Josh Fox 🔜 Ex Tenebris coming to Kickstarter
@armadajosh.bsky.social
Game designer, Black Armada Games. I like thinking about and talking about game design.
Creator of Ex Tenebris, Lovecraftesque, Last Fleet, Flotsam: Adrift Amongst The Stars.
Performer and editor, Black Armada Tales actual play podcast.
Creator of Ex Tenebris, Lovecraftesque, Last Fleet, Flotsam: Adrift Amongst The Stars.
Performer and editor, Black Armada Tales actual play podcast.
Heresy at the zoo! Though AFAIK Sanguinius never tried to seize the throne.
October 30, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Heresy at the zoo! Though AFAIK Sanguinius never tried to seize the throne.
Yasssssss!!! 🤘
October 8, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Yasssssss!!! 🤘
WTF, my hot dog order contains... dry ice? I have to handle it with special gloves?
On the one hand, this seems excessive - what was wrong with ice packs?
On the other hand: damn cool. Well, damn cold.
On the one hand, this seems excessive - what was wrong with ice packs?
On the other hand: damn cool. Well, damn cold.
September 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM
WTF, my hot dog order contains... dry ice? I have to handle it with special gloves?
On the one hand, this seems excessive - what was wrong with ice packs?
On the other hand: damn cool. Well, damn cold.
On the one hand, this seems excessive - what was wrong with ice packs?
On the other hand: damn cool. Well, damn cold.
The THANATURGE is a wielder of dark sorcerous powers. They deal with the tenebrium, with death and demons. Only carefully trained and sanctioned individuals can legally use thanaturgy, and of all the playbooks they're the most likely to get corrupted by shadow.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The THANATURGE is a wielder of dark sorcerous powers. They deal with the tenebrium, with death and demons. Only carefully trained and sanctioned individuals can legally use thanaturgy, and of all the playbooks they're the most likely to get corrupted by shadow.
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The TECHNARCOLOGIST is an expert in dark technology and the occult. They might be an academic, explorer or a tomb robber, but they'll definitely be an obsessive investigator and, perhaps, collector of the weird artifacts found in Ex Tenebris.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The TECHNARCOLOGIST is an expert in dark technology and the occult. They might be an academic, explorer or a tomb robber, but they'll definitely be an obsessive investigator and, perhaps, collector of the weird artifacts found in Ex Tenebris.
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The TARNISHED BADGE is an ex-cop, bringing the tools of forensics and footslogging to supernatural investigation - not to mention using their old connections where needed. Often pursued by the ghosts of their former career.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The TARNISHED BADGE is an ex-cop, bringing the tools of forensics and footslogging to supernatural investigation - not to mention using their old connections where needed. Often pursued by the ghosts of their former career.
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The STRATEGOS is a genius detective and strategist, their brain specially trained and enhanced with implants. They are always trying to see two steps ahead, and leading the effort to piece the truth behind the mystery together.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The STRATEGOS is a genius detective and strategist, their brain specially trained and enhanced with implants. They are always trying to see two steps ahead, and leading the effort to piece the truth behind the mystery together.
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The SHADOW WALKER is an enhanced spy and, perhaps, assassin. Armed with razor sharp social abilities and infiltration skills, they'll winkle the truth out through subterfuge if need be. You don't want to end up on the wrong end of their venom pistol.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The SHADOW WALKER is an enhanced spy and, perhaps, assassin. Armed with razor sharp social abilities and infiltration skills, they'll winkle the truth out through subterfuge if need be. You don't want to end up on the wrong end of their venom pistol.
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The SEER is a mysterious weaver of fate and dreams. They can literally walk into dreaming to uncover clues there, but more than that, they can peer into the depths of the tenebrium to see the past, the future, and things that may never come to pass.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The SEER is a mysterious weaver of fate and dreams. They can literally walk into dreaming to uncover clues there, but more than that, they can peer into the depths of the tenebrium to see the past, the future, and things that may never come to pass.
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The RESURRECTED died, but they brought you back. You have one foot in the world of the living and one in the Tenebrium, with weird supernatural abilities and connections to the world of demons and death. Plus: you can investigate your own murder!
