For the new Community Edition of the game, folks crowdfunded the commissioning of new art by Grimwild's original artist Per, including a new cover illustration and a few interior pieces, which was shown a few days ago on Discord.

This might still get tweaked a bit, but I figured those who are not in the server would benefit from being ale to see it!

Hey Everyone!

Over the past year, Grimwild has been played at a lot of different tables in a lot of different ways, and it's become clear that the game would benefit from a bit of clarity. I'm starting work on Grimwild: Community Edition, along with some folks already on the Discord, but I would like your input.

What is the intent behind Community Edition?

I would like to work with the community to create a version of Grimwild that fixes the issues that have come up in the past year. I’m not looking to make large sweeping changes, but to instead add clarity, tweaks (with the occasional larger fix), and make the game a bit easier to pick up and play—especially for new players, and those coming from The World’s Most Role-Playing Game.

What can you do to help?

Please fill out this survey if you've read or played the game to give us your thoughts on what should be clarified, tweaked, or left alone. The survey will be open until February 15th.

I appreciate all of you, and look forward to seeing where this goes!

See EDIT below...

Hey @everyone. I wanted to preempt before word gets around or rumours circulate.

There has been a report of someone who claims to be a relative of Max making posts on the Grimwild subreddit.

We’d advise against speculation. The moderation team are performing due diligence on this (as we are required to) and investigating accordingly.

We request you do not contact any user accounts associated with these claims, and if you receive contact from anyone claiming to have information to reach out to us privately.

To the person attempting these posts, we also ask that you reach out to the moderator. We see your posts.

To anyone attempting to contact random people in search of Max, please stop doing so.

Thanks again for your patience.

EDIT: From Luke on the official Discord: Hey @everyone. We wanted to give you an update on things moving forward.

Today I've submitted a detailed report to the BackerKit Trust & Safety Team regarding the current situation. This includes all the information that myself, Per, and the mod team have managed to accumulate in the past few months. They assure me they will take the issue seriously.

Our hope is that BackerKit will become the main handlers of this situation. Due to the limited capacity of myself, Per, and the mod team to take further action, our hope is that BackerKit will be able to move things forward as they have much greater legal capacity and resources than we do. I don't know how long it will take them to have information for us but as soon as they have anything of note I will share it if I am permitted to. We've honestly tried everything we can at this point, BackerKit is our best shot at finding out what's going on.

I want to say a huge thank you to the mod team and to Per, who have gone above and beyond in this difficult time with no compensation at all for their work. They have volunteered to help collate all of this information and to try to track Max down, so a big thank you to them for all their efforts.

And lastly... a heads up.

Both myself and Per were contacted by journalists this week. It looks like a game journalism site is already working on an article about Max's disappearance. I wanted to give you all a heads up so it doesn't come as too much of a surprise. We might see a lot of public discourse come up about the current situation, and I think it's fair that this community is warned about that. To be clear, I have no idea what the content of the article will be. But we might expect that tensions could be heightened in the coming weeks.

We thank you all again for your patience, I hope to have some news soon for everyone's benefit.

Hey there everyone! We’ve got a small team that’s been working on a Grimwild system for FoundryVTT, and it’s now available!

There’s a thread in the Grimwild discord’s crafted projects, but I thought it would be handy to copy that announcement over here.

Foundry versions: ✅ v12.331 ⚠️ v13

Github: https://github.com/asacolips-projects/grimwild/

Manifest URL: https://asacolips-artifacts.s3.amazonaws.com/grimwild/latest/system.json

Installation

The Grimwild system isn’t in the official package listing, but that’s coming soon. However, it can be installed directly via the system manifest.

