Twisted Tunnels β7, revision 20190810.01

0
20190810.01
Twisted Tunnels, β7
The Phoenix Apocryphon
by John Stephens
A deadly game of madcap dungeon demolition following the wicked
footsteps of Ken St. Andre
β7, revision 20190810.01 | © 2016–2019 by John Stephens 1

1
CHARACTER CREATION
1 Character Creation
d66 Specialty 1.1 How to recruit a delver

1.1 Archery
Desperate, foolish, or simply mad, rookie delvers appear on the
1.2 Brawler streets of safe havens like maggots on meat. Follow these easy
steps to recruit a new delver for the Twisted Tunnels:
1.3 Caving
1. Get some skills: Roll dice to set ratings in your six
1.4 Climbing basic skills, and choose one specialty skill.
2. Pick a skin: Choose a template for your delver—warrior,
1.5 Con-artist warlock, or maverick.
3. Gear up: Pick some equipment for your first dungeon
1.6 Contortionist adventure.
4. Name your Heir/ess: This character will inherit your junk
2.1 Cutpurse
if you die.
2.2 Danger Sense
1.2 Get some skills
2.3 Deception
Dungeon delvers begin play with six basic skills: Charisma,
2.4 Demolition Constition, Dexterity, Intelligence, Luck, and Strength.
Roll three dice and assign the middle number to one of the
2.5 Digging above skills. Repeat this for each skill. This is the number of
dice you roll when the given skill is tested. If any basic skill ever
2.6 Disguise drops to zero, you face sudden death.
You also get one specialty skill, equal to your highest-level
3.1 Drunk-roller skill.
3.2 Escape Artist
1.3 Pick a skin
3.3 Fencing
Your skin represents your character’s initial training and nature,
3.4 Gambler whether it’s fighting, magic, or miscellaneous. Your skin gives
you some shortfalls and starting badges, and there are three:
3.5 Herb Lore
Warrior
3.6 Knight Warriors are delvers who survive mainly by strategy and
armed struggle. They have no magic in their bones.
4.1 Exotic Language
Warlock
4.2 Leech Warlocks are delvers with magic in their bones, trained by
the mysterious Cabal in spellcraft.
4.3 Mining
2 β7, revision 20190810.01 | © 2016–2019 by John Stephens

1
CHARACTER CREATION
Maverick d66 Specialty
Mavericks are cunning jacks-of-all-trades who can use
4.4 Musician
both weapons and magic.
4.5 Noble
1.4 Gear up
4.6 Occultist
Name two personal items: one common item from your
homeland, and one mundane item from the Twisted Tunnels. 5.1 Poisoner
These items are not noticeably valuable or magical, but they are
special to you. Tell us why. 5.2 Priest/ess
You also get a backpack, your traveling clothes, and any
common items you want to carry. If you want any uncommon or 5.3 Prisoner
rare items, ask the referee.
5.4 Scribe
Roll 3d6—that’s how many pocket coins you have.
Silver-tongued
Weariness, weight, and speed 5.5
Devil
You may suffer weariness from casting spells, dodging, or other 5.6 Sleight of Hand
mishaps.
Add up your weariness and gear: Count one weight for 6.1 Survivalist
each item. Heavy items count double, and Very Heavy items
count triple. A bundle of small items counts as one weight. This 6.2 Theorist
is your load.
6.3 Tinkering
When your total load is no greater than your Strength, you
are fast and nimble. 6.4 Tracking
When your load is higher than 10 + your Strength, you are
slow and clumsy: You can’t cast any spells and you automatically 6.5 Trailcraft
fail any saving roll until you recover some strength or put
something down. 6.6 Veteran
The referee or players may
1.5 Heir/ess suggest other skills more
suited to the kind of
Let’s face it: Most delvers never return from the Twisted adventures you wish to play.
Tunnels. Name an heir or heiress. Your heir or heiress stands to
inherit all your worldly goods, including your cut of any maps
or treasure from your final run, should your delver depart this
life.

1
CHARACTER CREATION
1.6 Warrior
You have an extra skill called Fighting, equal to your Dexterity

or Strength, whichever is higher.
You can spend style points to bore through all your
enemy’s defenses. Whether you win or lose the clash, and
regardless of your enemy’s armor, each style point you spend
this way inflicts one damage.
When you train under a master, you can purchase secret
weapon techniques. Secret weapon techniques give you new
ways to exploit hidden advantages in combat, by spending style
points.
You can’t learn spells.
1.7 Warlock
You have two extra skills called Esper Lore and Fighting. Set
Esper Lore equal to your Intelligence. Your Fighting skill gets
one die.
You start with all nine apprentice spells. You can buy new
spells from the Cabal.
When you cast a spell while holding a magical device, the
weariness you gain is reduced by half. You can spend style
points while holding a device to reduce your weariness.
Subtract the dungeon level from your weariness for each style
point you spend this way.
Your fighting skills may never be rated higher your
Dexterity or Strength, whichever is lower.
1.8 Maverick
You have an extra skill called Fighting, equal to your Dexterity

or Strength, whichever is higher.
You can purchase spells from a warlock in your party. You
can purchase secret weapon techniques from a warrior in your
party.

