The Defenders Almanac

The creators of the cooperative board game Defenders of the Wild present an illustrated guidebook to the besieged lands of the Commonwood and a rules-light tabletop roleplaying game for collaboratively telling your own stories of animal resistance to the machine invasion.

Each story requires a storyteller and 2 or more players to roleplay as the main characters—animal Defenders embarking on a life-changing mission in the war against the machines.

The Defenders Almanac features extensive in-world documents such as histories, maps, botanical guides, short stories, and diagrams, all paired with evocative illustrations.

The final section of the book details a complete, streamlined roleplaying system built for short-form stories of sabotage, rescues, escapes, espionage, heists, and other acts of clandestine resistance. Players create animal characters using a character web that expands as the story progresses, unlocking new proficiencies and abilities.

Significant actions are resolved with six-sided dice. Most stories last 3–5 chapters, with each chapter typically taking one session to complete.

Can the Defenders work together to navigate the complexities of the Commonwood and defeat the machine occupation? Or will the Land of the Fire Oaks fall to a devastating industrial winter? It's up to you and your comrades to decide.