KickStarter Blood and Bone - A Low Fantasy RPG

[Arcana Games]

Greetings from Arcana Games!

We're happy to announce the Kickstarter for our flagship game Blood and Bone.



Blood and Bone is a gritty, realistic, low fantasy system and combined campaign setting.


“What Dungeons and Dragons is to Lord of the Rings, Blood and Bone is to Game of Thrones”


“Characters in Blood and Bone are defined by the paths they take and the choices they make. Unlike games such as D&D being a warrior doesn't enable you fight, learning to fight enables you to be a warrior. You are sum of your innate characteristics, learned abilities, and honed skills.”


“Blood and Bone really shines when used to facilitate tales of horror, intrigue, or war...

The system is geared towards dark realism, intense action, and gritty consequences...

Serving as an excellent vehicle for addressing mature themes and moral ambiguity.”


“If you’re looking for a world of clean cut good versus evil this game is not for you.”

“Fights are brutal. Battles are traumatic. Power is terrifying. Heroes are blood and bone.”



Link to the Campaign: Kickstarter

 

[Kattze]

Arcana Games

Game of Thrones has man & child sex, incest and rape.

How does Blood and Bone handle these delicate subjects?

 

[GarfunkeL]

Roll for anal circumcision?

 

[Arcana Games]

[deleted]

 

[Dedup]

Roll for anal circumcision?

I really hope you meant circumference there. I don't even want to speculate on what an anal circumcision would entail.

 

[vonAchdorf]

I think you could have done without the buzzwords (dark, mature, gritty) in your opening description, you are like you said, no corporate entity. I understand the need to describe your project quickly, elevator pitch like, but here, those won't get you too far.

Your description reminds me of the WFRPG, atmospherically and maybe even mechanically (career system, dangerous battles). Why should I pick your system over Zweihänder?

Some more technical questions regarding the physical products: 50$ for a hardcover and 25$ for a softcover seems really cheap if you consider the low number of copies. The money has to pay for the artist and the production costs. If you order smaller quantities, a color hardcover can easily be 50$ alone for the print.

Good luck with your campaign, you are well underway to the first goal.

 

[Arcana Games]

Forgive the elevator pitch - I've been running around, trying to get the word out, so I've fallen into bad habits.

WFRPG and Zweihänder are certainly in a similar thematic genre, but I'll tell you how they differ.

Warhammer, though darker than say, D&D, still relies on a faux medieval European setting populated by Elves and Dwarves and the like. Its mythologically grounded, as opposed to historically. Blood and Bone is low fantasy - that doesn't just mean it dark, it has different roots.

Zweihänder, as far as I understand it, is just a mechanically rules system. Stylistically, it is very much in the same vein as Blood and Bone, but out game is not just a mechanically system, indeed the a bulk of our book will be about the world. Conceivably, if one likes Zweihänder's gritty combat rules over our own, they could use their mechanics in our campaign setting.

Thanks for your concerns over the technicalities, but we've done a fair amount of research and confident that the prices we've set are fair both for us, and our backers!

 

[Kattze]

Thanks for your question. there are no mechanical rules for sex -- its not that sort of game.

However, as part of the campaign setting, each of the main cultures has a substantial section on sexuality, from marriage practices to gender roles and views on orientation.

Sex is a huge part of Game of Thrones for a reason. It is a driving force that shapes people, cultures, and, in turn, the world. It needn't be the focus of every campaign, but, in the interest of having a complete and realistic world, it is included.


Obviously this is not a kids game. Growing up, roleplaying games were a fantastic part of my youth, but there are plenty of games out there that meet that need. This is a game for adults, and as such, addresses some more mature and morally complex themes.

To speak purely as an individual (I'm the lead designer) and not as the corporate entity for which I work, this is my opinion on the matter.

[Trigger: Rape]

Rape should never be used in an RPG... without consent.

As players, we put our characters in the hands of the GM. To some degree, we expect bad things to happen, especially in a gritty realistic game. Our characters may be maimed in the most grisly fashion, disfigured, tortured, or even killed. When we choose to play a mature game, we accept these kinds of risks. We agree, bad thing can, and likely will happen. In some ways, we want them to. Realism, even in a fantasy game has its appeal. You agree, or you wouldn’t have bought my book. However, realism should never be prioritized over players’ feelings.


When it comes to the issue of sexual assault in fiction, it is best to tread lightly. Even though your players may be ok with all the aforementioned horrors above, that doesn’t mean they’ll be ok with rape, even if they consented to playing a mature, gritty, and traumatic game. Why? Because its more complicated than other forms of violence.


As the GM it your job to keep the game comfortable for everyone. Be sensitive to the comfort levels and wishes of your players. Even if you feel that rape is an appropriate topic for your game, one of your player may not.