2
GEAR
2 Gear
Gear may have the following tags, or others invented by the

referee:
Dangerous Rare
If you handle the item in a carefree, It’s very hard to come by, counting as 3
frivolous fashion, or fail a saving roll, picks when equipping a new delver.
someone might get hurt. It might be you!
Uncommon
Heavy It’s hard to come by, counting as 2 picks
The item is hefty or bulky, counting as 2 when equipping a new delver.
items for carrying purposes.
Very Heavy
The item is especially hefty or bulky,
counting as 3 items for carrying purposes.
2.1 General Supplies

Item Cost Notes
11-foot pole 11 Heavy, clumsy
Rare. Treat an envenomed ally right away to neutralize the

Antivenom, 1 use 20
toxin.
Bandage a delver’s wounds after a fight to heal 1 damage; or

Bandages, 1 use 20
bandage a disabled ally to revive them immediately.
Boots, knee-high 10
Boots, calf-high 5
Boiling flask or cauldron 10 Heavy.
Bottle, useful 5 Holds 1 pint oil, 1 insect/imp/fairy, or 2 doses “medicine”, etc.
Butterfly net 5
Monster Rating of 2d6+1. May go berserk when it smells a

Chomp dog 20
monster.
A few pieces of chalk, handful of matches, salt, short bit of

Crackerjack kit 20 string, few sticks of wax—and a secret prize. When you pull
out the prize, it’s usually something useful right now.
Uncommon, dangerous. A weapon dipped in curare causes double

Curare, vial (3 uses) 30
damage, but the weapon loses its venom after 3 actions. The

2
GEAR
Item Cost Notes

attacker can also spend 1 style point to halve the enemy’s
fighting dice for 1 scene.
Disguise kit, 1 use 20 Uncommon. A purse with putty, make-up, fake hair, etc.
Firewood bundle 10 Very Heavy
Hemp rope, 50’ 2 Heavy
Uncommon. Apply it to treat inflammation and disease, healing

Herbal poultice 10
1d6 damage.
Lantern 20
Lantern oil, 1 pint 2
Rare. Herbal extracts, minerals, powdered gemstones, exotic

Laboratory supplies 100 oils, animal juices, and chemical compounds. Requires boiling
flask or cauldron.
Magical device 100 Rare. A silver dagger, an hourglass, an orb, a staff, or a wand.
Magnetic compass 5 Uncommon
Mongrel whistle 20 Uncommon
Rare. Some monsters can be tamed with treats even if you don’t
“Monster” treats 20
speak their language.
Onion, big 1 Good for your breath, or instant tears.
Pickaxe 10 Heavy, clumsy
Pitons, × 10 10 For climbing walls.
Piton hammer 5
Rations, 1 day 10 Food, drink, mess kit, matches.
Ritual candles, × 20 1
Shovel 10 Heavy
Silk rope, 20’ 10 Uncommon
Torches, × 10 1
Traveling clothes, backpack 5 Soft-soled shoes, warm clothing, cloak, and bedroll.
Whistle 10

2
GEAR
Item Cost Notes
Rare, dangerous. Eats through almost any substance over about 1
Zeewieric acid, vial, 1 use 20
hour.
Weapons and armor may
2.2 Weapons have additional tags, as
follows:
Typical price in coins is shown in parentheses.
Buster
Light (10) When you hit an
Examples: Bagh naka, dagger, hand axe, katana, nunchuks, one- enemy, the weapon
handed mace, rapier, sabre, truncheon deals +2 damage.
Ranged (20) Ranged

Examples: Blowgun, bola, javelin, longbow, shortbow, sling, The weapon is good for
throwing knives shooting enemies
within shouting
Ammo (1/shot) distance. Resolve hits
Arrows, bolts, etc. using the rules for
Long Shots (page XX).
Buster (40)
Examples: Bastard sword, claymore, double-bitted axe, estoc, Reach
flanged mace, khanda, spiked club The weapon lets you
keep enemies at bay.
Very Heavy
See page XX.
Reach (30)
Examples: Bec de corbin, flail, poleaxe, spear, spiked ball-and-
chain, urumi
Heavy

2
GEAR
Requires X 2.3 Armor

In order to equip and
use the armor properly, Typical price in coins is shown in parentheses. Check out page
you must also have X XX to find out how it works.
equipped.
Aketon (50)
Shield Worn by itself, or underneath a hauberk or heavy metal.
You can use it to deflect
damage (page XX). Hauberk, Heavy (150)
Uncommon, requires aketon
Heavy metal, Very Heavy (500)

Rivet on extra rondels and spikes for even more
protection.
Rare, requires aketon
Rondels and spikes, 1 armor ea. (15)

Requires heavy metal or gauntlet
Buckler (17)
Shield
Target shield, Heavy (50)

Uncommon, shield
Tower shield, Very Heavy (145)

Rare, shield
Helm, Heavy (15)

Wear it alone, or attach a fashionable visor.
Visor (10)
Requires helm
Gauntlets (pair), 1 armor ea. (10)

Rivet on an extra “rondel” per gauntlet for extra defense.

