volume 3 - 2022

Level 1
The Free RPG Day Anthology
o of Indie Roleplaying Games

compiled and edited by

9th Level Games

in association with
Gaming Days, LLC

editors
Adriel Lee Wilson
Chris O’Neill
Heather O’Neill
Nat Mesnard

sponsored by
9th Level Games,
Bully Pulpit, Roll20, ReedPop,
Backerkit, Evil Hat, IGDN,
Indie Press Revolution,
Nerdy City, Pelegrane Press,
Rock Manor Games,
Steamforged Games,
Steve Jackson Games,
The Lucky Die, and The Op.

©2022 - 9th Level Games trade dress and layout.

©2022 the respective authors of the games
presented. All rights reserved.

1
 Welcome to Level 1
A Letter from the Editors
Welcome to the third volume of Level 1, an annual anthology series of
independent roleplaying games celebrating Free RPG Day. We hope that
this volume surprises you, delights you, and entices you to spend even
more time exploring the wondrous world of independent RPGs.

The book you hold in your hands channels myths and legends both
ancient and modern. Within, you'll find games about gods and vessels,
music and media, and acts of resistance—and stories that range from
cosmic to epic to historic. Play as bards battling for renown, saints
and their patrons, and as glimmering stars struggling to protect fellow
members of a beautiful constellation. With these games, you'll craft
unforgettable legends, and build your own myths.

These games were all created by independent designers who’ve put pen
to paper to share their vision with us, and we are so excited to share
them with you. All of them will be available digitally, for free, a month
after Free RPG Day. Head to our website, 9thlevel.com, to find them, and
to check out all of our other fantastic RPGs and board games.

We thank you for supporting your friendly local game store. This booklet
is in your hands because of the collaboration of the small business
owners who love and support Free RPG Day! Don’t forget to share your
experiences online with #FreeRPGDay, and tag the store where you
got the booklet if they've got social media. Let the world (and us) know
which games you played and what you thought of them!

By the way, if you’re an indie game designer, and you'd like to submit to
Level 1, be in touch with us. We'll be printing the next anthology in 2023
- with the theme of "Endings and Epilogues". Check out the last page of
this book for details on submission and get started on your game today!

As ever, we couldn’t have created this wonderful publication without the

support of our generous sponsors. Check out their products, which you
can buy from the store you are standing in by using the handy list in the
back of this book.
See you again next year,
Adriel, Chris, and Heather
9th Level Games

2
Audience and Tone
Many of the games in this book are for all ages, but some have
subject matter that pertains to, or has been written expressly for,
adults. To help you navigate which games are which we have included
a ratings and tone system. This should give you a general idea of
which games match the age and interest level of your players.
KID ALL THIRTEEN MATURE
FRIENDLY AUDIENCES PLUS ADULTS

K AA 13 MA
Kid Friendly – This game was designed specifically with
children in mind.

All Audiences - This game is appropriate for all ages.

Thirteen Plus - This game may have language, themes, or

activities that are inappropriate for most children, or game
mechanics that require maturity and experience.

Mature Adult –This game features explicit content that is only

suitable for adults.

Action – Exciting, pulse-pounding, adrenalin fueled good

times. A game about action, adventure, and doing cool stuff.

Cozy – Light, homey, cozy, or small. A game about good

feelings and community. The stakes are low, and there is a
limited scope of danger or bad things happening.

FUN – Silly, light, or funny. A game about having a good time.

SERIOUS – Either in theme or mechanics, serious game is

serious! These games assume that the players buy into a
deeper, less frivolous game experience.

STRANGE – Strange, weird, magical, or horrible – strange games

have themes and tone of otherness, occultism, preposterous
things, and just plain weirdness.

3
 Be Safe, Have Fun
Tools for Having a Safe, Fun Time at any RPG Table

9th Level Games, Free RPG Day, and everybody involved truly want everyone to
be able to embrace and enjoy the tabletop experience. To do that, we need to be
aware that the improvisational nature of roleplaying leaves open the possibility of
crossing into areas that may be uncomfortable or even triggering for our friends
(and doubly so when playing with people that we don’t know well, or even at all).

It’s important for players to feel comfortable and safe when they are engaging with
roleplaying games. To that end we have included some of the most common safety
mechanics from roleplaying games and LARPing. If a game does not list a specific
safety mechanic to use, please choose the safety mechanic(s) that best fit the
game you are playing and the group you are playing it with.

It is imperative when gaming with people that you don’t know (or just don’t know
very well) to set boundaries and expectations before playing. Using an explanation
of a Safety Mechanic is a good way to have this conversation in a no-worry, pressure
free environment.

Even when you are gaming with people that you know well, having a conversation
about boundaries and a discussion of whether you should use specific safety
mechanics is a good idea (especially if you have been playing with that group for a
long time - things and people change).

Other Great Tools and Mechanics

There are many other safety mechanics available to roleplayers and all gamers,
such as Boundary Negotiation, OK Check-In, Self Check-In, and Softer. If you are
unfamiliar with these tools, we suggest you do some research because others have
already done a better job of explaining them than we can. We encourage you to do
research and talk to each other to work out what’s best for your group.

Enthusiastic Consent
Ask permission if what you’re about to say or do affects another player. An
enthusiastic yes means yes, anything else means no! No means say something else,
do something else.

Transparency and Content Warnings

Transparency means being up front with your players about what to expect.
You don’t need to spoil your plots, but it’s important for players to know what
they are getting into. If your game is going to be a lighthearted romp through
the neighborhood trick or treating, tell them. If it’s going to be a serious
exploration of body horror, make sure they know.

Where possible, if we find that a game in this collection has potential trig-
gers for people, we will include them in the description. Look for content
warnings with the game descriptions and player counts.

4
Open Door Policy
We strongly believe that all games should have an Open Door - anyone can
leave the game for any reason at any time, and they will not be judged for
doing so. If you need to go – do. It could be for an emotional reason, a bio break, to
take an important phone call, or just because you know that you need to leave the
game. No one should ever be questioned, made fun of, or coerced to stay and play -
even if that means there aren’t enough players for that particular game to continue.
The important part of having an open door policy used in your game is making sure
that everyone understands that the goal is comfort and safety. Players should feel
comfortable leaving if they need or want to.

While not required, if you don’t plan on returning, let someone that you trust know
(so that they don’t come looking for you). You are not required in any way to explain
or defend your decision - take the door, stay safe.

Lines & Veils

Lines and Veils is all about having a conversation! At the start of the game,
establish what lines YOU don’t want to cross and tell your players/your group what
those lines are. Ask and allow space for everyone to establish and communicate
their lines. When anyone establishes a line – everyone else needs to respect that
line. There should be no discussion of it. It is not a topic for debate, it is a hard line
that someone doesn’t want to include in their roleplaying games.

A veil is similar to a line, but less cut and dried. What we are saying with a veil is
that we acknowledge that something can/will occur in our game world, but that we
would rather not directly roleplay that activity. We don’t want a graphic description
of the details – we are going to acknowledge the fact that it happened, and move
on. Again, ask for and allow space for everyone to establish and communicate their
veils.

No discussion, no debate - respect everyone’s lines and veils!

Cut/Brake
Cut and Brake are safety terms designed and used in LARPs. They originated in
the Nordic LARPing community. To use Cut, a player simply needs to say “cut”
loud enough for the rest of the players to hear. If you are playing a game with a
large group of people or in a place with a lot of background noise and you hear
another player say “cut”, help them by repeating the word. When players hear
“cut”, all gameplay should stop. Everyone then takes a brief break to resolve the
Cut. Cut should can be used when someone playing the game is having a physical
emergency or feeling unsafe in any way. It is extremely useful in situations where
there may be physical contact.

Brake is for use when a roleplaying situation has become too intense for the
players involved. It says to the players involved, “slow down”. Brake can be
employed in emotional or physical situations. Roleplay does not stop when
one player says “brake” instead all players involved take a metaphorical step
back and resolve the discomfort together.

5
 For example, Tony and Ang are roleplaying a scene that involves Tony holding
Ang’s hand behind their back. The position is causing Ang some discomfort, so
they say to Tony “let me go - brake!” Tony understands that Ang is physically
uncomfortable but is willing to continue the scene. Tony adjusts their hold on Ang
and the game continues.

In order for Cut and Brake to work – everyone has to understand and agree to
respect it. We suggest that when you are starting a game ask if everyone playing
understands Cut and Brake and to get their buy in. Cut and Brake are to be heard
and respected. No one is required to discuss why they called either Cut or Brake at
the time of calling, or even after the game is over.

The X-Card
The X-Card, created by John Stavropoulos, is a mechanic that allows anyone
involved in a game (players and GMs) to indicate that the content being discussed
is something they are uncomfortable with. The X-Card lets them edit out that
content.

To use the X-Card draw an X on an index card. Before gameplay begins say or read
the following to your players:

“I’d like your help to make this game fun for all of us. We are going to use this X-Card
[hold up the card]. If anything makes anyone uncomfortable in any way, either lift or
tap this card. There’s no need for any type of explanation. When we tap or hold up
this card,

we’ll edit out the thing that was X-Carded. If there are any issues, anyone can call
for a break and we can talk privately. This is going to help make our game the best
experience for everyone involved!”

For more information on the X Card, link:

http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg

The O-Card
At 9th Level Games we like to add an “O-card” to our RPG sessions. Take a second
card and draw an O on it. When something that you like happens during a game,
tap the O-card. This tells everyone that you want more of, or simply enjoyed, that
content.

Tapping an O-card is a way to encourage content, without breaking character or

changing the mood. Sometimes you want to encourage dark, serious, or sad content
– and telling your friend that you dig it may seem weird. If something gets X-carded
and O-carded, X-carding always takes precedence – just let it drop.

Thank you for making your table

fun and safe for everyone!

6
It's gonna be a...

The darkly comic RPG of powerful am

bition
and poor impulse control
Available wherever ridiculous games
are sold,
including your local game store and
Roll20!

www.bullypulpitgames.com

7
GET YOUR
(TABLETOP)
GAME ON.

EXPO HALL • LIVE D&D • TOURNAMENTS • TCGS • RPGS • BOARD GAMES • & MORE!

SEATTLE, WA BOSTON, MA PHILADELPHIA, PA

TO GAMERS OF ALL TYPES THAT WANT TO CELEBRATE

THE COMMUNITY THEY LOVE: WELCOME HOME.

LEARN MORE AT PAXSITE.COM

Follow on Twitter @pax
is proud to support
9th Level Games & Free RPG Day

8
Your Friends.
Your Games.
Your Table.

No downloads.
.net No software.
Just play!

9
 the Victor’s Tale
ALL
AUDIENCES
2-8
AA
SERIOUS action

by Gabrielle Rabinowitz
Illustrations by Evlyn Moreau
Gabrielle is an educator and tabletop roleplaying game designer based
in Brooklyn. She creates narrative games with simple mechanics and
a powerful emotional core. Several of the games she has worked on,
including Ma Nishtana: Why is this Night Different? and A Necessary
Miracle, are inspired by Jewish ritual and tradition.

Thank you to Kali Carys, Rev. Benjamin Gildas, Melissa Gildas, and Ben
Bisogno for playtesting and helping me tell this tale.

https://gabriellerab.itch.io/
https://twitter.com/GabrielleRab

You know the legends . . .

Beowulf slays Grendel, Hercules beheads the Lernaean Hydra, Rama
rescues his love from the demon king Ravana. But what songs would
we sing if Grendel had triumphed? Is Ravana the hero of another
story, yet to be told?

In The Victor’s Tale, two players tell the story of mythic beings locked
in battle, rolling dice to determine who gains the upper hand. When
the dust settles, only one stands victorious, and only one version of
the tale remains.
You will need:
q Two players
q Up to 12 6-sided dice (3 – 6 per player)
q Writing materials

Choose your champions

Each player picks a champion from the tables below (choose
or roll a d6). Whoever is feeling more monstrous selects a heroic
monster. The other player selects a monstrous hero.
10
 Monstrous Heroes Might Favor Will
1 Wise mage 4 + 1 ♢♢♢
2 Clever youth 3 + 1 ♢♢♢♢
3 Exiled royalty 4 0 ♢♢♢♢
4 Battle honed warrior 5 0 ♢♢♢
5 Avenging lover 4 - 1 ♢♢♢♢♢
6 Cursed half mortal 6 - 1 ♢♢♢

Heroic Monstera Might Favor Will

1 Elemental spirit 3 + 1 ♢♢♢♢
2 Sentient construct 4 + 1 ♢♢♢
3 Ferocious beast 5 0 ♢♢♢
4 Scheming witch 4 0 ♢♢♢♢
5 Ancient dragon 6 - 1 ♢♢♢
6 Seductive apparition 4 - 1 ♢♢♢♢♢

Know your strength

Your champion’s might is the number of dice you will roll at the start
of the game. Your will is the number of losses you can sustain before
you are defeated. Favor reflects luck or supernatural affinity. Favor of
-1 requires that you re-roll one of your successes and favor of +1 means
you may re-roll one of your failures.

Begin your story

Each player answers the following questions about their champion
(feel free to discuss your answers):

q What do they call you?

q What do you look like?

Announce yourselves with appropriate fanfare.

Next, discuss where the champions are and why they are facing off.

If your champion has more favor than your opponent, you are seeking
something, and the other champion stands in your way.

If both champions have the same favor, this is a test of

strength. Discuss the grand reward the victor will receive.

11
 Start the contest
Both players roll a number of d6 equal to their might and re-roll
dice according to their favor. A 1-3 is a failure and a 4-6 is a success.
The player with the fewest successes marks one will, and loses the
bout. In the event of a tie, the champion with the highest favor wins.
If both players have equal favor, re-roll.

If you roll all successes (after factoring in favor), regardless of whether

you win or lose the bout, you may steal one die from your opponent.
This die is yours for the rest of the game unless stolen back.

If you roll all sixes, you may increase your favor by one point.

Let the battle unfold

After each bout, both players recite their account of the clash. The
winner describes their version of events first and the loser must
respond.

