The Cosmology of the Multiverse

Wayspace… it is the void between universes. For it is a fact that the multiverse, an infinite number of universes, is actually connected together by something known as the Cosmic Wheel - a multiverse gateway, allowing access to all of time and space to those who are canny enough to navigate it. Wayspace is the Wheel and the Wheel is Wayspace.

This great wheel is divided into 12 “Houses” - planes outside of time and space of the multiverse, where cosmic beings known as Ascendants have manifested not just a location but also an ethos or meaning to existence. Each House is like a “pole”, a spoke of the wheel.

A House influences the fabric of reality when it intersects with the multiverse, changing regions and potentially whole worlds or galaxies in the following ways:

  1. Wayspace Effect: an often subtle alteration to laws of physics for example, as the House begins to bleed into the universe in this region

  2. Game Mechanic: a quirk of reality that takes effect within the Wayspace bleed into the region.

A fantasy scene featuring a person standing on a rocky ledge, gazing at a towering, mystical gateway surrounded by swirling clouds and vibrant lightning in a stormy sky. An enormous magical portal with glowing symbols and a swirling blue aura dominates the background, with a castle visible on a distant cliff.

Your character will “belong” to one of the Houses. This affiliation may be unwanted, or sought. It doesn’t matter what the character thinks or feels, fate has placed the character within that House.

Your character is on the path to true Ascendancy.

Ascendancy is not granted by worship. It is seized through sheer will, survival of impossible odds, or exposure to the raw energies of Wayspace. These beings are distinct from "local" gods; they can traverse the membranes of reality, and their power is drawn from the constants that exist in every universe: Gravity, Entropy, Memory, and Conflict.

In the Wayspace RPG, each of the 12 Houses of the Celestial Wheel provides a specific House Power. These powers are triggered in two ways:

  1. Passive ability: useable by anyone who is a member of the House

  2. Active (Resonance): When you roll a natural 12 on the d20

What your character gains by being in this House

  • The House of the Anchor (Gravitic Pole)

    • Passive ability: Heavy Stance. You are immune to being knocked prone or pushed.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Event Horizon. You succeed, and you may immediately grapple or immobilize the target (or lock a ship in place) as a free action.

  • The House of the Forge (Industrial Pole)

    • Passive ability: Jury-Rig. You can repair items without raw materials (using scrap) at no penalty.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Overclock. You succeed, and the item/weapon deals maximum damage or effect. However, the item takes 1 point of Wear.

  • The House of the Current (Fluid Pole)

    • Passive ability: Fluid Motion. You can Disengage (move away from combat) as a Bonus Action.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Ripple Effect. You succeed, and you may heal yourself or an ally within range for 1d8 + Level.

  • The House of the Gale (Kinetic Pole)

    • Passive ability: First Strike. You also add your Agility attribute to your Initiative roll.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Momentum. You succeed, and you gain an extra Standard Action immediately.

  • The House of the Wild (Biological Pole)

    • Passive ability: Natural Resist. You have +4 Resistance to Poison and Disease.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Apex Predator. You succeed, and if this was an attack, you deal double damage dice. If it was a skill check, you spot a hidden weakness in the target.

  • The House of the Ledger (Mercantile Pole)

    • Passive ability: Silver Tongue. You gain Advantage on Persuasion checks involving money.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Inside Trading. You succeed, and you spontaneously find extra loot, resources, or a secret favor associated with the task.

  • The House of the Tablet (Lawful Pole)

    • Passive ability: By the Book. You cannot roll lower than a 10 on Knowledge or Lore checks.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Absolute Decree. You succeed. Until the start of your next turn, no enemy within 30ft can attack you (Sanctuary effect).

  • The House of the Blade (Conflict Pole)

    • Passive ability: Blood Debt. When you take damage below 50% HP, you gain +2 to hit on all attacks.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Cleave. You succeed. If you killed a target or destroyed an obstacle, you may apply the remaining damage to an adjacent target.

  • The House of the Shadow (Secret Pole)

    • Passive ability: Ghost in the Machine. You are invisible to electronic sensors and automated turrets unless you attack.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Vanish. You succeed, and you immediately become Invisible/Hidden until you attack again.

