ANVIL

v0.9 - trimming fat

One hundred years after the craters were first discovered, evil things began to crawl out from the deep depths and with them they corrupted the natural arcana of the world. Dwarves, being born of the depths found themselves uniquely resilient to these magical effects, thus ANVIL was created. A covert strike force of the most elite and explosive dwarves, assembled to carry out the most dangerous missions for the Queen of Glimmerhold. You are one such strike force, these are your missions. Get in, drop 'em like stones and get out.

The Game of Anvil

ANVIL is a fantasy roleplaying game where you will become an elite dwarven taskforce, dropping in to hotzones to accomplish missions for the Queen. Within each mission you'll have to succesfully accomplish objectives while managing how covert your squad acts.

There is no wrong way to move through a mission–whether you are skulking through each room expertly dispatching foes without being seen or blasting your way through walls and sending deepbeasts back into the abyss what matters is accomplishing the objective. Sure, the Queen's Hand might not be happy with you lighting off a pile of powder kegs but that's a problem for later.

Upon succesful return from a mission the job isn't over. You'll navigate the complicated web of agendas throughout the realm to decide who to deal with and when, but not before crushing a pint of the finest ale with your squad, trauma bonding isn't the only way to build relationships.

ANVIL is about managing your impact, execution and the GM–and the world's ability to respond to your actions. Every dwarf has a plan until their fuse is cut short. Use any method you can to drop 'em like stones.

The Core Loop - How to Play
Throwing Stones - How to Roll Dice
Aftermath & Beats
Combat, Damage & Staying Alive
Alternatives To Combat - Social Interaction
Moving Through Environments
Creating a Dwarf Operative
Gear & Stash
Running Missions
Factions & Campaigns
Downtime & The Overhold
GM Toolkit

The Core Loop - How to Play

This is a condensed reference for how a full campaign session flows. Use it as a checklist during play. Full rules for every step are in their respective sections.

PHASE 1 - PREP (Before the Session)

At the Overhold. Each dwarf takes up to 2 Overhold Actions. Actions cost Embers from the squad's shared bank. No dwarf may take the same action twice in one downtime.

Slag Off     1 Ember   Decompress. Prevent or redirect a Scar.
Train        2 Ember   Level one skill.
Forge        3 Ember   Upgrade Runeaxe or Explosives Kit.
Scout        1-3 Ember Reveal pieces of mission intel.
Pull Strings 3 Ember   Shift faction relations or Rep by 1 mark.
Interrogate  1 Ember   Extract intel from a prisoner or artifact.
Reinforce    2 Ember   Add a single-use mission asset.
Bond         1 Ember   Advance a Bond with one squadmate.
Memorialize  -         Honor the dead. Grants +1 Rep.

Mission briefing. The Hand assigns the mission, players receive Briefing Intel: rough layout, primary and secondary objectives, Ember payouts, known faction presence, and drop points. Scout intel fills in additional keyed rooms if the action was taken.

Loadout. Players fill their 4 item slots from the prep stash. All operatives begin with a Runeaxe (CMP d6) and Explosives Kit (TNT d6). Stash access depends on Squad Reputation. Gear costs Embers at purchase.

PHASE 2 - DROP IN

Insertion. The squad chooses their drop point. Entrances are defined in the mission sheet with characteristics: guarded, trapped, structural, gear-gated. They arrive by Strigwraith or on foot.

GM sets the table. GM starts their Aftermath pool at the number of players. Heat starts at 0. Beat count starts at 0. Hammers are prepped and ready.

PHASE 3 - THE MISSION

Player turns. Each dwarf moves and takes an action. When the outcome is in question, throw stones.

Roll CMP and TNT. Assign one die as FUSE, one as BLAST.

FUSE - execution, speed, precision.

1–2: clean, efficient, fast
3–4: standard, stable
5–6: messy, slow, complicated
Lower is better. Used against NPC Posture in social rolls.

BLAST - impact, noise, force.

1–3: subtle, controlled
4–6: loud, disruptive; raises Heat by 1
Checked against Temper to hit. Marked against NPC Trust on 4-6.

Explosive actions (gear marked [E]): FUSE is detonation time. BLAST is how many Explosion dice to roll. Heat rises by the full value of the BLAST die, not just 1.

Smother: Both assigned dice show 1 on a standard action - reduce Heat by 3.

Stack Up: Multiple dwarves acting together. Pool all rolled dice, assign one FUSE and one BLAST from the pool. If two or more 6s appear in the full pool, raise Heat by 1 plus 1 per participating dwarf. Stack Ups cannot trigger Smother unless a rule says otherwise.

After all players act mark 1 Beat.

Every 3 Beats: GM gains 2 Aftermath dice.

GM Aftermath. At any point after a player turn the GM may spend Aftermath to throw stones for enemies, traps or the environment. Minimum 2 dice per throw. Assign one to FUSE and one to BLAST as normal. GM FUSE is effectiveness. GM BLAST is checked against player Temper and raises Heat on 4+.

Free moves cost nothing: a patrol turns, a door closes, an NPC gets suspicious. The moment something threatens a player it costs Aftermath.

Hit resolution. When BLAST is checked against Temper:

BLAST > Temper   Clean hit. Destroys item or fills all 3 marks.
BLAST = Temper   Maim. Fills 1 mark.
BLAST < Temper   Botch. No effect.

Hits land on gear first or skills, then GRIT. Players may choose what absorbs. The fiction should support it.

When a dwarf has no gear or skills left, d4 for both CMP and TNT.

GRIT is last. 3 GRIT per dwarf. Maim marks 1. Clean hit to GRIT marks all 3 and the dwarf is going down. They take one last action before they go.

Heat thresholds.

Cold        0–5    No Hammer
Warm        6–10   No Hammer
Hot         11–15  Hammer if prepped
White Hot   16–19  Hammer if prepped
Shatterpoint 20+  Hammer always. Heat cannot be reduced.

Hammers change mission conditions. They are never just more enemies–they close routes, flip room states, escalate faction behavior, wake something below.

Objectives met? Extract. Extraction is improvised. There is no guaranteed safe exit, but there is always a way out. Hammers may seal options. Shatterpoint is a race.

PHASE 4 - EXTRACT AND DOWNTIME

Debrief. GM and players review the mission together.

Did Heat hit any Hammer thresholds?
Primary objective complete?
Secondary objectives complete?
Was ANVIL exposed? Were civilians or factions involved?
What rumors spread?

Ember payout is distributed per completed objective. Squad Reputation shifts based on extraction Heat.

Cold extraction       −2 Rep marks
Warm extraction       −1 Rep mark
Hot extraction         no change
White Hot extraction   +1 Rep mark
Shatterpoint           +2 Rep marks

Recovery. All GRIT restored. Surviving dwarves roll for Scars. Funerals are held. Retirements are named.

Overhold Actions. Back to Phase 1.

Throwing Stones - How to Roll Dice

Composure & Explosives

Every dwarf has two dice: Composure (CMP) and Explosives (TNT). The base die for both is a d3. All ANVIL operatives are assigned a Runeaxe and an Explosives Kit that raises each die to d6.

Rolling for the results of an action is called throwing stones. When you throw stones you roll both dice and assign one as FUSE and one as BLAST.

FUSE vs. BLAST - what does each die do?

As a rule: FUSE is about how. BLAST is about what.

Assign FUSE to the die that should reflect your control, speed, and precision. Assign BLAST to the die that reflects your impact, noise, and force. A dwarf can want low FUSE and low BLAST–silent and precise, or low FUSE and high BLAST–fast and destructive. High FUSE is almost never what you want: it means the action was slow, messy, or complicated.

You want to...                      Assigned die logic...
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Move quietly                       FUSE (lower = you get further)
Hit hard through armour            BLAST (higher = more force)
Execute cleanly in combat          FUSE (lower = clean and swift)
Make noise as a distraction        BLAST (higher = louder)
Charm or de-escalate an NPC        FUSE (lower beats Posture)
Set a charge with a long delay     FUSE (higher = more time)
Blow something up right now        FUSE (lower = immediate)
Cause maximum damage               BLAST (higher = more dice)
Keep Heat down                     BLAST (lower = no Heat raise)

There is no "correct" assignment. Every roll is a trade-off between how cleanly something happens and how much chaos it creates. That tension is ANVIL's core.

