#ttrpg supplements

[modoreadsttrpgs]

Game Reactions: Burned and Broken: A Heart Sourcebook

Link: https://rowanrookanddecard.com/product/burned-and-broken-a-heart-sourcebook/?v=7885444af42e

Burned and Broken is one of the other Spire/Heart supplements I bought from my last Wayland’s Forge trip. It’s a sourcebook written to allow players to take their Spire characters into Heart. Rather than simply convert the classes and abilities, it provides a narrative structure - your Spire characters are cut loose by the Ministry and must flee to Heart.

Players will select a Heart class that they are aiming for, and select 3 beats from a selection curated in Burned and Broken. Each one of these three will give the player access to one element of the Heart class. So by the time the scenario has played out, and they have hit all 3 beats, they will have transformed into a Heart character.

It’s a really interesting way to go about it, sending characters on a journey that gives them Heart abilities piecemeal. Having the players use familiar characters with known abilities, but introducing Heart mechanics step by step seems like a neat solution. Even by selecting the 3 beats to start with, players are already experiencing a game of Heart. The scenario is also built using the Heart system specifically, so although the party is in Derelictus, not yet entering Heart, they will be going on ‘delves’, resolving those in the usual Heart way.

Short post this time, but it’s a short and simple supplement, with a clear goal that it achieves well. Narratively, the idea of the Ministry betraying the party (deservingly or not) is a great fit. Burned and Broken could only really exist in this specific situation - two distinct games, set in the same world, with the same base resolution mechanic but built out from it differently - but if you’ve played Spire and want to play Heart, it would be well worth using.

[faeriedaez]

Introducing: Urethra! Bad Traits for Bad Investigators

Available now on Itch, I have created a Pay-If-You-Must collection of 14 new traits for the HIT independently developed, critically acclaimed, urban fantasy noir mystery solving tabletop roleplaying game known only as Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy. The traits held within range from actively hindering, laughably specific, and even decently powerful (albeit with humorous presentation.) If you're a fan of Eureka, please help yourself to my little supplement, I guarantee it will at least bring you a chuckle. If you AREN'T already a fan of Eureka and you're seeing this post I BEG you, click the underlined link above or even right here. Believe me when I tell you Eureka is the TTRPG scene's next indie darling. Alright. PEACE.

[zephyrbug]

Happy to announce the launch of this fantastic project I got to be a part of on Kickstarter!! ✨⚔️

Fen's Guide to Myriad Realms is a D&D 5e supplement created by a collective of artists and writers, celebrating human-made work and standing firmly against the use of generative AI in TTRPG spaces!

This book includes four themed settings of Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Gothic Fantasy, and Classic Fantasy!! (Which I may have gotten to create a spooky creature for hehe)

All around, it's been an absolute honor to be a part of this project surrounded by so many fantastic creators, and I definitely recommend taking the time to check it out!💖

[dragonkid11]

Shadow of the Wolf, by Katherine Stark, is a Lancer official supplement for those that like to navigate the political, dueling, and actual battleground that is the Karrakin Cavalry College as the looming threat of war inches towards the present.

[revvedandrunning]

LANCER: INFANTRY ARMAMENTS EXPANDED

We're a month late but we got there in the end. LANCER: IAX is officially out in its little infant stage, be nice to me, my feefees get hurt very very easily. (/j) On a serious note, this project is far from over, and I made the PDF file on a whim because I forgot we're a little past the scheduled release date, but its out now, and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to send hatemail, mean letters and feedback in the ITCH comment section. LANCER: INFANTRY ARMAMENTS EXPANDED

[ydteus]

Hello!! Fen’s Guide to Myriad Realms is in its FINAL 24 HOURS!!

I will be working as a NPC portrait designer along with 3 other incredible artists to bring Deluxe Tier backers’ NPCs to life in the book! You can even request an artist to design your NPC! But be aware that your artist request may not be guaranteed 100% if too many people request just one artist!

AND WITH OUR FIRST STRETCH GOAL BEING REACHED, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN A MONSTER WITH ONE OF OUR WONDERFUL WRITERS AND @leidensygdom

In collaboration with 85+ Illustrators and Writers from across the world, this 5th Edition Supplemental is a breath of fresh air amongst the rising threat of AI in TTRPG spaces!

Travel with Fen to 4 distinctive realms based off of different genres of Fantasy!

The Endless Bloom

The Celestial Shards

The Bleeding Dream

The Calling Light

New playable Races, Classes, Subclasses, and Monsters, as well as their lore are included in this incredible project! More information can be found on the Kickstarter! I’m really proud to be a part of it!

Go support our incredible team today!

