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Terroir is a tabletop roleplaying game that is about exploration and storytelling. It can be played with 2 or more players, but 4 or 5 are ideal. This system is made up of a small collection of simple rules and has a mild amount of bookkeeping (updating character information during play).
Terroir does not have a built in setting, but gives players the structure needed to develop closed-world environments that allow for open exploration. While there is a Game Moderator role, the rest of the players also play a part in world-building and story narrative during the game.
Terroir is made specifically for short journeys in new lands that are only heard of in rumors where characters unravel the story of this new land through the environment itself while they also find themselves being changed the more they explore. There are guidelines for playing longer campaigns as well.
While there is no explicit world setting in Terroir, there is a sort of conceptual setting across Journeys known as The Path. In-game The Path can be seen as a multiversal entity that stretches across the worlds being explored.
It draws characters from their comfortable homes out into the wild unknown. It stretches from the edge of the universe toward civilization, mutating all aspects of the world that it comes into contact with. Those who explore The Path will end up changed as they discover secrets of lost worlds made new.
Each scenario that the players run through has its own setting. There is also an explicit reason that the Explorers are on the path. It may be a sought after treasure, a life-changing relic, or finding a person of great importance.
Each of the players who are not the Game Moderator control a character known as an Explorer. Depending on the Journey the players are using, each Explorer may have their own reason for exploring The Path or they may all have the same reason. This could also be determined by Backgrounds chosen by the players.
This is not that important. The Backgrounds as you will see give very little information about the actual characters. The backstory of each character is not very important, because the details of these characters are meant to be explored during the Journey.
For the most part these characters are just like everyone else before they step foot on The Path.
When a Journey is chosen to play through, whether it is a published adventure or something your GM handcrafts, there will often be a selection of Backgrounds tailored to this specific world. But rather than being a specific person or a class, which you might encounter in other games, a Background is sort of like a character concept or a prototype. At the GM's discretion, Backgrounds can also be created by hand by the players with the GM involved, but generally this should be an option open to the players.
Title: Monger
Description: You have sold it all. Everything that has passed through your hands, you have turned to gain. If it was not for certain laws, you would have long ago sold the clothes off of your back. But having nothing means you always are on the look for something.
Talents
Skills
Vigor: 2
Hope: 1
Drive: You must sell, but in order to sell you must first gain. Acquire Goods
Obsession: Sell goods
Belongings: None. All 10 slots are open to be Claimed.
Some of this information is only flavor and gives a loose description of who the Explorer was before they arrived on The Path. Players are encouraged to play into or away from the description as much as they like. Backgrounds are mainly an easy way for players to start playing while also providing some context for the type of world they are in.
The following sections of this chapter will describe all of the functional pieces found in a Background as well as the other Explorer information that is gained during play.
At the end of this chapter, there is a section that includes advice for crafting new Backgrounds.
When Explorers are faced with a Challenge, they will roll a pool of dice equal to one of the below stats depending on the nature of the Challenge. The intent is to meet or exceed the Challenge Rating set by the GM. Each die that is a 4, 5, or 6 counts as a success.
The Mental Challenge Stat
Used for solving puzzles, remembering names, deciphering codes, etc.
The Physical Challenge Stat
Used for pushing boulders, climbing a cliffside, opening a jammed door, etc.
The Emotional Challenge Stat
Used for convincing characters to complete a task, forcing yourself to cry, assess someone’s emotions, etc.
A list that denotes what an Explorer excels at. When rolling for a Challenge, the Player can suggest a relevant Skill their Expolorer has. If the GM agrees to its relevance, the Player adds a number of dice equal to that Skill's value to their dice pool. Skills generally have a value between 1-3.
Skills tend to be more specific rather than general. Explorers shouldn't have Fighting as a Skill. Instead they should have Brawl, Bow, Spear, Throw, etc. But what makes up an acceptable Skill that is appropriate for the setting should ultimately be a conversation between the GM and the Players.
There is no set list of Skills. Skills are decided and interpreted as a conversation between all players.
A character stat that determines what number of dice are available to be rolled when Tending Wounds, an action that allows Explorers to get rid of negative effects their characters have gained. This stat has a max value and a current value both of which usually are between 1-5.
