The Dark Woods

History & License

The Dark Woods as a project started around 1994 by the team of developers now known as the Game Arts Guild. (It was the project that spun off the Squawk Role-Playing Game. The original copyright is held by Benjamin Galbraith and Seth Galbraith of the Game Arts Guild.) The Dark Woods is now licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license. This license applies to art, rules, written content, other content, etc.

System

This version of The Dark Woods uses the Scratch Role-Playing System for its core RPG rules.

The Dark Woods is played without a Game Master (GM.) The players divide into two teams of sorcerers, and which ever team is able to take the throne of the Dark Woods first wins. (A creative GM could use The Dark Woods as source material to run RPG adventures, but these rules do not specifically support that style of play.)

Setting

The Dark Woods is a dangerous foreboding place full of monsters and violence. It appears to be an endless forest in a permanent state of twilight, and has many mysterious ancient ruins. The Dark Woods is a nexus that connects many other worlds together. (This entire collection of worlds and universes is called the "Ancient and Deadly" setting, or A&D for short.)

The Dark Woods is rife with mystical power called "essence." The higher up on the food chain a creature is, the more essence it accumulates. Intelligent creatures who intentionally use essence to become more powerful are called "Sorcerers." (Sorcerers from The Dark Woods are sometimes more specifically called "Cannibal Sorcerers" by outsiders.) Sorcerers come in many unique forms, and can even be in the shape of known types of monsters.

The Dark Woods is currently ruled by the powerful six-legged dragon sorcerer Kaizen. Most sorcerers either support the known ruler of The Dark Woods, or are involved in a plot to overthrow that ruler.

Make PCs

Every player has one personally designed character called a "PC" (or "player character.") This PC feeds on the essence of his fallen foes to become more powerful, technically making it a sorcerer. However, these kind of sorcerers can take almost any form. A sorcerer could be a mighty warrior, a dragon, some other dangerous monster, or even something more subtle. Players should use their imagination, and use the Scratch Role-Playing System to make a sorcerer with a maximum ability level of 5 and a maximum total ability level of 13.

Associations

The players are divided into two gangs of sorcerers, "team 1" and "team 2." These two groups are in a race to see who can defeat Kaizen first, and thus become the new rulers of The Dark Woods.

Each team's group of PCs should have an association with a part of the larger social structure in The Dark Woods. Each association has certain effects on the team. Each team can only have one association, and the two teams must have different associations.

Colonists

Your PCs can pass as not-warped-beyond-usual by the essence of The Dark Woods, and the Order of Thanatos does not suspect you of sorcery. The colos are impressed by your apparent piety and mastery of Judeo-Christian or Order of Thanatos scripture, and authorize you to explore and colonize The Dark Woods.

Whenever your PCs encounter Colo Crusaders, you can choose to not fight them (and also then not get to feed on their essence.) You can also fight them as normal.

Necromancers

At least one of your PCs is completely obsessed with mastering the darkest arts, willing to take on any rival power to demonstrate his/her/it's supremacy. The other PCs either share his interests or accommodate him out of fear of what he might do if angered.

Whenever your PCs encounter Hungry Ghouls, you can choose to fight the Hungry Ghouls as normal, or instead have the Hungry Ghouls immediately attack the other team.

Raiders

Your PCs are a well organized group of experienced plunderers. You are here to take The Dark Woods for all it's worth.

Whenever you successfully defeat Naga Bandits, you each get one additional ability point because you are able to shake them down for their local stash of magic items and treasure, before you feed on their essence.

Rangers

Your PCs have studied philosophy and martial arts with the dryads. You have entered a pact with them to rule The Dark Woods with the utmost care for environmentalism and biodiversity.

Whenever your PCs encounter Dryad Druids, instead of fighting them your encounter is automatically successful, as your PCs take this opportunity to practice zen "rooting" meditation, knock-down "branch-sparring," "tangle vine" Tai Chi and other ancient training techniques that help your PCs focus their essence more efficiently.

Scholars

At least one of your PCs has a background in helping Seekers collect specimens.

Whenever your party encounters Seeker Abductors, your party can choose to be transported to any space other than Kaizen's Lair, where you will begin your next turn. However, you may not fight the Seeker Abductors or feed on their essence.

Encounters

When a team takes on enemies, there is always an equal number of enemies to team members. The opposing team's players controls the enemies to see what kind of damage they can do to this team.

