Journeys Weird and Winding

Journeys Weird and Winding (JWAW) is a weird/gonzo/low-fantasy RPG built on the Troika! rules-light system and taking heavy inspiration from other adventure-focused games like DURF, Into the Odd and MÖRK BORG*. 

This game aims to instill a sense of wanderlust into the risky and random systems of classic, OSR-inspired games. The Wandering Party is faced with a world where a magical apocalypse has annihilated our connection to reality and asked to make the adventure into it anyway. Pre-built character classes get Players into the action quickly and a strong risk-reward system around engaging with magic keeps them there for countless sessions of wandering that will pretty rapidly spiral into the strange and sinister. 

If any of that sounds cool or weird or fun, check it out! I'd love to hear what you think in the comments. And stay tuned to my page as I'll be uploading additional zines with more content, lore, PC classes, NPCs, Spells, etc. over the coming months. 

What's Included

With the downloadable pdf for Volume One of the game, you get:

• Vivid descriptions of the world of Vaream with plenty of room for individual interpretation and home-brewing. 
• A full ruleset for taking a campaign from start to finish, including character creation, combat, traversal, magic, and more!
• Here's the more:
• Rules building on the Troika! system that make magic an active part of players' moment-to-moment experiences, leading to dynamic risk-reward gameplay. 
• 36 Player-Character backgrounds, each with tons of room for personal improvisation. 
• A traversal system that randomizes your environment and makes it so every adventure is unique. 
• A robust magic use system, including 36 Spells and 24 High-Level Incantations. 
• A unique Mutation and Change system that introduces weird consequences for players when they push their connection with reality to its breaking point. 
• A bunch of interesting magic and special items to loot.
•  Steeds, Familiars and Colossal Beasts to fill out the world, as well as great Cities and almost 40 Destinations to adapt to 12 unique Environments. 
• Unique progression systems for the Party to gain prestige and power by allying with Oracles,  joining up with Paladins or scheming alongside dying Empires. 
• 54 Beasts for players to encounter in battle or friendship, ranging from the lowly Ghoul to a ravenous glob of flesh risen from the corpse of a God. 

With the downloadable pdf for The Expanded Bestiary, you get:

• A revised edition of the rules for Combat and Initiative from Volume One of Journeys Weird and Winding. These revised rules incorporate the Troika! rules for deciding Initiative into Volume One's system, in case you prefer running that style over the one outlined in earlier versions of the game. 
• Expanded Stat Blocks for each of the 54 Beasts from Volume One, including:
  • An Initiative Stat so that the Beasts can be seamlessly run in the original Troika! Initiative system, whether you encounter them in Vaream or one of the other million spheres. 
  • A Mien roll for each Beast, replacing the Reaction Roll outlined in Volume One. Rolling Mien also aligns the rules more closely with the original Troika! system and allows for more depth in the range of emotional states you may encounter these Beasts in. 
  • For Vaream's Critical Beasts, the Mien roll is used as an opportunity to introduce significant variations in each possible encounter, including new combat abilities and NPC support. 

A Game for Adventurous GMs

The adventure itself is highly randomized, with the environments changing from one hex to the other. It's designed to be as engaging for the GM as it is for the players, and lends itself well to GMs who're looking for their own challenge with a system that asks them to think on their feet when weaving stories and experiences. 

Of course, the system is also designed to be hacked, so GMs and Players are free to pull apart the core mechanics and build something that suits their play style better. It's published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, so feel free to go to town on the systems and lorelaid out here. 

State of the Game

The game is currently in beta. It's ready to be played, but may continue receiving minor updates as I refine the core systems and get feedback from all of y'all! 

Expanding the World

While Volume One of Journeys Weird and Winding may receive the minor update here and there, from this release forward the focus is going to be on expanding the game and the world it explores. Make sure to follow this page for regular additions to the core gameplay as well as new lore with new beasts, locations, schemes and magic to add into your campaign! 

Currently, at least 10 mini-zines are outlined for release over the next year or so, with more concrete dates to follow. Updated Character Sheets and Adventure Tracking Sheets are also in the works. The best way to stay up to date on all of this is to follow the page. 

Acknowledgements and Such

As I mentioned above, JWAW builds on the Troika! system, which is great and, if you haven't checked it out, you should. Journeys Weird and Winding is an independent production by Jack O'Grady and is not affiliated with the Melsonian Arts Council.” 

All the awesome art in this rulebook was produced by Caroline Krafcik and published here with their permission and the author’s immense appreciation. In-book flourishes and patterns were made using public domain imagery sourced from Old Book Illustrations and art/photography by Grant Fleming (Harkenstone). 

Special acknowledgements to Emiel Boven, Half-Minotaur Farmer, Traverse Fantasy and Avalon Hill’s “Outdoor Survival” as well, whose work provided significant inspiration for the mechanics and world.

Keeping Up With the Game

Following the game on itch is the best way to keep up with its evolution and incoming new content. I'll be posting on the devlog here more as well to update y'all on the mini-zines' progress. You can also follow me on Instagram at @jack_the_og for very occasional posts about JWAW and other projects. 

Current Version(s)

• As of 2/12/24: Journeys Weird and Winding - Volume One v3.1.1 is the most current version of Volume One.