10. StoryGuide’s Codex

Guiding the Story

Many great books, podcasts, and videos are already out there helping you become a great Gamemaster (GM), so this section will focus on helping you create, run, and enjoy SagaBorn and Dark Return games. In SagaBorn, we call the GM the StoryGuide (SG). The following suggestions and optional rules can serve as foundational guidelines for your games. 

The Story Guide Motto for SagaBorn:

The StoryGuide (SG) is a fan of the player. The StoryGuide should make rulings in favor of the players during ties, rules interpretations, and cinematic flair. 

About the World of the Dark Return

Atheles has long suffered under the shadow of many catastrophes, and its cultures and people reflect that. They have long been afraid of what might come in the next cycle or what lurks out in the dark, empty woods between settlements. You should convey this to your players as they begin their adventure. Those who brave the wilds have just as often disappeared and then returned. 

In addition, the past 30 years have seen the Dark Return of magic and monsters. Seven hundred years ago, the Disappearance occurred, leaving Atheles barren of arcane and mystical forces, artifacts, and creatures. Species bound with magic just vanished. Slowly, they have begun to creep back into the world, returning from the misty limbo between the worlds, throwing Atheles into chaos and turmoil. The actions of the player-heroes, the SagaBorn, will define and characterize this world and its stories. 

Adventure Hooks

The world of Uteria is fraught with crises and conflicts, any of which is a dire threat to the peoples of the lands.

Invasion From the Navirim

Eldritch horrors and bloodthirsty demons find their way into the world from the Navirim. Stopping their invasion might be a fool’s errand, but you are among the few who stand against the onslaught nonetheless.

The Return of Magic

The return of magic has brought peril and uncertainty to some and power to others. Will a hero who employs magic be hunted by the powerful or pious for their arcane usage? Will the local people suffer under the new yoke of an all-powerful sorcerer-queen/king? 

The Uthgard Empire

A rising new star in the north, a new King has begun amassing power for the old Kingdom of Uthgard. His armies defeated the invading giants from the tundra, and he has now turned his attention to the lands in the South that once swore fealty to his throne.

Rebellion in Kowal

The city of Kowal has recently sworn allegiance to the Uthgard Kingdom. A catastrophe ended the old power structures, but a new one, emboldened by the Ministry of the Arts and the Uthgard Royal Army, has brought an iron fist down on the city. The Duke enjoys the wealth of the metalwork factories relighting their fires. Still, whispers of rebellion skitter along the avenues and alleys of the grey city.

Demons From the Never

As magic has returned, so have the fae and elves. But that is not all: demons and other Navirites have made their way from beyond the veil and invaded Atheles. The dark places of the world now have new inhabitants.

Storms and Disaster

The Dark Return has brought massive storms to the continent. Acid rain that burns the skin or storms with their green lighting turn vast swaths of land to waste, pummeling the land relentlessly. The ecological fallout from these storms is enormous, and scholars have no idea how to combat them.

Running the Game

Being a StoryGuide in SagaBorn

As the StoryGuide (SG), you are both narrator and arbiter of the story. Your job isn’t to “beat” the players, but to give them a living world full of mysteries, dangers, and wonders. In SagaBorn, the motto is simple: everyone should be having fun – lean toward rulings that favor excitement, drama, and cinematic flair.

SagaBorn D100 is designed to handle a wide range of fantasy stories, from heroic quests to grim survival. The rules are intentionally lightweight so that you can focus on storytelling while letting dice rolls resolve moments of uncertainty.

Building Fantasy Adventures

A StoryGuide can shape adventures across many tones and themes, all within the same framework:

