Centuries ago the forces of Hell learned that just because they’re made of pure, elemental evil doesn’t mean they’re immune to artillery fire. Since then, the world has been learning that just because you defeat the forces of Hell doesn’t mean you’re immune to the threat of evil.
Though great strides have been made toward recovering from the apocalyptic demon war, the world’s economy, ecosystem and societies are far from fully healed.
Nations of the world have recently begun saber rattling as if they’d forgotten how much they detest the prospect of war. Even intimations of hostility stir memories of infernal machinations; the precursors to full, demonic invasion.
Some have begun to wonder whether this new threat of conflict is simple mortal greed. How would they even distinguish it from the manipulations of lurking devils?
Fiend Wake is a table-top role-playing game set in the politically tense aftermath of an apocalyptic demon war. In it, you build characters that explore the ruins of obliterated civilizations and try to maintain the delicate peace between the surviving nations.
If you’re unfamiliar with RPG’s, the best way to learn may be by example. Try watching any of the following videos to get a sense for the sorts of fun people have.
The fellows from Penny Arcade run an RPG called “Acquisitions Incorporated” where they cuss a lot and engage in some amusing RPG shenanigans.
http://bit.ly/2bHOd53
This group finds films you’re probably familiar with and makes RPG sessions out of them. Here’s their rendition of Disney’s “Frozen:”
Part 1: http://www.filmreroll.com/?p=24
Part 2: http://www.filmreroll.com/?p=27
Part 3: http://www.filmreroll.com/?p=31
The Geek and Sundry crew play a session of the classic RPG Paranoia:
https://youtu.be/oWEDpT1gByI
For the most part, the things you’ll need to play a game of Fiend Wake are household items. You may already have a bunch of them laying around your place.
Fiend Wake simply doesn’t work with just one or two players. To really make the game worth the time, you will need three or more people (but probably no more than seven). These will have to be people that you’re comfortable being around for multiple hours so choose wisely.
Gaming is never worth your time without something tasty to gorge yourself upon. This is the time for your cheat meal (because we know you’re committed to a nutritious diet). We encourage players to do it potluck style where everyone brings something to share so everyone’s mouths can be thoroughly busy.
You don’t need to know all the rules in this book in order to play but you should understand the general mechanics: rolling dice, the flow of combat, how to work your character. This book teaches you these things while telling the story of the world of Fiend Wake.
It’s pretty safe to assume that if you’re reading this, you’re already well on your way to understanding the game. If you want to share the rules with the other members of your play group, the basic rule book is available for free download at the web site:
http://fiendwake.com
While many other table-top RPG’s make use of a wide array of polyhedral dice, Fiend Wake uses twelve-sided dice exclusively. Tradition refers to them as “D12’s.”
You can get by with a single die but three to four dice per player is recommended. Dice may be purchased at your friendly local game store, and sometimes school supply stores have them as well.
Character data is recorded on a piece of paper called a “character sheet.” If you want one of the fancy character sheets, you can find them on the Fiend Wake web site and print them out. If simple ruled paper is good enough for you, we salute you.
Because character data changes over time, it’s better to use a pencil than a pen. You may also find sticky notes and index cards handy additions to your supplies for recording things like items in your character’s inventory, spells that your character has cast or barnyard animals that your character has a crush on (we won’t judge).
There is some game data that fluctuates rapidly. We recommend you use poker chips to track this information because they’re the right size, come in various colors, and are just fun to handle.
Good alternatives include glass beads, coins, spare dice (just make sure you don’t confuse them for dice that you roll), and anything that will fit stably on your character sheet and comes in at least three varieties of size, color, or shape.
An indispensable element of playing any table-top RPG is a good imagination. Being able to immerse yourself in the fantasy world and making your character a generally nifty part of the game’s story is a task that calls for mighty creativity. If you want to sit idly and be spoon fed visceral stimuli, go play a video game.