THE BLOOM
A downloadable ttrpg Adventure
Nominated for an Ennie! Best Adventure Long Form!
Our Bloody Disgusting Horror Magazine Feature: TTRPG ‘The Bloom’ Combines ‘Alan Wake’ With ‘The Last of Us’ in a Surreal Adventure [Review] - Bloody Disgusting (bloody-disgusting.com)
- - -
In print at Space Penguin Ink!
- - -
"I Want To Go Home" a soundtrack for The Bloom:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5OOPvMcLTtZ5cuNwYY4Xlf?si=48a9811bde674b30
- - -
Abstract
Out a ways from the big city lies the town of Coldwater, named after the body of water it borders. Coldwater is a complacent place and its residents prefer it that way, thank you very much. Most townsfolk will greet you with a smile, but asking about the Incident from about a year back will get you met with cold stares and abruptly shut doors. But here’s the thing, folks have started disappearing again, and this time it was out-of-towners.
The Bloom is a sandbox adventure for Liminal Horror. Something sinister is creeping beneath the town of Coldwater. Campers have gone missing, but the townsfolk won’t say a word and the authorities are less than helpful. Can your team of Investigators find out the truth and save the town before it’s too late?
Touchstones
- Alan Wake (2010) - Remedy Entertainment
- What Moves the Dead (2022) - T. Kingfisher
- Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017) - Mark Frost & David Lynch
- The Last of Us (2013) - Naughty Dog
- Stranger Things (2016 -; present) - The Duffer Brothers
- Ben 10, Camp Fear (2006) - Man of Action
- Dark (2017-2020) - Baran bo Odar & Jantje Friese
- Wolverine: The Long Night (2018) - Marvel New Media
- Desert Moon of Karth (2021) - Joel Hines
- Feast (2021) - Chris Bissette
- Dying Light (2015) - Techland
What's in THE BLOOM:
- Includes multiple formats for play (starting fresh, integrating into a campaign, one-shots).
- A DOOM clock that tracks the escalating threat descending on Coldwater. Tied to investigation phases (6 hour increments).
- Custom Character Creation designed to be used specifically with this adventure.
- 20 custom backgrounds including equipment and motivations..
- 10 key NPCs, each with stats, description, desires, secrets, and how they connect socially..
- Enemies: there is a section on Hosts (including four main iterations) as well as the main threat in the module (the Hyrdra) as well as statted NPCs and some location specific enemies..
- Locations: The town of Coldwater Lake and its surroundings offers a major sandbox for players to explore (that changes as the DOOM clock progresses).
- Coldwater Proper (which includes 12 keyed locations within).
- Coldwater Camp (which includes 8 locations to investigate the disappearances)
- Haru’s Cabin (a small cabin deep in the woods that is home to something much older that Coldwater).
- The Gas Station (a waypoint filled with supplies).
- Hines Farm (location of the Coldwater Lake Incident)
- The Lodge (an old hunting lodge purchased by two suspicious newcomers).
- Coldwater Surrounds (10-12 additional locations in the surrounding area).
- The Forest (a dense voidcrawl encasing Coldwater)
- The Caverns (below Coldwater).
- Appendix A: CONSEQUENCES - different potential outcomes for The Bloom.
- Appendix B: CONVERSIONS - systems to be announced.
- Appendix C: FALLOUT - d12 custom Fallouts for this module.
- Appendix D: RESIDENTS AND RUMORS - 20 additional NPCs to populate Coldwater along with rumors about town..
- Appendix E: RANDOM SEARCH TABLE
- Appendix F: Artifacts.
Also includes:
- Fully internally linked pdf (in both page and spread formats)
- Single map files from the adventure (bundled in a zip file)
- Text only format (in epub, txt, pdf)
LIMINAL HORROR (TTRPG )
The Bloom is an official adventure module for Liminal Horror (a modern hack of Cairn), it is a rules-lite, fail forward TTRPG system. The core rules can be accessed a few different ways:
- PDF version can be purchased on it's itch.io page.
- A free web-based version can be found here.
- A physical + pdf can be purchased at Exalted Funeral.
The Bureau (a related module to The Bloom)
- Digital: The Bureau by Goblin Archives, Unenthuser (itch.io)
- In Print: The Bureau (exaltedfuneral.com)
________________________________________________________________________
What about a physical version?
You can buy it now!
In print at Space Penguin Ink!
________________________________________________________________________
Content Warning
This module includes elements of Body Horror, Graphic Violence, Harm to Animals, Fungi, and Religion, and the major theme throughout is Complacency.
Updated | 14 days ago |
Status | Released |
Category | Physical game |
Rating | Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars (29 total ratings) |
Authors | Goblin Archives, Unenthuser, Zach Hazard Vaupen // Emo Sludge |
Genre | Adventure |
Tags | Horror, Itch Funding, liminal-horror, Tabletop role-playing game, zimo |
Purchase
In order to download this ttrpg Adventure you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $9.37 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- Nominated for an Ennie (vote now) and a soundtrackJul 14, 2024
- Review Roundup!Feb 20, 2024
- See The Bloom in action!Oct 20, 2023
- The Bloom (In Print)Oct 15, 2023
- The Bloom v.1.0 Full Release!Sep 10, 2023
- Ashcan and Actual PlayJul 27, 2023
- Editing Wrapped UpJun 10, 2023
- Manuscript and New ArtMar 07, 2023
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I’m looking for a oneshot to play for Halloween. Is it easy to turn this into a oneshot?
There are one shot options in the text (as there are in Hungry Hollow and The Bureau).
If you’re looking for something designed specifically for that size of session, The Chair or Metroskate Bloodbath would work great too!
Congrats! Believe the hype: This game rules.
Big congrats for the ENNIE nominations, Goblin Archives team!
Any word on a print edition? Love this content!
there’s definitely going to be a print edition. We’re finishing up the layout now. Then submit it to printer (along with one night).
Keep an eye on: https://spacepenguin.ink/
will there be community copies once it's all completed?
we will be considering some sort of community copy program for all of our modules.
The Bloom Play Session - Episode 1
podcast interview on Wobblies & Wizards https://anchor.fm/wobbliesandwizards/episodes/The-Bloom-for-Liminal-Horror-e1uecmp
Weekly Scroll interview & review
The Bloom Game Pitch on Dieku Games