a|state is out now as a pre-order with free PDF

You can now pre-order a|state second edition, and get the PDF free!
The PDF is also available now via DrivethruRPG!

Also released today is The Three Coins in pre-order with free PDF, and in standalone PDF!

About a|state

Step inside a baroque urban nightmare, the world of a|state.

In The City you’ll fight off threats to your canalside home, trying to make this grim and haunted place safer and better, somehow.

a|state brings a new, hopeful approach to the much-loved Forged in the Dark ruleset. Your ability to Care counts as much as your ability to Fight.

Create Troublemakers such as the deft and deadly Ghostfighter, the caring and curious Lostfinder, the persuasive and passionate Activist, and the striking and stealthy Sneakthief. If they can trust each other they might have a chance.

Defend your corner from selfish authorities, angry gangs and heartless industries, and deal with the spiralling consequences of your own actions as you struggle for a better tomorrow.

Bringing the wine-dark visual vibes of Dark City and The City of Lost Children, a|state delivers Dickensian anti-Thatcher sparks and knives sci fi.

Here’s a glimpse of some of what you’ll find in a|state second edition, in chapter order:

• A smooth, powerful iteration of Forged in the Dark
• Seven character playbooks with many more variations to explore
• Rules for creating your own threatened corner of The City
• Guidance for going on missions as you struggle to bring hope to your community
• New rules to bring downtime between missions to life
• A toolkit for exploring the unknown reaches of The City beyond your home
• Focused assistance for the GM to create missions, support players and manage the whole struggle
• The Trouble Engine, an innovative creation system that will throw problem after problem at the corner and those who defend it
• A vibrant and instantly usable guide to life in The City
• Playable details of 20 locations (or more, depending on stretch goals!)
• Full descriptions of every major faction in The City and how they will make life difficult for the corner
• Insights into the deepest mysteries of The City and the strange beings known as the Shifted
• And throughout, there will be songs, poems, folk tales, advertising, and ephemera that vividly bring to life the world of The City.

This is the story of how you fight back.

Written by Malcolm Craig, Morgan Davie, and Gregor Hutton with Tanya Floaker, Brian Nisbet, Gareth Ryder Hanrahan and KC Shi.
Illustrated by Paul Bourne, Jon Hodgson and Scott Purdy.