 2. Trying to persuade the Bishop that the city needs
protection requires a (Charm [19] Feat); the DR drops
to 16 if Justin is the one rolling.
While in the church, the players may find a button
The church where Bishop Alsitar preaches is located on the ground next to the podium (Notice Something
in the residential area of the city, surrounded by houses Unusual, outdoor [13] Feat). If asked, the Bishop will
and with a steam hub right in front of the building. A say she didn’t notice it before.
single pane of broken stained glass is located above the
large doors.
A young woman is cleaning the pews. She doesn’t
give the players much attention when they enter.
The Bishop is at the pulpit, preparing for her ser-
mon during the Night Prayer this evening. She requests
the players wait while she finishes and then asks what
she can do for them.
Alistair will tell the players that the young woman
(Harper Smith) used to love blowing things up before
she brought her into the church. At this comment, Harp-
er will look annoyed and leave to another room.
26
FOR THE PEACE OF THE CITY
TELLING TYLER coal mine if the prosthetics factory is not shut down.
27
FROSTPUNK THE RPG
labor. He promised that once the supply shortage was The city will manage its supply problem, and the law
resolved, he would revoke the law. Jackson was not en- will be repealed in two months. However, two weeks
tirely pleased with the half-measure, but with his son before the law is repealed, Hamish’s child will get their
already out of work, he accepted this answer. leg crushed by a gear, losing another limb.
This would all change with the prosthetics facto-
ry, which would get his son an arm and thus get him
back to work. Having failed to get Westover to change ARRESTING HAMISH AND
the law last time, Hamish felt he had no choice but to CHANGING THE LAW
threaten violence to make sure his child wasn’t sent
If the players attempt to arrest Hamish, he will try to
back to work.
run and set off his bomb, killing himself if needed. The
His time in the mine has given him the skills he
players may attempt to subdue Hamish, but he will fight
needs to make a bomb as well as a spot to place it.
the entire time. If Hamish is able to set off the bomb,
the players may get hurt, and the coal mine will be shut
CONFRONTING HAMISH down for weeks.
If the players promise they will change the law if
Hamish will be found in the coal mine for the entire
Hamish turns himself in, they can attempt a (Charm
day if the mine stays open. If the mine closes, Hamish will
[16] Feat). If they succeed, Hamish surrenders.
be in their house until they place the bomb at 3:20 p.m.
Westover will thank the players for finding Hamish
If Hamsih is confronted he will attempt to convince
and will agree to change the law if that will prevent fu-
the players he must go through with the bombing un-
ture issues.
less Westover changes his mind.
OUTCOME
DECISIONS AND Hope will rise from the removal of the child labor
law. However, some people will get frostbite and lose
OUTCOMES limbs from the coal running low before the mine re-
Once the players have figured out who placed the turns to full production.
bomb and why, they have the following options:
NOT ARRESTING HAMISH
• Arrest Hamish
• Arrest Hamish and change the law AND CHANGING THE LAW
• Don’t arrest Hamish and change the law This option will work similar to arresting him, but
Westover will be annoyed by the players and will need
to be swayed (influenced by how the game played out)
ARRESTING HAMISH in order to change the law. If the law is not changed,
If the players attempt to arrest Hamish, he will try to Hamish will once again try to blow up the mine.
run and set off his bomb, killing himself if needed. The
players may attempt to subdue Hamish, but he will fight
the entire time. If Hamish is able to set off the bomb,
OTHER OPTIONS
the players may get hurt, and the coal mine will be shut There are many different ways things may end out-
down for weeks. side of these primary options. However, most of them
will be similar to how these ends take place. You do not
OUTCOME need to fill out every detail for what happens, but you
If the players arrest Hamish and the mine isn’t de- should paint a good picture of how the players’ actions
stroyed, Westover will thank all the players greatly for affected the city. This can include looking at how the
their help. He will say he regrets that the laws are the relative power of Faith and Order may have shifted,
way they are and will change them as soon as he can. along with the rise and fall of Hope and Discontent, and
If the mine was destroyed, there will be coal short- what that means for the city going forward
ages, and many people will die from the cold before it
is fixed.
28
A WORLD OF ICE AND STEAM
FROSTPUNK
CHARACTERS
OF NEW LONDON
KNACKS
A combination of natural abilities, work, and life experiences give us Knacks, things we can accomplish above
and beyond what others may do in similar circumstances.