If all of the winner’s successes are sixes, this was a uniquely epic bout.
The winner receives divine intervention, has a rare stroke of luck, or
pulls off an elaborate maneuver.

If a die was stolen during the bout, one champion has gained a
significant advantage by undermining their opponent. The champion
losing might may have been blinded, charmed, or otherwise
weakened.

Tell the tale

When one player has run out of might or will, their champion is
vanquished and the game is over.

The victor recounts the battle’s dramatic conclusion, featuring their

extraordinary prowess. Describe how this glorious victory helped you
reach your destined fate.

The vanquished says nothing, any written notes discarded or

destroyed. This is not your story to tell.

12
 Challenge how you think about roleplaying,
sexuality, and human relationships

PREORDER: https://rockmanorgames.com/kickstart/ 13
 Battle of the Bards
ALL
cozy FUN
AUDIENCES
1-8
AA

by Dustin Winter
Dustin is a writer, editor, game designer, and artist living in a woodsy ‘burb
outside of Baltimore, MD. He is interested in playing games and creating
stories about found family, polyamory, and casting rad spells. Dustin can
be found on Itch.io and Twitter at NeverSayDustin.

You are a bard of little renown. No one knows of you. You’re not a very
big deal at all.

But that could change! If you make a name for yourself, write one
great song that captures the hearts and attention of the people, you
could lift yourself out of banality and obscurity. You and your songs
would be beloved across generations! One day, they’ll tell tales about
you while they sing your songs. Heck, they’ll tell tales and sing songs
ABOUT your songs.

Sure, plenty of people have said that your dream of being a famous
bard is unrealistic. Okay, to be fair, they’ve said you’re no good.
Actually, they said you stink and you should probably hang it all up,
maybe pursue a quiet life for the good of every person and instrument
around you. But what do they know? That was then. This is now.
You’re not about to quit. Not today: today is the Battle of the Bards.

And you’re going to win it.

Battle of the Bards is a song-writing game where players draw

cards to help create lyrics to the perfect song. They compete with
each other in a Battle of the Bards to see if it will be their song that
becomes legend.

14
What you’ll need:
* A deck of playing cards (jokers removed) or tarot (major
arcana removed)
* Some paper
* Writing utensils
* One or two six-sided dice
* There’s no GM to this game. Everyone gets to be a bard!

Preparation
Take the jokers (or the major arcana) out of your deck. Shuffle your
deck.

Part I: Creating your bard

Take time individually to write down the name of the bard you’ll be
playing. Spend maybe ten minutes thinking about their fashion sense,
playing style, favored instrument (if any), and voice. Do they cast an
enthralling spell over their audiences with a voice like honey? Do they
stir something primal within others with their raspy growl? Do they
bare their soul or keep their cool?

What style of music does your bard usually play? What kind of
reactions do your performances receive? What about your character
brings this out? What would writing that one great song mean to
them? Why is it super important that they win the Battle of the
Bards?

Some name ideas:

* Altherea, the Mad Flautist
* Edrolas Seven-strings
* Demargo Forte, Lord of Loud Noises
* The Gray Fiddler
* Dame Franklyna Bertrand, Crooner Extraordinaire
* Voice-of-Purgatory, percussion

When you’re done, share with each other the characters you’ve
created! Include any bonafides and titles they have (you can really
ham it up here) and give a brief description of your bard’s style
and personality. When you’re all done, ask yourselves: do you
know each other? If so, then how?

15
 Where and why is your Battle of the Bards being held?
Discuss and come to a collective decision on this. Whose favor
will you enjoy if you win? Is the Goblin Queen putting on this battle
for her niece’s birthday in the castle courtyard? Have down-and-out
peasants scraped together the coin to put on a raucous show in
memory of a beloved comrade? Is the mycelial hivemind desperate
for delicious new tunes? The venue and the audience may have a
significant bearing on the kind of song you create!

Part II: Writing your song

Roll two six-sided dice (2d6). This is how many lines your song will be.
By default, you’ll have ten minutes to write your song, no matter how
many lines it has.

How to figure out what happens in the song

You’ll use a deck of playing cards or tarot to help guide you through
writing your song. This helps speed the game along and gives you
some easy guideposts. Don’t start your ten-minute timer yet.

Wherever you wrote things down about your bard, write down the
following: theme, epithet, lure, beginning, trial, conclusion.

Each player draws cards to determine, generally speaking, what kind

of story their bard is telling (theme), what kind of person their subject
is (epithet), what draws the subject into the story (lure), and how it
starts, rises, and concludes. You’ll draw a card for each of these.

When you draw a card, you’ll make note of the suit of the card
and consult the following table. One column of the table is left
intentionally blank. Fill in the blank column before you start writing
your songs.

Each player should roll a six-sided die (d6). The person with the
highest result fills in one of the options. Continue doing this until the
column is full. Then start drawing cards and writing your song.

It’s okay if your songs are all really different. Write the kind of song
you want to write! Have fun! If it helps, you can listen to music
while you write.

16
 Staves/ ♣ Coins/ ♦ Swords/ ♠ Cups/ ♥
Theme Love or Self-discovery Justice
Fellowship

Epithet The Kind/Cruel The Wise/ The Brave/

Foolish Cowardly

Lure A Spell A Treasure A Connection

Beginning A Visitor A Prophecy A Catastrophe

Trial Temptation Fear Betrayal

Conclusion Defeat Victory Sacrifice

1. Jot down a name and epithet for the subject of your song. The story your
bard sings is about them. (As an example, we’ll tell a story about Hamry the
Not-Very-Wise.)
2. Find a theme for your song. Is it about Love? Okay, great! Now you get to
decide, well, what about love? (Hamry, thought of by most as a bit boring, has
trouble finding love.)
3. What happens in the beginning of the song? What is the situation? What
happens to kick things off? (Catastrophe: When a tornado destroys Hamry’s
home for the third time, he decides to rebuild yet again, drawing facepalms all
around.)
4. What conflict does the subject of your song encounter? (Hamry nearly gives
up in despair, after running out of supplies just after starting his rebuild).
5. How do things end? (Sacrifice: Hamry makes a deal with a local
woodworker: Hamry will help rebuild the woodworker’s shop, also destroyed
in the tornado. In return, the woodworker will supply Hamry with the wood he
needs to rebuild his home. Over the weeks of spending many days together, the
two bond. The woodworker is impressed by Hamry’s relentless determination
and Hamry is touched by the woodworker’s warmth and generosity. The two
become friends and, finally, lovers, moving into the woodworker’s house, leaving
Hamry’s beloved old house behind.)

Now start your timer and write those lines!

Name your song

After you are done writing, give your song a name.

Part III: Performing your song

Once you have a song written, it’s time for the Battle of the
Bards! Roll d6. The player with the lowest score goes first.
Describe how your bard takes the stage and then launch into
your song!

17
 You can recite it like a poem or spoken word, or even sing it
yourself. Be sure to describe how your bard performs the piece. If
you want an instrumental accompaniment, go for it!

Scoring the Battle

Once everyone has sung their songs, each player rolls a d6 to see how
their bard’s performance was scored by the judges. The bard with the
highest score wins the Battle of the Bards!

How does the winner react? How do the others? Why does the judge
choose that particular song? Why does the song last generations?
How does it change in that time? How does it change the world
around it? (Legend says that the stone skeleton of Hamry’s house still
stands unfinished in the countryside.)

That’s it! Debrief about how you wrote the song you did if you
like! Play another round, construct a longer story about where the
characters go from there, or let it end there.

18
 sunlight… a feverdream
for an unwilling god and a devoted saint
STRANGE ALL

2 AUDIENCES

AA
SERIOUS

by quinn b. rodriguez
with special thanks to Sea Carnelian
quinn (they/she) is a queer nonbinary disabled/chronically ill Latine creator.
They are an ENnie-nominated TTRPG designer, sensitivity reader, voice
actor and actual play-er. She is a recurring cast member on Transplanar, a
BIMPOC-led all-trans D&D 5e actual play. Their games have been featured
on Party of One, Huetopia, Friends Who Roll Dice, Off the Table, among
other podcasts and Twitch channels.

https://quinnntastic.itch.io/
Twitter: @quinnntastic_
Patreon: patreon.com/quinnntastic

You are a god. greatness has been thrust upon You. Divinity is Your
responsibility and Your burden.

remember: You did not ask for this. but You did not deny it, either.

//

you are a saint. mortality wraps itself around your soul, and so you
devote yourself to Them. it’s only natural, to want to belong to
something bigger than yourself. to Divinity.

remember: you did not ask for Them. but you did not leave Them,
either.

—
god and saint, take turns going back and forth, responding to the
following prompts as they interest you, leaving behind anything
with which you do not wish to engage as you tell your story
together. remember your unique perspectives; write your
answers down if it is helpful for you.

19
 ∞ which of you found the other first?
• god, why did You stay?
• saint, why won’t you leave?
• when and where was the first meeting?
∞ what is your relationship like now?
• god, how do You protect your saint?
• saint, how do you worship?
• are you both happy?
∞ describe the evil that plagues You//threatens you.
• god, what will happen if the evil overcomes You?
• saint, how do you support Them?
• what do you both fear most?
—
god and saint, the seasons pass you. begin in spring and move
through the seasons sequentially as many times as necessary to tell
your story. then, move into the final act.

spring. all is well. the evil is dormant.

• saint: harvest comes. what do you offer?
• god: do You bless the harvest? how?
summer. trouble brews. the evil stirs, but does not wake.
• god: how do You prepare for the inevitable battle?
• saint: how do you nourish Them?
autumn. leaves fall. the evil wakes.
• god: You encounter the evil. what happens?
• saint: you wait. do you pray?
winter. all is bare. the evil retreats.
• god: how are You? did You win the battle?
• saint: how do you treat Their wounds?
how do you give thanks?
—
god, Your saint fades, as all saints have, and all saints will. how do You
ensure they are remembered?

//

saint, your mortality claims you. how do you say goodbye to Them?

20
 Copyright © Steamforged Games Ltd 2022.

Danger, Discovery and Adventure Await...

Everything you need to run a truly

thrilling adventure. With just one box you
can run a cinematic session your group
will be talking about for weeks!

If you want something to get your teeth

into, all Epic Encounters are designed to
work together. Try putting a warband
box and boss box together for an
extraordinary encounter within an epic
campaign.

Whatever your
roleplaying needs,
Epic Encounters is
5e-compatible and
ready-to-play right out of
the box as part of a new
or existing campaign.

Great for new and experienced roleplayers, every set contains

up to 20 detailed minis (including up to nine unique sculpts), an
adventure book, a double-sided game mat, and tips and tricks for
building excitement and suspense.

Don’t let your players down. Check out Epic Encounters now.
www.steamforged.com/collections/epic-encounters 21
 Judas, a dinner party
ALL
AUDIENCES
7-13
FUN
AA
SERIOUS

by (in alphabetical order): Loretta Brady,

Skylar Bottcher, Gianna Cormier, Glenn Given,
Samantha Sinacori.
with editorial assistance from Brenda Noiseux
The Community Resilience and Social Equity Lab at St. Anselm College
is a dynamic resilience and social equity technical support resource that
develops specialty workforces to cultivate anti-racist policies, foster
equitable economic development, and uses cultural, arts and game based
social interventions to support intra and intercultural growth.

Judas, a dinner party is a parlor game designed at St. Anselm

College’s Community Resilience and Social Equity Lab during the fall
of 2021.
Is a fated post-dinner betrayal inevitable or
can the guests affect its course?

Note: While the Last Supper is a core inspiration, feel free to retheme agnostically
using any parable of fated betrayal if that provides a more enjoyable experience.

You will need: 6 to 12 Guests and 1 Host, a deck of playing cards,

a dinner for all participants (between 3 and 5 courses)

Player goals (at the End of the Meal)

Host – To be seated next to the Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts – To be seated next to the Host

Remaining Guests – To prevent the Host and Queen of Hearts

from being seated next to each other at the end of the meal

22
Welcoming guests (the setup)
The Host welcomes all Guests to the evening and explains the
rules of the game.
The Host draws all face cards from the deck of playing cards.
The Host distributes one face card to each Guest, only keeping note
of who received the Queen of Hearts.
Guests secretly inspect and return the cards face down to the Host,
who returns them to the box (out of play).
The Host sits at the head or center of the table, so that there are an
equal number of seats to their left and right.
The Guests choose their own seats and seat themselves.
Dinner is served, starting with the first course.

Courses and seat exchanging

The entire dinner party enjoys one course. Once the course has
been consumed, seat exchanging begins.
The Host always goes first. The Host selects a pair of Guests to
exchange seats. The selected Guests exchange seats and hold up
their right hand until seat exchanging has finished.
The Guests (as a group) then select a pair of Guests to exchange
seats. The selected Guests exchange seats and hold aloft their left
hand until seat exchanging has finished.
Seat exchanging alternates between the Host and Guests based
on the number of exchanges per course listed below. After the final
exchange of the final course, the player who drew the Queen of
Hearts reveals themselves.

Number of seat exchanges by course

Total number Number of seat Number of seat
Course of seat exchanges for exchanges for
exchanges the Host the Guests
Soup 6 3 3
Appetizer 5 3 2
Salad 4 2 2
First Main dish 3 2 1
Dessert 2 1 1

23
 Seat exchanging etiquette
The Host may not be moved
Seat exchanging decisions may not take longer than 2 minutes.
The Host or the Guests may opt to select no Guests and skip their
seat exchange by choice. Early seat exchanges may be skipped in this
manner and do not forfeit later seat exchanges.
If the Guests cannot agree (simple majority vote) on a selection, they
forfeit their seat exchange and selection returns to the host.
Guests who have already exchanged seats and are holding up their
right hand may not be selected for another seat exchange.
If the Guests sitting directly on either side of the Host have their right
hands raised, all players lower their right hands.

Odd number of players?

No problem. During the first seat trade after each course, the Host
can exchange the positions of three Guests instead of two.

