By Word and Deed

By Word and Deed is a roleplaying game about heroes who grow through their deeds. Like legendary heroes of old, characters prove themselves through mighty acts that become part of their story. The game requires only a twenty sided die (d20) and can be played with or without a character sheet.

Creating Your Character

To create your character, answer three questions about who they are. Each answer should be a sentence or two that fits the tone and scale of the story you want to tell. Work with your GM to get a sense of the setting and themes of the game, and develop a background that fits in the world.

First, who are you? This establishes your identity and place in the world. “I am Beowulf, thane of the Geats,” tells us both your name and your position among your people.

Second, what do you do? This defines how you approach challenges. Beowulf might say “I prove myself through contests of strength and courage,” showing how he faces the world.

Finally, why are you here? This connects you to the immediate story. “I have come to aid Hrothgar against the monster plaguing his hall” gives both purpose and direction to your tale.

Taking Action

When you face a challenge worthy of a hero, describe what you want to do. The GM will tell you the difficulty of your action: Normal (10+) for tasks that challenge ordinary people, Difficult (15+) for those that would test even a hero, or Almost Impossible (20+) for feats at the edge of mortal capability. When Beowulf seeks to wrestle Grendel, attempting to match the monster’s inhuman strength with his own, this would be Almost Impossible.

To attempt the action, roll your d20. Your background - who you are, what you do, and why you’re here - might help you. If your background applies, add 2 to your roll. As a thane who proves himself through contests of strength, Beowulf would add 2 to his wrestling attempt. If you’ve performed a similar legendary deed before (more on that later), add 5 instead. Use only the highest bonus if multiple could apply. If you’ve mastered this type of action through previous deeds, you succeed automatically.

Working Together

Heroes need not face every challenge alone. When a companion attempts a heroic feat, other heroes can lend their aid. To support another hero, first describe how you assist their action. Your help should make narrative sense - you might brace a climber’s rope, distract an opponent, or share crucial knowledge.

Then, make a Normal (10+) check. This represents the challenge of providing effective aid in a dangerous situation. If you succeed, the hero you’re helping gains +1 to their roll.

Multiple heroes can support the same action, with their bonuses adding together. However, only actions performed alone can become legendary deeds.

Deeds and Mastery

When you roll above 20 on a check without assistance, you’ve performed a legendary deed. Write down exactly what you did - this becomes part of your character’s growing legend. When Beowulf succeeds in his wrestling match, he might record “Grappled with Grendel, matching the monster’s strength with mortal might.”

A well-recorded feat captures three things: the specific action you took, what made it challenging, and how you accomplished it. This helps everyone understand what sorts of actions your legend encompasses. Beowulf’s feat tells us he can wrestle monsters (the action), that he faced inhuman strength (the challenge), and that he relied on his own physical might (the method).

When you attempt something similar to one of your legendary deeds, add 5 to your roll. Later, when Beowulf faces Grendel’s mother, his experience wrestling monsters would aid him. If you achieve another legendary success (rolling over 20) with a such an action, you’ve mastered that type of deed. When Beowulf succeeds legendarily again at monster-wrestling, he masters this type of feat. Once you’ve mastered a type of action, you succeed at similar attempts automatically, i.e. without rolling a check. At the end of his story, Beowulf would automatically succeed at wrestling monsters, while finding new challenges in tasks that require different approaches.

Scars and Testing Fate

When you fail a check where either your Background or a deed applies, you may Test Fate by trying again. Describe how you draw upon your nature or past achievements to push beyond normal limits. If you succeed on this second attempt, you complete your action. If you fail, you gain a Scar - a lasting consequence of challenging destiny.

Like deeds, Scars should be recorded in specific detail. A well-written Scar captures:

• What you attempted
• How you failed
• The lasting consequence

When attempting actions related to your Scar, take a -5 penalty to your roll. This represents how past failures can haunt even the mightiest heroes.

