This is a page to buy a hardcover copy of the Vergence core book (plus all digital files).  Shipping is to U.S. addresses only. 

The main Vergence  page, where you can buy just the digital version, is here. 

If you are outside the U.S. or prefer print on demand options, you can also buy a book (either color or black & white interior) at DriveThruRPG. 

Vergence

Within the multiverse are a few places of great power called Vergences. They are ruled by families bred for the ability to open portals between worlds.

You play a member of one of these empowered bloodlines. Your birthright gives you the capacity to travel across infinite dimensions and manipulate reality.

But you’ll need to deal with conflicts involving your own powerful and manipulative family, secret conspiracies, mystical enemies, moldering gods, terrifying monsters, ancient artifacts, and existential threats with the potential to affect all the worlds of the Umbra. And possibly your annoying little sister…

You might…

• Lead a fleet of skyships in rebellion against the Sovran of All Skies.
• Set off on a quest through the Umbra, traversing from one world to the next, on the trail of an ancient Beast that predates the existence of the multiverse.
• Rescue a small(ish) dragon from the Royal Menagerie.
• Broker peace between two clans at war within the Blood of the Serpent.
• Prevent your cousin, the heir to the throne of Agoros, from gambling away his regalia.
• Explore the remains of a broken Vergence that once ruled ten thousand worlds.
• Find a way to get Morgaine, Dominus of the Empyrean Knights, to challenge you to a duel.

---

The Game

This tabletop roleplaying game uses the Forged in the Dark engine by John Harper, first introduced in the award-winning Blades in the Dark. While based on that system, Vergence is a complete game (you don't need any other ruleset to play).

When you make a character, you’ll start by picking a playbook. There are twelve to choose from.

• Play a Shapeshifter, using the power you draw from the Blood of the Serpent to control your own physical form.
• Or a Stormcaster, channeling the power of the Maelstrom to summon storms that can consume whole worlds.
• Or a Trickster, not knowing your bloodline parentage but having discovered how to use your power to your advantage anyway.
• Or an Adept, attuned to the Orb of Agoros and able to make use of occult powers to manipulate the deep structure of reality.
• Or an Heir, Explorer, Beast Rider, Aeronaut, Storm Knight, Shaman, Oracle, or Conqueror.

Your playbook establishes your bloodline, which tells you where you’re from and who you’re related to. You’ll identify who your parents are and decide on an ally and a rival from a list of NPCs you know closely, along with bonds between you and other characters within your alliance. You’ll choose your looks and the Mark that was placed upon you when you attuned to the power source of your Vergence. You will also pick three mystical and personal abilities that set you apart and give you power within the Umbra.

Once you’ve made a character, you’ll check in with the other players to decide what bonds you have with their characters. Together you will choose a challenge that your alliance will face. There are eight of these to pick from. Each challenge forms the basis of a short, medium, or long-term campaign.

Will you…

• Gather as a group of friends hoping to manage the complex and deadly politics of the Royal Masked Ball?
• Join an expedition to explore the ruins of a forbidden world that was once a Vergence?
• Face an insidious conspiracy that strikes each your homelands from the shadows?
• Pursue an enemy who has committed a terrible crime?
• Find yourself trapped in a world under siege?
• Align yourself with the house of a Vergence bloodline and do what you can to advance their interests?
• Embark upon a grand tour of locations throughout the multiverse, sampling the best food and drink while becoming embroiled in a few adventures?
• Become involved in deciding the outcome of a succession crisis for the throne of a Vergence?

The challenge sets up the campaign and provides milestones for group advancement. There is clear guidance for the GM on how to play through each challenge without forcing the group into a predetermined plot.

---

Touchstones

Here are a few of the books, comics, and games that have inspired Vergence.

• Chronicles of Amber (story series by Roger Zelazny).
• Eternal Champion Sequence (story series by Michael Moorcock).
• Everway (roleplaying game by Jonathan Tweet).
• His Dark Materials (story series by Phillip Pullman).
• Kill 6 Billion Demons (web comic by Tom Parkinson-Morgan).
• Myst (video game series by Robyn and Rand Miller).
• Nobilis (roleplaying game by Jenna Katerin Moran).

---

Supplements

There are several supplements available for Vergence.

• The Prosperity Engine is a guide to the Construct, a realm of technological and economic supremacy, It includes three new playbooks as well as factions and locations. Written by Shawn and Navi Drake of A Couple of Drakes Design Studio.
• Journey to Hel is a guide to the dimensions of Hel, a horrifying place of demons and monsters. It includes a new playbook and a new challenge.
• The Tome of Greater Beasts presents six ancient creatures to incorporate into any Vergence campaign.

You can purchase Vergence plus all published supplements in a discounted bundle at this link.

If you've already purchased Vergence, you can purchase a bundle of all published supplements in a discounted bundle at this link.

---

Community

Interested? Come join the Small Cool Games Discord Server! You can chat with other players, ask questions, learn more about the game, or find a player or GM.

https://bit.ly/SmallCoolGamesDiscord

---

Project Status

After a successful open development period followed by a crowdfunding campaign, the Vergence core book was released in April 2024..

• Number of players: 3-6.
• Age of players: 13+.
• Length: 2-5 hours per game session.
• Pages: 256 (121k words in the main book, plus handouts and playbooks).
• Format: Hardcover book with color cover and full color interior. Digital copy, handouts, and printable playsheets in digital PDF format, online playsheets in Google Sheets at this link.

Feedback is welcome and much appreciated! Contact Small Cool Games on Twitter or by email at smallcoolgames@gmail.com