A new tabletop role-playing game from Storytellers Forge Studios, the same team that brought The Red Opera RPG, is here and it is designed for what happens after the unfortunate event of a full party’s death - or as it is popularly known as, a TPK (Team Party Kill). This TTRPG is called The Black Ballad RPG and it is a 10-chapter campaign for Dungeons & Dragons inspired by DiAmorte’s savage metal opera of their second album. A partnership forged in fire and blood between the musicians, artists, writers, editors, and designers to devise a campaign to place your party in the crucible of choice to determine the fate of the afterlife.

For our story begins… where yours ends.

Within this book you’ll find the very home for the dead detailed; the setting of the Sunless Crossing, the great city of Nox Valar, its major players and politics, and a catastrophe that strikes. A calamity threatens this once stable realm of the dead—and the fate of the greatest of all divine loopholes, resurrection. The only catch is… it all occurs in the afterlife.

Here’s a list of features this TTRPG offers:

• Over 300 pages, designed for both Storytellers and Players in mind.

• Multiple endings and player agency options. Choice matters.

• Full story campaign with 10 major cinematic chapters, 30 acts, and multiple sidequests.

• New mechanics for the faithful such as Grim Resolve and Divine Grit. 

• The setting of The Sunless Crossing, a realm of waiting for the dead, is built to handle the impact of resurrection in fantasy settings. 

• Dynamic encounter design with partners from 2C Gaming.

• ADA-compliant multiple formats (pdf, epub, and more!) for digital distribution.

• Full orchestral soundtrack by DiAmorte! Composed by Drake Mefessta, Mike Pitman (Riot Games), and Michael Romeo (Symphony X)

• Purgatory Poker mini-game for bartering within the lands of the dead!

• Written and illustrated by award-winning game designers and artists from around the world!

• Compatible with 5E, and designed to be easily convertible to any D20 system. 

• A detailed look into how gods in fantasy settings deliver divine magic to their clerics.

• Audio Introduction by Carlos Ferro, the voice of Dom from Gears of War and Leonardo DaVinci from Assassins Creed

• Storytellers Forge campaign design for Tier 4 play, yet scalable and written for all levels. Perfect for any home campaign no matter what level the party is. 

The Black Ballad is currently on BackerKit where you can sign-up for updates on the project and even back it. Until then, let us know in the comments below what you think of a campaign built to follow the unfortunate moment of a TPK in a campaign.