Trials

Scars need not be permanent. Work with your GM to devise a significant quest or challenge that could overcome your Scar. This quest should relate meaningfully to your failure and require genuine sacrifice or risk to complete. The GM will help ensure the quest’s scope and difficulty match the significance of the Scar.

Success on a Trial not only removes the Scar’s penalty but becomes a deed in its own right - your triumph over past failure becomes part of your growing legend.

For example:

• Original Failure: “My sword arm was withered by dragon’s fire when I tried to face the wyrm’s breath head-on”
• Trial: “Restored my arm’s strength by bearing Surtur’s ember through the frozen waste”

This creates a cycle where even the greatest setbacks can become stepping stones to legend. Through trials, heroes can transform their accumulated failures into triumphs that define their tale.

Scars and Mastery

Mastery and Scars operate independently. Having mastered an ability doesn’t protect you from Scars, and Scars create their own challenges separate from mastered abilities.

A master swordsman who gains the Scar “My eyes falter in the glare of magical light” would still automatically succeed at all swordplay. However, when magical light appears, they must make a separate roll to overcome their sensitivity to it, taking the -5 penalty. The swordfight and the challenge of the light are two distinct tests.

Similarly, a master thief with the Scar “My fingers never fully healed from the guardian construct’s trap” would still automatically succeed at picking locks. However, they must make a separate roll with the -5 penalty to endure the pain when their fingers are stressed. The lockpicking itself is automatic, but managing the pain is its own challenge.

Example Character: Beowulf

Background

• Who are you? I am Beowulf, thane of the Geats and king of my people
• What do you do? Prove myself through contests of strength and courage
• Why are you here? I am here to face the dragon that threatens my kingdom

Deeds

• Grappled with Grendel
• Held breath for a day in the mere
• Mastered wrestling monsters (Wrestled Grendel’s mother)
• Shattered giant-forged sword on Grendel’s mother’s scales
• Mastered finding weak points (Struck through dragon-fire)

Heroic Epithets

One way to capture your growing legend is through heroic epithets. These are short phrases that describe your deeds in a way that can be easily remembered and recited. Beowulf might be known as “Grendel’s Bane” or “Dragon-Slayer” based on his deeds.

Running the Game

Calling for Checks

A core principle of Ex Nihilo is that every check represents an opportunity for growth and legend-making. As such, make sure to call for checks only when three essential conditions are met:

First, the character must have a genuine chance to fail. If success is guaranteed or the action is trivial given the character’s established capabilities, no check is needed. A legendary warrior who has mastered swordplay need not roll to best common soldiers.

Second, success must be possible. If an action truly exceeds the bounds of what’s achievable in your setting, narrate the impossibility rather than calling for a roll. No mortal, no matter how skilled, can catch the moon in their hands.

Third, the action must reach beyond the character’s direct control. Checks test the hero against forces, beings, or circumstances that can actively oppose them. Simple actions that only affect the character or their possessions rarely require checks.

Note

These principles serve both practical and thematic purposes. Practically, they keep the game focused on meaningful challenges. Thematically, they ensure that each roll represents a true test of heroic ability – a moment where legend might be made. Since characters can only grow through legendary successes (rolling above 20), every check within their area of expertise carries the potential for advancement.

When in doubt, consider whether failure and success would both lead to interesting developments in the story. If either outcome would fall flat or feel unsatisfying, you might be better served by narrating the result rather than calling for a check.

Setting Difficulties

When a player attempts an action, determine its difficulty based on the scale of the challenge:

Normal (10+) represents tasks that would challenge ordinary people. While difficult for common folk, these challenges are within reach of anyone who puts their mind to it. Climbing a castle wall, tracking a creature through the wilderness, or recalling ancient lore might all be Normal challenges.

Difficult (15+) marks feats that would test even a hero. These challenges push beyond ordinary human limits into the realm of legend. Wrestling a bear, leaping between rooftops, or deciphering a forgotten language might be Difficult challenges.

