Holding Darkness Within: One Shot Edition
A downloadable game
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Welcome to Glouer Manor
Glouer Manor, with its boarded over windows and doors, is said to be haunted. Peculiar light sometimes spills through cracks in its barricaded orifices.
Theories about the manor are eagerly shared in an online community where we are the most dedicated. We each have our own private reason for intense interest. So when the estate unexpectedly went to auction we pooled our resources to place a bid. There were no other bidders.
Can a solid structure of rotting wood, rusted nails, and cracked glass be haunted? Or do specters take residence in softer things made of self-inflicted shames, festering fears, and fervent yearnings?
We've just come here directly from closing. The drive was long, but the stunning silence of isolation was worth it. The setting sun casts a long shadow from behind the manor. Nothing stands between us and the answers we seek but the fear of what we might find, holding darkness within.
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What is this game?
Holding Darkness Within is a Push Powered game in which players face their deepest shames and worst nightmares exploring a haunted manor.
Haunted Darkness Within is also part of One Night Worlds, Volume 1.
What is One Night Worlds?
One Night Worlds is a collection of 6 Zero-prep, GM-less, one-page ttrpgs. With each of the included games you can learn the rules, create characters, and discover a whole new world with your friends, all in one night. Players are guided by a simple TTRPG rules system (Cezar Capacle's PUSH SRD) that emphasizes collaborative storytelling and creates dramatic moments of risky choices. Check out all the games in the collection:
- The Fires of Chaterra: One Shot Edition
- Tales of Clockwork & Chaos: One Shot Edition
- In Alleys Dark: One Shot Edition
- Wormholes & Warp Drive: One Shot Edition
- Holding Darkness Within: One Shot Edition
- Starbound Isles: One Shot Edition
Thank you to the over 1,000 backers who helped bring One Night Worlds to life!
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $4.90 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Donated Copies
Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Community Copy
These are here for those who want to enjoy this game but are unable to justify buying it in their budgets. If you feel that you fit that category, then please snag a copy, no questions asked!
Courtesy of 285 generous backers who donated 481 community copies during the crowdfunding campaign in 2022.
Comments
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Sorry, it's me again. For my game preparation, I am reading the text very thoroughly. In my copy, the questions in act 1 and 4 are the same. I assume, this is a mistake?
Alright, fixed. Whoops. Thanks for pointing that out!
I would love to use the cover image of your game for my Halloween announcement on a forum. Would that be ok? Can I get your permission to do that?
Sure thing, permission granted. Please do come back with a session report.
Great! Thank you! And I will post a brief session summary here.
I really love the game and I definitly want to play it this Halloween.
But perhaps you can help me a little bit with the rules, as there are still some questions in my head:
- FACE DEATH: You roll 1d6. How could this lead to a number >6 (SHADOW circles)
- What happens, if you have ticked all circles of one sort (LIGHT or SHADOW)?
Thank you for this game! :)
Thanks! I'm glad you're excited about the game. I'm fueled by feedback, so please let me know how your Halloween game goes.
As for your question:
You can gain LIGHT in a few ways:
Likewise, you can gain Shadow in a few ways:
You start off with 0 LIGHT and 0 SHADOW.
The first time you FACE DEATH, you cannot die. And instead will choose whether you survive while making a noble sacrifice (gaining LIGHT), or survive through ruthless survival instinct (gaining SHADOW).
Later when you FACE DEATH, you may roll a circle with LIGHT. This gives you a choice... do you let your character die now, and BECOME LIGHT, or do you roll 1d6, adding the result to your first roll, for a chance to survive?
If your additional roll lands on an empty circle, then you again can choose between noble sacrifice or ruthless survival... but it MIGHT land on a SHADOW circle, in which case you have no choice but to die and BECOME DARKNESS.
Example:
Johnny got into some trouble with a poltergeist and rolls to FACE DEATH. He gets a 4, but honestly it doesn't matter, all of his LIGHT circles are empty. He decides to make a noble sacrifice, marking +1 LIGHT. For his PAY THE PRICE, uh oh... he rolls FACE DEATH again. He rolls 1, which he just marked.
Now he has a choice... does he want to die and become LIGHT, or roll again? He chooses to roll again, rolling 6, for a total of 7, an empty circle. He decides he doesn't have it in him to make another sacrifice, and chooses ruthless survival instinct, marking +1 Shadow.
Later in the game Johnny gets into trouble with an evil possessed doll, and ends up having to FACE DEATH. His initial roll is a 4, which is a LIGHT circle that he previously filled in. But he is still hopeful to make it out of this thing alive, so he rolls again, getting a 3, for a total of 7... uh-oh. His attempt to survive didn't work, and now he must die and BECOME DARKNESS.
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I hope that helps!
Yes, this helped definitely! Thank you for the examples. :)
And realised that I just didn't read carefully enough. It's all there!