A downloadable roleplaying game

Download NowName your own price

The Prophesy:

The Sea, King Llyr, has died. His family gather in the great hall to hear his will be known, spoken by his spouse and steward, Penarddun. It is as many suspected, and as a few feared: All the lands of Prydein, its mountains and sheep, all its farmers and guardsmen, and all the powers of statehood are to be inherited solely by the King’s youngest born — the teenaged princeling Branwen — rather than being divided equally...

The reason for this sudden change in tradition? Branwen was prophesied to become the next King by his witch-child Manawydan, when they said:

One born of flame and soot:
Who will befriend the Fair-Hound in the moonlit valley,
And will come of age upon the night of their Father’s natural passing,
And thus, before daybreak, will inherit all the world of Men?

So now each Lordling must choose: Will you follow your father’s wishes and swear fealty to Branwen, or revolt and fight against the tide of destiny and take what you think is rightfully yours, or perhaps you will find another way?

The game at a glance:

  • A print-n'-play roleplaying game about a family of giants, their feuds, and a prophesy that may spell doom.
  • Inspired by Welsh mythology! Play as characters from the Mabinogion.
  • Each player needs only a handful of six-sided dice  (D6s), a pencil, a good sense of wonderment, and a print-out of their character sheet.
  • Not inherently built as a 'player vs. player' type game, but ending everything in a duel or starting a civil war are definitely some possible outcomes of the scenario.
  • It can be played multiple times, and each time may be different.
  • The system uses pool-based success counting, and draws on factors from different sources to adjust difficulty. (See screenshots, right / below).
  • Licensed under CC BY-SA, if you want to hack it.

The Cast:

  • Fran: Gallant but Austere. A great warrior and poet. Feels robbed by the unorthodox changes made by the prophesy, and wants the will to be rescinded. Thinks Manawydan is a fraud. Has never trusted Dormadd.
  • Manawydan: Apprehensive but Excited. Wants their fortune to come true peacefully. Doesn’t have total control over their magic. Wants the best for the family, but has had some conflicts with them over the years.
  • Nisyn: Calm and Inquisitive. Will follow the prophesy only if it’s true, but wonders about its legitimacy and the timing of Manawydan’s claims. Wants answers. Offers advice to Branwen, but only to serve their own interests.
  • Efnisyn: Brash and Ambitious. A bit of a trickster. Wants to be King instead of Branwen, and will try anything to prove they are worthy. Thinks they may be able to twist Manawydan’s words to their favour.
  • Branwen: Kindhearted, but a bit Naïve. Saddened by the death of the King, and a little unsure about taking on this burden, but wants to make him proud. Doesn’t like all the sudden attention, though. Keeps Dormadd close.
  • Dormadd: Resembling of a handsome wolf at first, but perhaps a little rounder. Truly, the best of dogs. Believes they were sent by the Silver Wheel to protect the prophesied King with their life, should it come to that.

Explore Celtic Myths & Folklore:

The game is set in the glass hall of the  Castle of the Winds, which floats in the cliffs  above Dinas Olai, the city of light, the capital  of Prydein, in the misty mountains of Eryri.

These names and places are all inspired by stories from the Mabinogi and the Triads, in a place  and a time before these fair lands were  touched by Roman hands. Familiarity with  bronze-age history or Brythonic folklore is not required to play though. If you’re more  familiar with Norse Mythology, then you’re  part-way on the right track. The names are  different, but the context is similar.

A full pronunciation guide and a family tree of the celtic gods are also provided!

An Improvisational Roleplaying Game (For 3-7 Players):

This is a 25 page demo scenario for a bigger game called AGORA (not yet released). It can be played in 3-4 hours, or continued over several sessions. Familiarity with the full rules is not required to play.

(Potential) Content Warnings: Family tragedy, Violence, and Conspiracy. Alcohol, Black-Magic, and Animal Abuse.


Download

Download NowName your own price

Click download now to get access to the following files:

KING IS DEAD - Digital Edition.pdf 10 MB
KING IS DEAD - Print & Play Edition.pdf 3.9 MB
Detached Character Sheets (Printable).zip 2 MB
Detached Rules (Printable).pdf 249 kB

Development log

Comments

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

( 3)

King is Dead is an RPG inspired by Welsh mythology. It gives me a Game of Thrones feeling with a brewing civil war. There are many cool playable characters including a fae-hound! It is a standalone game for a bigger system called AGORA.

Thank you

( 1)

very interesting!

( 1)

Cheers! If you end up playing it, let me know how it goes :)