One Page Roleplaying Game by Qwein
THEM btìy Qwein
THEM is a narrative roleplaying game in zine format, featuring body-horror setting and essential mechanics. Players portray the Refractors: ordinary, analogue people, outside social media and constant connectivity, the only ones who perceive that something is replacing their fellow townsfolk. Premise A swarm of meteors falls upon a small port town. No apparent damage. Then, from nothingness, a dense black mass emerges and seeks hosts. Neighbours change: vacant stares, automatic replies, deafening music. The invasion is silent, and no one will believe you. Core Mechanics Single D6 system for both actions and combat. Health 2D6+6, Fate 2D6+6 for limited rerolls. Panic: accumulative, with paralysing effects at threshold 6. Simple weapons, rare ammunition, hazards managed by the Narrator. Healing: requires equipment, with variable outcomes.
The Enemy – The Different Extraterrestrial invaders who assimilate humans through a three-stage incubation process. They possess no superhuman strength, only intelligence, a hypnotic frequency emitted from cervical gills, and an elastic, regenerative bodily mass. Weaknesses: common salt and temperatures below 50°F. Tone and Style of Play Paranoia, suspicion, gradual discovery. The Narrator never explicitly reveals the alien nature: players must observe, doubt, act. The crowd, the authorities, even loved ones may be compromised. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, urban, without guaranteed heroism.
Objective Survive, understand, act before the alien transmission completes. There is no salvation without loss. The Refractors are the only hope, but truth carries a price. Format Foldable A4 zine, compact text, ready for double-sided printing. Complete rules in few pages, focused on collaborative narration and atmosphere.
THEM is available through DriveThruRPG in PDF.
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Voices From The Pulpit 