Darker

DARKER is a contemporary mature horror RPG, OSR-compatible, challenging you to confront themes of faith, morality, and the human condition amidst escalating supernatural peril. Face the true nature of Good and Evil, moral erosion, and humanity’s decline, investigate modern-day horrors hidden behind a façade of normalcy and tackle contemporary issues like corporate power, ideological grooming, and the erosion of traditional values.

In the world of Darker, ancient evil forces have resurfaced to torment humanity. The roots of this unfolding nightmare trace back to the Age of Enlightenment and later the Industrial Revolution, two historical periods that fundamentally reshaped humanity’s relationship with the divine and spiritual realms. Rationalism and the growth of science and technology marked the beginning of a long process that led to the modern-day horrors that now hold the world in their grip.

Gameplay Mechanics:

• OSR Compatibility: Easily adaptable using the rules of Wretched or other OSR games, combining old-school mechanics with a modern horror twist.
• Attributes and Skills: Characters are defined by core statistics (Strength, Intelligence, Wits, Agility, Toughness, Charisma) and a set of skills.
• Character Creation: Roll for attributes, select skills, and choose perks and drawbacks to create a balanced and compelling character.
• Archetypes: Define your character’s role and capabilities with unique feats. Archetypes include Archaeologist, Conspiracy Theorist, Cult Leader, Cybermancer, Demon Hunter, and many more.
• Fear Mechanics: Accumulate Fear Points from traumatic events, influencing character behavior and decision-making.
• Simplified Combat: Deadly combat system to enhance tension and stakes in every encounter.
• Ritual Magic: Designed to enhance the horror atmosphere, with rules for magic corruption.

Major Themes:

• Faith and Rationality: The game explores the tension between faith and rationality, questioning humanity’s reliance on science and reason in the absence of divine guidance.
• Human Condition: Darker delves into the resilience of the human spirit when exposed to overwhelming darkness and the existential challenges posed by a world in moral decay.
• Infernal Influence: Demonic entities manifest with increasing frequency, bringing terror and cruelty. The weakening of divine influence allows these hellish forces to corrupt societal institutions and individuals.
• Rise of Evil: As faith waned, malevolent entities that once lurked in the shadows of ancient civilizations found their way back, corrupting modern society.
• Corruption and Decay: The influence of these entities has grown pervasive, manifesting through wars, economic upheavals, and technological advancements. Humanity’s moral and spiritual erosion has created fertile ground for these forces.
• Twisted Progress: A religion of “Progress” has emerged, with rationalists and atheists turning to ancient pagan beliefs and dark practices, furthering the chaos and depravity.
• Silence of the Divine: The game world is characterized by the absence of divine intervention, reinforcing the isolation and despair faced by the characters.
• Struggle Against the Abyss: Characters must face a cosmos devoid of solace, confronting eldritch horrors and preternatural mysteries alone. Their actions are acts of defiance against overwhelming evil.
• Cults and Organizations: The game features various cults and organizations, each with its own dark agenda, influenced by infernal entities.

For those ready to face the abyss and defy the darkness, DARKER awaits! (498 pages)