3
HOW TO DO ANYTHING
3 How To Do Anything
3.1 When to roll dice
You only roll dice when you try something risky, when some
danger befalls you, or when you want to oppose some action by
another character. Don’t roll dice if there is no challenge, risk,
or threat. The most common trials are settled with saving rolls
and clashes, as follows.
If you have two or more skills that apply, describe how you
use them. If it makes sense, you may roll dice for the highest-
level skill that applies. Add one die for each additional skill you
are using, or two dice for each additional skill that has six or
more dice.
3.2 Hits and overflows
Twisted Tunnels uses dice, regular six-siders, and lots of them.

After you roll, you count the number of dice showing 4 or
higher: fours, fives, and sixes. These are your hits, and the more
hits you get, the better.
You’ll also want to keep track of any sixes you roll. Every
six gives you one style point, which you might spend to do
some cool stuff.
If all of your dice come up 4 or higher, it’s an overflow:
Count the hits and roll again, adding any subsequent hits to
your original total. If you roll another overflow, keep rolling and
adding hits until one or more dice come up lower than 4.
If all the dice come up 3 or lower, it’s a whammy. That’s
usually bad.

3
HOW TO DO ANYTHING
3.3 Save Vs. Dungeon!
When you suffer sudden death or some other indignity, the

referee may call for a saving roll to find out what happens. To
resolve a saving roll, you will roll your skill dice, count your
hits, and try to beat the dungeon level.
You roll dice from the skill being tested, usually Luck. You
succeed if your hits add up to the dungeon level or higher. If
you make it, the danger is averted, at least in part.
If you score less than the dungeon level, the calamity
strikes! You get XP equal to the dungeon level, and the referee
will say what happens.
Saving roll summary
1. Roll your skill dice.

2. Count your hits, including any overflows.
3. Compare your hits to the dungeon level.
◦ If your total meets or beats the dungeon level, you
succeed!
◦ If your total is less than the dungeon level, the saving
roll fails. You get XP equal to the dungeon level.

3
HOW TO DO ANYTHING
3.4 Clashes
When you get into a ruckus with the enemy, it is a clash. A clash
includes all the positioning, feints, dodges, parries, flurries of
blows, and locked swords until opponents pause, panting, to
regroup.
To resolve a clash, each side rolls their skill dice, and
counts the hits. Compare each side’s hits: The side that rolled
more hits wins.
The loser must count one damage for each hit in the
winner’s roll. Ouchy!
Any damage not mitigated by armor comes off the loser’s
Constitution or Monster Rating.
Clash summary
1. Each side rolls their skill dice, plus any bonus dice they get
for this clash.
2. Each side counts their hits, including any overflows.
3. Whoever gets the most hits wins. If that’s a tie, whoever
rolled fewer dice wins. If it’s still a tie, the clash is
indecisive.
4. Count damage.
◦ Count one damage for each hit from the winner’s roll.
◦ You can use armor to soften the blow.
◦ Subtract any damage that gets through armor from
the loser’s Constitution or Monster Rating.

3
HOW TO DO ANYTHING
3.5 Style Points
You get one style point for each six that comes up on any roll.
You can spend style points right away to trigger special effects.
You can only hold style points until you take your next
action—after that, they are gone.
In addition to the stunts and special effects you get from
your skin and badges, here are some exploits anyone can do, at
any time:
You can spend 1 style point to…

Find a useful item or handy terrain feature nearby. The
referee will tell you what.
You can spend 2 style points to…

Pull out a useful object from a pocket or backpack that you
didn’t know you had.
Call for a sudden ally. The referee will tell you who.
Immediately recover 1 point of weariness.
You can spend 3 style points to…

Immediately take another action, before anyone else.
Immediately recover 1 point of Constitution.
You can spend 1 or more style points to…

Trigger a special effect of an item or location.
Activate a monster weakness, if any.
Tell your ideas to the referee. If it’s feasible, the referee will tell you
how many style points it will take.

4
DELVING AND ADVENTURES

4 Delving and Adventures
4.1 Hiding and Creeping
When you hide and hold still, you remain hidden from sight
until you draw attention to yourself or someone stumbles into
you.
Check your load. If you are nimble, and you don’t have any
rattles or light on you, you can remain hidden while creeping
around in shadows and what-not.
4.2 Injury, Recovery, and Death
When a delver takes damage, they subtract it from their

Constitution.
Whan you are hurt by something and it’s not a clash with
another creature, the referee will use the following scale to
determine the damage:
• Roll 2d6 and count the lower number as damage if the

injury would usually cause scrapes and bruises
• Take 1d6 damage if the injury could tear muscles or break
bones
• Roll 2d6 and count the higher number as damage if the
injury could kill a normal person
Some attacks will damage your skills directly, reducing the

number of dice you roll when they are tested.
Recovery
When you spend a few minutes catching your breath, make a

saving roll. On a success, reduce your weariness by the number
of hits you rolled. If you consume a ration as well, recover
additional weariness equal to the highest number you rolled,
even on a miss.
If you are disabled, you need someone to bandage your
wounds before you can do anything strenuous.
When you consume a ration and make camp in the
dungeon, and rest for at least a few hours, reduce your
weariness to zero and make a saving roll. On a success, count
your hits, and add this number to your current Constitution, up
to your uninjured maximum.

