One of Us Will Die is a setting-agnostic tabletop social deduction–roleplaying game woven from death, secrets, and treachery. Designed for 4 to 6 players, including the Director, each game begins with a simple truth:
One player already knows their character won’t survive until the end of the adventure.
The rest? They’ll need to listen closely and observe carefully to uncover who is marked for death—before time runs out.
Players build a world, select an “Archetype” to play, and fulfill narrative beats and milestones to be able to activate their role, and change fate.
The die is cast. Can you change who’s meant to last?
Ran a session 0 for Gubat Banwa last night and, like, I haven't fallen in love with a ttrpg since I was a kid. But every time I read a page or two of Gubat Banwa, I'm just delighted and flabbergasted and astounded. As Rath put it, "If it was just a phenomenal anticolonial setting it'd be sick. But the game also fucking rips." I have a warrior who kills people with a soccer ball, an asshole poet who forces folks to attack them and is also impervious to their attacks, and a fucking headtaker that picks a motherfucker to just delete before swiveling their gaze to their next victim.
Oh, and also the heir to the Dawn Eater Crown simultaneously ships two of them and wants to kill the person who murdered one of the pair's father (which happens to be the other person in the pairing). And the local Raj also ships the pairing. And one of the PCs is in love with a different one, not in the pair. And all of that just flowed out of character creation. I have to build a goddamn relationship chart to keep track of all the soap opera relationship stuff. It's incredible.
Y'all missed the kickstarter for a hard copy pre-order, but I'm sure you'll be able to get some once backer kit gets set up. For now, though, you can buy the pdf on itch. https://www.gubatbanwa.com/
If @makapatag and @momatoes aren't household names yet, they should be! In Splat 5 (pledge now!) we're gonna chat the history RPGSEA with these two incredible designers.
momatoes maintains the database Across RPGSEA of games made by creators in the region and is perhaps best known for the game ARC: Doom although she's made many more.
Waks makes fantasy TTRPGs that pull heavily from folklore, culture and history in SEA like Maharlika and Gubat Banwa. Their research into pre-colonial Philippines has always impressed me.
These tiny bios don't capture nearly enough of what either of these folks do, so please check out their work for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
RPGSEA has been growing and gaining international acclaim in recent years. Help us shine a spotlight on one of the most exciting, creative groups in the world!
(Splat 5 is still crowdfunding until Feb 20th 9:00pm EST. If you want to read the interview with Waks and momatoes, consider pledging or spreading the word)
My latest review is Thomas Manuel’s “The Spider and the City!” It’s a resource-management approach to journaling that lets you decide the fate of a liberated city, and its worldbuilding is stellar.
Play Report: Lorn Song of the Bachelor x Mangayaw (Session 2)
The Binmanwa Party
Malakas, a shamanistic healer
Bantok, a bow hunter
Euminung-gud, an aswang (?)
Dumalapdap, a ratfolk musketeer
Alon, a textile weaver
Vartu Si Vartu
The party waited outside the Chief’s longhouse for his return, not wanting to insult him a second time. Vartu Si Vartu returns a few hours later.
Conversation with Vartu Si Vartu is sensitive business. He is a proud warrior, thinks every gesture is a challenge to his authority.
He tells the party of how he lost his left arm. The Bachelor claimed it after a great battle, one that Vartu Si Vartu lost.
If he was such a great warrior, how could he have lost to a crocodile? He wants the party to look for proof of the Bachelor’s divinity. If the Bachelor was a god, then there is no shame in his loss.
Bavu Si Bavu
The party heads back to the princess’ lover, to inform him of their mistake and that he is still loved. He bounced back from his heartbreak quickly.
They also informed him of their plan to raise his prestige by questing with them. He is delighted by the opportunity to prove Niti Si Niti wrong.
Hummu Si Hummu
Before the day ended, the party passed by Oppu Wa Oppu’s again. They are hoping see if one of her more annoying suitors was there, so they could earn their keep.
Sure enough, the village’s prestige singer, Hummu Si Hummu, was there.
Hummu Si Hummu shows off his tattoos: open maws and curling tusks. Identifies him as a singer of the village’s songs and histories. He has a tic, blinking uncontrollably. His loincloth has a weird movement to it, like something is flopping about inside it.
Alon chanted the Mentala sewed into his katana’s tassels. The words granted him a sight able to see beneath the loincloth. A ferocity weighed on his heart, but he also saw a catfish stuck to Hummu Si Hummu’s groin. Absurd.
