Intro

Legend in the Mist is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game where you and your friends play a fellowship of unlikely Heroes, from tavern cooks to sorcerous recluses, and embark on a journey through countryside and wilderness, discovering a greater world full of mystery, peril, and magic. Its default setting is “rustic fantasy” – set in a folklore-inspired world that can be both cozy and dangerous – but you can use it to play in any fantasy setting.

In this series of videos, I’ll teach you how to play the game. You can also learn by playing the free solo comic book tutorial, playing the group demo game, or reading the core book, all available at sonofoak.com. You can also check out our Discord to meet other players and join the community.

Heroes and Narrator

Players in Legend In The Mist usually play a single character, a Hero. The game also has a Narrator, who presents different scenarios and challenges that your Heroes must face and overcome. The game has solo and co-op modes that allow you to play without a dedicated Narrator.

Game Prep And Creating Heroes

Before the game begins, your Narrator or your group will choose the genre, style, and themes of the story you want to tell, using the suggested Frames of Play or making your own.

Then, you’ll each create your Hero, a topic we will cover in the next video. Your Hero can be anything, from a woodland hunter to a wise hermit. They could also be lords of the realm, moving armies across the land; knights of destiny, out on an epic quest; or mythic monstrosities, literal demons and dragons. The game supports all kinds of characters, small or great – you and your friends set the limits. You can even play characters of different power levels in the same party. Finally, you’ll create your Fellowship, or group of Heroes and its characteristics.

Hero Makeup

Unlike most other games, your character is not a collection of numbered stats. Instead, you use tags, which are short descriptors that say what’s true about your Hero and can help or hinder your actions like clever, traveling vagabond, or sword. Your tags are listed in four themes, which are the four main aspects of your character. Each theme starts with a title tag and 2 power tags which are all useful. A theme also has a weakness tag that can hinder your efforts but improves your character in the long run. Finally, each theme has a Quest that drives your character forward, whether it’s a belief they hold dear or a wish they hope to make real.

Your character also has a backpack that stores the items you carry as temporary tags called story tags. You start the game with one story tag and you can collect more along your journey.

During the game you could gain conditions called statuses that affect your ability to act, whether good or bad. If these statuses get too severe your Hero could be transformed by them, or even die, depending on your story.

The Game Loop

When the game begins, the Narrator will describe the first scene (or situation) in your story and ask “What do you do?” which is called establishing the scene. You’ll describe your Hero’s action, and, potentially, face the consequences.

This cycle of Establish-Action-Consequences repeats itself through the game, alternating between the Heroes. Through the Narrator’s scenes and your Hero’s actions, your story is told.

Taking Actions
In Legend In The Mist, you are not limited in the types of actions you can take: every action you can imagine is possible, whether it's exploring the wilderness, casting magic, fighting bandits, preparing a hearty dinner, having a fireside heart-to-heart, or deploying troops.

The outcome of your action is usually decided by rolling two six-sided dice or two special Legend In The Mist dice and adding a number called Power, which represents all the tags working in your favor or against you in this action. Every relevant helpful tag gives you 1 Power and every negative tag, like weakness tags, lowers your Power by 1. Your adversaries or opposition, your statuses, the environment, and tags in your backpack can also factor in.

When you roll your dice and add your Power, the total determines the outcome. On a 10 or higher, you succeed! But on a 6 or lower, you fail and suffer Consequences. And on a 7, 8, or 9, you succeed but also face Consequences.

Your Hero’s Journey
As your story unfolds, your Hero will grow and change based on your choices. Using weakness tags allows you to gain new power tags and special abilities. And depending on whether you abandon or pursue your Quests, your Hero may replace or evolve entire themes, experiencing a dramatic transformation that will set them on a new path!

Outro
These are the core concepts of the game, but you can learn more by watching the rest of our How To Play series. And while you’re going through our channel, be sure to like and subscribe for more Legend in the Mist videos.

Until next time, good fortunes on your journey!