Paizo Reveals More Info On Upcoming 13 Omens Horror TTRPG

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This past April, Paizo announced that a brand new horror tabletop RPG is officially in the works. Entitled 13 Omens, the game is described as rules-lite, with players battling supernatural threats that lurk within the shadows of the modern world. The news represented a major step for Paizo, which for the past 25 years has focused exclusively on creating products for its Pathfinder and Starfinder tabletop RPG systems.

Now, more information has been revealed on what the game will actually consist of, including details on the mechanics and gameplay loop. So will 13 be a lucky number for Paizo? Below, we break out all the new details.

What is the 13 Omens TTRPG about?

13 Omens is a described as a “modern, supernatural, rules-lite horror TTRPG set in a dark reflection of our world; beset by horrifying specters, bloodthirsty killers, cursed places, and secrets best left unknown.”

The game will use a unique D6-based engine with all players sharing the same pool of dice. Some of these dice are considered “safe,” while others (which are marked with a different color) are known as “Omen Dice,” which can lead to catastrophic results if a poor roll is made. At the start of each adventure (known as a Story), all the safe dice are added to a bag, shared by all players to make checks and resolve actions. As the night lengthens and the story progresses, more and more Omen Dice are added to the bag as well, increasing your chances of danger.

Notably, Dice are only for the players. The Game Master (which is referred to as “The Host”) never rolls. It’s their job to keep the story moving, raise the stakes, and encourage the players as they venture into danger. It’s also worth noting that players don’t actually make characters. Instead, they pick from pre-generated archtypes.

The concept sounds similar in nature to tabletop RPGs like Ten Candles and Dread, which are meant to be single session experiences, rather than any kind of prolonged campaign.

Who is the creative team behind 13 Omens?

13 Omens is being designed by Jason Bulmahn and Joe Pasini. Both men have an impressive design portfolio and extensive experience in the TTRPG industry. Buhlmahn is currently the Director of Games at Paizo having been with the company for over 20 years and working on numerous projects, including being one of the key designers on the first edition of Pathfinder. He is also the founder of Minotaur Games, which released Hopefinder, a modern zombie apocalypse horror game that was developed using the Pathfinder 2E mechanics.

Pasini is currently a Lead Designer at Paizo, having been with the publisher for over a decade. He previously worked as the Lead Designer on Starfinder and prior to that time spent time as a text specialist at Nintendo of America.

When will the 13 Omens TTRPG be released?

No official release date has yet been announced by Paizo. It’s also not clear if the game will be published directly or first go to crowdfunding (which the publisher has typically avoided). Whether we’ll be looking at a single rulebook or multiple products also is not yet known.

Why we’re excited about 13 Omens

While there’s still much we don’t know about 13 Omens, there’s also a lot to be excited about.

• A new game from Paizo: For the past 25 years Paizo has focused on just two games: Pathfinder and Starfinder. This means 13 Omens is making history as only the third official TTRPG system released by the publisher.
• Designer pedigree: Creators Jason Bulmahn and Joe Pasini bring a combined 30 years of experience in TTRPG design, having worked on some of the biggest games in the space, so the bar is definitely high here.
• A fresh take on RPG horror: While in recent years there has been a resurgence in horror tabletop RPGs, it’s still a field that’s ripe for innovation and it’ll be interesting to see what Paizo can do to stand out from established heavy hitters like Call of Cthulhu and more recent up-and-comers like Vaesen.
• Art and design possibilities: The fact is that Paizo is the second largest TTRPG publisher after Wizards of the Coast, so the company has a ton of resources to invest to create products that look amazing. Chances are they won’t be skimping when it comes to 13 Omens.

Final Thoughts

13 Omens feels like more than just a horror-themed TTRPG. It feels like a major step in the history of Paizo. Just how big and how terrifying this new game will be, however, remains to be seen.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this story in the days ahead and will update this page with new information as it’s made available. In the meantime, you can learn more and sign up for email alerts about 13 Omens on the Paizo website.

Also, below is recently released a teaser trailer on the official Paizo YouTube channel entitled “Obituary of Erique Salazar,” which offers some further clues as to what expect.