Tribe 8 (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
Tribe 8 is a fantasy
/post-apocalypse role-playing game
designed by Philippe R. Boulle, Stéphane Brochu
and Joshua Mosqueira-Asheim with visuals by Ghislain Barbe
. It was first released in 1998 by Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9
as a departure from their mostly mecha
line of hard science fiction
games.
, Quebec
, Canada
. At some indeterminate point in history, something has gone horribly, cosmically wrong. Though the nature of this disaster is never fully explained, the result was the appearance of the "Z'bri
", twisted demonic creatures of spirit who either initiated the fall of the "World Before," or came in the wake of its destruction. The Z'bri
, needing flesh to sate their demonic hungers, herded the majority of humanity into camps where they were killed or enslaved until the "Fatimas" (Avatar
s of what is called "The One Goddess") imbued humanity with hope and with Synthesis, a potent but subtle form of dream magic. In this way, the Z'bri
were fought back into the wilds. The Fatimas then established the tribal lands of Vimary, protecting the inhabitants of their own tribes.
Player characters typically take on the role of the Fallen, outcasts from the Tribe
s who live on the exile island of Hom (present day Île Sainte-Hélène). Although many of the Fallen
truly are criminal, many have also been cast out from the Tribes due to their inability to deal with the unjust society that the Fatimas have built. They are heretics, warriors, dreamers, and leaders who hope to build something even when society has abandoned them.
The game has a strong metaplot
, which tells the tale of the Fallen
's struggle with the Tribe
s, the demonic Z'bri
who had destroyed the world before, and also with themselves. It focuses on themes of spirituality, horror, and the cost of hope in a world that has gone terribly wrong.
The Pillars of the Nation:
The Dancers:
The Dead:
s and their society. Cycle books were a linked series of adventures that built up an epic story of the Fallen and their search for destiny. The setting sourcebooks covered lands and places in detail, expanding the world – including books giving more detail on the Z'bri
, the River of Dream, and the Outland
s. Finally the Legend books were short series of stories with adventures not connected to the meta-plot of the cycle books.
Tribe 8, 2nd edition was printed in 2004 as a soft cover book that used the Silhouette Core Rules. Thus, unlike the 1st edition, it was not a complete game and needed the Silhouette CORE Rulebook to play. The second edition moved the setting from Vimary to Capal (another city), advancing the history of the world by 15 years. It also finally revealed the whole course of the metaplot, allowing Gamemasters to weave their own stories rather than wait to find out how the world would change. Though plans to follow up the second edition with more supplemental books have been discussed, there have been no further releases as of yet.
's own Silhouette game engine. The latest edition of the Silhouette rules is sold separately as a book titled Silhouette CORE Rulebook, which is needed to play the second edition of the Tribe 8 roleplaying game (the first edition rulebook included its own version of Silhouette).
Silhouette is a realistic, simulationist system that defines characters in terms of 10 base attributes (agility, knowledge, etc.), 5 derived attributes (health, etc.), and a variety of skills. Skill rolls make up the backbone of the system, which focuses on effect-based speed of play over grainy detail. The core mechanic involves rolling a number of 6-sided dice, taking the highest result and comparing it to a set threshold number. If the result is higher than the threshold the test is a success; if it is lower the test is a failure. The margin by which the test succeeded (Margin of Success, MoS) or failed (Margin of Failure, MoF) helps to determine the final outcome. Combat is handled by the same system, with characters taking penalty-inflicting wounds rather than depleting a set number of health points. As a result, the system can be lethal, especially on inexperienced characters.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
/post-apocalypse role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
designed by Philippe R. Boulle, Stéphane Brochu
Stephane Brochu
Stéphane Brochu is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman.Brochu was drafted 175th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Quebec Remparts...
and Joshua Mosqueira-Asheim with visuals by Ghislain Barbe
Ghislain Barbe
Ghislain Barbe is a Canadian illustrator and artist. He is best known for designing the visual aspects of the Heavy Gear science fiction franchise in the 1990s and early 2000s...
. It was first released in 1998 by Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9
Dream Pod 9
Dream Pod 9 is a Montreal-based Canadian game publisher. In addition to games, they have been known to work on special projects, creating worlds and stories to order for a variety of clients.-History:...
as a departure from their mostly mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
line of hard science fiction
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
games.
Setting
Tribe 8 takes place in a land known as Vimary, which is a post-apocalyptic MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. At some indeterminate point in history, something has gone horribly, cosmically wrong. Though the nature of this disaster is never fully explained, the result was the appearance of the "Z'bri
Z'bri
Z'bri are the spiritual demonic creatures living in the Tribe 8 role playing game setting from Dream Pod 9.The Z'bri appeared just after the disaster struck the Earth...
