BEACON TTRPG
A downloadable Role Playing Game
Beacon is a Tabletop Role Playing Game (TTRPG) inspired by Lancer, D&D 4e, and the Final Fantasy games (particularly FFX and FFXIV).
As a Beacon, you are a point of light in the world. People look up to you in times of trouble, whether because of your strength, determination, or legend. It falls to you and your fellow Beacons to fight back against the Scourge, a recurring threat unique to your reflection (the setting you play in).
Can you stop the threat of the Scourge once and for all?
GAMEPLAY
Beacon splits the game into two modes of play: Narrative Play and Combat Play. These modes of play are completely distinct from each other, and you build your character for each mode.
In narrative play you create your background skills, like “Acrobat of the Demon Circus” or “Curator of the Forgotten Library”, and your unique title like “The Hero of Time” or “The Queen of Thunder”. You’ll use these skills to overcome challenges in narrative play. Narrative play uses a PBTA inspired resolution system (miss/hit/crit) to keep the dice rolls entertaining, regardless of what number you get.
In combat play, you'll gain ranks in different classes, with each class having a maximum rank of 3. Each class rank unlocks new jobs, weapons, support items, and techniques you can choose to equip when you go on a Quest. Mix and match different abilities between your ancestry traits, talents, class abilities, and loot to create your custom playstyle, and test them in the field of battle. Each job also gives you access to a unique Limit Break, a powerful ability usable once per quest that can swing the tide of a fight!
Combat uses a Phase system, with each phase limiting the action that can be taken during it. Players only get 1 turn a round, so they need to balance their desired actions with the ever-changing battlefield. For example, the Arsenal might want to unleash a FULL ATTACK during PHASE 7, but decides to act during PHASE 5 instead, only getting 1 attack with the BRAWL action, but hoping to take out an enemy before they can act!
DIGITAL SUPPORT
Beacon has a number of digital tools help streamline and enhance your play experience. The game has:
- Player character sheets
- GM NPC sheets
- Loot crate generator
- Shopping supplies generator
- Reflection (setting) generators
FREE PLAYER GUIDE
Interested in playing BEACON? Good news, all of the player-facing rules are completely free! If you want to support the game or access the GM-facing rules, you can purchase the full core book.
VIDEOS / REVIEWS
Quick overview by 11dragonkid.
In-depth analysis by Plus1Shot.
To join the Beacon community or find games, join the discord channel BEACON Discord, reach out on twitter to @PirateGonzalez or email PirateGonzalezGames@gmail.com.
Purchase
In order to download this Role Playing Game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $25 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Exclusive content
Support this Role Playing Game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Hardcover Copy (USA)
Physical Copies are available through Indie Press Revolution: https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Beacon-RPG.html
This reward will be removed with IPR is sold out, ignore the below "Sold Out" indicator.
Download demo
Development log
- V1.16.1 : Minor UpdateJan 23, 2024
- V1.16: PDF Release!Dec 16, 2023
- V1.15: Free Player GuideAug 10, 2023
- V1.14.0: The ‘We Had a Baby’ UpdateFeb 27, 2023
- V1.13.0: The New Year UpdateJan 02, 2023
- V1.12.1: Phoenix Limit Break UpdateNov 03, 2022
- V1.12: The Stretch-Goal UpdateOct 30, 2022
- V1.11: The Kickstarter UpdateAug 01, 2022
Comments
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I just released a blog post that goes over the character creation for BEACON! It is incredibly versatile, flexible, and thorough! For my full review, check it out here: https://totscharactercompendium.wordpress.com/2024/11/24/beacon-tabletop-rpg/
I finally got a party together for this! A few of my players were wondering if it was possible to use this to play a Fantasy Mech game? I've never looked at Lancer so I'm not sure if that's an easy thing to merge with
Certainly! You can definitely reflavor jobs as mechs, and the example Gigan reflection even mentions mechs. However, if your group are interested in doing fantasy mecha, it might be worth seeing if Lancer can slot it in easier. Either Lancer or Beacon will require some reflavoring, but depending on your tastes, one might be a better foundation.
Either way, both are great games! If you want to get more opinions, I'd recommend either games' discord communities. I'd be surprised if the question hasn't be raised in PilotNet (Lancer's Discord) before.
Just discovered Beacon and I'm obsessed! Still trying to wrap my head around some of the mechanics. For the Skald ability Encore, do you spend 1 MP to channel, but then still get another standard action? Meaning, this lets the Skald do other things while still being able to channel songs?
"At the beginning of any round, if you successfully released a Channel ability in the previous round, you can spend 1 MP to immediately Channel".
Yes, if in Round 1 you released a channel ability, then at the start of round 2, you can spend 1 MP and start channeling. This don't count as a turn, doesn't take an action, so you're free to do whatever you want during your 2nd turn.
