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We all know it’s true. After the fall of Rome—the very same Rome that destroyed the Second Temple and carted off the massive seven-armed menorah—the temple menorah didn’t really disappear. It passed from empire to empire until finally landing in the ultimate megadungeon: the Vatican Secret Archives, an eighty-five kilometer multi-layer bunker under Vatican City. They stole the menorah.

You’re going to steal it back.

The Vatican Stole the Menorah and We're Going to Steal it Back, now available here, is a silly, dreidel-powered, trifold pamphlet heist TTRPG about reclaiming the Temple menorah from the Vatican. It can be played in 1-2 hours with anywhere from 2 to too many people, a few dreidels (or d4s), eight candles (or eight of anything), and faith (or equally Jewish skepticism) in The Almighty One. It has a rotating dreidelmensch (or "DM") where players takes turns setting up problems and working to overcome them during each  "night" of play. It's built for one-shot play with no prep required. See the screenshots for some sample mechanics.

Also, if we raise $613 in sales via this Itchfunder by January 1st 2026, we'll do a print run of the trifold! Pick up a copy of this no-prep TTRPG and perfect party game for your Jewish Christmas and/or goyish New Year party ASAP.

As for your question, I try to add community copies for all purchases $5 over or more, but it's much harder to keep track of. Is there a reason for not buying the bundle if you plan to do $20 more? In this case, is it because the description was misleading?

Hi! You are so correct about this that it was baffling to me enough to wonder if I'd made a copy/paste error from a previous game until I realized that I must have, without thinking too hard about it, mathed it out as "15 divided by 1 = $15 per copy, 30 divided by 5 = $6 per copy" i.e. just slightly "over double" but that's not a good representation of the actual cost per community copy—your math is totally right there! I'm updating the description now, sorry about that!

This was totally fair, and I'm realizing I never left a comment to say: I realized you were right, and last month pushed a version with every bit of text referenced from Galactic that wasn't previously in Going Rogue (i.e. Setup & Traits) in the Going Rogue book, with Riley's permission. Apologies for this--for a long time, this game was in a weird in between state as it became less and less compatible as something to "mix" into Galactic, but I think you were right that it wasn't properly represented in its marketing, and I've taken that step to address it!

Such an unbelievably cool take on I Have the High Ground, as the creator of it, I can't tell you how exciting it was to see this. It's so perfectly realized, and also in the spirit of the sword lesbians for whom IHtHG was made. Thank you SO much for making this, it rules.

The Quiet Year is the reason i fell in love with indie TTRPGs. my first time playing it blew open my understanding of what games could be, and i've never looked back. this is an absolute must-play game.

I'm so glad you think it's amazing, thank you for saying so!

1. One enemy squad typically deals a single instance of DAMAGE, regardless of how many members there are in the squad—think of individual squad members as almost like "HP"/"health bar stages" of the squad (which sometimes has other mechanical consequences) rather than discrete actors. So basically: you pick an item in their inventory and deal that DAMAGE to the player.

2. If there are multiple enemy squads, I generally pick one that I think is more fun/interesting/narratively logical and apply that squad's DAMAGE.

3. Field rulings always trump all of this! If you think it's more fun/interesting/fair to have all the enemy squads apply DAMAGE, go for it, as long as players feel adequately warned & you have a clear reason for doing so. The new Faithless Edition coming later this year will have more guidance/a new system for "warning" players do that consequences feel fair—if you want to playtest it, feel free to contact me here for a draft copy. I will say: most instances of DAMAGE (not all) are enough to kill a player who isn't using ASSAULT'S NANOMESH or who isn't in a vehicle, so at that point, it becomes more about flavor. If the PC is ASSAULT, in a vehicle, or otherwise stand a chance of surviving a hit, field ruling that multiple enemy squads deal DAMAGE is going to affect balance more, and you should weigh that when making the ruling.

Absolutely love this sheet! Really helpful for my current campaign. As a heads up, there's currently a couple mismatches that need fixing:

• Teamster says "2 trained or 1 expert" and should be "1 trained and 1 expert"
• Psychology's note & conditional formatting has only Zoology as a pre-req, it should be both Linguistics & Zoology
• Ranges are Close, Nearby, and Far Away, but should be Adjacent, Close, Long, and Extreme (and "Adjacent" overflows the box just slightly)

Thanks again for making this, and I hope that's helpful!

