Quick Reference: Ruins of Symbaroum Mechanics

How the Setting's Unique Systems Work in 5e

Corruption

Corruption is the core mechanic that separates Ruins of Symbaroum from standard D&D. Magic has a price. The forest has a price. Everything in this world leaves a mark on your soul.

Two Types

Temporary Corruption — Short-term spiritual damage. Gained from casting spells, entering corrupted areas, touching cursed objects, or encountering blight. Temporary corruption can be reduced during rests by spending hit dice (1 hit die = reduce temporary corruption by 1).

Permanent Corruption — The stain that never leaves. Gained from ritual casting, using certain artifacts, dark bargains, and specific story events. Permanent corruption cannot be removed by any normal means. It accumulates for the life of the character.

Corruption Threshold

Corruption Threshold = (2 × Proficiency Bonus) + Constitution modifier

If your total corruption (temporary + permanent) exceeds your threshold: Your body begins to show signs of corruption — blisters, growths, discoloration. These are visible and will attract attention from the Church and the Iron Pact.

If your permanent corruption exceeds your threshold: You become an abomination. Your character is gone. The GM controls what you become. This is not a death — it's worse.

Corruption from Spellcasting

The tension: Ritual casting saves spell slots but costs permanent corruption. Slot casting costs temporary corruption that can be healed. Every spell is a decision.

Corruption from the Environment

Reducing Corruption

Witchsight

Some characters and NPCs can see corruption.

Who has it: Twilight Friars (Black Cloaks), some witches, certain elves, and characters with specific feats or class features.

What it shows: The viewer can perceive corruption on a creature — seeing it as a dark stain, an aura, or a visual distortion around the target. Higher corruption = more visible.

Why it matters: If a Twilight Friar scans you and sees heavy corruption, you're getting questioned. If they see you've crossed your threshold, you're getting killed. The Church's ability to detect corruption is one of the most powerful political tools in Ambria.

Factions at a Glance

The Crown (House Kohinoor)

What they want: Expand Ambria. Exploit Davokar's resources. Find Symbar (the legendary lost capital).

How they feel about you: Useful if you bring back treasure and intelligence. Disposable if you cause problems.

How to gain favor: Complete expedition contracts, deliver intelligence, support the Queen's agenda.

How to lose favor: Side with barbarians, defy the Queen's Legation, withhold valuable discoveries.

Church of Prios

What they want: Cleanse corruption. Convert barbarians. Expand the light of Prios into the darkness.

How they feel about you: Potential soldiers in the war against darkness — or potential heretics to be purged.

How to gain favor: Report corruption, destroy undead, support the Sun Temple, deliver information about dark magic.

How to lose favor: Use witchcraft openly, consort with barbarian witches, hide corruption, deal with undead.

Key threat: The Twilight Friars (Black Cloaks) — inquisitors with Witchsight who hunt corruption. They are everywhere.

Ordo Magica

What they want: Knowledge. Specifically, understanding of ancient Symbaroum magic, artifacts, and the nature of corruption itself.

How they feel about you: Valuable field agents who go where scholars can't (or won't).

How to gain favor: Retrieve artifacts, deliver expedition reports, protect their scholars in the field.

How to lose favor: Destroy artifacts, withhold discoveries, damage their research.

Key tension: Ordo Magica and the Church fundamentally disagree about magic. The Church wants corruption destroyed. Ordo Magica wants it understood. Choosing sides has consequences.

The Iron Pact (Elves)

What they want: Keep the ruins of Symbaroum buried. Stop humans from awakening what sleeps in the forest.

How they feel about you: You are trespassers. If you take nothing and leave quickly, they may tolerate you. If you dig into the ruins and carry out artifacts, you are a threat to be eliminated.

How to gain favor: Respect the forest. Return stolen artifacts. Leave ruins undisturbed. Assist elven goals.

How to lose favor: Explore deep ruins, take artifacts, cut sacred trees, kill forest creatures unnecessarily.

Key reality: The Iron Pact does not negotiate. They warn once. Then they act.

Barbarian Clans

What they want: Survival. Preservation of their lands, traditions, and autonomy against Ambrian expansion.

How they feel about you: Depends entirely on your behavior. Respectful outsiders can earn trust. Ambrian colonizers earn arrows.

How to gain favor: Help clans, respect traditions, oppose Ambrian exploitation, learn barbarian customs.

How to lose favor: Treat barbarians as primitives, side with the Crown against clans, desecrate sacred sites.

Key system: Trust-beads. Barbarians exchange carved tokens as markers of obligation and reputation. Earning beads from a clan opens doors that gold cannot.

The Mayor (Lasifor Nightpitch)

What he wants: Thistle Hold to thrive. Money flowing. The balance of power maintained between factions.

How he feels about you: Everyone in Thistle Hold is a potential asset or a potential problem.

How to gain favor: Bring him intelligence, handle problems discreetly, keep the peace.

How to lose favor: Cause public incidents, attract unwanted faction attention to Thistle Hold, threaten trade.

Key reality: Nightpitch is a former adventurer who became a politician. He understands both worlds. He is the most pragmatic person in Ambria.

Explorer's License

Required for any legal expedition into Davokar. Issued at the Queen's Legation in Thistle Hold.

Cost: 1 thaler per person per expedition.

What it covers: Permission to enter Bright Davokar and designated areas of Wild Davokar. Deep expeditions (Wild/Dark) require special authorization.

What it requires: You register your party, your intended route, and your expected return date. If you don't return by the date, no one comes looking.

Why it matters: Operating without a license is illegal. If the Town Watch catches you entering or leaving Davokar without one, you're fined, jailed, or both. More importantly, the license system is how the Crown tracks what comes out of the forest. Declaring valuable finds is mandatory. Hiding them is theft from the Crown.

Davokar Depth Tiers

Combat Quick Reminders

Corruption in combat:

• Casting a spell? Roll corruption immediately.

• Fighting near a blight beast? Check its aura range each round.

• Using a cursed weapon or artifact? Check its corruption cost per use.

Retreat is always valid. Symbaroum encounters are not balanced for guaranteed victory. If the GM describes something as vastly powerful, believe them. Running is a skill, not a failure.

Death and corruption: If a character dies with significant permanent corruption, their body may reanimate as a blight beast within days. Burning or burying with Prios rites prevents this. The party should get in the habit of properly handling their dead.

Common Prices in Thistle Hold