Never Going Home, the ENNIE Nominated RPG of Eldritch Horror in the Trenches of World War One, is back with a thrilling new expansion. Wet Ink Games has launched a Kickstarter campaign for “Never Going Home: The Beginning and the End,” a series of sourcebooks that will take players deeper into the realms of eldritch horror during the Great War. With a funding goal of $20,000, the campaign has already raised an impressive $22,938 with 287 backers, and there are still 30 days to go before it ends on June 11.
The upcoming expansion introduces two Campaign Dossiers that bookend the years of the war, along with a magic sourcebook that adds new dimensions to the gameplay experience. Each Campaign Dossier focuses on a specific theater of conflict in World War One, offering additional character options for players, new threats for Narrators to unleash, and a series of six linked Missions that provide a sustained adventure unique to the theater. Furthermore, players will find themselves engrossed in a captivating story conveyed through letters, documents, newspaper articles, and accompanied by stunning new artwork from Charlie Ferguson-Avery.
One of the Campaign Dossiers, set in the Balkans in 1914, delves into Serbia’s attempts to expand its territory amidst the political turmoil of the region. Players assume the roles of Serbian partisans, veterans of previous conflicts and recruits to the new secret war. They will embark on covert missions, transporting people and supplies across borders while navigating the intricate web of intrigue and espionage. With an emphasis on historical accuracy, this Campaign Dossier includes an Alarm system that keeps magical strangeness toned down in an era before the Veil was torn. It also features a list of Grimories, from which characters can learn Whispers, and profiles of the factions working behind the scenes. The lead designer for this dossier is Steven Wu, and the writing team includes August Hahn, Crystal Mazur, Sarah Orr Aten, and Kevin “Doc” Wilson.
The second Campaign Dossier takes players to France and Belgium in 1918, introducing the American forces to the conflict. As the fighting reaches its climax, players assume the roles of American soldiers witnessing the ruin of Europe and confronting their own fears and anger. The question looms: Will they survive, and at what cost? This dossier brings new equipment and rules for constructing it, as well as the introduction of Nightmares that push characters to the brink of madness. Players will have the option to choose between two Whisper Paths, Rage or Conviction, as they grapple with the challenges posed by war. The lead designer for this dossier is Vlad Bratovich, with writing contributions from Henry Coates, Kyle Osterberg, Michele Lee, and Sarah Orr Aten.
In addition to the Campaign Dossiers, “Never Going Home: The Beginning and the End” includes a companion sourcebook filled with optional material to make gameplay even weirder. This sourcebook introduces deterioration rules that make the central Antagonist of a Mission even more threatening. It also presents the Animal Ken Whisper Path, granting soldiers control over birds and beasts, and the Materiel Pool, which encourages players to use their resources sparingly. Moreover, players will explore the aftermath of Corruption, offering intriguing possibilities for characters lost to its influence. The sourcebook showcases many of these rules through standalone Missions, allowing players to make unplanned visits to hospitals caring for gas attack victims, relive the Siege of Kut with soldiers from British India, and even pilot a strange Aethercraft on a mission to a threatening planetoid.
The world of Never Going Home is a unique blend of historical fiction and eldritch horror, where the violence and chaos of World War One have weakened the Veil between our reality and the realm of the Others. Soldiers on the front lines hear the Whispers, mysterious voices promising power and survival. Some resist, some go mad, while others succumb to the allure of arcane abilities, selling their humanity in the process. The battlefields are now haunted by strange enemies, and many soldiers have become twisted parodies of their former selves.