Posthuman Studios • Eclipse Phase • The Snarl
@posthumanstudios.com
Award-winning creator-owned design and publishing collective: game industry veterans Rob Boyle, Davidson Cole, Brian Cross, & Adam Jury. We Make Stellar Games.
Read more about The Snarl on our dev blog: snarlrpg.com/blog
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Read more about The Snarl on our dev blog: snarlrpg.com/blog
If you want a sneak peek, we’ve posted a draft of the chargen rules to our patreon. If you back it, you’ll get access to that plus a few other Snarl previews and several years of Eclipse Phase content. You can also keep an eye on out for our open playtest — we’ll be kicking that off soon!
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
If you want a sneak peek, we’ve posted a draft of the chargen rules to our patreon. If you back it, you’ll get access to that plus a few other Snarl previews and several years of Eclipse Phase content. You can also keep an eye on out for our open playtest — we’ll be kicking that off soon!
One thing we’ll be playtesting is how much Grit the non-optimized characters should start with. We think we’ve settled on a good balance, but we need more people to give the system a spin to be sure.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
One thing we’ll be playtesting is how much Grit the non-optimized characters should start with. We think we’ve settled on a good balance, but we need more people to give the system a spin to be sure.
In this case, you pick your path first and then assign stats randomly. To keep it balanced, you start off with a decent amount of Grit — points that let you modify dice rolls in certain situations. You may not be the ideal person for the job, but you can still pull it off when the stakes are high!
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
In this case, you pick your path first and then assign stats randomly. To keep it balanced, you start off with a decent amount of Grit — points that let you modify dice rolls in certain situations. You may not be the ideal person for the job, but you can still pull it off when the stakes are high!
You can make a fully optimized and heroic character if that’s your thing, assigning stats to line up with your primary strengths. Kick ass and be the hero! But if you want a character who sticks out, who is non-optimized and who has flaws but is still capable, there’s an option for that as well.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
You can make a fully optimized and heroic character if that’s your thing, assigning stats to line up with your primary strengths. Kick ass and be the hero! But if you want a character who sticks out, who is non-optimized and who has flaws but is still capable, there’s an option for that as well.
At the same time, you don’t want a character who is completely useless and not fun to play, so there needs to be some middle ground.
When designing character creation for The Snarl, we opted to include non-optimization as a specific but balanced choice.
When designing character creation for The Snarl, we opted to include non-optimization as a specific but balanced choice.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
At the same time, you don’t want a character who is completely useless and not fun to play, so there needs to be some middle ground.
When designing character creation for The Snarl, we opted to include non-optimization as a specific but balanced choice.
When designing character creation for The Snarl, we opted to include non-optimization as a specific but balanced choice.
Non-optimized characters are often flawed, but they’re also more fun, as long as you’re comfortable with sometimes failing! Not only do you get more diverse characters this way, you also encourage more creative roleplaying as the PCs need to work around their flaws to resolve problems.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Non-optimized characters are often flawed, but they’re also more fun, as long as you’re comfortable with sometimes failing! Not only do you get more diverse characters this way, you also encourage more creative roleplaying as the PCs need to work around their flaws to resolve problems.
Maybe the player wants a challenge, or they settle all chargen choices with dice rolls, or you’re playing an OSR game where your stats are random. The bard who isn’t as smooth as they think they are, the warlock who fumbles spells but delivers a mean punch, the druid who gets lost in the woods.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Maybe the player wants a challenge, or they settle all chargen choices with dice rolls, or you’re playing an OSR game where your stats are random. The bard who isn’t as smooth as they think they are, the warlock who fumbles spells but delivers a mean punch, the druid who gets lost in the woods.
Let’s just say it — optimized characters can be kind of vanilla and boring over repeated play.
Your gaming group has also probably experienced the player character who breaks the mold — who is intentionally built inefficiently.
Your gaming group has also probably experienced the player character who breaks the mold — who is intentionally built inefficiently.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Let’s just say it — optimized characters can be kind of vanilla and boring over repeated play.
Your gaming group has also probably experienced the player character who breaks the mold — who is intentionally built inefficiently.
Your gaming group has also probably experienced the player character who breaks the mold — who is intentionally built inefficiently.
