How Do You Play Candela Obscura?

After players create their characters and the Circle, the GM will present them with the mystery those characters find themselves embroiled in, usually with an assignment from the Lightkeeper. Players describe or act out what their characters do, and the GM tells them how the world responds. Frequently, they’ll take risky or uncertain actions that require them to roll dice to find out whether they succeed, fail, or something in between. But most importantly, every choice the players make progresses the story and keeps the action flowing. Candela Obscura is a game of collaborative storytelling, where the “fiction,” the shared imaginary world, always comes first.

Piece by piece, player characters will uncover the secret of the mystery they face, until ultimately they must confront the culprit, whether it’s a criminal conspiracy, a diabolical corporation, or a supernatural creature that managed to bleed into this world.

How to Play Candela Obscura Online

Candela Obscura, like many TTRPGs, is fundamentally a conversation among the players and Game Master. For that reason, it’s extremely easy to play online! All you need to play is a few six-sided dice and at least two players (although three to five is usually best), one of whom acts as the Game Master. Character sheets and other resources are free to download on the publisher’s website, and voice and video platforms like Zoom and Discord make face-to-face communication simple. Candela Obscura is often played in a “theater of the mind” style, where the fiction is described by the players and takes place entirely in their imaginations. For those who prefer visual aids, however, there are plenty of virtual tabletops, or VTTs, that allow players to share images, maps, tokens, notes, and handouts, and even have virtual dice to roll!

How to Find a Candela Obscura Group

Finding a group of people to play with, especially as a beginner, can feel like a daunting task. Don’t worry! The hobby is growing faster than ever, and with plenty of gaming groups who eagerly welcome new players. You might start by visiting your local game store, which may have an active community of players you can join, a place to advertise open seats for games, or even a scheduled night of organized play you can drop into. Online communities focused on RPGs frequently have “Looking for Group” (LFG) forums or channels dedicated to helping players find the right game for them. Reddit and Discord are common places to look, as are the community forums for digital tools like Demiplane. Not to mention here at StartPlaying, where we’ve created a powerful, user-friendly tool for browsing open games on your schedule and simply signing up to play! Finally, if you have a group of friends who are interested and willing to learn, it’s completely feasible to jump in feet first, learning the game as you go. Of course, someone will need to take on the mantle of the Game Master.

Why Hire A Professional Game Master for Candela Obscura?

The easiest way to learn Candela Obscura is by playing, and the easiest way to play is by finding a Game Master to teach you. Professional GMs can call upon years of expertise to not only introduce players to the hobby and make them feel welcomed, but also give immersive and incredible experiences to players old and new. This isn’t easy; creating scenarios that present real challenges, invite creative solutions, include an ensemble cast of compelling characters, and result in a satisfying narrative for any choice the players make is a substantial craft to master! Not to mention Candela Obscura often has no pre-planned plot or storyline to follow, and often requires a Game Master to skillfully improvise and weave their players’ actions into a constantly evolving narrative. Nevertheless, professional Game Masters dedicate themselves to offering the one-of-a-kind experience that only RPGs can: being the hero of a story where your choices really matter. These pro GMs are the fastest and easiest way to jump directly into the fun of roleplaying games; they can teach you the rules, create an amazing adventure, and guide you into the endless possibilities of the TTRPG hobby.