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The RESURRECTED died, but they brought you back. You have one foot in the world of the living and one in the Tenebrium, with weird supernatural abilities and connections to the world of demons and death. Plus: you can investigate your own murder!
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The RELIC is an ancient war machine, built to destroy. They have been reawakened to serve Moira. They come bristling with weapon systems but perhaps the most interesting thing about them is their strange past.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The RELIC is an ancient war machine, built to destroy. They have been reawakened to serve Moira. They come bristling with weapon systems but perhaps the most interesting thing about them is their strange past.
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The REFORMED is a criminal, a villainous person who switched sides to help Moira. As well as having all the traditional cool criminal skills, a fun thing about the Reformed is that their flaws are all nice things: too merciful, not violent enough.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The REFORMED is a criminal, a villainous person who switched sides to help Moira. As well as having all the traditional cool criminal skills, a fun thing about the Reformed is that their flaws are all nice things: too merciful, not violent enough.
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The FALLEN ANGEL is a power-armoured soldier, geared up for war, bringing a discipline and tactical mindset to the investigation, and always ready for the final fight. They often carry the heaviest burden of trauma from their past career.
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The FALLEN ANGEL is a power-armoured soldier, geared up for war, bringing a discipline and tactical mindset to the investigation, and always ready for the final fight. They often carry the heaviest burden of trauma from their past career.
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The CONDUIT is enhanced with implants that connect them to technology, whether it's hacking into computers or expanding the investigation with spy drones. For those who like a bit of cyberpunk in their grimdark!
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September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The CONDUIT is enhanced with implants that connect them to technology, whether it's hacking into computers or expanding the investigation with spy drones. For those who like a bit of cyberpunk in their grimdark!
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Let's talk about the character archetypes in Ex Tenebris!
In Ex Ten you choose an Archetype, which is mostly skillset-based, and a Role, which is about your personality and how you fit into the team.
I'll come back to Roles in a future post.
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In Ex Ten you choose an Archetype, which is mostly skillset-based, and a Role, which is about your personality and how you fit into the team.
I'll come back to Roles in a future post.
⤵️
September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Let's talk about the character archetypes in Ex Tenebris!
In Ex Ten you choose an Archetype, which is mostly skillset-based, and a Role, which is about your personality and how you fit into the team.
I'll come back to Roles in a future post.
⤵️
In Ex Ten you choose an Archetype, which is mostly skillset-based, and a Role, which is about your personality and how you fit into the team.
I'll come back to Roles in a future post.
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*Takes deep breath, winds up:*
Immortal: the invisible war!
But also, for games that someone might still be able to buy, anything by @ickbat.bsky.social. It is funny to me how I mention Stealing The Throne in interviews almost as much as my own games!
Immortal: the invisible war!
But also, for games that someone might still be able to buy, anything by @ickbat.bsky.social. It is funny to me how I mention Stealing The Throne in interviews almost as much as my own games!
September 18, 2025 at 10:18 AM
*Takes deep breath, winds up:*
Immortal: the invisible war!
But also, for games that someone might still be able to buy, anything by @ickbat.bsky.social. It is funny to me how I mention Stealing The Throne in interviews almost as much as my own games!
Immortal: the invisible war!
But also, for games that someone might still be able to buy, anything by @ickbat.bsky.social. It is funny to me how I mention Stealing The Throne in interviews almost as much as my own games!
Let's talk about the Ex Tenebris approach to mystery-building.
Ex Ten is an evolution of the Brindlewood approach to mysteries, but where BB simulates a TV drama, Ex Ten simulates a traditional GMed investigation game, with innovations to achieve this that you can use in other mystery games.
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Ex Ten is an evolution of the Brindlewood approach to mysteries, but where BB simulates a TV drama, Ex Ten simulates a traditional GMed investigation game, with innovations to achieve this that you can use in other mystery games.
⤵️
September 17, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Let's talk about the Ex Tenebris approach to mystery-building.
Ex Ten is an evolution of the Brindlewood approach to mysteries, but where BB simulates a TV drama, Ex Ten simulates a traditional GMed investigation game, with innovations to achieve this that you can use in other mystery games.
⤵️
Ex Ten is an evolution of the Brindlewood approach to mysteries, but where BB simulates a TV drama, Ex Ten simulates a traditional GMed investigation game, with innovations to achieve this that you can use in other mystery games.
