PilgrimageSkirmish

Pilgrimage is a fantasy skirmish game. A small Oathband of believers walks a dark road, and the road makes them pay for every mile of it.

You do not play a hero. You play an Oathband, a band of Pilgrims who are collectively the protagonist of this story. Whilst none among them are irreplaceable, all of them matter.

This book is the battle engine: everything needed to found an Oathband, fight Trials against another player on a single evening’s table, and begin building an Oathband’s story through Vows, Renown, and Legacy.

Each Trial is a scenario with its own shape, stakes, and terrain, and what your Oathband earns in one battle, it carries into the next.

It is also the first stone on a longer road. Pilgrimage is being built toward a full solo campaign: an unknown road procedurally revealed as you walk it, a growing Shadow with its own nature and escalating purpose, camps between battles, and a Finale worth reaching. That campaign will follow in a dedicated release, and every rule you learn here walks into it with you.

Walk the road and redeem what was lost.

What kind of game is this?

• Narrative skirmish: Oathbands compete for objectives, not just casualties
• Trial-driven: three battles included, each with its own shape and stakes
• Fast and dense: a 3’×3’ board, 4–8 figures a side, finished in an hour
• Miniature agnostic: use whatever you own
• Scalable: core rules are simple; Advanced Combat adds depth when you want it
• Drama first: play to find out what happens, not to see who wins

What you need

• Pilgrimage Oathband and Roster sheets
• Two D12 dice: different colours helps
• 4–6 miniatures to begin: ideally 28–32mm, any setting; no special range required
• Scenery enough to fill a 3’×3’ board; the denser the better
• Something to measure inches
• This rulebook

Pilgrimage uses D12 dice only. No other dice types are needed at any point in the game.

A handful of ideas run through every part of the game. Understanding them before you read the rules will make the rules faster to grasp.

Checks. Many rules ask a character or the Oathband to make a check — a test to see whether something succeeds. Unless stated otherwise: roll D12 and add the relevant modifier; 7 or higher = success. Modifiers can be positive or negative — a single point is meaningful; each +1 shifts the probability of success by roughly 8%. Where a check uses a different threshold it is written as ‘Make a Might check (9+)’. Otherwise 7+ always succeeds, and ‘Might’ stands in for the modifier to be applied.

Out of Action (OOA). A character whose Endurance drops below 0 is taken Out of Action. Remove them from the board. They are not necessarily dead — what happens to them is resolved in the Aftermath.

Oathband As Character. Advancement, skills, and persistent identity belong to the Oathband as a whole, not to individual characters. The Oathband improves. Characters within it may be lost. The story continues either way. This is a deliberate design choice — it keeps record-keeping lean and ensures that losing a character is a dramatic moment rather than a mechanical catastrophe.

Pilgrims, Foes, and Characters. Every miniature in the game is a Character. The characters within your Oathband are referred to throughout as Pilgrims; their opponents, when mentioned, are called Foes. Where a rule applies to any figure regardless of side it says character; where it applies only to your own side it says Pilgrim; where it applies to a figure that is decidedly not yours it says non-Pilgrim character (or names the faction, e.g. Shadow character).

Advantage and Disadvantage. Some rules grant Advantage or impose Disadvantage on a roll.

• Advantage: roll two D12 and use the higher result.
• Disadvantage: roll two D12 and use the lower result.
• When a roll would carry both at once, they cancel — roll a single D12 as normal.

Random Directions. When a rule calls for a random direction — where a thrown object lands, which way a fleeing character moves, where an effect scatters — use the D12 as both a direction finder and a distance indicator in a single roll:

1. Direction: look at which way the face of the die points when it settles. Use the near edge of the die as your arrow.
2. Distance: the number shown on the face is the distance in inches.

Example: in some Trials you place a Waymark during deployment, D12+6” in a random direction from the board centre. You roll a D12 showing 7, pointing toward the north-east corner. You place the Waymark 6+7” (13”) in that direction from the centre. One roll — direction and distance together, no scatter die needed.

Begin by giving your Oathband a name. For each of the two naming tables below, pick a column and a row, or roll a D12 for each to produce a suggestion. Combining terms from Tables 1 and 2 gives names like: Ashen Host, Hanged Men, Grey Sojourners, Doomed Few, Barrow Kindred, Raven Watch, Mistborn, Flint-sworn, Frost-bound, Cold-shod. Decide how they fit together, or keep rolling until you find a combination you like.

Naming Table 1

Naming Table 2

Make a note of the Oathband name on the Oathband sheet before you create your characters.

An Oathband is the group of characters a player commands. These characters may be fewer and better equipped, or more numerous and lightly armed — that is one of the core creative decisions of the game, expressed through how you spend 600 Supplies.

Supplies are spent first on Characters, then on Abilities and Equipment for those Characters.

Characters

To recruit a character costs 50 Supplies. Below are the attributes of a basic character and what each one does.

Might, Aim, and Valour may each be improved to a maximum of +3, at a cost of 5 Supplies per point, for any character. Once you’ve created a character you’ll be ready to equip them.

Each character can carry a certain amount of equipment depending on its type. The limits for a character are:

• 1 Armour slot
• 2 Weapon slots
• 3 Item slots

Equipment comes with Lore terms which explain how they work. Refer to the Book of Lore for a full explanation of each term listed.

