Two weeks have elapsed since Castle Blaecmere swallowed the village Laghtane.

No one knows why the castle, ruled by Wulfryn of the Blue Lake, began growing. It grew and grew, stone walls slithering back and forth, parapets pushing themselves into the sky. 

You are adepts of the Priory of the First Widow, shifters capable of changing objects, people, creatures, and yourselves. You’ve been asked to the room of Mother Superior Aelisson. Her directive: Travel to Blaecmere and make contact with your Priory Siblings, fellow shifters gifted in service to the monarchy. 

Seek refuge in Laghtane, a once vibrant town, now broken apart by the slithering castle. Investigate the twisting labyrinth of Castle Blaecmere, and should it be necessary, bring an end to Wulfryn’s reign. 

Doing so will require cunning, honesty, and most terribly of all, navigating the complex politics of the shifters and Beasts who prowl the grounds. Keep close the favor of the Goddess and enter Castle Blaecmere.

The Game

The Twisting of Castle Blaecmere is a rules-lite, dark fantasy, horror role playing game system, setting, and basis for a campaign set entirely inside a writhing, early medieval castle and nearby locales. 

Players take on the roles of Shifters: adepts of the Priory of the First Widow and supplicants to the 10 Legged Goddess. Shifters are powerful yet constrained practitioners of shifting, a form of object, person, or creature manipulation. Some will shift bark to metal keys, some will mend bones, and others will twist their own flesh. They will navigate Castle Blaecmere using these powers along with their wit and skills, harried by powerful parties intent on pursuing their own goals.

A game master (GM) runs the game for two to four players using the role playing system provided in this rule book. In addition to rules, this book has the basis of a compelling story with room for your own creativity. The GM and players will work together to create narratives that don’t always have the best interests of the characters at heart. The only rolls in this game will be in reaction to the players, and when rolls do occur, they should be high stakes every time. 

The five Playbooks in these rules are designed to encourage role play while keeping close the threat of terrible violence. Fights are fast and cruel.

Use the Connections system to enmesh the history of your players within the world. This system dictates numbers for the Interfere Move, for when interparty conflict occurs, as well as a dedicated Move unique to each Playbook.

Seek shelter for A Quiet Moment. Even in the writhing tunnels of the Undercroft or when traversing the fetid Glinteel Wastewoods, this simple but effective system allows rest to weary Priory members while encouraging role play with Playbook specific questions.

This book is designed with strong bones for a campaign if you'd like to quickly get a game running. Find suggested sections of the castle for your players to explore, pre-made characters and antagonists with motivations, key plot beats, even a seven stanza play depicting a crucial moment in the history of the world. GMs should look towards the end of the book so they may learn the terrible secrets driving the castle's twisting.

Content Warning: Body horror is ingrained in the setting. Heavy spider imagery.

You Get:

A 27 page .pdf which includes:

• Safety Tools
• Basic Moves
• Playing the Game 
• Game Master Guide
• Setting 
• Factions 
• Lore

As well as the following Playbooks:

• The Sculptor
• The Warden
• The Weaver
• The Animalist
• The Protean

Form fillable Playbook .PDFs are included because I care about your joy and happiness.

This game is in beta! I'm content enough with it as it is, but would like to develop it further if enough people are interested (I have a specific number in my head). I'm putting this on itch because I want more people to play this and because money spent towards this will go directly into the the roadmap below, so please consider donating. If everything below is done, then the release will go 1.0 and the price will raise to $5

Development Roadmap:

• Commission more dedicated art for use between sections. Diegetic quotes from characters in the world will feature on these pages.
• Commission a unique logo for the game.
• Depending on feedback, I may solidify aspects of the campaign for GMs and players who want a more guided experience. This would likely be in the form of a page or two of key campaign milestones and expanded character motivations.
• Pay someone to make a less scary logo for Toast the Dog.
• Second Editing phase by Lillian. I thought I was going to release this in a much reduced format, so I'd like to pay them to comb through it again now that I've doubled the page count.
• Stat rebalancing. I suspect base stats are just a little too high right now. We'll see with more playtesting.
• Add alternate rules and beginning scenarios if someone plays as a shifter from Osbern's court.
• Colors! I'm thinking light outlines of fleshy pinks and caustic blues.
• Depending on feedback, an expanded gameplay examples section.

If you'd like to give more extensive feedback or have ideas, I'd love to chat! I'll be in the comments.

Created by: Tony Bocci

Cover Art: Veronica Gonzalez

With design support from: Patty Reed, Stevie Scott, Charles Veith

Editing: Lillian Freelove Cantwell

Playtesting: Amira Belwafa, Abby Vander Linden, Stevie Scott, Charles Veith

Gratitude: Austin Siedentopf, April Walsh

Powered by the Apocalypse World Engine, by D. Vincent and Meguey Baker

Some formatting and Basic Moves are borrowed from Monster of the Week, by Michael Sands

The player Connections system is borrowed from Starhold, by S.M. Noble