A new TTRPG Kickstarter has gone live. One that appears to be part of a growing trend of combining genre elements with the posh formal trappings of class-based society. This new project, Our Brilliant Ruin blends formal dresses and dinner parties with existential horror.
The Our Brilliant Ruin Kickstarter
According to its campaign page, Our Brilliant Ruin is a roleplaying game set in Dramark. It is a place where the last fragile remains of society live in the shadow of a dying world. This is thanks to The Ruin, a supernatural force ravaging the earth and losing monstrous creatures.
With this land falling apart and society on the brink of collapse, people are guided by the customs of three communities. Aristocrats lay claim to the evolving legacy of an obsolete society. Truefolk are the workers, the ones that keep Dramark together. And the Unbonded wish to tear down the social order and start anew.
As the summary implies, Our Brilliant Ruin is a game that explores the human drama in an elitist class-based society unraveling after the catastrophe. The setting draws from Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements as well as the Edwardian era and the Belle Époque.
The presence of The Ruin is where the existential horror is introduced. It alters the physiology of objects, causing animals to grow extra limbs, changing flora into deathtraps, corroding metal into useless rust, and transforming humans into monsters. The Ruin will overtake Dramark; it is just a matter of time.
Our Brilliant Ruin has plenty of strong industry talent behind it. The game is written by Justin Achilli (World of Darkness, Assassin's Creed), Rachel J. Wilkinson (Dune: Adventures in the Imperium), and Pam Punzalan (Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel). It will feature an original RPG system using d6s.
The Kickstarter campaign also features several stretch goals. These goals include additional content for the core rulebook like a new chapter detailing various people, places, and conflicts, prewritten stories, and support on the VTT Alchemy.
The different pledge levels for the Our Brilliant Ruin campaign are as follows:
- Digital Only for $15: An early PDF copy of the core rulebook, exclusive digital wallpaper, and all unlocked stretch goals
- Standard Hardcover for $50: Everything above and a physical hardcover copy.
- Brilliant Edition Hardcover for $80: Everything from Digital Only and a Kickstarter-exclusive Brilliant Edition physical hardcover copy.
- Signed Brilliant Edition for $120: Everything from Digital Only and a Kickstarter-exclusive Brilliant Edition physical hardcover copy autographed by the three founders of Studio Hermitage.
- Name An Aristocrat Family for $350: Everything from Signed Brilliant Edition and a chance to work with the designers on naming a minor aristocrat family.
- Name A Secret Society for $350: Everything from Signed Brilliant Edition and a chance to work with the designers on naming a secret society.
- Name An Unbonded Group for $350: Everything form Signed Brilliant Edition and a chance to work with the designers on naming a group of Unbonded.
- Design A Character for $1,500: Everything from the Signed Brilliant Edition and a chance to work with the senior designers to create an original character. Digital art of the character will be sent upon completion.
- Play OBR With The Designers for $2,000: Everything from the Signed Brilliant Edition, and getting to play a four-hour session of the game with the developers.
At the time of writing, the Kickstarter campaign for Our Brilliant Ruin has raised $9.030, less than half of its funding goal of $25,000. The campaign concludes on March 28.
