spiritkeep is an upcoming multiplayer campaign-length ttrpg that helps players heal from trauma through play
spiritkeep is a community restoration game where the player characters comprise a special taskforce who undertake missions such as diplomacy, intelligence gathering, rescuing potential allies, seeking boons from powerful spirits, stopping ecological damage, and more in order to heal their dying town ... whether they're trying to be helpful, running from legal consequences, seeking stability, or grasping at belonging, this group of lost souls are on this journey together. there is no giving up until this place can be a home
players collaboratively craft a region and a town together in a world full of nature, diverse peoples, and spirits. then, the game master guides them on journeys into the world designed to help players heal from complex trauma during long-term play
a sunfolk knight and naturefolk/wisp shepherd by @paladinbaby
player characters in spiritkeep are based on storybook tropes. their archetype and paragon define the role they fit into in the story. are you a knight or a shepherd? a revolutionary or a ghost? a damsel or a trickster? your choice out of 18 total options gives you abilities called keywords that shape how you interact with the mechanics and the world around you
sneak peek at the lonesome and the minder
though almost everyone in spiritkeep is human, humans in this world are diverse and often magical. you probably come from one of several lineages that has been bound to the magic of the world by the many kinds of spirits that live around you. sunfolk burn bright, but have to be careful not to hurt others. animalfolk have been blessed - or cursed - with the traits of predators and prey. you may even come from a mixed lineage, meaning there are many hundreds of possible combinations to start your character with
sneak peek at dreamfolk, wisps, and mixed lineages
in spiritkeep, players work collaboratively to flesh out the world and its local cultures and societies as well as the town they're trying to restore. but in this game, the world is always animist, full of nature, and full of many kinds of spirits. you may seek help from the great spirit of the mountain ... or the meek house spirit who lives in your fireplace. a human-like spirit may accompany you to aid you on a journey ... or you may struggle past the nightmare of a violent spirit beyond your comprehension
through it all, you must take care of your own personal spirit, through which you can unlock memories, heal from harm, gain advancements and boons, and even change your role in the story
a dreamfolk wayfarer by @astrophysician
players interact with the mechanics through a full set of dice, rolled in pairs. choosing which dice to roll indicates the level of effort your PC is putting into their action. larger dice are a limited resource gained through rolling the smaller ones, meaning you have to pace yourself and learn from failure in order to have a better chance to succeed later. however, consistently putting all your effort into actions can lead to burnout, which leads to conditions, which leads to breakdowns ... potentially harming yourself or the mission
your stats indicate various strategies you can take to overcome a challenge rather than concrete skills, and are also added in pairs. they represent how you think, how you embody yourself in the world, and what you value. there are no good or bad stats to have, only different strategies helpful in different contexts. will you roll Gentle + Tactful to sway the nervous princess to your side? will you need to roll Grounded + Hardy to safely weather the sudden storm?
game masters are supported in spiritkeep with varying levels of NPC creation, lists of prompts, roll tables for missions and complications, and a great amount of advice. GMs will have a lot of agency over the story without pre-defining the narrative or character arcs, guided by the players' collaborative worldbuilding as well as prompts and questions built into the PC's playbooks
the game is designed based on scholarship from therapeutically applied ttrpg, trauma, play therapy, and disability experts. the creator, Luka Brave (that's me!), has a masters degree in writing studies and psychology with a focus in game studies, and a work history in neurodivergent-focused social work, disability advocacy, and community service.
spiritkeep is the subject of my thesis
an animalfolk alchemist by @bbonbonss
if you like my work, you can follow along with me:
questions, feedback, or offers of collaboration or sponsorship can be sent to luka (at) psychhound (dot) com
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