What Lies Beneath

Fervent Workshop

A solo dungeon-crawler of dice, decisions and death

You dream you’re in a chapel. Small, high-pitched voices sing an ancient song. Yet a sense of unease washes through you. The core is more macabre. Dream yields to waking confusion. Dust, bones and dried death. A flickering torch. Underground. A crypt.

You catch a wisp of a breeze, heavy with the stench of rot. You gag. Yet a breeze suggests a way out. You take the torch, determined to get out of here alive.

Structured as a branching narrative, What Lies Beneath invites you to direct the plot – but only if you master a unique combination of game mechanisms. Enjoy all the challenges of solo roleplay:

  • Buffing your character: Gain items that unlock new powers
  • Classic skill checks: Roll against thresholds to hit enemies
  • Intellectual puzzles: Manipulate dice using limited actions
  • Dexterity tests (optional): Flick dice at specified targets

And when (not if) you die, you can spend experience points to boost your next character. Perhaps, this time, you will survive.

Design by Chris Scaffidi
Art by Jason Glover

200 page, 5 x 8 inch, black & white, perfect-bound softcover

Customer Reviews

Based on 7 reviews
86%
(6)
14%
(1)
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S
Seth B.
Addictive

It's a lot of fun to create a character and see how long they'll survive. If they don't then just create another try to make better choices the next time around.

T
Tom Hughes
Gift for a friend

Bought this as a gift for my friend and he really liked it. The game mechanics sound really interesting, the quality is top notch and the art and presentation are fantastic. Very tempted to buy a copy for myself, but we’ll see ;)

L
Leif

Super fun.

T
Terry

Great system!

J
Joshua

Speedy Delivery of an amazing game book!!