Under the guise of concern, the party tries to uncover Hummu Si Hummu’s secret. He tried to run, but he was unable to. When his secret was uncovered, he was in panic. The catfish seemed to share his emotions.
The party sent him to Auntie Sati, hoping she would know how to remove it. They still have no idea what to make of this. Is it a parasite? A performance enhancer? A controller of the mind? A kink?
Re Wa Re’s Pepper Farm
The next morning, the party went aboard a boat, piloted by Bavu Si Bavu. They set out for the Old Ruin via the river.
They spotted a Skelephant fording the river. They let it pass.
They passed by some pepper farms along the river, spotted a group of men in Company uniform harassing an old farmer. She’s on her knees, begging.
The party decided to help diffuse the tension. As they land the boat, the situation changed. The farmer was shouting and swearing now.
A Company goon forbade the party from getting closer and the farmer bit his hand. The goons pulled out their pistols, but the party stood between the two parties.
The Company goons explained that they’re here to take Re Wa Re’s farm as payment for her gambling debt. She protested with expletives.
The party decided to be on Re Wa Re’s side on this matter. Alon loudly boasted about his swordsmanship, touting his colorfully tasseled katana as proof, both to discourage the goons and to relieve the ferocity in his heart. The goons are outnumbered and are not inclined to call Alon’s bluff.
In the middle of all this, Dumalapdap nicked a pistol from one of the goons, who was none the wiser.
The Company goons decide to leave, but not without threats of their return.
The party hired Re Wa Re to come with them to the Old Ruin. She brought a knife and some peppery jerky.
The Old Ruin
It was almost dusk when the party reached the Old Ruin. The opening to the cave was clearly not natural. It’s adorned with simian statues, posd as if diving in water.
They felt the murmur of waves, from inside. They felt a breeze, like breath.
The party felt a mixture of curiosity and a bit of fear. And with that, they entered the Old Ruin.
As a mid-day warm up, I went ahead and wrote the Silagan Fury, one of the first Asuwang Professions that will be released sometime after the release of Gubat Banwa’s open beta.
The Asuwang Profession Source is a unique thing, and most of its eccentricities will be when the supplement releases.
Patak Bulan by @togidemi
SILAGAN FURY
Asuwang Protector
“The only thing that will get past me is a corpse.”
Silagan Furies are an asuwang aspect that focus on one thing: making sure their claws dig into their prey and to never let them go. Silagan Furies usually take upon animal forms that are large and bulky, to reflect their ability to withstand greater amounts of punishment and harm than usual asuwang.
Silagan Furies are most known for their giant claws, which take upon the beast form that they have chosen. As their main form of striking, they rend and tear at their enemies, making them too much of a threat in the night to ignore.
Whenever a new asuwang becomes a Silagan Fury, they are usually either taken over by passionate rage or cold calm fury. They must hunt, and they will hunt, whether it be in a patient ambush or a wild furious rampage. They will kill and eat the first victim’s liver, thus becoming fully fledged Silagan.
If you became a Silagan Fury, ask yourself: what is the hidden violence in your heart? Why are you pushed to burning passion? Why must you tear everything in your path? And most importantly: who or what you must protect with your entire being?
Profession Traits
Mettle: 15
Move: 3
Strike: 13
Sorcery 11
Avoid: 0
Resist: 2
Resolve 0
Resistances: Wind Weak 1, Heaven Weak 1
Profession Features
Deadly Halimaw: You transform into a large creature, usually apex predators. Choose one upon changing into this Profession: something crocodilian, something canine, something feline, something serpentine, something avian. As an Ability Action, you can change into that form, although you keep all your statistics. You stay in your Deadly Halimaw until the end of your next turn. You may keep using Ability Actions to keep the Deadly Halimaw form up.
This might help in situations where you have to squeeze through places or move through the night. This can be used outside of combat.
Rippers: As an Ability Action, you may turn your Unarmed fists and legs into claws of your Deadly Halimaw. If you do, your Unarmed turns into Rippers, which deal 4 slashing damage, melee, and you may move 3 spaces before making a Melee Assault with them.
Moon Eater Scales: You have 2 Reactions.
MASTERY 1: FURY, BLASPHEMOUS MARTYR
ABILITY: Fury
Your hatred cannot be quenched. It boils and steams from your skin. The demon writhes underneath. Those the target of your scorn will not escape.
