Roll a pool of d10s against a Target Number. Each die that meets or beats it is a success. Skill Tests roll an attribute's dice against the Skill Rating, where lower is better. Melee draws dice from a Combat Pool (Reflex plus Proficiency) that must cover attack and defense across a round's two exchanges. Spiritual Attributes add dice when a roll serves their stated focus.
Best For
Groups who want deadly, historically grounded melee decided by how fighters split their dice. It suits campaigns the Seneschal builds around each character's passions, drives, and destinies.
Highlights
Secret red-or-white die declarations and Combat Pool splits make each exchange a contest of reading the opponent. Points earned by acting on Spiritual Attributes add dice in play and also pay for advancement, rewarding characters who pursue their convictions. Sorcerers build spells on the fly from nine Vagaries, and each casting risks months of aging.
Considerations
There are no hit points, and one solid hit can kill a character outright. Sorcery is deliberately unbalanced against fighters, leaving the Seneschal to rein in sorcerer characters. Mass combat gets only an abstract contested Strategy roll, with no dedicated procedures for naval battles or sieges.
No verified publishing route foundThe reviewed core credits Driftwood Publishing and Jacob Norwood and reserves all rights, permitting copies of the character sheets and appendix tables. In a 2024 interview, Norwood said he sold Driftwood in 2004 and that the rights were sold again in 2013 to Tavish Campbell of Red Lion Publishing. The book's printed .com domain no longer hosts an official site, and no current official site was located. A bounded review found no current official publishing route or explicit third-party publication prohibition.Reviewed 2026-10-06 · Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.