4
Curses, diseases, poisons, and crippling injuries remain

until treated. If you have one or more injured skills, you can
choose to direct healing to relieve skill damage after the harm
itself is undone.
Death
When you take any damage that drops your Constitution to

zero, you suffer sudden death. Make a saving roll. If you
succeed, you are disabled: You can do nothing but whimper or
grit your teeth, fading in and out of consciousness, until
someone revives you. If you miss, you have perished.
If you die on your expedition, your companions owe your
heir or heiress weregild equal to the sum of all your skill dice,
times 10, plus your share of the treasure recovered. This
weregild counts as a penalty against any XP for treasure they
recover.
4.3 Lighting the Way
The Twisted Tunnels are utterly hostile to human life, and

without light delvers who venture in are doomed.
• A fresh candle provides enough light for one delver. If you

drop a candle suddenly, it goes out!
• A fresh torch offers enough light for a cluster of three
people.
• A lantern lights up the whole area—a space about the size
of a room.
Even with firebrands ablaze, the frantic action of combat can

snuff the light. If there isn’t time to put torches down with care,
delvers may toss them aside to draw weapons.
When you drop a torch or lantern in haste, make a saving
roll. On a miss, the light gutters out. Otherwise, the area is
plunged into dim light.
When you are blinded or hemmed in by darkness, you
automatically fail any saving rolls and double the fighting dice
of your opponents.
4.4 Perception
When you examine your environment, ask questions. The

referee will tell you everything you can see, hear, smell, feel, and
taste. You will get better answers from better questions.
Searching and surprise are special cases, covered further on.

4

4.5 Search
When you scour your environment for something hidden, name

something you are looking for and make a saving roll. Describe
how you search for the item or feature you are looking for.
On a success, the referee will tell you whether you are
getting “hotter” or “colder” after each step of the process, until
you are interrupted or you find what you are looking for.
On a miss, describe your search anyway. You might find it,
if you happen to look in the right spot.

5
DEALINGS AND STRUGGLE
5 Dealings and Struggle
5.1 Armor
When you suffer damage while wearing any armor, you may
mark a piece of armor to ignore one damage. Most armor can
take one mark; Heavy armor can take two marks; and Very
Heavy armor can take three marks. Once a piece of armor is
marked, it is knocked loose and offers no further protection.
After the battle, you may spend a few moments adjusting
your armor to remove all marks from your armor. Make a saving
roll: On a miss, one piece of marked armor has been
destroyed—your choice.
5.2 Berserk Fighting
Delvers and monsters sometimes go bananas in battle. Besides

sorcery, you can go berserk because you want to, or because
someone provokes you.
• You can spend 1 style point to go berserk whenever you

want to lose your chill.
• Some enemies can spend 1 style point to goad your fury.
Make a saving roll if you wish to resist.
• A monster can go berserk at the referee’s discretion.
When you frenzy in combat, you may add any number of dice
up to the dungeon level to your fighting dice. When you do so,
add the same number to the dungeon level until you calm
down.
In addition to the extra fighting dice, berserk fighters are
unfazed by pain and mind-altering magic. Creatures with
Monster Ratings continue to count their original rating for
fighting dice, even as they take damage, until they drop dead or
calm down.
A berserker must attack someone nearby—even an
ally—using any weapon or bare hands, until no one else is
standing or until the madness ends. The frenzy lasts until you
are unconscious, dead, or until someone calms you down.
When you soothe a berserk ally with soft words and
gestures, make a Charisma saving roll. If you succeed, your ally
recovers from the frenzy. On a miss, you draw the berserker’s
attention to yourself.

5

5.3 Capturing and Taming Monsters
Most monsters don’t want to die. They may use different tricks
to get the delvers to spare them—like whimpering, pledging
their service, offering something of value, or playing dead.
When a monster begs you for its grisly life and you
understand its language, you may keep the monster as a minion.
If you are a good master, your minion will more or less follow
orders and keep its promises. Unless things get stressful.
Through magic it’s possible to enthrall the monster
permanently.
Animal-type monsters might be tamed with appropriate
treats instead of language. This is how to get cool mounts like
dinosaurs or giant birds.
Crushing mutiny
Any minions who are not enslaved by magic may revolt any
time they get a chance. When you punish a minion that defies
you, make a Charisma saving roll. If you win, the minion
submits. Otherwise, the monster betrays you or escapes as soon
as it can.
Appetites and advancement
Minions can earn XP and level up. Minions earn XP by sating

their hideous appetites, like hankerings for mayhem,
destruction, corruption, mischief, slaughter, sloth, or simply
chomping anything it finds at the end of its chain. The referee
will tell you 1–3 ways your minion can sate its appetites when
you first take command over them. After an expedition, they
earn 1 XP if they sated an appetite, and 2 XP if they indulged in
it to the extreme.
Treat a minion’s Monster Rating as its current level to
determine how much XP it needs to level up. When a minion
levels up, the referee may give it a new talent or power
appropriate to its ilk.
5.4 Dodging
When you take damage, if you are fast and there is room to
maneuver, you can ignore the damage and add it to your
weariness instead.

