HELLWHALERS is an original TTRPG of both nautical and Christian-religious horror. Play as damned whalers, sailing hell's oceans to hunt a monstrous leviathan whale in a bid for redemption of your immortal souls. Whalers will earn souls through roleplay, challenges, and gambling, eventually collecting enough to pulse the Hellwhale's disembodied heart, a blackened, grisly organ kept locked away by the captain. To pulse the heart is to summon the monster you seek: the dreaded Hellwhale. Slaying this titan of Hell's waters is said to earn you a place back in God's graces.Suitable for 2-5 players and one Guide, who plays the captain, a foul tempered figure driving the whalers ever onward in a maddened quest for the whale's flesh and blood. Gambling plays a central role in the gameplay loop, creating a procedurally generated series of events each day. Gambling takes place on a Sic-Bo board, a game played with three six-sided dice.Collect lore, gamble with souls, fish hellish creatures from the depths, and fight a demon whale. HELLWHALERS contains: 56 pages, dripping with carefully crafted lore, tables, rules, and art. A multitude of gorgeous linocut and digital prints within the book’s pages, by Albert Johnson, Lepish Susano, and Charles Torok. A stylized and decorated sic-bo board, with art by Kaye Mahoney, used for the gambling metagame the whalers play. Tables and charts of hellish locales, curses and blessings, flavorful items, and more. Digital assets and tips for playing online using virtual tabletops. 54 pieces of collectible lore making up nine storylines, as well as seven possible endings. Procedurally generated events, challenges, and twists that come from the gambling results. Six base playbooks with thematic moods, moves, and items. Resource tracking in the form of weaponry, food, and repair supplies. A fishing minigame, with six varieties of ghastly sea life to catch. Beautiful character sheets that include info for the ship, with a variety of picklists and customization options. A bevy of old religious and maritime public domain art, edited to fit the style and layout of the book. Rules for side characters, including a captain’s playbook for the Guide. Content warnings and safety tools for the variety of heavy subject matter present in the game. Climactic rules for the Hellwhale encounter designed to ratchet up tension and provide a fitting end to the journey.
