SHIFT RPG is an upcoming tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) from Canadian game publisher Hit Point Press. It is played with a set of five polyhedral dice (d4 through d12) and helps you tell a story with your friends in any setting imaginable. Maelstrom was the first setting introduced for SHIFT RPG. This eldritch coastal setting was first-ever introduced for SHIFT. Read on to find out more about it!

How do I play SHIFT RPG?

If you want to learn how to play SHIFT, check out this learn-to-play video, or head to the SHIFT website to find out more. You can also watch a full game of SHIFT in action on stellaluna’s YouTube channel:

What is Maelstrom?

Maelstrom is a cosmic horror maritime setting for SHIFT RPG. It’s inspired by seafaring stories as found in The Lighthouse and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Maelstrom incorporates eldritch horror, the supernatural, science fiction, and Atlantic coastal life. In Maelstrom, the sea has swallowed the sun in a cataclysmic event that has left much of the land lost underwater. Survivors are forced to live in a world of harsh, rocky landscapes corrupted by a supernatural force called The Deep.

Maelstrom offers opportunities for players to fight off a pack of inkhounds, meet the survivor of a shipwreck, and survive an encounter with a monstrous albatross.

What adventures can I have in Maelstrom?

The Maelstrom setting comes with a prewritten adventure, Curse of the Albatross, where a  nesting, monstrous albatross has snuffed out the lighthouse lamp. The ensuing darkness has allowed The Deep to extend its tendrils onto the island, covering it in ocean life and trapping its aging Beacon, Darrow Crain [they/he], behind a wall of hardened quick coral. The party must kill, scare off, or otherwise eliminate the threat of the albatross and reignite the lighthouse, or else The Deep will consume the island forever!

What character can I play in Maelstrom?

Maelstrom includes four pre-generated characters that you can use to jump right into the action:

• The Beacon is a champion chosen by The Light with a sworn duty to keep the lighthouses lit.

• The Gale wields the power of storms, manipulating gusts of wind to speed along sailing ships, summoning eerie mists, or call upon the skies to strike lightning down on creatures of The Deep.

• The Rudder belongs to a renowned order of navigators that tattoo arcane star charts onto their skin to use as a map.

• The Siren is known for their way with words and enchanting charisma, with an uncanny ability to charm, inspire, and, when they feel so inclined, deceive others.

Where can I get Maelstrom for SHIFT RPG?

You can get Maelstrom for SHIFT RPG for free on the Hit Point Press website, and you can follow the SHIFT RPG Kickstarter page to help bring the setting to life!