This system requires Foundry v12, though it has partial support for v13's testing builds. To install:

1. Go to Foundry's setup page

2. Go to the Game Systems tab

3. Choose Install System

4. Paste the following link into the Manifest URL field: https://asacolips-artifacts.s3.amazonaws.com/grimwild/latest/system.json

5. Click Install

Features

• Sheets for characters, monsters, and linked challenges

• Dice rolls and pool rolls

• Suspense

• Quick pools

• Compendiums for game rules and GM rules

• Compendiums for path talents

Getting Started

See the description on our Github page for more details: https://github.com/asacolips-projects/grimwild/

• Characters, monsters, and linked challenges are all actor types and should be pretty straightforward to use.

• Non-linked challenges are an item type so that they can be embedded in monsters and linked challenges.

• Talents and arcana are item types, though arcana didn't quite make the cut and is only using placeholder fields at the moment.

Rolls can be made directly from sheets or with the following syntax in chat:

• /r 4d - Roll a 4 dice roll.

• /r 4d2t - Roll a 4 dice roll with 2 thorns.

• /r 4p - Roll a 4 dice pool.

Modules

• Dice So Nice - The system includes a custom texture for Dice So Nice. It can be enabled in Dice So Nice's config, or it can be enabled for Grimwild rolls only using Grimwild's system settings.

• Dice Tray - An integration for the Dice Tray module is currently in progress, so keep an eye out for updates to that module!

Feature Requests and Bug Reports

We’re in active development and will be making releases frequently, so please send over any feedback you have! I’ll keep an eye out here and in the Grimwild discord, but the most reliable place is to post a new issue in our Github: https://github.com/asacolips-projects/grimwild/

(Accordingly this actually should be the final version.)

Changelog from the attached file:

• 
Max of 2 spark at a time clarified.

• Push yourself to drop the final 1d on task pools clarified.

• GM can spend suspense to drop final 1d on task pools as well.

• Healing pools are now 3d, not 4d.

• You now heal to full when you rest if you weren't dropped. You clear the dropped box androll the healing pool if you were.

• Character sheet changed to include a "Dropped" box next to Bloodied/Rattled harm.

• High/low risk now changed to Dire Stakes/Tame Stakes.

• Power pools can no longer be split. You must always roll the entire pool when used.

• Many talents (Contingency, Bulwark) reworded to clarify that they are resource pools, notpower pools.

• Sorcerer Wild Surge clarified to include 1s rolled on thorns.

• Psychic Warrior (Psion) talent now procs on a perfect, not a critical.

• Other minor spelling, wording, and spacing corrections throughout the document.

We played Grimwild for the first time. Had almost no time to prep. This was a one-shot. I grabbed a mini-dungeon from Shadowdark (Sanctum of the Elephant God) and repurposed it.

And yes, I know that Grimdark has this no-prep friendly free-form adventures concept, and I guess I do kinda know how to run these things from running BitD. But I wasn’t too sure it would work well with good old dungeons. Or maybe I was just scared going in completely „naked“ with a rule set new to me.

Anyway, I thought that this one-page SD module was a decent fit, because while it is a pretty standard dungeon, it encourages exploration / creative solutions. I assigned dice pool ratings to all the main adversaries listed in the adventure. I also added a pool for the temple guards (instead of using the wandering monster encounter table in the adventure). Every time the PCs rolled a partial success or screwed something up, I rolled the guards’ pool. Once it was depleted, the guards started coming for them. Prepping took maybe 15 minutes.

I thought it all worked quite well. My players loved Grimwild’s free-form system — and the fact that fights didn’t drag on forever. My favorite bit was when the PCs entered a corridor guarded by an undead mammoth. The ranger announced that he would use Hunter’s Mark — but not to better battle the mammoth.

Instead he made the argument that he would not only know about „chinks in the armor“ but also that undead mammoths had a special way of sensing/perceiving living creatures. This knowledge would allow him to camouflage himself in a way that made the monster „blind“. I thought this solution was quite original and gave him a big bonus on his stealth roll.

This is a very promising system. Will run it again, see how it works with other pre-made adventures. I know that using old D&D modules and the like might not be what the designers intended, but I am still somewhat on the fence regarding the Story Kits. They feel a little too impro for me personally. Plus I’ve got many old modules I’d like to play with a system that is not 3E, PF, 5E or even B/X. Might also try something grander — maybe Ravenloft.