Fewer courses?
4 courses
Soup/appetizer (5 trades),
Salad (4 trades),
Main (3 trades),
Dessert (2 trades).
3 courses
Soup/appetizer/salad (5 trades),
Main (3 trades),
Dessert (2 trades)..

Player count adjustments

Number of Cards to remove Seat exchanges Recommended
Guests to skip # of courses
11 J♠ None to skip 3, 4, or 5 courses

10 J♠, J♦ 1st course 3, 4, or 5 courses

9 J♠, J♦, J♣ 1st course 3, 4, or 5 courses

8 J♠, J♦, J♣, J♥ 1st & 2nd course 4 or 5 courses

7 J♠, J♦, J♣, J♥, 1st & 2nd course 4 or 5 courses

Q♠

6 J♠, J♦, J♣, J♥, 1st, 2nd & 3rd 5 courses

Q♠, Q♦

24
 The order of a full course meal
Italicized courses are optional. Trades occur only after the bolded
courses.
¤ Hors-d'oeuvres
¤ Amuse-bouche
¤ Soup (1st)
¤ Appetizer (2nd)
¤ Salad (3rd)
¤ Fish
¤ First main dish (4th)
¤ Palate cleanser course
¤ Second main dish
¤ Cheese plate
¤ Dessert (fifth/final)
¤ Post-meal drinks and pastries

Draw your sword and bare your heart

get thirstier this summer

visit sword.gay for more info!

TSL Free RPG Day 2022 Half Page Ad.indd 1

25
2/8/22 1:28 PM
 WIGHTS
ALL
AUDIENCES 3-6
AA
SERIOUS action
by Steffie de Vaan
Steffie de Vaan is a Dutch author and developer of roleplaying games and
short stories. She developed the Legendlore RPG and V5: Fall of London,
and has written for many other games including Ravenloft: Mist Hunters,
Changeling the Lost, Exalted Essence, and Call of Cthulhu. She has
published two acclaimed indie RPG books: 2 Women | 12 Games, and City
of Blood.

https://steffiedevaan.wordpress.com/
https://steffie-de-vaan.itch.io/

You Need
Items: 2d6 for each player
Food: Herbal tea and snacks.
Location: At night outdoors, or indoors with the lights dimmed.
Practice candle safety.

You are a descendant of the Wight Wives, simply called a Wight. You
might live anywhere, as people migrate, and be unaware of your
ancestry. Wights discover their gift (or curse, depending on whom
you ask) and gain their signature white hair and nails during late
puberty. Families that keep track of their heritage, or still see many
Wights born, hold records and books to smoothen a new Wight’s
path. Wights born to families who forgot must learn through trial
and error until they meet another of their kind. Wights instinctively
sense each other’s nearness and most wayward Wights are eventually
approached by an existing Coven.

Wights hail from any ethnicity. Bloodlines mingle, after all, and Black
people in Europe trace as far back as the Moorish rule of Spain (if not
further). There’s also some evidence, as evidence of the esoteric
goes, that whatever power imbued the Wight Wives arises
spontaneously to protect threatened communities.

26
A Black Lives Matter organizer, a Latina trans woman, and a
queer kid throwing bricks at cops can all be Wights. They form
covens together, supporting and uplifting each other across all
backgrounds.

The Shadow World

The Wights’ world, at first glance, is just like our own: cute tea shops,
Nazis making an unwelcome return, and cat videos dominating the
internet. Under the veneer of normalcy, a society of mythical creatures
moves in the shadows. In addition to Wights, the world houses
more prolific demons and vampires, rare werewolves and fae, and
some other uncommon creatures best left undisturbed. Meanwhile
mortals pass down witchcraft, sorcery, and alchemy through familial
teachings or forbidden books. In between them all move hunters,
seeking supernaturals as trophies or for revenge.

Character Creation
Step 0: Concept
Picture your character in your mind. Are they brave and outspoken, or
determined and shy? What do they do when not fighting injustice? If
they’re a young Wight, did the change catch them unawares or did
their grandmother know? If they’re an older Wight, what battles for
justice lie behind and ahead of them?

Step 1: Physical Description

Wights come in all skin colors, body types, genders, and abilities.
They share two identifying features though, revealing them to other
supernaturals and hunters. Wights have white fingernails. They also
have stark white hair to some degree, whether it’s all-white, white
ends or roots, or a single white streak.

Step 2: Drive
The ancient Wight Wives were driven to protect the marginalized, and
take vengeance on the people who harmed them.

Your Vengeance and Protection Drives both sit on a scale from 0-3.

Distribute 3 points between them.

Step 3: Approaches
Each Wight has three Approaches to life and problem-
solving. 27
 Body encompasses everything physical, from running and
jumping to hiding and fighting. Heart is all about making
connections, reading emotions, and both honestly persuading and
deceiving people. Mind reflects your Wight’s mental endeavors, from
solving riddles to reading books and remembering things.

Each Approach sits on a scale from 0-5.

You start with 1 in each, and then distribute 3, 2, and 1 points among
them.

Step 4: Coven
You form one Coven together, which the GM can further supplement
with NPCs. Questions to consider:
Who are the oldest and newest members? Who’s the leader? Where
and how often does the Coven meet? What mortal friends do and
don’t know their secret? Are there rival or friendly Covens nearby?

Pick one PC to be your Wight’s bestie, and another to be their

(possibly friendly) rival. This need not be reciprocal.

Mechanics
Whenever your character performs a mundane action, describe what
and how they want to do it. Your GM decides if it’s within the realm of
the possible. If it is: roll 1d6.

> If your roll is less or equal to your Approach: The action

succeeds.
> If your roll is 1 higher than your Approach: The action succeeds
with a complication of the GM’s choice, and you reduce the
Approach by 1.
> If your roll is 2 higher than your Approach: The action fails, and
you reduce the Approach by 1.

Losing a point of Approach represents losing self-confidence, the

Wight’s flow breaking, or suffering an injury per the player’s choice.
See Depletion for what happens when an Approach drops to zero.

You regain a point of Approach, up to your maximum rating, for

every uncomplicated success.

28
Depletion
The Wight no longer recovers Approach points through
uncomplicated successes, and instead needs an evening of self-care
(or, for extroverts: a girls’ night out) to recover their normal rating.

The player describes what their Wight’s Depletion looks like, but here
are some examples:
> Body 0: Can’t keep your eyes open, Can’t stop shaking.
> Heart 0: Can’t stop crying, Doesn’t feel anything anymore.
> Mind 0: Can’t think anymore, Becomes an anxious mess.

Combat
Combat takes many forms in Wight Wives. Going toe to toe with a
mixed martial artist requires physical combat through Body rolls.
Pursuing a truce with someone who actively dislikes the Wight is
an act of diplomacy expressed with Heart rolls. Debating a tenured
professor about their field is settled by Mind rolls.

Roll as you normally would. On an uncomplicated or complicated

success the opponent suffers one Resilience damage. The opponent
relents once they have no Resilience remaining.

The Wight still loses Approach points from complicated successes and
failed rolls, and must relent on Depletion.

Creature Resilience
> Mortal 1
> Impressive mortal (MMA’s, professors) 2
> Supernaturals (other Wights) 2
> Impressive supernaturals (Wight Wives) 3
> Superlative supernaturals (Wight Queen) 4-5

Supernatural Feats
Wights perform supernatural feats as part of their heritage, though
like the Wight Wives of old their powers are governed by darkness.

Under cover of night: Describe what supernatural feat your character

wants to accomplish, and whether they’re driven by Protection or
Vengeance. Pay 1 matching point of Drive, and roll an Approach
as normal. The point of Drive is not refunded if you fail.

29
 In shadows, windowless rooms, etc.: As above, but roll 2d6 on the
Approach. The higher die stands.

In full daylight: You cannot perform supernatural feats.

Examples:
> Alfonzo wants to punch a fascist through a wall. He might do
this to protect people, in which case his player spends a point of
Protection. Or he might simply want to because fascist are vile, in
which case it costs a point of Vengeance. Punching people through
walls requires a Body roll.
> Latisha and her community are surrounded by cops. She
stands up to sing an ancient melody that dissolves the cops’ guns
into atoms. After spending a point of Protection, Latisha’s player
rolls Heart to weave the song.
> Natalie is running a bank heist and wants to see the safe
combination in a premonition. This would be a Mind roll if Natalie’s
player could tie it to a Drive. As she can’t (Natalie just needs the
money to make rent) she can’t use her Wight powers.

Your Wight regains all points of Drive if they fulfill that Drive in a
concrete way without the use of supernatural feats. Getting a Nazi
cop fired by getting him blasted all over the news refills Vengeance.
Protecting a friend by sneaking them to a safehouse while their
abusive boyfriend is away refills Protection.

Running The Game

Pick a city to set the game in, with input from your players. Design the
plot (what injustice do the Wights uncover and how do they stop it)
keeping everyone’s safety and comfort in mind.

Now it’s a matter of pacing—give the Wights a chance to meet their

in-game community, form Coven bonds, and get to the point where
the players genuinely give a damn. Ask the players what the Wights
want to do: see their favorite band perform, navigate a day at school
or work, or just hang out together.

Let the situation go sideways once the players are invested.

Their band friend gets arrested on fake charges. Their favorite
tea shop is threatened by a global franchise. A friend shows up
with bruises after a weekend with their boyfriend.

30
Your story will have much more impact if the players are
emotionally involved. Wights can fight for justice and support
their communities in many ways. Depending on their own
background, they take center stage on time and take a supportive
stance as allies the next. She might be the trans girl fighting to use
the girls’ bathroom, or she might be the cis girl who says “I’ll go with
you.” You can use this in an ongoing Wights campaign to give each
character their own “center stage” arch while the coven supports
them.

GM Tips
Wights have the upper-hand over mortals, as is reflected in the
mechanics. Embrace that and cheer them on. Don’t withhold
information from your players in an effort to trick the characters.
If your players come up with a fantastic plan that bypasses most of
the problems, let them have that win. Keep the Wights on their toes
by introducing a twist after they solve the initial problem. The Chief
of Police is a literal demon. That global franchise is poisoning people’s
souls. The boyfriend returns after he’s been bit by a Werewolf. Start
small, then go big.

Want to make a game,

but aren’t sure how?
We can help you break into the industry.

Have a game already,

and want to take the next steps?
We can help you break out
within the industry.

Apply for mentorship or membership:

membership@igdnonline.com

Break In & The Indie Game Developer Network

Break Out (IGDN) is a non­profit trade organization

which promotes diversity and supports
professionals in tabletop games.

31
 Old Gods of Media
ALL
AUDIENCES
2-6
STRANGE
AA
SERIOUS

by Graham Gentz
Graham Gentz is a game designer, educator, comic book writer, event
facilitator, master dungeon master, and all-around bringer of fun. He has
been a key staff member in board game cafes and libraries across the
country, including Slice & Dice and Brooklyn Game Lab. With a long history
in theater-making and directing, and over 100 professionally published
articles, he brings with him a flare for adventure, inclusivity, critical analysis,
and infectious joy.

Twitter @thismaybegraham
IG @boardgameambassador

When an idea is born, where does it go? How does it grow? How does
it fade and die? When does an idea become larger than itself? Why
can one idea filter its way into the mind of every person on Earth?
Because ideas are not just ideas. They are not just a flicker in the fire
or a flash of a neuron.

They are gods.

In Old Gods of Media, you will create a fictional character, an “old god
of media,” born into a world very much like ours. You will discover the
lifespan of your god over the course of human culture and history.
The god might be discovered by an audience and grow. The god
might be forgotten or supplanted. The god might rise to prominence
within the updraft of global capitalism. Or they might be ground into
nothingness by it.

Setup
Gather 3x5 cards and dice. A number of miscellaneous tokens.

Roll 3d12 on the following charts to create your god. This will
create a sentence in the following structure:
I am a X Y who Z.
32
 X Y Z
• Cartoon • Trickster • Solves crime
• Literary • Anyone • Scares children
• Mighty • Hero • Makes people
laugh
• Strange • Nemesis • Teaches
• Small • Rebel • Frolics
• Treacherous • Explorer • Seeks Truth
• Ancient • Creator • Hungers
• Uncomprimising • Ruler • Fights evil
• Funny • Sage • Defeats good
• Clever • Fool • Shapeshifts
• Terrifying • Caregiver • Sells
merchandise
• Mythological • Guardian • Wants to be
real

Interpret your die results and tell the other players about the name
and a few important aspects of your god. Briefly embellish upon the
structure of the dice results.

Each player writes the name of their god and their pronouns on a card
along with the year they were created.

These cards are assembled in linear order between the players to

create the initial timeline.

Give each player 1 token to signify their Brand is 1.

Just because you are one descriptor does not mean you can never
be another. Fools can be Rulers or Guardians. Just because you are
Ancient does not mean you can’t be Clever or Strange. This structure
is intended to inspire further details. Don’t worry about articulating
everything at the beginning.

33
 This set of descriptors may not always be true for your god.
Perhaps it's how you began. Perhaps it is what you want to
become. Other times they are reinterpreted as authorship and
ownership of you change. Embrace change. Adapt or die.

Feel free to take an existing old god from our world as direct
inspiration for yours. You might be a cartoon mouse or a brilliant
Victorian detective. Maybe you were originally a company mascot.
Even a character played many times by different forms and
performers is a god of media, like a cold secret agent, a cigar-
chomping vaudevillian, or a witty stomper of grapes.

We Begin
1] Roll to determine the year of your event. Write the year on a
card.
2] Roll for Brand Awareness.
3] Narrate the event.
4] Each player may ask you one follow-up question. (Leading
questions, or at least ones that cannot be answered with “yes” or
“no” are encouraged.)
5] Write a summary of the event on the card. Place it in the
timeline.

