Under the Mountain

The mountain has opened...

In a frozen frontier where dwarven ruins slumber beneath the ice, bold adventurers seek gold, glory, and forgotten truths. Beneath the snow and stone lie ancient secrets, fractured factions vie for power, and each year the cold creeps deeper. This is a world of lost kingdoms, rising legends, and legacies built in stone and blood.

You hold in your hands the key to an ever-growing world. Within these pages lies the lore, rules, and guidance needed to step into the frostbitten wilds and claim your fate.

In this adventure, you will...

• Delve into vast, ancient dungeons riddled with traps, secrets, and otherworldly threats
• Navigate a faction-driven sandbox where alliances shift and motives collide
• Survive brutal wilderness travel and dungeon crawling where every torch, ration, and decision matters
• Uncover lost dwarven history and the truth behind the stronghold’s fall
• Shape your legacy—gather wealth, establish dominion, and pass it on to an heir… if you survive

This is a gritty, old-school campaign inspired by Tolkien’s darker corners, Norse myth, and classic D&D. You are not a chosen hero—you are a blade in the snow, and the mountain does not care whether you rise or fall.

Joining us and taking part is simple!

1. Join the Discord server.
2. Introduce yourself.
3. Message the referee directly to express interest and ask any questions.
4. Once enough new characters are pooled a Session Zero will be set up. Here we create will;
   • characters together.
   • Choose your faction patron.
   • Prepare for the first delve.

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Primer

In the frozen reaches beyond the edge of civilization lies Burrar, a rugged frontier town perched beneath the broken gates of a long-lost dwarven stronghold. The snow never melts here. Each winter grows longer, each wind colder, and ancient whispers echo through the frostbitten stone.

Factions gather: dwarves seeking to reclaim their legacy, mercenary guilds looking for profit, cults drawn by something older and deeper than memory. Into this cold and shifting land come adventurers; desperate, daring, or just curious. Each chasing treasure, power, or answers buried beneath the mountain.

This is an open-world, player-driven campaign. You’ll explore ancient ruins, battle monsters, uncover treasure, and shape the story—all on your terms.

Here’s what you need to know:

• You decide what to do and where to go.
• All adventures begin and end in town. Some may span multiple sessions, but they always return to Burrar.
• The world changes based on your actions.
• Maps, rumors, and discoveries are shared with other players.
• Not every fight is winnable—knowing when to flee is survival.
• After each adventure, someone writes a report. That character may earn up to 100 bonus XP.
• Downtime actions let you recover, craft, and prepare between sessions.

The Truths

Many rumors echo through the frost-covered streets of Burrar. Stories passed between cracked mugs and campfires. But some things are not rumor. They are truths, carved into stone, witnessed by many, and felt in the marrow of every settler.

These Truths form the foundation of the world. They are known to both player and character. Every story begins in the shadow of these certainties:

• The stronghold gates opened before Thane Korgram arrived—yet the only known key remains in his possession.
• The winters grow longer, and the cold grows deeper, each passing year.
• No two maps of the stronghold match, its halls shift, or memory fails.
• The dwarves never speak of the fall of their stronghold—not even in whispers.

You Are...

You are desperate. You are brave. You are cold to the bone and hungry for something more. You've heard the stories of vaults brimming with gold, of rune-sealed chambers, of a hold so deep it touches the bones of the world.

You are not a chosen hero. No prophecy names you.
You came because you had nowhere else to go.
You came because you wanted more—wealth, glory, power, answers.

You came because the gates were open.

Now the wind howls through the mountain pass, and below, the town of Burrar waits. Its chimneys glowing, its streets bristling with tension. Beyond it, the stronghold looms: silent, ancient, and broken.

You are one torch away from legend… or death.

Character creation is fast, random, and unforgiving. Just the way the mountain likes it. Roll your character, swap a few numbers, grab your gear, and get ready to die bravely.

1. Roll Attributes

Roll 3d6 six times in order for the following abilities:

1. Strength (STR)
2. Intelligence (INT)
3. Wisdom (WIS)
4. Dexterity (DEX)
5. Constitution (CON)
6. Charisma (CHA)

Once all scores are rolled, you may swap any two to tailor your build.

Take some time to note down all the mods from your attributes. The prime attribute is set by your class.

Once your class is selected, note down your saves, class abilities, and roll your hit points.

Class HD + HP Mod = Max HP

When rolling HP at level 1, what you roll is what you get. When leveling up you do not add the HP mod, the HP mod is just for first level.

Important notes:

• We use Ascending AC. When referencing THAC0 or AB, use the number in parentheses.
• Each class has its own XP progression—Thieves level fast, Fighters moderate, and Magic-Users slowest.
• Each class has its own saving throws (see Rules Reference for more):
  • Death: Generic save against instant death or unknown danger.
  • Wand: Resists magic item attacks.
  • Paralysis: Avoids stunning, freezing, or trapping effects.
  • Breath: Saves against area effects like breath weapons or large explosions.
  • Spells: Saves against spell effects. Modified by Wisdom and some abilities.

3. Choose Starting Equipment

Roll your starting gold with

3D6 X 5 = Starting GP

Then using the links bellow start to buy your inital gear. For items not on the list try to make a deal with the referee.