Standard Actions

Standard actions are for any action that is uncertain and is not using an Explosive [E].

Roll	Assign	Effect
CMP + TNT	One die = FUSE	Execution quality. Lower is cleaner.
	One die = BLAST	Impact. 4–6 raises Heat +1. Checked vs Temper.
Both 1s	-	Smother. Heat −3.

Explosive Actions

Using gear marked [E] is an Explosive action. Throw stones as normal, then roll Explosion Dice based on the BLAST die value.

Roll	Assign	Effect
CMP + TNT	FUSE	Beats until detonation.
	BLAST	Number of Explosion Dice to roll.
Heat	-	Rises by full BLAST die value (not just +1).
Explosion Dice	-	4+ = hit. 6 = explode again. All dice become GM Aftermath.

Heat

Every mission has a Heat gauge. Heat rises when players assign a BLAST die of 4, 5, or 6 or by using Explosives [E]. When Heat hits certain thresholds, the Hammer drops.

Heat	Stage
0-5	Cold
6-10	Warm
11-15	Hot
16-19	White Hot
20+	Shatterpoint

Each mission has specific Hammer events triggered by reaching Heat stages. Hammers warp mission conditions, the squad will need to improvise.

Shatterpoint

At 20+ Heat missions reach Shatterpoint. The mission will begin collapsing around the squad. Every exit is watched, every door barred, something big wakes. Some missions have Hammers at Hot and White Hot but every mission has a climactic Shatterpoint Hammer.

Missions at Shatterpoint cannot have their Heat reduced.

Temper

There is no health or armour in ANVIL, only Temper. This represents an object or a folk's ability to resist impact.

Reading Temper

The value: BLAST threshold. BLAST must equal or beat this to affect the target.
- No value means it cannot be handled by standard actions.
The brackets: Explosive threshold. The number of [+] symbols is how many Explosion Dice hits destroy it.
- No brackets means one successful hit destroys it.
- An Explosive hit is treated as a clean hit.

When a BLAST die is applied against a Temper value:

BLAST above Temper: Clean hit. Fills all marks on target.
BLAST equals Temper: Maim. Fill 1 mark on target.
BLAST below Temper: Botch. Miss, glance, no effect.

Examples:

T2 BLAST 2+ to handle, one Explosive hit destroys
T2[++] BLAST 2+ to handle, two Explosive hits destroy
T[++] cannot be handled by standard actions, two Explosive hits destroy
T4[++] BLAST 4+ to handle, two Explosive hits destroy

Smother

If a dwarf performs a standard action and assigns two 1s, reduce the Heat gauge by 3.

Stack Up

A squad may combine their turns to act together for a standard action.

Each player rolls stones.
All results are pooled.
Assign FUSE and BLAST as normal.

If two or more 6s appear anywhere across the full pool:

Heat gauge: +1 plus 1 for each dwarf who rolled stones.

Stack Up cannot trigger Smother.

Aftermath & Beats

Aftermath Pools

Aftermath dice are a pool of d6 used by the GM to react and let the world put pressure on the players.

The GM must spend a minimum of 2 aftermath dice to throw stones. Spent dice are removed. If a pool has fewer than 2 dice, a GM cannot throw stones.

All Aftermath dice (including Squad) are reset between missions.

Generating Aftermath

Mission start: Gain Aftermath dice equal to number of players.
Every 3 Beats: Gain 2 Aftermath dice.
Any assigned 6s: Gain 1 Aftermath if a throw stones contains 6s.
Explosion Dice: Gain Aftermath dice equal to any Explosion Dice.

Spending Aftermath

Aftermath dice are used to:

throw stones for enemies
trigger traps
cause environmental effects
anything that actively pushes back against the squad

Free Moves

The GM can make a free move at any time without needing Aftermath.

Free moves are effectively foreshadowing the world around the squad.

Free moves never directly threaten or act against players.
They are passive actions happening within the mission.
Something costs Aftermath when it its actively acting against the squad.

Free Move Examples

A patrol completes its route and begins again.

A light goes out or comes on.

A door closes or locks.

An enemy becomes suspicious but takes no action.

The environment shifts: water rising, fire spreads, rubble settles.

An NPC makes a decision that does not affect players yet.

Squad Aftermath

Some skills and situations may grant Squad Aftermath dice. These are kept separate from the GM's pool.

Any dwarf may take 1 Squad Aftermath die before rolling to add it to their throw stones dice pool. Assign FUSE and BLAST as normal, discard the unused die.

Time and Beats

Time within the world is not specifically tracked in ANVIL. The Heat gauge and Agendas pace this for us.

A GM needs only pay attention to player turns:

Moving and taking an action is a player turn.
Mark 1 Beat after all players have had a turn.
Gain 2 Aftermath dice every 3 Beats.

A player doesn't always have to take an action for a Beat to happen as the game flows along naturally. Sometimes you need to ask a player "what are you doing while this happens?" to nudge them along.

Combat, Damage & Staying Alive

Combat is not a separate phase. There is no initiative, no combat round and no turn order. Players act freely and describe what they're doing and a GM can react with Aftermath dice as normal.

When something attacks they describe their action and throw stones. Low FUSE is a quick clean execution, high FUSE turns into a brawl.

Simultaneous Attacks

If two entities wish to attack at the same time, the lower FUSE hits first.

Temper in Combat

Every dwarf has a base Temper of T3. Skills and items can modify this.

Enemy Temper

Enemies are defined by their Temper and what they carry.

Temper Examples

Guard in leather: T2

Guard in chainmail: T3

Guard in blast resistant platemail: T4[++]

Hulking deepbeast: T5[+++]

Mitigating Damage

Clean hits and maims can be mitigated by gear, skills and GRIT.

The fiction must support the mitigation.
Players should describe why the gear or skill is taking the hit.
When no gear or skills can be marked, the damage fills GRIT.
Enemy gear and skills absorb hits just like players.
Enemy gear has 3 marks unless noted otherwise.

Reminder:

BLAST above Temper: Clean hit. Fills all marks on target.

BLAST equals Temper: Maim. Fill 1 mark on target.

BLAST below Temper: Botch. Miss, glance, no effect.

An Explosive hit is treated as a clean hit.

Gear & Skills

All gear and skills have 3 marks.

When gear marks are full it is unavailable for the rest of the mission.
A dwarf with no gear rolls d3 for both CMP and TNT.
A skill with filled marks can still be used until all marks are filled.
Filled marks on skills do not clear unless Slag Off downtime action is taken.
A skilless dwarf is still capable, they've just lost their edge.

Enemies and traps can target skills or gear directly. Disorienting gas does not damage armour, a veteran interrogator attacks your mind, not your gear. A smart guard may attempt to ignite your satchel charges.

GRIT

GRIT is a dwarf's final resolve.

Every dwarf starts with 3 GRIT.
Clean hit to GRIT: marks all GRIT.
Maim to GRIT: marks 1 GRIT.

Death

When a dwarf marks their final GRIT they are going down.

They may take one last action.
It must be plausible given their position and condition.
They may choose to reroll their roll stones.

Then they are gone.

Posture & Trust

Every NPC has a Posture on a scale of 1 to 6, if unsure of a specific NPCs posture, roll a d6.

Posture	State
6	Hostile: will attack or raise alarm immediately
5	Suspicious: not buying it, make one wrong move
4	Wary: cautious, watching
3	Neutral: not their problem yet
2	Friendly: willing to help or look the other way
1	Allied: may actively cover for the squad

Trust: [ ]-[ ]-[ ]

Every NPC also has 3 Trust marks. When all Trust marks are filled it is destroyed and the NPC turns Hostile.

