Image by Jose Ortiz
Nuovarden: The Water Bearer
Your visit to an Asgal village reveals a recent concern among the locals. One of their own is missing, and they could use your help looking for them!
TYPE
SYSTEM
LEVELS
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$15.00
/ Session
Details
Once / Sunday - 11:00 PM UTC
Mar 29
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
This introductory adventure welcomes new players to the world of Nuovarden and the many new discoveries to be made in the one hundredth season since the Emergence. Here you will engage with the landscape and its denizens as you learn the powerfully unique abilities of your own characters. No experience is necessary. Pre-gens are available. After completing "The Water Bearer," watch for longer form opportunities if wish to explore Nuovarden to an even fuller extent! Beta rules available for free on Adventure Slang website. The full rules are available at DriveThruRPG in all formats.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
Less than a year on StartPlaying
About me
Hello and welcome! I am a professional game designer, writer, editor, and consultant. I began professionally in tabletop game design in 2017 as an editor for Carbon 2185 by Dragon Turtle Games. I later worked with Absolute Tabletop on the Dead Man's Guide to Dragongrin, and on several projects at Dead Channel Studios. In 2021 I formed Adventure Slang Productions for the creation of Nuovarden and the Fortunes D4 System. In 2025 Nuovarden was formally published. I am also a podcaster, livestream performer, and English teacher. I began game mastering in 1983 and have professionally GMd both kids and adults since 2016. I can GM D&D 5e, Mork Borg, The Mutant Epoch, Carbon 2185, Call of Cthulhu 7e, Ten Candles, and Nuovarden. I have played many other games and know several systems. Here at StartPlaying, however, I prefer to introduce players to Nuovarden - the earthpunk fantasy option to medieval high fantasy. If you are ready for something a little different, please join me!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Nuovarden character creation is generally quick and easy, but to save time I will offer pre-gens to choose from for this one-shot session.
Nuovarden supports any sort of party composition. This one shot is a taste of the the world, and those that find it enjoyable are encouraged to explore more in upcoming long form adventures. There you will see the versatility in character development that this game offers. For now, we will get familiar with the setting and some of the abilities these characters possess.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Discord (invites sent to registered players) Owlbear Rodeo VTT (invites sent to registered players)
What Ty brings to the table
The story is my focus, and the characters in the story are the actors that make the tale resonate. A one-shot might make it a little harder to achieve character depth, but hopefully everyone will have fun regardless. I like to tell stories with a serious tone punctuated by humor and light-heartedness. This as opposed to pure silliness, which can derail the progress of the plot. On the other hand I value roleplaying above all. I will use character voices and accents for my NPCs. Players are welcome to do the same but there is no expectation or requirement. I like to use ambient music if possible, though I am still learning some of the complexities of the Owlbear VTT and may not have that working yet. Combat is somewhat tactical and I use battle maps more often than theater of the mind. Both may appear. The rules of Nuovarden were created by me and I tend to follow them as much as I can, though they have a somewhat inherent coolness that makes the rule-of-cool more or less organic. Respect and trust are essential at the table. Everyone should feel welcome and safe to play. Please be sure to give each other space for input so that everyone has a chance to play their part.
Homebrew rules
Since this system is likely new to you there aren't any common homebrew rules to be aware of. Please feel free to ask about how things work at any time.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Ty creates a safe table
I will have a lines and veils document that we will review at the start. Any concerns can be discussed as a group, or you may message me privately. We will also use the X-card (cross your arms to the camera) and red/yellow/green (put the word for the color response in chat) systems for things that might come up unexpectedly. I will discuss those in more detail when we cover lines and veils. In the event something does come up I will reach out privately to check in and make sure you have a chance to express any concerns.
Content warnings
Safety tools used