There are three parts to a Drive. First, the flavor text that describes what this Explorer is driven by and what they hope to accomplish throughout their Journey. Second, the mechanical text that defines how the Explorer achieves this Drive. Third, a point pool.
Whenever an Explorer achieves the Drive as written in the mechanical text, they immediately earn 1 Drive. These Drive points can be used in two different ways. First, adding extra dice to Challenge rolls. 1 point adds 1 die. Second, converting Drive to Morale on a 1-to-1 basis when an Explorer is Telling Stories at The Pyre.
Obsession initially may look similar to the Drive, but it is only a narrative action that Explorers take. It can be seen as a compulsory or ritualistic action taken by the Explorer throughout their Journey. This often requires some component to complete.
Performing an Obsession will create a Waypoint at the location where the Obsession was performed. This Waypoint allows only that Explorer to travel to the Waypoint. Waypoint travelling is explained in more details here.
A collection of items that can be used during Challenges. Belongings must be narratively useful. When a Belonging is used in a Challenge, 3s on dice can be counted as successes as well as 4s, 5s, and 6s. More than one Belonging can be used during a Challenge if it makes sense narratively to also include 2s on dice. Players aiding in the Challenge can also offer their Belongings. If enough Belongings would be used to include 1s as successes, no roll is needed. Whether or not Belongings are lost after use is determined by the GM based on the narrative.
Each Background has 10 item slots. Backgrounds can start with any number of Belongings, but usually have between 2-5. These slots that have items at the beginning of play are Claimed and the rest are Unclaimed.
All throughout a Journey, Explorers Claim a slot by deciding they brought a specific item with them that was not already listed. This can only be done with Unclaimed slots. Once a slot is Claimed, even if the item in the slot is discarded, lost, or used up, the Explorer can not use it to Claim a Belonging. That just becomes an empty spot in their luggage, that they can put anything they find in the world in. Unclaimed spots can also be counted as empty for the sake of picking up some found item.
A point pool shared with the entire company. The pool is increased when Explorers are Telling Stories and is decreased during Challenges and Contests.
A list of the physical damage an Explorer has experienced. A Wound has a degree of Minor, Medium, or Major or 1, 2, or 3. When the Explorer attempts a Challenge involving the Wounded part of their body, the CR is increased by the degree of the Wound. Wounds can also make Challenges of actions that normally wouldn’t be. Wounds can be healed at The Pyre by Tending Wounds.
A list of mental damage an Explorer has experienced. A Trauma has a degree of Unease, Worry, Fear, Dread, and Torture or 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. These are gained as the result of a failed Challenge when determined appropriate by the GM. The Trauma will be related to the Challenge that was failed.
When the Explorer is attempting a Challenge related to a Trauma, they have dice removed from their pool equal to the degree of the Trauma. Trauma is lessened by Facing Trauma, or succeeding a Challenge that involves their Trauma. The Trauma is immediately removed after success regardless of the degree.
A list of characteristics that an Explorer gains during their Journey. These are non-mechanical by default. They are generally related to the Theme and Symbolism of the Journey. Changes can either be gained through the narrative of the Journey as results of various actions or when an Explorer exceeds a predetermined threshold for their Discovery.
Discovery is the manure of Terroir. This one pool of points enables characters to grow in their abilities, allows players to help shape the world, and acts as a reward for being a part of the world.
There are three different ways to earn Discovery:
The above descriptions may appear vague, but ultimately if the Explorers are interacting with the world in an intentional way, they will receive Discovery. The discernment is up to the GM’s discretion to safeguard against lazy point-farming. That being said, an Explorer can always request Discovery for an action if the GM does not grant it automatically. If for some reason the GM does not agree that an action deserves a Discovery but all of the Explorers do, then Discovery is granted. Ultimately the GM should be granting Discovery more often than they are denying it.
There are three different uses of Discovery:
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Adventuring in lands unknown takes time and requires discipline. Each day has 4 segments: Morning, Midday, Evening, and Night. The basic structure of a day is that exploration takes place in the Morning and Midday, Pyre activities take place in the Evening, and Rest takes place at night.