If a team defeats all of their enemies in an encounter, then that encounter is successful, and each character on that team gets one ability level to add to any ability they choose. This is because they are able to feed on the essence from their fallen foes, dramatically enhancing their power.

If the team is not successful, but at least one of the team members successfully flee, then their encounter is not successful, but they continue the game as normal on their next turn.

If the team is not successful, and none of the team members escape, then the team moves back to the space they started on their first turn, which is where they begin on their next turn.

Random Encounters

If "random encounter" is called for, roll a 20 sided dice to see which of the following encounters happens (never do the same encounter twice in a row for each team - if the team did the roll encounter the as their last combat-encounter, then roll again):

1-5: Colo Crusaders

6-9: Dryad Druids

10-13: Hungry Ghouls

14-16: Naga Bandits

15-17: Seeker Abductors

18-20: Warg Hunters

Colo Crusaders

The most common intelligent creature in The Dark Woods is the colo. Colos come from a world like Earth's Triassic period. There they thrived as their homeworld's foremost predator, having a strong pack hunting instinct. These bird-like humanoids reproduce faster than humans, but have a naturally shorter life span than humans. Colo cultures tend to be focused on heroic accomplishments, often in the form of collecting impressive hunting trophies.

Colos were intentionally introduced to The Dark Woods by the Order of Thanatos. This ancient order wished to end the practice of sorcery in The Dark Woods. The colos they brought were indoctrinated and trained by the order, so that most of the Colos claim the Order of Thanatos as their religion.

Most of colo society in The Dark Woods is focused on a crusade to hunt and destroy all the sorcerers in The Dark Woods. These colos live in forts filled with many large families. The social structure is miltaristic, with each fort being led by a "captain" and his many "officers." (Many a sorcerer have commented that colos "taste like chicken," but many more have found themselves overwhelmed and executed by colos.)

Heavily armored and well trained Colo Crusaders (1 stalking, 2 fighting, 2 shooting, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense) on a routine patrol notice the PCs, and attack in righteous fury at the PC's obvious acceptance of sorcery.

Dryad Druids

Walking, talking plant-hybrid humanoids have been found in The Dark Woods called Dryads. The Dryads are covered in protective bark, have long noses, have two arms and long torsos, and walk on two legs. The Dryads are fast healers, and consider themselves to be guardians of The Dark Woods. The Dryad culture is the only culture void of taboos against sorcery in The Dark Woods. Dryad sorcerers have been known to take the form of hulking trolls or walking tentacled trees.

Dryad Druids (3 stalking, 3 wrestling, 1 knockout, 5 tgh/2, 13 defense) ambush the PCs after overhearing the PCs environmentally unsound plans for The Dark Woods once they have taken the reigns from Kaizen.

Hungry Ghouls

Ghouls are undead who develop grotesque mutations. They can absorb the aggressive and defensive characteristics of whatever they eat. Unlike the Sorcerers of The Dark Woods, ghouls can absorb abilities and features from creatures that have no magical essence. (See Sorcerer.) It is thought that the Ghouls are from the outbreak that destroyed the home world of the Order of Thanatos, and that the order believes that somehow the Ghouls and the essence of The Dark Woods are related. Creatures killed by ghouls often rise as ghouls themselves if they have not been eaten.

Hungry Ghouls (1 wrestling, 2 fighting, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2) from a fallen world have wandered into The Dark Woods in search of flesh, and attack the PCs in ravenous desperation.

Naga Bandits

Nagas are serpentine creatures with a humanoid head, arms and upper body attached to the lower body and tail of a very large snake. They specialize in paralyzing their opponents with venom. Nagas are descents of human treasure hunters who settled in The Dark Woods, who over generations have been warped by the essence. Nagas scavenge The Dark Woods seeking treasure to horde, and get violently territorial about ruins they think hold valuable secrets.

The PCs are ambushed by naga bandits (3 knockout, 2 stalking, 1 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense) interested in any artifacts the PCs may have found in their travels.

Seeker Abductors

The seekers come from a swampy world of giant insects with an atmosphere stiflingly rich in oxygen. Seekers walk on two legs, have wickedly sharp tails, are mostly covered in exoskeletal armor, and have elongated heads, 3 eyes and four arms. Seeker technology avoids volatile chemistry and fire, and specializes in medicine, biochemistry, and preserving knowledge.