When a dwarf interacts with an NPC throw stones.

FUSE under Posture: Posture down 1.
FUSE equal Posture: No change.
BLAST 4-6: mark Trust.
NPC Posture and Trust does not reset between missions.
Squads can reset Posture and Trust through using disguises or Overhold Actions.

Moving Through Environments

Environtment Tags

Apply these tags to rooms for quick reference.

Tag	Description	Effect
[DARK]	Dim or no light.	Add +2 to FUSE results.
[SCALD]	hot in here	wip
[FLOOD]	wet in here	wip
[FOG]	foggy in here	wip
[BRIGHT]	bright in here	wip
[TOXIC]	poison in here	wip
[UNSTABLE]	Structures are weak.	On Explosive BLAST 6 roll d6: 4-6 one room exit becomes blocked.
[VERT]	vertical area	wip
[FORT]	fortified	wip
[DEEPTOUCH]	weird	wip
[SECRET]	hidden	wip

Encumbrance

When carrying something the size of a dwarf or larger:

roll an extra d6 when throwing stones
discard the lowest die before assigning FUSE and BLAST

When two dwarves carry the penalty applies to both.

both roll stones with an extra d6
both discard the lowest die
then pool the dice together and assign

If a dwarf is carrying multiple large things:

roll an extra d6 for each item
discard a number of lowest dice equal to how many items carried
assign as normal

Creating a Dwarf Operative

Roll on each table and mark the results on your Opertive Sheet.

Ultimately a player may choose the result themselves but generally more interesting characters will come from letting the dice decide your dwarf.

Your dwarf will end up with:

A given and surname.
A physique.
Traits and a thing you hold onto.
A Runeaxe and Explosives Kit.
Three skills.
Four gear slots to fill from stash.

Name

Roll d66 for a given name and d66 for a surname.

Given Names

d66	Name	d66	Name
11	Aldric	41	Maren
12	Bryndis	42	Osric
13	Corra	43	Petra
14	Dunvik	44	Ragni
15	Edda	45	Sable
16	Fenrik	46	Torben
21	Garda	51	Ulla
22	Halvard	52	Veska
23	Ingrid	53	Wulfar
24	Jorvik	54	Xanthe
25	Keld	55	Ysolde
26	Lorra	56	Zarvik
31	Maddoc	61	Brek
32	Norda	62	Dagna
33	Orvyn	63	Elka
34	Pella	64	Grimur
35	Queld	65	Hesta
36	Runa	66	Ivar

Surnames

d66	Name	d66	Name
11	Ashmantle	41	Ironmark
12	Boulderborn	42	Kettleforge
13	Cinderhelm	43	Longseam
14	Deepcut	44	Moltenfist
15	Dustmantle	45	Nailbiter
16	Embervein	46	Orebrow
21	Faultline	51	Pickfast
22	Greymantle	52	Quarryman
23	Hammerfall	53	Rockwarden
24	Hardseam	54	Splitstone
25	Heatmark	55	Steelbraid
26	Holdfast	56	Thundercut
31	Ironbrow	61	Undermark
32	Ashvein	62	Vaultborn
33	Blackseam	63	Warpick
34	Coalmark	64	Stonewarden
35	Deepmantle	65	Ashborn
36	Forgeback	66	Craghelm

Physique

Roll d6 once on each table.

Build

d6	Build
1	Compact. Low centre of gravity, built like a clenched fist.
2	Broad. Shoulders like a doorframe, takes up the whole tunnel.
3	Wiry. Slender and sharp, stronger than you look.
4	Heavy. Dense, things that hit you seem surprised.
5	Lean. Tall for a dwarf, agile and quick.
6	Irregular. A slight lean, a crooked gait.

Face

d6	Face
1	Flat and broad, nose broken at least twice, eyes set deep.
2	Sharp features, prominent brow, jaw like a shovel.
3	Round and weathered, crow's feet from squinting at the forge fires.
4	Asymmetrical. One ear lower, one eye that droops.
5	Gaunt. Sharp cheekbones, sunken eyes.
6	Soft featured. Rosy cheeks and big eyes.

Beard

d6	Beard
1	None. Clean shaven by choice or by circumstance.
2	Short and dense, oiled flat, practical.
3	Full and long, braided once, coming loose.
4	Patchy. Either hereditary or from explosive mishaps.
5	Elaborate. Rings, beads, ribbons all woven in.
6	Burned or cut short on one side.

Traits

Roll d66 twice. The first result is how you operate. The second is what you carry.

How you operate

d66	Trait
11	You move first, think second.
12	You count all the exits when you enter a room.
13	Quiet, but not timid, you prefer not to speak.
14	You have a nervous laugh and youre usually nervous.
15	You're a bookworm, always taking notes in a small journal.
16	You refuse to leave anyone behind.
21	You need to always have plan, and a plan for that plan.
22	You prefer to operate alone, but function well in the squad, just awkward.
23	You make friends with everyone and remember every detail.
24	Outside of work you don't talk about work. Including at the Overhold.
25	You love to push people's buttons.
26	You're methodical, you check everything twice.
31	You don't act without full knowledge of the situation.
32	You always step up when no one else will.
33	You keep a running count of everything, kills, exits, seconds.
34	Your only plan is improvise.
35	You ask questions about everything around you.
36	You'll hold a grudge indefinitely.
41	You name your equipment and mourn it's loss.
42	You're so calm under pressure it's unsettling.
43	You're extremely competitive. Friends, enemies, doesn't matter.
44	You collect something.
45	You apologize quietly for every move you take.
46	You don't complain and you don't acknowledge you're in pain.
51	You trust a plan one hundred percent.
52	You love sharing your theories about everything.
53	You try to have a squad meal before every mission.
54	You dress your best for missions. Have to meet death looking good.
55	You keep a book of names.
56	You consider retreat a tactical success.
61	You have a tick when you're under pressure.
62	You will always protect new recruits.
63	You prefer to sleep under the stars.
64	You're always trying to find problems to fix.
65	You're extremely light hearted and joke about everything.
66	You have no comedic bone in your body, you're very serious.

What you carry

d66	Detail
11	A stone from the crag where you were born.
12	Someone else's Op number, scratched into your kit.
13	A letter you have not sent.
14	A flask you keep topped up and won't share.
15	Three custom coins.
16	A small tool that belonged to a lost friend.
21	A bad habit.
22	A scar from your job before ANVIL.
23	A contact in Glimmerhold.
24	An old injury that aches when rain is on it's way.
25	A promise to someone you had to leave behind.
26	Something you took from your first mission.
31	A reputation in a specific part of Glimmerhold you'd prefer stayed secret.
32	A skill that has nothing to do with this job.
33	The name of someone in a hostile faction who you worked with.
34	A ritual you perform before every mission.
35	Debt, a large amount.
36	A commendation you never filed.
41	A piece of deepbeast you held onto that no one knows about.
42	An alias that still has a reputation attached to it.
43	A specific longstanding hatred of something.
44	Knowledge of something the Overhold does not know about.
45	A standing arrangement with someone outside ANVIL.
46	A mission you were not supposed to survive.
51	Something you stole from the Overhold. Small but meaningful.
52	A map of somewhere you wish to go.
53	Loyalty to someone not a part of ANVIL.
54	A vice you barely manage.
55	Unanswered questions about the craters, you think ANVIL knows.
56	A wound that didn't fully heal.
61	The last thing someone said to you before you left home.
62	A regret about your family.
63	A reason you joined ANVIL that no longer applies.
64	Something you built before the job. You wonder if it's still there.

Skills

Skills represent what a dwarf has trained in and what they're good at.

Each skill has:

a name
a creed
one mechanical permission
three marks

Skill Advancement

During downtime, a dwarf may spend Embers to level skills.

For full details, view the Overhold Actions.

Roll 3 skills from the d66 table, or choose 2.

