Want to experience friendship and triumph in a low-stakes bucolic fantasy setting? Check out this expansion for Stride by Stride!
This article is an expansion for our TTRPG, Stride by Stride.
The world of Athleteria has a long and storied history filled with brutal wars and endless strife. When the population came perilously close to wiping themselves out, the Goddess of Spirit stepped in and made a simple decree: War is forbidden. Anyone who disobeys this edict will be smote.
The natural competitive drive of humanity persists, of course. The few remaining noble families need to jockey for pride and prestige, and they have found an acceptable venue: Footracing. Each sponsors a few racers from their lands to go to the Crown Academy and achieve as much as they can in their careers.
In Patrons & Podiums, noble houses sponsor and coach racers as an outlet for their natural desire to jostle for status. These are the most prominent ones in the current time period. You can run without the support of a house, but this gets you no benefits. It will get you bragging rights if you win the campaign, though.
Snow Affinity, +1 Stamina
House Bergo hails from the frozen northlands, where fur and snowshoes are the fashion of the day. Or the endless night, as the case may be. Racers trained by House Bergo are feared in the winter season, and they’re no slouches the rest of the year either.
Torkjel Bergo, barbarian
Torkjel is a tall man with broad shoulders and blonde hair. He usually wears a heavy backpack full of furs and grain to keep his legs strong. He helps maintain the grounds of the Academy, from the tracks to the buildings.
Quiet Starlight, racer
Star is a wiry woman with long, blonde hair. She wears shorts late into the winter, until the temperature hits about -20C. She is aiming to win the Frost Crown this year.
Road Affinity, +1 Tactics
The Cardullo Family is a merchant consortium based in Castle Town. They bring goods from near and far to the people of the capital. The other noble houses resent them as upstarts who just happened to be well-positioned during the Divine Intervention, and the Cardullos feel a constant need to prove themselves in return. The Cardullos’ racers can often be seen running around the city center, carrying deliveries or doing laps.
Yuri Cardullo, businessman
Yuri is a large man with a luscious black beard, braided with several rings. He handles the Crown Academy’s finances and helps racers manage their schedules.
Watch Out, racer
Watch Out is a man with reddish hair and unusually prominent canines. He wears a pendant with an emerald mounted on it. His goal this year is to win the Thunder Crown.
Dirt Affinity, +1 Power
House Hoffmeister is one of the key grain producers of the region, and its racers often haul wagons of grain down the dirt paths as part of their training. Their ability to read the dirt for soft spots makes them a real threat on their terrain of choice.
Mina Hoffmeister, chef
Mina is a tall, burly woman with brown hair that she keeps in a ponytail. She works as the academy’s chef, in addition to representing House Hoffmeister’s interests. Her signature dish is a hearty chicken soup.
Far Traveller, racer
Far is a muscular woman with a toothy grin and a burning desire to be the absolute strongest. She wears a heavy metal breastplate whenever she isn’t racing, to keep her legs nice and strong. She wants to win the Blaze Crown this year.
Turf Affinity, +1 Speed
House Mercer’s palatial estate has a well-maintained turf track, perfect for training racers close to their amenities and away from the prying eyes of scouts from the other houses. Mercer’s racers have a reputation for being stuck-up, dramatic, and very, very fast.
Carlos Mercer, nobleman
Carlos is a stuffy man with perfectly groomed hair and a vaguely derisive aura. Getting in his good graces is a sure path to a comfortable life, but good luck figuring out how.
Stumped, racer
Stumped is a short man with brown hair. He is well-read and can rattle off a lot of historical trivia, whether other people like it or not. He wants to make his name as a miler, and specifically wants to win the Fighter’s Plate.
In this land of magic and myth, many people have some distant supernatural ancestry. Racers can tap into this distant ancestry to boost their performance, at the cost of wearing themselves out.
Werewolf: One of your ancestors had a mysterious encounter in a poisonous swamp, a gothic castle, or a gnarled forest that has forever tainted your bloodline. Before rolling for a race, you can take one extra point of Exhaustion to temporarily boost your Speed by two points.
Dwarf: You count the stout and mighty mountainfolk among your ancestors, giving you some truly impressive strength. Before rolling for a race, you can take one extra point of Exhaustion to temporarily boost your Power by two points.
Elf: One of your ancestors was one of the long-lived and ethereal elves, and you carry a trace of their unearthly grace. Before rolling for a race, you can take one extra point of Exhaustion to temporarily boost your Stamina by two points.
Dragon: Whether through direct interbreeding or alchemical tinkering, a mighty dragon has influenced your bloodline, allowing you to temporarily access their superlative intelligence. Before rolling for a race, you can take one extra point of Exhaustion to temporarily boost your Tactics by two points.