5
5.5 Languages
You are fluent in your native tongue.

When you encounter another common language, count the
number of languages you know fluently. If that number is less
than your Intelligence, you may add it as a fluent language if you
can explain how picked it up.
Uncommon languages count as skills which you may pick
up as you rise in level.
5.6 Firearms
Firearms are big, horn-shaped cannons that take a long time to

load, and they’re unpredictable.
When you hit an enemy, add the highest number showing
on your dice to the damage. Spend 1 style point to knock your
target down if they are about human-sized or smaller.
If you roll a whammy, the firearm misfires, igniting any
flammables on your person. Take 1d6 damage.
5.7 Free-for-all
When all the fighters swarm together in mêlée, it’s a free-for-all.

On the delvers’ side, each player will say what they are
doing and roll whatever dice they can.
On the monsters’ side, the referee will choose a leader,
usually one with the most fighting dice. Roll the leader’s
fighting dice, plus one die for each fighter supporting them (or
plus two dice for each heavy hitter).
After both sides roll, divide the hits as evenly as possible
between your enemies and
Mêlée is frantic and deadly. At least you won’t die of
boredom!
5.8 Helpless
When you have no way of fighting back, you are helpless. The
attacker will roll their skill dice, and count their hits as damage.
You just have to suck it up. You can still sacrifice armor, when
applicable, to ignore some or all of the damage.
5.9 Languages
You start with your native tongue, and other languages can be
picked up as skills. Languages are useful to decipher unknown

5

writings or broker deals with alien creatures you meet in the
Twisted Tunnels.
5.10 Long Shots
When you shoot an enemy at range, make a Dexterity saving

roll. On a success, count your hits as damage against the enemy.
You can choose to fire multiple shots to add extra dice to
your roll—each additional ammo you spend gives you 1 bonus
die. Spend style points from your roll to make a called shot.
When someone else shoots you, make a saving roll. On a
miss, you are helpless. The shooter rolls their Desxterity dice to
determine the damage.
5.11 Monster Reactions
When you meet monsters unexpectedly, the referee will

determine their rank relative to the delvers, and reveal their
reaction.
In dark tunnels, higher rank might be determined by force
of arms. But in posh environs, rank could be determined by
things like titles, thrones, and other cues. Who has the most
obvious power right now, in the monster’s best guess?
The monsters’ reaction will often be based on their
appetites, fears, or the behest of their overlord. But not every
monster is on patrol with a bloodshot eye for slaughter.
When you meet monsters who have no plot nor prejudice,
the referee will call for a saving roll from the unluckiest delver.
If the monsters outrank you, add one the dungeon level.
If the reaction saving roll
On a whammy… says the monsters attack, that
If you outrank them, the monsters flee immediately. usually means blood. But an
Otherwise, the monsters attack without hesitation, even attack can be any hostile
pursuing you if you flee. action, not just hacking and
slashing.
On a miss… Savvy monsters
The monsters are visibly hostile, but they won’t attack or sometimes find it better to
flee right away. If anyone takes a hostile action, the parley is attack the delvers in other
over. ways, hitting them in their
relationships, resources, or
If you succeed… their reputations instead of
The monsters are cautious—but if a delver can speak their their flesh.
language, they may chat, rap philosophy, or broker deals.
Count your hits: That’s how many actions your side can take
before the monster bite, withdraw, or flee. You can buy more

5
time by giving them something they want.

This saving roll determines their initial disposition, but
monsters may change their minds at any time as the encounter
unfolds.
When you try to haggle with a monster in its own
language, say what you are offering and what you want. If it’s
feasible, make a Charisma saving roll. As above, add one the
dungeon level if they outrank you.
If you succeed, the monster will do as you ask if you
outrank them. Otherwise, it will reveal what it would need to
yield.
5.12 Run!
When you are in a chase, either running away or pursuing a

monster, check your speed based on your load. If you are faster
or slower than the other runner, you gain or lose ground
accordingly.
If that’s not decisive, make a saving roll. On a success, you
get the advantage—whether that means closing in on the other
runner, or getting further away. If the runner is another delver,
use a clash to resolve your relative movement.
Chases are a great time to use your style points to find
handy terrain features or create obstacles for your pursuer or
prey.
5.13 Shields
Shields can be marked just like armor, but they also let you
block enemy attacks. When you use a shield to block an enemy’s
blows instead of counter-attacking, roll double your dice on the
appropriate fighting skill. You deal no damage if you win the
clash, but it might save your life.
5.14 Surprise
Getting the drop on your enemies gives you a crucial advantage

in combat. Delvers who are clomping around in heavy armor
with torches flaring won’t surprise anyone. Likewise, an unseen
and unexpected enemy will always get the drop on you.
But when you meet monsters without warning on either
side, the referee will call for a saving roll from the unluckiest
delver.