Complete rules for how player characters have and use Knacks are found in the Frostpunk core rulebook. For
these rules, the pre-generated characters do not have Knacks. However, to showcase their experience and exper-
tise, several NPCs have Knacks.
BACKGROUND
ARCHBISHOP Priest (Theology)
DANIELLE ALISTAIR DEFENSE (RATING)
6 + 6 + 10 (13)
Archbishop Alistair is a large, muscular woman who
cares about her followers but also about her position in TRAITS
the religion and new territories. She always wanted to • Disposition: Judicious
be a priest, but the laws at the time did not permit it.
• Integrity: Kindness to the weak
She does not wish harm to come to anyone but will not
let that get in the way of furthering her cause. She is • Personality: Mystical and inspiring
always at odds with Marshal Burnum over how the city
should be run. INITIATIVE
6 + 6 + 10
“How can I help you, my child?”
BONDS
Height: 6’2” • The Church of New London
Hair Color: Black • Bishop Tobin
Eye Color: Green
Age: 47 KNACKS
Gender: Female • The Call of the Spirit: Once per session, +
Sexual Orientation: Gay for any Conviction or Resolve Feat.
Faith & Order: 7/1 • Language of Faith: You know how to talk
to other members of the path of Faith. When
End Agi Conv Ing Inf Rslv engaging in a social test with another follower
8 6 8 6 10 10 of Faith, + .
• Order Rival: You inherently mistrust anything
SKILLS
someone from Order tells you.
• Awareness: 6 +
• Engagement: 8
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
• Persuasion: 10 + City Winter Clothing
• Scholarship (Theology): 6 +
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
BONDS
MARSHAL • Captain Westover
RICHARD BURNUM • Order
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A WORLD OF ICE AND STEAM
End Agi Conv Ing Inf Rslv “Ye aw are really weird, you know that, don’t ya?
6 4 12 8 10 8
Height: 5’3’’
SKILLS Hair Color: Bald
• Awareness: 6 Eye Color: Hazel
• Persuasion: 12 + Age: Unknown
• Leadership: 8 Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Unknown
• Survival: 6 +
Faith & Order: Unknown
BACKGROUND
• Coal laborer (Mines and Quarries)
End Agi Conv Ing Inf Rslv
6 6 8 10 4 6
DEFENSE (RATING)
8 + 4 + 8 (12) SKILLS
• Athletics: 8
INITIATIVE
• Awareness: 12
4 + 8 + 8
• Close Combat: 4 +
TRAITS • Persuasion: 6 +
• Disposition: Open-minded • Survival: 6 +
• Integrity: Fairness
• Personality: Mediator BACKGROUND
Unknown*
BONDS
• New London DEFENSE (RATING)
• Bethany Westover (sister 6 + 6 + 6 (11)
KNACKS INITIATIVE
• Beloved: All NPCs around this character may 6 + 10 + 6
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FROSTPUNK THE RPG
• Close Combat: 4 +
MAX • Persuasion: 6 +
NORBIT • Survival: 6 +
BACKGROUND
Max lived with Jessica Norbit before she went • Post office (Clerical)
to Edge and would eventually become its leader. He
currently serves as an advisor and cleric to Captain DEFENSE (RATING)
Westover. Max is often seen as enthusiastic but naive, 6 + 6 + 6 (11)
often pitching ideas that are overly idealistic and have
no chance of working. His connection to her has left INITIATIVE
many people wondering if his loyalty is to her or New 6 + 10 + 6
London. Captain Westover has never shared in these
doubts and intrinsically trusts Max. TRAITS
• Disposition: Helpful
“This will be fun, right? • Integrity: Committed
• Personality: Energetic
Height: 5’7’’
Hair Color: Red
BONDS
Eye Color: Green
• Jessica Norbit
Age: 30
Gender: Male • The people he serves
Sexual Orientation: Straight
KNACKS
Faith & Order: 5/3 • None
SKILLS
• Athletics: 6
• Awareness: 6
CREDITS
CATALYST GAME LABS 11BIT STUDIOS
Dice Core Design: Randall N. Bills & Jason M. Hardy Design and consultation
Writing: Bryn K. Bills, Randall N. Bills, Jason M. Hardy Marcin Eller
Development: Bryn K. Bills, Randall N. Bills, Talon L. Coleman, Łukasz Juszczyk
Jason M. Hardy
Karolina Kruk
Editing: Jason M. Hardy
Dawid Kurowski
Graphic Design & Layout: Matt Heerdt
Jakub Stokalski
Art Direction: Brent Evans
Playtesters: Thanks to all of the amazing playtesters!
