Return to Dark Tower tabletop RPG has players fighting against their own GM
All against the Adversary.
The official tabletop roleplaying game based on the Return to Dark Tower board game will have players trying to defeat their own game master.
Return to Dark Tower Fantasy Roleplaying is an upcoming RPG adapted from the recent board game remake of the classic tabletop title Dark Tower – Return to Dark Tower. (Published by Restoration Games in 2022.) Initially revealed in June 2021, the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the TRPG is now live and has unveiled additional information about the roleplaying game.
In the description section for the Return to Dark Tower Fantasy Roleplaying Kickstarter, it was revealed that players will be teaming up against their own GM – known as the Maze Controller or MC - during the TRPG. The GM will be taking on the role of the players’ Adversary, representing an overlord figure that’s similar to the villains found in previous Dark Tower board games. A MC for Return to Dark Tower Fantasy Roleplaying can even choose to become one of the existing evils from the Dark Tower universe, such as the Bane of Omens or the Ash Strider.
As the Adversary, the MC will be in charge of running the game sessions and subsequently plotting against the players using whatever resources they have available to them. The fantasy tabletop RPG is compatible with the Mazes TRPG, which is built on the Polymorph gameplay system wherein each player has a single die to represent their character’s respective abilities and their individual roles within the group.
At the start of the game, players each create a hero and companion character – both originally from one of the Four Kingdoms in the Dark Tower universe – who will have their own abilities that they can utilise against the Adversary and their minions. The players then travel the world of Dark Tower in search of valuable allies, armies and artefacts to employ in their fight to defeat the Adversary. During their quests, the players in Dark Tower Fantasy Roleplaying will be attempting to either gain more power themselves or trying to reduce the Adversary’s advantages.
However, players will be racing against time to gather enough strength to defeat the Adversary, with the RPG having a ‘clock’ that the Adversary will be keeping track of. Every plot that the MC employs will take place over a certain amount of time, with successfully completed plots pushing things closer to the final battle – wherein the players face-off against the Adversary with whatever advantages they’ve managed to obtain up to then.
Return to Return Dark Tower Fantasy Roleplaying was created and is set to be published by 9th Level Games, with the RPG being designed by 9th Level’s Chris O’ Neill, published by Heather O’ Neill, edited by Adriel Lee Wilson and with writing contributions from Nat Mesnard.
The Kickstarter campaign for Return to Dark Tower Fantasy Roleplaying is live until June 30th, with a pledge of $50 (£40) getting backers a copy of the physical game in May 2023. Alternatively, a digital-only version of the RPG is available for a pledge of $25 (£20).