Behemoth (Early Access v103)

BEHEMOTH is a tabletop roleplaying game about starfaring conquerors — the Arbiters of the Outrider Arks — on a crusade to reclaim the worlds from which they were exiled. It’s about commanding a colossal starship powered by an imprisoned godlike behemoth, with a crew numbering in the tens of thousands. It’s about exploring strange worlds, encountering wondrous civilizations, and uncovering ancient mysteries. It’s about reaching into parallel realms to claim eldritch powers, questioning the nature of your reality, and exploring what it means to be human. It’s about carving a path through the galaxy, staking your claim on its bounteous resources, and building a glorious legacy for your name. With a hunger as great as the behemoth that powers your starship, you will devour the stars.

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BEHEMOTH is a work in progress.  The game was originally designed using the Forged in the Dark system, but after its first major playtest campaign, I decided that system wasn't the best fit for what I'm trying to create, and instead began redesigning the full game to use the Sparked by the Resistance system, by Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor, using the Resistance Toolkit.

Up to this point, I've been releasing this game piece by piece, as each part is completed. However, I have now uploaded the first compiled document of the official Core Rules. While there are still numerous gaps in content, and some of the subsystems, the Core rules contain all information needed to play out the majority of what BEHEMOTH has to offer — even without a prior knowledge of the system as implemented in Spire and Heart.

The Core Rules include:

• A basic introduction to the core mechanics and important elements.
• Seven fully completed character classes (out of a planned nine total)
• The system for designing your Outrider Ark starship, and the colossal Behemoth that powers it.
• A detailed look at the cycle of play, including the system for building Ventures, Downtime, traversing the Prism Veins, and the system for the Behemoth's Song, which critically explores the long-term impact of your Arbiters' actions.
• A detailed look at several of the mechanical subsystems — fallout, resources, equipment, bonds and rivals, and more.
• Setting information for the Exile Fleet and the Fractured Orphede Sector (Additional sub-sectors in-development)
• Detailed appendices for Fallout options and Resouce/Equipment Tags (Additional Appendices will include NPC Adversaries, and an Armory)

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While I've integrated some of the worldbuilding information into the Core Rules. the content of the Subsector Adranadi document is still separate. It gives an in-depth look at just one corner of the Orphede Sector.

Eventually, there will be a detailed section to explore the entirety of the setting:

• A brief history of the Orphede Sector, the origins of the Exile Fleet, and the Outrider Arks.
• A full guide to the factions within each of the three major components of the Exile Fleet — the Houses-Luminous, the Creeds, and the Syndicates.
• A selection of rival Outrider Arks, each with their own colorful cast of Arbiters.
• A guide to various locales and faction throughout the Orphede Sector.
• A guide to the advanced and unusual technologies of the Exile Fleet — the Shroud, the Augurs, the Cogs, and more.
• A guide to the arcane and eldritch powers at work in the Orphede Sector and beyond — the Prismatic Veins, the endless rivers of souls, or the corruptive Blightmir.

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I hope you enjoy joining me on this journey through the development of BEHEMOTH!

Want to talk about the game or follow its development? Join the Scribbles & Dice Games Discord Server!