FOLK
[Illustration from] Cossak Fairy & Folk Tales
Folk is a rules-light collaborative role-playing game for one game master, or Lore Master, and 3-4 players, or Lore Seekers. It is inspired by a deep love of local traditions and folklore, and by the desire to explore them in a game.
Folk relies on the knowledge of traditions, creatures, and rituals. When you create an adventure or a setting based on an existing place, Folk invites you to research the area and be respectful of its folklore. If you invent a setting, Folk encourages you to think about it thoroughly to offer your players a thoughtful and engaging experience.
Distinctive Features in Folk
A streamlined, richly personal character creation
A narrative system with dice pools and resolution tables
A truly collaborative mechanic for the finale - you decide how to solve the mystery!
A system rooted in a deep respect for culture and folklore
Detailed instructions to create your own Folk adventure
One rule-system for as many settings as you can imagine!
[Illustration from] The Japanese Fairy Book by Y. T. Ozaki
[Illustration from] Tales of the Punjab by F. A. Steel
Folk can take place in any era - it is set in a world that mostly resembles our own, but where folklore, old sayings, and local legends are prevalent and take a more physical and distinctive form.
Alongside physical prowess and mental abilities, the world of Folk shines a light on experience, lore, sixth sense, and ritual. These elements, often forgotten or set aside in our fast-paced and technological society, take center stage in Folk; they become the key to understanding the world and its underlying forces, and they are the most cherished and effective instruments for the Lore Seekers.
Magic exists in the world of Folk, but it is tied to a place and its traditions rather than to a person and their abilities; anyone can activate this magic, provided that they possess the necessary knowledge and the appropriate experience and know-how to create rituals.