Almost Impossible (20+) encompasses feats at the edge of mortal capability. Success at these challenges marks one as truly legendary. Holding back a giant’s blow, surviving a dragon’s breath, or solving an ancient puzzle box might be Almost Impossible challenges.

Items and Tools

When determining the difficulty of a task, consider how it would be accomplished with the tools at hand. The same goal might be legendary without tools but routine with the right equipment. Scaling a sheer cliff face with bare hands tests the limits of human capability, while doing so with proper climbing gear is a reasonable challenge. Breaking down a reinforced door might be Almost Impossible with brute force alone, but simply Normal difficulty with a battering ram.

Designing Deeds

Deeds are the building blocks of legend - extraordinary successes that define who a hero is becoming. When a character rolls above 20 on a check, that moment of triumph must be captured in a way that both celebrates the achievement and creates clear precedent for future actions.

Every well-crafted Deed needs three key elements: the specific action taken, what made it challenging, and how it was accomplished. These elements help establish exactly what sort of future actions the Deed might aid. “Broke the giant-king’s grip” tells us what happened, but “Matched the giant-king’s strength by channeling the ancient might of my bloodline” gives us a clear picture of what similar feats might look like.

Quick Deed Check

When reviewing a Deed, ask:

• What exactly did they do?
• Why was it challenging?
• How did they accomplish it?

If any answer is unclear, work with the player to refine the description.

Guide players to focus on the specific action that forms the core of the Deed - what exactly did their hero accomplish? This should capture not just the mechanical action (climbing, fighting, persuading) but the narrative significance of the moment. Instead of allowing “Climbed the tower,” suggest “Scaled the Tower of Midnight despite its ever-shifting stones.” The challenge faced should be clear from the description, giving context for why this particular success was worthy of legend.

When helping players define how the Deed was accomplished, encourage them to focus on the methods and abilities that made success possible. A scholar might “Decipher the Forbidden Text by tracing patterns of starlight in the words,” while a warrior might “Cleave through the demon’s guard by matching my blade’s song to its heartbeat.” These details help establish what aspects of future challenges this Deed might help overcome.

Different Settings

The same achievement in different genres:

• “Perceived the dragon’s weakness in the pattern of its scales”
• “Analyzed the alien vessel’s shield harmonics to find its resonant frequency”
• “Saw through the crime boss’s deception by reading the subtle tells in his organization”

As heroes accumulate Deeds in a particular area, watch for opportunities to develop mastery. A character who has “Called the winds to part storm clouds” might later “Command the very breath of winter,” building toward mastery over weather itself. When a second legendary success builds clearly on the first, mastery feels earned rather than arbitrary.

Work with players to find the right balance in describing Deeds. They shouldn’t be so broad that they trivialize future challenges, nor so narrow that they rarely apply. When a player suggests “Perceived the true nature of being,” guide them toward something more specific like “Saw through the dragon’s glamour by focusing on the shadows it cast.” Similarly, if they propose something too limited like “Struck the red dragon Karraxus with my sword,” help them reshape it into something more broadly applicable like “Found the weak point in ancient dragon scales by reading the patterns of their age.”

Deed-Breaking Problems

Reject Deeds that would:

• Apply to almost any situation
• Grant effective mastery over too broad a domain
• Lack any clear legendary element
• Have no connection to the original action

The goal is to create Deeds that enrich both the mechanical and narrative aspects of play. Each Deed should feel like a meaningful addition to the hero’s legend while providing clear guidance for when its bonus applies to future challenges. When players ask if a Deed applies to a situation, the answer should be clear from the Deed’s description rather than requiring lengthy debate.

Designing Scars

Scars are lasting marks of legendary failure - moments where heroes reached beyond their limits and paid a terrible price. A well-crafted Scar transforms defeat into a defining part of the hero’s legend, creating opportunities for future growth while imposing meaningful consequences.