Individual Players can choose what actions to take at what part of the day, but deviating from the standard can have consequences. A Player may choose to Rest during Morning, Midday, or Evening at the risk of falling prey to enemies or missing out on Pyreside activities with the rest of the travelers. Adventuring can take place at Evening or Night but could again miss the camaraderie with others or end up without Rest for that day. But exploring during the Evening or Night may reveal situations, creatures, travelers, or objects that otherwise would not occur.
How quickly time moves when exploring is up to the GM’s discretion. Time at the Pyre though seems to stand still. Characters have time to tell stories, tend wounds, reflect on the day to learn, or other simple activities. At the same time as soon as these Pyreside activities are finished, it is Night (or whatever follows the part of day the Character was at the Pyre). Rest takes a full segment of the day. Players may at anytime decide to Wait until a specific Time.
Players are encouraged to use a d4 to keep track of what time of day it is.
Throughout the Journey, Explorers will come across obstacles in their way. Generally these are pre-determined as a part of the Journey write-up, but they can also be come up with by the GM on the spot.
At such a moment, the GM will declare There is a Problem… This signals to the Explorers that something is blocking their progress on the Journey. It may not always be obvious to the Explorers how this is a Problem is blocking their path, but this declaration by the GM will let them know it is important.
A Problem has a title and a description. The title is a brief, evocative statement while the description gives more detail on what it is that needs to be addressed. These descriptions should not tell the Explorers how to solve the Problem, but it should make it clear at what point the Problem will be considered solved. While the description gives most of the detail, the title should be descriptive enough to distinguish it from other Problems and allow the Explorers to quickly recall the details. As mentioned previously solving a Problem will grant the Explorers Discovery.
Characters are crossing a field of shimmering wheat when the come across an old, barren, and contorted tree. “There’s a problem…” announces the GM. “This tree bears no fruit.” The GM has setup the fruit this tree produces as an option later in the Journey for getting into a sacred temple.
Explorers are expected to find creative ways to solve or move past the Problems that they face. GMs should have at least one possible solution in mind that they can setup or allude to. Explorers may not have what they need to overcome a Problem or they may want to explore other parts of the Journey before dealing with this Problem. They can write down the Title of the Problem on their sheet and the location of it as well as marking it on their map in order to return to it later.
In the above example, one player may suggest a rumor roll that creates a stream with regenerative properties. Another player might try using a magic scroll of health to restore the tree. An especially creative player may Claim a place in the Belongings for a piece of fruit, placing it on the tree. Using a play on words, they’ve made it so the tree now “bears fruit”. The GM could consider any of these as proper solutions
Players are encouraged to come up with ideas together, combine their Belongings, or to each carry out different parts of a plan.
Whenever an Explorer tries to take action that may be risky or include interesting consequences for failure, it is considered a Challenge and requires the Explorer to roll dice. Whenever an Explorer takes action they should explain what they are trying to do and how they are trying to do it.
A player decides to swim underwater to find an underwater cave. The GM asks what their is approach for finding the cave. The player could try remembering instructions given to them, but they decide to brute force it by holding their breath til they find the cave.
If the GM decides the action contains risk or is able to think of interesting failure consequences, they will call for a Challenge by setting a Challenge Rating, usually 1 to 5, and tell the Explorer what Talent should be used to roll, Mind, Body, or Heart. The Explorer then takes a number of dice equal to the value of their Talent.
The GM says that will be a CR of 3 using their Body Talent. The player agrees since they have a higher body than anything else at 4, meaning they start with a base dice pool of 4.
If the Explorer believes that one of their Skills is relevant to the Challenge and the GM agrees, they can add the number of dice equal to that Skill to their dice pool.
The player points out that they do have Walk The Plank as a Skill. They argue this would help them to dive down further so they don’t have to hold their breath as long. This skill is a 1 so they add 1 die to their pool.
If the Explorer believes that any of their Belongings are relevant to the Challenge and the GM agrees, they can count 3s and 2s on dice as successes if 1 or 2 Belongings are used. If 3 Belongings are used, there is no need for a roll on the Challenge.