Kickstarter artwork/Cover illustration created by the amazing @jolynegarcia 🩷

[stonegearstudios]

A Spear Brings Sorrow

To kill a Unicorn is a tragedy.

To murder one and construct a weapon from its remains is a sin against the world.

Hey all, so I'm releasing my first ttrpg micro supplement. It's part of a ongoing project I'm doing to train myself to actually finish things.

I'm pretty happy with the results, not only do I have this fantastic art from @regal-bones but I've made up statblocks for three common fantasy systems, and a backstory to help you insert the spear and its wielder into your game.

You can get it here: https://mb11.itch.io/a-spear-brings-sorrow

I'm really terrible at promotion so any sharing is quite appreciated, as well as constructive critique.

[evegoldenwoods]

The String of Pearls - Five Moons for Realis

I wasn't planning on submitting anything to the moon jam, but then I was seized by an idea, and my brain wouldn't let me rest until I made it real.

[harrison-armory-incorporated]

HERE COMES THE GILGAMESH - AND IT IS SUPERIOR, BY DESIGN.

<<LOADING COMPENDIUM ENTRY. . .>> <<FILE LOAD COMPLETE>> <<WELCOME VALUED CUSTOMER AND LICENSE HOLDER>>

The Gilgamesh is Harrison Armory's multirole Legionnaire model chassis, designed to be distributed to Armory legions and Acquisition & Management Teams across the Purview and beyond. Built to be fully compatible with numerous hardpoint-mounted tactical system enhancements and munitions, the Gilgamesh excels at no one task in particular, but its comprehensive modular construction and rugged engineering allow it to perform a variety of combat duties without difficulty within numerous theaters. Beyond the logistical efficiency of a standardized, easy to handle chassis meant to streamline both materiel concerns and aptitude training across multiple worlds and cultures, the Gilgamesh has another purpose as well; further reducing the Armory's remaining dependence on foreign-manufactured chassis designs, in particular the GMS Everest.

Some commissioned officers have a tendency to look down upon Gilgamesh pilots for using what they view as an unglamorous "trainer" chassis, but other commanders are fierce proponents of the design, even choosing to pilot it themselves in order to lead by example, and in certain regions of the Purview the Gilgamesh is regarded with as much admiration as more sophisticated models such as the Sherman.

You can pick up the Gilgamesh and learn about it's Many features ;; Here, Valued Customer.

[bethanvalerious]

HELLO PEOPLE!

A little over a week left in our FUNDED Kickstarter campaign for the D&D 5E supplement book: Fen's Guide to Myriad Realms!

It's a passion project of over 85 creatives, visual AND literary, who feel strongly about the importance of human made art.

We aim to discover 4 genres across 4 chapters and we're confident everyone will find something to their taste.

If you are only interested in the breathtaking artworks our talented team created, we have an ARTBOOK in the addons! In it you will find the full, uncut illustrations, WIP snippets and creator commentary.

Do check it out and grab it if you are in the market for a versatile TTRPG book with many new monsters, species, classes and subclasses!

On top is a sneak peek of the monster I worked on ;)

[zombieunicornjewelry]

If you liked Wanderhome ttrpg but you want more focus on what's over your heads me and my friend made a free suplement for this game.

3 new companions/vehicles, 3 moments and 3 new natures. For free on itch.io.

[modoreadsttrpgs]

Game Reactions: Spire - Shadow Operations (One-shot collection)

Link: https://rowanrookanddecard.com/product/shadow-operations-a-spire-one-shots-book/?v=7885444af42e

[Quick note, I’m never concise in these, but I waffle a *lot* at the start here. If you’re already comfortable with Spire and are just curious about Shadow Operations itself, you can skip to after the Wayland’s Forge link.]

Spire is “a fantasy-punk RPG about rebellion, brutality and oppression” by Rowan, Rook and Decard. Shadow Operations is a collection of 11 one-shot scenarios to play with Spire. If you’re not familiar, the game is set in the titular city, a mile-high construction of unknown origin. It’s run by the aelfir (high-elves), while the PCs are drow working for an organisation called the Ministry, who the aelfir would call terrorists. The game itself is a d10 dice pool mechanic that RRD call the Resistance system. It’s close to a FitD/PbtA style, ‘fiction first’ setup, with graded levels of success depending on the dice roll. Fails (or compromised successes) result in characters marking ‘stress’ against a relevant ‘resistance’. Whenever stress is marked, a check is made for ‘fallout’, or some concrete consequence, e.g., taking fallout to your Blood resistance might mean that you have a broken leg. The more stress you build up, the more likely fallout is, and the worse it will be the higher the stress is when it hits. That’s a whirlwind tour, but in short - it’s a great system, for me it’s just about the perfect level of crunch. It’s way less restrictive and crunchy than a D&D, but still gives enough of a framework to support players (and GMs) who might struggle with a very rules-light system.

