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Worlds of OSR+

Ride the Lightning
Steampunk Roguelike
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A Race for Survival

The World is Metal and Lightning

Are you ready for a high-octane steampunk race for survival aboard a battle train? After the Storm, the world is metal and lightning. You know life on the rail and the rail only inside the belly of the world’s last great powers: the battle trains. Aged and strong, the battle trains ferry humanity to the future. You play a passenger, hell bent on survival. May you ride highball or die!

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Explore Featured Content

They Ferry Humanity's Future...

Our Only Defense Against the Storm

The remnants of humanity persist on battle trains. The world outside is a barren wasteland, scoured by an act of god called the Storm, the result of ecological disaster. The Storm is sentient. It seethes with disdain for your survival. But your train is your tribe, and there are others out there who want to take it.

An Act of God...

To Punish Humanity's Last Great Mistake

Each battle train has a devastating weapon of mass destruction affixed to its locomotive. These weapons are forgotten technologies originally designed to prevent ecological collapse, that are now used to fight other trains and ensure the survival of their passengers. Each battle train is powered by a hydrocore that draws its power from the Storm's endless lightning strikes, which charge the rails.

You Start with Nothing...

And Have Nothing to Lose

Nobody will care where you came from. Ever since the Storm blackened the earth, you took to the rails. The rails cross seas of salt, plains of fire, and black mountains. You will probably die. The only thing that’s certain: you will ride the lightning.

Who Will You Be?

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You're Dropped into the World Without Session Zero

Ride the Lightning is a tactical PC grinder chock full of mayhem and violent encounters. Don't get too attached to your character: in fact, we recommend designing two or three going into the adventure. Your GM will not pull any punches, and is actively trying to kill you. Through player skill and clever thinking on the part of your PC, your goal is to survive the chaos and come out on top, a survivor made more powerful to fight another day.

Tutorial Character Creation
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There's No Death's Door

After the old school style, you die at 0 HP. There's no death's door, and there's no wounds in the playthrough. Death on the rail is glory.

Death & Dying

You Start with Nothing

You start without fate points or supply, except a single luxury supply you may declare related to a random prompt given to you at the start of the adventure.

About Supply

Magic as Technology

There is no magic in Ride the Lightning: any spellcasters must fictionalize their magic as based in technology.

About Magic

No Session Zero

We don't care who you are or where you came from. You make a name for yourself by surviving. No one on the party knows anyone else, until it's time to throw them off the train.

Session Zero

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Want to Play This World of OSR+?

We've playtested each of our settings extensively, and have a backlog of 20+ to release online and in print in the near future. But you don't have to wait to play OSR+—register for a free account and start partying like it’s 1974. Sign up for a new player session in our Discord, so we can show you the ropes. There, you can chat with other players, GMs, and the creators of OSR+.

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Get Started

Unleash Your Inner Hero

Access the Core Rules and every World of OSR+ in one place: the Character Creator lets you generate a hero in minutes. With over 4000 possible combinations of origins, classes, and kits, you can create almost any character concept you can imagine. Register now to create a free account!

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