When a character fails a Test of Fate, work with the player to design a Scar that captures both the nature of their failure and its lasting impact. A Scar should never be a mere inconvenience - it represents a fundamental change in who the hero is or how they interact with the world. When the dragon’s flames seared more than flesh, or when gazing upon an elder being shook the foundations of faith, the resulting Scar becomes part of the hero’s ongoing story.

Scar Elements

A well-crafted Scar needs:

• The specific action that failed
• The force or power that caused the failure
• The lasting consequence that resulted

All three should connect logically and suggest potential paths to redemption.

The key to crafting a meaningful Scar lies in connecting the failed action to its lasting consequence. Consider how the nature of the failure shapes its impact. A warrior who failed to match a giant’s strength might find their sword arm permanently weakened, while one who failed to stand against a demon’s gaze might find their courage broken in the face of supernatural evil. The consequence should flow naturally from the circumstances of the failure.

A Scar’s mechanical impact (-5 penalty) should manifest in specific situations that make narrative sense. When the hero whose mind was fractured by forbidden knowledge attempts to comprehend ancient texts, or when the champion whose nerve was broken by the dead must face undead foes, their Scar asserts itself. The penalty represents not just physical or mental limitation, but a deep-seated fear or weakness born from their legendary failure.

Different Settings

The same failure in different genres:

• “The dragon emperor’s flames scarred my spirit, leaving me vulnerable to magical fire”
• “The quantum core breach fragmented my consciousness across probability space”
• “The mob boss’s betrayal left me unable to trust any show of loyalty”

Remember that Scars need not be physical or visible - they can represent psychological trauma, supernatural curses, or cosmic doom. A hero might bear the mark of a god’s disfavor, carry the weight of a broken oath, or suffer from knowledge that was not meant for mortal minds. What matters is that the Scar fundamentally changes how they interact with the world in specific, narratively significant ways.

When shaping the exact wording of a Scar, be specific about both the cause and the ongoing effect. “My sword arm trembles before the children of the World Serpent” is more evocative and useful than “I fear dragons.” The former tells us not just what the character fears, but how that fear manifests and what specific circumstances trigger it. This specificity helps everyone at the table understand exactly when and how the Scar comes into play.

Scar-Breaking Problems

Avoid Scars that:

• Create only minor inconveniences
• Apply too broadly or too rarely
• Lack clear narrative connection to the failure
• Make the character unplayable

Designing Trials

Trial quests transform a hero’s catastrophic failures into opportunities for legend. Each Trial must have a clear narrative reason why completing it would overcome the Scar - either through finding someone with the power to heal you, or through an action that directly addresses the cause of your Scar.

When designing a Trial, start with this key question: How could this Scar realistically be overcome? Sometimes, the answer lies in seeking out beings of power - perhaps only the Phoenix of Dawn can restore what dragon’s fire has withered. Other times, the path to recovery requires confronting and overcoming the very thing that scarred you, like a warrior whose nerve was shattered by the dead proving themselves by leading an army against a greater undead threat.

Trial Elements

A well-designed Trial needs:

• Clear connection to the original Scar
• Logical reason why success would heal it
• Significant risk or sacrifice
• Definitive moment of resolution

Consider these two approaches to Trial design: Seeking Aid and Direct Resolution. In Seeking Aid, the hero must find someone or something with the power to remove their Scar, then prove themselves worthy of that aid. A warrior whose sword arm was withered by dragon’s fire might seek out the Forge-Mother, said to have crafted the first weapons of the gods, but must retrieve metal from the core of a dying star to earn her help.

Direct Resolution involves overcoming the Scar through actions that directly address its cause. These quests must have a clear logic for why success would resolve the original failure. A scout whose eyes were clouded by gazing on forbidden ruins might learn of another set of ruins that holds knowledge of how the ancients strengthened their sight, developing a new way of perceiving by navigating its paths while blind.