The way to solve this problem is simply to ask,. Get a players express permission before anything sexual happens to their character against that character’s will, be it coercion, deception, or assault. Make sure the player knows it is ok to answer “No.” Make sure, especially if they are a new player, that they know saying “No” wont make them a bad role player. Consider asking them on their own so they don’t feel pressured by the group.


While you're at it, get the express permission of your other players too, not just those whose characters are affected. other players are going to be involved too, even if peripherally, and its entirely possible they don’t want to deal with that kind of thing. Never just assume a player is ok with it, even if you’ve roleplayed similar scenarios before. Sometimes people don’t voice things that upset them, so its always good to ask again.


If you feel uncomfortable asking a player for permission to have their character be reaped, it may be a sign that shouldn’t be considering having their character be raped.


If your players all agree that they are alright with stomaching this turn of events, you may still consider using a “fade to black” for the event itself.


Note that everything said above applies to players and characters of all genders.

Note that everything above also applies to the issues of pregnancy, miscarriage and sterilization. Just ask.

Note that everything above most certainly (if not doubly) applies to instances of player initiated rape be it against an NPC or another player.


Lastly, you, the GM. I said earlier that it is your job to “keep the game comfortable for everyone” -- This definitely includes yourself. if one of your player’s wants to put rape in your story and that makes you uncomfortable, then you are absolutely, positively not required to do it.


To some extent, the core rule book will have a brief section that touches on more delicate themes such as this to ensure a comfortable environment for all players.


Here is some analysis on the role Gorge R.R. Martin feels sexual violence can play in a work of fiction.


I hope my answer helped. If you have any more questions or concerns, I'd be happy to address them.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I am getting more interested in this game by the minute. However, I am getting the feeling this game encourages the player to act against his characters wishes.

[Trigger: Distasteful Rape]

For example, this is a gritty and adult rpg. What if I want to play a character who enjoys non-consensual and distasteful raping, such as a Clegane, or a Bolton, or a Greyjoy? Would the game encourage the GM to put in artificial limitations to my character, so he cannot indulge in his deepest desires?

 

[Arcana Games]

I'm glad your interest is piqued.

Like I said above, that's entirely up to the group, what you, the other players, and the GM feel comfortable with, that's the foremost thing.

If you want to play a character as unsavory as a Clegane, there are ways to express his enjoyment of "non-consensual and distasteful raping" without actually having the character rape anyone.
Gregor Clegane rapes plenty of women throughout the series. His brother the Hound, however, Sandor Clegane, does not. Sandor presumably has, threatens he will, and even expresses enjoyment at the thought. This latter model could be used as a toned down version of the former. Rarely is the specific act of sexual assault necessary to establish that aspect of a character.

If you really want to play a Bolton in all their sinister ways and your GM and the rest of the group is explicitly alright with that, I nor the book am going to stop you.

In short, the game doesn't encourage anything. Ultimately its up to the people playing the game to decide what is and is not appropriate, in good taste, and comfortable.

Also, The George R.R. Martin link seems to be dead, so I'll repost it.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Roll for anal circumcision?

I really hope you meant circumference there. I don't even want to speculate on what an anal circumcision would entail.

Duh, yeah, that's what I did.

And it's a "funny" link to FATE or whatever the name of that horrible abomination was.

 

[Xathrodox86]

FATAL not FATE. To this day I can't belive that it existed.

As for the Blood and Bone - I always preffered LF to HF so this is of great interest to me. I'll probably support this.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Ah yes, FATAL the best RPG ever made :D

 

[Xathrodox86]

Ah yes, FATAL the best RPG ever made :D

Indeed. You could miscast a spell and get buttfucked by a band of gay Ogres. Now that's what I call a true RPG!

 

[Arcana Games]

Hey!

Blood and Bone, a dark, gritty, low-fantasy RPG has less than four days left on its Kickstarter!

Think of it as Dungeons and Dragons meeting Game of Thrones in a world of brutal and realistic adventure.

We're already funded and are shooting for our awesome stretch goals!

Come check us out on Kickstarter for more information!

 

[Whiran]

Hey!
Think of it as Dungeons and Dragons meeting Game of Thrones in a world of brutal and realistic adventure.

We're already funded and are shooting for our awesome stretch goals!

Come check us out on Kickstarter for more information!

Are there any screen shots of the game?

Perhaps some sample of the writing?

What do you mean by Dungeons and Dragons meeting Game of Thrones? Game of Thrones is set in a low magic fantasy setting so it is very similar to the old D&D campaigns I used to play in.

 

[Arcana Games]

No screen shots - its a tabletop pen and paper RPG!

You can check out out artistic direction and writing samples at our website!

Game of Thrones is set in a low magic fantasy setting so it is very similar to the old D&D campaigns I used to play in.

That's the idea! "Magic" is rare, or something else entirely...

Check out our Kickstarter to find out more about the world of Blood and Bone.