On top of that, the world (and the art in the core rulebook, wowsers) is fascinating. The ‘fantasy-punk’ label makes sense once you start reading, as it combines classic fantasy creatures with more modern elements like factories, trains and so on. Good touchpoints might be Dishonored or Arcane. There is an abandoned train network that was designed to manipulate space-time itself, and has left behind a seemingly infinite labyrinth of tracks and stations. Underneath the city is the Heart, which there is a whole other game dedicated to. The Heart is organic, or magical, or maybe technological, but it’s definitely messed up, has a tendency to drive people beyond the bounds of sanity, and possibly created the city of Spire. There are ‘mega-corvids’ that can be used for travel. There’s a distant war with gnolls that receives armies from the barracks near the base of Spire, and returns corpses and injured soldiers. Speaking of corpses, there are ghosts, and also people who can commune with the dead. There’s an intelligence housed in a crystal that is recruiting ‘followers’… or something, I can’t fully remember that bit. Needless to say, there’s a lot of lore. It’s a really cool world that is not the same old shit you’ve seen a thousand times, and offers a lot of opportunity to be creative. It’s also a lot to try to take in, especially as a GM whose players will probably need to ask a lot of basic questions about how the world works, what their characters would know etc. In fairness, there’s a lot of world detail in the core book, and quite a few supplements that add more, but also a lot still left undefined, and explicit permission (even encouragement) from the authors to make up whatever sounds good for your game.

That latter point is appreciated, and I certainly have made use of it. I’ve played a single one-shot of Spire, and then last year GM’d a mini-campaign (about 8 or 9 sessions) using the ‘Snuff Out the Sun’ scenario provided in the quickstart. I was winging it a lot, and making up whatever felt best at the time, and it went great. I was running it for 2 players, both from my regular D&D group. We all started TTRPGs with D&D in 2020 (guess why!) and I’m predictably the nerd that got super into the whole scene and branched out from D&D itself. I’m the primary force behind us ever playing any non-5e games, much to their chagrin at times. With some scheduling conflicts, I’d suggested setting up a secondary weekly slot for these 2 players, that gave them a chance to keep playing, in return for letting me experiment with other games. Spire was the first game we’d really played that was fundamentally different to the D&D approach. Up to then we’d played Cyberpunk Red, Mork Borg, Cy_borg. It took some time for the players to adjust to things like no, we’re not using roll20, you don’t have HP, there are no maps for tactical combat, and yes, it’s ok that I just asked you to tell me what your relationship is with this new NPC, you can pretty much do what you want within reason, and we are making this story up together as we go.

Honestly, it took time for me too. I’ve been used to D&D-style adventures that broadly know where the characters need to go and how they will need to solve the situation they’re dropped into. Spire is more of a ‘play to find out’ game, which I absolutely love! I’m also not always the best improviser on the spot, so it’s a challenge too. The quickstart scenario gives you a cast of characters, a list of locations, and a goal, and wishes you luck. Players need to prevent a religious zealot from ascending to a seat of power. My players skulked around, gathered information, curried favour, bribed, and generally politicked their way through. My partner, by contrast, had fought the city guard and kidnapped the archbishop within 2 sessions! [Side note, there’s something so interesting in that split, where my videogame/D&D background players expended every effort and ounce of wit they had to avoid any potentially dangerous situation, clearly retaining a primary goal of keeping their characters safe at all times.] This is all great stuff, but had made me very curious about how to introduce more adventures/missions, and especially how you might write more for the game. So when I saw Shadow Operations, I was eager to pick it up.

Quick shoutout, I bought this (and two other Spire supplements I may post about) on a trip to Wayland’s Forge, an excellent RPG/boardgame shop in Birmingham. I love the place, and if you ever get the chance, you should visit: https://www.waylandsforge.co.uk/

Shadow Operations itself then, contains 11 standalone, one-shot scenarios for Spire. Each is by a different writer, but all have the same construction. There’s a pitch, suggestions for useful classes, a list of key characters with descriptions, a series of locations, a few suggested scenes, a few ‘props’, an explanation of the scenario’s twist, and a suggested reward for successful completion. Just like Snuff Out the Sun, there is not a linear sequence of events, you’re being handed a toolkit that, at its best, can facilitate any of a number of fun stories for your group. If you’re curious about the ‘twist’ - for most of the stories it is a literal twist, i.e., the straightforward mission pitched to the players gets a complication, some sort of rug pull like ‘that NPC you’re here to rescue actually defected and left of their own free will’.

