Eldritch Gambit is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) toolkit. Here, players step into the role of adventurers struggling against powerful forces, making difficult choices, and those of powerful magical artifacts. To those running the game, it is a set of building blocks rather than a themed playset: Use a favorite fictional setting or just work together to create the adventures you want.

This book includes the basic rules on how to play (p.5), create characters (p.10), run scenes (p.21), handle items and other resources (p.37), work magic (p.43), and design your adventure setting (p.66). Optional supplements with ready-made game worlds and adventure modules are forthcoming.

Eldritch Gambit derives from classic fantasy RPG rules that are easy to pick up for new gamers and familiar to experienced ones. As such, most things in-game will boil down to the tried-and-true method of rolling as high as you can on the dice. The special features of Eldritch Gambit mainly involve “push-your-luck” mini-games that face players with both freedom and peril

- FEATURES -

• Collaborative Settings: brainstorm with your game group to build the setting you really want (p.66) or stick with a more traditional setting.

• Drama support: enjoy scenes that focus on social actions, chases, stealth, non-combat magic, and the benefits of fellowship with your allies (p.21).

• Engaging Combat: Move? Attack? Counter? Cast a spell? Climb a huge monster? Go on the defense? Rally back into action? Grapple? Guard an ally? Your call (p.21)!

• Freeform Characters: you decide their motive, where their talents lie, and what abilities make them outstanding (p.10).

• Freeform Experience: decide for yourself what earns your character their power! Challenge yourself with a personal Quest or heed the temptations of a powerful Artifact (p.20)!

• Gambits: push your luck after success or failure to change fate with Gambits. You choose when to place yourself at the mercy of your dice! (p.6).

• Magical Artifacts: hearkening back to the paradigm of many great fantasy novels, magic stems from powerful Artifacts. It can be wielded only by those who dare (p.43).

• Room to Grow: the hacking tolerance of this ruleset means there is space for your additions!

• Volleyball Initiative: combatants pass their next turns to each other or their target, so your chance to shine can come at any time (p.22).

This is a playtest version, and as such feedback and comments are welcome. It currently contains a boatload of public domain art and is lol-self-edited. Future versions may contain more content, original art, professional editing, and the kind of fancy layout everyone loves.