A new tabletop roleplaying game about the perils and politics of mountaineering had a dramatic debut at this weekend’s Tabletop Scotland convention. The first physical copies of the demo for Full Send, a new TTRPG from Lichcraft designer Laurie O’Connell, arrived just in time for the event but were delivered to the wrong side of the expansive Royal Highland Centre, forcing a last-minute trek to retrieve them before doors opened.
Full Send tackles a niche but compelling theme in the TTRPG space: the high-stakes world of professional climbing, inspired by commercially successful films like Free Solo and Touching the Void. While many fantasy adventures might feature a treacherous mountain pass, few games focus entirely on the challenge of the ascent itself and the complex lives of those who attempt it.
The game uses a custom-designed deck of Major Arcana tarot cards to generate summits and resolve the challenges climbers face. The art for this unique tarot deck is provided by the award-winning artist and writer Kayla Dice. Players collaborate to tell the story of their climbers, but the mechanics introduce a competitive edge.
O’Connell, who was present at the Rat Wave Game House stand, explained that the game delves into how ambition and capitalism can corrupt the sport. As climbers become more successful, they attract sponsorships which provide better gear and access to more dangerous, high-profile climbs. This dynamic creates a “race to the bottom,” where competition can push climbers into making lethally unsafe decisions. This exploration of corrupting influence is a theme previously seen in O’Connell’s other projects, such as Hieronymus.
The game is currently funding on Kickstarter and will be produced as a perfect-bound book of 120 to 160 pages, styled after a classic climbing guide. The rules include simple playbook-based character creation, with archetypes like the Climbing Influencer, the Guide, and the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). It offers both pre-generated summits based on real-world locations like Everest and El Capitan, and the tools to randomly generate new challenges using the tarot deck.
A key feature is the “Downtime” phase, where the freeform roleplaying aspect comes to the fore. Between expeditions, players develop their characters’ personal lives, balancing family, careers, and training while managing the prestige and money earned from their perilous climbs.
Quick Links
- Kickstarter: Full Send – A tarot-Powered Mountaineering RPG.
A special thanks to All Rolled Up for sponsoring Geek Native’s coverage of Tabletop Scotland. You can find them in the trade hall and explore their fantastic range of indie RPGs and high-quality gaming accessories on the All Rolled Up website. You also also win £50 to spend with them.