If you play the same game a lot, though, you notice the inevitable — optimized characters are almost all built the same. There’s no rogue who is not an olympic-level acrobat, no barbarian who is not as stacked as Schwarzenegger, no wizard who does not have fireball bookmarked in their spellbook.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
If you play the same game a lot, though, you notice the inevitable — optimized characters are almost all built the same. There’s no rogue who is not an olympic-level acrobat, no barbarian who is not as stacked as Schwarzenegger, no wizard who does not have fireball bookmarked in their spellbook.
Your entire party may be built that way. There are guides online for optimal builds that rate every spell, feat, weapon, etc. And why not — you want your character to be good at what they do so they can do heroic things and pull off kickass stunts!
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Your entire party may be built that way. There are guides online for optimal builds that rate every spell, feat, weapon, etc. And why not — you want your character to be good at what they do so they can do heroic things and pull off kickass stunts!
Every gaming group has experienced the player character who has constructed the most optimized character possible — every character creation choice is based on what will make the most powerful fighter, the best spellcaster, the sneakiest thief, etc.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Every gaming group has experienced the player character who has constructed the most optimized character possible — every character creation choice is based on what will make the most powerful fighter, the best spellcaster, the sneakiest thief, etc.
Read more about The Snarl on our Dev blog! snarlrpg.com/blog
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Read more about The Snarl on our Dev blog! snarlrpg.com/blog
Children are hatched from egg clutches and usually raised by males. The phrase “easy to catch as a Gukri’s tail” is commonly used to indicate something that seems easy but is actually quite difficult.
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Children are hatched from egg clutches and usually raised by males. The phrase “easy to catch as a Gukri’s tail” is commonly used to indicate something that seems easy but is actually quite difficult.
Gukri are known for their reliability, cautiousness, and matter-of-fact sensibilities. Though they occasionally take on partners, they rarely form long-term bonds, preferring solitude.
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Gukri are known for their reliability, cautiousness, and matter-of-fact sensibilities. Though they occasionally take on partners, they rarely form long-term bonds, preferring solitude.
Two subspecies exhibit distinct adaptations: thorned gukri can extrude hard, sharp spines from their scales, whereas glistening gukri secrete a potent toxin.
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Two subspecies exhibit distinct adaptations: thorned gukri can extrude hard, sharp spines from their scales, whereas glistening gukri secrete a potent toxin.
Gukri tongues are long, sticky, and dexterous, and often used to pick up small objects or snack on a nearby bug. Gukri also possess regenerative capabilities, enabling them to heal much faster than other species.
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Gukri tongues are long, sticky, and dexterous, and often used to pick up small objects or snack on a nearby bug. Gukri also possess regenerative capabilities, enabling them to heal much faster than other species.
Their eyes are unblinking, protected by nictitating membranes, which give them an uninterrupted “stare” that makes some other species uncomfortable. If trapped, their tails may be shed and regrown.
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Their eyes are unblinking, protected by nictitating membranes, which give them an uninterrupted “stare” that makes some other species uncomfortable. If trapped, their tails may be shed and regrown.
The omnivorous, lizard-like gukri are known for their quick but staccato, intermittent movements. A membrane stretches between each pair of limbs, enabling them to glide for long distances. Their scales tend to camouflaging patterns and colors, allowing them to blend in—or stand out, as necessary.
October 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
The omnivorous, lizard-like gukri are known for their quick but staccato, intermittent movements. A membrane stretches between each pair of limbs, enabling them to glide for long distances. Their scales tend to camouflaging patterns and colors, allowing them to blend in—or stand out, as necessary.
Jolts are just a part of what we think makes The Snarl’s rules unique, but we think they’re pretty cool. In fact, we are referring to this rules system as the Jolt System for now — we’ll see if that sticks.
Follow our Dev blog for more about The Snarl!
snarlrpg.com/blog/
Follow our Dev blog for more about The Snarl!
snarlrpg.com/blog/
October 24, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Jolts are just a part of what we think makes The Snarl’s rules unique, but we think they’re pretty cool. In fact, we are referring to this rules system as the Jolt System for now — we’ll see if that sticks.
Follow our Dev blog for more about The Snarl!
snarlrpg.com/blog/
Follow our Dev blog for more about The Snarl!
snarlrpg.com/blog/