The Apocalypse Came Not With A Bang,

But with an exhalation of the Crypt Door.

There is still debate on when it happened or even where it began. All that is known is that doorways to what is now called the Crypt have opened all across Earth in an event named the Night of the Open Grave. The dead walked the streets, spirits tore through homes, and monsters of legend and myth stalked openly into the night. The CRYPTIDS had awoken.

All seemed lost in the Hellscape. Nations, even with all their technology, fell. What good are bullets against the wail of a Banshee or a Poltergeist that turns your defenses against you? Each day bore new terrors from the Crypt and marched the world toward doom. There was no hope.

That was until magical practitioners felt a new connection: the ability to channel their gifts into new and fantastical ways. The ancient traditions and incantations and rituals proved to be a preparation for the coming war against the Crypt. It wasn’t long before the tide turned.

Now, the world is stuck in a perpetual state of the early 1990s. Most of the pre-Crypt Door nations and social structures have collapsed and their populations have been slaughtered. Practitioners of magic are fighting back and gaining ground by reclaiming Dead Spaces from the Cryptids and Crypt Cults. All the while, nefarious organizations attempt to take advantage of the weakened world in order to take control.

It’s a long, fraught road ahead, but there is also hope. All it will take is a bit of magic.

What is The Crypt Has Opened?

Americana Horror, Grindhouse Horror, and camp wrapped up in a 90s aesthetic. This is Tales From the Crypt meets The Stand meets Harry Dresden. The setting takes place in an alternate history in which an unknown, malevolent force called The Crypt has invaded and nearly destroyed everything. This has put the world into a post-apocalyptic state of rebuilding. Overall, the technology level is that of the early 1990s, with a few areas still suffering from the impact on infrastructure.

The players take on the role of magical practitioners who draw on their magical Traditions and Tropes to help combat the Crypt, cryptids, and reclaim the Dead Spaces of the world.

What makes the game particularly special is the use of the Imposition Dice System. A narrative first system, it empowers the players to use the full breadth of their imagination to create spells on the fly without the need of an extensive spell list. Through their descriptions and intended goals the Crypt Keeper (game master) will set the difficulty to match. Based on the dice outcome they may encounter one of three outcomes. Success, Success with Consequences, or Failure.

This is a game of magical imagination, creeping horrors, and campy stories.

Pull-Quotes

Your game rules…it feels like fate or pbta with more interesting dice mechanics

Wes Ascolese, Spooky Bell Games

[The Imposition Dice System] I have a feeling is going to be the next Forged In the Dark, the next PbtA.

The Dragon X, Ronin’s Den Podcast

Rules available now!

The SRD rules are available right now on our itch page, for free.

https://whensuddenlygames.itch.io/the-crypt-has-opened

We’ve been in heavy playtest and are gearing up toward pull publication with all the lore, cryptids, and organizations filled out.

Features

• An exciting and well received new dice system called the Imposition Dice System. Players pool together their attribute dice and roll against the GM’s (known here as The Crypt Keeper) Imposition Die, which determines the difficulty of the role.
• A reimagining of well known Cryptids along with a host of new ones!
• Town building rules so players can work together to build up their community surrounded by Dead Spaces.
• 6 Magical Traditions and 10 Tropes allow players to fully realize whatever character concept they desire.
• Heavy emphasis on respecting real world magical traditions. Current rules have had extensive sensitivity readings to ensure a proper respect is paid

Social Media Links

You can follow us @whensuddenly.games on Blue Sky, and @whensuddenlygames on all other social media sites.

More of games are at whensuddenlygames.itch.io

Social Media image package

Credits

Game Design, Artwork, Layout, and Custom Fonts by: Jeffrey N Baker

Developmental Edit: Jacky Leung

Line Edit: C. L. Pieretti

Sensitivity Readers: Jeanette Esparza (Cultural Accuracy Consultant), Theta Chun, Samuel Marlowe

Playtesters: Kirby (Disaster Tourism), C. L. Pieretti, Nathan Edwards, Anita Bridges, dayminkaynin, Melodic Blue, FoxbelleJynxieRose, Mantle Ferox, Dragon X, Penny LeScroche, Sal Furino, Garan Fitzgerald, Lin Davies, Logan Stand, Joseph Byler, GrayBeard, Bryan Pollmeier, Kameron Armstrong, Alex Eden, James Dotson, Tyler Hudak, Renee Ritchie, Alex Campbell, Vhenan Strange, James Swartout, Alyssa Petrey, Sidney Hackney