Melee Weapons

Weapons are used by Pilgrims to drive back their foes whilst on the road. They are perhaps the most important equipment they can carry.

Melee weapons are those that can be used with the Assault Deed to try and take a rival character OOA. A character can Assault without a weapon, but does so with a penalty of −2 to both Might and Damage.

Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons are used with the Fire Deed to try and take a rival character OOA. A character cannot make a ranged attack unless they have a ranged weapon.

Armour

Armour exists to defend the Pilgrim and reduce incoming damage. It does this by increasing the Pilgrim’s Ward Attribute, reducing any damage taken by an equal amount.

Items

Pilgrims often carry other vital equipment as they make their journeys. These can grant special abilities or capabilities to the character when used. Items may require a Deed to use and provide either situational or ongoing benefits.

The Hoard

If the Oathband has more items than they can carry, these can be stored in the Hoard. The Hoard has a size double the count of the Oathband’s Characters. If the count of items exceeds this, they must be discarded.

Pilgrims can also have specific pieces of Lore associated with them, reflecting their unique abilities and talents.

Adding a Lore to a character costs 20 Supplies. The total number of Lore terms on a single character at this stage cannot exceed 3.

The Lore available at creation is grouped below by category. Full definitions are held in the Book of Lore — the canonical home for every term — and this page is the “what you can pick at creation” filter that links to them.

Combat: Blade Master, Born Leader, Fated, Fell-Handed, Fling, Hammerhand, Stonewill, Parry, Precision, Quick Draw, Reckless, Sharpshooter, Warrior, Tough, Stalker

Mobility: Dash, Flight, Ghost, Swift

Defensive: Bulwark, Guardian, Longsuffering, Steadfast

Utility: Healer, Starsight, Spotter, Scrambler, Skirmisher

Once you’ve recruited your Pilgrims, recall how their Oathband came to be. This will be a piece of Lore associated with every founding character in your Oathband, and does not count towards their initial limit of 3. Future Oathband characters will not share this Origin — it is unique to your starting roster.

Look up each definition in the Book of Lore at the rear of this book.

After finishing this step you have created an Oathband and are ready to begin playing.

Deployment

When setting up a board, each side looks to the Trial itself to determine how they deploy their figures. Unless specified, Characters on each side deploy off the board and begin their first Turn by selecting a board edge in their deployment zone and beginning their Act from there.

Oathband Leadership

The Leader for each Trial is whoever in the Oathband has the highest Valour. All allies within 3” of the Leader may use their Valour for any check that calls upon it.

Turn Structure

Initiative. Unless a Trial specifies otherwise, determine who goes first each Turn by rolling a D12 and adding the highest Valour of a Character on your side as a modifier. Reroll any ties.

Activation. Beginning with the side that won Initiative, the two sides alternate, each activating one Character at a time. A Character completes their entire Act before the other side activates. If one side has more Characters than the other, their remaining Characters take their Acts one after another at the end of the Turn, once every Character on the smaller side is Tired. A side may never pass while it has Characters who are not Tired.

Acts. When a Character is activated in Pilgrimage, they take an Act. An Act consists of up to 3 Deeds performed in any order and combination, subject to each Deed’s constraints. At the end of an Act, the Character is marked Tired and may not Act again until all Characters on both sides are Tired, at which point a new Turn begins and Tired markers are removed.

A character can perform any of the following Deeds when they Act. Some Deeds cost more than 1 Deed to accomplish, and some are limited in how many times they can be done in the current Act.

Characters can be impacted by the following contextual or persistent effects throughout a Trial.

The road is not flat, and it is not kind. Terrain in Pilgrimage falls into three concerns: ground that slows you, cover that hides you, and heights that break you.

Difficult Ground

Difficult Ground is any terrain a Character cannot stride through freely: bog, rubble, dense briar, loose scree, standing water. Agree with your opponent which terrain pieces count before the Trial begins.

A Move Deed that starts in, ends in, or crosses Difficult Ground costs 1 additional Deed. The Character moves their normal distance; the ground simply takes more out of them.

Example: a Pilgrim with Pace +1 spends 2 Deeds on their first Move of the Act to cross a bog, moving 4” as normal. Their Act has 1 Deed remaining.

Cover

A Character is in Cover from a shooter when they are within 1” of terrain that obscures part of their body from the shooter’s position, or when the shot must pass through such terrain to reach them.

Fire Deeds against a Character in Cover suffer −2 Aim.

Cover is judged from where the shooter stands. A wall is no shelter from an arrow loosed behind it.

Falling

A drop of 3” or less is safe. A Character who falls more than 3”, by misadventure or unwilling movement, takes direct damage equal to the distance fallen in inches minus 3, ignoring Ward. A Character who takes any damage from a fall is Knocked Down where they land.

A Character may drop deliberately from any height as part of a Move Deed, counting the distance fallen as distance moved.

Example: a Pilgrim is pushed from a ledge 7” up. They take 4 direct damage and are Knocked Down at the base.

An Oathband’s nerve is not infinite. When the losses mount, each Pilgrim must decide whether the road is still worth walking.

When checks are required

When a side has lost half or more of its starting number (rounded up) to Out of Action, every remaining Character on that side must make a Panic check at the start of their next Act. Each further ally taken Out of Action after this obliges every remaining Character to check again at the start of their next Act.