COLD OPS (11-16) stealth, heat control, smother

d66	Name	Creed	Permission
11	Skulk	I disappear between heartbeats.	May reroll 1 CMP die while obscured, hiding or out of sight.
12	Ashcloak	I leave no trace, make no sound.	Smother triggers on 1-1 or 1 and 2.
13	Shadow Axe	I know every blind spot before entering a room.	Once per mission, a BLAST of 4+ does not raise any Heat.
14	Dead Quiet	I lock in exactly when it counts.	Once per mission, treat your FUSE result as a 1.
15	Ghost Pact	I am unseen, unheard, undeniable.	Once per mission, the GM must spend 2 additional aftermath dice to act against this dwarf.
16	Cold Read	I have internalized the mission brief.	Once per mission, gain 1 piece of intel about the mission from the GM.

BREACHERS (21-26) explosives, heat weaponization, destruction

d66	Name	Creed	Permission
21	Smoke Eater	I thrive when the air is black.	Once per mission, ignore one Heat rise entirely.
22	Controlled Burn	I contain fire and use it.	Gain 1 Squad Aftermath die when assigning BLAST 6.
23	Fuse Cutter	I have steady hands and steady blasts.	Once per mission, treat assigned FUSE as a 2.
24	Overpacked	I bring extra explosives, for fun.	On Explosive actions, may reroll TNT die, must keep new result.
25	Demolition Expert	I know every wall's weak points.	Explosive actions against structures ignore one [+].
26	Pressure Cook	I believe chaos is the best ingredient.	When a Hammer drops, gain 4 Squad Aftermath dice.

ANCHORS (31-36) Temper, survival, absorption

d66	Name	Creed	Permission
31	Ironbuilt	I am built like the mountain.	Gain 1 additional GRIT.
32	Stoneback	I am immovable when stuck in.	When this dwarf takes no movement on their turn, Temper increases by 2.
33	Blastcoat	I am prepared for the worst.	This dwarf's gear is maimed once per mission on a clean hit.
34	Rune Bracing	I am always ready for impact.	Once per mission, redirect a hit targeting an adjacent dwarf to this dwarf instead.
35	Last Wall	I am first in, last out.	When on final GRIT, Temper increases by 2.
36	Deep Plate	I am built for the collapse.	Temper 5 against environmental damage: cave-ins, floods, fire, etc.

HANDLERS (41-46) aftermath, social, intel

d66	Name	Creed	Permission
41	Counterintel	I know how the enemy thinks.	Once per mission, remove 3 dice from the GM's Aftermath pool.
42	Tunnel Sense	I hear things coming.	Once per mission, after the GM declares an Aftermath move, the squad may act before it resolves.
43	Loud and Proud	My confidence is contagious.	Only marks down an NPC's Trust on a BLAST of 6.
44	Interrogator	I get what I need one way or another.	May intentionally mark Trust to extract one piece of intel from an NPC.
45	Iron Nerves	I never flinch, I never react.	Ignore the first Aftermath action targeting this dwarf each mission.
46	Black Lung Humor	I laugh through the pain.	Once per mission, move NPC Posture down 1 after a failed interaction.

FORGELORDS (51-56) gear, prep, logistics

d66	Name	Creed	Permission
51	Pack Rat	I carry more than anyone thinks possible.	Gain 2 additional item slots.
52	Salvager	I keep my gear intact.	After extraction, recover any one destroyed item from the mission.
53	Quickpatch	I fix things fast, instead of not at all.	Clear 1 mark from any damaged gear once per mission.
54	Sacrificial Rigging	I know what's worth burning.	Destroy a piece of gear to reduce Heat by 3.
55	Steady Mule	I always keep my legs moving.	The encumbrance penalty does not apply to this dwarf.
56	Requisitioner	I know how to pull strings at the Overhold.	Once per downtime, reduce the cost of a stash item by 1 Ember.

FLAMETOUCHED (11-16) Shatterpoint survival, Hammer interaction, escalation

d66	Name	Creed	Permission
61	Anvilborn	I was forged in the worst of it.	Immediately after a Hammer drops, your CMP die becomes d4 until the mission ends.
62	Temper Gauge	I feel the mission tipping before it does.	Once per mission, GM must reveal the next Hammer effect before it triggers.
63	Coal Walker	I operate best when everything's on fire.	While Heat is White Hot or higher, FUSE results of 5-6 count as 4.
64	Cragrunner	I was built to find exits.	During Shatterpoint, this dwarf knows a guaranteed escape route if not incapacitated.
65	Furnace Crew	I can buy the squad one more breath.	The first Hammer drop each mission is delayed by 3 Heat.
66	White Irons	I have been here before and walked out.	Once per mission, treat a clean hit to GRIT as a maim instead.

Bonds

Dwarves build Bonds through surviving missions together and spending time together at Overhold.

Track separately for each squad mate on your Op Sheet.
Each Bond level requires 2 marks to advance.
At campaign start, write down your squad and start each Bond with 1 mark filled.
When a new dwarf joins the squad, they start at Bond 0.
Bond levels are tracked identically on both dwarves' sheets.
If one sheet says level 3 and the other says level 2, apply lower level until both are updated.

Advancing Bonds

BOND downtime action. If the Bond does not exist yet, this establishes it at the first mark of level 1.
Surviving a mission at White Hot or Shatterpoint. Fill one mark on all active Bonds.

Bond Tracking - remove from rules once added to op sheet

BONDS
[name] oo | oo | oo | oo | oo
[name] oo | oo | oo | oo | oo
[name] oo | oo | oo | oo | oo
[name] oo | oo | oo | oo | oo
[name] oo | oo | oo | oo | oo

Bond Levels

Bond	Effect
1	Bonded. Your relationship exists. May Stack Up together.
2	Only 1 Encumbrance penalty when working together.
3	Aftermath generated by Stack Up actions is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.
4	Once per mission, when a bonded dwarf is targeted by a hit, you may become the target instead.
5	Stack Up actions between this pair may trigger Smother.

Gear & Stash

Dwarves will use a multitude of gear throughout their career with ANVIL. They are assigned a Runeaxe and an Explosives Kit when they become operatives.

Item Tags

All gear has tags associated with it.

Tag	Meaning
[~]	Consumable: fill a mark each time it is used
[E]	Explosive: if struck by outside force roll d6 then that many Explosive dice
[V]	Volatile: functions as an Explosive die when detonated
[Q]	Quiet: never raises Heat
[B]	Bulk: costs 2 item slots
[F]	Fragile: destroyed when any mark filled

Runeaxe and Explosives Kit

These items aren't just weapons, they're tools and the foundation of any ANVIL operatives loadout. They have a high Ember cost to replace, take care of them.

Runeaxe:

Your main weapon and tool.
Raises your base CMP die to d6.

Explosives Kit:

The only explosive gear that is not [~].
Raises your base TNT die to d6.
Additional and different explosives can be taken from the stash.

Both the Runeaxe and the Explosives Kit can be upgraded and modified with the Forge downtime action.

Overhold Stash

The Overhold maintains a stash of operational equipment available between missions.

The GM maintains the stash list. It grows and shrinks with the campaign. Higher Rep tiers unlock deeper stash access. Oddities are never guaranteed and always at GM discretion.

Players may also use the Forge downtime action to work with the GM to create custom gear.

Contents depend on Squad Reputation and Ember investment during downtime.
The stash is not a shop, dwarves do not browse it.
ANVIL decides what is available and they requisition what they need.

Running Missions

Missions are one shot dungeons that generally take one session to complete.

The squad is assigned an objective by the Hand.
They're given what intel exists.
They drop in.
They complete objectives.
They extract.

Every mission has a map and a sheet.

The sheet handles the macro structure.
The map handles the room level detail.

Succesful objectives and completed missions earn the squad Embers, which are used to take downtime actions and purchase stash gear.

Intel Tiers

The squad is given partial intel. They can use the Scout downtime action to learn more.