", twisted demonic creatures of spirit who either initiated the fall of the "World Before," or came in the wake of its destruction. The Z'bri
Z'bri
Z'bri are the spiritual demonic creatures living in the Tribe 8 role playing game setting from Dream Pod 9.The Z'bri appeared just after the disaster struck the Earth...
, needing flesh to sate their demonic hungers, herded the majority of humanity into camps where they were killed or enslaved until the "Fatimas" (Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
s of what is called "The One Goddess") imbued humanity with hope and with Synthesis, a potent but subtle form of dream magic. In this way, the Z'bri
Z'bri
Z'bri are the spiritual demonic creatures living in the Tribe 8 role playing game setting from Dream Pod 9.The Z'bri appeared just after the disaster struck the Earth...
were fought back into the wilds. The Fatimas then established the tribal lands of Vimary, protecting the inhabitants of their own tribes.
Player characters typically take on the role of the Fallen, outcasts from the Tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s who live on the exile island of Hom (present day Île Sainte-Hélène). Although many of the Fallen
Fallen
Fallen could refer to:* Fallen angel* Fallen Footwear, the footwear brand that sponsors skateboarder Jamie Thomas* Fallen , a 2004 crime novel by Kathleen George* Fallen , a young adult fantasy novel by Lauren KateBooks...
truly are criminal, many have also been cast out from the Tribes due to their inability to deal with the unjust society that the Fatimas have built. They are heretics, warriors, dreamers, and leaders who hope to build something even when society has abandoned them.
The game has a strong metaplot
Metaplot
The metaplot is the overarching storyline that binds together events in a role-playing game. Major story events that change the world, or simply move important non-player characters from one place to another, are part of the metaplot for a game. For example, White Wolf Game Studio's World of...
, which tells the tale of the Fallen
Fallen
Fallen could refer to:* Fallen angel* Fallen Footwear, the footwear brand that sponsors skateboarder Jamie Thomas* Fallen , a 2004 crime novel by Kathleen George* Fallen , a young adult fantasy novel by Lauren KateBooks...
's struggle with the Tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s, the demonic Z'bri
Z'bri
Z'bri are the spiritual demonic creatures living in the Tribe 8 role playing game setting from Dream Pod 9.The Z'bri appeared just after the disaster struck the Earth...
who had destroyed the world before, and also with themselves. It focuses on themes of spirituality, horror, and the cost of hope in a world that has gone terribly wrong.
The Fatimas
The Fates:- Magdalen the Lover - She is the aspect of the One Goddess' sensuality, mystery and passion. Magdalen appears cloaked in gauzy capes covering a body wrapped in barbed wire, her face hidden behind a hood that is zippered closed. Magdelen's children traditionally play the roles of diplomats, courtesans, pharmacists and whores, and the Synthesis power given to them by their Fatima generally center around seduction and betrayal.
- Eva the MotherAdam and EveAdam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
- She is the earth mother, the One Goddess' aspect of fertility, with the ability to both create and to destroy. Her anima form is like a headless Venus of WillendorfVenus of WillendorfThe Venus of Willendorf, also known as the Woman of Willendorf, is an high statuette of a female figure estimated to have been made between 24,000 and 22,000 BCE. It was discovered in 1908 by archaeologist Josef Szombathy at a paleolithic site near Willendorf, a village in Lower Austria near the...
with gigantic leather bat wings. Her children are farmers, nurses, midwives, healers and caretakers and are granted the Synthesis powers that concentrate on empathy and the manipulation of life-force energy.
- Baba Yaga the CroneBaba YagaBaba Yaga or Baba Roga is a haggish or witchlike character in Slavic folklore. She flies around on a giant pestle, kidnaps small children, and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs...
- The keeper of the Fold (the gateway between the physical and spiritual realms), Baba Yaga is a miasma of old bones, earth, wood, rot and decay. She rattles like a dying breath and travels in a swarm of flies. Her children are loremasters, witches and death priests, and they are given Synthesis powers over death and dreaming.
The Pillars of the Nation:
- Joan the Warrior - Once a fierce and tireless warrior, Joan is reclusive and silent since the death of her brother Joshua. She is a dauntingly powerful figure in a huge brutal black steel frame with bare rebar wings and fearsome weapons. Her children are both the noble defenders and protectors of the tribes as well as the brutal enforcers of Tera Sheba's will. They are smiths and soldiers, templars and glassblowers, and they are gifted with Synthesis governing martial ability, physical prowess and personal tenacity.
- Tera ShebaShebaSheba was a kingdom mentioned in the Jewish scriptures and the Qur'an...
the Wise - She is the governance of law and judgment in Vimary. Presenting herself in reams of cloth and parchment, with fans declaring office and three wooden heads, gagged, blindfolded and deafened in turn, Tera Sheba carries a terrifying authority. Her children are the lawmakers, adjudicators, inquisitors and lore keepers, and they are gifted with Synthesis governing truth, wisdom and tradition.
