Souls, Spines, and Spotlights

A TTRPG where anyone can matter. 

System: Custom—Not PBTA, Not DnD, Not Kids On Bikes. Something new.

Genre: Narrative TTRPG | Emotional Growth | Adaptive Combat | Urban Sci-Fantasy Tale | Magical Realism 

Players: 1 GM + 2+ Players 

Price: $0+ (Pay What You Want)

What Is Souls, Spines, and Spotlights?

Souls, Spines, and Spotlights is a narrative-first tabletop RPG set in the Beaconverse, a malleable universe where stories shape reality, and trauma has mechanical weight. You don't level up by fighting—you grow by healing, enduring, and reaching out. 

This is a game where therapy is a viable combat move, where breakdowns can become breakthroughs, and where even a desperate, crying monologue can suplex a ghost.

And it's full of absolute chaotic nonsense. But the good kind of nonsense, where you can join in easily after a moment of 'what the hell is happening'?

The World You Live In

Set in the Beaconverse, a world where gods are real, monsters duel like poets, magic is accessible to all, and narrative gravity—the Spotlight Effect—pulls certain people into plot-heavy chaos. 

Gods are real. Monsters are real. People are just trying their best.

You can run games before and after the Veil shatters!

You can be:

• A haunted exorcist with a fan passed down by your grandmother
• A glitchy robot with a soul
• A metahuman born from medical experimentation
• A punk monster who speaks through rhythm and scars
• A teenage folklorist whose poetry is literal magic

Choose Your System 

Two battle systems. One shared truth: You’re not broken—you’re becoming.

Soul System – For characters who grow through vulnerability, reflection, and connection. Empathy is power. Your stats include things like Emotion, Spirit, and Clarity. Your signature moves are exorcisms, healing gestures, pacifying speeches, and elemental bursts charged with memory.

Spine System – For characters who grow through instinct, chaos, and resilience. Improvisation is survival. Your stats include FRACTURE, THREAD, and SNAP. Your moves include wild combos, limit breaks, glitch magic, and grappling literal trauma monsters into submission.

You can use either system—or blend both.

Core Mechanics

• No HP. Three Stress Tracks: Body, Soul, and Narrative.
• Breakpoints mark emotional or physical collapse—but also moments of transformation.
• Soul Flares and Overrides let you explode with power when it matters most—when protecting someone else, or breaking your own limits.
• Genre + Role System (e.g., Tragedy Survivor, Romance Healer, Mystery Seeker) ties your narrative arc directly into the rules.
• Narrative Multipliers reward emotional stakes over raw numbers.

Designed For...

• Emotional and narrative driven story lovers
• Urban Fantasy Fanatics
• Those tired of "power = pain" and ready to explore "power = healing"
• People who want to punch a ghost while crying
• The ones who love a good meta narrative
• New players and forever GMs looking for something fresh, kind, and thrilling

Free + Modular + Playable On Day One

Download includes:

• Core Rulebook PDF (with full Soul and Spine mechanics)
• Quickstart, Printable, and Digital Sheets
• Setting primer (Beaconverse Basic Rundown)
• A longform campaign module (The Hollowing)
•  A One-Shot module (Last Light Lantern)

Your spotlight is waiting.

[Download Now • Pay What You Want • Rewrite The Script]

Designed by: June B. Day, an 18 year old Graphic Design Student living in Jakarta. A dork, a hijabi, and currently eating Indomie. I’m the sole developer of SS&S—meaning yes, I’m still catching typos, refining layout, and uploading cleaner PDFs as I go.

That “suspicious file” warning? Itch.io throws that message on projects with frequent updates. There’s nothing shady in the download—just 200+ pages of lore, and maybe some typos and things I need to tweak. There's a reason this game is still in development!

Minor Edits

19/06/2025 - Clarified that Soul Flares do not triple stats, but add +5 to each stat. 

Added the Warrior vs Survivor vs Trickster triad

Edited the description to add more soul.

23/06/2025 - Clarified more about Passive Traits

Added the downloadable custom sheet