Sources of Aid

Powerful beings who might heal Scars:

• Ancient entities who remember when the world was young
• Masters who have overcome similar failures
• Spirits or forces connected to the Scar’s origin
• Creators or shapers of the power that caused the wound

Each Trial should present clear conditions for success, involve multiple legendary-scale challenges, and build toward a definitive moment of resolution. The path to redemption shouldn’t be simple or straightforward - it should test the hero in ways that prove they’ve grown beyond their original failure.

Remember that failed Trials need not be the end of a hero’s story. Sometimes, the most compelling legends arise from characters who must try multiple times, each attempt bringing them closer to understanding how to overcome their past failures. The key is ensuring each Trial maintains its legendary scale while building a logical path to redemption.

Trial-breaking Problems

Reject Trials that:

• Have no clear connection to the Scar
• Offer too easy a path to redemption
• Lack significant risk or sacrifice
• Could be completed by anyone

Genre and Scale

Ex Nihilo adapts to different genres by adjusting what counts as legendary. In mythic fantasy, wrestling a giant might be Almost Impossible, while in noir fiction, uncovering a vast conspiracy could be equally legendary. Consider three elements when setting your game’s scale:

First, establish what normal people can achieve. This sets the baseline for Normal challenges and helps define when legendary deeds begin. In a supernatural horror game, simply surviving an encounter with the unknown might be worthy of legend. In high fantasy, the same encounter might be merely Difficult.

Second, determine what marks someone as heroic in your setting. These become your Difficult challenges - feats that separate heroes from common folk. In a game about monster hunters, tracking legendary beasts might start as Difficult before becoming routine through mastery.

Third, define the upper limits of achievement. These Almost Impossible challenges represent the difference between heroes and legends. When faced with these challenges, success should feel momentous, marking a clear step in the character’s growing legend.

Examples of Play

Mythic Fantasy

In a mythic fantasy setting, legends are made through physical prowess and mighty deeds. Normal folk might be skilled warriors or clever scouts, but heroes stand apart through supernatural might. The path from hero to legend often involves confronting ever-greater monsters and challenges, proving oneself against forces of nature and myth alike.

Player: “I want to stop the giant from reaching the village.”

GM: “The giant towers above you, each step bringing destruction closer to the village. How do you mean to stop something three times your size?”

Player: “I am Beowulf’s heir – I’ll plant my feet and catch its charge like my ancestor caught Grendel.”

GM: “That would be Almost Impossible (20+), but your lineage [Background +2] runs true in your veins…”

Noir

In noir fiction, legends are built through insight and determination rather than raw power. While ordinary detectives might solve straightforward cases, heroes pierce deeper deceptions and uncover hidden truths. The path to legendary status involves seeing through ever-more elaborate schemes, with mastery marked by an almost supernatural ability to sense corruption and deception.

Player: “I’ll investigate the warehouse.”

GM: “The warehouse seems ordinary, but your instincts say otherwise. The guard patterns, the shipping manifests, the worker schedules – what catches your eye as out of place?”

Player: “I’m looking for inconsistencies in their patrol routes, like I did with those gang territories.”

GM: “Go ahead and roll a check for me; it’ll be Normal (10+) difficulty, but your experience with the gangs [Deed +5] will help you here…”

Cyberpunk

In a world where technology reshapes reality itself, legends arise from those who can bend the digital and physical realms to their will. While ordinary hackers might breach corporate firewalls or street techs might install basic augments, heroes rewrite the fundamental rules of cyberspace and flesh. The path to legendary status means pushing technology beyond its intended limits, turning systems and augmentations to purposes their designers never imagined possible.

Player: “I need to crack this secure facility’s defense system.”

GM: “The ICE is bleeding-edge military tech, with routines that adapt and evolve. What’s your angle of attack?”

Player: “Remember that neural feedback trick I developed against the yakuza’s systems? I’ll use my own augments to create a resonance loop, make the ICE see itself as an intruder.”

GM: “You have mastered system subversion – tell me how you turn their security against itself…”