In some cases, depending on what an Explorer is trying to accomplish, the GM may determine that a Challenge is not even feasible without a relevant Belonging. In this case using such a Belonging would not affect the success of dice, but instead allow a Challenge Roll to be made.
The Explorer doesn’t have any items that would help, so they Claim one of their spots to grab a snorkel. This wouldn’t get them all the way underwater, but it would allow them to look around from the surface before taking the dive. Now dice that are rolled as 3 count as successes as well.
Other Explorers can also offer to help on the Challenge by general aid, Skills, and/or Belongings. General aid grants a single die to the pool, a relevant Skill grants 2 dice, and Belongings offer the same benefit as usual.
The use of Skills, Belongings, and Aid are all at the discretion of the GM to determine if using them makes sense to the narrative actions taking place.
[Quick Challenge (Endurance) Example]
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During the Journey, Explorers may think of items, characters, creatures, and even places that they would enjoy to have added to the adventure. At any point during the Journey, an Explorer can declare I heard a rumor… followed by what element they would like to see included.
At this point, the Explorer will make a Rumor roll. Based on the Explorer’s description the GM will decide on a value typically from 1 to 10 (though it could be more). The total of the Explorer’s Discovery minus the Rumor Rating that the GM decided on is the target number that the Explorer needs to roll at or under using a d10.
The things that the GM should consider when determining the Rumor Rating are the complexity, scale, and benefit of the Explorer’s description.
Complexity: How many aspects are there to the Rumor? The more specific the Rumor is, the higher the rating.
Scale: How large is the object or effect of the rumor? The bigger object is or the more things the rumor affects, the higher the rating.
Benefit: How much of a boon to the Explorers is this rumor? If there are elements of the Rumor that could be a threat to the Explorers, the rating can be decreased.
If the Explorer rolls at or under the target number, then the Rumor is true as described. If they roll over the target number, the GM can choose to add a twist or complication to the Rumor.
During the Journey, players are encouraged to make a point map. A point map simply shows a specified location and the connections between it and another specified location. Point maps are helpful for linking locations of undefined size. One point could be a cottage in the woods while another point could be the entire forest. Names may be provided by the GM, but if not Explorers are free to give the location a name.
It can also be helpful to denote if a location has a Waypoint or unsolved Problems. You can write W and P respectively or you can come up with whatever archaic symbols that speak to you.
Any palpable knowledge that a player has gained during their Journey. It can be helpful to write down such facts for players to remember later. Often Lore will give Explorers clues to Challenges in the future.
One of the three primary activities that Explorers can do at The Pyre is Telling Stories, where one of the Explorers will tell a story of their past, before The Path. The stories should not be longer than a 5 minute narration.
Each time a listening Explorer hears something they find valuable about the storyteller, they place a die in front of the player telling the story. Each die presented is 1 Hope that the player is converting to Morale.
It is recommended that each player only tell one story for each period at the Pyre, but this is up to GM and the table’s discretion.
The second of the primary pyre activities is Learning which allows Explorers to upgrade their Talents, Vigor, Endurance, and Skills.
Regardless of what Challenges were faced since the Explorer last rested at a Pyre, a player may spend 10 Discovery to increase any one of their Talents by 1.
Any Skills that were used during Challenges (regardless if the Challenge was succeeded or not) can be upgraded by spending 3 times the new level of Skill in Discovery Points. So if you’re increasing a Skill to 2, it costs 6 Discovery. If you’re increasing a Skill to 3 it costs 9 Discovery and so on.
To learn a new Skill, the Explorer must declare a situation since they last rested at a Pyre and tell the GM what relevant Skill they would like to learn. If the GM approves, then the Explorer can add the Skill to their list by spending 3 Discovery, since it starts at level 1.
Earlier in the day, one of the players attempted to fix the wiring of a broken down vehicle. They were unsuccessful but still learned. They suggest it would be a good way to learn the Electrician Skill.
Whenever you fully heal a Wound, an Explorer can attempt to increase your Vigor. After having Tended Wounds to get rid of a Wound, the Player can roll their remaining Vigor dice. If all of the dice show up as successes (4, 5, or 6) then the Player can increase their Vigor by 1.