Determining Year
When a player needs to determine the year of an event added to the
timeline, they roll a d12 and consult the following list:

1] Pre 1800
2] 1800 – 1900
3] 1900 – 1920
Brand
4-5] 1920 – 1940 Awareness
6] 1940 – 1960 (Roll 1d12, 1d12)
7] 1960 – 1980
8-9] 1980 – 2000 1-4] Increase 1-8] Small
10-11] 2000 – 2020 5-8] Decrease 9-12] Large
12] The Future 9-12] Transition

34
Brand
You have a value that is an abstraction of the number of people
who know who you are. A smaller percentage of them will, media
willing, love you. The more people who know you there will provide you
with the nourishing love you need to thrive.

At the beginning of the game, each player narrates and adds two
events to the timeline. Every player is given the chance to narrate an
event once before players are repeated.

Whenever a player prepares to narrate, after rolling on the year chart,

they also roll to determine Brand Awareness.

Brand Awareness
For the first two events added for each player, if there is an increase
in Brand, that player gains Brand tokens, and increases their Brand
Value. Small increases add 1 token. Large increases add 2 tokens. After
the first two events are added per player, decreases will also affect
player Brand Values. Similarly, small decreases remove 1 token. Large
decreases remove 2 tokens.

At all cost, attempt to attain cult status. If you can, your soul can
achieve the safety and solace of syndication (see Finale).While not
impossible, it decreases the chance you will fade and perish.

Brand Values
1] You are an idea in one person’s head.
2] A small group knows of you – a single fire or a room.
3] An extended friend and family unit knows that you exist. One
person identifies with you.
4] Dozens of people are familiar with you. A conversation passes
between more than one person who are excited by you.
5] About 100 people know of your existence. A glorious copyright
now all but assures your continued existence. A small but dedicated
group loves you.
6] You have achieved cult status! A small but dedicated group has
dedicated time, energy, money, and worship to your existence.
Some are active evangelists for your cause and existence.

35
 7] You are a common tattoo. You lose a few numbers to
counterculture backlash and disdain, but your vast momentum is
undeniable.
8] Corporate entities have taken notice of your popularity and look
to acquire you, if they have not already. Your image gains its first
sense of irony.
9] You define a generation by dominating their shared memory
of media. Anyone born within a 30 year span united by a cultural
identity knows you. The actual number of those that love you begins
to lose meaning.
10] Parents pass you down to their children. Original copies of your
artifacts sell for egregious sums. Shared languages claim you as a
cultural symbol.
11] Media sold involving you sells across the world for millions if not
billions of dollars. You are loved and worshiped by entire nations.
12+] It would be difficult to find anyone on the planet who doesn’t
recognize your name and or iconography associated with you.

**If a [12] is rolled on any die during play after set-up, the narration
must also include another player’s god.**

If all gods have died, begin the Summary of Play

Finale. The players can also 1] Roll on X Y Z Charts to create gods
collectively agree to begin the 2] Add birth date to timeline
3] Players gain 1 Brand
Finale to end the game session.
4] Each turn, roll for date and Brand
Awareness
Finale 5] Narrate 2 scenes each in a round
If your Brand becomes 0 or gaining (but not losing) Brand
less and you have achieved 6] Repeat until gods are dead/done
cult status, you can roll d12. If 7] Finale
you roll a 10 or above, you can 8] Birth of the new god
narrate your final scene. You
are rediscovered a full era or later in the timeline after your death.
If your Brand becomes 0 and you do not have cult status, you are
dead and will not return. If your Old God of Media has not died, they
have entered into the future. Narrate your final event and place it
in that context. How does it refine humanity? What yet unimagined
frontier of art and existence does your presence and being help
illuminate?

36
The New God
Pull a final card. Write a ? for the year. Place it at the far end
of the timeline. Each player selects a single aspect for this new god
born: X Y or Z. Echo a detail from your own god’s journey to select this
detail. If the aspects are already provided, players can then embellish
these details to give greater clarity to the god being born.Finally, each
player narrates the birth of this new god collectively by adding one
image each to assemble the moment together.

Hints and Tips

How do you gain Brand Awareness?
• Adaptation / Remix or reimagining of your god
• Publication
• New movie/tv/form
• Redefined by group
How do you lose Brand Awareness?
• New/different character siphons worship
• Innovation of technology
• Loss of public archive / Censorship
• PR disaster (discovery of use as Nazi propaganda)

Media Through Culture and Technology

A god can survive if it adapts to the medium humans can most assess
to feed their consumption and worship. As you make choices about
events along your lifespan, recall these modes to inspire and ground
you:
Oral Tradition - [Prehistory to ~2000 BCE] - Oral tradition, ideas,
and myths
Written Language - [~2000 BCE – 1881 AD] - Epic Poems, Histories,
Scripture, Novels, Serialized Storytelling, Newspapers
Radio - [~ 1881 AD] - Theatrophone, Radio Programs, Comic Books
Film, Television, and Animation - [~1895 AD] - Cartoons, Movies, TV
Internet - [~1990 AD] - Memes, Youtube, Social Media
Streaming - [~2007 – Today] - Netflix, Vine, TikTok, Video
Beyond - [Today – ??] - Examples of media: Holograms, Virtual
Reality, Interplanetary Travel, Veil of Human Consciousness,
Overcoming the Boundary of Life and Death

37
38
 One Night at Bain House
FUN STRANGE ALL

3-5 AUDIENCES

AA
SERIOUS

by Monica Valentinelli
Monica Valentinelli is an author, narrative designer, and artist who writes
about magic, mystery, and mayhem—sometimes all three! Her ever-
expanding portfolio includes short stories, novellas, games, comics, essays,
and pop culture reference books for media/tie-in settings and her original
works. Find out more at booksofm.com.

https://www.booksofm.com
https://twitter/booksofm

Surprise! You and your friends have been dragged out of bed at
midnight to attend a party celebrating the grand reopening of Bain
House, a French Colonial-style estate built in 1722. Isabelle Miratelle,
this evening’s sponsor, welcomes you as a Guest on the front lawn. All
players are Guests and an active part of the narrative.

Assign a Host
Before proceeding, decide which Guest will also be the Host. The Host
helps manage your evening’s activities. Their job is to share Isabelle’s
instructions, keep the story moving, and watch the clock. The Host
does not possess any secrets or have any more (or less) information
than other Guests do. While the Host performs additional tasks, they
are an equal participant in the story. Active players familiar with
narrative games are perfect for this role.

Once you choose a Host, Isabelle hands them three, sealed envelopes
marked Outside, Hallway, and Drawing Room. The Host will read
these letters, in order, at the marked locations. They may, at their
discretion, elaborate on introductory scenes using the details
provided. After delivering the letters, Isabelle raises her arms
and chants a long-forgotten spell. Then, she waves goodbye to
the Guests and disappears.

39
 Enter Bain House
Before entering Bain House, the Host reads the first envelope:
“Congratulations! This evening, our generous donors have hand-picked
you for tonight’s entertainment. Your electronic devices and weapons are
not allowed inside the premises, but you may bring along a pocket-sized
comfort item and a friendly pet. You will not need dice, pen, or paper to
play. Once your Host has confirmed you’re ready for a fun, safe evening,
please enter!”
Designer’s Tip: Before entering, decide how much dark fantasy you’d like included in
tonight’s story. I designed “One Night at Bath House” to be suspenseful and fun. If you
prefer more horror or mature themes, be sure to discuss which safety tools, like the
X-Card designed by John Stavropoulos, you’d like to use for the comfort of all Guests.

Stroll the Hallway

Upon entering, you are plunged into darkness. The entryway is pitch
black with the exception of a dimly lit hallway to your right. Chiseled
statues cradling glowing candles line either side of the hall; their
hands point eastward. The Host reads from the second envelope:
“Kindly stroll the East Hallway to the Drawing Room. Before you enter,
you’ll find five sets of era-appropriate costumes hanging in separate
armoires. Pick one style—one per Guest, including your Host—and
note alterations you require for fit and comfort. Claim your selection
by standing (or sitting) in front of your favorite costume. Oh, I almost
forgot! A complimentary gift accompanies each one.”
At the end of the hall, the Host describes the costumes and their
corresponding keepsakes. These small gifts were selected for their
historic value; an appraiser’s certificate of authenticity suggesting
monetary worth will be mailed separately.

Choose a Costume
Five period-specific costumes are presented as a thematic guide
to help you roleplay; they are appropriate to wear indoors or on a
leisurely stroll. You find them hanging in ornate armoires and notice
they may be further customized to include breeches, tights, heavy
skirts, and a maximum of two pockets. Wigs, capes, flowing robes,
heels, and large skirts can affect the narrative, but their functionality
doesn’t impact the rules. There is no penalty for cumbersome
or fragile details.

40
f Botanist: This outfit marks a learned 18th century scholar
who possesses a keen, curious mind to study Nature’s greatest
gifts: herbs and flowers. Long, tailored jacket, hair pulled back with a
ribbon, a hand-held brass magnifying glass, and a pair of soft leather
boots call to you. Your keepsake is an authentic illustration of a sweet
iris drawn by His Majesty the King of France.

f Equestrian: A love of chestnut thoroughbreds and the countryside

is evident in every stitch of this tailored riding costume. Tall, black
boots, hat, a sharply-pressed wool, capelet, and a riding crop beckon
to your love of nature. Your keepsake is a silver locket that, when
opened, reveals the hand-painted images of King Louis XV and
Madame de Pompadour.

f Merchant: A world-traveling merchant who has built relationships

with candlemakers, gunsmiths, bakers, booksellers, tailors, etc. is
evident by this costume. Square-toed shoes, feathered hat, looser-
fitting clothes, and a sheathed dagger welcome you to a bygone age.
Your keepsake is a small coin bag filled with 18th century French livre.

f Poet: This outfit is an homage to passion-filled wordsmiths.

Tailored to navigate salons with ease, your costume’s details exude
grace, artistry—and gossip. A powdered wig, full pan of makeup,
pastel silks, ribbons, and heels await you. Your keepsake is an
authentic 18th century silver-tipped quill and handblown pearl-
encrusted pot filled with fresh ink.

f Royal: This outfit exudes the regal bearing of the French

monarchy. A tall, high-parted wig, a cane, heels, and a navy blue silk
costume embroidered with gold trim awaits you. Your keepsake is a
gold rooster brooch encrusted with garnets, pearls, and lapis lazuli.

Can’t decide which costume to take? Fighting over one of the options?
It is now time to introduce the rules.

41
 Rules of Bain House
Actions taken in Bain House are conflicts that must be resolved to
continue the story. To play, you will:
f Declare your Action. Choose one word to describe your Action.
The word you select must have a clear risk of failure. Talking is
always a free Action, for example, but lying is not. Actions might
include: dodge, convince, examine, explore, find, frighten, hide,
jump, lie, race, sneak, steal, spy, test, throw, translate, unlock, etc.
f Choose an Opponent. You will always face another Guest as
your Opponent, even if you wish to take Action that affects
yourself, an inanimate object, invisible threat, or room. You may
ask for volunteers, but you should not face the same Guest as an
Opponent more than twice in a row.
f Bet Odds or Evens. Your Opponent always bets first. To make a
bet, your Opponent must clearly declare Odds or Evens. This is a
simple bet to predict what the numeric outcome.
f Determine Winner. To resolve the bet, you and your Opponent
hide a hand, count to three, then hold up one-to-five fingers. If
you declared Odds and the combined number of fingers is an
odd number, then you win. If, however, you declared Odds and
the total is even, then your Opponent wins.
f Winner describes Outcome. An Action’s Outcome is always
narrated by the winner. Here are some sample Outcomes:
k Dodge: Roll to the right and avoid getting hit.
k Explore: Open the next door and find the kitchen.
k Frighten: Tell the Host a scary story.
k Sneak: Quietly leave the room…
k Steal: Grab a silver timepiece and pocket it.
k Test: Test the herb and confirm it is poisonous.
k Translate: Translate this French motto.
k Unlock: Turn the key and it breaks in the lock.
f Continue Play. Once the Outcome has been narrated, the
contest ends, and the result is now in play. Other Guests may
then react, take a new Action, or introduce threats. Refer to
Exploring Bain House for more information.

Need a quick summary of gameplay? Let’s recap!

Declare Action » Choose Opponent » Make a Bet »

Reveal Winner » Describe Outcome » Continue Play

42
Actions in Bain House always follow this flow of events. If you’re
confused about your Action, you’re encouraged to discuss what
you want to do with the other Guests.

Playing the Game

Once you have claimed your costume, leave it in the wardrobe, and
head into the Drawing Room through stately, gilded doors.
As the doors close gently behind you, you enter a candlelit Drawing
Room decorated in a gilded Baroque style once popular in Versailles.
There are no electric lights—just ornate candelabras—but the room is
warm and inviting. Its jacquard chairs and tables have been polished
to a high sheen, its landscape paintings are beautifully-rendered and
vibrant, and the ornate rug’s patterns mesmerize you.
You notice the Drawing Room has temporarily been converted to a
dressing room and salon. Your costumes now hang next to painted
dressing screens and powder room tables at the north end of the
room. All alterations have been magically sewn to your tastes, too.
Time to put on your costume!
After the last ribbon has been tied, an eerie blue light flashes then
fades just as quickly. Weird, huh?
It’s now time to open the third envelope. The Host reads: “First, the
good news! I’m sorry, there isn’t any. Now, for the bad news…tonight’s
sponsors are monsters who are fed up with being hunted. The light
has transformed you into five different shapeshifting monsters—
one merfolk, vampire, zombie, werewolf, and troll. The cure for your
condition is tied to your costume’s keepsake; you must use your
powers to find it. To become human again, you must declare which
monster type you are and your flesh must touch your keepsake, intact,
at dawn. Only, I’m not going to tell you which monster you are, which
room I’ve hidden your keepsake in, or what your powers are. That’s for
each Guest to figure out. And yes, Host, that means you, too!”
After the Host reads the letter, five symbols appear on the wall—clues
indicating what powers you might possess. The symbols are a trident
(power of the sea), sharp fangs (blood), a broken syringe (infection), a
full moon (primal forces), and a tree (plants).

