This jam is now over. It ran from 2025-05-23 01:15:00 to 2025-06-30 16:00:00. View 25 entries

Thank you for your interest in collaborating on some Science Fantasy backgrounds for Cairn! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me here or on discord as Ded Zeppelin. 

One of the amazing features of Cairn, particularly in the 2nd Edition, is how much of a shared fiction is conveyed through the background tables. Just two rolls do a great job rooting new players in the forest fantasy setting built into the base game. With a set of different backgrounds, players and Wardens can jump into a whole new world.

The goal of this project is to create as many strange, inspiring, and gameable backgrounds as possible. If you have little experience, not to worry! Yochai Gal himself created a great writeup on how to create new backgrounds for free on the Cairn site. I will then pay an artist to illustrate the backgrounds created and format the sheets into a PDF on itch, with each contributor credited.

Media to aid in Inspiration

  • Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf
  • Caves of Qud by Freehold Studios
  • Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Studio Ghibli
  • The Barsoom Series by Edgar Rice Burrows
  • The Edge Chronicles by Paul Steward & Chris Riddell
  • The art of Mœbius and Bruce Pennington

Existing RPG Products with ‘Similar Vibes’

  • Vaults of Vaarn by Leo Hunt
  • The Electrum Archive by Emiel Boven & Ava Islam
  • Cloud Empress by watt
  • Archon Ruins by Gnarled Monster
  • Crystal Frontier by Ratking Productions
  • Hill Cantons by Chris Kutalik

Some Example Background Ideas

- Arcology Dweller
- Sellsword
- Astro-Navigator
- Mechanist Priest
- Autamata
- Sky Pirate
- Pit Fighter
- Water Merchant
- Village Heptman
- Merchant Aeronaut
- Librarian-Knight
- Moon Priest

If you would like to work in affinity, I also uploaded a template for use in Affinity, but feel free to submit your jam in whatever file format you like.

Submissions(25)

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A Science-Fantasy themed background for Cairn 2nd Edition. In english and spanish.
A Science Fantasy Background for Cairn 2e
A Science-Fantasy themed background for Cairn 2nd Edition.
Science-Fantasy Background for Cairn
A Science-Fantasy themed background for Cairn 2nd Edition.
Three additional backgrounds designed with Cairn 2e
Three science-fantasy backgrounds for Cairn 2E
For Cairn 2e Science-Fantasy
Sunburnt and perspiring with enlightenment. Unasked for insight in exchange for alms
A Science Fantasy Background compatible with Cairn 2e.
A science fantasy background for Cairn 2e
A sci-fi Cairn 2E background
Ride an Exotic Beast across the galaxy
A combat-focused, Destiny 2 inspired background with special abilities for honoring the alien overlords.
a science-fantasy background for Cairn 2E
A science Fantasy Background for Cairn 2e
This is a science fantasy background for Cairn 2e (jam)