Example: an Oathband of 5 must begin checking when its 3rd Pilgrim falls (half of 5, rounded up). When a 4th falls, everyone still standing checks again.

The check

Roll a D12, add the Character’s Valour, and subtract the number of allies taken Out of Action this Trial. A result of 7 or higher passes. Allies within 3” of the Leader may use the Leader’s Valour, as normal.

Failing — the ladder

1. A Character who fails becomes Shaken: −1 Might and −1 Aim.
2. A Shaken Character makes a Panic check at the start of each of their Acts. Pass: they recover. Fail: they become Panicked.
3. A Panicked Character must spend their Deeds escaping toward the nearest board edge without endangering themselves. They will not move into combat; if Engaged, they fight, and if they win they push their Foe away and continue their flight. A Character who leaves the board this way takes no further part in the Trial and counts as Out of Action for all purposes — the Trial’s objectives, further Panic checks, and the Aftermath.
4. A Panicked Character makes a Panic check at the start of each of their Acts. Pass: they steady to Shaken.

Assault

Any Character within 1” of a Foe is considered locked in an Assault and, unless specified otherwise, can only move by winning an Assault against the Foe in question. To win an Assault:

1. Both Characters roll D12 and add their respective Might.
2. The winner deals damage equal to the difference between the rolls; apply Damage modifiers. Ties deal no damage.
3. The loser reduces that damage by their Ward, then subtracts the remainder from their Endurance.
4. If the Assault concludes with both Characters still active, the winner may push themselves or their opponent 2” away to end the Assault and escape, or choose to continue the Assault.
5. The Assault continues until one Character goes Out of Action or the winner pushes their Foe away.

Charge

If a Character caused an Assault in their current Act, they gain +1 Might.

Group Assault

If one or more allied Characters are in base contact with the same foe and not engaged with any other enemy, the acting Character gains +1 Might for each such ally.

Fire

Any Character with a ranged weapon who is in range may make a Fire attack. This follows a similar process to an Assault:

1. Both Characters roll D12; the attacker adds their Aim and the defender adds their Might.
2. If the attacker wins, they deal damage equal to the difference between the rolls. Ties deal no damage.
3. If the defender wins, no damage is dealt.

Close Fire

When using the Fire Deed at a target within 6”, gain Advantage on any dice rolled.

Moving Target

If a figure uses the Fire Deed and they, or their target, moved this Turn, the attacker suffers −1 Aim for every Move Deed taken by either figure.

High Ground

When a Character attacks or defends in an Assault or Fire Deed from a position more than 2” above their Foe, they gain +1 Might and +1 Aim on those Deeds.

Crowded Target

When a Character uses a Fire Deed on a Foe 1” or less from any other Character, randomly determine which target is hit by the Fire Deed.

Waymarks are sites on the road that can help the Oathband on the way. They appear across Trials and provide an Oathband with additional Supplies or help fulfil Vows.

At the start of each Trial, unless told otherwise, place D12÷2+1 Waymarks (rounded up, minimum 2, maximum 7). For each Waymark, roll D12+6” for distance and direction from the board centre using the Random Directions rules described at the start of this book. Place each Waymark token at that position. Each Waymark must be at least 9” from any other Waymark; if a placement would violate this, position it as close to the intended spot as possible.

When a Character gets within 1”, spend a Deed to interact with a Waymark and roll on the table below to find out what’s uncovered. This cannot be done while a Foe is within 1”.

Sight is the distance at which Characters can clearly see during a Trial, determined by the environmental tables below. A Character beyond another’s Sight range is Shrouded. Attacks on a Shrouded Character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim.

Light sources remove Shroud within their radius; Characters within a light source cannot themselves be Shrouded and are visible to all. This is denoted by the Lore term ‘X” Light’, which means “Figures within X” of this light source may not be Shrouded.”

Before each Battle, roll on the following four tables in sequence to determine the baseline Sight for the Trial.

Season Table (1/4)

Time Table (2/4) — Baseline Sight

Roll D12 and read down your season’s column.

Shifting Light Table (3/4)

Turning Weather Table (4/4)

Turning Weather Entries

• Stormfront — Roll on this table twice and apply both results. “You have been forced to fight after the heavens have opened.”
• Hail — Characters experience −1 Aim (A). Characters who use three Move Deeds in the same Act suffer 1 direct damage. “White stones fall from the cloud’s teeth and drum upon helm and shield.”
• Downpour — Characters experience −1 Aim (A) and −1 Pace (P). “The heavens break open, and all things run slick.”
• Frostbound — Characters experience −1 Pace (P). Characters taking a fall suffer +1 damage. “A silver crust glitters where the cold has crept.”
• Deep Mist — Characters experience −3” Sight. Characters within 3” of water experience −1 Aim (A). “Mist coils along the earth, smothering sound and shape.”
• Grey Drizzle — Climb Deeds cost +1 this Battle. “A mild wet falls, dimming steel and softening footfall.”
• Low Thunder — Characters experience −1 Valour (V). “A warning roll shakes the air, though the storm holds its wrath.”
• Rising Gale — Characters experience −1 Aim (A) unless shooting within 6”. “Wind gathers its strength and sweeps the field.”
• Close Heat — Characters in Medium and Heavy Armour, or carrying Two Handed Weapons, lose −1 Pace (P). “The breath of the day turns thick; armour weighs like grief.”
• Clear and High — Characters ignore Difficult Ground this Battle. “The storm holds its breath, and the world stands bright beneath an open sky.”
• Windblown — Ranged weapons lose Close Fire advantage. Staff and Pole weapons give +1 Ward this Battle. “A lean, sharp wind cuts across the field.”
• Fresh Wind — High Ground benefits are doubled this Battle. “A brisk wind sweeps the doubt from the air.”