The Dancers:
- Dahlia the TricksterDahliaDahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. There are at least 36 species of dahlia, some like D. imperialis up to 10 metres tall. Dahlia hybrids are commonly grown as garden plants...
- The joy and movement of the One Goddess, Dahlia is an ever-changing apparition of elusive masks and fans. Among all the tribes, only Her children do not have tribal lands of their own. Instead they are nomadic, following caravan routes throughout Vimary and into the surrounding lands. They are dancers, traders, tinkers, entertainers, actors, envoys and outrunners, and are gifted with the Synthesis abilities that govern illusion and motion.
- Agnes the ChildSaint AgnesAgnes of Rome is a virgin–martyr, venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and Lutheranism. She is one of seven women, excluding the Blessed Virgin, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass...
- Agnes was not one of the original eight Fatimas. She is a child Fatima born of the ashes of Mary the Forgiver, who died soon after her brother Joshua. Agnes is composed of two parts, a large frightening teddy bear with iron jaws and scissor claws, and a small bedraggled rag doll. Her tribe is a Lord of the FliesLord of the FliesLord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
-like environment where children are the leaders, who grow into obscurity either by breeding new children or becoming slaves to the tribe. Agnes' children are given the Synthesis gifts that pertain to capriciousness, inspiration and wonder.
The Dead:
- JoshuaJoshuaJoshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
the Ravager - The only male Fatima died following the liberation of humanity from the camps, as he and his tribe of berserk warriors led the charge to drive the Z'bri lords and their beasts back from the lands of Vimary. The circumstances of his death are mysterious, carrying special portent due to a prophecy that he uttered before dying: he proclaimed that his death would be avenged, and that his tribe would arise again from the wretches and the outcasts. Tribe 8 gets its name from this prophecy and the belief of many of the Fallen that they are the children of this prophecy.
Release history
The first printing of the core rulebook was soft cover and was later reprinted in a hardcover format. An extensive line of Tribe 8 books was printed, consisting of "Word of" books, cycle books, Legend books, and setting sourcebooks. The "Word of" books focused on the details of the TribeTribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s and their society. Cycle books were a linked series of adventures that built up an epic story of the Fallen and their search for destiny. The setting sourcebooks covered lands and places in detail, expanding the world – including books giving more detail on the Z'bri
Z'bri
Z'bri are the spiritual demonic creatures living in the Tribe 8 role playing game setting from Dream Pod 9.The Z'bri appeared just after the disaster struck the Earth...
, the River of Dream, and the Outland
Outland
Outland may refer to:* Outland , a 1981 film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Sean Connery* Outland , a 1987 album by Spear of Destiny* Outland , a 1991 album by Gary Numan...
s. Finally the Legend books were short series of stories with adventures not connected to the meta-plot of the cycle books.
Tribe 8, 2nd edition was printed in 2004 as a soft cover book that used the Silhouette Core Rules. Thus, unlike the 1st edition, it was not a complete game and needed the Silhouette CORE Rulebook to play. The second edition moved the setting from Vimary to Capal (another city), advancing the history of the world by 15 years. It also finally revealed the whole course of the metaplot, allowing Gamemasters to weave their own stories rather than wait to find out how the world would change. Though plans to follow up the second edition with more supplemental books have been discussed, there have been no further releases as of yet.
Rule system
Tribe 8 uses Dream Pod 9Dream Pod 9
Dream Pod 9 is a Montreal-based Canadian game publisher. In addition to games, they have been known to work on special projects, creating worlds and stories to order for a variety of clients.-History:...
's own Silhouette game engine. The latest edition of the Silhouette rules is sold separately as a book titled Silhouette CORE Rulebook, which is needed to play the second edition of the Tribe 8 roleplaying game (the first edition rulebook included its own version of Silhouette).
Silhouette is a realistic, simulationist system that defines characters in terms of 10 base attributes (agility, knowledge, etc.), 5 derived attributes (health, etc.), and a variety of skills. Skill rolls make up the backbone of the system, which focuses on effect-based speed of play over grainy detail. The core mechanic involves rolling a number of 6-sided dice, taking the highest result and comparing it to a set threshold number. If the result is higher than the threshold the test is a success; if it is lower the test is a failure. The margin by which the test succeeded (Margin of Success, MoS) or failed (Margin of Failure, MoF) helps to determine the final outcome. Combat is handled by the same system, with characters taking penalty-inflicting wounds rather than depleting a set number of health points. As a result, the system can be lethal, especially on inexperienced characters.