Tab Creations is an indie TTRPG developer and has a Kickstarter due in a little over a week for Shadows Over Sol 2nd Edition. The studio has been generous enough to let Geek Native give you the quickstart ahead of schedule and at no cost.
In the hard sci-fi horror of Shadows Over Sol, the void is hungry. This award-winning tabletop role-playing game challenges characters to survive in deep space by exploring derelict vessels, negotiating with ruthless corporations, and battling the encroaching horrors that threaten their sanity and lives.
[Download Shadows Over Sol 2e quickstart]
Shadows Over Sol is powered by Tab Creation’s house system, the Saga Machine, which has been in play for over ten years across titles such as the swashbuckling fantasy Age of Ambition and the weird west RPG Dime Adventures. For Shadows Over Sol 2e, the system offers two distinct ways to resolve actions. Groups can choose between using a small pool of ten-sided dice or a standard deck of playing cards, depending on their preferred style of play.
You can find out more about these games and get a Kickstarter alert by joining the Tab Creations mail list.
Set two hundred years in the future, the game’s vision of the future is one of conspiracy and horror, rather than a gleaming utopia. Humanity has spread throughout the solar system, only to discover that it is not, and perhaps never was, alone. In this bleak future, powerful corporations and fragmented subcultures vie for control, while hollowed-out nation-states stand by. This dark frontier is a dangerous place, with corporate proxy wars fought in the streets of orbital habitats and bio-engineered horrors stalking the corridors of abandoned colonies. It’s a setting ripe for enterprising crews looking to make a profit against a backdrop of cosmic dread.
The second edition of Shadows Over Sol has been developed with years of player feedback in mind. Tab Creations notes that the rules have been streamlined to be more intuitive and terror-inducing. Character creation is now faster thanks to a new archetype system, though deep customisation is still available for those who prefer it.
Gameplay in Shadows Over Sol is designed to be adaptable. Game Masters have tools to adjust the level of horror, enabling campaigns to range from tense survival horror to high-octane action horror. New mechanics are also being introduced in the next edition to improve the play experience. A hacking system aims to keep the whole party engaged during digital intrusions, a common challenge in cyberpunk-style games. Additionally, there are refined systems for managing severe injuries, known as “Grave Wounds,” as well as new GM tools for running chases, downtime activities, and spacecraft combat.
The original core rulebook was published in 2016 and was supported by dozens of supplements and adventures. This new edition seeks to consolidate and improve upon that foundation.
You can download the free quickstart to get a preview of the new rules and a taste of the setting. Alternatively, if you prefer not to wait, you can purchase the 4.5/5-star rated Gold Best Seller first edition right now.