Seekers hatch from egg clutches numbering in the hundreds, and seekers are under pressure to make a name for themselves as individuals. Seeker culture is highly intellectual, and Seekers are constantly exploring to find new knowledge to bring home to their hive. Seekers are constantly taking samples and notes, making observations from afar, and conducting impromptu interviews when appropriate for their studies. Sorcerers tendency towards developing unique anatomy is of particular interest to seeker abductors. Seekers have been known to take temporary captives simply to observe their behavior, to murder and preserve intelligent specimens with no warning, or to join causes simply for the opportunity to study a group from the inside.

Seekers do not have significant permanent settlements in The Dark Woods, but frequently study The Dark Woods in depth, and use The Dark Woods to access the numerous worlds The Dark Woods is connected to.

Well armed Seeker Abductors (3 fighting, 1 stalking, 4 toughness, 2tgh/2, 12 defense) have not seen all of your PC's specific anatomy before, and wish to collect you as samples to be studied on their home world.

Warg Hunters

One common way for humanoids to adapt to the hostile environment of The Dark Woods is to become more wolf like. Most of these "wargs" are usually hard to kill, have enhanced natural senses, have sharp fangs and claws and enhanced strength.

Warg Hunters (2 stalking, 2 quickness, 2 fighting, 1 shooting, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, and 12 defense) are out looking for food, and your PCs are the least threatening prey they have seen all day.

Kaizen

Dragons come in many shapes and sizes. In The Dark Woods, many dragons are sorcerers who have twisted their bodies into the form of a dragon to maximize their power. Kaizen was born a strider, and evolved himself into his current six-legged dragon form through practicing sorcery for many years.

Kaizen (6 stealth, 4 wrestling, 3 shooting, 2 knockout, 9 toughness, 4 tgh/2, 16 defense) is accompanied by guardian-pet Warg Hunters. He is large, armored, fast, extremely clever, and has a fiery breath weapon.

Team vs. Team

If the two teams ever go on the same space, and either team wishes to fight, then the teams will directly engage each other in combat. All of normal rules apply to this combat as with other encounters.

If one team is smaller than the other, than the larger team must choose which of it's PCs will fight the smaller team, and they should choose the same number of PCs that the smaller team has.

Map

Each time this game is played, and after the PCs have been divided into two teams, one player should roll a 20 sided dice to see if all the PCs on his team will be team 1 or team 2. If he rolls above a 10, then his team is team 1, and otherwise his team is team 2. The same player should then roll a 20 sided dice again. If he rolls above a 10, then his team goes first. Otherwise, the other team goes first.

A team can each move one space on their turn. The new space will have instructions on how to determine what happens when the team moves to that place. Do not repeat these instructions unless your party moves off that space and then back onto it. Kaizen's Lair in the middle of the map can only be moved to from the Eastern Crags space.

North West Glade: Team 1 Start Random Encounter	Northern Fortress: 1-12: Colo Crusaders attack from fort. 13-20: Nothing; colos hunted all enemies to extinction in this area.	North East Caverns: 1-12: Each team member must make an acrobatics check against 10. Each character who fails starts the next turn injured. 13-20 Random Encounter
Western Ruins: 1-12 Naga bandits attack your party to protect their territory. 13-20 Random Encounter	Kaizen's Lair: Fight Kaizen and his Warg Hunter pets.	Eastern Crags: Entrance to Kaizen's Lair 1-12: Seeker Abductors looking for Kaizen see your party as the most interesting specimine wandering in the Crags. 13-20: Random Encounter
South West Swamp: Team 2 Start Random Encounter	Southern Lake: 1-7: Each character without flight must make a swimming check against 8, or whole party is stuck on this space next turn. 13-20: Random Encounter	South East Hills: 1-6: Dryad Druids attack your party for being an invasive species to this region. 7-20: Random Encounter

Changing the game

There are a number of ways you can change The Dark Woods once you have already played it, to make it more interesting. You can add or remove spaces on the board, altering it's shape and the flow of the game. You can add new encounters or take away old ones. You can add new creatures or remove old ones.

Kaizen is the obvious thing that can most easily be changed about The Dark Woods. One idea that has come up repeatedly is to have Kaizen replaced with whatever team dispatches him, and then to have the players of those characters make up a new team. (This would also be a good time to change up which players are on which team, so that the older more-powerful characters are not all on the same team together.)