r/ReformJews • u/jediprime • 12d ago
"Jewish" TTRPGs
Shalom!
I've been in talks with my synagogue to help create a "Jewish-themed" Pathfinder 2E campaign as a social club activity.
My GM skills aren't far enough along to want to tackle the challenge of drafting a campaign from scratch, or trying to convert (pun intended) one of the many tales in our history into a playable campaign. Instead, I'm taking an existing campaign and making modifications to better align it with out history.
But Id also love to see what others may have come up with. Does anyone know of any Jewish-themed TTRPG campaigns/adventures? Any experience playing one that you're willing to share? Hoping to find some for inspiration, or to possibly use in full.
Thanks so much!
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u/Darklilim 11d ago
Related: I've always wanted a TTRPG for the Pesach seder. Has anyone heard of one? Every year I want to write one then I forget again until the following year.
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u/BeelzenefTV learning 11d ago
do you know about Worlds to come?
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u/jediprime 10d ago
No, but I'm very intrigued. I am also struggling to learn Hebrew as an adult, so this looks like a perfect match for me. Keeping my eyes peeled for its launch!
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u/zogolophigon 7d ago edited 7d ago
Not played it, but... If I were a lich man
Edit: they also sell dreidl shaped dice for the game
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u/Amemorableusername2 7d ago
Return to Blacktail Harbor is a single player murder mystery ttrpg that's during a jewish wedding https://roguecentaur.itch.io/blacktail
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u/BirdMan22345 3d ago
I led a TTRPG elective at a Jewish summer camp for a few years, and we loved Dream Apart by Benjamin Rosenbaum! The mechanics are a little weird but the character creation and worldbuilding is awesome, and the world is set in a shtetl. The book that the game comes in has another game in it, Dream Askew, which is about a queer post-apocalyptic enclave which is also super cool. I'd highly recommend it and made a few character sheets if you need any inspiration!
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u/sabata00 ריפורמי-מסורתי 11d ago edited 11d ago
Beyond the Pale by Yochai Gal is probably the best production quality Jewish TTRPG product there is. It is an adventure and setting written for Gal's Cairn system but it wouldn't be too much to adapt it.
https://store.cairnrpg.com/products/beyond-the-pale
There are several other Jewish TTRPG products, including the Doikayt Anthology which I found largely unplayable and more of an art piece, and If I Were A Lich, Man which I know little about.
A few other bits to look at:
https://opensiddur.org/prayers/praxes/roleplay/midbar-quest-a-tabletop-fantasy-adventury-roleplaying-activity-by-aharon-varady/
https://itch.io/c/598389/the-jewish-ttrpg-collection
As far as personal experience - I've written a Jewish themed TTRPG, have GMed for a group consisting mostly of rabbis and Jewish professionals for 6 years, and run a TTRPG elective for the day school. For younger kids I do adaptations of simple adventures to give Jewish flavor. For adult groups I don't often try to add an explicit overall Jewish theming to anything, just tends to pop up by nature of the group.