The progression of an Oathband in Pilgrimage is directly tied to how they fulfil the Vows they swear on the journey. Vows are organised into thematic categories called Songs, and each Vow presents an objective which must be completed and, once completed, promises a reward.

These rewards are made available once 5 Unique Vows are completed, and can be distributed across the Oathband as seen fit in the Trial Aftermath. During each Trial, up to 3 Vows may be sworn — these are the Vows you will attempt to fulfil during that Trial.

Progress on Vows persists: if you do not complete them in one Trial, you can carry the progress into future ones. You can also stack Vows with the same completion criteria during a Trial (e.g. taking a Foe Out of Action).

The number of times a Vow needs to be completed to be considered fulfilled is shown by a number in brackets — e.g. ‘(5)’ means the Vow must be completed 5 times. Some Vows cannot be fulfilled in one go, but over successive Trials.

Song of Might

A commitment to strength.

• Vow of the Bear (5) — Take 5 Foes OOA using the Assault Deed. Reward: increase the Might of a Pilgrim by +1.
• Vow of the Challenger (3) — A single Pilgrim takes 3 Foes OOA. Reward: a Pilgrim gains an additional piece of Starting Character Lore.
• Vow of the Oakhearted (2) — Your Leader takes the opposing Leader OOA. Reward: improve the Valour of a Pilgrim by +1.
• Vow of the Unbroken (2) — Complete a Major Trial without a Pilgrim going Out of Action. Reward: a Pilgrim gains an additional piece of Starting Character Lore.
• Vow of the Brave (5) — Pass a Panic check caused by a Pilgrim going Out of Action. Reward: improve the Valour of a Pilgrim by +1.
• Vow of the Stoneside (3) — A single Pilgrim is Wounded but not taken Out of Action. Reward: increase a Pilgrim’s Endurance by +2.

Song of Vigil

A commitment to watchfulness.

• Vow of the Hawk (3) — Take 3 Foes OOA using the Fire Deed. Reward: increase the Aim of a Pilgrim by +1.
• Vow of the Stillhunt (2) — A Pilgrim takes a Foe Out of Action in an Act that began with them Hidden. Reward: increase the Aim of a Pilgrim by +1.
• Vow of the Patient (3) — 3 Pilgrims go without being Knocked Down, Wounded, or taken OOA. Reward: improve the Endurance of a Pilgrim by +1.
• Vow of the Steward (2) — A single Pilgrim collects at least 2 Waymarks. Reward: gain an additional roll on the Battlefield Finds table.
• Vow of the Swift (5) — A single Pilgrim spends at least 3 Acts using all their Deeds on Move Deeds, moving a minimum of 8” from where the Act began. Reward: increase the Pace of a Pilgrim by +1.
• Vow of the Highseat (2) — A single Pilgrim takes 2 or more Foes Out of Action while benefiting from High Ground advantage in a single Trial, twice. Reward: +1 Valour to that Pilgrim.

Pilgrims have access to a number of Blessings that can be used at any point in the game. These are acts of divine aid, each playing a different role. Before playing a game you may pick up to 3 to take into the Trial to aid the Oathband.

Each Blessing chosen may be used once per Trial. Once used it is spent, and the Oathband must finish the Trial without it. Multiple Blessings cannot be used on the same Deed or roll.

• Lanhesir’s Lantern — Remove low-light Sight restrictions for one character for one Act.
• Wyrsel’s Turn — Reroll any single die. Must accept the second result.
• Auruin’s Stroke — When dealing damage, ignore the target’s Ward. One hit.
• Maelis’s Calm — Ignore a Panic result. One character, declared after the roll.
• Enlaith’s Shelter — A character who would be taken OOA drops to 1 Endurance instead. Declared after the hit is resolved.
• Cuthelir’s Step — One character takes a free Move Deed at any point during the Turn, including during another character’s Act.
• Brael’s Mercy — Reduce the damage of one hit by 3. Declared after damage is rolled, before it is applied.
• Coluin’s Voice — Until the end of this Turn, all Pilgrims may use the highest Valour in the Oathband.

Battlefield Finds

After each Trial the Oathband determines how many Supplies they were able to gather. Roll two D12 — using Advantage or Disadvantage depending on whether you fulfilled the Major Trial — then apply any other relevant modifiers to the roll.

Your Oathband gains the final result × 10. For example, if you completed the Major Trial you roll two dice getting a 3 and a 7. You examined 1 Waymark, which produced a +1 bonus to your roll, pushing the 7 to 8. As a result you would gain 80 Supplies.

Injury and Death

Next, determine what happened to Pilgrims taken Out of Action during the Trial. Roll on the table below.

Vows Fulfilled

After checking for Injuries and Deaths, review how many Vows have been fulfilled this Battle. A Pilgrim who fulfils a Vow and subsequently dies does not forfeit that fulfilment.

When the total number of fulfilled Vows reaches 5, the Oathband has reached a Station. Distribute the Rewards from those Vows across the living Pilgrims.

