10. Lore

Your adventurer’s motifs define what they are knowledgeable about. You may ask the GM a question related to these motifs and expect an honest answer. We call this bidding lore. When you bid lore, you’re essentially asking “Would my adventurer know this?”

Lore represents things that your adventurer knows that you, as the player, might not. This might include the vulnerability of a particular monster, the taboos or habits of a foreign people, or the special properties of a particular plant variety.

You may bid lore 4 times between Camp Phases. Your lore bid uses are reset when you Camp.

When you bid lore, the GM has three potential responses:

• “Yes, you know about this.” The GM then gives a detailed answer. Check off one of your lore bid uses.

• “No, you wouldn’t know about this with that motif.” You don’t check off a lore bid use if you don’t receive an answer.

• “That question doesn’t seem fair game.” The GM then explains why the lore bid question was too broad or vague. You may rephrase or reframe the question.

Lore bid questions are discrete

You cannot ask, “Have I ever seen anything like this?” The question is too broad.

You may ask, “Do I know what the monsters depicted on the bas-relief are?”

Lore bid answers are thorough

The GM cannot say, “You’re not sure, but you think they might be related to dragons.” If an answer is this vague, the player does not need to bid lore. GMs should simply tell them this hint.

The GM may say, “You know that these are dragons because you’ve seen their iconography before. As a dragon hunter, though, you recognize that these are fire drakes. These dragons are flightless and live in rivers of lava under the earth. They are famous for their uncontrolled rages and fiery breath.”

Lore bid questions aren’t a replacement for clever thinking

You cannot ask, “How do you defeat a dragon?” This question is too broad and too subjective.

You may ask, “Do I know if a drake has any special vulnerabilities?”