  1. Classic Heroic Quests
    Heroes explore dungeons, seek treasure, and face monsters. The Creature Compendium provides ready CV-based stat blocks to quickly drop in foes, whether a wolf pack (CV 1) or a wyvere (CV 5+). Combat uses DEX + 1d10 initiative, and actions flow from Move, Standard, and Free actions.
  2. Social and Political Intrigue
    Not every adventure needs combat. Skills like Persuade, Bargain, and Command allow players to navigate negotiations, court politics, or rebellion. In Kowal, for instance, intrigue may center on rebellion against the Uthgard Empire. Adjust rolls with difficulty levels – Easy, Average, or Difficult – to reflect the tension of the moment.
  3. Survival and Exploration
     The Equipment rules include practical gear – rations, ropes, and tents – that highlight the harshness of wilderness travel. Exploration scenes might rely on Spot, Listen, Survival, or Navigate, letting players use their skills to overcome obstacles like storms, ruined lands, or cursed forests. Spot rules such as cover, light, and fatigue give weight to these moments.
  4. Dark Fantasy & Horror
    For grimmer adventures, optional Horror rules track the mental toll of supernatural encounters. Facing a mummy’s curse or witnessing a dark ritual isn’t just physical danger – it may scar the mind. This lets you run adventures where sanity and morality matter as much as swordplay.
  5. High Magic Adventures
    Magic returned to Atheles only recently, so it feels rare and dangerous. Magic items are scarce, and spells can ravage the land or even cost Horror. Adventures can explore whether magic is a gift or a curse – does a sorcerer-queen use her power to uplift a city, or to enslave it?
  6. Epic Warfare or Rebellion
    The world of Atheles is scarred by wars and uprisings. You can run adventures where players rally rebels in Kowal, defend villages from Navirite demons, or march in battles against the Uthgard armies. Use Heroic Actions to model cinematic battlefield stunts like grappling ogres or rallying allies.

Using Player Resource Pools for Excitement

A story without tension quickly loses its spark, and SagaBorn’s resources (HP, Horror, Spirit Points, SagaPoints, Mana, etc.)  are built to create that tension. Each point gained or lost tells part of the story – wounds suffered in desperate combat, willpower strained by dark magic, sanity fraying against the horrors of the unknown. These mechanics are not bookkeeping; they are story beats, building excitement and pushing heroes toward daring choices, hard sacrifices, and triumphant victories.

Hit Points (HP): The Cost of Heroism

Every wound is a reminder that the heroes are risking their lives for something greater. HP isn’t just a countdown to death – it’s a measure of how much pain a character is willing to endure for their cause. When a warrior staggers with half their blood spilled, the table leans in, because the stakes are real.

Story Moment: A hero presses on with a shattered arm, losing health to bleed each round, but refusing to retreat until their companions are safe.

Spirit Points: Willpower and Wonder

Spirit Points are the energy of determination, magic, and connection to the world. Spending Spirit is more than fueling abilities – it’s a glimpse into how far a character is willing to go to bend fate. A mage might burn their last Spirit to unleash a storm of fire, or a bard might draw on hidden reserves to inspire their allies with one last song.

Story Moment: A wizard collapses after casting, but their spell shifts the tide of battle – leaving the party scrambling to defend their fallen comrade.

Saga Points: Shaping Fate

Saga Points are the players’ chance to tilt the story. They are the sudden flash of luck, the impossible shot, the miraculous survival. When they turn fate in the hero’s way, they become sparks of legend. Each use says, I am SagaBorn, and this is my story.

Story Moment: A rogue spends their last Saga Point to twist a failed leap into a daring rooftop escape, the city guards cursing below.

Horror: The Shadow Within

Horror reflects the toll of facing the unnatural. It reminds players that some victories leave scars that steel and spells can’t heal. Rising Horror isn’t punishment – it’s story tension, a creeping reminder that Atheles is not safe, and that every encounter with the dark has consequences.

Story Moment: A hero who has faced too many horrors breaks down before the party, whispering about shadows in the corner of their vision. Do their allies comfort them – or start to fear them?

Gear, Gold, and the Fragile Comforts of Life

Even mundane resources – food, light, and coin – carry story weight. A single torch burning low can turn a dungeon crawl into a desperate race against darkness. A rare healing salve found in a crumbling ruin might be worth more than gold when the party’s fighter lies bleeding. These items remind players that survival isn’t guaranteed, and that triumph often comes at the cost of hard choices.

Story Moment: With one ration left, the party shares it equally under the stars, vowing to see the journey through together.

StoryGuide’s Role in the Tension

As SG, you are the hand on the tension dial. Every lost point, every dwindling reserve, is a chance to build drama. Push the party until they wonder if they’ll make it, then give them a breath of relief, only to tighten the tension again. This rhythm of strain and release keeps the story alive, turning numbers into moments the players will remember long after the dice are put away.

Skill Challenge

Skill Challenges are a way to handle non-combat encounters and allow the players to use their characters’ skills to overcome obstacles. It can be used as a way to describe traveling, handling large social encounters, or events like a chase scene.

Choose a certain number of skill rolls needed to overcome the challenge. The resulting numbers of successes and failures define the outcome of the challenge. More successes mean the players have an easier time with the encounter, and more failures mean a harder encounter or a failure.

