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Some readers might have noticed a new link on the left called “Pilgrim’s Passages”. That link will take you to a series of pages that include all of the current rules for Pilgrim’s Passages. The rules are totally free. A word of caution though, it is not totally complete. This might be an odd way to post a rule set and it might be rougher than you are expecting. This is mostly due to my relationship with this art form and hobby changing a bit. No editor has touched the rules yet, and may never touch it. I can’t justify that cost on something that I am doing for myself and my game. If I do a print run of the rules in the future I will spring for an editor but that is still a ways off.
Mechanically, it doesn’t clearly adhere to any existing genre of RPG, at least one that I know of. Some might compare it to Wanderhome but more simulationist, or maybe Ryuutama without the referee class. The quick pitch is that it’s an OSR-inspired rule set intended to focus less on dungeon crawling and combat and more on over-land travel and crafting. There are unique mechanics for inventory management, diegetic character advancement, conflict resolution, travel, crafting, spell casting, and much more! I have run classic OSR modules in the system and it works. (Shout out to Black Wyrm of Brandsford for being the best in Pilgrim’s so far!)
To dive into what it is about, your players will be playing as pilgrims. Wanderers, road wardens, craftsfolk, and mystics. Think Dogs in the Vineyard but less religious and more spiritual. The setting is my house setting, an extension of the world from A Rasp of Sand but set after the events of Rasp. I will be writing more about this in the future. Maybe even some modules, it’s been too long. Currently the details of the setting are pretty sparse in the document but I am actively adding to the document weekly.
The base mechanics are 100% done. The supporting writing is probably 80% done. The tables and other ephemera is around 50% done. In other words it is totally playable, but is rough in some spots. I am at the tricky part of writing a system, “can other folks who I haven’t taught learn this game?” PLEASE leave comments/feedback on the pages when you find anything confusing, silly, or broken. Much love to any who help out.
Y’all I really love writing for and playing this system. Not trying to toot my own horn here, it is just a blast running a system that you tailored to you, and your tables’, tastes. I want to write modules that are compatible for these rules, I think it is a style of game that doesn’t have a ton of module support at the moment and I want to fill that. So, the module I am currently working on is a follow-up to A Rasp of Sand. I was waiting for a good idea to make something in that world again and I think I have one. A word of warning though, it will be pretty different from the OG module, much more overland travel much less dungeon. Hopefully all of this will be out this year, that’s the current goal.
Thanks for reading and being here folks, Traveler’s Rest will be the best place to hear updates on Pilgrim’s and future projects. One final thing, thank you so much for reading and playing my works. It genuinely means the world to me. Here’s to a fantastic 2024!
