Strigovia - Quickstart

Strigovia is a narrative-driven darkfolk fantasy TTRPG of choices, debts, and consequences.

Its story-first mechanics empower DMs and players to build worlds together, exploring narrative freedom through character-driven stories of love, betrayal, and survival under the shadow of the Forest.

Strigovia is known for its grim survival focus, folk horror, and lethal "debt magic," where casting spells costs life or sanity instead of mana. It blends historical Eastern European influences with a living, malevolent forest, a struggling kingdom, and brutal clans, creating a low-fantasy world where characters face tough choices and harsh consequences, with art by Przemek Truściński (The Witcher).

Key aspects of Strigovia:

• Dark Slavic Fantasy: Draws heavily from Slavic folklore, focusing on harsh survival, ancient curses, and a deep connection to a dangerous wilderness.
• Lethal Magic (Debt Magic): Spells require sacrificing health, years of life, or sanity, with powerful magic leaving lasting scars or drawing the forest's wrath.
• The Forest: An active, consuming entity that creates monsters from player mistakes and distorts reality as characters venture deeper.
• Grim World: Features a foreign kingdom trying to tame the land, scattered, untrustworthy clans, and monsters born from forgotten gods and dark pacts.
• Unique Mechanics: Uses custom dice with symbols like "Success," "Consequence," and "Fire," and a "Burnout" system for pushing characters too far.
• Comprehensive Tome: A 400+ page core book includes detailed lore, monsters, rites, and mechanics for this unique setting. 

In essence:

If you enjoy gritty, challenging RPGs that emphasize storytelling through difficult choices and have deep, authentic folklore, Strigovia offers a distinct alternative to traditional high fantasy. 

If you are interested in more information, you can read an interview with the creators here.