#rat game

[mishavera]

Encounter

[windienine]

befriend rats & kill god in a lush portal fantasy adventure by jenna moran

The Far Roofs

a game of talking rats, god-monsters, and you

come on a journey with me?

there - past the scaffolding, past the rafters, up above past the windows and gables and fire escapes, if you make it to the roofs -

you'll encounter environments not of this world. rooftop gardens that have twisted themselves into dense forests, church spires that have , tiled expanses that stretch into the horizon and become meadows, gutter-lakes, deserts, mountains...

you'll encounter them, too, if you really look: the rats.

they want to show you these places, navigate them, map them, study them, know them. they want to befriend you, guide you, tell you their stories and weave new ones where you feature alongside them. if you want to make any headway, up there on the roofs, you'll need their help.

after all,

this is a place where the gods do tread. if they find you creeping about their domains, they will find you, kill you, transform you, dig their hooks into your very soul and never let go.

the rats know a secret.

gods can be killed.

you are the key.

the far roofs, currently crowdfunding, is home to some of the best role-playing game i've ever had. participating in several playtests has completely sold me on its viability as a system. notable are its set of unique oracle mechanics that tie into its freeform roleplay system, determining the physical and emotional outcomes of different events. gather hands of cards and tiles to weave together magic that can alter even monumental fates, fight peril with dice rolls, and collect components for spells and make headway on character advancement by spending time getting to know your companions, both human and murine.

it is, of course, written by dr. jenna moran, best known for previous innovative ttrpg experiences about divinity, such as nobilis, glitch, chuubo's marvelous wish-granting engine, and wisher, theurger, fatalist (WTF).

the philosophy of the far roofs is that dungeoneering is about the journey - the sights you see, the meals you make, the tales you tell, the companions you gain and lose - as much as the monster-slaying. each combat is a descriptive crescendo of the experiences faced up until that point, encompassing everything you've felt thus far. if any of this intrigues you, then, well... come on a journey with me?

[asexual-shelly]

man i love rat game

[rat2022]

Collection of various out of context doodles

[shefightslikeagirl]

This was so nice to read the responses - because being a part of this was so incredibly magical. I started touring with Em in 2007 (!) in Germany. I had never been out of the US before and on day one, I met Em and Aprella and the original Captain Vecona (who was a brilliant seamstress and made all the original costumes by hand.)

We would spend an hour or two before every show setting up the stage. It was like setting up for company to arrive in every city we went to and it was very personal. Most of the stage props were handmade by Em and then in later years 2009-2011 we would all spend a week at her place hand making every single prop and stage feature (the original massive handmade clock). Between 2011-2014 we had a printed clock and we had a crew that would set it up but we still handmade our costumes.

I remember in those early shows - one where the batteries on Em’s electric violin went out in the middle of the show - so you could hear her playing but it wasn’t amplified any more. She turned to me and with a kiss whispered “Do something for 10 minutes - I have to run off stage to get this fixed.” And I instantly remembered the first show I saw when I moved to NYC was this punk band called Nation of Ulysses and the lead singer ran out and grabbed the back of my head and started making out with me and then grabbed the guy standing next to me and made out with him. And then launched right into a song. I’ll never forget it - it was done in a fun way and I loved the band so I was in shock that the lead singer just kissed me.

So when the moment came that I had to do something - that quickly popped up in my brain and I made up the Rat Game. It was only supposed to happen one time. But the boards were so active and the plague rats were a family and basically the next night like 20 people showed up with signs that said “pick me, Veronica” or “I want to play the rat game” or “I’ve never been kissed by a girl before” and then Em was like - I think this is a thing now - are you cool with doing that again tonight after my violin solo? And I was like - sure! And we thought it might be just that one extra night but every night - more signs showed up and it became part of the show. I was shocked that it lasted more than one night or one tour but the Plague Rats were so excited about it and we were always listening to what you guys wanted to!

I just remember how like a family we all were and it was so special. The plague rats would make handmade presents for each other and for us. We would see many of the same people night after night and it was so beautiful! It was something truly special. ❤️ Thank you for sharing your memories here and thanks for letting me share mine. I’ve got to post something like this on my Instagram. I have so many old photos that are amazing that no one has ever seen!

—Veronica Varlow on the origin of the Rat Game, Emilie Autumn's Asylum Army of Love FB Group

[k4mz1k]

Also, to everyone who wanted to buy and play and immerse themselves into the game and find out on what the hell have i been so adamnat about posting since february: Vermintide 2 is on sale!! right now!!! 95% off!!!!

And Vermintide: End Times is too!!!

all until the 22 of october!!!!

[sillykitty9000]

I may have been on an RT kick as of late (I always am)

(click for higher quality)

[waywardvictorianconfessions]

Can't wait to watch Adam Levine play the Rat Game with his fans during tour.