Distemper is a tabletop RPG from Xero Sum Games based on a comic book series of the same name.
You can get the current v0.7 beta version of the rules for free from the DistemperVerse site.
You can also get the more polished Distemper: Empty jumpstart from DriveThruRPG. The latter has a recommended price of $0.00, but you can contribute some cash if you want.
Empty is set in the post-apocalyptic world of Distemper, designed for 2-5 players, and includes pregens, maps, VTT assets and an overview of the mechanics.
Distemper takes place a year after the peak of the dog flu, a devastating and highly contagious mutant of canine distemper that killed 80% of humanity in a matter of months. It casts charactersas survivors attempting to find their way in this new world. In addition to regular supplies of food, water, and ammo, characters must secure a shelter or base of operations where they can hide or protect themselves from the other survivors who need the same limited resources.
The world may have lost 6 billion souls, but there are more than enough left to make life more difficult for the others who remain, and the characters will need to decide how they will. The characters’ morality will be tested regularly, with ethical decisions that may affect long-term gameplay. After all, when starvation is a genuine possibility, people must make unusual decisions.
Distemper is on the grittier end of the RPG spectrum, with no zombies, vampires, mutants, or aliens, no sorcery, fantastic creatures, dragons, lasers, or magical healing potions. There’s only the nagging cold, continuous hunger, and, maybe most terrifyingly, other humans to contend with.
The jumpstart includes six pages of a comic book drawn by Hernan Gonzelez.
The RPG is due out very soon, initially suggesting a Q4 2022 release.
Quick Links
- Jumpstart: Distemper: Empty.
- Website: Distemperverse.
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