Briefing Intel:

Provided by the Hand at mission assignment.
Official, possibly outdated, and occasionally wrong.
Gives:
- Rough map layout
- Primary objective
- Kn own faction presence
- Recommended drop points

Scout Intel:

Firsthand reconnaissance gathered during downtime via the Scout action.
Is always reliable.
Can fill in:
- Patrol routes
- Enemy Temper values
- Entrance details
- Secondary objective locations

The squad's pre-mission map is a partial key.

Rooms they have intel on are filled in.
Everything else is dark until they move through it.
Players can see their entry point and any directly adjacent rooms.
Scout intel is represented as additional keyed rooms.

Drop Points and Extraction

The squad chooses their drop point from available entrances during Prep.

Entrances are defined on the mission sheet with characteristics:

Guarded entrances have patrols stationed
Structural entrances require breaching
Unique entrances require specific gear or skills to use
Some entrances are a mix of all three

The squad can drop in via Strigwraiths, giant owls with silent flight, or they can move in on foot. The choice is theirs.

Extraction is improvised, the squad knows the exits but gets out however they can.

A Hammer may close options, seal routes, or change what extraction looks like entirely, there is no guaranteed exit but there is always the ability to get out.

The Mission Sheet

The GM should fill in the mission sheet during prep. Room level detail lives on the keyed map.

Mission Name and Type

Name the mission and assign it an objective type from the d8 table.

Objectives

Every mission has one primary objective and up to three secondary objectives. Ember payout is assigned per objective and revealed during briefing.

Ember Payout

Ember Payout Guidance

Missions should pay out enough for each dwarf to take 2 Overhold Actions and get 2-3 gear per downtime without clearing every objective. The target is 5-7~ Embers per dwarf per downtime.

Use these benchmarks when setting payouts:

Primary objective: 3 Embers per dwarf.
- Completing only primary should be able to cover basic downtime needs.
Each secondary objective: 2 Embers per dwarf.
- Two secondaries plus primary puts the squad in a comfortable position.
Full completion bonus: 1 Ember per dwarf.
- A windfall that rewards clean play without making feeling mandatory.

Adjust by mission weight. A harder or more complex mission warrants a primary payout of 4 and secondaries of 2–3. A shorter or lower stakes mission can sit at 2/1/1. Primary should always be worth more than a secondary.

The Keyed Map

The GM draws the map and assigns each room or area a number. Each number corresponds to a key entry.

Room key format:

04. FORGE HALL A large hall filled with dark smoke and glowing furnaces. 4x Wardens (T3, sword), 1x Smithy (T2, hammer) [SCALD] Door to 05 is sealed. T[++]

The wardens are forcing the smithy to work.

Keep entries functional and just lean enough to run. A short description, enemies, environment tags, connections and finally any notes.

Objective Types (d8)

Roll or choose an objective type. Build the primary and secondary objectives around it.

1. Extraction

Get a target out, dead or alive depends on the mission.
Primary success is the target leaves with the squad.
Complications: target is unwilling, target is fragile.

2. Elimination

Remove a specific target permanently.
Primary success is confirmed removal.
Complications: target is protected, target is mobile.

3. Sabotage

Destroy, disable or corrupt something.
Primary success is the thing no longer functions.
Complications: is guarded, destroying it has consequences, must look like an accident.

4. Recovery

Retrieve something without destroying it.
Primary success is the object leaves intact.
Complications: object is large, fragile, cursed, contested by another faction.

5. Surveillance

Observe without being observed.
Primary success is leaving with the intel.
Complications: target is unpredictable, observation window is limited, squad cannot engage.

6. Interruption

Stop something from happening.
Primary success is the event never occurs.
Complications: squad does not know exactly when, multiple triggers exist, stopping it causes fallout.

7. Escort

Get someone through hostile territory alive.
Primary success is delivery.
Complications: target is a liability, they generate Heat, they have their own agenda.

8. Infiltration

Get in, complete a task, get out without raising any alarms.
Primary success is zero trace.
Heat management is the entire mission, success if Cold or Warm.
The squad can still escape if Hot+ but the rewards will reflect that.

Heat & Hammers

When players raise the Heat gauge, the world reacts accordingly.

Stage	Heat	Hammer
Cold	0-5	None
Warm	6-10	None
Hot	11-15	Optional
White Hot	16-19	Optional
Shatterpoint	20+	Always

Every mission needs a Shatterpoint Hammer.
Hot and White Hot Hammers are optional but recommended for anything longer than six rooms.
Hammers should radically change mission conditions.
Write the specific hammer for your mission on the sheet.
Define what changes, what closes, what activates, and what the squad has to deal with.

Hammer checklist:

Does the Hammer change the physical space? (routes close, rooms flood, ceilings fall)
Does the Hammer change faction behavior? (reinforcements, elite units, full alert)
Does the Hammer affect at least one objective? (the target moves, the item is destroyed, the window closes)
Is the Hammer something the players caused, not something that happens to them passively?

Hammers should feel like consequences of the squad's impact, not arbitrary escalation. A mission that reaches Hot because the squad blew three walls should have a Hammer that reflects the faction responding to three blown walls.

Write each Hammer as a concrete event: what happens, what changes, what the squad now has to deal with.

Factions & Campaigns

Factions

Factions are the active forces in the world that ANVIL is working against.

They have goals, resources, and momentum of their own.
They do not wait for the squad to come to them.

Each faction has an Agenda:

A five step plan they are executing whether ANVIL intervenes or not.
Each step has 2 marks to fill.
Each step the squad does not disrupt, the faction moves closer to completing it.
When a faction reaches step 5 and completes their Agenda, a permanent campaign consequence locks in.

The GM defines each faction's Agenda during campaign prep. Factions do not need to be fully detailed upfront, their Agenda steps and Moves can be built session to session as the campaign develops.

Faction Agendas

Writes a short description of what a faction is doing at each step and how the world looks if that step completes unchecked.

Step 1   Early movement. Quiet, deniable. Easily disrupted.
Step 2   Establishing. Resources and folks are in place.
Step 3   Entrenched. Disruption requires a focused mission.
Step 4   Operational. Bold, exposed, damage already accumulating.
Step 5   Complete and irreversible. Campaign consequence locked in.

The squad can only directly engage one faction per mission but other factions keep moving while they do.

Agenda Advancement

If the squad does not run a mission against a faction during a downtime:

the GM rolls a d6 after debrief.
On a result beating the threshold advance the faction's Agenda one mark.

The threshold depends on the faction's current step. Higher steps mean more momentum, a faction that has been left alone is harder to slow down.

Step 1 [ ][ ]  Advances on 1-2
Step 2 [ ][ ]  Advances on 1-3
Step 3 [ ][ ]  Advances on 1-4
Step 4 [ ][ ]  Advances on 1-5

Step 5 does not roll. If the squad does not run a mission to stop it, it completes.

Disrupting Agendas

Running a mission against a faction can stall their Agenda depending on the outcome.

Primary objective completed: Agenda does not advance, no roll.
Primary failed, secondary completed: GM rolls, adding +1 to the roll for each secondary completed.
Mission failed entirely: Agenda advances automatically, no roll.
All objectives completed: Roll back the Agenda one mark.
- If at Step 1 mark 1, faction dismantled.

Faction Moves

Between sessions each active faction makes one Move.

These are actions that reflect their current Agenda step and what happened last mission
The GM chooses the Move that makes the most fictional sense.
It is not rolled. It is narrated at the start of the next session or woven into the mission briefing.
Moves scale with Agenda step.
A faction at step 1 is cautious. A faction at step 4 does not care who notices.

Move Examples:

Step 1-2 Moves

Place an informant or observer near a location the squad frequents
Begin quietly acquiring resources, personnel, or territory
Make contact with a potential ally faction
Establish a new site or forward position

Step 3 Moves

Fortify a key location the squad will need to enter
Begin gathering intelligence specifically on ANVIL's methods
Move a high value asset to a more protected position
Strike at a peripheral ANVIL resource

Step 4-5 Moves

Place an elite operative or counter-squad in an upcoming mission
Issue a bounty on a specific dwarf by name
Strike directly at the Overhold; a burned contact, a compromised safe house, a threat delivered to the Hand
Forge an alliance with another faction, combining assets for one mission

A faction at step 4 that successfully targets the Overhold marks Overhold Strain.

