A downloadable game

Buy Now$12.00 USD or more

SWYVERS, a Dickensian tabletop RPG of heists and scoundrels in the big city, brought to you by the folks who responsible for:

A brand-new game built from the ground up to give you a grotty system for running a grotty game. Written by Luke Gearing, illustrated by David Hoskins.


What is Swyvers?

Swyvers is a light-weight set of rules married to a full set of tools and tables for running a game in the chaotic sprawl of The Smoke, its many districts and The Midden. What a city it is — corrupt officials, looming war, rogue sorcerors, monsters below and nobs above. Violence rests as thick as the smog, nothing is sacred and it’s always bloody raining. 

Swyvers is a game about bastards. You and your gang of criminals scarper through heists and sewers, stalk through the filth of The Smoke and, if you’re lucky, you’ll make it out with a few extra shillings. The whole of this city is your filthy, sickly oyster.


What's In The Book?

  • Rules and lists of all the tools, weapons, lodgings, dodgy business investments, and hired goons any self-respecting Swyver should be familiar with.
  • Rules for dogs of all cut and calibre.
  • Death and dismemberment!
  • How to have a proper funeral for your mates.
  • 'Orrible diseases.
  • Bloodsucking aristocrats.
  • Accurate time keeping records.
  • How to spend your spoils on carousing for XP.
  • Getting into deep trouble for your wild nights out, including gambling debts, dogfighting, and jealous lovers.
  • Take on apprentice Swyvers (Putterers), lead them on heists, and train them to take your place in the event of your inevitable sticky end.
  • Fences: who they are and how they'll profit from your terrible life choices.
  • Rules for bribes, leverage and blackmail!
  • A system for attracting the attention of Knotland Yard, who will, over many sessions, form a case against you and put a stop to your wicked ways.
  • A complete selection of terrible adversaries including agents of the church, ghouls, hussars, vampires, average humans, and bears.

... and complete rules on generating your own city of 'The Smoke'

The Smoke is the greatest city in the world, the beating heart of an empire. It is filthy and sprawling like a burst pustule left open to weep besides the iron-grey sea. It does have a name, but only the nobs and learned-readers know it. Beneath slumbers The Midden – the interconnected passages of built-over streets, basements, tombs and hidden lairs where criminals lurk, beasts squat and lost wealth resides. An enterprising fellow with a sledgehammer can traverse in any direction they please – not that they’ll like what they find. It is rife with corpse-thieves, cellar-breakers and enterprising businessmen shunned in sunlit places. The rich of The Smoke honour their dead with elaborate crypts, whose morose edifices encroach ever further into the slums – the trap-smiths of The Smoke do fine business from their craft, and the fences keep the money flowing thanks to enterprising tomb robbers.

Every group of Swyvers will have their very own Smoke. The GM starts a campaign by generating the city, starting from a core of districts: the Royal Gaol, the Palace, the Mayoral District and the Docks. From there they follow along Swyvers' generation tables to flesh out and, potentially, endlessly expand their rotten city. 

You will have a unique engine for running your own Swyvers games!

... and a unique and innovative magic system

Magic is not a known factor to the vast majority of the denizen of The Smoke. Rumours of witches abound, but specifics are thin on the ground. 

To cast a spell, put briefly — the caster plays blackjack. 

... and a starting adventure!

A starting adventure is included to get Swyvers moving and involved. Usually they’ll be planning their own heists and crimes, rather than having a justification like this one. Engaged players are happy players and great criminals.

Rob the Lindsore Estate, uncover their ivy-choked secrets, liberate their ancestral valuables, and maybe solve a few problems and make a few friends or enemies along the way.


Welcome to the gang. Put on your soft shoes, grab a cosh, and let's get Swyving!

StatusIn development
CategoryPhysical game
Rating
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
(31 total ratings)
AuthorMelsonian Arts Council
TagsTabletop, Tabletop role-playing game

Purchase

Buy Now$12.00 USD or more

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $12 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Swyvers 23 MB

Download demo

Download
Quick Start PDF 9.9 MB

Development log

Comments

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(+1)

Congrats on the game coming out! I bought the game through drivethru and was wondering if I was able to get a link to download the finished game?

i also bought through kickstarter and none of the instructions are working. Let's add even more ways to deliver simple pdfs to backers (hey, maybe we try just emailing them)

Oh wait so I'm not the only one baffled by Kickstarter? I always wonder if my item is coming or did I fill out the survey right or is there yet another survey?  Always a pain and I really don't blame the creators just that weird system.

Hey, I bought this through Kickstarter. How do I download the pdf here? Thanks

(+1)

This looks and sounds amazing.  Is it ready to go as a full version? Thank you!

The text is complete, minus the introductory adventure and some missing art and editing. All of which will be updated in a couple of weeks with any luck!

Hi! I purchased the game on drivethru where it said an upgrade to the full version would be accessible upon release. Just wondering if this is the same file available there or if this is the full game.

P.S - great game! Love the gritty atmosphere!

Thanks! The file is the same on both sites. 

I bought the book here through Itch, this file will be updated in the same way as the file from those who supported the digital promise through Kickstarter, right?

(+1)

This game is incredible! I backed your kickstart. Spent yesterday building my version of The Smoke. This is everything I've been wanting in a game. It's got such a strong sense of identity. The art is simply phenomenal. Pick this up, it's worth every pence!

(1 edit)

¿where do i put de psswrd?

(+2)

Hi Nozak, I believe that the password request comes up when you try to download the file. 

If your still having issues. best to email us directly to take a look at for you.

(+2)(-34)

This looks really good, and I look forward to trying it out. But be aware that GMs are going to have to add Perception, Knowledge & Influence Attributes (I get the impression you really don’t want us to, but we’ll need them for effective gameplay). Best to accept that and integrate it.

(+4)(-1)

I plan on running it without those, perception especially. It forces one to be very descriptive as GM, and I think that's a great opportunity to grow. Maybe you can try it out first as well and only add it if it doesn't work. But of course this is just a suggestion, it's your game after all.

(+1)

You really don't need to. You can do those things using the existing skill system if you need to. Just make a 3d6 roll under the difficulty you decide (i.e., for checking if they know stuff: 17 for common knowledge, 12-4 for less well known stuff, 6-8 for very esoteric subjects).


Or you could just give them the information because it's more fun.