Renown

When the Oathband reaches a Station, increase every Pilgrim’s Renown by 1. Pilgrims begin with a Renown of 1.

Oathband Renown is the sum of all individual scores — a measure of the Oathband’s standing, and of the strength of the Foes they will face. It is also helpful as a rough balance mechanic across Oathbands.

Legacy

Legacy is a permanent Oathband score, starting at 0. Each time the Oathband reaches a Station, add 1 Legacy. Legacy never decreases.

Whilst Legacy doesn’t feature much in Skirmishes — principally existing as a measure of the Oathband’s age — it is significant for campaign progression in subsequent releases.

Resupply

Outside of the campaign, once you have completed the previous steps, you may spend Supplies to recruit and equip Pilgrims for the Oathband. You may also retire any Pilgrims you wish at this stage.

The road does not ask where you came from. It asks only whether you will cross it. There is ground ahead that was not yours this morning. By nightfall it will be behind you, or you will not have reached the far side.

Setup

Place terrain to fill the board: ruins, hedgerows, rocky outcrops, whatever the road warrants. Avoid open ground at the centre; the board interior should feel inhabited and contested.

Place Waymarks using standard placement rules.

Roll for Initiative, then randomly determine a board edge for the side that lost to deploy from — these are the Defenders. The side that won are Attackers and deploy from the opposite side.

Major Trial

The Defenders must move at least half their Oathband (rounded up) off the opposite board edge. The Attackers must make it impossible for the Defenders to do so. The Trial ends when the Major Trial is fulfilled by the Defenders, or becomes impossible for them.

Minor Trial

A side needs to interact with at least 3 Waymarks — or all Waymarks, if fewer than 3 were placed — before the Major Trial is completed.

Special Rules

Roll on the Sight, Shroud, and Light tables as normal for Season, Time, Light, and Weather.

Events

The Defender rolls at the start of each Turn.

Outcomes

In the Aftermath, if the Major Trial is completed, roll for Battlefield Finds at Advantage; if not, at Disadvantage. Add +1 for each Waymark interacted with beyond the first. If the Minor Trial was completed, add +2.

You chose this ground. Not because it is defensible — it is not — but because something here is worth defending. Your Foe knows you have stopped moving. They are coming.

Setup

Place terrain to fill the board. At the board’s centre place a prominent Vigil Marker — a shrine, a body, a collapsed archway, whatever the road warrants. This is the position the Oathband must hold.

Place Waymarks using standard placement rules. All Waymarks must be placed outside the 6” perimeter of the Vigil Marker.

Roll for Initiative; the winner is the Defender and deploys within 6” of the Vigil Marker. The Attacker deploys D12+6” away from the Defender, but otherwise anywhere else on the board they wish.

Major Trial

Whoever has the greatest amount of Endurance within 6” of the Vigil Marker at the end of Turn 6 fulfils the Major Trial.

Minor Trial

A side needs to interact with at least 3 Waymarks — or all Waymarks, if fewer than 3 were placed — before the Major Trial is completed.

Special Rules

Roll on the Sight, Shroud, and Light tables as normal for Season, Time, Light, and Weather.

Events

The Defender rolls at the start of each Turn.

Outcomes

In the Aftermath, if the Major Trial is completed, roll for Battlefield Finds at Advantage; if not, at Disadvantage. Add +1 for each Waymark interacted with beyond the first. If the Minor Trial was completed, add +2.

You have been running long enough. The road behind you is full of the Shadow’s patience. Here, this ground, this moment, you stop. You turn. Whatever comes next, you chose it.

Setup

Place terrain to fill the board. The Reckoning has no fixed centre — the board is an arena.

Place Waymarks using standard placement rules.

Roll for Initiative; the winner picks a board edge to deploy from, the other player deploys on the opposite edge. Each side can deploy D12+6” from their edge, using their Initiative rolls as the D12 value.

Major Trial

Whoever eliminates their Foe’s Leader first fulfils the Major Trial.

Minor Trial

Take the Leader OOA without a Pilgrim having failed a Panic check during this Trial.

Special Rules

Roll on the Sight, Shroud, and Light tables as normal for Season, Time, Light, and Weather.

Events

After rolling for Initiative, whoever won rolls at the start of each Turn.

Outcomes

In the Aftermath, if the Major Trial is completed, roll for Battlefield Finds at Advantage; if not, at Disadvantage. Add +1 for each Waymark interacted with beyond the first. If the Minor Trial was completed, add +2.

The core game vocabulary — stats, statuses, the turn structure, and the entities that make up play. Lore keywords (abilities, equipment traits, and Origins) live in Lore Definitions; this page covers everything else, and other sections link here rather than restating. Each term notes its home section.

Status: Reconciled (verified 28 Aug 2026). Skirmish definitions were checked word-for-word against their home sections (all v1.0, except Blessings, which is itself Reconciled). Two inconsistencies were surfaced and ruled on (27 Aug 2026): (1) the rules now standardise on Difficult Ground — the stray Difficult Terrain in the Skirmisher Lore keyword has been corrected; (2) Staggered is not a base Skirmish status — it appears only on the Heights road (campaign), so it sits under Campaign below. Remaining before v1.0: verify the four campaign terms against the campaign rules.

