TiGGR: A Wizard of Earthsea
Where Balance Rolls 2d6
Earthsea is not a world of sword-swinging destiny or flashy power displays. It is a world of wind, water, and names—where words shape the world, and power comes with weight.
This TiGGR scenario draws from the early threads of Ged’s story, not to replicate the novel, but to echo its heartbeat: the pride before the fall, the voices of doubt, and the hush that follows a choice nearly gone wrong.
You won’t find a final battle here.
You’ll find a test. A whisper. A wave.
As with Le Guin’s work, this story is about balance, not victory—about knowing the difference between being strong and being wise. Magic is personal. Risk is relational. And sometimes, the most dangerous adversary is the one that knows your name from the inside out.
Play this light, but never shallow. The sea listens.
And so does the shadow.
Rules of TiGGR
Stats: Body, Mind, Charm. Distribute 3 points (e.g. 2/1/0).
Rolls: Roll 2d6 + relevant stat.
Easy = 6, Medium = 8, Hard = 10
Attack: 2d6 + Body vs. 8
Defend (Main characters only): 2d6 + Body vs. 8
If hit, take 1d6 damage.
Zero HP = knocked out, fainted, stars for eyes, pick it back up next scene.
Players: 5 HP, Goons and minions: 1-3, no defense rolls.
Vehicles (mecha, spaceships, special sidekicks): 10 HP
Special Abilities: 1 use per scene. Boosts a stat roll or triggers a cool effect.
Gear: +3 to a roll or damage (usually once per scenario).
Optional: After a session, tweak 1 stat or evolve your Special to match the story.
The Shadow’s First Whisper
Genre: Fantasy Coming-of-Age
Scene: The Isle of Roke, Earthsea—craggy cliffs, the School of Wizards’ stone halls, and a restless sea under a gray sky, circa Ged’s teenage years as Sparrowhawk.
Goal: Prove your skill in a wizard’s test, tame your pride, and face a shadow’s hint—without tipping the balance.
Factions: Roke Masters (stern mentors), Rival Students (jealous peers), Sea Spirits (wild forces), Shadow Wisp (Ged’s inner doubt).
One-Shot Setup
Premise: A group of young wizards, including a brash Ged, faces a Roke trial—summon a wind to guide a ship safely to shore. Ged’s eager to shine, but a rival’s taunt and a flicker of shadow (his future foe) threaten to unravel him.
Setup:
- Characters: Roke students, 3 points across Body, Mind, Charm:
- Ged (Sparrowhawk): 1/1/1, “+1 Mind to name,” Gear: “Otak Charm: +3 Mind roll, once.” Bold, proud—teeters on hubris.
- Weatherworker (Vera): 0/2/1, “+1 Mind to call,” Gear: “Wind Knot: +3 Mind roll, once.” Steady, seeks balance.
- Illusionist (Tul): 1/0/2, “+1 Charm to trick,” Gear: “Mist Veil: +3 Charm roll, once.” Sly, hides doubt.
5 HP each (0 HP = shaken, winded, or shamed—back next “scene”).
- Vehicle: Roke Skiff (Body 2, Mind 0, Charm 1, 8 HP, Gear: “Sail Charm: +1 Charm roll, once per scene”). A small boat for the trial.
- Goal: Pass the test, resist pride, and glimpse the shadow’s root.
Factions:
- Roke Masters: Body 1, Mind 2, Charm 1, 5 HP, Gear: “True Word: +1 Mind roll.” Wise but strict—judge the trial.
- Rival Students: Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 1, 3 HP, Gear: “Jeer: +1 Charm roll.” Led by Jasper, they needle Ged.
- Sea Spirits: Body 2, Mind 0, Charm 1, 3 HP, Gear: “Wave Surge: +1 damage.” Unruly, answer to names.
- Shadow Wisp: Body 0, Mind 1, Charm 2, 3 HP, Gear: “Doubt Whisper: +1 Charm roll.” Ged’s inner flaw, faint but growing.
Gameplay Loop
- Opening Scene: The Trial Begins
- Setup: On Roke’s shore, Masters demand a wind to guide the skiff. Ged’s eager, Vera’s cautious, Tul’s smirking. Jasper sneers, “Sparrowhawk’ll choke.”
- Hook: Call the wind (Mind 8). Stand firm (Body 8). Ignore Jasper (Charm 8).
- Turns: Players move (brace on cliffs, Body 6) and act (name the wind, Mind 8; rally focus, Charm 8). Masters judge (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 “critique” damage). Defend (2d6+Body vs. 8).
- Mid-Test: Spirits Stir
- Setup: The wind rises, but Sea Spirits buck—waves crash. Jasper whispers to Tul, “Ged’s too cocky.” A Shadow Wisp flickers in Ged’s mind, urging haste.
- Hook: Tame spirits (Mind 8). Steady the skiff (Body 8). Resist Wisp’s nudge (Charm 8).
- Turns: Players act (bind spirits, Mind 8; haul sails, Body 8; defy doubt, Charm 8). Spirits surge (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 damage). Rivals taunt (2d6+1 vs. 8, 1d6+1 sting). Gear pops (e.g., Wind Knot +3 calms waves).
- Climax: Ged’s Gamble
- Setup: The skiff nears shore, but Ged pushes for a bigger spell to impress. Wisp whispers, “Be great.” Vera warns balance; Jasper laughs. Masters watch.
- Hook: Finish the spell (Mind 10). Save the skiff (Body 8). Quell Wisp (Charm 10).
- Turns: Players move (dodge spray, Body 8) and act (shape wind, Mind 10; calm Ged, Charm 10). Wisp tempts (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 doubt). Spirits lash (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 chaos). Specials clutch (e.g., “+1 Mind to name” binds storm).
- Resolution Roll: Group vs. imbalance (combined roll vs. 10). Success: skiff lands, Wisp fades; failure: spell falters, Ged’s marked (Total Party Knockout).
Resolution
- Success: The skiff docks, Masters nod—Ged’s praised but warned. Vera sighs, Tul hides envy. Wisp lingers in Ged’s eyes, a hint of trials ahead. Fade to Roke’s tide.
- Failure: Wind dies, skiff drifts. Masters scold, Jasper gloats. Ged broods—Wisp grows. Fade to a stormy sea.
TiGGR Earthsea Vibes
- Tone: Poetic, introspective—Le Guin’s balance of power and humility, with TiGGR’s quick stakes.
- Special Abilities: Magic’s personal—“Ged’s Will: +1 Mind to push,” “Vera’s Calm: +1 Mind to steady.”
- Gear: Earthsea tools—“Sea Rune: +3 Mind roll,” “Cloak Pin: +3 Charm roll.”
- Shadow Wisp: A McLaren-lite foe—GM rolls 1d6 per whisper: 1-3 it sways (+1 Difficulty), 4-6 it’s ignored (Ged blinks). If Ged fails two Charm saves in a row, the Wisp begins to speak in Ged's voice—next whisper is in first person.
- Skiff: A frail stage—its Sail Charm might catch wind or tear (GM call).
1d4 Roke Trials (Alternate Hooks)
- Call the wind to save a drifting trader.
- Calm a quarrel between island spirits.
- Banish a false name whispered into the stones.
- Bind a sea-shadow escaping from an opened name-lock.