Reaction
When you hit with a Melee Assault, you may use this Ability. The one you hit is Scorned until the end of your next turn. You gain the following Fury Lightning Reaction.
Fury Lightning
Free Action
1 enemy that is Scorned by you that enters or leaves a space within 3 or attacks an ally within 3
1 Fury from the target
Shift to a free adjacent space of the target and make a Melee Assault.
ABILITY: Blasphemous Martyr
Your asuwang senses transcends the confines of battle. You shield your allies. “Me. Your enemy is me,” you tell the belligerent.
Reaction
An ally within 3 spaces of you
Scene
When the target suffers damage, you may use this to move to their space and you Push them 3 spaces away. You suffer the damage instead.
Deadly Halimaw: You may target an ally within 10 spaces of you instead.
MASTERY 2: HEARTRIPPER, NIGHT BONE BANGLES
ABILITY: Heartripper
You reach in, and the Fury bolsters your strike. When you draw blood, it lets your energies and spiteful soul paralyze the target of your scorn’s spirits.
Melee Assault vs. Resist
1 creature within weapon range
Exhaust
On a hit, deal weapon damage and the target is now Debilitated (Resist save ends).
Deadly Halimaw: The target is also Immobilized (Resist save ends both).
EQUIPMENT: Night Bone Bangles
The moon whispers it to you, and the night guides your hands, kissing the nape of your neck. When you awake, you find bangles of stained bone, clanging with a strange symphony, wrapped around your wrists.
Bangles. While worn, get +2 to your Sorcery. If these are removed, they disappear and melt into shadow.
MASTERY 3: DIRE BLOODLUST, WITCH WARRIOR SPIKE
ABILITY: Dire Bloodlust
The blood sings to you. You immerse yourself into the Fury, like a man sinking into ice-filled waters. Will you ever get out?
Focus Action
Self
Once used, you emanate a Burst 1 aura from yourself. Any hostile enemy that ends their turn within the Burst suffers your Dahas once per round.
Deadly Halimaw: Extend the Burst to Burst 3.
ABILITY: Witch Warrior Spike
Your rippers turn bright, and you grab a target and pin them to the spot where they are. Your claws cut deep into their flesh. The blood prods you on.
Grab
1 adjacent creature
On a hit, deal 4 smashing damage and the target is Grabbed. As long as that target is Grabbed, they suffer Penalty to all saves.
MASTERY 4: FURIOUS VENGEFUL ASUWANG, MOON GUIDES THE SEA
ABILITY: Furious Vengeful Asuwang
You call upon the strength of the Itim na Sisiw, and turn into a monstrous form that reaches up to the heavens. This is your Asuwang Form, a burning visage of demonry and perversion. A cancer upon the earth and nature. With your hands, you reach up to the sky and seize the heaven’s thunderclaps.
Focus Action
Self
Exhaust
You must be in Deadly Halimaw form to use this. You get 3 points of <Furious Vengeful Asuwang> when you first change into this form. You can use those points 1-for-1 below, to find out what abilities the form gets. Once chosen, all <Furious Vengeful Asuwang> disappears.
Gain Mettle equal to your Refresh. This can bring you above max Mettle.
Turn your Unarmed into Rippers.
Extend your reach with Unarmed to Melee 3.
Gain Resist 3.
Give all enemies that you can see 1 Fury.
Make your Move 5.
Make your Size Large.
This is usually an impressive display. You may flavor this as you grow into a giant humanoid version of your Deadly Halimaw, gaining six arms, teeth and claws like swords, a burning halo, it’s up to you. It must be horrible to behold, like looking upon a demon god.
Once violence disappears, the Furious Vengeful Asuwang form dissipates as well, and you return to your normal form.
ABILITY: The Moon Guides the Sea
With a whispered promise, you become the protector of someone you are inexplicably drawn to, whether it be the cause of your Fury or your own heart. No harm will befall them: you are like quicksilver rays from the moon's tears upon a sea field.
Focus Action
1 adjacent ally
Exhaust
The target becomes your Ward until the end of combat. You gain the special Lunar Bridge special reaction.
Lunar Bridge
Free Action
1 creature attacking your Ward
Before the target rolls for attack, you may move to an unoccupied adjacent space of the target and make an Assault Action. On a hit, deal damage and the attacker’s next attack against your Ward suffers Penalty.