5

On a success, you took them unawares:
They are helpless long enough for everyone on your side to
take one action.
On a miss…
You didn’t get the drop on them, but they didn’t get the
drop on you either.
On a whammy…
They caught you off-guard—your side is helpless while the
monsters take one action.
5.15 Two-weapon Fighting
When you have a light weapon in each hand, you can make an
immediate follow-up attack for 2 style points instead of 3.
5.16 Weapon Reach
A reach weapon lets you keep enemies at bay, where you can hit
them without them hitting you. They are especially good at
hitting enemies who charge your front ranks or rearguard, but
they are often useless in a free-for-all.
When you attack an exposed enemy using a reach weapon,
the enemy has a choice: They can either take the full assault as if
helpless in order to get into position, or do nothing but defend
themselves. If they choose the latter, resolve it as a clash, but
you suffer no damage if they get more hits than you.
You can use any weapon to exploit a weak spot, though.
You might be exposed after being disarmed at the point of a
rapier. If you’re up close and personal, your enemy could be
exposed at the point of a dagger.
5.17 Wuxia Jumps
If you are nimble and have room to maneuver, you can run on
sheer surfaces and perform flying leaps.
When you launch yourself at an enemy, roll your fighting
dice. The target is helpless unless they are savvy—then it’s a
clash.
You can choose to attack a cluster of enemies in a rapid
combo—add one die to your attack for each additional enemy
in the bunch.
When you launch yourself at a nearby surface, make a
saving roll. On a miss, the stunt weakens you: Add one to your
weariness. If the surface is more than a few paces away, add two.

5
If it’s more than a stone’s throw away, add three.

6
SAFE HAVENS
6 Safe Havens
6.1 Experience and Levels
Earning XP
You get XP for looting treasures, daring, exploration, and

survival. The referee determines XP awards for a given
adventure, using the following guidelines:
Looting treasures Exploration

Gold, coins, jewels, fine art, trade goods, When you escape the Twisted Tunnels
or other valuables: If you find it in the alive, earn 2 XP × the deepest dungeon
Tunnels and bring it back to a safe haven, level you reached in that delve.
it’s worth XP equal to its value in coins, When you first traverse a new region of
divided by 100. Subtract the weregild the campaign map, earn 1 XP × the area’s
from any companions who died in the threat level.
journey, and divide the XP equally among
the survivors. New scars
When you escape from the dungeon, earn
Leaping in 1 XP if you were wounded by an enemy in
Earn 1 XP for showing up on time and battle. Earn 2 XP if you were wounded by
playing until the session ends. an enemy and you won the fight.
Daring
Every time you miss a saving roll, earn 1
XP × the current dungeon level.
Level Up
The point of accumulating XP is to gain levels, according to the

table below.
When you earn enough XP, you gain a level. When that
happens, increase your level number by one, and choose one:
• Add one die to any skill that is ranked lower than your new
level number; OR
• Determine a new skill that your adventures have honed,
and gain that skill with one die.
Your specialty skills are treated independently for the purpose

of advancement. Your Fighting skill will go up or down in step
with the basic skills from which they stem:

6
SAFE HAVENS
If you are a warrior or a maverick…

Your Fighting skill may go up if you raise your Dexterity or
Strength: You get Fighting equal to whichever is higher.
If you are a warlock…

Treat Fighting as a specialty skill, but it can never be
higher than your Dexterity or Strength, whichever is lower.
XP Level XP Level
10 2 810 12
25 3 1,000 13
45 4 1,210 14
70 5 1,440 15
100 6 1,690 16
160 7 1,960 17
250 8 2,250 18
360 9 2,560 19
490 10 2,890 20
640 11 3,240 21
Badges
Besides XP and levels, you can also unlock other secrets in the
Twisted Tunnels. When you learn an otherworldly secret, work
legendary deeds, or win an outstanding title through your
exploits, the referee may bestow you with a badge.
A badge gives you access to one or more secret skills.
Secret skills aren’t available to anyone who does not have the
required badge. When you level up with a badge, you may
choose to develop a secret skill that the rank offers you, instead
of advancing a skill you already have.
Badges and the secret skills they unlock are determined by
the referee based on your adventures. But they reflect the
deeply personal choices and events that make up your
character’s life and history.
6.2 Healing up
Spending time resting up between dungeon raids is the best way

6
SAFE HAVENS
to heal up after a rough adventure.
When you rest for at least a week in a safe haven, restore
any injured skills to their maximum, unless poison, disease,
curses, or other injuries obstruct your recover. Such conditions
remain until you find some extraordinary treatment.
Level one delvers and hirelings don’t have to pay anything
to hang out at a safe haven. Everyone else has to pay for their
upkeep, usually 10–50 × your level in coins, per
week—depending on market conditions.

