Introduction

Trilhamarga is a Medieval Fantasy roleplaying game inspired by the Old School Renaissance movement, blending in elements from more recent narrative-focused games to produce a game with simple rules and brimming with unpredictability; a modern rules set that, above all, prioritizes player ingenuity and the creation of an emergent narrative.

In this game, one of the players takes on the role of the GM , responsible for portraying a fantastic world and everyone who dwells in it, while the other Players play characters who begin as ordinary people driven by desires and ambitions to explore that world in search of something beyond their reach. If they are lucky and learn how to survive, these characters may write their names into history as great heroes, powerful sorcerers, or even legendary kings.

The focus of the game is not to tell an epic story with a beginning, middle, and end, but rather to follow a group of characters adventuring across the world and overcoming obstacles in pursuit of their own goals. These are adventures that carry real risk, where poorly judged decisions can leave lasting scars.

An Open System

The rules presented in this book are, first and foremost, suggestions: starting points for the GM and Players to create their own versions of this experience. Modifying them, adjusting them, or even ignoring them as your group sees fit is not only allowed but expected.

You can create new spells, invent monsters, design unique items, dream up different miracles, or even build new mechanics to suit the tone and style of your table. More than a closed system, this book is an open toolbox for each group to build its own stories and adventures.

How to Play?

At its core, an RPG is a game built on a fictional dialogue established between the GM and the Players . On one side, the GM acts as the group's eyes and ears, portraying the entire game world, its inhabitants, dangers, and mysteries. On the other side, the Players portray their own characters, describing how they act, react, and interact with that world. It is from this mutual conversation of action and reaction that the game comes to life.

The GM's Principles

PORTRAY A WORLD OF ADVENTURE: Portray a living world, full of mysteries, secrets, and opportunities. The characters in Trilhamarga live in a world defined by the unknown. Most villagers have never left the outskirts of their own hamlets and have no idea what lies beyond what their eyes can see. The world out there should be hostile to the same degree that it is full of discovery.

PREPARE SITUATIONS, NOT SCRIPTS: It is not your job as the GM to craft one grand story with a beginning, middle, and end for the campaign. Instead, prepare situations, big or small, each with its own challenges and backstory, and let the game unfold from them.

CHALLENGE THE PLAYER THROUGH THEIR CHARACTER: The GM's most important role is to challenge the players through their characters. Create opportunities they can't refuse, then block those opportunities with challenges that demand creative use of the characters' abilities to overcome.

DON'T HIDE THE DANGER: The greater a danger is, the more obvious it should be to the characters. When they are about to run into something dangerous, let them notice it coming in a way that makes sense, so they can decide thoughtfully how to deal with that danger.

ENEMIES BLEED TOO: The enemies the players' characters face rarely fight to the death. Animals rarely attack without reason, bandits always flee when defeat is near, and even monsters can feel fear when they are on the brink of death. Only mindless enemies fight to the bitter end.

REWARD CREATIVE IDEAS: Buy into your players' wild and improbable ideas. It's usually from these that the game's most memorable moments arise. Your role as the GM is to challenge the players, not to play against them, so value their good ideas and celebrate with them when those ideas pay off.

BE THE JUDGE OF THE RULES: This system is a toolbox built to enable and ease the characters' interaction with the world, not to limit it. When a player says their character does something the book doesn't cover, change an existing rule or make a new one. You have the final word, but be fair and consistent in how you resolve these situations.

The Players' Principles

ASK QUESTIONS: Never make a decision in the dark. Before deciding what to do, learn the consequences of your actions. It's the GM's job to describe how the world reveals itself to the players, but it's also the players' job to actively seek that information out from the GM.

YOUR CHARACTER IS YOUR INTERFACE: Understand who your character is and use that to interact with the game world. The solution to a challenge will almost never be a power on your sheet, but it's through the sheet that you'll understand your character's capabilities and figure out how to use them to your advantage. When skill falls short, take the risk and embrace luck.

THE PRICE OF SURVIVAL: Your characters are not superheroes, and they never will be. They are mortals braving a merciless world. Their adventures will leave marks, and sometimes your greatest victory will be surviving, carrying the scars that will tell your story.

IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE: Your characters are part of a group. Maybe you're childhood friends. Maybe you survived a traumatic incident together. Maybe you don't even fully trust one another. But of one thing you are certain: you need each other to face what's out there and to reach your own goals.

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE: The comfort of civilization should be fleeting. Whether your character seeks glory, redemption, ancient knowledge, or just the money for their next meal, they will find what they desire if they look beyond the walls of the settlement where they're lodging. The world out there is a land full of opportunities for those willing to risk everything for them.