43
 Exploring Bain House
There is no set number of rooms in Bain House, because the
home is a genius loci. When Guests take Action to explore the house,
the spirit responds to Outcomes and magically shapes each room.
To explore a new room, hallway, or hidden passageway, Guests use
Actions and Outcomes to narratively find, open, and unlock them. In
this way, you narratively build Bath House. For example, taking an
explore Action in a hallway might reveal what windows, traps, doors,
etc. are in the area. A smash Action, to break a shuttered window,
exposes a private rose garden.
Designer’s Tip: Your monster’s powers are also gained by taking Action. Once you
discover them, you must take Action using one of your powers to find your keepsake.
Though monsters don’t have a fixed set of abilities, I recommend that you thematically
tie your monster’s powers to their corresponding symbol. If you get stuck, ask other
Guests for ideas!

There are two minor catches. Anything that opens or closes will be
locked until a Guest takes Action. And sometimes, a threat causes
trouble.

Threats
Threats are invisible until they manifest. They may appear whenever
a Guest wins a bet twice in a row. After the second bet concludes and
the winner has narrated the Outcome, the loser takes an immediate
Action, roleplaying as the threat.

Threats in Bain House are talking matagots. These trickster animal

spirits demand a Guest’s full attention and like to cause mischief.
They can throw childish insults, break glass, untie ribbons, braid hair
to bed posts—annoying pranks that prevent Guests from completing
their mission. They love to say: “Attention!” and “Aprez-vous!” When
angered or upset, they can bite, infect, even claw—just as other
animals do. Matagots are, unfortunately, spirited pests the genius loci
ignores because they can’t get rid of them.

Designer’s Tip: Gameplay is designed to be flexible and free-flowing. You can either
work together or compete to find your keepsakes. You can also decide to substitute
more dangerous monsters as threats, randomly assign a monster type to each keepsake
before the game begins, steal other keepsakes, speed up the clock, or declare bonus
missions like eliminating the pest problem, too! I encourage you to play One
Night in Bain House the way that works for your group. As long as you’re having
fun—that’s all that matters.

44
Invisible matagots can taunt Guests, play hide-and-seek, or
affect objects—including keepsakes—by hiding, stealing, or even
wrecking them! (If a keepsake is wrecked, don’t panic! You can always
take Actions to find tools and repair them.) Despite their mischievous
nature, these household pests are not inherently “good” or “evil.”
Guests are encouraged to let Actions and Outcomes shape their
morality.

Guests may include invisible matagots in Outcomes before they

manifest; when a cup of tea shatters, a wisecracking spirit takes the
blame! When a matagot does manifest, describe the playful spirit
(crows, cats, dogs, frogs, snakes, squirrels, rats, etc.) they represent.

If a Guest brought a pet along, their pet now shapeshifts into a

mischievous, chatty matagot. The transformed pet remains visible
unless their guardian takes Action to render them invisible.
All pets automatically revert to their original form and will return
home safely at sunrise.

Once the Guests understand Bain House has a pest problem, a piece
of vellum floats down from the ceiling.

“P.S. The Drawing Room is threat-free—you cannot be harmed inside

these four walls. When you want to return, just say: “Drawing!” as a
free Action. You’re welcome!”

After the final message has been read, the Host summarizes. Guests
take Action to:
f Find out which monster (merfolk, vampire, zombie, werewolf, or
troll) they are
f Explore new rooms in the house
f Deal with threats (matagots)
f Use powers to find and protect their keepsakes
f Hold their keepsake intact at dawn

Once all Guests understand their mission, they are free to take Action
and let the Outcomes shape the story. The Host now starts the clock
and says: “Allons-Y! Sunrise approaches!”

Good luck! And may the best monster…erm…Guest win!

45
 Maenads: A Savage Sisters Sheathe
THIRTEEN
PLUS
2-6
13
SERIOUS action
by Adriel Lee Wilson
For use with Savage Sisters available from 9thlevel.com

Adriel makes things.

https://www.9thlevel.com/

They call us Ἀνδρόγυνος or Ἀνθρωπορραίστης but we know it’s

only jealousy. Our god is one who endured suffering and triumphed
over it. Only some of us have known his pain, but all of us are fierce
defenders of it. He is the god of the tame and the wild. The god of
metamorphosis and sacrifice. The god of sex and death.

You’ve heard tell that our “god” is one of wine. That we are influenced
by his possession to partake in acts of bloody madness, that we
screech profane prophecies so loudly that they blind and deafen, but
none of that is true. Except the wine drinking… We do love Dionysus
and follow his teachings, with our Lar to help and guide us. We travel
the continent, from small towns to shining bronze and stone cities
dancing, acting, and performing our way into the hearts of those who
might need us. Then…we bring them justice.
—

The Maenads are actors, acrobats, singers, and performers of daring

feats. They travel the land performing their entertaining acts of
daring for coin while unearthing the secret injustices all around them,
bringing justice and setting things right. Maenads dress in bright
colors and fine fabrics. They follow the teachings and example of
Dionysus in addition to their Sodal’s Lar.

To create a Maenad Sodal first choose your Lar.

You may choose a Lar from among the following: Serpents,

Dogs, Bulls, Rats, or Goats

46
 c Those who choose the serpent can count on wise council,
the best dancing tutelage and partners, and the sunniest
resting places.
c Dogs make the best watchers and guards. A canine Lar offers
a way to communicate with the local dogs and the most loyal of
protectors.
c Maenads face many rumors surrounding their closeness with
sacred bulls. But those bloody and omophagic tales hold little
truth. Maenads form close bonds with cows and bulls who pull
their caravans and provide leaping partners. As a Lar bulls provide
strength and steadiness to their Sodals.
c Rats make cunning, loyal pets and messengers for Maenad
Sodals. Those who choose a rat Lar are lifted up by their
intelligence and ability to be anywhere.
c Canny friends and food, most Sodals keep a herd of goats. As
a Lar the goat provides us with succor and a reminder that life is
often a comedy.

Set your evers and nevers or use the list below.

Evers
c We always drink our fill
c We always welcome and encourage metamorphosis and
change
c We always triumph over our suffering
Nevers
c We never shrink from blood or a fight
c We never share the secrets we are trusted with
c We never seek the touch of gold

Choose your role and pick up the associated die to roll.

Who Was I?
I solve my problems using my wisdom and perception
The Acrobat (Knife) d4
I solve my problems using my wild magics
The Animal Charmer (Spear) d6
I solve my problems using my powerful presence
The Actor (Sword) d8
I solve my problems using my strength and heart
The Strong (Shield and Axe) d10

47
 Vessel
ALL
AUDIENCES
2
STRANGE
AA
SERIOUS

by Kyle Ott and Desks and Dorks

Desks and Dorks is an indie RPG publisher specializing in games that tell
unique or niche stories not usually found in traditional roleplaying games.

desksandorks.org
desksanddorks@gmail.com
https://desksanddorks.itch.io/

Something is inside of you. No matter what you do or where you go,

there is no getting around the fact that your body, and your life are
no longer your own. Whatever it is, it is alive, and if you’re going to
survive, the two of you need to figure out how to coexist.

What is Vessel?
Vessel is a roleplaying game for 2 players. In Vessel one player is the
Vessel, the host for another sentient life force. The other player is the
Entity. This is the living force occupying the Vessel that does not have
a body of its own.

Vessel takes place over 4 rounds with each player taking the lead
during one of those rounds and attempting to complete a challenge.
These challenges could range from having a performance review
with your boss, to attempting to summon a being from beyond the
confines of this dimension. After each player has the chance to lead
a scene and set their challenge twice, the game is finished and the
characters are left to navigate the world together.

Setup
Select one player as the Vessel and one player as the Entity.

The players will construct their character’s backstories,

personalities, and wants and then they’ll discuss them. Before
the game begins both players should understand how

48
close (in terms of both wants and relationship) the Vessel and the
Entity are.

Before you create your character see the sections Playing as the
Vessel and Playing as the Entity to help you formulate ideas.

After the players have had this discussion, they each grab an 8-sided
die and set the value secretly based on the conversation they just
had. The die value determines the relationship between Vessel and
Entity.

The lower the number on the die the less one character likes the other.
The higher the number on that die the more that character likes the
other one. For your first game of Vessel make the number low but not
too low (think somewhere around 3).

REMEMBER, KEEP YOUR NUMBER HIDDEN FROM THE OTHER

PLAYER.

How to Play
One player sets the challenge that their character must overcome.
This could range from making it through a family dinner to sneaking
onto a military base.

The two players roleplay that scene. The player who didn’t set the
challenge roleplays as all non-player characters, as well as their own
character. In the first scene the Vessel player sets the challenge.
The player who sets the challenge determines when the scene is
finished. When the scene is finished each player adjusts their die up or
down by a value of 1 or 2.

If the value of a player's die goes up it means they feel their character
has grown closer to the other character. If a player moves the value
of their die down it means they feel like their character has grown
further apart from the other character.

After one player has finished a scene, the next player sets a challenge
and begins a new scene.

Play continues until each player has a chance to set two

challenges.

49
 Once all four challenges are complete players simultaneously
reveal their numbers. The fate of their characters is determined
by how close they are.

Value of Die • Story Implication

Both players are at 6-8 • The Vessel and Entity have become two of
one soul. They continue to exist in complete harmony.
One player is at 6-8 and another player is at 4-5 • One of the
characters has grown to appreciate their partner. The other tolerates
them.
One player is at 6-8 and another is at 1-3 • One of the characters has
grown to appreciate their partner. The other loathes their partner.
Both players are at 4-5 •Both have grown to tolerate one another.
One player is at 4-5 and another player is at 1-3 • One character
tolerates their partner. The lower number despises their partner.
Both players are at 1-3 • They despise each other. Their partnership
puts everything and everyone around them in danger.

Based on the characters’ relationship at the end, each player gets

a final moment to narrate what their life is like with each other.

Character Ideas: Entity

1. Alien Implant – The Entity is a living alien life form placed into the Vessel.
The Alien Implant is likely to be confused, or at least curious about the world
around them. This confusion may lead to awkward moments for the Vessel.
2. Cyborg Robot – The Entity is a sentient robot that has become one
with the Vessel. The Cyborg Robot may struggle with understanding human
emotions and societal conventions.
3. Eldritch Parasite – The Entity is an ancient godlike being from another
dimension. The Eldritch Parasite may have nefarious plans for Earth. Or,
they could have just been forced into the Vessel through some sequence of
cosmic events.
4. Ancient Being – The Entity is a vastly old being. It could be a
mythological figure, or something that had a great deal of power in our
world but has been forced to seek refuge in the Vessel.
5. Possessed Soul – The Entity is a spirit who has decided to occupy the
Vessel for its own survival, or to further its own plans.
6. Supplanted Consciousness – The Entity is another person whose
soul has been shunted out of their body and into another person.
This transition has given the Entity newfound powers.

50
Other Considerations: Entity
In addition to planning the background for your Entity it can be
important to consider a few other elements.
1. What is my Entity’s goal?
Your goal is important because it shapes the challenges you set. For
example, if you are an alien entity embedded in a human host perhaps you
want to reclaim your mothership from a government facility.

2. What are my Entity’s biggest fears?

Even powerful Entities have fears driving them. Fears help clarify why your
character wants to achieve their goal and why your Vessel is important to
you. For example, if you’re an all-powerful god who happens to disintegrate
in water then your Vessel is going to be very helpful when you need that
ancient rune lost at the bottom of the local swimming pool.

3. Is there something about the Vessel that the Entity didn’t expect?
You might crash on someone’s couch but no one expects to crash into
someone’s consciousness. This means there is a lot for the characters to
learn about each other. Maybe your Entity is struck by their Vessel’s kindness
or sense of work ethic.

Character Ideas: Vessel

1. Youth – The Vessel is a young person going about their life and trying to
live normally when the Entity enters their body.
2. Scholar – The Vessel is a seeker of knowledge and ancient secrets like a
university professor, or an accomplished archeologist. There is a chance that
this Vessel actually sought out the Entity that possesses them.
3. Struggling – The Vessel was someone experiencing great difficulty before
they were possessed by the Entity. They could have been struggling with
their career, family, or love life.
4. Family figure – The Vessel is someone driven by their family. This could
be a single parent, beloved guardian, or other figure defined by the love of
those dependent on them.
5. Reformed criminal – The Vessel is someone who used to lead a life of
crime but has since turned their life around.
6. Warrior – The Vessel is someone accustomed to a life of combat like
a professional soldier or esteemed boxer. Regardless of how your
character fights they are (or were) a force to be reckoned with.

51
 Other Considerations: The Vessel
1. What part does the Entity play in achieving my goals?
The Entity is both a huge opportunity and liability. Think about what your
character wants and how the Entity can help them get it. Sure you may not
have had the confidence to go and ask for a raise before but now you have
an ancient mind-reading spirit at your beck and call! Regardless of your final
goal, the Entity offers a unique way to help you.
2. What are my Vessel’s biggest fears?
People live in fear of things whether they admit it or not. The looming
prospect of climate change, widening wealth inequality, and public speaking
all exist to drive dread into a person’s heart. Your fear may be tied to what
you want to achieve.
3. Is there something about the Entity the Vessel didn’t expect?
Having someone hijack your body, to put it mildly, is an immensely
uncomfortable experience. However, there may be something about the
Entity you grow to love, or respect. This common ground could prove pivotal
in the game's story and in creating a bridge between you and the Entity.

Playing as the Vessel:

Playing as the Vessel means allowing an entity to piggyback on your
mind and soul. Playing the Vessel is recommended for experienced
roleplayers who want a challenge, as you will need to creatively react
to the Entity’s actions.

1. Familiar but struggling: You are in your element in the normal world.
However, because the Entity is fighting you for control, your normal world is
in chaos.
2. Able to harness: Once per game the Vessel can harness the power of the
Entity. During this time the Vessel can force the Entity to give them access
to all their powers for about 1 minute.
3. Driven to adapt: The Vessel is about adapting to life as a host. Whether
they adapt by trying to get rid of the Entity, learning to live in harmony, or
attempting to harness their power is entirely up to the player.