7
SECRET WEAPON TECHNIQUES
7 Secret Weapon Techniques

8
SPELLCRAFT
8 Spellcraft
8.1 Casting spells
To unleash a spell, you must be able to call out its name loudly
enough for the Unseen Awful Powers to hear you, you gain
weariness equal to its Power cost. This cost is listed with each
spell (in parentheses), and the effect is immediate. Warlocks
may use a magical device to halve the cost.
Some spells have tags too,
8.2 Apprentice Spells and this is what they mean.
All warlocks know these spells upon reaching level 1. Self

The spell takes effect on
Scent of Brimstone (1) the caster alone.
Smell good and bad magic in the area.
Touch
Self, 1 action You have to touch the
target, either with a
Finders Keepers (2) hand, or with a magical
See a smoky aura around anything hidden or invisible in device. In the case of an
the area. unwilling target, you
Self, 1 action may have to resolve a
Clash to see if you
Opportunity Knocks (2) “hit”.
Bolt or unbolt any mundane lock or door. This spell will
also open a magical lock cast by a lower-level magician. Thrown
You must have a free
Thrown, scene
hand, or holding
Roto-Tutor (2) nothing other than a
Breathe one spell you know into the soul of a maverick, magical device, to
who can cast it thereafter. “throw” the spell; and
you must be able to see
Touch the target in some
manner. After you add
Wiggling Wisp (2) the spell’s cost to your
Light up your finger or device with sickly green flame, weariness, you must hit
about as bright as a candle. Or, double the spell’s cost to the target with a long
spark fire as bright as a torch. shot attack.
Self, 3 actions

8
SPELLCRAFT
Death Stare (4)

Sight Smite a living creature with your glare, causing psychic
Like a Thrown spell, trauma. Deal damage equal to your Intelligence, ignoring
except no ranged attack armor.
roll is required. After
you add the spell’s cost Sight
to your weariness, the
Face of Evil (4)
spell strikes unerringly.
You strike a fearsome scowl. Every monster whose
Monster Rating is lower than your Charisma flees in terror.
Area
You must have both A cornered monster might freeze or go berserk instead.
hands free, or holding Any monster who resists the spell attacks you exclusively.
nothing other than a Area, scene
magical device, to
unfurl the spell. If the Sharpest Knife in the Drawer (4)
area isn’t defined in the Sharpen a blade. Anyone who uses it adds your level to
spell, assume it effects a their fighting dice.
space about the size of Touch, 1 action
a “room”. If the spell
also has Thrown or Crowd Shroud (6)
Sight tags, the area can Turn yourself and your allies invisible.
be centered on any
point you can see. Touch, scene
Otherwise, you are the
center of the area.
X actions
The spell lasts until you
take the specified
number of actions.
When you take an
action, count down the
spell’s duration.
Scene
The spell lasts until you
leave the scene.
Sunrise
The spell lasts until
sunrise.
Spells with range-related

tags can be cast on any spot
closer ranges when it makes
sense.

9
MONSTERS
9 Monsters
There are two kinds of riffraff in the Twisted Tunnels: allies and
monsters. Allies include minions, hirelings, and henchmen.
Everything else you encounter is a monster.
Troll? Monster. Animated skeleton? Monster. Evil sorcerer?
Monster. Rival adventurers? Monsters. If you want “non-player
characters”, go find a game for ninnies and literature professors.
A horde of misshapen men, a hulking mass of claws and fangs,
and Lady Macbeth are all monsters.
9.1 The Monster Rating (MR)
Monsters are almost never as detailed in their game ratings as

the delvers. In most cases, all you need is a Monster Rating
(MR), which represents the monster’s morale, ferocity,
strength, and how much damage it can take in battle.
The Monster Rating is a positive number, showing you the
number of dice to roll for the monster in fighting clashes. The
MR also counts as its Constitution for purposes of taking
damage.
If a monster is injured, its Monster Rating will drop, giving
it fewer dice to use in combat. A monster whose rating drops
below one die is incapacitated.
Injured monsters usually recover their Monster Rating at
one point per scene, if they aren’t doing anything strenuous.
9.2 Spawning the Monster
Twisted Tunnels isn’t a safari. Delvers never know what terrors

they might face in the bowels of the abyss when their torches
burn low. We don’t know what lurks and slithers in your
imagination, and we urge the referee to spawn each and every
monster from her own demented designs.
As soon as you have a mental picture of your monster, give
it a rating from 1 to 99 that describes how tough it is. Then
decide what language it can speak, if any, and give it at least one
hideous appetite. You may give monsters any other traits or
powers you wish, without tying them to ratings.
A Monster Rating spiked with a grisly imagination is
usually all you need to churn out one rip-roaring encounter
after another on game night. If your imagination is feeble, bone
up on some weird tales, adventure fiction, comics, and action