When making a skill challenge check, no player can go twice in a row, and no player can use the skills already used until at least 3 separate skills have been used. A player must explain how that skill is used to overcome the challenge.

Example: Wilderness Travel

# of Rolls: 5

5 successes – Beneficial encounter, merchant, ruin a treasure

4 successes – Nothing, arrive on time

3 successes – Easy encounter 

2 successes – Moderate encounter 

1 success – Hard encounter

0 successes – Horrible failure. Run! 

Encounters

Encounters are a tricky thing to design in any game. Roleplaying games are great for players, as there are so many options and so many paths for design and gameplay. When designing an encounter, it is hard to make general rules since there are so many variables in each play group. But we can try.

Social Encounters

There are a myriad of social encounters that heroes can be involved in, and the D100 system makes it pretty easy to navigate. When the player wants their character to do something, decide whether it will be easy, average, or hard, and adjust the skill challenge accordingly.

Example:

Skill Challenge: Convince Delia to reveal Arnexi’s location

Rating: Difficult (all rolls are difficult until at least 2 successes). Buying her drinks can start the challenge as average. 

# of Rolls: 7 

7 Successes – Delia tells all, how Arnexi plans to blow up a Uthgard building, where the hideout is, and even what Arnexi and his crew likes to drink.

4-6 Successes – Delia tells them the location of the hideout, though she may be a little distrusting.

2-3 Successes – Delia will give them the general direction, and they may need to do more research to find out where he is hiding.

1 Success or less – Delia refuses to tell them anything, and they may have to return another night to try again.

Heroes can use obvious skills like Fast Talk, Persuade, or Knowledge to convince Delia, but they should also be allowed to use other skills if they come up with a good reason to do so. Such as Listen, they pay attention to Delia and how she reacts and tells stories. Spot to find something on Delia’s person that they may use as a conversation starter and get her to trust them, etc.

Investigation Encounters

Investigation is handled through Skill Challenges. There can be generic clues or clues that fall into specific skill categories. Often, there are also extra clues based on how well the skill check is handled. In an investigation, players will often come up with wild uses for their skills. Never limit yourself to the listed clues; if they have a great idea and roll well, reward them for thinking outside the box.

Example:

Skill Challenge: Gold has been stolen from a chest. Vekka the elfling was hired to steal the coins for a minor lord who wants to sell them at an auction later in the week.

Rating: Average

# of Rolls: 3

Clues:

  • Perception (Spot, Track) – The chest was not forced open. Special: There is a dirty handprint on the side. Critical: the hand is the size of an elflings hand.
  • Mental (Appraise, Knowledge, Strategy, Survival) – The contents of the chest are rare coins. Special – there are a few collectors who would pay a lot for these coins. Critical: One coin collector is hosting an auction event this week.
  • Dexterous (Art, Fine Manipulation, Repair) – This lock can only be picked by a specific set of tools.
  • The coin’s owner, Ms. Revelia, is a well-known braggart and probably told many of her small, rare coin collection.
  • The coins are ancient Valantian.
  • The elfling came through a small window in the basement.

Optional Tension Layers

Add these when you want a darker, investigative tone.

Tension TypeTrigger
Time PressureEach failure adds 1 “Time Point.” When 3 points are reached, time runs out (guards arrive, suspect flees, evidence lost).
Danger EscalationEach failure increases nearby threat awareness. After 2 failures, roll a Random Encounter or introduce a guard, trap, or suspect.
Horror StressIf clues involve gore, the occult, or the Navirim, require a Horror Check (0/1d2 or 1/1d4) on discovery.
False LeadOn a fumble, feed a misleading clue that can waste time or resources until cross-checked.

Resolution and Rewards

  • When the challenge ends, recap the evidence and what it implies.
  • Each participating hero marks successfully used skills for potential advancement.
  • Optional: award +1 Saga Point if the group used creative teamwork or suffered notable complications.

Combat Encounters

Combat is where we can get into sticky issues with encounters. A social encounter is not often life or death for a character.

Combat Rule One – Take it easy. SagaBorn D100 is designed to be enjoyable for both players and the StoryGuide. It is not as overwhelming as some other big games with monsters having 30 abilities and spells. You can even ask yourself, does this creature need a specific stat block? An encounter may only need 3-4 Skills and one Special Ability or Talent to make it interesting.