The Oathband & characters

• Oathband — The group of characters a player commands, built from 600 Supplies. Advancement and identity belong to the Oathband, not its members. (→ Recruitment; Core Concepts)
• Character — Any miniature in the game, whichever side; a basic character costs 50 Supplies. (→ Core Concepts; Recruitment)
• Pilgrim — A character in your Oathband. (→ Core Concepts)
• Foe — An opponent character. (→ Core Concepts)
• Non-Pilgrim character — A figure decidedly not yours; sometimes named by faction (e.g. Shadow character). (→ Core Concepts)
• Leader — The Oathband member with the highest Valour; allies within 3” may use the Leader’s Valour for any check that calls on it. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
• Origin — An Oathband’s unique founding trait, from Sing of Their Deeds; the specific traits are listed as (Origin) entries in Lore Definitions. (→ Sing of Their Deeds; Lore Definitions)
• Supplies — The point-buy currency for building an Oathband: 600 total, spent on characters (50 each), then abilities and equipment. (→ Recruitment)

Stats

Each character has six attributes (base value in brackets); Might, Aim, and Valour may each be raised to +3.

• Might (M) — [0] Bonus to Assault, and to defence against Fire. (→ Recruitment)
• Aim (A) — [0] Bonus to Fire Deeds. (Also a Deed, cost 2, granting Advantage on a Fire Deed.) (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
• Valour (V) — [0] Bonus to Panic checks; also sets Initiative and who leads. (→ Recruitment)
• Ward (W) — [0] Damage reduction, subtracted from incoming damage; raised by armour and some Lore. (→ Recruitment)
• Pace (P) — [0] Adds +1” per point to the first Move Deed of an Act only. (→ Recruitment; Deeds)
• Endurance (E) — [6] Damage a character can take before going Out of Action. (→ Recruitment)
• Sight — Not a character stat: the distance characters can see in a Trial, set by the season / light / weather tables (0”–24”). A character beyond another’s Sight is Shrouded. (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)

The turn & Deeds

• Turn — One round: roll Initiative, then sides alternate activating one character at a time until all are Tired; then Tired clears and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
• Initiative — Rolled each Turn: D12 + the highest Valour on your side; the winner activates first. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
• Act — A character’s activation: up to 3 Deeds in any order; the character is then marked Tired. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure)
• Deed — One action within an Act. Standard Deeds: Move, Assault, Fire, Aim, Climb, Guard, Hide, Stand, Use. Some cost more than one Deed. (→ Deeds)
• Move Deed — Moves 3” + Pace on the first of an Act, 3” on later ones (floor 0”); costs +1 Deed through Difficult Ground. (→ Deeds)
• Guard — A Deed that ends the Act and grants +1 Ward until the character’s next Act. (→ Deeds)
• Check — The core resolution: D12 + modifier; 7+ succeeds (a different threshold is written out, e.g. “9+”). Each +1 shifts success by ~8%. (→ Core Concepts)
• Advantage / Disadvantage — Roll two D12 and take the higher / the lower; both at once cancel. (→ Core Concepts)

Combat

• Assault — Close combat within 1”. Both roll D12 + Might; the winner deals damage equal to the margin (less the loser’s Ward), then may push 2” to break off or fight on. (→ Close Combat)
• Fire — Ranged attack: attacker rolls D12 + Aim, defender D12 + Might; the attacker deals the margin as damage if they win. (→ Ranged Combat)
• Charge — Causing an Assault during your Act grants +1 Might. (→ Close Combat)
• Group Assault — +1 Might for each ally in base contact with the same Foe and not engaged elsewhere. (→ Close Combat)
• Close Fire — A Fire Deed at a target within 6” gains Advantage. (→ Ranged Combat)
• Moving Target — −1 Aim per Move Deed taken by the firer or the target this Turn. (→ Ranged Combat)
• Crowded Target — Firing at a Foe within 1” of another character randomly determines who is hit. (→ Ranged Combat)
• High Ground — Attacking or defending from more than 2” above a Foe grants +1 Might and +1 Aim on that Deed. (→ Ranged Combat)
• Cover — Terrain that obscures a target from the shooter; Fire against a character in Cover suffers −2 Aim, judged from the shooter’s position. (→ The Ground Itself)
• Engaged — Within 1” of a Foe (locked in Assault); cannot move except by winning an Assault. (→ Close Combat; Lore Definitions)
• Reach — A weapon trait allowing Assault from beyond base contact; full rule in Lore Definitions. (→ Lore Definitions)

Movement, terrain & sight

• Difficult Ground — Terrain that cannot be strided freely (bog, rubble, briar, scree, standing water); a Move Deed starting in, ending in, or crossing it costs +1 Deed (distance is normal). (→ The Ground Itself)
• Falling — A drop of 3” or less is safe; a longer fall deals direct damage equal to inches fallen − 3, ignores Ward, and leaves the character Knocked Down. (→ The Ground Itself)
• Climb — A Deed (cost 2) that moves a character 3” vertically. (→ Deeds)
• Shrouded — Beyond a Foe’s Sight; attacks against a Shrouded character suffer −2 Might and −2 Aim. (→ Effects; Sight, Shroud & Light)
• Hidden — Gained by the Hide Deed (behind cover, out of the Foe’s line of sight); cannot be targeted by Fire from behind that cover, and grants +1 Might / +1 Aim when attacking on a Turn begun Hidden. Ends on using or receiving an Assault or Fire. (→ Effects)
• Light source — Removes Shroud within its radius; figures inside cannot be Shrouded and are visible to all (the Lore term Light (X”)). (→ Sight, Shroud & Light)