  • The House of the Gate (Liminal Pole)

    • Passive: Phase Step. Moving through difficult terrain costs you no extra movement.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Blink. You succeed, and you may teleport up to 10m to an unoccupied space you can see.

  • The House of the Tomb (Entropic Pole)

    • Passive ability: Cold Veins. You are immune to Fear and Morale effects.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Rot. You succeed, and the target suffers a permanent debuff (e.g., -2 AC or Disadvantage on attacks) until repaired/healed.

  • The House of the Crown (Sovereign Pole)

    • Passive ability: Radiance. Allies within 3m of you gain +1 to Resistance / Saving Throws.

    • Harmony (Nat 12): Royal Command. You succeed, and one ally of your choice can immediately make a reaction attack or skill check.

The Twelve Houses

  • A metallic anchor with intricate engravings floats in a cosmic space filled with colorful smoke and star-like lights, with a bright starburst in the background.

    House of the Anchor

    (The Gravitic Pole)

    Governs: Gravity, Density, Physical Matter

    Ascendants: Morgus (The Anchor), Ngai (The Mountain), Gilga (The Hero), Hanu (Strength).

    Wayspace Effect: Regions controlled by this House are "Heavy." Fuel consumption is doubled, but navigation is stable.

    Game Mechanic: The Iron Die. When rolling a 1 on a d20, you may choose to succeed automatically but your ship takes 1 Hull Damage (Simulating extreme gravity).

  • A digital illustration of a large, fiery sword with a glowing flame at its tip, embedded in an industrial setting with machinery and structures, viewed through an oval opening.

    House of the Forge

    (The Industrial Pole)

    Governs: Technology, Craft, Fire

    Ascendants: Ferro (The Smith), Gu-Iron (The Tool), Agni-Vore (The Fuel), Vrail (Entropy).

    Wayspace Effect: "Hot Sectors." High radiation, but abundant salvage and repair docks.

    Game Mechanic: Overclock. You can push your ship/gear to roll a d20 + d6. If the d6 rolls a 1, the item breaks immediately after the check.

  • Underwater scene showing splashing water and possibly a submerged object or pole in the water.

    House of the Current

    (The Fluid Pole)

    Governs: Water, Flow, Healing.

    Ascendants: Yemaya (The Ocean), Thaloss (The Deep), Saras-Vac (Flow), Nommo (Amphibian).

    Wayspace Effect: "Fluidic Space." Movement is faster here. Healing checks have Advantage.

    Game Mechanic: The Ebb. You can reroll any failed Agility or Medical check, but you must accept the second result, even if it is a Critical Failure.

  • A swirling vortex or tunnel with clouds and glowing sparks or particles, giving a cosmic or sci-fi appearance.

    House of the Gale

    (The Kinetic Pole)

    Governs: Wind, Speed, Change.

    Ascendants: Astraeos (Storm), Oya (Wind), Susa-Ro (Rebellion), Volo (Speed).

    Wayspace Effect: "Turbulence." High risk of being blown off course (Misjump), but travel time is halved.

    Game Mechanic: Tailwind. If you roll an 12 on an Initiative check, you gain an extra Action Point this turn.

  • A lush green forest scene with a large, ancient tree at the center, sunlight filtering through the dense canopy, and a small stone path winding through the underbrush.

    House of the Wild

    (The Biological Pole)

    Governs: Nature, Growth, Instinct.

    Ascendants: Pan-Gaea (Root), Velka (Hunt), Osh-Ka (Tracking), Babalu (Disease).

    Wayspace Effect: "The Overgrowth." Ships may develop biological infestations (vines in the engine, moss on the hull). Food is plentiful.

    Game Mechanic: Primal Sense. You gain Advantage on checks to track, hunt, or sense danger. Technology checks suffer Disadvantage.

  • An ornate wooden desk with gold embellishments, holding two large leather-bound books, a quill pen, small keys, and various decorative objects in a dimly lit, vintage-style study with wooden shelves filled with books in the background.

