Wretched Core Book+Setting Books

In this revised edition, Wretched Époque has transformed from a standalone game into an immersive setting. As such, to fully delve into this world, you will require the Wretched Role-Playing Game core book, an alternative set of OSR rules, or even another type of role-playing game system.
Within these pages, you will find not only a seamless integration of Époque with the new Wretched mechanics, but also an abundance of enriched content. Explore the Belle Époque era across the globe, unravel the intricate web of nefarious adversaries and factions, and discover an array of plot hooks and game mastering hints.

Wretched Époque takes place in the period known as the Belle Époque, which is dated between 1871 and 1914, ending when World War I started.
This is the time and the fictional place where Umberto Eco’s Simone Simonini - the most cynical and disagreeable character in the History of literature, as the author meant him to be - crosses paths with Jacques Tardi’s Adèle Blanc-Sec, Edgar Allan Poe’s Chevalier Auguste Dupin and Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin, amidst anarchist bombings, the echoes of the Dreyfus affair, the catastrophic side effects of secret societies conspiring in the shadows and the mysterious results of experiences conducted by mad geniuses. Not yet pulp, not quite historical, it is neither the right time nor the right mood for Steampunk or Dieselpunk, this is the time of Nouveaupunk.

This is the revised version of the old-school rules that have been used in prior releases by The Red Room. We are now publishing this in preparation for the second edition of the previously published titles, which will be setting books, including some rules variations, instead of full games. You will notice a few changes, but the revised rules are entirely compatible with the first iteration of The Red Room’s Wretchedverse, and this book is easily adaptable to earlier editions of the most famous role-playing game.  

To get wretched, you need nothing else but this book and a few dice, though you can find several titles already published for the Wretchedverse. For fans of 1980s Conan rip-offs, Wretched Bastards offers a dark fantasy world to explore. If you prefer spaghetti westerns, Wretched Country allows you to ride off into the sunset as a gunslinging anti-hero. For a more historically accurate setting, Wretched Époque immerses players in a world of horror in 19th-century Paris. Fans of exploitation movies from the late 1960s to the 1990s can indulge in their favourite genre with Wretchploitation. Those who enjoy future noir will love Wretched New Flesh, where you can explore a dystopian Moroccan city inspired by the works of William S. Burroughs, William Gibson, and David Cronenberg. Wretched Space and Wretched Apocalypse offer exciting sci-fi adventures in a sleazy space opera game world and a post-apocalyptic fiction game, respectively. Finally, Wretched Darkness delves into the darker side of human nature with its horror/urban fantasy setting. These are the ones already available, but other settings are planned, such as Wretched Vigilantes, a street-level super-heroes game world. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the OSR, Wretched has something to offer everyone (302 pages).

Wretched New Flesh: Orbital Decay is a gritty industrial science-fiction setting that can be used as standalone, though it is primarily meant to be an expansion to the dark and twisted universe of Wretched New Flesh (160 pages).

Building upon the surreal and nightmarish world of Avalidad, Orbital Decay explores the depths of human ambition, desperation, and depravity as we venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere, establishing orbital stations and colonies on other planets within the solar system. This setting draws heavy inspiration from iconic films such as Alien, Aliens, Outland, Escape from New York, Stalker, Solaris, Event Horizon, and Pandorum, expertly weaving themes of isolation, claustrophobia, desperation, fear, and horror into the fabric of its narrative. As humanity reaches for the stars in search of resources, knowledge, and power, the ever-present influence of Takeda Technologies and other known corporations extend their reach into the cold void of space.

Wretched Conspiracies can work either as a standalone setting for Wretched Role-Playing Game or as a sourcebook for Wretched Darkness. In Conspiracies, players can take the role of seasoned characters, already aware of the existence of otherworldly phenomena, or neophytes, for whom the world is subject to the rules of rationality. They can also be members of the Veil Syndicate, an enigmatic organization that tries to keep paranormal and supernatural phenomena hidden from the public, or trying to get the truth out there. You choose the way you want to run it, we provide you with the tools.

Within the hidden corners of the modern world, the Veil Syndicate discreetly carries out its operations, spinning intricate webs of deception and intrigue from the shadows of secrecy.
As members of government agencies, you have been initiated into this clandestine brotherhood, tasked with maintaining control over society and concealing the supernatural phenomena that lurk behind the veil of the mundane.

The Veil Syndicate, a formidable organisation with roots in ancient secret societies, has infiltrated the highest echelons of power in government, industry, and academia. Over millennia, these groups have merged and evolved into the powerful and enigmatic organisation that now stands before you.

With cutting-edge technology, powerful weaponry, and vast resources at your disposal, you will join the ranks of the Syndicate's elite agents, sworn to protect the organisation's interests and uphold its mysterious agenda (132 pages).