Quick Start Guide
Everything you need to play your first session of Tales & Tails
What Is Tales & Tails?
Tales & Tails is a tabletop roleplaying game where you play as brave animal heroes in a magical world called Talestria. You explore enchanted forests, solve mysteries, and free creatures from a creeping darkness called the Unwritten.
You need a twenty-sided die (d20), a character sheet, a pencil, and your imagination. One player is the Narrator (the Game Master), and everyone else plays a hero.
Your Hero
Every hero is defined by three things:
- Species — What animal you are (penguin, fox, panda, otter, and 18 more). Your species gives you stat bonuses, special abilities called Animal Abilities, and always-on minor magic called Trickles.
- Calling — Your class or role (Knight, Glowcaster, Sneaklet, Luminarch, and 8 more). Your calling gives you combat abilities and the power to break Darkness Points.
- Echo — Your unique spark of magic, tied to your personality and story. A fox's Echo might be “cunning flame.” A penguin's might be “endless hope.”
The Six Stats
Every hero has six stats. Each stat gives a bonus you add to related dice rolls.
| Stat | What It Does | Defensive Use |
|---|---|---|
| Might | Lift, smash, shove — melee attacks and feats of strength | Brace |
| Swift | Sprint, leap, sneak — ranged attacks, dodging, initiative | Dodge |
| Brave | Endure, stand firm — toughness, HP, resisting pain | Endure |
| Clever | Craft, solve, recall — spells, puzzles, knowledge | See Through |
| Keen | Perceive, sense, navigate — instinct, spotting hidden things | Sense |
| Warm | Charm, inspire, calm — persuasion, friendship, resisting corruption | Hold Fast |
Bonuses range from -1 (weak spot) to +3 (exceptional). Most heroes have one or two stats at +2.
How Dice Rolls Work
When your hero tries something risky, roll 1d20 + stat bonus and compare to a target number:
| Difficulty | DC | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 10 | Jumping a puddle, recognizing a friend |
| Normal | 12 | Climbing a mossy tree, hitting an enemy |
| Hard | 15 | Avoiding dragon fire, picking a lock |
| Heroic | 18 | Outsmarting an ancient puzzle |
Advantage: Roll 2d20, take the higher. Disadvantage: Roll 2d20, take the lower.
Combat
On your turn, you get three things:
1 Action
Attack, cast a spell, use an item, defend (+2 Dodge), or help an ally.
1 Move
Move up to 30 ft. You can split it before and after your action.
1 Quick Action
Draw an item, shout, open a door, or interact with something small.
Attacking
Roll 1d20 + attack bonus vs. the target's Dodge score. If you hit, roll damage dice + stat bonus, then subtract the target's Mettle (minimum 1 damage).
Liberation: The Heart of the Game
When a creature is corrupted by the Unwritten, it gains Darkness Points (DP) — armor made of dark scales. Normal attacks only deal HP damage. To free the creature, you use Calling abilities that break DP.
| Corruption | DP | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | 2–3 | Honey Hopper, Snowfluff Hare |
| Moderate | 4–6 | Icecap Yeti, Shadow Fox |
| Boss | 6–10 | Eclipse Serpent, Starwhale |
When Things Get Tough
Shadow Specks
When your HP hits 0, you don't fall unconscious. Instead you gain 1 Shadow Speck, your HP resets to 1d6, and you roll Hold Fast (Warm, DC 12) to shake it off. At 3 Specks you're Overwhelmed (no Actions until a friend helps).
Hope Tokens
Earned by brave, kind, or creative play. Max 5. Spend one to: reroll a save, add +2 to any roll, remove a Shadow Speck, or boost an ally's roll.
Resting & Leveling Up
| Short Rest | Long Rest | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | A few minutes | 6+ hours |
| HP | Regain 1d6 | Full recovery |
| Shadow Specks | Remove 1 | Remove all |
| Abilities | No reset | All reset |
Heroes earn Spark Points (25/50/100 for easy/normal/boss encounters) and level up every 250 SP: +1 stat, +2 max HP, and a new or enhanced Calling ability.
Quick Reference
| Initiative | 1d20 + Swift |
| Attack | 1d20 + Attack Bonus vs. Dodge |
| Spell | 1d20 + Clever vs. DC |
| Damage | Dice + Stat − Mettle (min 1) |
| HP to 0 | +1 Shadow Speck, HP resets to 1d6, roll Hold Fast |
| Conditions | Stuck, Sleepy, Charmed, Frozen, Blinded, Inspired, Overwhelmed |
| Currency | 10 Drops = 1 Shard, 10 Shards = 1 Gem |