Welcome to Gloam

*O'er hill and farm and forest oak,

Trek yonder pilgrims four,

Through dungeons dark and bramble choke,

To otherworld's door.*

Read the RPG Gazette's positive review.

In Gloam, you play as bold human adventurers pushing back against a growing darkness in a fairytale-inspired wilderness. You'll travel through bogs, heathlands, and dark forests, encountering rustic village folk, strange mischievous fey, and grim monsters of myth.

• Designed for a referee and 1-4 players

• Engaging mechanics using Tarot cards instead of dice

• A push-your-luck action resolution mechanic inspired by His Majesty the Worm

• A rich and intuitive Lifepath system using the Tarot symbolism

• Characters defined by their Goals, Instincts, and relationships

• Two magic systems: practical Folk Magic and powerful Arcane Magic

• Beautiful, easy-to use control panel layout

• Rules for Carousing, Hirelings, and Downtime

• Engaging, fast-paced combat

• Wound-based damage system—no hitpoints

• A bestiary of 21 folklore-inspired monsters

• Dungeon and Wilderness exploration rules

• Solo-play Tarot oracles and random tables

• 56 unique magic items

• and more!

Inspirations

Tabletop role-playing games:

• His Majesty the Worm; Josh McCrowell (2024)

This inspired the entire concept of a tarot ttrpg. And I used its core mechanic and very loosely adapted its combat system.

• Forbidden Lands; Free League Publishing (2018)

The concept of a metacurrency that fuels Talents came from this amazing game. I just finished running a Forbidden Lands campaign that lasted 1 ½ years.

• The Burning Wheel Roleplaying Game; Luke Crane (2002)

Inspired me to create Lifepath events that took a certain number of years to create a character backstory.

• Dolmenwood; Gavin Norman (2025)

The fairytale vibe is unmatched here and was undeniably a huge inspiration for Gloam, especially the darker elements.

• Neverland; Andrew Kolb (2020)

I loved Neverland’s graphic design and layout, and its handling of the realm of Fairy.

Video games:

• Dragon’s Dogma; Capcom (2012)

I adored this game’s medieval vibe and its action-rpg take on classic D&D. It has excellent monster design too: ogres, cyclopses, harpies, wolves, manticores, chimeras, dragons, you name it. It inspired some of the monsters in Gloam.

• Shadow of the Colossus; Sony Computer Entertainment (2005)

The art direction and the emotional weight of trying to help someone despite overwhelming odds.

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Nintendo (2017)

Honestly everything about this game influenced Gloam in some way.

• Hollow Knight; Team Cherry (2017)

NPCs come and go, sometimes helping you, sometimes posing an obstacle. The lush environs.

Novels:

• The Lord of the Rings; J.R.R. Tolkien (1954-1955)

Of course. Specifically noble heroes fighting a growing malignant darkness. And the Scouring of the Shire.

• The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories; Lord Dunsany (1908)

His prose evokes exactly the kind of folkloric fairytale feel I was going for. And the Sword itself was inspirational to the way Gloam handles magic items.

• The Dreaming City; Michael Moorcock (1961)

Elric of Melnibone’s first appearance. I don’t know why, but that image of Elric on the throne stuck in my head. Elric’s sword Stormbringer and his magical boat The Ship Which Sails Over Land and Sea were huge influences too.

• The Dream Cycle; H.P. Lovecraft (1918-1932)

Dream visions of far-off fantastical realms.

Film/television:

• The Green Knight; dir. David Lowry (2021)

Weird Arthurian legend vibes.

• The Witch; dir. Robert Eggers (2015)

Folk magic, the inspiration for hags, and the visuals.

• The Northman; dir. Robert Eggers (2022)

In a way this is the perfect Gloam film: a character with a clear backstory driven by his Goal to get revenge on his Foe, he finds a cool magic sword and performs folk magic, etc etc. I swiped his sword: it’s called Draugr in Gloam.

• Over the Garden Wall; Patrick McHale (2015)

Walking talking pumpkin skeletons, the music, the Beast, the Highwayman, the talking woodland creatures… (stop me before I name everything in the show).