Picaroons

Picaroons is an adventuring tabletop roleplaying game for picaresque adventures; take on the role of a Picaroon,  a rogue who must rely on their wits to make their way in an uncaring world.

Use this game text however you please, so long as you’re not a bigot, fascist, or other piece of dogshit.

This project is under development!

It currently includes lightweight rules for adjudication, character creation/advancement, combat, companions, hirelings, and resting. The full set of core rules are visible in the screenshots on this page.  Eventually, the rules will be available in website form as a free SRD as well.

This project is also itchfunding!

• $200 USD - I'll be able to afford proper editing of the core book. Minimum price will rise $2USD!
• $500 USD - I'll be able to afford layout of the core book. Minimum price will rise $1USD!
• $750 USD  -  I'll be able to afford custom character sheets. Minimum price will rise $1USD!
• $1000 USD - I'll be able to afford an initial print run of the core book, details to follow as we close in on this goal.
• $1250 USD - I'll have actually been remunerated for some of the writing!

As the remaining zines are completed, I'll add itchfunding projectsfor them as well. In the meantime, you can pre-buy them as add-ons! Note that their minimum price will go up as they get completed, so buying early is also buying at a discount!

Make sure you check the Exclusive Content section at the bottom of this page before you buy! You can grab a community copy, pre-order the supplementary zines, or snag a slot as a friendly sponsor!

In this zine, guidance for the player(s) running  Picaroons through adventures, featuring:

• Adjudication Flow - when to call for tests and advice for interpreting them
• Conversions - help for pulling content from anywhere else into Picaroons
• Errata - optional systems for reputations, relationships, factions, downtime, etc.

In this zine, examples of tricks and subsystems to expand on them, featuring:

• The Supernatural - tricks for pacts with magical entities, spell scholarship, rituals, bindings, and unlocking the magic within
• The Merely Mundane - tricks for feats of arm, deep skill, and knowledge as power
• Training, Study & Quests - how to acquire tricks without spending marks

In this zine, examples of domains-as-items, featuring:

• Relics - powerful items with conditions and unlocks, made by powerful entitites
• Soulslivers - items which grow as they are used
• Banal Magic - disposable items whose power wanes with use
• Alchemy - a subsystem for creating and using consumable magic

In this zine, an urban hexflower featuring:

• The Palace, 7 hexes of palatial grounds
• The City, featuring numerous neighborhoods: The Docks, The Old City, Riverside, The Steel Quarter, Ashtown, Gilded Grove, and more
• Factions: The Regent, The Raptors, Alchemist's Guild, The Silent Librarians, The Students' Union, Drake's Kin, and more
• Characters: Numerous folk of note, including hirelings, potential companions, patrons, and people with problems.
• Lifepath: An alternate character creation flow to raise Picaroons beneath the shadow of the great palace
• Hearsay: timelines of events happening in the city and advice on bringing them into play