The village of Stonetop is your home. Maybe it wasn’t always, but it is now. And the world out there is darkening, like the sky before a late-summer storm.

These are good people, here in Stonetop. Your kith and your kin.

If you don’t step up to protect them, who will?

Stonetop is a “hearth fantasy” tabletop RPG set in an Iron Age that never was. The players portray the heroes of an isolated village near the edge of the known world. Their adventures focus on dealing with threats to the village and seizing opportunities. These aren’t rootless mercenaries seeking fortune and glory; they’re exceptional people, taking risks on behalf of their friends, family, and neighbors.

Like most tabletop RPGs, Stonetop plays out as a conversation between the game master (GM) and the players, with dice being rolled at key moments to determine which direction the story goes. The game can be played in short runs of 2-4 sessions (each about 3-4 hours long), but is best experienced over a dozen or more sessions.

Stonetop is “Powered by the Apocalypse,” using a system and framework similar to games like Apocalypse World, Monster of the Week, or Masks: a New Generation. It started as a setting guide for Dungeon World, but over 6 years of development and playtesting, it’s become a standalone game. Knowledge of Dungeon World may ease your entry into the game, but it's not a prerequisite for play.

Features of the system include:

•  A rich and well-realized world of gritty Iron Age fantasy adventure, providing enough detail to ground play immediately while leaving plenty of room for the players and GM to make the setting their own.
•  9 distinct types of player-character, each with their own reasons to look out for their community and seek adventure beyond its walls.
•  Rules for governing and improving the village itself across the seasons and over the course of years.
•  Rules for overland travel that capture the excitement of setting out into the unknown and the relief of returning home after a long time away.
•  Hand-drawn maps depicting the village of Stonetop itself, its immediate surroundings, and the extent of the known world.
•  An extensive setting almanac covering important regions, points of interest, neighboring settlements, creatures of the wild, and eerie remnants of past civilizations.
•  A collection of unique magic items, each with special rules for unlocking its mysteries, powers, and dangers.
•  Guidelines and advice for the GM, including step-by-step processes for collaborative customization of the village, adventure creation, and shaping a developing campaign.

“I had a chance to play this with a small group, including one person who usually didn't enjoy RPGs. We only played one session, and he still talks to me about how special it was to him. I would play it again in a heartbeat.” —William H., Vox Arcana Podcast

THE SETTING

A close-knit community burns bright at the edge of the known world, surrounded by mystery and danger. Rainwater collects in the Cistern; iron is shaped at the forge; magic is rare and fearsome; the will of the gods is discerned from the shapes of the clouds. Only the bravest venture far from the Ringwall, but upon these few the future of the village depends. 

Enough setting detail is provided to start everyone on the same page, but as the players create and introduce their heroes, they begin to shape the world to their personal and collective interests. The game text establishes a foundation upon which each group builds their own unique version of Stonetop.

Although extensive guides to the village, its environs, creatures, and other elements are included, this material is designed less as a “setting bible” and more as a toolkit full of prompts and resources for the players and GM to exploit.

"I love the setting, from the ancient ruins and wild places haunted by fae, spirits, and much stranger things (hypnotic baboon-headed snakes!) to the magic that demands sacrifice and promises terrible consequences. Every setting detail is richly evocative and meant to be played, not just read, with countless hooks, prompts, blanks, and questions that have spurred my creativity and my players’ enthusiastic collaboration." —Matt Wetherbee, playtester

THE HEROES

At the start of a new game, each player creates one hero to play. There are nine different archetypes, each with a unique set of possible backgrounds, abilities, and connections to the village, all defined by the players during the first game session: