Defy Heroic Fantasy

Distal is a d20 fantasy RPG focused on hardships, not heroes. We designed it from the ground up to be easy to learn, easy to run, and a campaign-worthy system you can play forever.

What is Distal?

Distal is a high-fantasy d20 RPG focused on hardships, not heroes. Growth is fueled by the trials you endure during life as adventurers, and modern mechanics support a mix of tactical combat and cooperative storytelling.

We designed Distal from the ground up to be super easy to jump into, build adventures for, and run for you and your friends... while being a deep, campaign-worthy system that you can play forever.

Who is it for?
 
Distal was designed for players wanting meaningful stakes at the table, and for GMs looking to challenge their players without fear of "ruining" a long-form campaign because of it.

Things we care about...
  • Backstories that are fun to create and relevant to the story.
  • Decisions that are meaningful, and near-death experiences that leave lasting scars.
  • Characters that are expressed mechanically as well as narratively.

Things we don't care about...
  • How many miles you can travel in a day by horseback.
  • The exact number of arrows in your quiver.
  • Tracking the hours you've slept.
Design Philosophy
Distal approaches traditional d20 roll-over rulesets with fresh eyes, incorporating modern approaches for common pain points, and funneling our time and energy into the most broadly applicable areas of the game.

Familiar and further.

As a foundation, we don't stray too far from the "everyday fantasy" roots laid by Gygax and Tolkien. We balance a mix of the genre staples you're already familiar with (like Elves and Dwarves,) while pushing into less charted territories that give a distinct shape to the setting.

Worlds built on connection.

The Game Master (GM) helps facilitate the growth of the characters, the world, and the consequences between them. A few deeply engrained systems (like the background generator) develop lasting story elements that both the players and the GM can reference and build upon.

Tactical and streamlined.

From initiative, to turn economy, to character sheet, we've intentionally designed combat to avoid well-known slowdowns in combat, without going so far as to remove to-hit rolls, or oversimplify the way damage is doled out.

Grounded, not gritty.

Distal is not a particularly dark, grim, or gritty setting. We don't want to hack your limbs off, or risk an untimely death every time you turn down an alleyway. Your characters are meant to take shape over the course of a campaign through trials and hardships, much like a sculptor carves away stone to reveal the art beneath.
Class and Lineage

Lineage

Race or species, referred to as Lineage, runs that gamut between familiar genre staples, like Dwarves and Elves, to more esoteric options like the amphibious Atlean, or vibrant-feathered Furie.
  • Atlean - Originally of the sea, the Atlean people were pushed ashore after a lost war with denizens of deeper waters. 
  • Dwarf - Borne of ancient underground empires, many dwarves have begun new lives on the surface to avoid the near constant infighting and oppression of the kingdoms beneath the stone. 
  • Elf - Lithe, timeless, and bound to tradition, the most rigid of ancient elves shunned the outside world long ago in order to keep themselves safe from prophesied tragedies. 
  • Furie - Bearing sharp talons and skin flecked with vibrant feathers, today’s Furie are distant descendants of winged creatures who once lured humans to their death with hypnotic song. 
  • Kinsguard - Humans of a fallen empire, eager to make up for the failings of those who have gone before them. 
  • Tanglefolk - Short-lived and fleet of foot, Tanglefolk were originally visitors from an adjacent plane, and adapted quickly to life in the Distal. 
  • Ulsdotter - A species of half-giants descended from Titans who have collectively lost their memories of the distant past in an event called The Passing. 
  • Wildwalker - Animal-like humanoids bearing fur, claw-tipped hands, and occasionally hooves or antlers, thought to be cursed (or blessed) by ancient woodland gods. 
  • Yvain - While often confused for humans, the Yvain are of elemental blood with three luminous eyes that are commonly kept covered to dampen the stimuli of their inborn planar sight. 

Deadly on land as well as at sea. (art by: Graey Erb)
 

Classes

Each class is distinct to the setting, and aims for specific, instead of broad. Classes aren't bound to traditional archetypes, and grow to fit your personal playstyle through equipment choice and diverse progression options.
  • Berserker - Bloodthirsty frontline fighters that do their best work when on their last legs, wielding the adrenaline of battle to defy the opposition.
  • Cutpurse - Backstabbing rogues who strike from the shadows, denying their opponents any advantage.
  • Embergut - Spellcasting conduits of the Plane of Fire, walking the knife’s edge between power and control. 
  • Falconer - Rangers that rely on their bond with an aerial companion to track, distract, and strike at prey.
  • Ferryman - Shepherds of the dead and dying that bend the will of restless souls to suit their needs.
  • Jester - The unassuming bodyguards of politicians and royalty that befuddle opponents with unconventional tricks.
  • Justicar - Heavily armored protectors fueled by a higher calling, acting as a shield of the faithful and crusher of the heretical.
  • Magister - Voracious pursuers of arcane knowledge that harness it with an intelligent calculus that few can rival.
  • Oracle - Weavers of planar threads gifted with visions of the future, and the ability to shape it.
  • Strategist - Masters of the battlefield that rely on thorough planning and intelligent decision making to stay one move ahead.

 

Planning for battle is preparing for victory. (art by: Graey Erb)

More About Distal

Play a spritely TANGLEFOLK in Distal
Upgrade
Sep 18, 2024

Play a spritely TANGLEFOLK in Distal

Play the elegant, raptorial FURIE in Distal
Upgrade
Aug 22, 2024

Play the elegant, raptorial FURIE in Distal

Befuddle your foes as the JESTER class in Distal
Upgrade
Aug 15, 2024

Befuddle your foes as the JESTER class in Distal

Distal is a TTRPG built on hardships, not heroes.
Upgrade
Aug 15, 2024

Distal is a TTRPG built on hardships, not heroes.

Play the stoic, towering ULSDOTTER in Distal
Upgrade
Jul 28, 2024

Play the stoic, towering ULSDOTTER in Distal

Where have the ELVES gone? (in Distal)
Upgrade
Jul 28, 2024

Where have the ELVES gone? (in Distal)

Playing DWARVES in Distal
Upgrade
Jul 28, 2024

Playing DWARVES in Distal