Acheron: Core Book

About the Game

At its core Acheron is about sacrificing your humanity, both temporarily and permanently, to fight against the horrors that inhabit the world. Whether they be cultists, madmen, Demons, beasts, or the strange Outsiders.

Acheron's development philosophies reflect this primary concept in multiple differing ways. These philosophies are Player Choice, Gritty Combat, Character-Altering Consequences, and of course Fun.

Your Character, Your Choices

You will experience our 1930s era world through the lens of a unique character. Three distinct races, Humans, Darkleechers, and Soulmenders, as well as their many pedigrees, make up the vast population of the world. These races, along with a selection of Attributes, Skills, Merits, Flaws, and Abilities, create extremely individualized characters. Our free-form progression system allows for many different approaches to the challenges the world presents, whether that be a combat focused brute or a smooth talking dame that has never hurt a fly. As you play your character they will evolve, gaining new Abilities and perhaps supernatural powers. They may go mad, or lose a piece of themselves (quite literally) but no matter what they will grow - perhaps into a monster they don't even recognize.

A Grounded Approach to Roleplay

Gritty Combat and intense role-play meet in a game that doesn't shy away from the realities of the world. Gunfights are deadly and so are monsters. You must always plan your approach to come out on top. The lore and the mechanics in Acheron are crafted with an eye to the real world for influence and grounding. Acheron has trauma, societal issues, moral dilemmas, and the atrocities of the past woven into its canvas. This is a game with mature themes. Therefore we thought it only appropriate that the mechanics reflect the realities of the world. This even extends to magic, which is seen as dimwitted mysticism by some and wielded with great effect - be it beneficent or maleficent - by others.

Putting Player Choice Front and Center

Player Choice and Fun are central to Acheron, and we make sure to never lose sight of them in our quest for a realistic world. That is why we've chosen a free-form Progression System, have included optional rules for Players and Game Masters to modify their games, and have even designed Magic, Mancies, and other systems to be semi-modular if Game Masters/Players wish to include some of our mechanics while excluding others.

A Complete Package

Acheron will deliver a complete ttRPG experience which may be found over two or three books in other systems. In our Core Rule Book we have included what is normally be spread between a Players Manual, Game Masters Guide, and Bestiary. For all of us at DarkWorldStudios, it is important that when someone picks up our books they’re not left wondering what they’re missing and have everything they need for their next hundred game sessions.