Overhold Strain

The Overhold has three Strain marks. Faction Moves that target ANVIL mark one Strain.

Strain [ ] [ ] [ ]

One Strain:

The Hand is nervous.
No mechanical effect.
Briefings get shorter and the stash thins slightly.

Two Strain:

One Overhold Action becomes unavailable until Strain clears.
The GM decides which one based on what the faction targeted.

Three Strain

The Overhold is compromised.
Two Overhold Actions are unavailable.
Rep advancement is frozen until Strain drops below three.

Clearing Strain:

A successful Pull Strings action clears 1 mark.
Extracting from a mission at Cold to Hot clears 1 mark.
Only one mark may clear per downtime.

Multiple Factions

Two or three active factions means the squad is constantly triaging. Every downtime they pick one faction to run against. The rest keep moving.

Factions at similar Agenda steps may conflict with each other. When two factions are operating in the same location or competing for the same resource, the GM can drop that conflict directly into a mission.

Factions do not coordinate with each other unless their Agendas align and the GM decides an alliance makes fictional sense. A faction Move at step 4-5 can establish that.

Running a Campaign

A campaign is the full arc of multiple Faction Agendas from first movement to resolution. There is no fixed mission count. The campaign ends when every active Agenda is either completed or dismantled or when the consequences of completed Agendas make further ANVIL operations untenable.

A tight single faction campaign runs roughly 7-10 missions. Two factions in tension runs 10-15. Three factions is a long campaign and the squad will not stop all of them.

The Hand assigns missions based on what the squad knows and what the Overhold can confirm.

Between sessions the GM asks:

What is each faction doing right now?
What does the squad know about it?
What happens if they ignore it for one more mission?

The answers build the next briefing.

Campaign Prep - Building a Faction

When building a faction, define:

Name and nature: Who they are and what they want.
Agenda steps: What they are doing at each of the five steps.
Completion consequence: What the world looks like if step 5 finishes.
Starting step: Most factions begin at step 1 mark 1.
Key Figures: Any major NPCs of the faction.
Tone: How to roleplay faction members.

Example Faction: The Hollow Choir

Name            The Hollow Choir
Nature          Deep-cult accelerationists
Starting step   2-2 (they have been operating for months before ANVIL notices)
Completion      The Wide Gate, titan deepbeasts awoken.
Key figure      Sevran - ritual leader, deeptouched, true believer
Tone            Patient, convinced, increasingly bold

Downtime & The Overhold

The Overhold

Between missions ANVIL ops return to the Overhold. A large brutalist structure on the northwest edge of Glimmerhold, low forge smoke hangs in the air in every room. The Queen employs ANVIL and her Hand runs it, the Glimmerhold council does not know it exists.

Downtime is not rest. It is recovery, politics, preparation, and grief. It is your job between the jobs.

Embers

Embers are ANVIL's downtime currency.

After completing missions all Embers go into the squad's shared bank. Squads can bank Embers between missions.

A dwarf may burn Embers to take downtime actions or acquire gear from the stash. These Embers are gone permanently.

Downtime Structure

1. Debrief

The squad reviews the mission with the Hand or their assigned handler.

Players and GM work through the following questions together:

Did Heat reach any Hammer thresholds?
Was the primary objective completed?
Were secondary objectives completed?
Was ANVIL exposed or were civilians or factions involved?
What rumors spread as a result?

The GM narrates campaign consequences.

This phase resolves:

Ember payout
Squad Reputation
Sets context of future missions

2. Recovery

Resolve Scars, funerals, retirements, and decompression. This phase has no rolls unless a dwarf is rolling for Scars.

Give this phase space.

A dwarf down to their last GRIT and made it out needs a moment. A squad that lost someone needs a funeral. Name the dead, describe the funeral anvil and let the silence sit.

All GRIT is fully recovered here.
Dwarves who retire here roll a new operative.
Any player who's dwarf died during the mission rolls a new operative here.

If a dwarf dies mid mission a player may roll up a new op immediately.

The table decides how they join the mission in progress.

Whether captive, a rogue operative, or a side cell also on the mission, etc.

Make sure the party joins up and works together witht them immediately.

3. Overhold Actions

Each dwarf may take up to 2 actions during downtime.

No dwarf may take the same action twice.
Actions require Embers burned from the squad's bank.
The base cost applies at Rep tier 3.
Rep modifies all costs:
- tier 1 adds +2
- tier 2 adds +1
- tier 4 subtracts 1
- tier 5 subtracts 2
Minimum cost is always 1 Ember.
Actions marked with no cost never require Embers.

Action	Base cost
Slag Off	1
Train	2
Forge	3
Scout	1-3
Pull Strings	3
Interrogate	1
Reinforce	2
Bond	1
Memorialize	-

Memorialize always costs 0. It cost the squad something, just not Embers.

4. Prep

The squad reviews the next mission briefing together. Players interact with:

Mission objectives and Ember payout
The prep stash and available gear
Loadout selection
Insertion plan and drop point
Extraction route

Gear in the prep stash is available to requisition. Some items may cost Embers. The squad decides together who carries what. When loadouts are set the mission begins.

Scars

Scars are permanent. They cannot be removed or healed but they are not punishments, they are changes. Some may make certain things harder while some open up new ways to operate. Some are just there, part of who the dwarf is now.

When a dwarf gains a Scar roll d66
A player may instead choose a scar.
Write one sentence about how it happened and mark it on your Op sheet.
If a dwarf rolls a Scar they already have it deepens. The GM and player decide together what that means.
Each dwarf has 4 Scar slots.
When all 4 are full and a new Scar would be gained, permanently lose 1 GRIT instead.

Rolling for Scars

After every mission each surviving dwarf rolls for Scars.

Roll a d6.
Add 1 extra d6 for every GRIT marked during the mission.
If any die shows a 1 or 2, gain 1 Scar.
Only ever gain 1 Scar per mission regardless of how many dice show 1-2.
If playing a one-shot, roll a scar when the character is created.

GRIT Marked	Dice Rolled
0	1d6
1	2d6
2	3d6
3	4d6

Scar Table: d66

11-16 THE BODY

11. Missing Finger One less finger than before, no mechanical effect. You occasionally notice folks notice it.

12. Burn Scarring Significant burns across part of the body. Once per mission when taking a clean hit from fire or explosive damage, treat it as Maimed. You've looked into the flames and you're not afraid anymore.

13. Chronic Pain Something healed wrong, it flares unpredictably. Once per mission the first time you roll 1 on CMP it becomes a 5. The dwarf knows it's coming and they push through.

14. Missing Eye Depth perception is gone, range and fine detail are harder to judge. FUSE results of 1 on ranged or precise standard actions are treated as 2. The dwarf has learned to compensate in other ways.

15. Limp Movement is different now, but you get around all the same. No mechanical effect unless a Hammer or environmental condition specifically affects movement.

16. Tremor One hand shakes under certain conditions. After a CMP roll of 5+, your next CMP roll treats a 4+ as one lower as you focus to work through it.

21-26 THE SENSES

21. Partial Hearing Loss An explosion has caused one ear to lose hearing. You cannot be surprised by sounds alone. What you do hear, they trust completely. Once per mission, ignore a GM move that relies on sound.

22. Tinnitus Constant ringing, it never stops, you have learned to work through it. No mechanical effect. It is just always there.

23. Tunnel Vision Peripheral vision narrowed after a close blast or trauma. You see what you focus on with complete clarity. Once per mission, ask the GM one specific detail about what you're directly looking at.

24. Sensitivity to Light Eyes that took damage respond badly to sudden brightness. Torches, flares, and exposed forge light cause brief difficulty. In darkness the dwarf sees better than most. You may reroll CMP once in low light conditions.

25. Phantom Limb A limb is gone, a prosthetic or adapted technique may replace it. You have found ways to operate that others have not considered. Work with the GM to define one thing the adaptation does that an uninjured dwarf cannot.