• Adventuring Gear – All adventuring combined is equal to 80 coins.
• Weapons & Armour

3.1 Armour

Your armor sets your base AC, add your DEX mod to this base value. Unarmored characters have AC 10+the DEX Mod.

4. Final Touches

Your character is ready. Now give them a name, a short backstory, and a reason they’re risking everything for treasure beneath the mountain. Are they driven by desperation, revenge, ambition—or something else?

Alignment

Alignment isn’t just flavor—it affects how magic items and blessings interact with your character. Choose or roll one:

1. Lawful: You value order, tradition, or higher ideals.
2. Neutral: You walk the line. Survival first, judgment later.
3. Chaotic: You embrace chance, ambition, and freedom—at any cost.

Attack Rolls

To make an attack, roll d20 + Attack Bonus (AB) + Melee or Range Bonus. If the total equals or exceeds the target’s Armor Class (AC), the attack hits. We use Ascending AC, where higher is better. Your AC is determined by your armor, shield, and Dexterity modifier.

<4>Attacking

When making a weapon attack, roll: D20 + Attack Bonus (AB).
Compare the total to the enemy's Armor Class (AC) — if it meets or exceeds, it hits. We use Ascending AC (AAC), so higher is better. Armor, shields, and Dexterity modifiers contribute to your AC.

Loyalty

A retainer’s loyalty score reflects how reliable they are in stressful or dangerous situations. This score is based on the employer’s Charisma, but can change based on actions:

• Bonuses: Saving their life, generous payouts, or fair treatment.
• Penalties: Abandonment, danger without reward, or abuse.

Loyalty Checks

To check loyalty, the Referee rolls 2d6. If the result is equal to or lower than the loyalty score, the check passes. If it fails, the retainer may:

• During peril: Panic or flee.
• After an adventure: Refuse to work with the player again.

Hiring Retainers

When a player offers a deal to a prospective retainer, the referee rolls 2d6 and consults the table below. This roll is modified by:

• Charisma modifier (from the PC's score).
• Generosity: +1 or +2 for good offers, -1 or -2 for poor ones.
• Reputation: -1 or -2 if the player has a bad track record with hirelings.

Preparations

Each session begins with this phase. The party regroups, checks equipment, and sets the goal for the expedition. This is meant to be quick and focused—minimal roleplay, just clear planning.

• Introduce characters and assemble the group.
• Set the plan of action.
• Determine expected travel time.
• Review reminders:
  • Active dangers
  • Plot threads
  • Current in-world time and season
• Final gear check
• Establish marching order
• Set off!

Traveling

To reach the dungeon, you must first cross the wild. Travel speed is calculated as Move Rate ÷ 5 = Miles per day. Each hex on the map is 2 miles. Travel is always at the pace of the slowest party member.

Assign travel roles: scouts, lookouts, hunters, and more. One character serves as the leader and will roll for getting lost or triggering encounters.

Early on, nearby dungeons make travel minimal, but this phase grows more important as the party explores further afield.

Crawling

Dungeon exploration is measured in 10-minute turns. Each turn, the group can move up to their full move rate (in feet) and take one main action. Moving slower increases chances of detecting traps and hidden doors.

This game is player-driven, not dice-driven. You don’t roll to find a secret door. Instead, describe your actions: "I inspect the wolf head on the wall and pull its jaw." If that’s the trigger, it opens. It’s about smart play, not high rolls.

Just like in travel, always consider what your character contributes to the group in this phase.

Encounter

The pace slows here. Tension rises. Every second matters. The encounter phase follows a strict action order:

1. Declarations: Before initiative, spellcasters declare if they are casting. Fighters declare if they’re retreating or fleeing. These choices are locked in!
2. Initiative: One PC (usually in the most danger) rolls 1d6. The Referee rolls another 1d6. Higher result acts first. Ties go to the players.
3. Movement: You may move up to 1/3rd your move rate in feet. Your turn ends after moving if you take any action.
4. Ranged Attacks: Resolve all ranged attacks next. These end your turn.
5. Melee Attacks: Then, resolve all melee attacks.
6. Heavy & Slow Weapons: These attack now, regardless of type.
7. Spells Resolve: All previously declared spells now take effect.
8. Opponents Act: Now it's the enemy’s turn to do the same.

Return

After the delve, the party returns to town—if they survive. You don’t need to return every session, but it’s the only place where full recovery and rest are available.

Once the group is safe, begin "The Take": divide treasure, pay helpers, and distribute experience.

Two decisions must be made during this phace:

• Where Next: The group declares their destination. This is what they prepare for next time. Everything else is out of scope.
• Downtime Duration: The group decides how many days pass. Each character gains one downtime action and heals 1d3 HP per day. More downtime allows for crafting and research—but the world will change in your absence.

One player writes a session recap and earns +10 XP for each of the following details included:

• Who was involved?
• Date of the session (in-world and real-world)
• What was explored?
• What dangers were faced?
• What was discovered?
• What plot thread changed or resolved?
• What remains unexplored?
• Where will the party go next?
• If a TPK occurred, where were they last seen?