Claw Atlas

Author: Tyler Crumrine, Jonathan Yee, Austin Breed Publisher: Possible Worlds Games Pages: 16 Session Length: Adds 15-30 minutes to a BF&B session

Overview

Expansion for Beak, Feather & Bone adding two major variants: The Hunters (faction actions create settlement-specific threats) and The Mapmakers (procedural map generation during play).

Role in The Western Horizon

Primary Scale: Settlement (same as BF&B) Used For: Adding a consequence/threat layer to settlements, zero-prep map generation Key Sections: Settlement Threats Engine Connection: Quest nodes seeded by faction action — the dominant suit determines what kind of action created the threat

The Hunters: Consequences Not Random Encounters

The winning faction’s dominant suit determines what kind of action attracted or created the threat:

SuitAction TypeExample
♥ SocialRitual, gathering, mass worship attracted somethingClerics: “Festival drew entity that feeds on devotion”
♦ FinancialGreed, exploitation, or trade awakened/summoned threatMiners: “Dug too deep seeking rare ore, broke sealed vault”
♣ FutureAmbitious experiment or reckless preparation went wrongMages: “Summoning ritual miscalculated”
♠ PastDisturbed ruins, broke seals, or stole artifactsStrangers: “Brought knowledge of ancient enemy”

This maps directly to Settlement Threats — the faction-threat matrix in that file is derived from this procedure.

The Procedure (30 seconds)

  1. After BF&B, identify winning faction’s dominant suit
  2. Winner describes faction action based on that suit
  3. Everyone else collaboratively describes resulting monster/threat
  4. Each person adds one element: looks, acts, wants, weakness

The Mapmakers: Zero-Prep Map Generation

Card values dictate geometric shapes for the map. Face cards create meaningful spatial relationships:

  • Jacks cluster → Market districts, guild quarters, connected compounds
  • Queens isolate → Watchtowers, quarantine zones, noble estates
  • Kings nest → Fortified temples, walled gardens, prisons, containment

See Source Systems for purchase information.


Last updated: 2025-12-07 Processed from: Claw_Atlas__Digital_and_Print.pdf