Isekai Protagonist: You’re not from around here, but you don’t know how to leave. You don’t get an Exhaustion-related ability, but you start with three extra points in Tactics, reflecting your otherworldly knowledge. You almost certainly have black hair, the personality of a folded cardboard box, and you were probably a loser in whatever world you come from, but I can’t force that on you.
| Hearts |
|---|
| ♥Ace Visiting Racer: Veteran snow runner, For Tomorrow, has stopped by the Crown Academy to deliver a lecture on reading terrain. Anyone who attends her lecture increases their Tactics by 2. |
| ♥2 Town Trip: The party (aside from anyone who is racing today) is sent into town together to purchase supplies for the school. Training is unavailable this turn, but anyone who takes it seriously gains one point of Tactics, and anyone who decides to goof off in town gains one point of Speed. Everyone who goes to town also gains one point of Power. |
| ♥3 Cultural festival: Non-race activities are cancelled this week, as the various classes put on shows, host cafes, and teach dances to the other students. This has no mechanical effect, but it’s fun. |
| ♥4 Cleaning Duty: Anyone not racing today has to help with cleaning up the academy grounds. Racers can either haul trash, which gets them one point of Power, or clean the floors, which gets them one point of Speed. Other activities continue as normal. |
| ♥5 Meteor Shower: A meteor shower lights up the night sky during this turn. This has no mechanical effect. |
| ♥6 Dwarven Religious Festival: The local dwarven population is hosting a celebration to honor their god, the Rune-Maker, through feats of strength and art. Every racer gains either one point of Strength or one point of Stamina, player’s choice. |
| ♥9 Tactics Competition: The strategic studies club has decided to stage miniature reenactments of historical battles using a complicated ruleset and a wide variety of toys and handmade figurines. To test the system out, they’re holding a tournament! Roll under your tactics, calculate the difference, highest score wins 1 VP. If no one succeeds, non-player racer Quiet Starlight wins. This competition probably doesn’t violate the Goddess of Spirit’s prohibition on war. Probably. |
| ♥8 Sudden Venue Change: Today’s race had to be moved to a different venue. The length of the race remains the same, but the surface is changed to Road. If it was already Road, it becomes Turf instead. |
| ♥9 Tactics Competition: The strategic studies club has decided to stage miniature reenactments of historical battles using a complicated rule-set and a wide variety of toys and handmade figurines. To test the system out, they’re holding a tournament! Roll under your tactics, calculate the difference, highest score wins 1 VP. If no one succeeds, non-player racer Quiet Starlight wins. This competition probably doesn’t violate the Goddess of Spirit’s prohibition on war. Probably. |
| ♥10 Stamina Competition: It’s that time of year again! It’s time for the Bell Test! Anyone who participates gets to run back and forth between two lines, trying to complete a run before the instructor rings the bell. The allotted time gets shorter as the test goes on, compounding the effects of fatigue. Roll under your Stamina and calculate the difference; the highest score wins 1 VP. If no one succeeds, non-player racer Far Traveller wins the competition. Well, the points, at least. Nobody wins in the Bell Test. |
| ♥Jack Power Competition: A shipment of stone needs to be moved from the river to the campus, and some of the racers have turned it into a competition to see who can haul the most before sunset. Roll under your Power and calculate the difference; the highest score wins 1 VP. If no one succeeds, non-player racer Stumped wins the competition. |
| ♥Queen Speed Competition: A popular pastime among the racers is “jousting,” a competition where two racers start at the opposite ends of a course and race to grab a flag tied to a railing or similar object. A group of racers have organized a jousting tournament. Roll under your Speed and calculate the difference; the highest score wins 1 VP. If no one succeeds, the non-player racer, Watch Out, wins the competition. |
| ♥King Visiting Racer: Acclaimed road racer Summer Nights is on campus, putting on a clinic about optimizing your energy expenditure with proper breathing techniques.. Anyone who attends his lecture increases their Stamina by 2. |
| Diamonds |
|---|
| ♦Ace Visiting Racer: Mercer Charlie, known as the “Prince of Turf,” is delivering a lecture on warm-up exercises to maximize top speed. Anyone who attends his lecture increases their Speed by 2. |
| ♦2 Power Disabled: The Throwing Stone has ended up in the river, as a result of a poorly-conceived outdoor workout session. Power training is disabled for this turn. |