1. The main issue you might run into while transposing settings is that you need some form of reassembly—it’s completely core to the game. Players could in theory come back as different characters (i.e. a new Helldiver being taken out of cryo each time the last one dies) but players need to be able to die and come back next round for the game’s systems work at all. Besides that, you’d need to draft up new FACTION TRAITS or tweak the existing ones to fit your narrative, and some CHARACTER TRAITS, BONDS, and ROLES/SHTICKS might need narrative adjustment, but I think a lot of them would transpose well to any dark-comedic military scifi. A lot of the items/weapons require a certain amount of scifi for their mechanics to make sense, but again, that probably isn’t a big deal. You may also need to tweak/add CLASS TRAITS if you want different primary combat archetypes, but again, I think they’ll transpose decently. If you want to discuss this further, I’d be happy to give more specific thoughts—and honestly would love to just hear how the process of adaptation goes/plays. You can email me here to get an invite to the PLANET FIST Discord server, where I’d be happy to talk it out! Lots of design discussion happens there.

2. At this point, it’s pretty distinctly its own thing, so it won’t necessarily be easy, but also, is definitely possible. It also really depends on what sort of materials you’re adapting. Maps & mission modules are on the tougher end, because PF’s reassembly system, map-based combat, etc. require some pretty specific mission parameters and geography to work well. Traits and items are on the easier end! PF traits are generally balanced a bit differently (they generally have a higher attribute bonus, approximately +1 net attributes & either a conditional +1 roll bonus or a WAR DIE, while their narrative powers are usually slightly weaker than some of the bonkers world-altering stuff FIST traits and items can have) but there are suggested qualitative attribute-to-attribute equivalences in the book and I don’t think it would be hard to use CHARACTER TRAITS, FACTION TRAITS, and items in the PF book as reference to tweak existing FIST trait/item supplements to fit in the PF balance. I’d love to hear about it if you give it a shot!

It is PDF only! (For now. If there is enough interest, I'd love to make a physical edition!)

Thank you so much for this review! I gave you a thank you in the book because I ended up using the ‘planning an op’ / ‘running an op’ / ‘example op’ / ’helpful tables’ (now called COMMAND CONSOLE) structure when I redid the GM section for the final layout! It was such a good idea.
If you contact me, I'm happy to send a free download code for the final version: https://jessfrom.online/contact

oh WHOA thank you so much for this thorough review! i am definitely aiming for a strange hybrid and my only hope is that people find that it works in play even if it's an odd balance in concept  😅 i borrowed a bit of the safe action vs. risky action from FIST: Ultra Edition (the optional Strict Initiative rules from the Intelligence Matrix use "non-risky action" and "risky action") but i do a lot of work to flesh out & define them and work movement into them into a different way than base FIST, and i am so honored you drew attention to that specific element—i thought a lot about it. thank you again!

Oh wow, this is such INCREDIBLE detail and so kind, I am flabbergasted and overjoyed to read this. Thank you for engaging in this way, I am so glad you seemed to really like it, and really appreciate the critique, especially around the ref section--I'm going to try to keep it in mind for the post-jam edition!

saw that you were leaving detailed reviews in this format on other games, and i really respected that, so i decided to return the favor!

Why you should check this out: an incredibly genre-savvy super story with an interesting mechanical base for narrative & lots of random tables to make GMing easy

Style: it’s an ashcan! i don’t think this is where it’s aiming to compete, and that’s ok 😅 

Structure: very well laid out. i love the glossary right at the beginning, it’s very helpful. the use of diagrams, even simple ones, makes it really easy to understand the structure of mechanics at a glance. 

Content: the progressively built villains based on player discoveries and additional random elements is fantastic. Powers are a great take on FIST’s traits, and Origins and Drives are a fantastic take on FIST’s Roles. i love the “you can/sometimes/[mechanical bonus]” structure of Powers—the “sometimes” communicates so much narrative so concisely. having story beats determine advancement in a way that changes specific attributes related to the story beat is so compelling—and i love that they can subtract attributes as well. in general, all the trait/role equivalents are very flavorful, and GM tables are perhaps even more flavorful. this would be an incredibly easy game to drop into and immediately start playing a genre appropriate story with very little prep!

What might I change?

