Investigators, ready yourselves. Candela Obscura needs you!
The Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a fully detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop roleplaying game. As an investigator of the paranormal secret society Candela Obscura, you and your circle are charged with exploring, fighting, and protecting the people of Newfaire from supernatural dangers lurking in the folds of a bustling world unaware of the occult magick simmering beneath. Candela Obscura is the very first game to use the Illuminated Worlds System as well as the first full RPG from Darrington Press, as featured in the ongoing anthology series on Critical Role.
Inside of the Candela Obscura Core Rulebook you’ll discover:
- 204 detailed pages replete with art, lore, and much more.
- The core rules to play and create your Candela Obscura investigators and their circles.
- Over 90 pages detailing the turn of the century-inspired setting of the Fairelands, and in detail the city of Newfaire and the ancient ruins beneath known as Oldfaire.
- 4 full example assignments for gamemasters to dive in with their players.
- Over 30 example assignments to explore far-flung corners of the Fairelands and the organizations and people operating within it.
- An extensive guide to preparing for and gamemastering Candela Obscura.
- Immersive, in-world ephemera and notes strewn throughout the chapters—illustrations, sketches, research notes, correspondences, advertisements, maps, and more to bring the Fairelands to life.
For more information on the game and links to videos of gameplay and resources, visit darringtonpress.com/candela.
Full Credits:
- Lead Game Design: Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall
- Written By: Rowan Hall and Spenser Starke
- Editor: Karen Twelves
- Managing Editor: Matthew Key
- Production: Ivan Van Norman and Alex Uboldi
- Proofreading: Jacky Leung
- Additional Game Design: Christopher Grey, Tracey Harrison, and Taliesin Jaffe
- Layout: De La Rosa Design
- Cultural Consultants: Basheer Ghouse, Pam Punzalan, Erin Roberts, Christine Sandquist, Liam Stevens
- Military & Political Consultant: Anthony Joyce-Rivera
- Game Development Consultant: Mike Underwood
- Additional Editing: Jared Deiro, Darcy Ross
- Additional Writing: Carlos Cisco, Tracey Harrison, Anthony Joyce-Rivera, Sam Maggs, Mike Underwood
- Graphic Design: Aaron Monroy, Bryan Weiss
- Artists: Shaun Ellis, Jamie Harrison, Allie Irwin, Amelia Leonards, Lily McDonnell, Justin O’Neal, Sunga Park, Gustavo Rodrigues Pelissari, Doug Telford
- Map Design: Marc Moureau
- Cover Artist: De La Rosa Design
- Artist / Ancient Languages / Spell Design: Stevie Morley
- Original Concept Created By: Taliesin Jaffe and Chris Lockey
Customers praised the rich storytelling with Ezra Ashford's margin notes and ciphers, calling it "entertaining" and "educational." The rulebook is "laid out well" with great rules and environment. However, some felt guidance on crafting campaigns could be better, and one customer reported PDF search functionality issues.
I love myself some cosmic horror and my and my friends love it, and is going to be featured on our Twitch Channel! The game we ran (and watching it back) being a bunch of creatives it make us want to make a film inspired by our game!
This rule allows you to really and that cinematic feel to you game! Especially if advice on how to structure the game, and play with pacing!
5/5!
Honestly, my favorite thing about this book is the story within the story, that of Ezra Ashford and the notes he leaves in the margins. Some of them are in code! Do you need to decode the text to get the gist? Not at all. If you like to decode ciphers for the specifics, you can do that! Moreover, it's a really fun example of a what a longer campaign might look like, how to weave little clues into individual assignments, how player choices can influence the direction of a campaign, and how to build reveals and assignments on top of each other while increasing the stakes. It's entertaining! It's educational! I had to do some extra work to get the information which means I increased my engagement with- and retention of- the material! It's differentiated (kinda)! As a former EFL teacher, I'm so impressed I'm almost mad about it. Can you guys make English as a Foreign Language textbooks?
Laid out well and filled with great rules and environment
As an English major, yes, I did stay up all night reading this cover to cover. Definitely worth it!
The setting and world is great but reading through the book it feels like you are being told to lead your investigators through horror and the strange but constantly tells you to confirm with your players if thats ok. I also would have liked a better guide on how to craft sessions and campaigns. but everything else was great.
Do not buy from here. You can’t search the pdf and they don’t offer refunds
Love it, nice for started GM's, but a EPUB format also would be nice! 🌸
Works well set up nice. Download quick.
Cannot wait until I get a group together and start exploring the world of Candela Obscura.
