Polite Society: The Zine for Thieves, Scoundrels, and Ne'er-Do-Wells (48pp/issue, retail price $7 each) adds a little (or a lot of) larceny to fantasy RPGs. Polite Society converts generic D&D 5E into a gritty, stripped-down sword-and-sorcery setting with new character options, drop-in optional rules to add danger and intrigue to an urban campaign, a random heist generator, and a new heist in every issue. Create your own City of Thieves campaign about a crew of professional thieves, redressing wrongs and staying one step ahead of corrupt politicians and decadent nobles. Keep the loot for yourself, give it back to the people they stole it from, or do a little of both.
Polite Society Issue 1 features the Ruffian (a bare-knuckle bruiser subclass for fighters), a trio of new backgrounds based on the charlatan, exotic weapons for 5E, a revised reaction system, a new mechanic for NPCs called Levers and Triggers, and a new heist: "The Double-Crossing Diplomat Job."
Issue #2 features the Divine Archeologist (a quasi-religious subclass for rogues), new backgrounds, ideas for toughening up your campaign, tips on incorporating magic into fantasy heists, and "The Cursed Coffer Score."
Issue #3 features the Oath of the Wall (a paladin subclass that will protect the city and its citizens with a shield), new ideas for Thieves' Cant, and "The Floating Casino Heist," where players break into a vault on a pirate ship.
Issue #4 features do-it-yourself backgrounds with options for random generation, new Bonds called Personal Codes, and examples pulled from popular heist movies. But the real star of the zine is "The Night of Fire," a 0-level funnel you generate using a Hex Flower Engine to create a starting sandbox campaign.
Learn more at the February 2023 Kickstarter campaign page.
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