#lost pages

[pradaldi]

The Mechanic Check out the full serie of Lost Pages here !

[vintagerpg]

As with the previous RPG books this week, Beyond the Pale (2024) is at pains to evoke a certain time and place. In this case, the inspiration is the Pale of Settlement, the region of western Russia where Jews were permitted to live (generally as impoverished, second-class citizens) from 1791 to 1917. It’s the work of Yochai Gal, the creator of Cairn, and uses that ruleset, though really any OSR-ish system would work.

I have to mention the etymology before we go on. In this case, Pale doesn’t refer to the lightness of a color. It’s actually an archaic word for a narrow post or stake with a pointed end (to impale it into the ground) and a group of them would make a paling fence. At some point, “pale” became synonymous with an enclosed space, often of a political nature — the earliest pale I have found during a brief scan is the Pale of Calais, which was a chunk of France under British rule from 1347 to 1558. The idea of decent people not going “beyond the pale” was originally put forth by the poet John Harrington in 1657. The phrase takes on multiple possible meanings in this adventure.

What this book presents is a single settlement amid a haunted wilderness. A conflict has erupted between the rabbi and his brother, who has embraced worldly ways and recently secured a lucrative lumber contract. In the hope of convincing his brother to reconsider, the rabbi created a golem, but in doing so he set in motion a series of cascading supernatural consequences that, if left unaddressed, will lead to catastrophe. Players have a limited amount of time to unravel the various mysteries and save the town.

It reminds me a little bit of Witchburner, actually, though much more structured. It’s nice to come across something working with similar ideas of place and timing. The trappings are much different, though, as this is steeped in Jewish folklore and an unapologetic amount of Yiddish. Coupled with the well-drawn NPCs, the village is delightfully believable and the features of the surrounding countryside almost casually invite adventure.

 I usually don’t talk about the climax of recently published scenarios, but I have to mention the (likely) final dungeon, because it is remarkable. It’s a sort of metaphysical dungeon structured like Tree of Life from the Kabbalah, with every room corresponding to one of the Sefirot. The space, which is appropriately irrational, is a magical tool of the Rabbi (used primarily as a prison for hostile spirits) that has slipped from his control; to enter it, navigate its dangers and set it right again feels like a genuinely numinous experience. It’s very impressive.

The art is by Ezra Rose, Shari Ross and Elizabeth Shulman-Nadoly. There are no clear credits, but I find all the illustrations pleasing and complimentary. They measurably add to the feel of the world.

[franciscolemos]

Second wave of minuscule wizards for Lost Pages's “Sorcery Shenanigans”

[dontforgetukraine]

The project "Lost Pages" ("ЗАГУБЛЕНІ СТОРІНКИ") is a non-commercial charitable project aimed at spreading and popularizing the creativity of Ukrainian artists. It focuses on showing Ukrainian art and literature through different time periods. In addition, the book consists of classical poetry, classical prose, contemporary poetry, and contemporary war poetry and has an illustrated collection of 49 works of Ukrainian literature.

Their target audience is Ukrainians and Ukrainian speakers, and they ship internationally.

All proceeds of the project will go towards the "Right to Life" charity ("Право на життя" ; Linktree)

For more information about the project, check out their social medias below:

-Twitter

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-BlueSky

-Carrd

To place an order, fill out the Google form here, and a team member will contact you shortly. All payments are done through Monobank. You can also use Google Pay to transfer funds to Monobank.

[rpgsandbox]

Beyond the Pale: a folktale adventure

A horror OSR adventure inspired by Jewish folklore and mysticism.

Beyond The Pale is a tabletop RPG adventure inspired by Jewish history, folk tales, and mysticism. This setting aims to highlight the unique folklore and beliefs cultivated by the Jewish people, presenting them in an old-school RPG format. It explores themes of oppression and persecution alongside hope and love, set against a backdrop of idyllic country life. 

Azazel, King of Scapegoats

To ensure the authenticity and sensitivity of this portrayal, the core development team (including the writing, art, and layout) all identify as Jewish. Members of the religious community were consulted throughout the development of this book to ensure that the themes and images represented in the text were not perceived as offensive or derogatory.

The adventure was written with Cairn in mind, but is close to being system-neutral and easily adapted to other “Old School” roleplaying games. The book will be about 94 pages. A5 size. 

Explore the Tree of Life

The events of this module take place during a week-long celebration, the Days of Remembrance, during which the PCs will need to gather information, solve mysteries, and overcome threats to prevent a great cataclysm. 

A map of the region

The places in this book are based on an actual territory in the western part of the Russian Empire known as The Pale of Settlement, which existed from 1791 to 1917. For over a century, Jews were restricted to this region. Jews often lived together in small, market towns called shtetls. During that time, hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed as a result of pogroms. Even with these restrictions, Jews in Europe were able to cultivate a rich culture and language. The village in this adventure, Kest, is based on one such place.

A groschen, the local currency

The village of Kest and the surrounding countryside is populated with all manner of folk: erudite scholars, scheming politicians, jealous tricksters, lumberers, labor activists, folk witches, and many, many more! As they move about the countryside, characters will explore ancient ruins, dark forests, and broken lighthouses in their efforts to prevent - or assist - in a cataclysmic event.

Rifka. She carries a secret.

The setting of Beyond the Pale is populated by all manner of creatures, beasts, and monsters. The vast majority of these creatures are the result of meticulous research and study of Jewish folktales, myth, and legend. As the PCs explore the town, the forest, and the dungeons of the Pale they will encounter beasts unfamiliar and wild: an unrelenting dybbuk, a vengeful mazzik, the malicious Alukah, and many more. 

Some of the creatures you'll meet in the Pale

At its core, Beyond the Pale is still an old school adventure. Characters are expected to explore deadly dungeons, surviving on wit, critical thinking, and a bit of luck. The book will feature two distinct dungeons for the PCs to explore, each designed around a real symbol of Jewish identity.  

All of the magic items in Beyond the Pale are sourced directly from Jewish esoterica, belief, folk tales, and mysticism. Two years were spent researching and writing this book, great care has been taken deciding how to represent some of the symbols, imagery, and personalities include in the book.

Some of the relics the characters may discover

Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, December 21 2023 10:00 AM UTC +00:00

Website: [Lost Pages] [twitter] [instagram]

[zosya-net]

The Dark: Lost Pages — a brand new game for ZX Spectrum by ZOSYA entertainment.

[avtavr]

Redwoods Trail, USA,, circa early 1980s.

source : lost