Alas for the Awful Sea / So tief die schwere See
A roleplaying game of myth¸ mystery¸ and the complexity of the human heart.Alas for the Awful Sea is a story focused roleplaying game set in a a grim world of suspicion¸ sadness¸ and desperation.
Unnatural storms and terrifying waves forced your ship to shore. Now you're stuck here¸ in this dirt poor town¸ drenched in the smell of cheap whiskey and rotten fish. As poverty and politics consume the town¸ and folklore tales come to life¸ you will face harsh realities and even harsher choices. You and your crew must make deals¸ find answers¸ and pick sides. But believe me¸ you won't all pick the same one...
What will you do when the sea itself turns against you?
Alas for the Awful Sea explores the bitter dilemmas facing starving towns torn apart by crime and loss. To tell this story¸ it delves into the fantastical¸ weaving in folktale elements that mirror the beliefs and struggles of the town.
Based on the rich myth of the Scottish Hebrides¸ this folklore springs forth from the same desolate coastal landscapes that dominate the atmosphere of the game.
The PbtA System
The rules of Alas have their origin in the award-winning Apocalypse World system. However¸ we have modified and stripped these rules down to their core to create a raw¸ narrative focused and unforgiving system almost as harsh as the world of Alas itself.
In Alas¸ players influence the world by making moves¸ either from the core rules¸ or individual character playbooks. Every move is significant. Success gets the player what they want¸ while failure will turn the characters¸ environment¸ and forces of myth¸ against them.
Story
Unnatural storms and terrifying waves forced your ship to shore. Now you're stuck here¸ in this dirt poor town¸ drenched in the smell of cheap whiskey and rotten fish.
As poverty and politics consume the town¸ and folklore tales come to life¸ you will face harsh realities and even harsher choices. You and your crew must make deals¸ find answers¸ and pick sides. But believe me¸ you won't all pick the same one...
Alas is a story-focused tabletop roleplaying game about a ship's crew navigating the remote British Isles. There¸ they face a world consumed with suspicion¸ sadness¸ and desperation. Struggles for power have deadly consequences; mysterious disappearances plague the region; and those who seem human may not all be so. Amidst all this¸ the sea sends forth strange messages. Will you be the one to listen?
Suspense¸ seafaring and the supernatural all feature in Alas. But they're not what this game is about. We created this game to tell grim stories about the complexities of the human heart. Alas for the Awful Sea is about why people hate¸ and what they fear. It is about desperation and the havoc it wreaks. In this world¸ there are no easy decisions. Friends come at a bitter cost¸ and even defeating enemies can have terrible consequences.
To make Alas for the Awful Sea¸ we drew from the rich history of poor fishing towns in the 19th century. We also drew from local folklore¸ weaving in elements of the fantastical that mirror the beliefs¸ hopes and fears of the town. Based on the rich myth of the Scottish Hebrides¸ this folklore springs forth from the same desolate¸ coastal landscapes that dominate the world of the game.
Alas is grounded in the struggles of ordinary people¸ and is based on real tales that chart the fate and fears of their tellers. It is not a world of high fantasy where might and magic create superhero levels of power. Rather¸ the mystical is dangerous¸ unpredictable¸ and strange. This game is for telling stories like Pans Labyrinth¸ Whale Rider¸ and a grown up Secret of Roan Inish¸ in the setting of 1800s rural British Isles.
Alas is a game is for 3‐5 players and a GM. The heart of the book you will receive is a self-contained adventure that takes four or more sessions to play. However¸ if you enjoy the game¸ Alas contains everything you need to create your own characters¸ encounters and adventure paths. If we reach our stretch goals¸ we will be able to provide even more tools for world creation and encounter generation¸ as well as additional adventures.