It’s easy to forget Tabletop RPGs are cousins to literature. Sure, tabletop RPGs may introduce a few dice rolls here and there, but it’s a narrative medium delivered via the written word most of the time. Not to mention they are literally delivered in the format of books. Some TTRPG homebrew leans into the book inspirations heavier than others.
This upcoming supplement for Mothership is a cosmic take on a hellish classic.
9Circles by EpicQuest.ch are nine adventures for the sci-fi horror TTRPG Mothership inspired by Dante’s Inferno. Proving that Warhammer 40k 11th edition isn’t the only space-set terror in town, Mothership has thrived in the cosmic horror space. 9circles is one such example of how, a collection of adventures crafted and inspired by the iconic book that defined Hell for generations of believers and non-believers alike.
Rather than “levels”, each adventure takes place on a different orbit, all within the same “heavenly” body. The adventures are as diverse as the Warhammer 40k games, each introducing mechanics that shake up the core Mothership experience. Whether you want a classic survival horror experience or delve through space hulks “dungeon-crawl” style, there’s an adventure here for you.
These adventures can be played stand-alone, or weaved together into an epic campaign of escalating terror. The modular design for these adventures also mean you can slot them into existing campaigns, should you so choose. Leaning into the 9circles concept, each adventure also features nine artists, each assigned to their own circle of galactic fear.
I adore when fantasy is adapted to the aesthetic of cosmic horror. Just look at how Warhammer 40k interprets the Crusades, or the alleged CRPG Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen adaptation of an opera classic. These showcase the nature of stories, told and retold by new voices, surprising us even centuries after their creation.
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Looking for a crew to cruise through space Tartarus? The Wargamer Discord may have a few wandering souls to recruit.
Source: Wargamer