At the end of the day, once you have a calm moment, you might feel the sharp pang of muscles worn thin or the aching in your bones. Or your growing fears will hauntingly creep into your mind before you sleep.
There are remedies though. Whether it’s a soothing salve or tonic purchased from another traveler to ease your Wounds.
Sometimes Characters might not have the right items to quickly and easily take care of these issues, but they are not without recourse. You might find some loose rags or spilled balm in your sack. When Players don’t have any healing items they can make a Vigor Roll. They take a number of dice up to or equal to their Vigor and roll. No Skill, no Talents, no Hope. For each success, the Wound is reduced by 1, BUT if they get no successes, the Wound Gets Worse and increases by 1.
For each Vigor die used, subtract 1 from your current Vigor. Once the Explorer has rested for a full segment of the Day they regain their full Vigor.
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Another important aspect of the Pyre, is the freedom for Explorers to engage with each other or their inventory without time constraints or threats. Explorers may wish to simply converse with one another to grow character bonds or attune themselves to a new relic they found that day or train a pet.
Finally when Explorers have fully exhausted themselves and are prepared for the next day, they will take time to sleep through the night (or whatever portion of day they choose). This will take a whole segment of the day, but it will fully replenish their Vigor pool.
Some Explorers may choose to forego resting at the Pyre at night in favor of more exploration. This can reveal secrets or encounters not found during the day, but by forgoing sleep, they will not replenish their Vigor pool.
Though several pre-written Journeys are available to experience, there are tools provided to design new Journeys that create a cohesive experience for players. There are many aspects of a Journey, each described below. They are split up into three different categories based on the purpose they serve in the game. The Root aspects are the building blocks of a Journey. These are the conceptual elements that serve as waypoints for the GM to use throughout the Journey. Stem aspects are elements that fill the world in order to convey the themes and concepts for the Journey. Vines are the extraneous aspects of a journey that can push the game further.
Themes are the central guiding point for a Journey. These are an abstraction of what the Journey is “about”. There is generally a Major Theme and then a few Supporting Themes.
A Major Theme is essentially an idea/concept that the players are going to explore through all aspects of the Journey.
Some examples:
Basically a Major Theme can be whatever concept you want to explore. But it tends to be best when abstract so that it can be filled out and layered with Supporting Themes.
Supporting Themes work well when they are more specific than the Major Theme. These are not required for a Journey, but can help add complexity to the exploration and give GMs more points of reference for worldbuilding on the fly. Some examples of the Major Theme is Community:
Themes do not need to be directly related to each other. In fact choosing juxtaposing themes can create a rich story and experience for the players.
If themes are the abstract elements of the Journey then Symbols are the concrete, grounded elements. Symbols are a list of physical objects, animals, experiences, etc. that tie the themes into the world. Again these do not need to have an obvious connection to any of the Themes. Aside from creating guidelines for progressive worldbuilding, The Major Theme, Supporting Themes, and Symbols are intended to fill out the initial character of the world the players will be exploring during the Journey.
Let’s take the following Themes and see what a list of Symbols might be for them.
Major Theme: Sacrifice
Supporting Themes: Foundation, Separation, Ignoring Fate
Symbols: Lambs/Goats/Calfs, Fractured Ground, Broken Signs, Heavy Baggage, Compasses
At the start of each Journey, the explorers are given a Rumor about the region they’re exploring. This is a very literal rumor that the characters themselves have heard and is likely they reason they are venturing onto The Path.
This may involve great treasures, a lost relic, or a hidden paradise. But whatever the rumor is it should be emblematic of the world the characters are in.
For example a Rumor about a church where sinners can find absolution, tells us that the world is highly faithful, there is some general consensus of what a “sinner” is, and they cannot be easily absolved of their sins.
On the other end of the Journey lies the Revelation. This is some hidden truth about The Path and maybe the larger world. It is in contrast to the Rumor the characters hear at the beginning of the Journey, although it doesn’t necessarily contradict the Rumor. It may simply be some added knowledge that recontextualizes the information in the Rumor.
A Revelation in the case of the above example may be “Absolution is received when Sinners sacrifice themselves at a fetid altar in a grim temple.”