Here are quotes from the Basic Roleplaying (the core system SagaBorn D100 comes from):

“As a gamemaster, the first question to ask yourself is whether you actually need a stat block at all. Do you, as gamemaster, foresee any circumstances where this particular NPC or creature will be pitted against the player characters in a way that escalates beyond a single ability, whether it be a characteristic or skill?”

“Combat or physical challenges are where things get trickier, but I always advise erring on the side of doing as little work as possible when it comes to stat blocks. In the spirit of complete transparency, as a gamemaster, I rarely use anything other than the generic write-up of an NPC where combat is concerned, making minor changes on the fly as required (weapons, armor, magic), and happily use an absolute basic system for statting out combat-ready NPCs in a hurry.

Here’s the secret formula:

Mediocre NPCs (noncombatants, etc.) have 8 in all characteristics, 8 hit points, no armor, and are at a 25% chance to do anything. They do 1D4 damage.

Average NPCs have 10 in all characteristics, 10 hit points, 2 points of armor, and have a 50% chance of doing anything. They do 1D6+1 damage.

Competent NPCs have 12 in all characteristics, 12 hit points, 4 points of armor, and have a 60% chance of doing anything.

Excellent NPCs have 15 in all characteristics, 15 hit points, 6 points of armor, and have a 75% chance of doing anything.

This way, I can spend my creative time customizing only one really good NPC who needs a wide range of skills and abilities, vs. devoting a lot of time to NPCs who might never enter combat, or who might be taken out in a single blow.”

We also incorporated this into our design philosophy, as seen in the NPC stats we created for our Creature Compendium. We made the CV system to try to give SG’s an easy way to create an encounter, but there are always snags, exceptions, and player dynamics. 

Don’t be too harsh on yourself if the party of 6 orlocks were defeated easily. If the players felt challenged, then it was a good encounter, even if they emerged unscathed.

The real thing to remember always is to ask, “Are we having fun?” If the answer is yes, then it was a good encounter.

Combat Rule Two – Action Economy Rules. The heroes facing off against six enemies will almost always create a more dynamic battle than them facing off against a single foe (even if that foe is much stronger). SagaBorn D100 combat is built around the idea of much higher than average skill successes, offset by damage reduction from AV and the target’s ability to Parry and Dodge. Unlike other games, it is much easier to figure out the chances of success, as the percentage is right there in the skill. But as special damage reduces AV, and the reduction in skill from Parry and Dodge for each use, a single target can get worn down very quickly.

There are several options to address this issue. One is for the solitary target to do more damage. With a successful hit, a hero takes a larger amount of damage, making the battle more dangerous. The second option is to give them more hit points. This is covered in the Creature Compendium, where there are options for upgrading an NPC to a Champion or Boss. An ogre having 117 HP is going to last at least a few combat rounds. Talents are a third route. There are talents that split the defense pools for Dode/Parry/Shield, which can aid in the survivability of a single foe. Or a talent like Riposte, which grants an extra attack to the foe. Special abilities, spells, or items can also add to the battle. Elemental damage bypasses AV, allowing the players and the SG to handle characters with high AV. A large creature that has a whirlwind knockback can stop it from getting overwhelmed by flankers.

There are many ways to balance out action economy in combat, and there is no one simple solution. But without the constant scaling of damage and Hit Points that is common in other fantasy games, once you have a feel for the D100 system, encounters tend to just fall into place.

Combat Rule Three – Let the players and the dice balance the encounter. Throw something hard at them and see how they fare! As long as you communicate with your players if the battle turns against them, let them know this may overwhelm them, and they make the decision on how it gets balanced, either by running or by sacrifice. SagaBorn D100 has a death mechanic that allows players to take a scar or injury instead of dying. They could get captured. They could retreat and come back with a better strategy. As long as it isn’t a gotcha moment, and the players feel they have agency in the game and story, the encounter will just add to the fun.

Treasure:

After those encounters, how do we reward the heroes and the players?

