How to Play Vessel: The Adventure Game

Cycle of Play

1. The Guide describes the setting.
2. The Players decide what they want to do.
3. The Players pull from their Vessel.
4. The Guide describes their success or failure.

Pulling from Your Vessel

1. Check Your Score: The Guide will say "Pull with Body, Mind, or Heart." Check your score with that attribute.
2. Pull Tags: Pull a number of tags randomly from your Vessel equal to your score.
3. Tally Successes:
   • Matching tag: 2 successes
   • Non-matching tag (not a failure): 1 success
   • Failure tag: 0 successes

Report your total number of successes to the Guide. If you meet or exceed the required number, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail.

Skills and Penalties

• Applicable skills add their score to the pull.
• Skill tags count for 2 successes if relevant.
• If a penalty applies and is pulled, subtract 1 success per penalty tag.

Goals and Motes

Achieving group or personal goals earns you a Mote. Each Mote can be exchanged for 1 success during any pull.

Other Rules

Vessel Pulls

Some actions require a full Vessel Pull (e.g., healing). Always pull 3 tags and add relevant skills.

Challenges

In timed situations, players and Guide take turns. Initiative is decided by a Vessel Pull from the Guide’s Vessel, with modifiers as needed.

Character Sheet Breakdown

Character Name / Adventure Title

Write your character’s name and the name of the current adventure.

Experience Points / Level

• Start at B:1 H:1 M:1 F:3, Level 0.
• Gain 1 XP per level. Every 3 levels = +1 failure.
• • Level 1–2: 2 XP
  • Level 2–3: 3 XP
  • General formula: l = x * l
• Skill Costs:
  • Level 0–1: 2 XP
  • Level 2–3: 4 XP
  • General formula: l = x(l) + 2

Character Art

A space to draw your character—go wild.

Body Target

Number of successes needed to inflict a failure. Double this number = 2 failures. Calculated as Body score + defenses.

Failures

• Start with 3 base failures.
• Gain 1 every 3 levels (3, 6, 9).
• Death occurs when current failures = 2× base failures.

Default Total Tags

Total = successful tags + base failure tags.

Items

Track gear. Format: (+x/+x) → Body Target modifier / Failure modifier.

Money

Track your current funds. Adjust as needed.

Initiative & Movement

• Movement: 25 feet per turn.
• Leveling stats adds corresponding tags to your Vessel.

Tag Mechanics Note

All tags are incorporated regardless of situation. More skills dilute attribute pulls. For example, a DC of 7 with only 1 Body tag means low odds unless supplemented by skill tags.

Sequence of Events

1. Guide sets DC and selects attribute.
2. Player selects relevant skill to add to pull.
3. Pull amount = attribute score + skill level.
4. Combat scenarios do not use this mechanic.