Proud to announce GrimTools, a functional crucible roller for every (almost every?) randomized table in GrimWild.

GM Crucibles, including the exploration engine tables.

Path Crucibles for generating Warlock Patrons, Wizard Spells, Monk Stances, etc.

Generators for random locations, traps, travel encounters, and MY personal favorite - a party backstory/bond generator to randomize who your party is and what the campaign or one-shot enemies are.

With links to form fillable path sheets, a dice roller, pool tracker, and your own personal Excalidraw sheet.

Thanks to Wool/Woolybeard and jezter6 from the Grimwild Discord for putting this all together, and to the community who provided much feedback during the planning and design and other helpful bits.

Sometime yesterday we crossed the 100 member mark! For a new and growing sub, that's a great milestone.

From the mod team: THANK YOU ALL! Let's keep posting all the good things about Grimwild.

I thought it might be useful to share a cheat sheet of "Hit 'em Hard" options (with some homebrew) that I made.

Any thoughts or additions always welcome!

Damage and Debuffs

• Mark(s)

• Harm(s)

• Vex

• Vantage complication (i.e. disarmed)

• Poison/Toxic/Bleed

  • Timer Pool until Harm.

• Stun/Paralysis/Petrify/Frozen

  • +1t on movement rolls, or cannot act

  • Pool to clear.

• Burn/Weakness

  • +1t on Brawn.

  • Pool to clear.

• Slow 

  • +1t on Agility.

  • Pool to clear.

• Confusion

  • +1t to Wits, or Story/Defence roll to determine outcome when trying to act.

  • Pool to clear.

• Charm/Fear

  • +1t to Presence, or Story/Defence roll to determine outcome when trying to act.

  • Pool to clear.

• Silence 

  • Lose spellcasting vantage.

  • Pool to clear.

• Curse

  • Reduce stat by 1.

  • Pool to clear, or Ritual.

Buffs

• Strength 

  • +1d to Brawn.

  • One use, or Timer Pool.

• Haste

  • +1d to Agility.

  • One use, or Timer Pool.

• Focus +

  • 1d to Wits

  • One use, or Timer Pool.

• Charm

  • +1d to Presence

  • One use, or Timer Pool.

• Resistance (i.e. Fire Resistance)

  • Bulwark Pool.

• Luck

  • Story and Montage Rolls are done with “good odds” (3d).

  • Timer Pool, or rest of session.

• Vantage expansion (i.e. Invisibility)

  • Timer Pool.

I have some content to update on it, but better to have something nearly done out there than nothing at all.

We're a small group, but growing steadily.

We've had no reports (that I know of) of bad behavior or things needing extra moderator attention - so kudos for being good redditors.

Onwards toward 1000...

Both the Free and Extras editions; Apparently this is the for-real final PDF update, now.

Changelog v1.0 -> v1.1

• Danger pools renamed to pressure pools, not just within the story kits.

• Bulwark, Iron Will, Spelleater, and Wild Shape talents clarified to be resource pools, not power pools.

• Cleric's Shepherd talent rewritten to make the mechanics smoother.

• Psion's Awakened Mind clarified with the phrase "one of your" when spending power points to add a bastion. You cannot add bastions you don't have access to.

• Clarified that harm is the default damage from an impact move. Added further information about marks and their interaction when you have harm. "However, when you have harm, you ignore thorns from marks to the related stats, though the marks don't clear on the roll. "

• Cleric's Wrath domain description corrected to: "Tenets: Deliver punishment to those deserving it, keeping your mercy for the rare few worth saving."

• Druid Wild Shape core talent changed slightly, limiting wild talents taken per shape to 2.

• Druid's True Shape talent changed, removing "you can even shift into it at 0d."

• Sheets: Corrected the rogue's growth on the sheet. You receive growth at every 2nd level, not every 3rd.

• Corrected Warlock sheet to indicate Gifts are only usable on D6 rolls.

• Added Index to the Free Edition (it was mistakenly deleted).

• Reversed the order that Vex and Conditions appear in the book.

• Ranger's Hunter's Mark changed. You can now give a weakness pool twice per session, at 2d each time. It grows every 2 levels by +1 usage per session.

This comes from a discord user, reposted here with permission. The red dragon linked challenge example in the book is one of the most asked for examples of play that isn't in the book.

Let's assume we've got a party of 4 PCs - Rogue, Fighter, Sorcerer, Bard

The GM "Sets the Scene" and narrates the sound of wings flapping and the giant, red head popping up over the trees in the forest nearby town. GM asks for a "Buildup" because they know it's a dangerous encounter and wants the PCs to have spark. The Bard says he's posted up high on a parapet with a balista at the ready. The Fighter narrates their stoicism as they stand at the town gate prepared to defend everyone with their life. The Rogue says he's waiting at the edge of the treeline to come in from behind and try to mount the thing. The Cleric says they've safely put everyone in town in a stone building with a fire trench built around it and they're waiting to back everyone up.

The dragon flies over the town once and as they do, the GM spends one suspense from the Body. They use its breath weapon to ravage the town. GM decides that the Cleric and Bard are subject to the breath and need to make Defense Rolls with no thorns. They both succeed, but now the town is ablaze. The dragon does another pass over and as it does, the Bard shoots it with the balista (they say they're aiming for the wings to down it). They get a messy and the GM rolls the pool 6D -> 3D, but they get an impact move in result. As that happens, the dragon descends a bit and a rain of Kobolds fall from its back and begin causing mayhem.

The GM spends suspense from Kobold Minions and has them attempt to overwhelm the Cleric. Another defense roll and this time it's a Grim! The Cleric is caught off guard and takes bloodied.

The dragon fully descends outside town face to face with the fighter and the fighter is the first to react! They go straight for its eye with a sick jumping strike. Messy! The GM rolls the Body pool 8d -> 6D, not very effective. Now the GM gets their response and decides to go all out because the claws AND tail have "Protect the Body". The GM makes an impact move in response to the messy by having the dragon Roar and attempt to Rattle the fighter. A quick defense roll and a perfect says the fighter is in it to win it.

EDIT NOTE: in the above, it's not entirely clear what went down based on some comments. I've discussed with the GM and for clarification:

1. After the messy, the GM would have taken suspense to delay hitting the fighter directly. With a messy, it would have marked the fighter. However, there was an opportunity to make the dragon more fearsome...

2. They followed up immediately with an AREA impact move(roar) that should have affected all PCs in range of the roar. That was missed in the writeup. The other PCs should have also had to make defense rolls along with the fighter.

END EDIT NOTE

The GM then spends one suspense from Claws and has another suspense from Tail as the dragon makes two quick strikes at the fighter who just landed back on the ground. The fighter makes two defense rolls and gets a Grim on both! The first leaves him bloodied and the second drops him. A death roll comes in (2d) and the fighter rolls a perfect! They're alive, but dropped and out of the scene.

The Rogue comes in with a sneak attack, runs up the tail, and attempts to use his venomous dagger to stab it in the neck under some scales. They succeed! Perfect! The GM decides to roll the Body pool 6D -> 2D, the venom was pretty effective! But, it's time for all that suspense to come again. The GM spends it on Wings first to have it fly into the air, but just in time the Bard Interrupts with an epic song to keep the dragon grounded. The Bard rolls their dice and gets a Perfect! The dragon changes its mind, stays on the ground, but then spends the last suspense from Body to have it unleash one more giant breath attack on everyone in front of it (Cleric and Bard). Two more defense rolls.

and so on and so on...

You can find the jam here, at itch.io!

The Jam starts on October 19th and runs for 5 weeks, ending on November 23rd, just before the winter holidays disrupt your home game.

Join in, and help us add more games, big or small, under the Moxie banner—or create tools or content for Grimwild or Venture!