13th Age

**13th Age** is a fantasy roleplaying game designed by Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet, and it is published by Pelgrane Press. Released in 2013, *13th Age* is a d20 fantasy RPG and has over 25 published supplements with the most recent released in 2022. *13th Age* is set to release its 2nd edition ruleset in 2023/24.

Chromatic Chimera is an official broadcaster for the *13th Age* system with support from the publisher. *13th Age* is the ruleset utilized by the cast of *WovenRealm* to produce their live actualplay production.

## History

With Monte Cook and Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet had proven instrumental in the development of the d20 system commonly encountered in fantasy RPGs such as *D&D* and *Pathfinder* during the development of *3rd edition* to the *Dungeons & Dragons* ruleset. Rob Heinsoo was the lead designer to *D&D 4E*. After the troubled release of *4th Edition*, both were let go by *D&D*'s publisher, Wizards of the Coast. Without the constraint of a publisher or popular intellectual property, both longtime friends would meet and cooperate to create their idealized vision of a d20 fantasy RPG. By GenCon 2012, the Archmage Engine was ready for playtesting. The *13 True Ways* supplement was created before the game was officially released. On August 3, 2013, *13th Age* was released.

In 2023, Pelgrane Presse announced the successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the release of a 2nd edition for *13th Age* which is set to release in 2023/24. Playtest rules are available on the publisher's site.

## Setting

*13th Age* has generalist setting features that are meant to help a group flesh out a setting through the course of play. There are default places, Icons, and bestiary, many parts of the setting are intended to be shaped during character creation. The game's 13 Icons, powerful NPCs with great spheres of influence, are the primary driving forces of the setting. A Glorantha supplement has been released as well, allowing players to adventure in Greg Stafford's Glorantha setting originally conceived for *RuneQuest* and *HeroQuest*.

Chromatic Chimera utilizes their own setting of Evarencia for the story of *WovenRealm*.

## System

*13th Age* is a d20 game, meaning that a 20-sided die is primarily used to resolve most actions. The d20 die system is a common fixture in roleplaying games and is an institution for fantasy RPGs.

*13th Age* was designed with the intent to be familiar in concept, setting, and terminology to *D&D* players, and so as a class-based structure with most of the classes having some core basis in the *D&D* canon. It is also a level-based game with a maximum of 10 levels divided into 3 tiers of play. Character development focuses on a modular and customizable approach where players choose from lists of talents and abilities versus the traditional approach of a kit or the class providing what abilities and powers a character gets. The skill system of *D&D* and other similar roleplaying games is done away with for a simpler 'backgrounds system' where players are encouraged to create backstories for their characters to give them bonuses over relying on an exhaustive list of skills associated with different actions. Backgrounds also often take the place of a lot of utility magic and powers.

*13th Age* was designed specifically to not require miniatures or a grid and instead uses abstract distances and positioning. Combat is sped up through the implementation of the escalation die, a die that acts as a to-hit modifier for player characters. Other mechanics include the 'natural roll' where certain effects are added to rolls based off of the number showing on the d20 before adding modifiers, wapon dice damage determined by class, and recoveries that are reminiscent of healing surges in *4E D&D*.

Like many of the d20-variant games, the *Archmage Engine* and *13th Age SRD* has been released under the Open Game License, so that its open game content can be copied and modified. Chromatic Chimera has made great use of this to not only implement their own unique rules, but to tell their story.

## Chromatic Chimera

### *Madam Curio's Bizarre Bazaar*

*Madam Curio's Bizarre Bazaar* marks the first time Chromatic Chimera played the *13th Age* system officially. During the tenure of the campaign, Chromatic Chimera was approached by Pelgrane Press to become official *13th Age* broadcasters.

### *WovenRealm*

*13th Age* was the clearest choice for ruleset to tell the story of *WovenRealm*, and the cast decided to tell their story through *13th Age.* *WovenRealm* is one of the most viewed *13th Age* live plays present in its medium. Many unique rules and mechanics had been developed by the GMs to flesh out rules for their medium as well as unique setting.

### After *WovenRealm*

Chromatic Chimera has generally slowed down its content production during the course of *WovenRealm*. The cast has made reference to another potential production after *WovenRealm's* conclusion, but they have not made any statements about what system they intend to use.

## Awards

*13th Age* won the 2014 Silver Ennie Award for 'Best Rules.'