Characters were created by deriving rules from the Beyond the Wall system. Character concepts come from two personae in an early 1990s AD&D 2e campaign.

Overlaid onto a majority of BTW's rules are the following house rules:

• Damage
  • Scarlet Heroes style damage:
    • The Fighter-Thief (non dual-classed) gestalt has a d6 Fray die
    • The Wizard-Priest (non dual-classed) gestalt has a d4 Fray die
    • Fray Dice
• Death
  • is permanent; no 'Raise Dead' or 'Resurrection' spells
  • Karma: your next PC has 79 pts distributed across Ability Scores
  • if slain character was level 5+, 80 pts distributed
  • if slain character was level 10+, 81 pts distributed
  • if slain character was level 15+, 82 pts distributed, etc.
  • if slain PC had gained 2+ levels since creation, or ...
  • slain PC involved in 5+ Actual Play reports, then...
    • his/her spirit enters companion's item, giving +1 magical bonus
  • replacement PC starts 1 level lower than perished PC
• Fortune Points (restored after Long Rest)
  • sacrifice a FP to grant Advantage on your (or ally's) next roll
  • if not a Wizard-Priest, sacrifice a FP to cry out to Cromm for healing (2d6)
  • sacrifice a FP to regain two Surges if you're a Wizard-Priest
  • sacrifice a FP to draw +2 cards when using Playing Card Oracle
  • sacrifice a FP to get +1 Initiative for the next 10 rounds
  • sacrifice a FP to add +1 modifier (doesn't stack) to 2d6 roll to advance on a progress track
  • if you have 1+ FP, sacrifice them all: 95% chance plot armor kicks in to save your ass at a cost
• Free Knacks - gain one per level through 9th
  • Tough (multiples stack, 5 max) - gain +3 permanent HP
  • Defensive (take up to twice, stacks) +1 to AC
  • Lucky (apply to different type each time taken) - +2 to one particular saving throw type
  • Fleet - +1 to Initiative (stacks)
  • Great Strike (take only once) - +1 to damage with all weapons
  • Resilience (take only once) - +1 to all saving throws
  • Adept (take only once) - your Surges use d8s, not d6s
  • Savant (pre-req Adept) - your Surges use d10s, not d8s
• Healing
  • regain 1 hp immediately after a melee
  • regain 1 hp after a long rest
  • regain variable hp when wizard-priest or item assists
• Leveling
  • Character Advancement is unlimited in levels
  • Every three levels, increase one stat by one point
  • after level 10, you only gain Con bonus to HP
  • when rolling for additional HP upon leveling, roll with Advantage
    • Wizard-Priests and Rogues use a d8; Fighters a d10
• Spells
  • Surface Wizard-Priests don't cast spells; they enact rituals...
  • casters native to The Down have broader spell abilities
  • many Surface sages will pay handsomely for spellbooks from The Down
• Surges
  • Wizard-Priests get 3 or [level] Surges daily, X equals level, whichever is greater
  • a Healing Surge restores 1d6+Wizard-Priest's level to target within 30 feet...
    • ... or split among multiple targets within 30 feet...
  • a harmful surge takes the form of a Spirit Bolt or Arcane Bolt vs single target
    • these deal (0.5)(1d6 + level), rounded down (min 1), to target within 30 feet
  • fortunate Wizard-Priests have 1+ rituals they can empower with 1+ Surges
• Undead
  • Levels aren't permanent drained by powerful undead
    • restore one level whenever you:
      • (a) get full day of rest and
      • (b) obtain a Remove Curse