Community Edition

What is the Community Edition?

Grimwild: Community Edition is a refinement of the original game. We wanted to expand the rules text, clarifying and simplifying where we could to make the game easier for newcomers. We've addressed consistent friction points and FAQs that have come up since the game's original release in January 2025. The game is now in the community's hands. Use it, change it, or build off of it, and tell exciting stories!

Previous previews:

1.4 (Original) to Current CE Version

General

  • Chapters reordered.
  • Overall clarity and guidance.

Chapter 1: Gameplay

  • Risk added as a section.
  • Impossible decoupled from 3t, though general rolls should still have 0-2 thorns.
  • Vantage scale replaced with certain/reasonable/doubtful/impossible.
  • Critical Effect - Secondary Effect: codified as perfect on a different, but related action.
  • Any pool dropping 0d gains a secondary effect, or the PC can push themselves to drop 1d (not just on a 1d initial pool).
  • Push Yourself always gives a mark.
  • Story (meta-currency) renamed Thread.
  • Harm clarified as the standard weight of an impact move, not the default. Additional harm suggestions added.
  • Bloodied and Rattled thorns only apply to their respective stats.
  • Desperate added as harm upon second bloodied or rattled, instead of dropped. Additional harm leaves you dropped.
  • "Death" options added, such as sacrifice, retirement, and another end.
  • Treatment does not always carry risk, though often does.
  • Potency is connected to vantage, and no longer always removes all thorns.
  • Cantrips have been removed.
  • Spells without risk are automatically successful and require no resource.
  • Rituals are cast with invocations, instead of rites.
  • Potent spells (like actions) no longer always remove all thorns.
  • "What can spells do?" section added.
  • Arcana was overhauled into a new system that puts all arcana of the same tier on the same power level.
  • Arcana uses whichever stat makes the most sense, as any other action (or a story roll).
  • Artifacts are arcana with a 6d power pool, and any special limitations or effects.

Chapter 2: Adventurers

  • Party concepts updated: added Merchants and Scholars, cut Avengers and Vassals.
  • Heritage talent suggestions added.
  • Investigator added as a background.
  • Background talents added.
  • Guidance and inspiration boxes added under various talents.
  • All talents can only be taken once.
  • Talents that affect Vigilance have been made more general.
  • Bard core talent reworked.
    • Removed Influence.
    • Added Folk Hero.
    • Changed Jack of All Trades.
  • Berserker path talents War Songs replaced with Warcry.
  • Clerics cast with rite pools instead of domain pools, and have had their growth increased.
    • Buffed Healer.
    • Changed Iron Will to a resource pool.
  • Druid Wild Shape pool is a resource pool (and so works even if dropped to 0d), and its size has been lowered to compensate.
    • Removed Verdant Whispers (effects added to Kindred Spirits).
    • Added Augury.
    • Changed Primordial Bonds, renamed Primordial Forces.
  • Fighter core talent replaced.
    • Changed Bulwark to a resource pool.
  • Monk path talents changed.
    • Removed Flow State and Primordial Forces.
    • Added Redirect and Resonance.
    • Slight buff to Tether.
  • Paladin path talents changed.
    • Aegis and Guardian changed, each with parts of both. Aegis is focused on self-protection, and Guardian is focused on protecting allies.
  • Ranger core talent buffed.
  • Rogue core talent expanded to allow picking skills, growth changed.
    • Removed Trap Sense.
    • Added Distraction.
    • Changed According to Plan to include all flashbacks.
  • Sorcerer core talent expanded to allow different Magical Twists.
    • Changed Subtle Casting to Metamagic, allowing multiple spell changes.
    • Changed Wisps.
  • Warlock core talent replaced.
    • Removed Hex.
    • Added Affliction.
    • Slight buff to Knowing Gaze.
    • Changed Visions and Wayfarer.
    • Ritualist renamed to Blood Rituals, slight buff.
    • Eldritch Weaponry renamed to Magus, reworked.
  • Wizard path talent changed.
    • Removed Prepared Spell (Rogue's According to Plan covers effects).
    • Added Component Pouch.
    • Changed Arcanist to Archivist for new arcana rules.

Chapter 3: GM Toolkit

  • Stakes are tied to potential harm and split into Low/Regular/High/Dire.
  • Story Moves cut completely, added as guidance. Spotlight is now a system term.
  • Suspense moves cut to Resolve, Foreshadow, Build Up, and Clue In.
  • Impact moves cut to Complicate Things, Hit Hard, Lock Down, and Counter.
  • Lock Down combines the old moves Force A Choice and Lock It In.
  • Battlegrounds added as a Challenge option.
  • The Marauder and Overseer monster roles were removed.

Chapter 4: Exploration

  • All points of interest, paths, buildings, and rooms are explained.
  • Repeated words on crucibles were replaced.
  • Expanded to include Downtime rules.

Chapter 5: Monsters

  • The occasional monster role has been updated.
  • Added the Kraken, Land Shark, and Mephit.

Chapter 6: Player Options

  • The Psion core talent has been replaced, with many path talent changes.
  • The Artificer core talent has been reworked, with many path talent changes.
  • The Summoner, Swashbuckler, and Witch have been added as new path options.
  • Legacy talents, those cut from previous editions added.

Chapter 7: Game Options

  • Setting Dials added.
  • Optional Rules added.
  • Flavors of Fantasy expanded to one page each.
  • Story Kit Explanation added, with full kits moved to printable sheets.
  • Expanded solo play rules.

Chapter 8: Extras

  • Hex Flowers added as GM Tool.
  • Story Kit Explanation added.
  • Expanded solo play rules added.
  • List of Arcana added.
  • Random Potion Generator updated from 1.4.