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The Wheel and the Balance: RPG Starter Kit
Free Quickstart Edition · v0.1
A no-blood fantasy RPG quickstart where every choice has a cost, and every cost leaves an echo.
Download the Starter Kit
PDF · 24 pages · A4 · Free
Download PDFNo sign-up required. Personal, group, and facilitated use permitted.
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What's Inside
Core Rules
d6 dice pool mechanic you can learn in 5 minutes. Roll, count successes, face the consequences.
4 Characters
Noah, Mara, Elliot, and Priya — ready to play, each with a distinct approach to the Grey School.
Resonance States
Four temporary psycho-physical states — Velos, Pondera, Reson, Nul — triggered by emotion, not class.
One-Session Adventure
“First Day” — a complete 90–120 minute introductory scenario with GM prep guide.
What Makes This Game Different
The system is the antagonist. No villain to fight — only an institution that believes it is protecting everyone by making them the same.
No-blood policy. Pain is expressed through heaviness, pressure, distortion, and disconnection — never through gore or physical violence. The 13+ rating is absolute.
Every decision has a cost. And the cost does not always fall on the person who made the decision.
For
- 2–5 players (1 Game Master + 1–4 players)
- Ages 13+
- 90–120 minute session
- 5–7 six-sided dice and pencils
- Family tables, clubs, RPG groups, and facilitated story sessions
Content note: This game includes themes of social pressure, conformity, institutional control, isolation, and emotional distress. It does not include gore, sexual content, physical violence, or self-harm.
Want the full game?
The Player Book and the Game Master Book are now available on DriveThruRPG. They cover complete character creation, expanded resonance and bonds, the four archetypes, the full Coordinator procedures, and the campaign tools the Starter Kit gestures at but doesn’t open up. The Grey School novel and the adventure modules sit beside them.
See the full Wheel & Balance RPG catalog →Follow the project
The Wheel turns. The Balance weighs. The Echo remains.