Not all Revelations need to be so drastic, and this isn’t necessarily something players will hear verbatim, but something they will learn through experiencing the world. There may be (and probably should be) hints at the Revelation throughout the Journey.
The best way to approach the basic elements of a Journey is to either start with a Major Theme and Revelation. Which you do first depends on your style of writing and worldbuilding. From there you would come up with Rumor and then Supporting Themes. Finally you can develop Symbols from the previous elements. It is recommended to at least have a good understanding of the direction of the above elements, before moving on to the next elements.
Each Journey is made up of a series of interconnected Locations. Locations have distinct visual differences. A forest is going to be different from a city. And a cave within a forest will also be a separate Location.
The physical layout of Locations should never be explicit. The idea is to always leave room for expansion based on gm improv and player input. When developing Locations, think about the overall story you're telling along with the Root elements described in the previous section. This should guide you in determining what enemies, characters, events, landmarks, and problems to include in each Location.
Locations can be represented by a point map, showing how the Locations are connected.
Problems are the central system of conflict in Terroir. It’s important when crafting a Journey, to spend time planning 2 or 3 Problems per location. Not all of these have to be used, but this should give you enough to develop steady pacing. It’s also a good idea to have distinct locations separated by a Problem.
Remember, Problems are used to denote a path toward progress. This allows players to always have something they can focus on. But if they only have 1 Problem at a time, they can get frustrated if they aren’t quickly able to find a solution. Having multiple Problems at a time allows players to bounce back and forth if they’re feeling stuck. This means that sometimes there can be multiple paths forward. At the same time, having too many Problems can be overwhelming and makes the Problems feel less important and memorable.
When coming up with Problems they should be appropriate for the location and tie into the Themes and Symbols if possible. While Problems have a big mechanical impact in the game, they also are a great opportunity for environmental storytelling.
When coming up with Problems they should be appropriate for the location and tie into the Themes and Symbols if possible. While Problems have a big mechanical impact in the game, they also are a great opportunity for environmental storytelling.
Problems can also be the result of failed Challenges, but it should always be made clear to the players when a Problem (a new obstacle in their way) will be the consequence for failure. That way they can choose to back out. This will cause a Problem… should be reserved when players are taking big actions that could have big effects.
If a player is trying to rough up some locals for information, they may get thrown into a cell and have to find a way to escape.
If a player is attempting to leap across a chasm, they could fall into its depths (with their fall being miraculously broken) revealing an entirely new area with it’s own challenges and obstacles.
Landmarks are a straightforward element of the Journey. They are simply another way to provide depth and environmental storytelling in the world. They also can help ground the players in each location. There could be several landmarks in an area or none.
Previously visited landmarks can change to show progression in the Journey. A sacred tree that has been felled, a previously stationary gargoyle becoming animated, a clock tower showing an impossible time.
Characters or NPCs are probably the Journey element with the most detail. These differ from Enemies in that they can be interacted with socially. Characters often have their own quests that differ to some degree from the Explorers’ quests. Characters usually are found in different locations across the Journey in sequence.
The intention is not for these Characters to become additional members of the exploring party. This should only happen for specific narrative reasons, not to give the Explorers a sort of mechanical boost.
Also by the grace of the DM, a character known as The Merchant can be introduced. Their sole purpose is to provide Explorers with means to purchase items as well as knowledge.
These are enemies found in certain areas. Unlike standard Characters, they are violent by default and do not have storylines associated with them. Typically they can only be directly dealt with through combat.
During a Journey, there may occur large shifts in the world that the players are exploring. These are known as Events. They usually have a specific trigger.
Many aspects of Terroir are rooted in structure, but the presence of these structures does not indicate a lack of agency for any of the players including the Game Moderator. The GM is encouraged to improvise challenges, characters, and even entire areas throughout the adventure where it pushes the players toward more engaging experiences and fits with the Root and Stem elements already established.
That means that in any adventure whether written by the GM or by someone else, any elements could be ignored if they don't fit with how the Explorers are progressing. For instance a character may be setup to appear in one location, but the GM may determine it will be more fitting to have them show up somewhere else.
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