Statuses

• Out of Action (OOA) — Endurance below 0; removed from the board, fate resolved in the Aftermath. (→ Effects; Core Concepts)
• Wounded — After losing 4 cumulative Endurance: −1 Pace, −1 Might, −1 Aim until the next Trial. (→ Effects)
• Knocked Down — From taking 4+ damage in one attack: must spend a Stand Deed before acting, and −1 Might while down. (→ Effects)
• Tired — Marks a character that has completed its Act this Turn; it cannot Act again until every character is Tired and a new Turn begins. (→ Deployment & Turn Structure; Effects)
• Shaken — From failing a Panic check: −1 Might and −1 Aim on the next Act; checks each Act to recover. (→ Panic; Effects)
• Panicked — From failing a second Panic check: spends Deeds fleeing to the nearest board edge (leaving the board counts as OOA). (→ Panic; Effects)
• Infirm — Applied outside a Trial: −2 Endurance until the next Trial. (→ Effects)
• Panic check — Triggered once a side has lost half its starting number (rounded up) to OOA: D12 + Valour − allies lost this Trial; 7+ passes. (→ Panic)

Trials & objectives

• Trial — A single battle. The three archetypes are the Crossing, the Vigil, and the Reckoning. A Major Trial is a weightier engagement, referenced by some Vows. (→ Book of Trials)
• Crossing — A Trial archetype: reach a point or get through. (→ The Crossing)
• Vigil — A Trial archetype: hold ground or endure. (→ The Vigil)
• Reckoning — A Trial archetype: confront or defeat. (→ The Reckoning)
• Waymark — A site placed on the board (D12÷2+1 of them, at least 9” apart); a character within 1” may spend a Deed to roll for a result — Supplies, Vow progress, or a setback. (→ Waymarks)

Songs, Vows & Blessings

• Song — A thematic category of Vows (e.g. Song of Might, Song of Vigil). (→ Songs & Vows)
• Vow — A sworn objective with a completion count (shown in brackets) that grants a reward when fulfilled; up to 3 sworn per Trial, progress persists across Trials, and rewards are distributed once 5 unique Vows are complete. (→ Songs & Vows)
• Blessing — A one-use act of divine aid; choose up to 3 before a Trial, each spent after use. The eight: Lanhesir’s Lantern, Wyrsel’s Turn, Auruin’s Stroke, Maelis’s Calm, Enlaith’s Shelter, Cuthelir’s Step, Brael’s Mercy, Coluin’s Voice. (→ Blessings)

Campaign (beyond the skirmish game — not yet verified against campaign rules)

• Doom — The campaign’s rising peril; it only ever increases. (→ Campaign)
• Renown / Legacy — Campaign progression currencies. (→ Campaign)
• Hallowed — A volatile, Oathband-level signed stat. (→ Campaign)
• Staggered — Not a base status: on the Heights road, failing a Pace check on vertical terrain leaves a character Staggered and ends the Move. (→ Campaign / Heights)

The canonical home for every Lore term in Pilgrimage. Equipment, abilities, and Origins all resolve their definitions here; other sections link to this glossary rather than restating it. Parametric terms (e.g. Aim (X)) are alphabetised by their keyword. Terms marked (Origin) are the unique Oathband origins from Sing of Their Deeds.

