Befallen: The Ballad of Luigi Solare, part 1

A bard from the Gentian Conservatory travels the desert chasing artifacts from a dead songstress.

Jul 22, 2025

Index
Befallen: Game overview
The Ballad of Luigi Solare, part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Character: Luigi Solare (he/him)
Class: Gentian Virtuoso

Fortitude: 7
Stamina: 5
Fate: 0
Resources: 2

Skills:
Strike, Deft, Persuasion, Occult
(skills give me +1d10 on their rolls)

Abilities:
Gentian Melody

Hedge Magic:
Calm, Locate Object

Knowledge:
Music, Gentians
(knowledge gives me +1d10 in rolls related to the subject)

The desert wind howled like a distant choir as the skiff sailed across the sand.

Luigi Solare leaned on the rail, reading a tattered songbook, focused on his goal. The last clue picked up on his travels led him to Aman-det, jewel of the desert and refuge for the undead. Apparently, Selena Cantante had traveled to the city in the last days before her death. Odds were good that he would find an item that belonged to the songstress.

A bump after hitting a dune’s crest brought Luigi to the present. He wiped his forehead and straightened his blue hat. “Sorry, Carian, is it?”

The figure at the helm, a gaunt undead with a sun-cracked mug, nodded. “Carian Who Leaves Trails in the Sand.”

Luigi put the songbook in his satchel and adjusted the lute slung on his back. “Well, Mister Who Leaves Trails in the Sand—may I call you Who?—I noticed we are not going to Aman-det, which I believe is toward those layered buildings.” He pointed to the sharp and massive silhouette in the valley.

“You’re a shooter, right?”

“I have a bow, yes, but I’m a Gentian Virtuoso, trained in the Conservatory as—”

“Listen, bard, like I said, this isn’t a free ride. I need an escort to a caravan going to the city. You agreed. We’re going to the settlement and then to Aman-det.”

“I thought I’d get to know the city first, enjoy the view, experience the culture, maybe even get a tan.”

“You should’ve listened instead of drooling over that little book of yours. That’s reading for ya.”

Luigi sighed. “I guess there won’t be much culture to experience.”

□ Quest started: Guard a transport caravan.

At the modest settlement, two people with scarves covering their faces climbed inside the transport wagon. Luigi petted the camels and hopped aboard next to the driver. They set off to Aman-det, Carian leading the way on his skiff.

Luigi plucked a few notes on his lute. “What are we transporting, anyway?”

The driver mumbled, his scarf moving with his mouth.

“Did you say corpses or harps? Please say harps. It’s been years since I’ve played one.”

“The dead begin anew in Aman-det,” the driver said. “It is beautiful.”

“I’m sure it is. I just have to get used to the smell.”

"Roll 2 times on the Desert Complications Table to determine what trials you face on the road."
D6: 3 = You stumble into the nest of a salamander. Challenge: d12; Fortitude: (5)(5)

The hot wind shifted, and the desert seemed to shake. Dunes split open ahead, and something writhed beneath the rocks.

A large reptilian head crept into the sun.

Carian shouted from his skiff. “Keep moving!”

The sand burst apart in a spray of dust and shells, revealing a massive salamander, orange and angry, its gullet glowing. As its jaws snapped, the camels growled, and the wagon tipped sideways.

Luigi sprang down from the caravan, lute in hand. His fingers flew across the strings. The talisman on his neck—the solo where Gentians carried the spirits of musicians—glowed, channeling the collective knowledge within.

I play Gentian Melody

Salamander challenge, d12 = 12
I use 1 stamina (4/5)
Roll Deft, 3d10 (base + Deft skill + stamina)  = 10, 1, 1
+1 Fate (1)
Success, but two complications (or 1 big complication).

The salamander stalled, entranced.

But another tremor rocked the ground. A guttural hiss rippled across the air.

From the other side of the caravan, a leaner, sharper salamander barreled through the sands and made for Luigi.

Gentian Melody again, to compel the entranced salamander and charm the new one

Salamander challenge, d12 = 9
Roll Deft, 2d10 = 8, 4
Fail

Roll d12 on salamander action table: 8
“The salamander tackles you, knocking the wind out of you and sending you tumbling across the ground. Lose 1 stamina (3/5) and remove 1d10 from the dice pool of your next roll before rolling.”

Luigi stepped backward, and his fingers faltered. The ramming salamander sent him flying. He stood trembling, blinking through the sand in his eyes to see the two angry lizards slithering toward him.

I use Calm
-1 stamina (2/5)

Luigi strummed his lute again as the spirits of the Melodicus manifested around him, dancing and guiding his notes. The salamanders halted, their heads bobbing up and down.

I attempt to flee

Salamander challenge, d12 = 2
Roll Deft, 1d10 = 10
+1 Fate (2)

Normally you need 2 successes to escape, either 2 in one roll or 1 in 2 consecutive rolls. As it was a critical, and the salamanders were entranced, I’ll consider it a success.

“Hey, snake charmer, time to move!” Carian shouted.

Luigi glanced at the wagon. The three men had leveled it. He moved toward it, fingers still plucking and strumming, and stepped aboard. The driver prodded the camels, and they rode into the desert again.

Luigi rested his head on the seat and breathed deeply. “I take it back. The dead aren’t so bad after all.”

The driver’s eyes squinted with amusement over the scarf.

