The Rivers of London tabletop RPG from Chaosium is official, an Ennie award winner, and contributed to by Ben Aaronvitch.
The game uses the Basic Roleplaying system, not by chance; BRP was the rules engine author Aronvitch wanted for the Rivers of London game. I know because he told Geek Native this a 2020 interview.
The core rules for Rivers of London, therefore, overlap with the Call of Cthulhu, make of that what you will, and the book uses a solo adventure called The Domestic to help you learn them.
As a free download, The Domestic has been released as a 36-page adventure at DriveThruRPG.
The adventure was written by Ben Aaronovitch, the game’s co-creators Lynne Hardy and Paul Fricker, and Gavin Inglis.
You do not need the core rules to play The Domestic as the goal of the adventure is to teach them to you. As a solo adventure, you don’t need to coordinate a gaming group to visit you.
Spring, 2016: the Folly, also known as the Metropolitan Police Service’s “special magic branch,” has received word of repeated domestic disturbances at an address on Prince of Wales Road, London—and very odd ones, at that.
Convinced that there’s more going on than meets the eye, DCI Thomas Nightingale has assigned you, his newest recruit, to the case.
The Domestic is an introductory scenario designed for one player, based on Ben Aaronovitch’s short story of the same name. Choose to play as a magic-wielding police officer, nurse, or social worker in a game set in the world of Ben Aaronovitch’s hugely successful Rivers of London series.
Armed with this book, a pencil, and some roleplaying dice, you are ready to take on your first case for the Folly. No GM needed!
Can you solve the mystery on Prince of Wales Road?
Quick Links
- The Domestic (free)
- Rivers of London
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!