Studio Hex is soon to launch a TTRPG inspired by Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, except it’s a combat-centric game.
The game is Hellborn Descended, and the Kickstarter alert page is live.
It also looks gorgeous.
Geek Native has some of the game’s art to share, and since in Hellborn Descended, characters are demons, sinners and fallen angles, I also got the chance to talk to Alkis Alper Deli-Stavrianeas, aka Fern about the tone of the game. Is it an adult toon, I wondered.
About Hellborn Descended
What’s the pitch for Hellborn Descended? Why should someone put down their newly acquired D&D 2024 books and play Hellborn Descended?
Hellborn is a demonic Tabletop Role-Playing Game, where players take on the roles of demons, sinners, and fallen angels working together as mercenaries to attain wealth, fame, and power in a modern Hell, where mankind’s worse aspects and Hell’s all-destroying nature combine to create a true urban hellscape. Due to its nature, the game invites players to play truly evil characters. Hell is not a place for heroes, after all.
Gameplay-wise, Hellborn has a fun and fast combat system that prioritizes players working together and acting tactically, utilizing all their tools to complete the jobs they undertake. Moreover, another feature the game boasts is having heavily customisable characters, with dozens of mercenary perks, malefic powers, and modifiable weapons for players to pick from.
Tell me about Hell. Is this a particular version of Hell regarding religion, inspiration or conviction?
Hellborn’s version of Hell is one much less rooted in religious imagery, but one that takes inspiration from both Abrahamic texts and our messed-up world. It’s a darker reflection of our world, where every negative aspect is worsened tenfold, and where violence, chaos, and decadence reign supreme. Each Ring of Hell is its own continent, with a unique ecosystem and vibes. The Wrath Ring, for example, is a large sandy wasteland, whose cities are built on the side of canyons and ridges as to avoid the scorching heat and sandstorms. In stark contrast, the Greed Ring is an empty plain with a layered megalopolis, where the top houses a few thousand rich souls, and the bottom layer is a gigantic slum where those that have nothing go to.
If players are mercenaries in Hell, then perhaps that suggests there are battles to be fought? Who are the opposing sides in Hell?
The threats are bound to face various threats during their exploits. These can range from infernal beasts and fauna that plague the wilder parts of Hell, to the enforcers of the powers that be. Aristocratic soldiers clad in finely-made armor. Corporate enforcers wearing suits and bearing the mark of their corporation. Gangoons that work for one of the many organised crime families and gangs of Hell. And so much more.
What’s the tone of the game? It sounds like it could be grimdark but that doesn’t seem to fit well with your art.
The tone of the game borders that of a dark comedy and grimdark world. The game primarily focuses on the misadventures of demonic mercenaries, which can range from fun and adrenaline-filled to stressful and borderline nerve-wracking depending on the situation. The world is not a forgiving one, nor are it’s denizens.
Speaking about the art in Hellborn Descended – it looks great! Did the art inspire any aspects of the setting or did you have to find an artist who could match your vision?
Thank you for your compliment! We do take great pride in the game’s artwork, as we believe it’s one of it’s standout features. It took us a while to figure out exactly what we wanted the game to feel and look like. Originally, we wanted something more World of Darkness; gothpunk art similar to that of Tim Bradstreet. However, when we found Helena, our main and only artist for this project, we also found the game’s artstyle: a comic-like artstyle that is both dark yet charming, similar to that of Helluva Boss, which the game draws much inspiration from, at least theme-wise.
Who is the artist?
The artist for this project is the great Helena Santana, aka Helenacore online. I found her on Fiverr when I was still new to this whole “making RPGs” thing, and ever since, I’ve been working with her on this project. Her art is great, and without her creative genius, the game wouldn’t have looked as good as it currently does.
How does the 3D6 system work?
The 3d6 System that the game utilizes is pretty simplistic. When you need to do something that requires skill or has a chance of failure, you roll 3d6 + one of your stats. If you roll above the Difficulty Rating (or DR) of the roll, you succeed! Where it gets interesting is with it’s advantage and disadvantage system. Various things in the game can give you advantage or disadvantage die, which cancel each other out on a 1:1 ratio. In either case, you roll all the remaining dice and either add the highest result to the roll (if you have more advantage die) or reduce it (if you have more disadvantage die). Another. less important, yet quirky thing about the game is that if you roll 666, it counts as a “Satanic Success”, this game’s equivalent of a critical success.
Is there somewhere readers should go to learn more about Hellborn Descended?
On our Kickstarter page, we have various video reviews and Q&A’s attached that readers can check out to learn more about the game! Moreover, we plan to host a Q&A when the campaign launches on April 1st, so if you have any questions that require answers, make sure to ask them then!
Lastly, thank you for your time. What will happen next? A Kickstarter launching in April?
It was my pleasure, really. Our current plans include participating in a few more interviews and streamed sessions of the game in light of it’s upcoming Kickstarter, as well as organising playests and demos for the game. We’ll have more info on all that soon, and we plan to include more details regarding the playtests in a post on our Bluesky page. As we mentioned earlier, the game’s Kickstarter is launching this April 1st, and using the money we get from the Kickstarter, we will get the last few illustrations we need for this project. And, if the campaign goes well, we’ll get a new cover for the book, and even a custom tarot deck!