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Holy heckins, Ex Tenebris is a Project We Love on @kickstarter.com! That's made my day.
If you've missed it somehow, go check it out - star-spanning grimdark-yet-hopeful TTRPG where your ragtag band of investigators hunt demons and other gribblies.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...
If you've missed it somehow, go check it out - star-spanning grimdark-yet-hopeful TTRPG where your ragtag band of investigators hunt demons and other gribblies.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...
September 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Holy heckins, Ex Tenebris is a Project We Love on @kickstarter.com! That's made my day.
If you've missed it somehow, go check it out - star-spanning grimdark-yet-hopeful TTRPG where your ragtag band of investigators hunt demons and other gribblies.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...
If you've missed it somehow, go check it out - star-spanning grimdark-yet-hopeful TTRPG where your ragtag band of investigators hunt demons and other gribblies.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...
The excellent Nathan Paoletta is doing our layout! There's some rough samples below that I created using his layout template, plus the gorgeous foiled slipcase in our banner image was designed by Nathan - it is going to look very nice indeed!
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September 9, 2025 at 7:25 PM
The excellent Nathan Paoletta is doing our layout! There's some rough samples below that I created using his layout template, plus the gorgeous foiled slipcase in our banner image was designed by Nathan - it is going to look very nice indeed!
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We have stunning art by the outstanding Juan Ochoa, who has already done quite a bit of work for the project and is standing ready to do a lot more. Check out these beauties!
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September 9, 2025 at 7:25 PM
We have stunning art by the outstanding Juan Ochoa, who has already done quite a bit of work for the project and is standing ready to do a lot more. Check out these beauties!
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Just arrived - looks cute! Thanks @wanderers-tome.bsky.social
September 9, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Just arrived - looks cute! Thanks @wanderers-tome.bsky.social
I'm also delighted to announce that the @jogbrogzin.bsky.social will be producing a campaign map for the game. Jog is a crit award-nominated cartographer. He makes beautiful maps that are a staple of the UK indie scene and I'm excited to see him bring the Ex Ten setting to life.
September 8, 2025 at 8:03 AM
I'm also delighted to announce that the @jogbrogzin.bsky.social will be producing a campaign map for the game. Jog is a crit award-nominated cartographer. He makes beautiful maps that are a staple of the UK indie scene and I'm excited to see him bring the Ex Ten setting to life.
Speaking of writers - I'm excited to announce that @chiragasnani.bsky.social is writing for Ex Ten! When I read Chirag's writing pitch I was blown away - I have to keep it under my hat for now but I'm excited to share it with you.
September 8, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Speaking of writers - I'm excited to announce that @chiragasnani.bsky.social is writing for Ex Ten! When I read Chirag's writing pitch I was blown away - I have to keep it under my hat for now but I'm excited to share it with you.
By the way if anyone would like to interview me about Ex Tenebris, do an AP, or any other such thing, just get in touch - my DMs are open.
September 3, 2025 at 9:55 AM
By the way if anyone would like to interview me about Ex Tenebris, do an AP, or any other such thing, just get in touch - my DMs are open.
It's time for another Ex Tenebris writer announcement!
I'm delighted to say @scorchadoom.bsky.social is writing for us. Sarah's work on Bluebeard's Bride painted a dark gothic Ex Ten-ish target on her. (I also really love Velvet Glove - under-rated game IMO!)
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...
I'm delighted to say @scorchadoom.bsky.social is writing for us. Sarah's work on Bluebeard's Bride painted a dark gothic Ex Ten-ish target on her. (I also really love Velvet Glove - under-rated game IMO!)
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...
September 1, 2025 at 5:18 PM
It's time for another Ex Tenebris writer announcement!
I'm delighted to say @scorchadoom.bsky.social is writing for us. Sarah's work on Bluebeard's Bride painted a dark gothic Ex Ten-ish target on her. (I also really love Velvet Glove - under-rated game IMO!)
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...
I'm delighted to say @scorchadoom.bsky.social is writing for us. Sarah's work on Bluebeard's Bride painted a dark gothic Ex Ten-ish target on her. (I also really love Velvet Glove - under-rated game IMO!)
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...