CONTORTA IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT AND IS LIVE ON KICKSTARTER ZINEQUEST3 UNTIL FEBRUARY 18th! Rewards include print copies of Contorta, special bundle prices, and a limited edition Kickstarter edition.

Follow the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deannak/contorta-rpg?ref=8w1b86

After the (hopefully successful) Kickstarter, the PDF print and play files will be available to purchase here.

Contorta is a tabletop role-playing game where you become a Survivor. You are surrounded by the towering trees and the bracing cold of the northern reaches of the United States, of the Rust Belt, of Appalachia. Looming over the forests are the Old Ones, Lovecraft-inspired horrors that spell fear and madness for all those who are unlucky enough to bear witness.

Contorta relies on token-draw mechanics. That is to say, you will be drawing and wagering tokens from a bag to resolve actions and determine success (or failure!). Why not dice? Well, this game was inspired by my own time hiking the many trails of the United States, and I was determined to combine my passions for game design and the outdoors into an RPG that could be played away from the table, too.

Of course, as we weather pandemics and lock-downs, you can easily play this game over voice chat or with members of your household at the dinner table. I hope, though, that one day you and your players will also be able to play this game while sitting around the fire, whether you're on the AT, or on the bonfire-lined beaches of California, or surrounded by the towering trees of Yosemite.

So without further ado:

THE PLAYER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE

This ~48-page zine teaches you everything you need to know to create your very own Survivor and begin playing Contorta.

In the zine:

• The Character Sheet
• An explanation of the token-draw mechanics
• 4 playable paths (The Ranger, The Bushcrafter, The Civilian, and The Acolyte)
• 8 pre-generated characters

THE ADVENTURE GUIDE

This ~48-page zine is intended for the Gamemasters who will be running the game. This guide will help GMs both run the game and create adventures.

In the zine:

• An explanation of the token-draw mechanics
• An Adventure Builder (Scenarios, Objectives, and Threats)
• 6 Old Ones to haunt your forests (Etirr'tith the Fallen, Wiindigo, The Swallowed One, M'Thost, Shub-Dzewa, and The Rot Witch)
• 6 maps you can cut out (or print) and hand to your players as props