As trust is earned, so is enmity.
Enemies rise from insult, rivalry, betrayal, ambition, fear, debt, duty, or harm done in passing.
An enemy is not just a stat block.
An enemy remembers, chooses, waits, and acts.
They follow their own interests, not simple opposition to the characters.
Enemies are made through action.
Common causes include:
Broken promises
Public humiliation
Betrayal
Interfering with ambition
Collateral harm
Theft, insult, or exposed secrets
Harm done to family, allies, faith, order, livelihood, or reputation
Sometimes the characters know exactly what they did.
Sometimes they never see the enemy being made.
When trying to reduce, delay, bargain with, or redirect an enemy’s hostility, roll only if the outcome is uncertain.
If the enemy has clear reason to accept, no roll is needed.
If the enemy has sworn revenge, been deeply wronged, or has nothing to gain, no roll may be enough.
When a roll is needed, use:
d20 + CHA modifier
A relevant Skill, Background, Ancestry, Order, or Life Event may grant a Boon if it meaningfully supports the attempt.
The enemy’s tier sets the DC.
Tier | DC | Enmity | How They Act | What May Sway Them |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rival | 10 | Resentment | Competes, mocks, obstructs, refuses aid | Apology, respect, repayment, shared interest |
Adversary | 14 | Active opposition | Schemes, spreads rumors, uses influence or agents | Leverage, bargain, restitution, greater threat |
Nemesis | 16 | Personal destruction | Plans, adapts, gathers allies, strikes with purpose | Major sacrifice, decisive leverage, changed cause |
A Boon may apply when the offer aligns with the enemy’s interests, pride, fears, oaths, faith, order, survival, or ambition.
A Bane may apply when the characters have betrayed, humiliated, threatened, robbed, exposed, or harmed the enemy.
A Bane may also apply when the request asks the enemy to abandon something deeply important.
Failure does not always mean violence.
It may mean delay, insult, higher cost, false agreement, public shame, escalation, or future retaliation.
A Rival is resentful, but restrained.
A Rival may:
Undermine reputation
Compete for status, reward, favor, or influence
Refuse aid
Mock, embarrass, or challenge openly
Turn others cold or suspicious
A Rival prefers loss, delay, embarrassment, or humiliation over bloodshed.
A Rival can become an ally, if pride is answered and interests align.
An Adversary actively works against the characters.
An Adversary may:
Interfere with plans
Spread rumors or misinformation
Use influence, leverage, or agents
Set traps, legal trouble, or social barriers
Aid the characters’ enemies
Cause harm if it serves their ends
An Adversary is willing to spend resources to make the characters fail.
They may still bargain if the price is right.
A Nemesis is committed to the characters’ downfall.
A Nemesis may:
Devote time, wealth, servants, and allies
Anticipate and adapt
Strike directly or through others
Attack reputation, allies, holdings, or hopes
Exploit old wounds and known weaknesses
Retreat, recover, and return stronger
A Nemesis threatens what the characters value.
A Nemesis does not forget.
They may not want the characters dead.
They may want them ruined.
Enmity grows through consequence.
Rival → Adversary → Nemesis
An enemy may escalate when:
They are humiliated
Their plans are ruined
Their allies are harmed
Their wealth, status, or safety is threatened
The characters ignore a chance to make peace
Revenge becomes personal
Enmity may diminish through:
Apology
Repayment
Restitution
Shared danger
Public respect
Changed circumstances
A greater common threat
Shifting motives or loyalties
The Referee may raise or lower an enemy’s tier based on the fiction.
No roll is needed when the fiction is clear.
Orders create enemies as easily as allies.
A rival Order may begin as Guarded, Opposed, or Hostile, depending on history and circumstance.
Enmity may arise from:
Broken oaths
Heresy or accusation
Competing claims
Old wars or feuds
Betrayal within the Order
Disputes over relics, land, doctrine, or command
If a character is cast out, former allies may become Rivals, Adversaries, or worse.
Shared allegiance may restrain open violence, but it does not erase resentment.
An enemy within the same Order may be more dangerous than one outside it.
They know the rules.
They know the names.
They know where to strike.
Enemies are part of the living world.
They may:
Gather allies and information
Recover from defeat
Change tactics
Wait for weakness
Strike through law, rumor, debt, faith, or family
Offer peace when their interests change
Not all enemies fight openly.
Some wait.
Some mislead.
Some strike once and vanish.
Use enemies to:
Apply pressure
Reinforce consequence
Drive play forward
Make past choices matter
Show that the world remembers
Enemies should act with purpose.
Do not make every enemy obsessed with the characters.
Let them have lives, plans, fears, duties, and limits.
That makes their hatred feel real.
Enemies act with purpose.
The characters made them.
Now they move.