We've given ourselves this deadline to launch our Kickstarter!
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As a regular TTRPG player of over 40 years, our lead designer, Aaron, basically learned to read from those early boxsets. Together, we created something that WE LOVE and we think a lot of other people will, too.
You don't have to be a long-timer, though. The system is stream-lined for your playing comfort, and the setting is as deep and immersive as you want to dive into it, or just use the mechanics for your own setting and stories.
Character development is not based on "experience points", and there's two core things to develop: Aptitudes and Skills. Aptitudes determine how much you can develop each skill, while also supplying their value to each skill's total. There are only three Aptitudes and 18 core skills that cover nearly everything that we've ever seen happen at a table (virtual, card, or oak veneer).
There are also "techniques" that each character can develop and use to achieve spectacular and potentially unique things in and out of combat.
Drawing inspiration from the "corruption" of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, the "blood magic" of the "Willow" stories, and "The Fae" from C.S. Friedman's Coldfire series, we have created a way for characters to attempt to shape and work with a pervasive force that fills nearly every particle of this world: "The Kyth".
It's name comes from old Scot language meaning "to reveal, show, or make manifest". And that it does... but at what cost?
Have you ever wanted a system where the dice were fun to roll, but didn't play as big of role in every success and failure of your characters? We have shrunk their role, while still leaving room for the chaos of those stunning successes or horrifying failures. Characters are truly rewarded for investing in their development, while leaving just enough room for fate to keep you on your toes.
There's Alchemy for creating non-magical concoctions that produce magic-like results, and
Tinkering that's not just for picking locks or disarming traps, but creating devices and machines, too!
And then there's "The Kyth": that mysterious presence and power that pervades the entire planet, responding to human emotions and thoughts. But some of have learned to shape it...
Isn't it weird that when a character fails a skill check they can't just try again? By allowing failures to cascade to each subsequent attempt, we both incentivize retrying, while also potentially making it not worth it. If you've got the time, we've got the consequences.
Also, each player gets a chance to determine and describe the consequences of their character's failures for a chance at earning rewards.
Nearly every aspect of this game is based on a driving principle of "Give and Take".
- To gain advantages from your backstory, you must take disadvantages.
- As you increase the amount of physical protection you wear, you decrease your ability to avoid danger.
And so many more examples.
In this system, there are no boundaries of what characters can attempt to use what types of armor or weapons. Anyone can try to manipulate the Kyth in spell-like ways. Every skill and technique is learnable by anyone. Now, how well they do these things, and the potential consequences of their failure, is another story.
Characters are able to develop their own "Techniques" based on what they have observed or experienced, or something completely original through experimentation and practice.
This goes for martial maneuvers, tinkered devices, alchemical concoctions, and shapings of the Kyth.
When a character encounters a qualified trainer (and can afford them... maybe do a favor for them), they can benefit in several ways in their Aptitude or Skill development.
Additionally, player characters can be qualified trainers capable of training fellow party members.
When a character critically fails an attempt, THEY get to describe the result and determine the consequences. The more disastrous the bigger the reward given by the Narrator (that's what we call the game/dungeon master) that can be used later.
Other player's willing for their characters to be impacted by the failing character's consequences, too? You get a reward, you get a reward... everybody gets a reward! Oh, but, Jimmy, you'll have to carry that reward over to your next character; this one is dead.
For prototype versions of our materials, we will be using AI artwork. However, it is our sincere desire to commission real artists for every product we intend to sell. As such, the artist expenses will be included as a goal in our crowd-funding efforts.
The vibe we're currently leaning towards is almost pastel-like, with a lot of black and darkness contrasted with vivid whites and colored highlights. If you're an artist and that's something you'd like to get involved with, please send us a message!
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