Structure:
1. you mention “ Instead, they slowly emerge as the Supers make a Discovery”, but haven’t yet mentioned Discoveries outside of the glossary—consider a brief definition of the term when you first use it, and some indication you’ll find out more below
2. you do such a great job defining most terms in the glossary, or using capitals to indicate it’s a Concept, but “beats” or “story beats” aren’t defined anywhere, just referenced informally when talking advancement & listed with Origins/Drives—i was a bit confused when i got to Origins and assumed i’d missed the definition for beats, so i’d maybe give them their own subhead?
3. consider introducing “Help” after Grit & Stress, so that those terms mean something (mechanically) to you when you’re reading the helping mechanic. i had to go back and reread at the end to process how helping works (and why Stress matters)

This is bonkers. What a wild jam submission! Those maps are procgen, right? The interface is so gorgeous and flavorful, and it seems like an incredibly useful GM tool. Mostly it just feels like it'd be so fun to use, given how in-theme everything feels.

Sadly, right now that's not possible, because I did the whole 67 spread/134 page layout in Google Docs as a 2-column landscape document and you can't export that as singles 😩

I might try to convert everything to actual layout software for the post-jam version!

get by, get out, or get even

the galaxy can be a rough place. the margins of empire, desperate people do what they must to make ends meet. but where some see desperation, others see opportunity. these racketeers and warlords will kick you while you’re down, then charge you for the opportunity to stand.

the scum & villains expansion is an expansion for riley rethal’s galactic 2e, a tabletop roleplaying game of “rebellion, relationships, and war among the stars.” the scum & villains expansion is inspired by recent Star Wars media, like The Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett, as well as classic characters like Han Solo and the many bounty hunters throughout the Star Wars universe. 

like the base games, the scum & villains expansion is a diceless and GM-less game, using the belonging outside belonging system created by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum. it was inspired in part by the actual play of Jess Levine’s other galactic 2e expansion, going rogue 2e, on the A More Civilized Age podcast with Natalie Watson, Rob Zacny of Waypoint, and Austin Walker & Ali Acampora of Friends at the Table.

in the scum & villains expansion, players are thrust into the messy conflicts—and uneasy alliances—between the downtrodden criminals of THE SCUM and the ruthless crime bosses of THE VILLAINY. by splitting galactic 2e’s Scum & Villainy pillar in two, the scum & villains expansion gives players the opportunity to zoom in on the motivations and struggles of those forced to resort to crime and those who oversee it in order to amass wealth and influence.

playbooks like THE HUSTLER allow players to step into the role of fast-talking rogues like Han Solo, leveraging skills like your “black market connections”, “effortless lying”, or “crack shot” to escape the bad situations you put yourself, one after the other—and maybe, one day, find a place worth staying. THE MERCENARY—inspired by character like Din Djarin of The Mandalorian, Baze Malbus of Rogue One, and Boba Fett of the original trilogy & Book of Boba Fett—lets players live out the struggles of the wandering gun-for-hire, scarred by their loneliness and the dirty work they have come to accept as their lot in life, and looking for a reason to be something more.

to celebrate #MayThe4thBeWithYou, for a limited time you can get a discount #MayThe4thBeWithYou bundle.

for just $20, the bundle includes:

• galactic 2e by riley rethal
• the scum & villains expansion by your's truly
• going rogue 2e, my other, Rogue One-inspired g2e expansion
• galactic: cyberpunk, riley's own g2e expansion

decide your price. find your limit. and when the chips are down...learn who you really are.

this game is an absolute blast. it's full of wacky, genre-savvy cyberpunk, and uses tables in ways i've never imagined. most games give you a few bricks and rules for which you can combine—this one gives you a whole lego set and instructions, and asks you to make-believe what it all means. it's so easy to pick up and play, check it out!!

it is intended to, in many ways! i don’t recommend using galactic 2e playbooks, but the pillars & traits from the base game are an important part of going rogue 2e!

you're so welcome! i'd love to see what other suggestions are on that reddit thread if you could link it!

i usually use a google doc with text, one playtester used a spreadsheet, but the most visual version i’ve seen was a podcast actual play that used a shared google slide to drag tokens around!

sorry to hear this! could you grab a screenshot? if so we can try to debug!

Some dedicate their life to the cause...