Overall Treasure Value

RatingCreature CVWandering Treasure ValueAverage Treasure Value (Hoard)Rich Treasure Value
Very Easy1/85 sp1 gp3 gp
Very Easy1/41 gp2 gp6 gp
Easy1/22 gp5 gp15 gp
Easy112 gp25 gp75 gp
Average225 gp100 gp300 gp
Hard340 gp200 gp600 gp
Very Hard4150 gp600 gp1800 gp

Types of Rewards

  • Gold, of course
  • Spells
  • Charged Magic Items
  • Expertise
  • Renown

Random Treasure Tables$$

Story Guide Reward Checklist

Start of Session:

  • Starting Saga Point

After or During Session:

  • Treasure
  • Extra Saga Points
  • Expertise
  • Renown

Economy

The economy in the world of Atheles is a struggling one, with most people relying on agriculture, fishing, and hunting to make a living. The wealthy and powerful people in the world hold most of the wealth, and the poor and downtrodden are often left to fend for themselves. The warring factions fight over resources, which further destabilizes the economy. Inflation is rampant, and many find it difficult to make ends meet.

How to deal with treasure in Atheles:

  • Make money worth something
  • Goods are scarce; not every shop has everything adventurers want. Many shops have little operating funds, and thus a smaller selection of items. Make the adventurers covet good gear and goods.
  • Money can be spent on finding equipment, building strongholds, and paying allies.

Spell Worth

What is a spell worth? You may find a scroll in a treasure hoard or ask a trusted mentor to teach you a spell. These spells have a value that may fluctuate but generally follow the chart below in average cost. This is for an artificed magic item, and the price is for an item with one charge. This can also be used to figure out the worth of a spellbook, with the spells worth being its Mana per level.

ManaWorth
150 gp
2100 gp
3200 gp
4500gp
51500gp
61800 gp
72100 gp
83200 gp
9+Spell Mana x 500 gp

Traps

Traps as Puzzles

We suggest running traps in Sagaborn as puzzles as opposed to a “gotcha” moment. No one likes a bunch of boulders just dropping on their head without a chance to discover that in advance or how to avoid triggering it. Traps should make the experience fun and discourage players from slowing down gameplay with their constant fear of traps. A common occurrence we have seen is that once a player encounters a trap, they spend the rest of the night tapping every stone with a 10’ pole. That is decidedly not fun for anyone. 

The best way to counter this is to treat the trap as a puzzle for the players to solve. We want to build a sense of wariness, mystery, and suspense, but we don’t want wariness devolving into tedium. The mechanical change we have made to trapfinding is that the SG initiates the search for the trap rather than the players.

When a trap is in an area, the SG should call for a Spot check. If there is a rogue archetype in the party, they should be the first to search. Otherwise, the party picks someone in their group to roll the check. If the roll is a success, they are aware of the trap and given a clue as to how it works. The party can now decide whether to try to circumvent the trap or attempt to disable it. 

Example: Success in Discovering a Trap 

The adventurers are heading down a narrow hallway, with Krimson the Rogue is second from the lead. There is a poisoned dart trap in the hall. The SG calls for an Spot check. Krimson Spots and rolls a 23, which is a success. The SG tells Krimson he sees three small, round openings in the wall and that the floor looks different under those holes. Krimson inspects the trap and sees that it is a poisoned dart trap with a pressure plate. The problem is that the pressure plate is as wide as the hall and six feet in length. Either he disables the trap, which then uses Fine Manipulation, or the party tries to jump over it. Good luck.

Example: Failure in Discovering a Trap 

Using the example above, Krimson rolls a 95 Spot check, failing to spot the trap. Milentus, in the lead, walks onto the pressure plate and springs the trap.

Gameplay

Dark Fate Points

When a player uses a Saga Point, the StoryGuide gains a Dark Fate Point. These points can be used to buff NPCs. When a game session is over, the SG loses all unused Dark Fate.

Dark Fate Action Chart

Dark Fate CostActions
2Strength of Will – Add 1d6 damage to a roll.
2A Step to the Left – Ignore 1/2 of the last damage.
2Fated Resistance – A save becomes Easy
3Dark Luck – Reroll one die.
4Push It – one NPC gets a second wind and regains 2d6+2 HP.
5The Last Gasp – A dying NPC gets one Standard Action before they die.
6Evil Never Dies – a dying NPC recovers 25% of their hit points and mana, rising up from almost death. 

Social

Bonding

As adventurers travel together, they talk, help, console, or annoy each other. When long periods of downtime or travel occur, they often Bond. An adventurer chooses someone else in the party, rolls 1d10 plus SOC, and refers to the chart below.

18+: Bonding 

13-17: Reveal

12 or lower: Enmity

Bonding: The chosen character bonds with the other over a specific event or discussion.

Reveal: The chosen character reveals something about themselves to the other.

Enmity: The chosen character upsets the other with an action or conversation.

These interactions should be recorded in the Notes section of the player’s character sheet.