Invictus

Invictus

So You Want to Be a Hero?

Invictus is a fantasy role‑playing game of roving heroes who cross empires, unpick schemes, and face dangers both worldly and uncanny. Each campaign reads like a novella, guiding the tale to a clear final chapter instead of drifting without end. Players steer their characters through adventure, drama, and intrigue. The rules remain quiet until risk appears, then one clear roll decides what happens next.

Development Status

Invictus is in late‑alpha. The core loop has been played through several home campaigns and is holding up well. Before we open the game to wider playgroups, three final items need attention:

  • Fray polish. Targeted combats and action scenes are under way to be certain the action rules stay quick and engaging.
  • Ending toolkit. Narrator guidance is being written so every storyline can reach a clear final chapter.
  • Power list completion. Each Calling and Vocation will ship with a full set of starting abilities.

Once these tasks are finished, a play‑test packet will be released for a narrow playtest group, before a wider one.

System & Design Influences

Invictus is Forged in the Dark. Its core engine begins with Blades in the Dark and then branches outward. Design choices also reflect lessons from D&D 5e, Dungeon World, Daggerheart, Houses of the Blooded, Wicked Ones, Chronicles of Darkness, and Monster of the Week. The tone and pacing owe something to actual‑play series such as Dimension 20 and Critical Role. These sources are gratefully acknowledged; any missteps here are mine alone.

The World of Eidolon

Invictus unfolds in Eidolon, first published as the system‑agnostic setting Eidolon: the Electrodyne Opera (2014). That earlier book offered intricate lore but no engine, and every attempt to bolt on rules left the stories unfocused. Invictus turns the process around: the game is built for the Heroes first, and the setting has been pared back and reshaped to fit the kinds of adventures those Heroes drive. Some material was cut, some rewritten, but the core remains.