26. Smell Gone You cannot smell anything. Gas traps, chemical agents, and fire do not register early. You are completely immune to any mechanics that rely on scent.

31-36 THE MIND

31. Nightmares Something from a mission follows you into sleep, it does not affect the job. Between missions the GM may ask you what you dreamt about.

32. Hypervigilance The dwarf does not fully switch off, ever. You cannot be ambushed. The GM must spend 1 additional Aftermath die to act against you when you haven't moved for the turn.

33. Emotionaless Something went quiet inside after the last mission. Social interactions feel different to those around you. High BLAST in social encounters never marks NPC Trust.

34. Intrusive Memory A specific moment replays without warning and you have learned to use it. Once per mission when facing a situation similar to the memory, gain 1 CMP reroll.

35. Claustrophobia Tight spaces trigger a physical response but you try to manage it. In very confined spaces roll a d8 for your CMP die.

36. Survivor Guilt (Reroll this if the squad all survived.) Someone did not make it back and you did. Once per mission when an ally is attacked, you may act immediately outside of normal turn order to reach them.

41-46 THE REPUTATION

41. Known Face Something about you got noticed. A scar, your silhouette, the way you move. In locations where the faction has intel on ANVIL, this dwarf raises Heat by an additional +1 on a BLAST of 5 or 6.

42. Burned Contact A relationship outside the Overhold went wrong during a mission. One downtime action costs 1 additional Ember for the rest of the campaign. Decide with the GM which one and why.

43. Marked by the Deep Something from below the craters left a mark. Creatures from the depths treat you differently. Roll a d6, on 1-3 they always begin friendly to you, on 4-6, hostile.

44. Rumored Dead Word got out that you did not make it, maybe useful in some situations. Once per mission you may approach an NPC as a complete unknown regardless of Squad Reputation.

45. Marked for Death Someone during the mission made note of you and placed a bounty. Regardless of Squad Rep, enemy factions always recognize you.

46. Unwanted Attention Someone outside ANVIL has taken an interest in you specifically, looking to turn you into a Sleeper Agent inside ANVIL.

51-56 THE CRAFT

51. Shaky on Explosives A close call with a bad fuse. You'll still do the work. TNT results of 6 on Explosive actions count as 4 instead.

52. Cracked Grip Your dominant hand does not close all the way anymore. The runeaxe is still there but CMP rerolls no longer apply to standard actions.

53. Overcautious You check everything twice now. Twice now. They have not missed a trap since then. Once per mission automatically detect one hidden threat before it triggers.

54. Reckless Something broke in you, you've stopped calculating the odds. During White Hot and above Heat levels, you may reroll both CMP and TNT dice and keep the new results.

55. Institutional Memory You've seen enough missions that patterns begin to emerge. Once per mission ask the GM whether a situation resembles something in ANVIL's operational history and get the answer.

56. Method You've developed a specific way of doing things after something went wrong. Define a specific operational method. Once per mission when acting within that method, FUSE results of 5+ count as 3.

61-66 THE MARKS

61. The Aftershakes Not during, after. When the mission ends and extraction is complete your hands do not stop moving for days. No mechanical effect, other dwarves recognize it.

62. Ritual You've developed a specific pre-mission ritual after a rough mission. If the ritual is completed before embarking, gain 1 Squad Aftermath dice at mission start. If interrupted or skipped, step CMP die up to d8 for the mission.

63. Callused You've stopped reacting to things that used to register. Intimidation, horror, and morale effects do not apply to you. NPCs notice the fevor in your eyes.

64. Memorial Ink You get a tattoo after the mission. No mechanical effect. When a dwarf dies or retires, you may add to it by updating the description. It becomes a record of your loss.

65. The Weight You carry something from the mission. An object, a name, a promise. Define it and write it down.

66. Still Standing You survived something that should have finished you. Once per mission if you would mark your final GRIT, continue on 1 GRIT instead.

Overhold Actions

SLAG OFF (1 Ember)

Drink deep, talk loud, decompress. Dwarven decompression. The dwarf spends time in the Overhold's lower halls, drinking, fighting, and relaxing.

Clear all marks on a skill.
May generate a rumor. Ask the GM one question during briefing.

TRAIN (2 Ember)

Evolve a skill. The dwarf levels one skill of their choice using the advancement rules.

To level a skill, choose one upgrade type and rewrite the skill line to reflect what the dwarf has learned.

--wip: replace one word or add one word to the creed, then modify the mechanic based on the upgrade type. the word should reflect the upgrade but doesn't need to be the upgrade word.

Each upgrade type may only be taken once per skill.
The player rewrites the line, the GM approves.
Mark one Training box for that skill.

Extend applies to the whole squad, not just you.

Deepen triggers in one additional situation or context.

Sharpen the mechanical effect becomes more decisive.

Linger the effect lasts longer or carries into the next phase.

Bend add one exception to a core rule, once per mission.

Survive the skill gains one extra mark.

A skill can be leveled three times.

FORGE (3 Ember)

Craft specialized gear. The dwarf works with the Overhold's armourers to upgrade their Runeaxe or Explosives Kit.

A Runeaxe can have it's blade and it's rune upgraded once.

The Blade (d6)

d6	Name	Detail
1	Cold-Forged	The metal never warms. Heat based effects can only Maim this axe.
2	Double Sided	CMP die can be rerolled once for Standard actions.
3	Notched History	When you target an enemy and Botch, the next BLAST against them gains +1.
4	Heavy Headed	Treat BLAST results of 5 as 6.
5	Humming Steel	Will vibrate when deepbeasts within one room.
6	Mirror-Sheen	In [DARK] rooms, you can reflect light to see fine detail without a torch.

The Rune (d6)

d6	Name	Detail
1	Thirsting	Glows red in combat. When you fill a mark on this axe, gain 2 squad Aftermath dice.
2	Static	Hair stands on end. Enemies targeted by this axe cannot use Skills to take the hit.
3	Echo	The impact sounds like a mountain cracking. TNT die can be rerolled for Standard Actions.
4	Boulder	Hits with enhanced weight. Once per mission, treat a FUSE 5+ as a 3.
5	Sunder	Designed for armour. Enemy Temper of 5 or higher is reduced by 1.
6	Keen	The axe wants to hew. Add +1 to BLAST die.

An Explosive Kit can upgrade it's Mix and it's Casing once.

The Mix (d6)

d6	Name	Detail
1	Volatile Batch	Sensitive to impact. This kit is tagged [E] and explodes if marked.
2	Fine-Grain	Burn is fast and clean. Explosive actions with FUSE 1-2 do not raise Heat.
3	Depth-Salted	Mixed with crater dust. 6s on Explosion dice explode twice.
4	Sticky Residue	The blast clings. These explosives can attach to surfaces.
5	Acrid Smoke	Thick, black clouds. After an explosion, the room becomes [DARK] for 3 Beats.
6	Low-Yield	Quiet but precise. Explosions only raise Heat on a BLAST of 6, but max Explosion dice is 3.

The Casing (d6)

d6	Name	Detail
1	Shrapnel-Packed	Filled with slag. Explosion dice explode on 5 or 6.
2	Magnetized	Sticks to iron. Can be placed on T[++] metal objects without a FUSE roll.
3	Waterproof Seal	Can be used underwater or in flooding environments.
4	Timer-Rigged	Reliable clockwork. Treat FUSE results of 1 or 6 as any value.
5	Flash-Bang	Designed to stun. Remove an Aftermath die from the GM pool for every hit.
6	Oversized Primers	Big sparks. If an explosion kills an enemy, the Heat track drops by 1.

A player may also request a piece of specialized equipment.

The GM and player define the item together within the prep stash guidelines.
Higher cost for more powerful or unusual items.

SCOUT (1-3 Ember)

Reveal mission intel. The dwarf runs advance reconnaissance on a potential mission target.