Final Thoughts
Throughout your time playing Vessel you and your partner will be
forced to evaluate and ultimately evolve your relationship. This can be
a challenging experience to go through as players. However, just like
in a real-life relationship, evolution is worth it. Communicate
constantly, listen to your partner’s input, and adapt your plans
accordingly. The experience is worth it.

52
@IPRTweets @Indiepress_rev @IndiePressRev

53
 75% OFF for FREE RPG Day!
Grab the Core Book, GM guide and Monster Manual:
https://mailchi.mp/rockmanorgames/freerpgday
Offer valid 6/25/2022 thru 7/25/2022

The Roleplaying Game

Download the Free

Quickstart Rules!

54
 Gods of Rock
FUN THIRTEEN
2 PLUS

13
action

by Patrick Watson & Nat Mesnard of

Oat & Noodle Studios
Patrick Watson and Nat Mesnard write, teach, and make games in NYC.
In his spare time, Patrick teaches Neuroscience & AI at Minerva University
and writes about love, amnesia, and radical cyborgs. Nat is faculty at Pratt
Institute and School of Visual Arts, co-hosts the podcast Queers at the End
of the World, and publishes poetry and literary fiction. As Oat & Noodle
Studios, Nat and Pat have designed the 9th Level Games title Business
Wizards, as well as a host of other short TTRPGs and digital games. Find
Pat on Twitter @patrickdkwatson and Nat @natmesnard.

http://nataliemesnard.com/
https://patrickdkwatson.com/

Dusk. The setting sun illuminates a great tree standing alone in the
vast, radioactive wasteland of the post-apocalypse.

Beneath the tree—each reflected in the other’s eyes—stand two rock

and roll titans. In one hand each holds a sword. In the other hand, a
guitar. In their hearts, vengeance.

Gods of Rock is a game of fighting the ultimate duel. You will need
nothing but a coin and the soul of a warrior.
A single leaf falls.

Describe the scene. What does your rocker look like? How did you earn
your sword? Why is your guitar so deadly? What is your musical and
martial style?

55
 El Mariachi, sequined and soulful, grips his silver rapier and his
mother-of-pearl-inlaid twelve-string Spanish guitar. Facing him
stands Grind Black Rose, the axe-sharp edges of her electric bass
gleaming, her claymore slung heavily over one shoulder. Can the wild
passion of flamenco riposte against such a brütal onslaüght of metal?

One player flips a coin, the other calls heads or tails. In a whirl of steel
and chords, the winner of the toss strikes the first devastating blow.
Describe what happens: what damage is done, and what do you see
as this first attack falls?

First Flashback: How did you meet?

The God of Rock who lost the previous coin toss
chooses a location:
* The bombed out crater of a broken city
* Among the flowers in a place we once called ‘home’
* An unspeakably brutal training camp
* At the bottom of a bottle
Remember the scene of your meeting. What transpired, and
what words passed between you?

Wind swirls dust.

One flips, the other calls it. The winner of the toss lands a blow.
Describe what happens: How do the rockers test each other’s guard?
What was the flaw in defense that let the strike land?

Second Flashback: Why do you love each

other?
The God of Rock who lost the previous coin toss
chooses an act of love:
* Words of kindness
* Stalwart companionship
* The healing grace of touch
* A gift selflessly bestowed
Remember the circumstances of this act. What transpired, and
why did it hold great meaning for both of you?

56
Shadows lengthen.

One flips, the other calls it. The winner of the toss lands a blow.
Describe what happens: what is damaged beyond repair? What do
you see as this moment of destruction reverberates?

El Mariachi advances, his rapier’s edge skirling across the strings of

Grind Black Rose’s electric bass as it sings through the air just a hair
from his jugular. The strings snap, reverberating discord across the
plain, etching four red weals across Grind Black Rose’s cheek, never
again to growl out the throbbing bass line of her angry song.

Third Flashback: When did the duel become inevitable?

The God of Rock who lost the previous coin toss
chooses an act of betrayal:
* Criticism
* Contempt
* Defensiveness
* Stonewalling
Remember the circumstances of this betrayal. What transpired,
and why did it hurt so much?

The leaf rests at last.

One flips, the other calls it.

The loser of this coin toss is slain.

Describe what happens.

Epilogue: Was it better to live or to die?

Both players describe the future after the duel is done. What
are the consequences of the duel? Does the killer ever play the
guitar again? What becomes of the fallen rocker’s sword?

Grind Black Rose staggers to her feet as the crescent moon rises. Her
claymore falls from nerveless fingers. Her mentor’s virtuoso sound
silenced, she sets off toward the mountains, leaving her guitar
soundless, broken over the lifeless body of her glittering foe.
Haunted by the sound of flamenco, she will wander in search of
new music. Head full of metal, heart full of grief.
57
 The Slate: A Game of Creation and Destruction
ALL
AUDIENCES
2-4 STRANGE
AA
SERIOUS

by Dare Hickman
Dare is a Nonbinary TTRPG writer, performer, editor, and content creator
in the gaming space. Dedicated to making simple yet emotional games
focused on simple concepts, they shine in showcase the more role play
driven side of games.

https://enbydare.itch.io/
https://twitter.com/EnbyDare

Long ago, in a time before recorded history, a time before stories,

a time before man, lay “The Divine.” Beautiful, impossible beings of
boundless potential, containing both life and decay. They existed
before a blank canvas. The beings create, they discuss, they destroy.
The cycle continues anew. Would you like to join?

The Slate is a game about creating things, giving those things a story,
and subsequently deciding whether that creation will endure. The
minimum requirement for players is two though a maximum of four is
most conducive for flow of game.

Rules:
The players will each roll a single six-sided die (d6) and follow the
prompt of whatever number is rolled. The prompts are as follows:
1. Create Landmass—Create a large mass of land
2. Create Water—Create a large body of water
3. Create Life—Create life (fauna or flora)
4. Create Society—Create a human settlement
5. Destroy What was Made by Hand—Destroy something you
have made
6. Destroy the Works of Another—Destroy something someone
else made

58
After every roll, the player who rolled will tell the story of the
events that came to be, building the legends and myths of this
world collaboratively. The game continues as such for 5 rounds, until
the Final Judgement.

Final Judgement After the final round each player rolls the
die one last time, showcasing what future they see for the world built.
1. Prosperity—The world will blossom into a shining beacon
2. Decay—The world will wilt away into misery
3. Stability—The world will remain as it is, content with its place in the
universe
4. Stagnation—The world will slowly end; not instantly, but over the
course of countless millennia
5. Expansion—The world will grow beyond your vision, forming
community with other worlds not yet seen
6. Extinction—In a flash, all will be gone

After the Final Judgement, the beings will converse. When a

consensus is reached, the decision is made. Narrate what happens to
the world and create a new one.

59
 The Stars Were Many
ALL
cozy
AUDIENCES
1
AA

by V. R. Collins
V. R. Collins can be found wandering in a city by a river. She designs small
games and is occasionally on Twitter @nvmhere.

You have been a star among a constellation for so very long. So long that
it seems inconceivable you might ever be something else. But lately the
skies have been clearing and constellations are falling out of the sky. As
your fellow stars are knocked askew, and they begin to fall away, the day
of this awful fate finally comes for you. If you do not act in time, you will
lose them, and then what will become of you?

In the beginning...
The Stars Were Many is a solo game where you play one star among
many: your constellation has fallen apart, and it is up to you to
save as many of your fellow stars as you can. Will your constellation
reclaim itself, form into something entirely new, or fade away into the
vastness of the heavens?To begin, you must know what you have been
and what you have meant to all those who stood on the earth below you,
looking up at the night sky.

To save your fellow stars, you will need: a six-sided die, a deck of
cards, a small token to represent each star of your constellation, pen
and paper to track the location of each star

Create your constellation

The only thing you are required to do is determine the number of
stars in your constellation. The suggested range isis between four and
twelve stars. This number will determine how much time you will have
during the rescue phase of the game. You will need to be able
to represent each star in this constellation with a small token
on the game board.

60
Beyond the number of stars in your constellation, you might also
determine the name of your constellation, the shape it makes
in the sky, and a myth or two told about it. Perhaps there are other
astronomical points of interest related to your constellation’s position
in the sky; perhaps each star in your constellation is known by its own
name. Once you know who you are, it is time to gaze upon the field of
the heavens through which your fellow stars are spiraling, quickly falling
closer to the gravity of the earth below.

Establish the heavens

You must set up the board on which your tale unfolds. This board will
represent the position of each star in the sky. On a piece of paper,
draw out the tracks that each star in your constellation will move
along. The only requirements for what the tracks look like and how
they function are this:
* One track will serve as the “anchor” track; this track has 10
spaces, where the first space is Position 0
* Every other track will have 9 spaces, which are Positions 1 to 9
* The positions in each track align with each other (except for
Position 0)
* The number of tracks is equal to the number of stars
After setting up the tracks, place each star in its beginning position.
There are two types of stars: the “anchor” star (you), and the falling
stars. Although you are the anchor star, you will have the option to
move any star during gameplay. To place the stars in position:
* Your anchor star always begins in Position 0
* For each of the other stars, roll a six-sided die. Set it on the
position equal to the face value of the die
* The other stars must start in positions 1-6
* Every star has its own track, and it cannot move to another track

Example board The anchor star begins in position 0, while the

other three stars begin in positions determined by a die roll.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
*
*
*
*
61
 Rescue your constellation
Your constellation has broken apart, and you do not have much
time! Within the time limit, you will continuously draw cards, with
each card representing a move you must make for one star on the
board. Your goal is to align as many stars as possible to your anchor
star before you run out of time. It does not matter which position on
the board you align your stars with, so long as they are aligned to the
anchor star.

Set a timer based on the number of stars in your constellation: 4-7

stars = 1 minute; 8-12 stars = 2 minutes. For roughly each additional 4
stars, add a minute; adjust as needed for difficulty.

Move order:
* Start the timer
* Draw a card, and choose any star to move along its track, equal
to the face value of the card: A=1; J=11; Q=12; K=13; no Jokers.
Red suits move rightwards along the track, and black suits move
leftwards along the track
* If a star reaches the end of the track, it continues itsmove in the
other direction—it must move the full value of card that was drawn
* Keep drawing cards and moving stars (one star per card) until the
timer runs out

Before you start the timer, take a moment to review some of these
specific move rules:
* One star must move on each card draw (even if it ends up
returning the star to its current position, or if the move will knock a
star currently aligned with the anchor star out of position)
* A star must be able to start its movement in the direction
indicated by the card (red -->, black <--) in order to be moved
* This means that the anchor star can only make its first move
with a red suit
* A star in Position 1 can only move when a red suit is drawn
* A star in Position 9 can only move when a black suit is drawn
* Stars in Positions 2-8 can move in either direction, on any
card draw
* The order of operations is always to draw the card first, and
then pick which star to move in response. You have to move
fast, and keep moving!

62
When the timer ends, stop! How many stars were you able to
align to your anchor star?

After the end

You watch as whichever stars you weren’t able to save fall away from
you. You turn to those you have gathered close. How many are left?
Can you still be what you were, or is it time to take on a new name—a
new form, and a new story?

They will speak of this day, the day you flew across the heavens, and were
reborn.

New Game Plus

You can replay the game with your original constellation, or with the
new constellation formed after the end. Tragedy strikes again. What
will become of your constellation next? And the next time? How long
until there are no stars left in the skies?

Starter constellations
There are many stories among the stars. Maybe you know these ones:

Mabaogar's Bow
[4 stars, 1 minute]
Sing to me of Mabaogar, the hero! She threw her bow into the
sky so that it would ever stand ready against the monsters she
fought in life. Every twenty years, comets shoot through the bow,
reminding us of her story.

The Bull's Head

[7 stars, 1 minute]
He was a fierce adversary, that bull of the golden horns. He was
ever vain of the gleaming glory of those horns. They were a gift
from the gods. Upon his death by Mabaogar’s bow, Mabaogar
cut off his head and threw it into the sea and even now, the sky
reflects it back to us. One can always find their way home when
navigating by the two brightest stars in the sky, the tips of those
horns, which wish to rival even the sun.

63
 theMarquis
ALL
FUN
AUDIENCES
2-6
AA
SERIOUS action

by Zane Graves with Scott Slater

Zane is a design space left intentionally blank. He likes crows, cats, and
cryptids.
Respected by some, feared by countless more, the Marquis has
thrown an elaborate masquerade gala in celebration of his ego and
as an exercise in terror.

This is a storytelling game in which the players, as invited guests, seek

revenge for the wrongs committed against them, unaware who may
aid or betray them.

Setup
One person will take on the role of the Majordomo, responsible for
the other guests and locations the players wish to interact with. The
Majordomo will need a deck of cards and some dice (specifically, a d4,
d6, d6, and d10). Everyone will need paper and pens.

The players each choose one of the following playbooks:

Seeking Knowledge
The Marquis knows something (blackmail, military plans, occult
secrets) and you will find it.
1. Who stands to lose everything if the Marquis's secrets are
revealed?
2. Your mentor let slip a vital clue that set you upon the trail of
the Marquis's secret knowledge. What was it?
3. What haunts you about the place where you finally claimed
the knowledge?
4. Why were you allowed to leave with it?

64
Seeking Glory
The Marquis is proud, and you must humiliate him.
1. Though normally unflappable, the Marquis has a special
disdain for any who would bring up a certain subject in his
presence. What is this subject?
2. Though their name dare not be uttered within earshot,
you know the last person who mocked the Marquis. What
happened to them?
3. There is one person the Marquis seeks the respect of. Who
are they and why does their admiration matter so much?
4. A fool you may be, but not so foolish as to mock the
Marquis openly. You have identified a patsy to deliver the
savage quip – who are they?

Seeking Riches
1. How did the Marquis come into his most prized possession?
2. What, exactly, is it?
3. Surely you’re not alone, and have begun to suspect you
have competition in this matter. Who also has their eyes on
this?
4. How did you get it before they did?