• Activate (X) — This item’s effect must be roused by spending X Deeds. Once activated it remains in effect for the rest of the Trial unless stated otherwise.
• Aim (X) — Aim is modified by X.
• Aimed — This weapon cannot be fired if the wielder has moved this Act.
• Assault Ward (X) — Improves Ward from Assault Deeds by X.
• Blade Master — Denies a foe’s Group Assault bonus.
• Blooded (Origin) — Every member gains +1 Might on Assault Deeds when Wounded or Knocked Down.
• Born Leader — When this Character is the Leader, allies within 6” may use their Valour for any check that calls upon it.
• Branded (Origin) — Every member may reroll a single die when making a Panic check. Must accept the second result.
• Bulwark — All Fire Deeds directed against allies within 1” are automatically directed against this character instead.
• Call to Valour — When this item is activated, every allied Character within 12” who is Shaken immediately recovers, and every Panicked ally becomes Shaken.
• Consumable (X) — This item may be used X times per Trial. Spent uses are restored before the next Trial.
• Damage (X) — Damage dealt is modified by X.
• Dash — Once per Trial, a Move Deed may be taken freely.
• Deploy — This item must be set in place before it can be used: spend a Use Deed to fix it to a terrain feature the Character is in base contact with. It remains there for the rest of the Trial.
• Descend — While this item is Deployed, any Character may move down the vertical surface it is fixed to as part of an ordinary Move Deed, counting inches descended as inches moved. They take no falling damage.
• Dispossession (Origin) — Every member begins each Battle with +1 to their starting Deed total, on their first Act only.
• Engaged — A Character within 1” of a Foe is Engaged, and may not move except by winning an Assault, unless a rule states otherwise.
• Faithful (Origin) — Choose 4 Blessings before each Battle instead of 3.
• Far-Ranging (Origin) — All members ignore the Moving Target penalty on Fire Deeds. When firing at a target beyond 12”, gain +1 Aim.
• Fated — Once per Trial, reroll one die. Must accept the second result.
• Fell-Handed — +1 Might on Assault Deeds when the only allied character in base contact with the target.
• Flight — May move out of an Assault freely and is never considered Engaged.
• Fling — When winning an Assault, may push the opponent up to 4” rather than 2”.
• Ghost — May deploy, before the start of a Trial, anywhere on the board, provided not within 12” of an enemy.
• Guardian — Once per Trial, when an allied character within 6” has an opponent move into Assault range, this character may immediately spend up to three Deeds to intercept them, and begin an Assault if it has a Deed available once in base contact. Cannot use if Tired.
• Hammerhand — Always counts as carrying a Hand Weapon, even when unarmed.
• Healer — Once per Trial, spend a Use Deed to restore 3 Endurance or remove one Status from an allied Character in base contact.
• Hearthguard (Origin) — Once a Turn, if an allied character takes damage, you may transfer up to 2 points of that damage to an allied character within 3” that has this Lore term.
• Knockdown (X) — Inflicts the Knocked Down effect when X damage is dealt.
• Light (X”) — Figures within X” of this light source may not be Shrouded.
• Longsuffering — Once per Trial, when this character takes damage that would cause the Knocked Down status, ignore it.
• Off-Hand — This item is borne in the off hand. A Character may carry only one Off-Hand item, and may not use it while wielding a Two Handed weapon.
• Outriders (Origin) — Add +1 to the Oathband’s Initiative roll each Turn. All members gain +1 Pace on their first Move Deed each Turn.
• Pace (X) — Pace is modified by X.
• Parry — Once per Trial, deny all damage from one Assault or Fire Deed. Declare before dice are rolled.
• Precision — +1 damage against rivals without the Tired status.
• Quick — Fire Deeds with this weapon are not impacted by Moving Target roll modifiers.
• Quick Draw — Once per Trial, a Fire Deed does not end the Act.
• Range (X”) — Enables the Fire Deed when the target is X” away or less.
• Reach (X”) — Enables Assault Deeds from a distance of 1+X”. If the Attacker loses the Assault they receive no damage, unless their Defender is close enough to deal it with their own weapons (1” + the X” Reach of any weapons).
• Reckless — +1 Might and −1 Ward in Assault.
• Restore (X) — Spend a Use Deed: this Character, or an allied Character within 1”, regains X Endurance, up to their starting value.
• Reveal — Using this item declares the user to all. They immediately lose the Hidden status and may not become Hidden or count as Shrouded until the start of their next Act.
• Scrambler — Climb Deed costs 1 and has no limit per Act.
• Sharpshooter — Ignore Cover penalties on Fire Deeds.
• Sight (X”) — Reduce the Sight of Foes looking at this Character by X.
• Skirmisher — Ignores penalties from Difficult Ground.
• Songsworn (Origin) — The Oathband may swear one additional Vow before each Battle. Vow slot limit increased by 1 permanently.
• Spotter — Allied Characters within 3” may use this Character’s Sight for Fire Deeds.
• Stalker — May target Hidden characters with Fire Deeds as normal.
• Starsight — Extend the character’s Sight by +3” on top of the Trial’s default.
• Steadfast — This character cannot be pushed or moved involuntarily by any means.
• Stonewill — When this Character fails their first Panic check of the Trial, ignore it.
• Survivors (Origin) — Once per Battle, when a member would be taken OOA by a single hit, roll D12. On 8+ they survive with 1 Endurance remaining, and are immediately Knocked Down.
• Swift — Improve Pace by +1.
• Take Courage — If an allied Character can see whatever bears this Lore, they gain Advantage on Valour checks.
• Throw — This item can be thrown up to 3” + Might. If an item has been Activated, its effects persist after being thrown.
• Tough — +1 Ward on top of equipped Armour Ward bonus.
• Two Handed — This item takes up both weapon slots and blocks the use of items with the Off-Hand Lore term.
• Unseen (Origin) — When determining whether a character is Shrouded, reduce the Sight of their attacker by 3”. Any member deploying in Cover may begin Hidden.
• Wanderers (Origin) — Every member treats Difficult Ground as normal ground for Move Deeds, including boggy ground and rubble.
• Ward (X) — Ward is modified by X.
• Warrior — No Pace penalty for wearing Armour.
• Wild Children (Origin) — Every member gains +1 Valour when in Difficult Terrain.
• Worn — This item does not take up an Equipment slot.

Pilgrimage is a fantasy skirmish game played with miniatures on a table, alone or with a friend. A small Oathband of believers walks a dark road, and the road makes them pay for every mile of it.

You do not play a hero. You play an Oathband, a band of Pilgrims who are collectively the protagonist of this story. None among them are irreplaceable, yet all of them matter.

This is the first release in a modular series of zines. Each complements the others and is designed to be played on a single evening or combined into a longer campaign. The battle engine you hold now — Trials, Vows, Renown, Legacy — is the foundation everything else is built on.

Future releases will extend the road: new terrain, new roads, new Shadows to walk against, and a full solo campaign of procedurally generated journeys leading to a Finale worth reaching. Every rule you learn here walks into them with you.

Start with this. Walk the road. Redeem what was lost.

Average play time: 1 hour