    House of the Ledger

    (The Mercantile Pole)

    Governs: Trade, Wealth, Communication.

    Ascendants: Obol (Banker), Kitsun (Merchant), Legba (Broker), Hermes/Volo (Messenger).

    Wayspace Effect: "The Trade Lanes." Piracy is illegal and policed by Obol’s debt-spirits. Communication signals are crystal clear.

    Game Mechanic: The Bribe. You may spend Credits/Resources to add +1 to a roll after you see the result (1 Resource = +1).

  • A digital illustration of a celestial map or star chart on a tablet device, with a golden balance scale in the background, set against a dark, shimmering surface with gold confetti or sparkles.

    House of the Tablet

    (The Lawful Pole)

    Governs: Order, Hierarchy, Strategy.

    Ascendants: Mar-Duk (Law), Metis Prime (Logic), Tsuku (Time), Voracia (Oaths).

    Wayspace Effect: "Grid Space." Reality is rigid. Magic and Psionics are harder to use (Target Number +2), but machines work perfectly.

    Game Mechanic: The Protocol. Once per session, you can declare a "Plan." If the party follows the plan exactly, everyone adds +1d4 to all rolls.

  • A fantasy-style sword with a detailed, ornate design stands upright against a cloudy, dark sky with a castle silhouette in the background.

    House of the Blade

    (The Conflict Pole)

    Governs: War, Conquest, Honor.

    Ascendants: Karn (Slaughter), Sakra (Jealousy), Ish-Tar (War/Love), Kal-Ma (Time-Eater).

    Wayspace Effect: "The Red Zone." Aggression is amplified. Ships' weapons deal +1 Damage. Diplomacy is nearly impossible.

    Game Mechanic: Blood Toll. When you take damage in combat, your next attack roll gains +2

  • A dark, cloaked figure with a hood standing in front of a gothic castle shrouded in mist and clouds, with trees visible in the background.

    House of Shadow

    (The Secret Pole)

    Governs: Stealth, Illusion, Thievery.

    Ascendants: Nemo (Faceless), Maya (Illusion), Amara (Mirror), Hekat (Magic).

    Wayspace Effect: "The Fog." Scanners do not work. Ships must navigate by sight/instinct. Smuggling is easy.

    Game Mechanic: The Veil. You can choose to use your Stealth skill in place of Defense/AC for one round.

  • An ornate wrought iron gate opening to a view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with the moon high in the sky and the sun setting, casting a warm glow over the scene.

    House of the Gate

    (The Liminal Pole)

    Governs: Portals, Dimensions, Stories.

    Ascendants: Sylex (Glass), Anase (Stories), Jhek (Luck), Mawu-Lis (Eclipse).

    Wayspace Effect: "The Drift." Distances are subjective. You might arrive before you left.

    Game Mechanic: The Shortcut. When Wayfaring, you can roll a d12. On a 10+, you bypass a hazardous encounter. On a 1, you teleport to a random location in the Deck of Ascendants.

  • An ancient stone archway with intricate carvings is set in a forest, surrounded by glowing cosmic nebulae, stars, and galaxies in the night sky.

    House of the Tomb

    (The Entropic Pole)

    Governs: Death, Rot, Endings.

    Ascendants: Iza-Nami (Rot), Yam-Raja (Judge), Styxia (Boundaries), Mah-Dev (Destroyer).

    Wayspace Effect: "The Necro-Zone." Ghosts are visible. Food spoils instantly.

    Game Mechanic: Memento Mori. When you reduce an enemy to 0 HP, you heal 1d4 Stress/Mental Health.

  • A digital rendering of a futuristic crown with intricate glowing details, adorned with crystals and holographic elements, set against a dark, ornate background with floating geometric shapes.

    House of the Crown

    (The Sovereign Pole)

    Governs: Leadership, Ego, Preservation.

    Ascendants: Vis-Nu (Preserver), Solus (Sun), Xang (Thunder), Lyssa (Desire).

    Wayspace Effect: "The High Court." Social standing matters more than weapons.

    Game Mechanic: Command. You can use your Social stat to assist an ally's physical roll, shouting orders that grant them Advantage.