Seeking Honor
1. Why did the Marquis invite his enemies to this event?
2. Why did you still come?
3. Which guest do you believe to secretly be the Marquis?
4. How are you going to ensure his reign of terror ends?

Play
Once players have their questions and the Majordomo is ready,
players take turns (in no particular order), and answer the first
question before them. During a player’s turn, they may ask for advice
or talk through ideas, but they have final say over what the answer
they write. Once an answer is written, it is considered true for the sake
of the story, even if it seems to contradict another answer.

After the first question is answered, the player’s characters

enter the gala. There they take turns exploring the maze of
rooms that wind their way off the main hall and speak

65
 with the other guests until they have reached a point they feel
they can answer the next question. The Majordomo is tasked
with telling players who and what they find and what happens when
the players explore, but can also take suggestions from the inactive
players: after all, a good idea is a good idea.

There may be characters or locations which are dangerous.

Additionally, the players may take actions that would rouse
suspicion that something is afoot, such as causing a fight, trying
to steal something without being detected, or in general causing a
scene. After the player has written their answer for the round, the
Majordomo may hand that player a number of cards equal to the
number of unique “incidents” caused. The players cannot look at these
cards until after everyone has answered the fourth question.

If the Majordomo uses a suggestion made by a player, that player

may choose to return any one card to the Majordomo’s deck.

When all players have answered the first four questions, they can flip
over any face-down cards in front of them, their final question will be
as follows:

All Face Cards: “How did this ruin the Marquis?”

Face and Numbers: “You escape, but the Marquis mistakenly took
his revenge on someone else. Who was it?”
All Numbers: “Someone you trusted betrayed you to the Marquis:
who was it and what happened after?”
No Cards: “You managed to escape. For the rest of your days, no
one believes the tale you tell them. Why not?”

The players then answer their final question.

For the Majordomo

The ground rules are: this can happen whenever or wherever the
players decide; all the guests are disguised, though players may
know of people attending (such as the local priest is definitely around
somewhere, etc.); the Marquis may end up being harmed, but will
survive (until the final question is answered).help establish
what is and is not okay at the start of the session.

66
If you’re comfortable making things up on the fly, go ahead and
wait until the players talk to an NPC to roll one up using the
chart below. If that’s not your thing, go ahead and have some written
out ahead of time. If you’ve rolled the same result on a die twice in
a row, go ahead and pick the next entry in the list. The die rolls are
secret, and just to give you something to start working with.

The Guests
d4: Feelings Towards to the Marquis (Exceptional roleplaying
can adjust an NPC up or down one space on this chart)

1: Loyalty: fully support his agenda or methods

2: Indifference: you don’t care either way, but he’s got the power
(interaction may draw a Danger card if it suits the scene)
3: Hatred: the way he abuses his power is unconscionable
4: Fear: he has destroyed many who have questioned him
(interaction will draw a Danger card)

d6: Station
1: High Noble (an esteemed equal to the Marquis; count/countess,
duke/duchess)
2: Civil (a connected figure; magistrate, lawyer, physician)
3: Religious (representing the church; priest, nun, imam, rabbi)
4: Artist (here because of renowned talent; singer, painter, sculptor)
5: Military (a notable figure in a recent war; general, admiral, major,
captain, colonel)
6: Esteemed Servant (to attend to either the Marquis or another
guest; majordomo, valet, lady-in-waiting) or Loved One (of this
scene’s main player)

d8: Personality
1. Flirty, Vivacious 2. Cheerful, Jovial
3. Dour, Sullen 4. Moody, Irritable
5. Timid, Reserved 6. Angry, Impatient
7. Unfriendly, Suspicious 8. Polite, Refined

67
 d10: Quirk
1. Terrified of being left alone OR Attempts to get a seance going
2. Upset by a color the character is wearing OR Has a haunting
voice that makes characters pine for another time
3. Easily bored unless something truly scandalous is offered up
OR Pushes a bloody dagger into the players hand and whispers,
“You’re it.”
4. A kleptomaniac who just slipped something up their sleeve OR
A pyromaniac with an unshakable fixation on candlesticks
5. Parent to a bastard child, unaware the Marquis knows OR Is
related to the player’s character but has not yet realized it
6. Can’t keep a secret OR Killed a guest and took their place
7. Claims allergy to non-precious metals OR Can tell the thread
count of a garment by touch, says it’s akin to perfect pitch
8. Serves as a lucrative patron to a great many truly awful artists
OR Has nicked a bottle of the Marquis’ private reserve
9. Describes “foxhunting” in agonizing detail OR Speaks only in
questions
10. Is hunting for secret passages OR the dark arts

The Rooms
d4: Privacy (Players know this result before deciding to enter the room)
1. Private (known to the players to be off-limits to staff and guests, a
great place to put a plot hook or resolve a thread, but entry will draw
a Danger)
2. Servant Access (currently for use by the staff for the gala, players
may be ushered out if they become a nuisance, causing any
commotion will draw a Danger)
3. Public (low chance of bumping into a guest or staff, but there’s
nothing untoward about being here)
4. Gala (an intended area to congregate, a good chance of finding
guests here)

d6: Function
1. Architectural (tower, hall, garden)
2. Service (kitchen, storeroom, abattoir)
3. Entertainment (study, dining room, parlor)
4. Arts (gallery, music room, library)
5. Personal (bedchamber, dressing room, bath)
6. Sacred (chapel, catacomb, vault)

68
d8: Atmosphere (Reveal upon entering)
1. Opulent 2. Immaculate 3. Inviting
4. Spartan 5. Ominous 6. Stifling
7. Ramshackle 8. Dark

d10: Detail (Reveal as much or little as necessary as the players

explore and narrate the encounter)
1. Distant, discordant music can be heard OR A player hears
someone singing directly behind them (though no one is there),
becoming louder as more time is spent here and rendering
concentration impossible
2. Someone is begging for mercy/death OR Ghosts of the Marquis’
victims make themselves known
3. The passage to get here is winding and unlikely to be found again
OR When this player attempts to go to any other room, they have
to pass a Boots roll to not end up back here
4. Something about the room bothers the players, but they’re not
sure what OR The players leave the room believing everything that
happened within it was a hallucination
5. A welcoming woman invites the player to abandon their quest OR
The entrance to this room is gone; the player must explore deeper
and cannot return to the main hall from here
6. A group of gregarious guests will latch onto the player, making
searching or sneaking difficult OR The player walks in on three
mask-less people in mid conversation; they look at the player, then
begin laughing. They leave the room, never to be seen again
7. Grotesque murals cover the walls OR The smell of brimstone fills
the air as two burning cloven hoof marks fade from the center of the
room
8. There is a notable amount of fresh blood OR The player discovers
what appears to be a body of their compatriot
9. Unbearably warm, to the point where staying may cause the
player to faint OR Something makes one of the characters (PC or
NPC) uncontrollably giddy
10. The player is being followed OR Inform the player that searching
this room will increase the Danger by 1, but give them advantage on
their next non-advantaged die roll

69
 To Wield the Blade of Ages
ALL
FUN
AUDIENCES
3+
AA
SERIOUS action

by Alexi Sargeant
Alexi Sargeant is an award-winning game designer creating indie
roleplaying games under the banner of Cloven Pine Games. He is the
creator of The Great Soul Train Robbery and Secret Science Sewer Siblings,
and co-created Back Again from the Broken Land with his wife Leah.
Follow all of his gaming endeavors online @ClovenPineGames. This
game is heavily inspired by Jeff Stormer’s Mission: Accomplished! It draws
additional mechanical and setting inspiration from Epidiah Ravichol’s
Swords Without Master.

https://cloven-pine-games.itch.io/
Forged from a shard of Time’s scythe, sharp enough to cleave a breath in two,
the Blade of Ages hangs before you, suspended above a golden pedestal. It is
the weapon you need to slay your foes, deliver your people, or fulfill your destiny.
Now you must simply convince the Swordkeeper you ought to wield it—rather
than any of the rival Claimants with whom you journeyed to this sanctuary.
This is a game for three or more players. One player facilitates the game
and plays the Swordkeeper. The other players play Claimants. If you are a
Claimant, you have made the perilous journey to find the Swordkeeper and
prove that you, and only you, ought to receive the Blade of Ages.
To play you will need:
5 3 or more players, one facilitating as Swordkeeper, the rest
playing as Claimants
5 A good number of six-sided dice in two distinct colors, for
example, white for Merit Dice and red for Dishonor Dice
5 Tokens to serve as Glory Tokens, enough so each Claimant
player has as many tokens as there are Claimants (so in a game
with five Claimants, each player would have five tokens)
5 Index cards and writing implements
5 Claimants, you each must choose a name and title.
Begin the game by taking turns introducing yourself, sharing
your name, title, pronouns, and (in brief) why you ought to be
the one who wields the Blade of Ages.
70
You may pick from the following names, if you wish, or create your own:
5 Krongar the Grizzled, Slayer of Mage-Kings
5 Princess Yrianda, Heir of the Malachite Temple
5 Wiglaf Wiglafson, Apprentice Blacksmith
5 Fernice the Fox, Bane of Treasure-Vaults
Lay out three index cards in front of you. Label one your Hoard of Glory and
save the other two for now. Add tokens equal to the number of Claimants to
your Hoard of Glory.
As the Swordkeeper asks you to regale them with the tale of your journey
together, you will have the chance to make your case, and to undermine
the cases of the other Claimants. Be prepared to discuss why you need the
Blade, and why you (and you alone) are worthy of it.
To earn the Blade, you will want to receive as many Merit Dice and as few
Dishonor Dice as you can. The Swordkeeper hands these dice out, based on
your account of your journey. But the other Claimants will have the chance
to cast doubt on your worthiness.
The Swordkeeper will ask you to explain the unworthy behavior that your
fellow Claimants report you for. You can, of course, defend yourself and
object to the other anonymous Claimants’ characterization of your actions.
It will be most fun, however, if instead of outright contradicting their report,
you explain how they were mistaken. For example: “It’s true I rowed as fast
as I could away from the Elder Serpent, but I wasn’t fleeing! I was getting into
position to hurl my spear into its vulnerable eye.” “Consorting with the brigands,
you say? That couldn’t have been me…but it does sound like something my evil
twin sister Adnairy would get up to!”
As a player you are a fan of all the Claimants and want to see them be
epic sword-and-sorcery heroes. That’s what the Glory Tokens are for. When
another Claimant narrates something that strikes you as particularly
legend-worthy, evocative, well-described, or just plain badass, give them a
Glory Token from your Hoard. (They don’t add it to their Hoard, they just
place it in front of them.)
At the close of the game, the Claimant who has received the most Glory
Tokens from other players receives an additional Merit Die. (In a tie, all
Claimants with the most Glory Tokens receive an additional Merit Die.) To
encourage you not to be stingy with Glory Tokens, if you have tokens left in
your Hoard at the end of the game, you roll an additional Dishonor Die.
Swordkeeper, greet the Claimants with these words:
“Welcome, Claimants! All of you have shown great prowess to reach me,
the Swordkeeper. But only one can wield the Blade of Ages. To determine
who is truly worthy, I will ask you to regale me with the tale of your journey.
Remember, the Blade belongs to the Claimant who excels in Honor, Valor, and
Candor. In order to reach this sanctuary you had to overcome challenges."
71
 (Write these challenges down on index cards so the Claimants can
reference them—and if you have challenges of your own in mind, you
may substitute them for the ones listed here!)
5 Thread the brigand-haunted wilderness
5 Solve the riddle of the obelisk guardians
5 Sail the sea of the storm-corsairs
5 Slay Suraskara the Elder Serpent
5 Climb the treacherous Spire of Ages
“Now, each of you will have the chance to write of your journey. Hand your
cards in to me, the Swordkeeper. Taking the cards in front of you, write down:
5 How one of your fellow Claimants (the one on your left or your
right) rose to a challenge and demonstrated the virtues the Blade
demands
5 How one of your fellow Claimants (the one on the other side)
botched a challenge and showed their unworthy side
Send the Claimants to refresh themselves with mead (or coffee or water
if mead is not available), and take a few minutes to read through the
cards you’ve received. Take note of possible contradictions or submissions
that appear to be in tension with one another. Those are good; they are
occasions for juicy drama amongst the Claimants.
Your objective as a player, you see, is to sow chaos and dissension as you
conduct your interview with the Claimants. Present the Swordkeeper as
sage and dutiful but take every opportunity to push the Claimants into
recrimination and self-justification.

Begin the interview by praising someone for something another Claimant

commended them for. Then ask them follow-up questions. Turn to another
Claimant when you are ready to move on to a different question. This one
could be a more pointed question as you ask them to explain something
another Claimant criticized them for. As you cite the cards you’ve received,
lay them dramatically down on the table. You can place these cards near
the cards listing the relevant challenge, if you like.
As Claimants regale you with their tale, judge them by handing out Merit
and Dishonor Dice. You can explain the dice however you want. (For
example: “It was dishonorable to get the obelisk guardians drunk so they
could not remember the answer to their own riddle. But it takes candor to
admit that to me. Take one Dishonor Die and one Merit Die.”) Ultimately,
you have complete discretion as to how you allocate these dice. You
can talk about the virtues of honor, valor, and candor as if they are
defined very exactly from the Swordkeeper’s perspective.

