Title: DIE: Hellbent Heaven
Game: DIE RPG on the CitM Discord(see notes)
Player count: 4-5, depending on interest
Figure 1: Hans, Stephanie. “Die Ensemble.” DIE Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker. Image Comics, 2019.
I’ve invited you to join my game. We were friends, once upon a time— or perhaps we weren’t and we merely hung out due to social conventions, because you were hanging out with my sibling, or our parents made us, or we are co-workers and this is my attempt for coworker bonding, or we are all in the same hospital ward. Who knows? Maybe I’ve told you about how I got the dice set that was rumored to be used by those kids that disappeared for six years before returning, half-starved and half-crazed with fantastical tales. Maybe I haven’t. Does it matter? Who can resist the lure of a bunch of dice?
Come join me for a night. Let’s play a game— a new game, like you’ve never played before. You’ll enjoy it, I promise.
Roll the die.
DIE RPG?
DIE is a role-playing game where a group of people find themselves transported from their mundane lives to a fantasy world. In this fantasy world, they have adventures and try to find their way home – or not. n arriving in the world, each comes into possession of one of the six titular dice of the comic and is entirely transformed into a heroic identity.
As such, each player generates two characters. The identity of the person in the mundane world, and the identity of the person in the fantasy world. (Gillen 7)
DIE is a (narrative heavy) roleplaying game based on the Image Comics series DIE by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans. Developed by Gillen, a RPG aficionado, it runs much like DND— the players say what they want to do, the GM says what happens and if it’s uncertain mechanics come into play.
DIE is described as horror-fantasy, but how much it leans towards either depends wholly on the players. It is good to keep in mind that due to the nature of some classes, there might be themes such as issues with consent and addiction in play. One of the classes is basically ‘bards, but their enchantment magic is a little more forceful’. I will make sure to address these before we start the game— I don’t tolerate creepy shenanigans that make people uncomfortable.
But Kitt, you ask, you’re being sparse on the details of the world and classes? Yes, I am! Partially because I think the game will be most fun if you’re not spoiled on what classes there are prior to game, and partially because the world doesn’t exist prior to character creation.
So how does it work?
The game will start off with creating mundane world characters. It will be done collaboratively— everybody’s characters will start off knowing each other. We will decide how; perhaps they are an old tabletop group. Perhaps they’re at a convention, or in a hospital ward. Perhaps they’re playing this at a writer’s retreat. The possibilities are endless?
These characters are meant to be genuine and flawed. Their flaws will form the basis for not only the world, but also what class they will be assigned. In DIE, the GM assigns classes based on the mundane character you create— though of course, I’ll ask for your input. These classes are based on dice and each have their own special abilities. Then the game starts, and the mundane characters will find themselves caught up in a tale of mystery— and danger.
Other important notes.
The current game is in beta. I don’t have much experience with games outside of DND 5e. Still, I would really like to give it a try, and I hope you guys can be patient with me trying to figure out the game. I’ve added the Core Rules Cheat Sheet to the post so you can see what the mechanics look like. If you really want to spoil yourself, you can find the rules here. Additionally, I'll be doing some academic stuff and I’ll be a little busier until Tuesday.
Gillen, Kieron and Stephanie Hans. “Die Ensemble.” DIE Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker. Image Comics, 2019.
Hans, Stephanie. DIE #7 Cover. Image Comics, 2019.
Game: DIE RPG on the CitM Discord(see notes)
Player count: 4-5, depending on interest
Figure 1: Hans, Stephanie. “Die Ensemble.” DIE Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker. Image Comics, 2019.
I’ve invited you to join my game. We were friends, once upon a time— or perhaps we weren’t and we merely hung out due to social conventions, because you were hanging out with my sibling, or our parents made us, or we are co-workers and this is my attempt for coworker bonding, or we are all in the same hospital ward. Who knows? Maybe I’ve told you about how I got the dice set that was rumored to be used by those kids that disappeared for six years before returning, half-starved and half-crazed with fantastical tales. Maybe I haven’t. Does it matter? Who can resist the lure of a bunch of dice?
Come join me for a night. Let’s play a game— a new game, like you’ve never played before. You’ll enjoy it, I promise.
Roll the die.
DIE RPG?
DIE is a role-playing game where a group of people find themselves transported from their mundane lives to a fantasy world. In this fantasy world, they have adventures and try to find their way home – or not. n arriving in the world, each comes into possession of one of the six titular dice of the comic and is entirely transformed into a heroic identity.
As such, each player generates two characters. The identity of the person in the mundane world, and the identity of the person in the fantasy world. (Gillen 7)
DIE is a (narrative heavy) roleplaying game based on the Image Comics series DIE by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans. Developed by Gillen, a RPG aficionado, it runs much like DND— the players say what they want to do, the GM says what happens and if it’s uncertain mechanics come into play.
DIE is described as horror-fantasy, but how much it leans towards either depends wholly on the players. It is good to keep in mind that due to the nature of some classes, there might be themes such as issues with consent and addiction in play. One of the classes is basically ‘bards, but their enchantment magic is a little more forceful’. I will make sure to address these before we start the game— I don’t tolerate creepy shenanigans that make people uncomfortable.
But Kitt, you ask, you’re being sparse on the details of the world and classes? Yes, I am! Partially because I think the game will be most fun if you’re not spoiled on what classes there are prior to game, and partially because the world doesn’t exist prior to character creation.
So how does it work?
The game will start off with creating mundane world characters. It will be done collaboratively— everybody’s characters will start off knowing each other. We will decide how; perhaps they are an old tabletop group. Perhaps they’re at a convention, or in a hospital ward. Perhaps they’re playing this at a writer’s retreat. The possibilities are endless?
These characters are meant to be genuine and flawed. Their flaws will form the basis for not only the world, but also what class they will be assigned. In DIE, the GM assigns classes based on the mundane character you create— though of course, I’ll ask for your input. These classes are based on dice and each have their own special abilities. Then the game starts, and the mundane characters will find themselves caught up in a tale of mystery— and danger.
Other important notes.
The current game is in beta. I don’t have much experience with games outside of DND 5e. Still, I would really like to give it a try, and I hope you guys can be patient with me trying to figure out the game. I’ve added the Core Rules Cheat Sheet to the post so you can see what the mechanics look like. If you really want to spoil yourself, you can find the rules here. Additionally, I'll be doing some academic stuff and I’ll be a little busier until Tuesday.
Works cited
Gillen, Kieron. DIE RPG Beta Manual V1. DIEcomic, 2019. DIE RPG Open Beta. Accessed 24 January 2019.Gillen, Kieron and Stephanie Hans. “Die Ensemble.” DIE Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker. Image Comics, 2019.
Hans, Stephanie. DIE #7 Cover. Image Comics, 2019.
