Codex Volume 3

Volume 3 PDF Bundle

Codex Volume 3 is now available in a reduced-price bundle! You can purchase the bundle by clicking the button below, or keep scrolling to learn about and purchase individual issues. 
Inside Codex - Flame:
  • Fire Ships at Midnight An original story game about the failed Spanish invasion of England in 1588. Will you return to Spain alive or dead? And, more importantly, can you salvage your reputation?
  • A Hand Full of Ashes An original LARP about grief and letting it go. You and the other players have gathered at the wake of someone important to you. Unfinished business will come calling and old wounds will be opened. Will you be able to move on?
  • Matches to Paper Dolls An original letter writing game for two people. Do you remember the first time you fell in love? That crushing, all-consuming sitting-by-the-phone feeling that takes over your days and nights and the spaces in between? This game is all about the one that got away.
  • Three Dozen Separated Lovers.
  • 5 original illustrations.
  • Custom layout by Jake Householder.
Inside Codex - Joy 2:
  • Storm Riders! A game about action hero cartoons of the 1980s and the people who love them. Gameplay alternates between portraying characters from a gonzo fantasy world, portraying a person in the real-world who loves the show those characters exist in, and even participating in meta narratives such as TV commercials airing during the show and meetings with the Broadcast Standards board. Storm Riders was chosen as one of The Gauntlet’s Favorite Games of 2018!
  • A Feast of Jovial Moments Written for use in Epidiah Ravachol’s Swords Without Master, as ideas for Thunders, Feats Heroic, or even a simple roll. Also useful for inspiring fantastical tales of roguery and adventure.
  • Grandma’s Drinking Song A role-playing, verse-writing, song-singing game for 4 players about a matriarchal family of bootleggers during Prohibition! It was written by Lucian Kahn, author of the popular story game Dead Friend.
  • True Beauty A campaign framework for Monsterhearts 2 that sets the game in the middle of the ballroom scene of 1980s Harlem. The story focuses on the members of House Diamante, including a Unicorn who has recently left the world of high fashion. Will the members of House Diamante be able to survive the diabolical machinations of their house mother? And who will win a trophy at the famous Legends Ball?
  • 3 Dozen Local Holidays and Celebrations.
  • 6 original illustrations.
  • A custom layout by Jake Householder.
Inside Codex - Dark 2:
  • Ghost Drums This LARP uses a Guatemalan ghost story as the basis for a game that explores themes of colonialism and regret. The Spanish-language version of the game is included in the downloads for this issue.
  • A Repast of Glum Moments Written for use in Epidiah Ravachol’s Swords Without Master, as ideas for Thunders, Feats Heroic, or even a simple roll. Also useful for inspiring fantastical tales of sorcery and mystery.
  • Trophy This is a dark fantasy game about psychological horror. Players are treasure-seekers pushing deeper and deeper into a forest that does not want them there. Core rules for the game are here, along with advice on how to create your own scenarios, called Incursions. A sample Incursion, The Tomb of 10,000 Dreams, is also included. Future issues of Codex will contain new Incursions and other supplemental material for Trophy.
  • Orchestra of Oblivion This feature contains new Bloodlines for Jay Iles’s excellent gothic horror game, Rhapsody of Blood. The downloads for this issues include separate character sheets and play aids for Orchestra of Oblivion.
  • Three Dozen Constellations.
  • 6 original illustrations.
  • A custom layout by Jake Householder and Jesse Ross.
Inside Codex - Emerald:
  • Emerald City Drama Club A surreal and dream-like campaign framework for Monsterhearts 2 about putting on a high school production of The Wizard of Oz. BONUS: Download includes The Harpy skin updated for Monsterhearts 2.
  • Dark Designs in Verdigris An original game about the Emerald City’s seedy underbelly. Mechanics are inspired by World of Dungeons and other OSR systems.
  • Doolhoven An 18-page supplement for Dungeon World that explores a lost dwarven civilization.
  • A new supplement for Trophy, the groundbreaking game of psychological horror and dark fantasy first featured in Codex - Dark 2.
  • Three Dozen Jeweled Treasures (Allegedly Blessed or Cursed), a miscellany.
  • 9 original illustrations.
  • Custom layout by Jake Householder and Jesse Ross.