72
You can make a show of consulting the rules as you hand out dice, as
if you are following a stringent process. But, in fact, your rationale is
entirely about what stokes the most in-character drama at the table.
Continue this process, mixing questions prompted by good reports and
by bad ones. Follow the challenges sequentially, if you wish. Or bounce
amongst the players, having them fill in bits of the journey from their
perspective. Sometimes award Merit Dice or Dishonor Dice to Claimants
who are not the main one currently being questioned.
Continue this deliberation until all your cards have been placed on the table,
and the journey has been fleshed out to your satisfaction. Then, tell the
Claimants, "Here is what you must do to determine at last who will wield the
Blade of Ages,":
5 Roll all the Merit Dice in front of you. (Take and roll an additional
Merit Die if you ended up with the most Glory Tokens.)
5 Roll all the Dishonor Dice in front of you. (Take and roll an additional
Dishonor Die if you have any Glory Tokens left in your Hoard.)
5 Remove any Merit Dice that match one of your Dishonor Dice. That
means even one six rolled on a Dishonor Die removes every six you rolled on
your Merit Dice!
5 Tally the results: Your highest individual Merit Dice result rolled from 1
to 6, the number of Merit Dice that match that result, total Merit Dice

Ranking
Swordkeeper, once you have everyone’s numbers, arrange them in order
of highest individual Merit Dice result (the first number they listed on their
card) from best to worst, and, consulting the list below, give everyone their
ultimate fate. In the event of a tie (if two Claimants both roll sixes, for
instance), the number of high results should act as a tie-breaker (i.e., three
sixes beats two sixes). In the event that there is STILL a tie (both Claimants
roll three sixes, for instance), the total number of remaining Merit Dice
should be used as a tie-breaker.

1st place: You have proven truly worthy, and receive the Blade of Ages. Wield
it with virtue!

To the others. You strove valiantly, but fell just short. However, you have this
special duty for our story’s epilogue: tell us something about how history
and legend remember the wielder of the Blade of Ages a century hence.
(After the 2nd place finisher offers their epilogue, the 1st place finisher may
provide an additional detail to expand or complicate it, if they so desire.)
Continue in this mode through all the Claimants, rewarding each with a
chance to narrate something of how the Claimant ranked just above
them is remembered. Finally, loop around to have the 1st place
finisher provide an epilogue for the Claimant in last place.

73
 Level 1
For ongoing information on Level 1, visit https://www.9thlevel.com/level1

The best way you can support INDIE RPG CREATORS is by purchasing
from your FRIENDLY LOCAL GAME STORE or by following them online.
Here is a list of a few great products from the sponsors of Level 1.
9th Level Games Nerdy City
9t h l eve l .co m nerdyci ty.co m
Mazes Fantasy Roleplaying, Commanddroids, Rememorex
Awesome World, Return to Dark
Tower, Business Wizards Rock Manor Games
roc kman o rgames.co m
BackerKit Maximum Apocalypse RPG, Few
b a cke r k i t.co m and the Cursed RPG
Crowdfunding support and
marketing Roll20
roll20.n et
Bully Pulpit Online virtual tabletop and
b ul l y p u l p i tg a mes.com playing space
Fiasco, Star Crossed, Ghost Court,
Night Witches, Durance Steamforged Games
steamfo rged.co m
Evil Hat Productions Dark Souls RPG, Epic Encounters,
ev i l ha t.co m Animal Adventures
Thirsty Sword Lesbians,
Blades in the Dark, Agon Steve Jackson Games
sj games.co m
IGDN The Fantasy Trip, GURPS
Independent Game Deve lop e rs Net wor k
i g d n o nl i ne .co m The Lucky Die
International volunteer trade thelu ckydi e.co m
organization that supports indie 5e Actual Play podcast
game developers
The OP
Indie Press Revolution (IPR) theo p.games
i n d i e p re s s revolution.com Quests of Yore: Barley’s Edition,
Direct sales small press RPGs Critical Role Munchkin, Dungeons
PAX Conventions/Reed Pop & Dragons Clue + Monopoly
p a xs i te .co m
Game conventions
Pelgrane Press
p e l gra n e p re s s .com
Swords of the Serpentine,
Honey & Hot Wax

74
Insubordinate
FUN ALL
2-6 AUDIENCES

AA
action

by Jim Dagg
https://vagentzero.itch.io/
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/218716/Just-Got-Real

Jim Dagg is a game designer under the imprint Saddle Shaped Games. He
specializes in player-empowering, action-oriented games about heroes –
in deed, not in name. When he's not designing games, he's an enthusiast
amateur cook and software developer.
An antifascist science fantasy RPG inspired by Final Fantasy VII, VIII,
and XIII. Download a character sheet at: https://bit.ly/insub-cs

The Dominion, with all its legal, divine backing and authority, controls your world.
A world of magic, innovation, and power long established, crushed under the heel
of their boot. Most bend their knee, letting them control, pillage, steal, and destroy.
It’s easier not to risk your neck. But you? You fight back. You have discovered the
Dominion’s latest push – to subvert, control, and leverage an Ancient Power, a
being of incredible strength, anchored to the will of the planet – to instead exert the
Dominion’s will. You must stop them before the peaceful existence of everyone you
know and love is lost forever.
The Dominion is: Your faction is:
¤ a theocratic order ¤ Graduates of a battle or
¤ a corporate oligarchy magic school
¤ a conquering/colonizing empire ¤ Deserting Dominion
¤ an open secret cult with fingers in members
everything ¤ Underground anti-fascists
The Dominion threatens (“terrorists”)
which Ancient Power:
¤ The Volcanic Titan The mission features:
¤ The Tundra Princept ¤ a train heist
¤ The Storm Raptor ¤ defense in depth
¤ The Umbral Orphan ¤ an assault on a stronghold
¤ The Final Dragon ¤ a chase through ancient ruins
…in order to ¤ an escape from impending
¤ Entreat a great evil for power destruction
¤ Exploit for profit/resources ¤ a diplomatic envoy
¤ Crush resistance or show force with an Ancient Power

75
 Building a hero
¤ Choose your name and pronouns. If you're stuck for a name, start
with a common English word or name, shift it to be harder, softer, stranger, or
more mysterious.
¤ Describe your outfit: formal, casual, flashy, cool, rough, modest, etc.
¤ Describe your look: built, wiry, stout, curvy, lithe, haggard, lively,
ornamented, small, pudgy, etc.
¤ Describe your first impressions: aloof, by-the-book, easygoing, flirty,
intense, kind, cold, impatient, talkative, distracted, weary, wise, energetic, etc.

Choose a preferred weapon:

¤ Melee: sword, spear, whip, axe, hammer, dagger, staff, martial arts
¤ Ranged: handgun, machine gun, shotgun, bow, crossbow, throwing knives

Stats
Your Means are Physical (actions with your own natural capabilities, physical
objects, etc.) and Magical (using magic energy to accomplish tasks); your Ways are
Force (aggressive action and endurance) and Skill (knowledge, careful and subtle
action).
¤ Physical and Magical start at 1. Assign 2 more points.
¤ Force and Skill start at 1. Assign 2 more points.
¤ Assign 1 more point to any of the four.
¤ You start with 20 HP.
¤ Choose 3 Action Abilities.

Action Abilities
WARRIOR: Physical battle styles. Enablers.
Duel: On your turn, you may choose a target. You inflict +2 damage on that target
and suffer -2 damage from them.
Blitz: You may take disadvantage to an attack to target three enemies.
Counter: When you are hit with an attack, inflict 1d6 damage on the attacker.
Bloodstrike: When you make a normal attack, you may sacrifice 1d6 HP (this
damage cannot be blocked, reduced, or negated). If you do, and the attack hits,
inflict double damage.
Assassin: Double damage to an enemy that is unaware of you.
Sentinel: Once per turn, when you or an ally you can reach is hit, you may sacrifice
your next action and make a roll; on hit, reduce damage by 1d6 + margin. Hit or
miss, you may choose to take the hit in place of the original target.
BLACK MAGIC: Elemental/sabotage spells. Burn to use.
Blast: Release a blast of power of your chosen element that deals +4 damage on a
hit OR hits up to three enemies in a small area.
Shatter: Make an attack against an object. On a hit, deal damage; if the object
reaches 0 HP, it is destroyed and inflicts the same damage to anyone close.
Afflict: Choose an enemy. On a hit, they suffer an affliction that either gives anyone
acting against them advantage OR inflicts 1d6 damage per turn.
Stun: Choose an enemy. On a hit, they cannot move or act for the rest of
this turn or the next unless treated.
Enchant: Ally's weapon gains +2 damage to all attacks for this scene.
Illusion: You create an artificial image/sound that lasts the rest of the scene;
it can stand still or move, or even change your appearance.

76
WHITE MAGIC: protective spells. Burn to use.
Heal: Choose an ally. On a hit, they are cured of any status effects and recover
1d6+margin HP. On a miss, they still recover 1d6 HP.
Ward: Choose a nearby area (a room, or a small circle), and either physical or
magical. Any allies in the area suffer -2 damage from that source.
Float: For this scene, you and any allies nearby float a foot or two above the
ground; you can jump quite high and far, and if you fall, you do so gently, sustaining
no damage when you hit the ground.
Oracle: Grant advantage on a roll, even one that was already made.
Time: Choose a target. If an ally, they gain an additional action immediately. If an
enemy, make a roll; on hit, they lose their next action.
Holy: Make an attack against a target at any range within line of sight (including
melee); defenses, damage reduction, or other impeding effects are ignored.
TECHNIQUES: Practical skills and tricks. Enablers.
Analyze: You have an enhanced sense you can use to perform recon on an enemy
or area. As an action, the GM will tell you what hidden information your target has
that your sense can detect.
Tinker: You can quickly pick locks, or do other acts of thievery or tinkering.
Acrobat: You can climb, vault, and jump in ways that defy gravity.
Pet: You have an intelligent pet – a dog, bird, small robot, or something else – that
will obey your commands. It has 10 HP and will act independently to the best of its
ability. You may spend an action to command it to do something specific.
Hack: Choose a target vehicle, machine, or other non-sentient device. On a hit, it will
obey your commands (as an action on your turn) until you stop commanding it or
someone else takes control of it.
Influence: Choose a living target. On a hit, it will obey a simple thought you
intimate, in one word or feeling – “fear”, “run”, “anger”, etc. You cannot use this ability
to make someone do something obviously self-destructive.

Action Scenes
At the start of each turn, the GM will tell you what the enemies are planning to do.
Then, each PC may take one primary action. Typical primary actions include:
¤ Attack* (use a weapon to inflict damage on a target)
¤ Use Action Ability* (see next page)
¤ Charge (re-enable all Abilities you have Burned)
¤ Guard (gain advantage to defense actions this turn)
¤ Draw ability* (borrow magic or an item that grants an Ability or Overpower)
¤ Do something else* (move somewhere special, hide, interact with something,
use knowledge from your background, negotiate, etc.)
¤ On your turn you may also move a short distance. Talking, opening doors,
and similar incidentals are part of a standard action.

Taking an action
Describe your action. If there's interesting risk or uncertainty about its success or
effect, you’ll roll dice to see what happens. Only the players roll dice – if an NPC
takes an action against a PC, the player rolls to avoid or counter it; if a
player and NPC act against each other, the roll decides who gets their way.
Roll 2d6 + Means + Way. If you have advantage on the action, roll 3d6 and
keep the two highest; if you have disadvantage, roll 3d6 and keep the
two lowest.
77
 The GM will set a Target Number (TN) according to the challenge of what
you’re doing: Easy 8, Typical 10, Challenging 12, Formidable 14, Infeasible 16
If you roll equal to or higher than the TN, it's a hit – you succeed for sure, with
increasing margins meaning bigger advantages. If < TN, it's a miss – the margin
of the miss determines how bad the consequences are, and/or how limited your
action's effect is.
¤ If you inflict damage, you deal 1d6 + hit margin + any modifiers.
¤ If you suffer damage, you suffer 1d6 + miss margin + any modifiers.
¤ When someone hits 0 HP, they are incapacitated and out of the scene. PCs
never die unless the player chooses to.
¤ If the players have time to rest and lick their wounds after an action scene,
they recover all their HP.

Adversity
Adversity has HP like players do. Set their HP according to their “weight class”:
¤ 2-6 Mook (a small drone or monster)
¤ 8-20 Typical (a human, turret, etc.)
¤ 20-40 Heavy / Boss (a tank, huge monster, etc.)
¤ 40+ Megaboss (an attack carrier, the Ancient Power)

Don’t give adversity a fixed target number; instead, consider their strengths and
weaknesses along with the situation as the players interact with it. Enemies
can cast magic and use Action Abilities like PCs do – in general, keep it to one
or two abilities and/or attacks for Mook or Typical enemies, but give Bosses and
Megabosses more. Some enemies just hit harder with their attacks. If an enemy is
big, or is using an unusually powerful weapon, give it +2 or even +4 to its damage,
before factoring in Action Abilities.

Mission Construction and the Power Clock

A mission consists of three acts:
¤ The Kickoff, where the team hits the ground running with the action starting
imminently
¤ The Intercept, a set piece where they reach the Ancient Power or the threat
that it faces from the Dominion
¤ The Climax, the culmination of the mission where they face down the
Dominion threat – either with, or against, the Ancient Power

For each act, come up with two to four bullet points: threats they need to contend
with (or circumvent), targets/objectives, and destinations.

The Power Clock consists of four to six marks. When a chunk of time passes, or if
something happens to increase the alert posture of the Dominion, tick one or more
marks. When it’s full, the Authority has controlled or subdued the Ancient Power.
This does not mean the mission fails, but the AP is now helping the Authority (likely
unwillingly) unless the PCs do something to break their control.

78
 EDIT
ION
And Ian!

A guided role playing-style game inspired by the Disney

and Pixar film, Onward. The game is designed to introduce
players to a new genre of gaming, as well as provide RPG
fans with an immersive experience. Taking the lore from
Quests of Yore featured in Onward, this game leads hobby
game enthusiasts and Pixar fans of all ages through an
unfolding campaign of adventures and quests.

s 6
IncluPdeieces as
Gamne in the hrdit
see vie Onwa
mo
The Ashel Ethorn Rhys Unora Dragon
Manticore

I
introdumctmersive
Playing ory Role
Adventure

8+ 2-5 60+ Min.

Available Now!

Available on TheOp.games
and your friendly local game store
@theopgames

©Disney/Pixar The Op and USAOPOLY are trademarks of USAopoly, Inc. ©2021 USAopoly, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

79
Level 1 will return in 2023,
and YOU can be a part of it.
To submit a game use this QR code.

Level 1
The Free RPG Day Anthology
of Indie Role-Playing Games
2023 Theme
Endings & Epilogues

vol 4
2023