Skalds are very good at chaining together channel effects each round, as long as they have the MP to continue.
thanks so much for the quick reply. I loved reading the pdf so much I just ordered a physical copy of beacon and lancer. Can’t wait to see what comes next for this system
Thank you!
I am interested in purchasing one of the hard covers of Beacon you have remaining . I have a couple questions though. How much would I need to send to get the exclusive content and if I purchase the hard copy would I also receive the pdf for Beacon as well?
A hardcover purchase (either from me or IPR) comes with a free PDF.
The only 'exclusive' content is the soon-to-be-release Prismaxia supplement. That was a free stretch goal for Kickstarter backers, but will be sold separately for anyone else once available.
All of the other material was added to the core book, so it's included when you buy the base game.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you for the very prompt response. I have purchased it and eagerly look forward to reading the pdf until the hardcover arrives.
I bought a physical copy about a month ago but haven't received the book nor any shipping information. I had filled out the address info, too. Is there anything else you need so I can get it in my hands? Would appreciate any update.
That's unfortunate to hear I just bought the physical version a couple days ago hopefully it's just the mail service being slow.
Thank you so much for letting me know, I didn't receive notifications on any of the purchases within the last 44 days. I'm going to get these out ASAP on Monday, I'm so sorry for the delay on these. I'll send over the tracking information once I have it available.
Forgot to mention I got my book in the mail maybe two weeks ago, thanks for addressing it quickly after my bringing this up!
I'm so glad it got there, enjoy!
I love your game, so much, but I'd like to see more boss templates or rules to make your own. 10/10 otherwise.
Im actually playtesting a new boss for the first supplement tonight, so hopefully there will be soon!
Thanks so much joining the TTRPGs for Palestine itch charity bundle to support Medical Aid for Palestinians! When you have a moment, can you please approve your submission/s for the bundle here before it goes live in June: https://itch.io/bundle/2295/edit
approved!
Thank you :)
Hey, is there any way to get notified when that bundle goes up? I'd love to get a heads-up
The bundle goes live tomorrow, Saturday, June 1 at 12 am PST: https://itch.io/b/2295/ttrpgs-for-palestine Thank you!
This is just a curiosity than anything else but would be possible to run it like lancer combat without phases or is that to hard with how it is already setup?
I think it would be too hard. NPCs are balanced around the phase they act in, and the entire channel/release mechanic would have to be modified heavily.
Any chance for a soft cover? I missed the Kickstarter.
Yep! Softcovers are available as print on demand through drivethrurpg. https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/468286/beacon-ttrpg
So Loot Structure Questions: If you were rolling up loot crates randomly...you have spells and skills merged into one table called Techniques), but on the random equipment roll table you can roll either skills or spells. Was that meant to be merged into 1-34 being Techniques? Or did you intend to break those tables into 2 seperate tables?
Itd be one thing if they were in order, but the spells and techniques are mixed between each other. :)
That's probably the best way to handle it. I think that part of the roll table was unchanged from an early version where skills/spells were distinct things, instead of being lumped together. Alternatively, use the GM sheet Loot Crate generator to roll them for you :) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JlmT5Ap2TLDfngUFxeqxLoQmoZrxwYBODeidLkf8...
Excellent Thank you. It might be useful to add in a table tab for being able to upgrade on the roll table with Residuum since that's a core mechanic as well.
Is there a third-party license for Beacon or are you keeping it in-house for the time being?
Not yet but there will be!
hype
Hi All, just letting you know that the final version of this game is currently in editing! The final version should be available before the end of the year.
Oh huh, neat.
Quick comment on your Character sheet. The Unarmored Defense support loot is showing under Techniques not under Support for your drop down menus :) Love the sheet!
That's because it's actually a technique! Its one of the few techniques that can provide armor (and doesn't have the armor tag), at the cost of not being allowed to work with equipped armor. It's basically Light Armor as a technique instead of support item.
Ah ok! Thanks for the clarification!
V1.14 should be coming soon.
This is such a blatant mashup of lancer and FF14 and I love it
Unabashedly and proud! Beacon has some unique elements in it, like the Phase based combat system, but its very clear about its inspirations!
This looks real cool. The system is really interesting!
This is gorgeous, I'm looking forward to giving it a full read!
Hey, another soul that found out about this game from Dragonkid's video, and I shared it in another TTRPG Discord I'm in. Many people reacted by seeing the cover and going "INJECT THIS INTO MY VEINS NOW!", so keep up the good work!
Ahh, thank you so much!
this is a very cool system. I've always liked the Lancer RPG method of character creation because of how modular it is, and having it in fantasy form is great
One thing that could be nice is that one of those "Example of Play" sections for combat might be useful. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the Phases and how acting during them would work
Great idea! I'll work on putting something together for that.
Hotfix: Narrative Skill Checks don't apply your GRIT to the roll. Forgot to remove that line from V1.10, I'll try to update the PDF soon.
V1.06 Should be ready in about a week!
V1.06 has now been posted!