Inside Codex - Bone:
  • Paranormal Minstrels An original game about a Victorian-era society of musicians who use their talents to subdue the spirits tormenting their well-to-do clientele.
  • The Ruins in Cracked Earth An alternative method of setting creation for the game Dungeon World that uses archeological questions to establish details about an ancient civilization.
  • A Shroud for the Seneschal An original game about cultural appropriation, colonialism, funerals and insulting people through art.
  • A new supplement for Trophy, the ground-breaking game of psychological horror and dark fantasy first features in Codex - Dark 2.
  • Three Dozen Things that are Terribly Wrong With these Bones, a miscellany.
  • Eight original illustrations.
  • Custom layout by Jake Householder and Jesse Ross.
Inside Codex - Screams:
  • No One Can Hear You A 90s sci-fi horror quickstart for the game Veil 2020. Veil 2020 can be found in Codex - Chrome 2.
  • Slasher A collaborative horror game, Powered by the Apocalypse. Create your characters and gradually reveal their killer as they are cut down one-by-one. Features cut-out standees and character sheets.
  • A new supplement for Trophy, the groundbreaking game of psychological horror and dark fantasy first featured in Codex - Dark 2.
  • Blood in the Arena This hack of the classic story game The Final Girl is about a community of gladiators—their losses and triumphs, their honor and sacrifice. Can be played as a one-shot or a multi-session arc.
  • Three Dozen Things that Definitely Aren’t Right Behind You, a miscellany.
  • 10 original illustrations.
  • Custom layout by Jake Householder and Jesse Ross.
Inside Codex - Sunlight:
  • In a New Light A duet game about world-building and exploration that combines solarpunk and weird fiction influences set in the near future.
  • The Star Tree An adventure setting for Dungeon World, including the major locales, geography, people, and creatures of the Great Star Tree and the Dark Plains.
  • The Election of the Wine Queen A digital black box LAOG (live action online game) about a wine festival in rural Germany which features interpersonal drama, unspoken desire, and SINGING!
  • A new supplement for Trophy, the groundbreaking game of psychological horror and dark fantasy first featured in Codex - Dark 2.
  • Three Dozen Strange Plants
  • 8 original illustrations.
  • Custom layouts by Jake Householder and Jesse Ross.
Inside Codex - Hunger:
  • The Way to Wit’s End A Dungeon World campaign framework set during a dark and melancholic pilgrimage to find forgiveness and redemption.
  • Born of Brier and Blood An original game about creatures of folklore losing their power over a village as it modernizes.
  • A new expansion for Trophy, the groundbreaking game of psychological horror and dark fantasy first featured in Codex - Dark 2.
  • Three Dozen Coveted Collector’s Items
  • 6 original illustrations.
  • Custom layout by Jesse Ross.
Inside Codex - Glamour 2:
  • The Pines A game of GAY HORROR!!! It’s the annual Fire Island Pines party and lovable twunk Chad has gone missing. Can you locate him before you are assimilated? And what, exactly, is the ritual taking place on the beach tonight?
  • The Decadent Ascent A new expansion for the game Trophy, featuring Fellow Travelers, A List of Regretful Bargains and the Decadent Ascent incursion.
  • Once Again, We Return Every 90 years, 12 gods return as young people. They are loved. They are hated. In 2 years, they are all dead. This overlay for Monsterhearts 2 takes its inspiration from The Wicked + The Divine comic book by Kieron Gillen.
  • The Mutha They needed you before it went to shit. They need you now more than ever. Some people crumple and fold before the terror. Fuck them, hunty. It's the beautiful few you care about, the bright souls shining all glitz and glam in the grime that you collect. A family of outliers in a world looking to crush them. A new playbook for Apocalypse World.
  • Makeup Moments This LAOG (Live Action Online Game) is about people putting on makeup together just before they head out to some event. The game leverages video conference technology to simulate being the in the same room together, putting on makeup in a mirror. An experience grounded in yearning and emotion. No experience with makeup required!
  • Throne of the Forest Queen Yet another new expansion for Trophy. This one features Treasured Guests of the Fae and the new incursion, Throne of the Forest Queen.
  • 11 original illustrations.
  • Custom layout by Jake Householder and Jesse Ross.
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