One day, you will dedicate everything

those who dream of a better world know one simple, terrible fact: not everyone who helps build it will be blessed with the opportunity to live in it. those who put their lives on the line to transmute dreams of rebellion into reality know the grim truth that to see this transformation occur, they may one day have to give their lives as catalyst. going rogue 2e is a GM-less tabletop roleplaying game for 2-5 players that tells the story of that sacrifice.

going rogue was originally developed as an expansion for riley rethal’s Star Wars-inspired Belonging Outside Belonging system, galactic 2e. this second edition of going rogue expands it to a 32-page game that can be played as a one-shot or over the course of a limited-run campaign.

while the base game is built to tell stories of charming, larger-than-life heroes, going rogue 2e—taking its inspiration from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story—uses galactic 2e’s mechanical foundation to instead weave narratives about troubled martyrs mired in messy, ethically gray conflicts who must face the possibility of making the ultimate sacrifice.

this new second edition adds a variety of new content:

• a 5th playbook, THE LOYAL, inspired by K-2SO and other Star Wars companion characters, expanding the game to 5 players!.THE LOYAL features a unique mechanic in which your moves interact differently when they target a bonded character!
• a new pillar, THE BOND, a unique spin on Belonging Outside Belonging’s “setting element” mechanic, in which the unfailing trust between THE LOYAL and another player character becomes a discrete element of the setting
• a set of 6 traits to supplement the 36 in the base book, which better match the tone of going rogue
• a complete rework of the SACRIFICE fate mechanic, simplifying, streamlining, and adding more flavor
• a completely revamped layout that's easy to read and easy to browse
• more small improvements all over, as the result of additional playtesting

additionally, to celebrate the Andor release, there is a ready-to-play bundle with the base game galactic 2e, getting both combined for over 20% off!

get the galactic 2e / going rogue 2e bundle right here!

Let’s face it: dueling is sexy.

But do you know what’s sexier than combat? That slower, higher tension duel that occurs before any damage is done—before any blow is even struck. The duel of word and wit, of melodramatic motion and threatening maneuvers. I Have the High Ground is a short, collaborative tabletop roleplaying and storytelling game for 2 players about that kind of duel. It's GM-less and genre-neutral, and takes 1-2 hours to play. You can hear it played on Party of One, The Neon Caster, and Chicks with Dice!

Using game mechanics inspired by competitive fencing, players choose moves in secret. After their choices are revealed, the winner takes the opportunity to flaunt their bravado or to perform subtle acts that leave an imposing quiet in their wake. Your game is not an action-packed fight to the death but rather a portrayal of the slow, smoldering tension between two people about to risk their pride, their reputation, or even their lives.  As a genre-neutral game, playtesting included cyberpunk, space opera, superheroes, dance competitions, lesbian callout drama, Locked Tomb necromancers, wizard grad students, post-apocalyptic bake-offs, and more.

It features invaluable contributions from:

• Jess Levine, the creator and lead game designer, whose previous games includes going rogue.
• Ezra Rose, the illustrator, whose previous work includes illustration for Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum’s Dream Askew / Dream Apart.
• Vin Tanner, the layout artist, whose previous games includes Galactic 2e: The Droid Expansion.
• satah, the game design consultant, who helped create I Have the High Ground's unique Descriptor and Circumstances mechanics.
• Will Jobst, the game's editor, whose previous games includes TORQ and this discord has ghosts in it.

There's so much more, but I'll let you all check itout if you want! Also, if you want to use it on a podcast, write about it, etc. I am happy to send you a free press copy!

So, get it on my itch.io page, then...pick your weapons, push the limits, and whenever justifiable: flourish your capes.

GAME USER EXPERIENCE MANAGER SIMULATOR is a Twine-based dark comedy console-style game about video games & the experience of working, made for Ludum Dare 50. I cannot disclose other details, by nature of the NDA I was made to sign upon taking this job. Remember, only U can put the I in TEAM.

hi all! i'm so excited to announce the release of going rogue, an expansion for 2-4 players which extends on galactic 2e by riley rethal, a belonging outside belonging game inspired by star wars.

whereas the base game focuses on brave and charming heroes, going rogue takes inspiration from star wars: rogue one to tell the stories of troubled martyrs. it evolved out of my own experiences with galactic, and realizing that as much as i love the system -- enough that our playgroup has written over 100k words of short stories in our setting -- it is not suited to tell those more ethically grey, tragic stories. going rogue adds 4 playbooks, 2 pillars, and a whole new mechanic called group fates, in order to facilitate games that ask questions like:

• how does cynicism serve us as a coping mechanism? when must we counteract it with hope, and how?
• when do caution, principles, and commitment to democracy constrain our ability to act for liberation? when does our willingness to abandon such ideals undermine that which we’re fighting for?
• what is worthy of sacrifice? what might be worth living another day? 

while it is my debut ttrpg, i think it has turned out to be something special. i've been playtesting it with multiple groups for months, with my friends and through independent tests by others, and even the creator of galactic herself! i hope you'll consider picking it up and perhaps even sharing it. may the space be with you!

- jess

p.s. the full link is here: https://jessfromonline.itch.io/going-rogue