| ♦3 Stamina Disabled: A moose has decided that the dirt track is the ideal place to calve. Everyone has agreed to give it some space to recover, out of either kindness or fear. Stamina training is disabled for this turn. |
| ♦4 Speed Disabled: A hail storm has hammered the turf track, and racers have been asked to keep off of it while the grass recovers. Speed training is disabled for this turn. |
| ♦5 Field Fillers: An important dignitary from the elven kingdoms has arrived unannounced to view this turn’s race, and the administrator needs as many racers on the field as possible. Today’s race is mandatory. |
| ♦6 Tactics Disabled: Instructor Julius Marsarius has had to return home to assist in agricultural activities. Tactics training is disabled for this turn. |
| ♦8 Roof Damage: The roof of the dorms was ripped off in a fierce storm, and repairs are underway. In the meantime, tents have been set up for the racers in the infield of the main track. You can’t clear exhaustion at the dorms this turn, but you can have a nice little campfire. |
| ♦8 Roof Damage: The roof of the dorms was ripped off in a fierce storm, and repairs are underway. In the mean time, tents have been set up for the racers in the infield of the main track. You can’t clear exhaustion at the dorms this turn, but you can have a nice little campfire. |
| ♦9 Freak Weather: Unseasonably cold (or hot) weather hits the area! This turn’s race surface becomes Snow. If it was already Snow, it instead becomes Dirt (Heavy). |
| ♦10 Blessings: Priests of the gods have come to the academy for a religious conclave. They are open for consultation during this time, and anyone who chooses to consult with them instead of training or racing this turn gets a reroll to use in a future race. |
| ♦Jack Exam Week: This is the week with all the hard tests! Between late-night studying and an erratic exam schedule, everyone takes an extra point of Exhaustion at the end of this turn. |
| ♦Queen Plentiful Food: A caravan of halflings has stopped by the Academy, and they were so impressed by the spectacle of the races that they have decided to prepare a truly incredible, hearty meal as thanks. Everyone clears exhaustion at the end of this turn. |
| ♦King Visiting Racer: Hoff Summer, the “Dirt Devil,” has brought a wagon full of rocks to the Academy to help build up the runners’ strength. Anyone who attends her training course increases their Power by 2 and is very sore afterwards. |
This slightly updated race schedule incorporates the Surface types from the Cyber Athletes 2086 article. Popularity is meant to be the signature mechanic of Cyber Athletes 2086, so events from that are not included on this schedule, but if you would like to incorporate it into this setting, just slot them in on the same turns as they are in 2086.
| Race Schedule |
|---|
| Early January: Selector Stakes (Snow Sprint) (G3) |
| Late January: Prodigy Cup (Road Mile) (G3) |
| Early February: Rookie Run (Turf Medium) (G3) |
| Late February: Hammerdrop Heat (Road Long) (G3) |
| Early March: Fairy Stakes (Turf Sprint) (G3) |
| Late March: Storm Mile (Turf Mile) (G3) [Thunder Crown 1] |
| Early April: Prince Albert’s Challenge (Dirt Medium) (G2) |
| Late April: Centaur Cup (Dirt Long) (G3) |
| Early May: Lightning Bolt (Turf Sprint) (G3) [Thunder Crown 2] |
| Late May: Lancer’s Derby (Road Medium) (G1) |
| Early June: Wizard’s Dash (Road Sprint) (G3) |
| Late June: Fighter’s Plate (Turf Mile) (G1) |
| Early July: Lazaryn Memorial Cup (Dirt Mile) (G2) [Blaze Crown 1] |
| Late July: Red Oaks (Turf Long) (G2) |
| Early August: Black Flame Prize (Dirt Medium) (G2) [Blaze Crown 2] |
| Late August: Cleric’s Rally (Dirt Sprint) (G3) |
| Early September: Scribe’s Endurance (Dirt Long) (G2) |
| Late September: Harvest Derby (Dirt Medium) (G3) |
| Early October: Smith’s Iron Cup (Turf Sprint) (G3) |
| Late October: Dragon’s Enduro Cup (Snow Long) (G1) |
| Early November: Umbral Cup (Snow Medium) (G1) [Frost Crown 1] |
| Late November: Paragon’s Hunt (Road Mile) (G3) |
| Early December: Crystal Cup (Snow Long) (G1) [Frost Crown 2] |
| Late December: The Gauntlet (Road Long) (G1) |
I hope you’ve enjoyed this more fantastic take on Stride By Stride! There’s no reason you can’t use Ancestries in Cyber Athletes 2086 or Popularity in Patrons & Podiums, or either of them in Horses in the Big City, so go nuts!
This is probably the last Stride by Stride expansion for a little while, as I think I’ve hit the major beats, but let me know if you’re interested in more!
-Garm
We recommend these maps and assets…
Garmbreak1
Former esports wannabe, current TTRPG streamer and TTRPG creator interviewer. I like science fiction and I have a soft spot for licensed tabletop RPGs. You can find all the campaigns I’m in and interviews I’ve done over on YouTube.
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