Faith & Demons: The Rising Playtest Packet
Author: Aaron T. Huss
Page Count: 59
Price: Free
Round 4 playtesting is now ready for Faith & Demons: The Rising, a plot-point setting for Savage Worlds.
Round 4 focuses on the bulk of the new mechanics including character creation (with new Edges), bestiary, and some adventure hooks to use. The session will run from today through March 30,2012 and is the final round of playtest before release.
Faith & Demons is a Dark Ages, gothic fantasy setting where united lords have brought the world's warriors together to prevent undead armies and demons from enslaving their people.
Faith & Demons lays out a setting characterized by religious conflict as traditional beliefs become targets for Christianity, a time often referred to as the Dark Ages. Rome has fallen and new nations are rising from the ashes. But unlike genuine history, those struggling for their faith and place in the world face armies of dark creatures that don't care what anyone's beliefs are. Mix in magic and you're sure you're in an alternate history.
As if the power vacuum created by Rome's fall isn't enough, the survivors are fighting against multiple forces. Religious persecution has reared its head with claims of heresy against those who are just worshiping as they always have. Tribal conflicts threaten to tear asunder tenuous allegiances. The land is suffering from the fall-out of it all making nomadic life more difficult than typical. The undead armies, horrific demons, and a host of once mythological creatures stalking the landscape create tension from shore to shore. Someone needs to do something. And the lords have decided your party counts as ‘someone.'
Your characters have it in them to be more than a survivor. Lead your nomadic tribe's defense against all sides to become a legendary warrior. Best a demon lord. Quell the lich's vampire army. Call down the angels of heaven to fight at your side. Or maybe call upon the denizens of hell to tear apart your foes.
If playing historically-oriented warriors appeals to you, you might find the added variables of a time of theological and societal transition and unholy conquest to be irresistible lures.
We've added Edges, Arcane Backgrounds, weapons, armor, a list of deities and their religions, and a gothic fantasy bestiary to support the pre-1000 AD setting. Your table might see the likes of Vikings, samurai, thegn, feudal lords, monastery monks, statesmen, and spellcasting shamans, druids, and necromancers - all in the same setting.
In keeping with Savage Worlds supplements, character creation is augmented by options to simulate some of the historical aspects. This encourages choosing identities for your character that exemplify differences between the peoples of various nations.
We've added a mechanic to deal with literacy and the complexity of commonly available knowledge to address the cultural differences present. Along with using the Fantasy Companion, we've fully utilized the given mechanics for Ethereal, Undead, and Demons.
In the big picture though, rather than changing how Savage Worlds works for Faith & Demons, we've taken advantage of its flexibility and modularity.
This product requires the Savage Worlds core rulebook to use.