@2024 All Rights Reserved. Frostpunk is a trademark and/or registered trademark in the United States and/or other Countries.
Catalyst Game Labs, the Catalyst Game Labs logo and Dice Core are trademarks of Catalyst Game Labs.
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SAMPLE FEATS
FEAT ROLLS SKILLS
FEAT ROLL FEAT ROLL
& THE FEAT POOL ENDURANCE Medicine
Animal Handling + Animal Handling + Influence Sneaking + Awareness + Ingenuity Mechanic
Athletics
BUILDING THREE-DICE POOL
Apply First Aid D8 + Medicine + Ingenuity Unusual (Outdoors) + Awareness + Survival Intensity Scholarship (Job Classifications)
1. First Die ( Feat) Survival • Agriculture, Husbandry, Fishing
Apply Trauma Care + Downgrade + Medicine + Ingenuity
[Requires Trauma Kit]
Unusual (Social) + Awareness + Influence 2. Second Die (Skill) • Armed Forces
3. Third Die (Linked Attribute)
AGILITY
Attack Pick Lock + Engineering + Ingenuity • Building
Close Combat
Close Attack + Close Combat + Agility Question Individual(s) + Persuasion + Influence Gymnastics • Factory
D6 D6 D8 D10 D4 D10
RUN/SPRINT WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
10m/20m
FEAT ROLL
SKILLS
D12
FEAT = D8
NO SKILL = D4
AWARENESS (Ingenuity) CLOSE COMBAT (Agility) ENGINEERING (Ingenuity) MECHANIC (Ingenuity)
WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
USED
D4 + USED
D6
USED
D8
USED
D6 +
SCAVENGING (Conviction) SCHOLARSHIP (Ingenuity)
WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
D6 + D8
USED USED USED USED
KNACKS
Metal Worker
skill:
All truths, whether spiritual or
secular, are one. another 2 skillS:
ATTRIBUTE:
INTEGRITY
another 2 attributeS:
UPGRADES/
DOWNGRADES FATIGUE ALL FEATS:
Honest. Too honest.
TRACK
D12
D10
PERSONALITY D8
D6
D6 D8 D6 D8 D10 D6
RUN/SPRINT WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
15m/30m
FEAT ROLL
SKILLS
D12
FEAT = D8
NO SKILL = D4
ACTING (Influence) AWARENESS (Ingenuity) Theology (Ingenuity) LEADERSHIP (Conviction)
WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
USED
D4 + USED
D6
USED
D6
USED
D6 +
PERSUASION (Influnce)
WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
D10
USED USED USED USED
KNACKS
2 ATTRIBUTEs:
INTEGRITY
another 2 attributeS:
UPGRADES/
DOWNGRADES FATIGUE
You’ll aid anyone, with a smile.
ALL FEATS:
But only if it doesn’t cost you too
TRACK
much. D12
D10
PERSONALITY D8
D6
D10 D6 D10 D4 D6 D8
RUN/SPRINT WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
15m/30m
FEAT ROLL
SKILLS
D12
FEAT = D8
NO SKILL = D4
ALTHETICS (Endurance) AWARENESS (Ingenuity) CLOSE COMBAT (Agility) RANGED COMBAT (Agility)
WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
D4 + D8 D6 + D8
USED USED USED USED
D6 + D6
USED USED USED USED
KNACKS
ATTRIBUTE:
INTEGRITY
another attribute:
UPGRADES/
DOWNGRADES FATIGUE ALL FEATS:
Filled with loyalty. Often giving it TRACK
to those that do not warrant it.
D12
D10
PERSONALITY D8
D6
D8 D4 D6 D10 D6 D10
RUN/SPRINT WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
10m/20m
FEAT ROLL
SKILLS
D12
FEAT = D8
NO SKILL = D4
AWARENESS (Ingenuity) CLOSE COMBAT (Agility) MEDICINE (Ingenuity) PERSUASION (Influence)
WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
USED
D4 + USED
D8
USED
D8
USED
D6
SCAVENGING (Conviction) SCHOLARSHIP (Ingenuity)
WOUND WOUND WOUND WOUND
D6 + D6 +
USED USED USED USED
KNACKS
Tailer skill:
ATTRIBUTE:
INTEGRITY
another 2 attributeS:
UPGRADES/
DOWNGRADES FATIGUE ALL FEATS:
The city must survive, but not at TRACK
the cost of its people.
D12
D10
PERSONALITY D8
D6