Reveals one piece of hidden mission intel per ember.
Ex: layout, Temper of key enemies, Hammer thresholds, faction presence, or extraction complications.

PULL STRINGS (3 Ember)

Manipulate Glimmerhold politics. The dwarf works back channels inside Glimmerhold to shift faction relations, suppress rumors, or reposition ANVIL's political standing.

May adjust Squad Reputation by 1 mark.
May affect future mission assignments.

INTERROGATE (1 Ember)

Extract intel from prisoners or artifacts. The dwarf works on a mission asset:

A captured enemy, a recovered document, a strange relic.
Generates specific actionable intel or reveals lore about enemy factions.

REINFORCE (2 Ember)

Add temporary mission assets. The dwarf requisitions additional resources for the next mission:

A support contact, a safe extraction point, a distraction, a piece of borrowed heavy equipment.
These are single use mission assets.

BOND (1 Ember)

Create or advance a squad link. Two dwarves spend downtime together and establish or advance a Bond.

Fill one mark on the Bond track with the dwarf you're bonding with.
The players should describe what they're doing together.

MEMORIALIZE (0 Ember)

Honor the dead and retired. The dwarf formally adds an anvil to the Overhold's memorial chamber for fallen or retired operative. Memorialized operatives permanently affect the Overhold in small ways: a name on a plaque, a runeaxe mounted above the forge, their methods taught to new recruits.

Grants +1 Rep.
May unlock a one time benefit tied to what that dwarf was known for.

Squad Reputation

The GM tracks Squad Reputation on a campaign length track.

Reputation reflects how ANVIL's handlers, rivals and enemies perceive the squad.
Reputation is not a measure of skill, it is a measure of tactics.
A squad at Myth leaves absolutely nothing behind, no witnesses, no evidence, no name.
A squad at Legend gets the job done but the job echoes out.

Reputation is tracked across 25 marks divided into five tiers of 5. Marks advance or fall based on the Heat level missions end at.

Cold: -2 Rep
Warm: -1 Rep
Hot: No change
White Hot: +1 Rep
Shatterpoint: +2 Rep

SQUAD REPUTATION

1 - MYTH    [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
2 - GHOST   [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
3 - KNOWN   [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
4 - FEARED  [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
5 - LEGEND  [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Rep never goes above tier 5 or below tier 1.
Marks within a tier have no individual effect.
When marks would advance past a tier, move to the next tier and continue from mark 1.
The opposite for when you're reducing marks.
If you're at MYTH 1 and would reduce Rep it stays at MYTH 1.
You cannot be reduced beyond MYTH 1 or be raised above LEGEND 5.

Rep Tier Effects

1 - Myth

The squad leaves no trace.

Missions resolve without rumour, without evidence and without a name attached.
The Overhold is unsure if they can be trusted fully.
All Overhold Action costs +2 Embers.

The upside is absolute: no enemy faction knows the squad exists, no one is preparing and no one is watching. The squad operates in complete shadow.

2 - Ghost

The squad is starting to be felt without being seen.

The Hand trusts them and unlocks better stash access.
All Overhold Actions costs +1 Ember.
There is low chatter in hostile networks.
The squad is a pattern enemies have noticed but cannot explain.

3 - Known

The squad has a name, they may not have chosen it but their enemies know it.

Base costs apply, standard stash access.
Factions with good intel networks know ANVIL exists.
They do not know the squad but they have started paying attention.

4 - Feared

The squad does not go unnoticed anymore.

The Hand gives them priority
All Overhold Action costs −1 Ember (minimum 1).
The stash has better options, and the squad may call in one favour per campaign.
Enemies have started preparing specifically for them.

5 - Legend

The squad's reputation arrives before they do.

Full Overhold backing.
All Overhold Action costs −2 Embers (minimum 1).
The stash is deep, the Queen's Hand takes personal interest in their survival.
Every faction is running counter intel, placing bounties and briefing their best people.
Some enemies will break and run, others will bring everything they have.

Overhold Gear Stash

Weapons and Tools

Item	Tags	Effect	Slots	Ember cost
Runeaxe	-	ANVIL issued. Raises CMP to d6. Already in kit.	-	3
Throwing knife	[~] [Q]	Ranged. Never raises Heat.	1	-
Crowbar	-	Treat doors and locks as Temper -1 when breaching.	1	-
Grapple and line	[B]	Enables vertical movement.	2	1
Blast Shield	[B]	While held, T+1[++].	2	1
Runed crossbow	[~]	Ranged TNT die.	1	2

Armour and Protection

Item	Tags	Effect	Slots	Ember cost
Leather jack	-	Standard absorption layer.	1	-
Reinforced leather	-	Temper +1 against standard attacks.	1	1
Blast coat	[B]	Explosive damage that would destroy it maims instead once per mission.	2	2
Depth plate	[B]	Temper +2. Environmental damage does not destroy it on a clean hit, maim only.	2	3
Silencer wrap	[F]	BLAST raises Heat on 5+ instead of 4+.	1	1

Explosives

Item	Tags	Effect	Slots	Ember cost
Explosives Kit	[V]	ANVIL issued. Raises TNT to d6. Infinite small charges. Already in kit.	-	4
Satchel charge	[~] [E] [V]	Each mark filled adds +1 Explosive die to the pool.	1	1
Shaped charge	[~] [E]	Directed blast: ignore [+] of target Temper. Must be placed with FUSE 3 or lower or explodes.	1	2
Flashpot	[~] [V] [Q]	Only affects living targets. d4 TNT die.	1	1
Depth charge	[E] [V] [B]	Single use. +3 Explosive dice. Each hit counts as 2 vs structures.	2	3
Burnpack	[~] [E] [V]	Incendiary. Each explosion die that hits also sets the target or room feature on fire. Fire deals 1 Maim to target and adds 1 Aftermath die per Beat until extinguished.	1	2
Sapper Charges	[~] [E] [B]	d8 TNT die.	1	2
Cluster Keg	[~] [E] [B]	d12 TNT die.	2	3

Consumables

Item	Tags	Effect	Slots	Ember cost
Field kit	[~]	Clear 1 mark from a damaged gear or skill.	1	1
Stimulant flask	[~]	Treat CMP as d4 for one roll. Cannot stack.	1	1
Smoke canister	[~] [Q]	Fill a room with smoke. Enemies in smoke cannot target players. Players in smoke treat FUSE results of 1 and 2 as 3.	1	1
Rope	-	Utility. Tie, lower, bind.	1	-
Torch	[~]	3 Beats of light per mark. Removes [DARK] condition in a room while held.	1	-
Lamp oil flask	[~] [V] [E]	Improvised explosive. 1 Explosive die when thrown.	1	-
Medical stout	[~]	Roll a d6, on a 5+ restore 1 GRIT	1	3

Oddities

Oddities are unusual, limited, and not always available. The GM decides what is in the stash before each Prep phase. These are not standard issue.

Item	Tags	Effect	Slots	Ember cost
Deeptouched stone	[F]	Vibrates near creatures from below.	1	2
Rune-etched chain	-	Single use. Binds a target that cannot escape by mundane means. Works on deepbeasts.	1	3
Silence tarp	[Q]	Wrap an object or surface. For one turn it makes no sound, kicks, explosions, movement included. Single use.	1	2
Borrowed uniform	[F]	Convincing disguise for one specific faction. Treat CMP rolls vs Posture as -2.	1	2
Overhold cipher plate	-	Unlocks one ANVIL infrastructure point: a sealed door, a dormant rune lock, a cached weapons cache. Useless against non ANVIL architecture.	1	2
Deepbeast ichor vial	[~] [F]	Applied to a surface: repels deepbeasts for d4 beats. Applied to a wound: one hit that would mark skills or GRIT is ignored this turn. Numbness is not exactly protection.	1	3

GM Toolkit

Advice

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Enemy & Threat Templates

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Mission Generation Tools

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Starter Mission

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World Lore

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Inspo: metal gear solid, x-com, hitman, deep rock galactic, splinter cell, wildsea, daggerheart, cairn