Grimmworld is a roleplaying setting of dark fantasy and Gothic intrigue set against the backdrop of the Georgian/Regency period in Europe and America. It is a world struggling to balance ancient lore with divine faith and scientific reason, with proponents of each vying for dominion. A world where the products of fiction are alive and well, and prey upon the fears of man.
This volume includes:
• Complete Dark Fantasy Setting framed in the Georgian/Regency Gothic Romance era
• Playing Card Based Narrative System
• World Gazetteer
• Bestiary
• Over 100 Non-Player Characters
• Plot Generator
• Period Literary Selections
• Introductory Scenario: “Riddle of the Thorns”
• Recommended Viewing List
PDF edition includes standard full color screen file, printer-friendly (background-free) version, and separate character sheet file. Also available in a premium hardcover edition (which includes the PDF edition for free)!
ISBN: 978-1-7349293-3-1
RETAILERS – Order from INGRAM!
ISBN: 978-0-615-67630-2
Beautiful book! It is a great read just for a peek at the literary richness of the period…the foundation of our modern sci-fi/horror genres. The system is also a breeze to learn, play and GM, allowing a creative bunch of players to have a great time in a world seldom visited.
– Purchaser, DriveThruRPG
Grimmworld Character Sheet 2-up (free PDF)
(right click & Save As…)
Also available:
Grimmworld Regency-Style Playing Cards
Use for task resolution in the Grimmworld dark fantasy RPG, or as a standalone deck of playing cards.
For our Regency-era dark fantasy RPG, Grimmworld, we wanted a deck of playing cards that resembled cards of the era, but with modern trim and coating for durability. We couldn’t find a Regency-era replica deck on the market that wasn’t merely printed on uncoated card stock, so we sourced vintage French art from the late 1700s and put together this deck for all your Georgian/Napoleonic/Regency-era gaming needs. Although not suitable as an historically-accurate film prop (due to the UV coating and decorative back), this deck is otherwise faithful to the art and layout of the period.”
– Todd Downing, Creative Director
• 52 card, standard-suit poker deck (hearts, spades, clubs, diamonds; ace thru king)
• No jokers, no numbers, no corner indices (all of which are Victorian additions)
• Comes with a 5-seal card back design, each seal corresponding to a different hermetic order in the Grimmworld RPG: Ordo Antiquis, Ordo Divina, Ordo Libertas, Ordo Lux, and Circulus Praesidium
System Basics
Grimmworld characters have three Abilities (Acuity, Agility and Constitution) and three Affinities (Faith, Lore and Science), each rated 1 to 5. A character also begins with one Skill of Note under their Abilities and one under their Affinities, each worth +1.
The game utilizes playing cards instead of dice for task resolution. Each player (and the narrator) has their own deck of standard playing cards with the jokers removed. Players resolve tasks from a hand of five cards, adding their appropriate Abilities, Affinities, and any Skills of Note against a target set by the narrator. Cards are face value 1 to 13. Aces are worth 1 and trigger a plot complication, while kings are considered critical successes and allow an additional card to be drawn off the player’s deck (not from the hand) to be added to the total. The player must play through the cards in hand before drawing a new hand from their deck. When the deck has been played through, it is shuffled before re-use. Some specific mechanics allow the player to trade in their hand for a completely new draw.
The target numbers for all magic, divinity, and scientific invention are based on how powerful the desired outcome is. Combat/conflict is resolved with opposed tasks, not a static target number.
Card suits correspond to different aspects of task resolution: hearts to love, romance & personal interactions; spades to combat & conflict; clubs to crafting & industry; diamonds to money & commerce. A card is worth +1 to its face value when the suit aligns with the task at hand. Weapons, tools, and conveyances also have values which are added to task resolution.
The Inspiration mechanic creates a common pool of points which increases by 1 when a character succeeds wildly at something in a dramatic way or at a crucial point in the story. Players who find themselves short of a given target number can Inspiration to draw an additional card off the player deck for task resolution.