Key Differences from AD&D (1st Edition)

Obligation Instead of Alignment

Alignment is gone. What replaces it is obligation — oaths, relationships, and commitments your character has made and is known to have made.

These are not personality descriptors. They constrain what you can reasonably do and create consequences when you act against them or uphold them under pressure.

A character may carry multiple obligations that conflict with one another. Resolving that conflict is part of play. Breaking an oath is not a simple failure state — it changes relationships, reputation, and in some cases draws the attention of forces that were party to the oath itself.

Character Roles

The familiar class categories are still a useful frame of reference, but they are not fixed definitions. What a character is emerges from what they do, who they serve, and what they become known for.

Martial Roles — "Fighters"

Effectiveness in combat is expected. What also matters is who you fight for, under what terms, and what obligations come with that service.

Covert and Specialist Roles — "Thieves"

These characters are defined by access and positioning rather than a fixed ability list. Stealth, information, timing, and knowing when not to act are as important as what you can do when you do act.

Religious Roles — "Clerics"

Religious characters operate inside a structure — doctrine, hierarchy, community expectation. What they are permitted to do, and when, is often as relevant as what they are capable of doing.

Arcane Roles — "Mages"

Arcane capability is constrained by risk and control, not by spell slots alone. Use is deliberate. The question is usually not whether you can do something, but whether you are willing to accept what doing it costs.

Resolution and Adjudication

Not everything goes to dice. Many outcomes are adjudicated from context — intent, plausibility, and what makes sense given the situation.

There is no universal resolution procedure. The GM evaluates the situation and determines the appropriate response. Dice appear where uncertainty matters, not as a default mechanism. Consistency of judgment matters more than consistency of procedure.

Consequence and Continuity

Outcomes persist. The world changes in response to what characters do, and those changes carry forward into subsequent situations.

There is no structural separation between an encounter and its aftermath. Failures and successes both carry forward. There is no expectation that a situation can be retried under controlled conditions.

Character Development

Advancement is not primarily about unlocking abilities. Characters develop through what they do repeatedly, what they are known for, and what they are bound to.

Underlying mechanics exist, but they are not the main driver of character identity. Reputation, relationships, and demonstrated capability shape a character more visibly than formal progression tracks.

Magic and Capability

Magic is present and sometimes powerful, but its use is not routine. Cost, risk, and limitation apply even to successful workings.

Not all effects are repeatable on demand. Understanding how and when to apply a working matters as much as the ability to do so. Social and cultural responses to magic also constrain its use in practice.

Combat and Conflict

Combat is consequential and often avoided. It is not the default mode of interaction, and its outcomes extend well beyond the immediate exchange.

Violence affects reputation, relationships, and future options. Encounters are not balanced or repeatable by design. Choosing to engage is itself a decision with consequences.

Information and Uncertainty

Players do not have complete information and should not expect to. Discovery, inference, and acting on partial knowledge are central to how the game runs.

The system does not assume that relevant information is available or can be reliably obtained. Players are expected to make decisions under uncertainty and accept the consequences of doing so.