Keep on the Borderlands | Beginner-friendly OSR with ACKS!

Creating your character

Players will need their own copies of the platinum best-selling ADVENTURER, CONQUEROR, KING SYSTEM - Imperial Imprint to create their own characters (available via DriveThruRPG.com). Pre-made characters are also available to help you get started without having to buy the rulebook. New players will be granted access to the game Discord server, where they will have extensive onboarding time with the DM. During this guided process, players who have their own copy of the rulebook can get help generating characters, learn the basic details of the game world and the state of play in the ongoing parties, and have a character sheet and character token generated for them in FoundryVTT. As Season 1 players, all characters will start at level 1. The lifecycle of an ACKS adventurer is roughly - At level 1, you are a cast member in a war movie. Just like in war movies, death can come at any time, it can be heroic or squalid, glorious or absurd. You might live, you might not. You need to fight like real combatants fought, in formation, using smart tactics. - At level 3, you are the main character in a war movie. You are an experienced combatant whose actions matter. You might die, but you probably won't die like a chump. - At level 5, you are the main character in an Akira Kurosawa samurai movie or western movie. You can survive death-defying dangers, cut down numerous enemies quickly, endure wounds that would kill normal people, etc. - At level 9, you are the main character in a blockbuster action movie. You can do impossible stunts, kill nigh-endless numbers of mooks, survive numerous wounds, and are unlikely to die except through a surfeit of bravery or an equally powerful foe. - At level 14, you are the hero of an epic or myth. You can single-handedly kill powerful monsters, cleave through enemy heroes, and face off with demigods.

Preparing for the session

The VTT for this game is FoundryVTT, accessed from a desktop or laptop web browser. The use of a chromebook, mobile device, or other low-performance platform's browser is not supported. Players will need to have accounts on: - StartPlaying.Games - Discord (for voice chat and player discussion) - Syrinscape.com (for ambient audio). Players will also need to download the Syrinscape Online Player and link their account to the game. If you would rather not hear background music during play, you can skip this step! ALL PLAYERS MUST set up and understand their own microphone and audio equipment to minimize feedback or audio loops. The use of a headset or headphones is REQUIRED if the player wants to use "voice-activated" speech; if the player does not have a headset, they will be restricted to push-to-talk only. The game's VTT is provided by FoundryVTT. No experience in foundry is required, and players will have accounts created for them in the VTT server during onboarding. Each session, the players will connect to the discord server using their discord client, and use their web browser to join the VTT.

What Brad the RPG Sage brings to the table

Welcome to Aura of Victory, a fantasy campaign of conquest, ruin, and ascension, powered by the Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS). Set in a world inspired by the late Roman Empire, this is a tale of glories earned, empires built, and swords drawn under a fading sun. ACKS is a game of systems that are layered, logical, and deep. It offers a toolkit to simulate almost any heroic endeavor: hex-crawling exploration, tense dungeon delves, spell research and magical experimentation, mercantile ventures, espionage, domain rulership, large-scale battles, and more. The rules aren’t just there to resolve combat; they simulate a living world, one that responds to your choices and ambitions. What you can expect: 🛡️ If you’re new to ACKS, I provide ready-to-play characters to help you hit the ground running while showcasing the breadth and flexibility of ACKS' systems. ⚔️ Tactical combat with real consequences. Terrain and Formation matter, until you become powerful enough to stride through enemy ranks like a colossus. 🏛️ A fantasy Roman Empire setting where citizenship, law, tradition, and conquest define the political landscape. 🌍 A world that adapts to your decisions: whether you seek to rule, rebel, trade, or terraform. 📚 View-only access to all digital ACKS rulebooks and supporting materials. No book purchase required. 🎼 Immersive ambient music and soundscapes via Syrinscape, suited to every battlefield, crypt, or imperial court. 🗺️ Custom maps and player tokens featuring heraldry, ranks, and campaign-earned distinctions. 🎲 Systems-driven simulation: rules as written, applied consistently to reflect the "laws of physics" in the game world. If it can be done, the rules will tell us how. This campaign blends freeform player agency with structured rules support in an open West Marches Sandbox. Whether your ambitions lead you to the throne, the temple, the tower, or the tavern, ACKS is built to support your story. And I, your friendly neighborhood ACKS Judge, am here to guide you through it. My personal guarantee: I roll openly for everything that isn’t secret. Attacks, saves, encounter checks, and reaction rolls are all done in the open. No fudging, no divine intervention. Just the impartial hand of fate and the cold logic of the dice. I can't do funny voices, and I'm not great at improv comedy. What I do is build a world that works, and then turn you loose to watch you break it. If you’re looking for glory, power, and the weight of real choices, Aura of Victory awaits. Will you rise to rule, or fall forgotten in the dust of history?

Homebrew rules

The supplement "ACKS Heroic Fantasy Handbook" provides additional useful rules for player characters: - Ceremonial Magic. Magic you can use as many times per day as you can, without limit on spell slots. Freely mix and match regular and ceremonial spellcasting to create your custom arcanist. - Critical Hits. Any attack throw that beats the enemy AC by 10 or more is a Critical Hit! Natural 20's explode, letting you roll again and again! Critical hits come with extra damage and unique critical effects depending on whether you're fighting a monster or a humanoid - Eldritch Magic. A devastating blend of arcane and divine powers, Eldritch magic is dangerous to the soul if misued. Pursue this path carefully!

How Brad the RPG Sage creates a safe table

The game is an open-world sandbox taking place in a fantasy 350 AD, with all the historical unpleasantness that goes along with such a time period. There are many potential content warnings, because the player's choices may lead them to many places or have many consequences. However! This table explicitly prohibits "spicy" or graphic content (of any type); all such content will fade to black IMMEDIATELY. There will be no at-table, "on screen" roleplay of any graphic content of any kind. Players are expected to be sober and in a clear mental state during gameplay. Players who are in an altered mental state or who are unable to play or become disruptive during play will be counseled or removed.