It’s a fun structure, and for the best examples, it gives the GM a great framework with interesting characters that have multiple conflicts going on and no clear right or wrong, but a few obvious paths that players could take. These Feral Saints is the last of the scenarios, where a ‘hallow’ (a reincarnated drow saint) is walking around a lower level of Spire, performing miracles and gaining followers. Not all is quite as it may seem, as you’d expect, and there are multiple characters with their own agendas and (understandable) motives. My brain exploded with possibilities reading this one, and I’d really look forward to running it.

Powderkeg is another favourite, setting up two rival pubs that are both allies of the Ministry, and on the brink of open violence. Your players need to find a resolution that works out well for their organisation. Does that resolution need to benefit everyone else involved? Not necessarily. Again, there are a handful of strong characters with different motives, that would likely react in interesting ways to any attempted interventions the players make.

These scenarios, as well as a few others, do exactly what I need as a GM - give me sufficient scaffolding that I can kickstart the players into action, and have the world push back in fun ways, without struggling to look up or invent a ton of lore along the way. Those scenarios above are both, at their core, fully comprehensible to anyone familiar with human stories of any kind. The rich, unique lore of Spire is a creative bonus, not an impediment.

Some of the others don’t meet the same level, for me. Where that’s the case, it’s always because I feel like I don’t have enough to go on. If you’re a strong improviser, and like to invent a lot during play, or your players are particularly good at collaborating to construct the world and story as they go, you might feel differently.

As an example, House of Leaving is set in a place called the Infinite Library, which has only a couple of paragraphs describing it in the core rulebook. A researcher found important information and has disappeared. The answer to the mystery is very simple, the cast of characters is small, and the number of people who know the answer to the mystery (and can tell the players) is even smaller. Just the name Infinite Library sounds great, and you have a lot of scope to build out the story, but the amount of concretely useful detail in the scenario could be delivered in a couple of sentences. I think my players would draw a blank on how to get started, and I wouldn’t feel confident enough that I could help them, or throw up interesting obstacles once they got going.

Similarly, The Last Train is set in the Vermissian, the abandoned train network that exists partially outside reality. I love this part of the world-building, but it gets very abstract whenever it’s mentioned. The objective here is again quite simple, and there isn’t a great deal in the scenario as written to complicate it. I’d hesitate to run this one, and if I did, I’d feel a need to put in a lot of prep work to give myself more characters, locations, and events to pull from, as well as more setup and guidance for the players.

Overall, I really like this approach to writing ‘adventures’, in contrast to the worst of the stereotypical D&D adventures that are very linear rollercoaster rides for the players. Forgive my videogame background, but this is Stalker rather than Call of Duty, for example. That said, it is a mixed bag at times, as it’s a very fine line to walk between being too prescriptive and not giving GMs enough to work with. If you’re a Spire fan though, and want some inspiration for your future games, it’s definitely worth picking up.

[thryth-gaming]

Monster of the Week supplement

So, this is a project I've been part of or working on since at least 2019 with elements of it going back earlier than that. It is a combination of a personal project of mine with a project of Marek Golonka's (of Codex of Worlds's fame) which we took to Evil Hat, and now it's on it's way to the general public.

[hmooncreates]

Eat the Feywild

Explore the Feywild...

Is your party going to the Feywild? Are you writing a story set in a wondrous realm? Do you not enjoy when your players catch you off guard with their questions and what they want to explore (cough, cough…)?

...with a menu of choices.

Use this menu made for the Menu TTRPG Jam to determine what kind of things your players may find. 

The Feywild Dining Establishment Offers:

Who You May Meet on Your Travels Who You May Meet in the Woods FOES As Seen in Court! Things to Explore To Discover AND Explore A Castle. 

PWYM and explore the Feywild at your own pace!

Feast on the Feywild on itch.io!

[dragonkid11]

GAMES FOR FREAKS, volume 1, is the first of the probably many supplement by Tom Bloom for his tabletop rpg and etc.

In this volume, Maleghast receives a brand new house while Cain receives a new progression mechanic!

[revvedandrunning]

Big News

Infantry Armaments Expanded, my Pilot v. Pilot and general expansion supplement for Lancer is in it's ending stages and close to being released, I'm basically only sanding the edges and polishing the minor details before starting to write the PDF/Rulebook. IAX should be done by the end of January 2025. I'd also like to officially announce a Campaign Supplement I've been working on for about six months now in an on-and-off sort of way, which a lot of the Discord Server members already knew about; The Battlefield Guide to New Levra, a campaign set in a war-torn wasteland and dieselpunk setting on a planet destroyed by the desperation and greed of the Karrakin Trade Baronies during the SECCOM Era of humanity.