Desert Complications Table
2nd roll, d6: 1 = You are attacked by bandits (Challenge: d8; Fortitude: 7)

The wheels groaned as the caravan crawled against the dunes. Luigi set his hat over his eyes and nodded off, when a quick whistle and a thud startled him. A bolt was stuck inches from his face.

More bolts punched the caravan and Carian’s skiff, followed by shouting. Three riders crested over a ridge, kicking up dust, faces masked with cloth. Curved blades and crossbows reflected the sunlight.

The bandits circled Carian. Luigi, his bow unstrung and quiver hidden beneath his cloak, grabbed his lute and strode toward the group. A crossbow shadowed him as he got close enough. Luigi strummed a C major, then raised his lute and hand. “Just a musician.”

“Exactly right,” Carian muttered.

The note hung in the air. The bandit trained the crossbow on Luigi’s head. “Coin, food, and supplies. Clothes, too. On the skiff. Now.”

I play Gentian Melody

Bandit challenge, d8 + 1 (Peril, under threat) = 6
Roll Deft, 2d10 = 6, 1
Success with a complication

Luigi carefully emptied his pockets. A small pick remained in his fingers, and he played an F, then a G7.

“Great,” Carian said, “a soundtrack to our robbing. I should’ve just waited for someone with a sword…”

Luigi smirked. “You’re terribly lively for an undead, Carian.”

The air tensed and the riders froze as the melody waited for a resolution. Luigi’s solo gleamed. The spirits trapped inside burst forth, but something felt weird. They stirred in unrest with an additional presence among them.

Luigi cursed. “Oh, Dorian, not now.” Terrible time for his haunt to appear, but was there ever a great time?

The ghost of a young boy wailed and circled Luigi in a frenzy. Dissonant phantom notes crept into the melody.

Carian noticed something wrong and quickly readied the skiff to escape.

Complication: -1d10 next roll

Compel, second roll of the Gentian Melody

Bandit challenge, d8 = 5
Roll Deft, 1d10 = 10
Success, +1 Fate (3)
That was extremely lucky.

Gentian Melody info: “if you roll a crit, you may choose to render the target unconscious or kill them.”

Luigi resumed the song with a C, covering the ghost notes with well-timed harmonics. Palechord Dorian howled in fury and disappeared. The others returned to the solo.

Luigi addressed the bandits. “Will you gentlemen guard our caravan until Aman-det? We could use the help.”

The entranced group got in formation behind the wagon. Luigi stared at Carian and beamed, but the skiff driver pretended not to notice.

Aman-det greeted them with an overpowering smell of spices and incense. Luigi jumped out of the caravan and talked to the bandits. “Thank you, boys, that was a class act. Now kindly turn yourselves to the guard, will you?”

They frowned for a second, then rode away further into the city.

Carian watched the exchange with interest. “That was impressive, bard, I will give you that. Here, take it.”

☑ Quest completed: Guard a transport caravan.

+1 skill point
+1d6 resources = 3 (5)
+Reputation with Carian

Positive reputation gives me another d10 in rolls interacting with Carian.

Luigi jiggled the coins in his hand. “How about a little more for a job well done?”

I use Persuasion to bargain for more resources

Carian challenge, d10 = 5
I use 1 stamina (1/5)
Roll Persuasion, 3d10 = 6, 5, 2
Success, +2 resources (7)

I decided not to include the extra Reputation dice as it was still part of the quest.

“Don’t push it, bard. Now be gone.”

Carian left, and another undead approached him. His expression seemed to worsen with each word exchanged. Maybe it was the long time by himself on the road, but Luigi sort of liked the grumpy undead. Maybe he still needed help?

Unable to curb his curiosity, Luigi edged near Carian as the other man left.

I ask him about the conversation

Carian challenge, d10 = 7
I use 1 stamina (0/5)
Roll Persuasion, 4d10 = 9, 5, 3, 3
Success

“Something’s wrong in the city, bard.”

“In what way?”

“A sickness is running rampant through the undead. Funny thing though, the living folk seem unaffected.”

“What kind of sickness is it?”

“A plague, maybe… or a curse.”

□ Plot started: Undeadly Sickness
+1 Peril = Plot is active

The plot, a large event happening in a city, has started, adding +1 to all challenge rolls, excluding combat and confrontations.

Carian eyed Luigi up and down, taking in his sorry, exhausted state. “Rest the night, bard, and we’ll talk more in the morning. If you’re still interested.”

Luigi did not argue. He found an inn, paid for the night, and climbed into bed.

He nodded off, gazing at the ring on his little finger that reminded him of everything important in his past and future.

End of the day
-1 resource (6) for living expenses
Full stamina (5/5)
+2 Fortitude (7/7)

Notes

I’m loving the game so far, and this beginning has a lot of what I liked.

I couldn’t resist creating a bard. It’s probably my favorite RPG class, ever since I used to play the hell out of one in Ragnarok Online.

Complications are a lot of fun to drive the story in unexpected directions. It’s something I’m getting used to in writing playthroughs. I have to relinquish control and let the dice guide me.

The haunt is a fantastic source of conflict for the complication rolls, besides inspiring narrative and backstory. Just genius design.

Rolling on skills instead of an oracle to get answers helps with flow and action. The game reads, “instead of asking ‘does the guard see me?’, make a roll with Sneak to see if you are spotted.”