It was suggested I begin a thread on games I like, so here goes...

Spire: The City Must Fall. For those who don't know, it's a really weird and cool fantasy setting based in the titular Spire, a mile-tall megastructure that was, until about a century ago, controlled by the drow. The aelfir High Elves invaded and took it over, all but enslaving the drow, placing each them under a four year durance when they come of age. The base concept is you play drow revolutionaries of the Ministry, a clandestine organization devoted to tearing down the aelfir.

The system might be enjoyable to those who prefer not to have a meta currency and the only narrative bits are adjudicating what's known as Fallout (the end result of bad things happening). It's got a similar vibe to Blades in the Dark while steering away from player-driven narrative "Nope!" mechanics. The only “storygamey” bits are coming up with descriptions of results, otherwise it’s math.

The system is rolling up to 4 (rarely more) D10s and depending on the result it decides if you succeed, succeed with Stress, and so on. Stress is applied to one of your Resistances, which are damn cool. They are as follows:

Blood-physical harm, fatigue, etc.
Mind-willpower, mental drain, terror, physic damage, etc.
Silver-your fiscal "health", buying power, investments, etc.
Reputation-social currencies, popularity, etc.
Shadow-anonymity, clandestine protection, etc.

Take enough Stress to a Resistance and you get the aforementioned Fallout. The severity of the Fallout is based on your Stress level; the higher the Stress the worse the Fallout. That can be whatever is appropriate and the GM decides. Blood Fallout could be a "bruised jaw" all the way to "holding in your guts". Shadow Fallout might be "the neighbors are suspicious" up to "the Solar Guard is burning down your safe house...with you in it". It's pretty awesome to track things beyond mental and physical health.

Where it really shines is the setting and the classes. It's crazy and PCs can get insane(ly cool) powers. One class, the Firebrand (revolutionary provocateur) can literally become a thought...a mantra or song of the revolution carried in the minds of those who believe. The mercantile Azurites can literally buy away wounds as they sacrifice money to the gods. The Midwives (the caregiver of the drow eggs) can become terrifying spider hybrids in defense of drow society. The Bound pray to the small gods in their gear, strengthening their armor or unleashing the hungering god of their blade. They have an ability to always have one last sip in the bottle..one last smoke in the crumpled pack. The Knights have abilities that range from knowing where the nearest bar is all the way to a Sword in the Stone quest. One of my favorite classes is the Vermissian Sage, a scholar who studies and draws upon the roiling, dangerous tear in reality resting in the center of Spire: the Heart.

They have really awesome demonology stuff which is brutally terrifying. Priests who have waxen organs and become a living hive for sacred bees. Urban ranger-like Carrion priests bonded with a hyena, eventually able to meld with it, turning into a massive hyena-monster. There's a cult who implant shards from a massive crystal intelligence into their brains and then can link to a mystical data-hive. Secret societies, horrible truths hidden, cults, vigilantes, etc.

You play as drow but there are humans, high elves, gnolls, gutterkin goblins and so on. The setting feels almost cyberpunk, especially with its "Fight the Man!" vibe. What's cool is that you decide how intense you fight. Are you a vigilante "drow Batman" in Perch fighting drug lords and gangs? Are you an Azurite banker playing chess with money to weaken a corrupt council? Are you an Idol who uses their celebrity to influence high society? Do you play as a Mask and bring your master's plans to ruin right under their noses? You can be a murderous Firebrand terrorist no better than the aelfir. Or a noble Lahjan priest tending to the sick and poor.

One thing I really liked was the sidebar on slavery. It wasn't preachy or self-loathing and was done well. While anyone can tune the dial to take the game as "Black power uprising against the rich whiteness!", I haven't seen that in there. My point is that those sick of preachy games won’t find it smacking them in the face. It’s only there if you look for it.

Anyway, I haven't played it yet but have been absolutely loving what I have read. Even if the system isn't your taste, the dark, creepy, weird setting has ton of awesome, original ideas and I feel it's well worth a look.

I hadn't heard of that, but the setting sounds quite intriguing... not so sure about the rules.
The revolutionary plotline also grabs my interest.

I've played it for a couple of sessions - I was one of the hyena-priests. It has a great background. System seemed solid, although we didn't get to try any "high-level" stuff. Would definitely play it again.

This one is on my radar a long time. The setting and classes are crazy good. Wish my group gave it a try.

It's cool to see others like it. I'm all for sharing ideas and such about it, if people like.

I did see this game on kickstarter but for some reason just could not interested in the premise.  Not sure why because I am a fan of all things Drow.

It's a shame Spire wasn't nominated for this year's #ENnies, and had I known about it earlier I would have pushed for it. $25 bucks for a PDF is a little high for me though, so I'm waiting for it to be on sale again or bundled with a bunch of other products in the line.

The quickstart was a #Kickstarter exclusive, but for those curious there's an SRD of sorts for the system on DriveThru called The Resistance Toolbox.

The publishers are also currently having an open playtest of their next game Heart which you can sign up for here.

Quote from: Anon Adderlan;1095412It's a shame Spire wasn't nominated for this year's #ENnies, and had I known about it earlier I would have pushed for it. $25 bucks for a PDF is a little high for me though, so I'm waiting for it to be on sale again or bundled with a bunch of other products in the line.

The quickstart was a #Kickstarter exclusive, but for those curious there's an SRD of sorts for the system on DriveThru called The Resistance Toolbox.

The publishers are also currently having an open playtest of their next game Heart which you can sign up for here.

Heart is actually crazier, if that's possible. My only potential bugaboo is that it's got a "different-but-largely-the-same" system than Spire. That's not bad, and maybe it's a refinement, but it'd be cool to mix the two easily. Even so, it shouldn't be too difficult, especially narratively.

If you want a hardcopy they will get it to you very fast.  I ordered the whole nine yards of it so I could avoid the $25 shipping multiple times.

Ordered it on a Monday, shipped on Tuesday, got to me (across the pond) on Wednesday.

Looking through it now it's quite good.
A bit of a fantasy Necromunda, with a hint of Bioshock Infinite... and the maps bring Fallen London to mind.
The rules seem nowhere near as storygamey as I'd expected.

Quote from: Simlasa;1095523Looking through it now it's quite good.
A bit of a fantasy Necromunda, with a hint of Bioshock Infinite... and the maps bring Fallen London to mind.
The rules seem nowhere near as storygamey as I'd expected.

Bioshock isn't a thing I connected to it. Interesting, especially with the Deep Apiarists. As far as the rules go, I enjoy how the math offers little "blocks" to fill in narratively.

Quote from: Alderaan Crumbs;1095526Bioshock isn't a thing I connected to it.

Only in the sense of underclass revolution in a preposterous urban setting.

Quote from: Simlasa;1095523and the maps bring Fallen London to mind.

Funny you mention that.

Quote from: Anon Adderlan;1095553Funny you mention that.

Oh! I knew about Skyfarer but didn't realize the authors.
The only trouble is that the larger Fallen London setting is not extensively covered anywhere because the profit for the computer games comes from keeping much of it mysterious. There's a wiki, but it's not what you'd usually want to run a game.
You really need to play through the games and keep notes, try to draw maps... create your own version of it.

Quote from: Simlasa;1095532Only in the sense of underclass revolution in a preposterous urban setting.

No, I was agreeing, apologies if it seemed otherwise. I just didn't make the connection until you mentioned it, so good link. Super powered body horror dissidents? Yeah, totally Bioshock.