9
MONSTERS
movies. The first rule of creating monsters is have fun; if it

seems like work, you’re breaking the first rule.
If it survives an encounter with the delvers, then you might
endow your monster with more detail: Consider its hunger, its
habits. What are its fixations or emotional disorders? Does it
have any hopes or fears? Does it have a distinctive voice or
awesome quirk, like twirling its whiskers or regurgitating the
bones of delvers past, to gnaw on while it awaits its next
feeding?
9.3 Wandering Monsters
Some areas of the Twisted Tunnels are so hostile that even

monsters fear to creep. Others have wandering monsters who
might bumble into a dungeon demolition team at any time.
Make a list of monsters who prowl the area the delvers are
exploring (if any), either alone or in groups. They don’t have to
be looking for trouble: You can include all kinds of interesting
encounters in your list, and a good mix can add a lot of
atmosphere to your Twisted Tunnels.
When there are monsters a-lurking, you will roll a d6 every
scene, or whenever notable time has passed, and spring one of
the encounters on the list on a 1. You might check for
wandering monsters based on other events and actions, or at a
different frequency based on the situation.
When an encounter from the list is triggered, you can pick
a random event from the list or choose one that makes sense.
Some referees keep their wandering monster entries on index
cards to shuffle and draw when needed; others roll dice to pick
a random entry from a written list.
After you determine which monsters will appear, decide
where they are in relation to the delvers and what they might be
doing there. In order to breathe life into the dungeon, you have
to own the results you roll, so give them a meaningful goal.
Sometimes they will spring right away, sometimes you will
show the players signs of the monsters before they are in sight.

10
DIGGING THE DUNGEON

10 Digging the Dungeon
10.1 Fairy Oaths
If a fairy makes an oath to you, it owes you a favor. It can fulfil

its oath at any time by casting a spell on your behalf, or by
discharging all of its Strength to add 10 to 1 of your scores that
is waning. Sometimes people catch fairies and put them in
bottles to extract oaths in exchange for their freedom.
10.2 Mech Armor
If you find ancient mech armor in the dungeon, it will have its
own Monster Rating determined by the referee, and it may
include the following tags: boosters, blast.
Mech armor is slow and clumsy, but you can add the mech’s
fighting dice to your Strength when you make any rolls that test
your might.
When you get hit wearing mech armor, you can spend
points from its Monster Rating just like armor, 1 point to soak 1
hit. When a mech’s Monster Rating falls below 4, it is weakened.
When a mech’s Monster Rating drops to zero, it is disabled.
Boosters
If your mech armor has boosters, you can use it to perform
Wuxia jumps.
Blast
If your mech armor has a blast attack, you can add its
fighting dice to your Dexterity to make a ranged attack.
10.3 Spark Gunnes
If you find an ancient spark gunne in the dungeon, it will have

2d6 charges (or a number determined by the referee), and you
can spend a charge to make a long shot attack.
When you hit a human-sized enemy with a spark, you may
spend 1 style point to instantly vaporize them. When you roll a
whammy when attacking with the spark gunne, the gunne
explodes: You must make a saving roll or be instantly vaporized.
On a success, you are unharmed.
When you fight an enemy with a close-range weapon or
reach weapon, you can spend style points, 1 for 1, to increase a

10
DIGGING THE DUNGEON
spark gunne’s charge.

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β7, revision 20190810.01 | © 2016–2019 by John Stephens 1

d66 Specialty 1.1 How to recruit a delver

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You have an extra skill called Fighting, equal to your Dexterity

You have an extra skill called Fighting, equal to your Dexterity

4 β7, revision 20190810.01 | © 2016–2019 by John Stephens

Gear may have the following tags, or others invented by the

2.1 General Supplies

Rare. Treat an envenomed ally right away to neutralize the

Bandage a delver’s wounds after a fight to heal 1 damage; or

Boiling flask or cauldron 10 Heavy.

Bottle, useful 5 Holds 1 pint oil, 1 insect/imp/fairy, or 2 doses “medicine”, etc.

Monster Rating of 2d6+1. May go berserk when it smells a

A few pieces of chalk, handful of matches, salt, short bit of

Uncommon, dangerous. A weapon dipped in curare causes double

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Item Cost Notes

Firewood bundle 10 Very Heavy

Hemp rope, 50’ 2 Heavy

Uncommon. Apply it to treat inflammation and disease, healing

Lantern oil, 1 pint 2

Rare. Herbal extracts, minerals, powdered gemstones, exotic

Magnetic compass 5 Uncommon

Mongrel whistle 20 Uncommon

Onion, big 1 Good for your breath, or instant tears.

Pickaxe 10 Heavy, clumsy

Pitons, × 10 10 For climbing walls.

Rations, 1 day 10 Food, drink, mess kit, matches.

Silk rope, 20’ 10 Uncommon

6 β7, revision 20190810.01 | © 2016–2019 by John Stephens

Ranged (20) Ranged

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Requires X 2.3 Armor

Heavy metal, Very Heavy (500)

Rondels and spikes, 1 armor ea. (15)

Target shield, Heavy (50)

Tower shield, Very Heavy (145)

Helm, Heavy (15)

Gauntlets (pair), 1 armor ea. (10)

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3.1 When to roll dice

3.2 Hits and overflows

Twisted Tunnels uses dice, regular six-siders, and lots of them.

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3.3 Save Vs. Dungeon!

When you suffer sudden death or some other indignity, the

Saving roll summary

1. Roll your skill dice.

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3.5 Style Points

You can spend 1 style point to…

You can spend 2 style points to…

You can spend 3 style points to…

You can spend 1 or more style points to…

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DELVING AND ADVENTURES

4.1 Hiding and Creeping