UVG 2E: Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City
A downloadable psychedelic setting
Welcome to The Ultraviolet Grasslands, the roleplaying game of heroes on a strange trip through mythic steppes in search of lost time, broken space, and deep riffs. Half setting, half adventure, and half epic trip; inspired by psychedelic heavy metal, the Dying Earth genre, and classic Oregon Trail games.
For the hardcover, visit Exalted Funeral.
The 2nd Edition is a director's cut of the OG UVG
- More art. Bigger art.
- Expanded content from 200 pages to 252 pages.
- Streamlined character rules for smoother gameplay.
- Expanded caravan options, vehicles, and equipment to equip your party.
- A brand-new bestiary section with a menagerie of friends and foes
- Revamped spells for a simpler, weirder game.
- A table of 50 adorable pets.
- Revamped character and caravan sheets.
- An expanded map featuring the whole Circle Sea region.
- A revised oldtech referee screen.
Like the OG UVG, it covers
- 32 ready-to-run destinations.
- Scores of strange discoveries to season your world.
- A few mini-adventures and the generative Near Moon dungeon.
- Hundreds of color illustrations.
- Weird factions, from sentient mind-controlling cats to many-bodied porcelain princes, and dozens of backgrounds for characters.
- System-light and easily ported to the game system of your choice.
- Equipment for the ultraviolet wastes.
- Long-distance travel rules (now a little simpler!).
- Caravan rules and unusual trade goods.
- Spells, biomagical corruption, portal gates, and a ton of strange items.
- History, climate, and discovery generators.
The rpg system formerly known as SEACAT is renamed to Synthetic Dream Machine and is available for free online and as a downloadable PDF. The free version of SDM is included with the UVG 2E.
UVG 2E hardcovers, maps, and referee screens are available at Exalted Funeral.
There are multiple spotify playlists inspired by the Ultraviolet Grasslands and its Appendix M. Here is one.
Safe travels.
Purchase
In order to download this psychedelic setting you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $25 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Download demo
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Hallo. Help me with this one: in the initial part of the rules, I see "Life fuels spells... Characters pay 2 life per level of the spell cast. So Fireball (3rd level spell) costs 6 life."
But later on, in the "Stuff" section, I see just a couple of pages of spells, and there's no Fireball; also, those spells have no level.
Edit: I'm reading the Italian edition. Ok, so, from what I understand the system is really barebone. Also, here I found additional info:
https://syntheticdreammachine.com/powers-enumerated/
I see, this is more a "setting book", at its core.
Yep, the Fireball is the typical 3rd level D&D / OSR spell given as an example. All the spells listed in the UVG 2E are power 1 - so level 0.5 (effectively like cantrips).
It is indeed setting + mechanics for travel there. I've been working on the expanded guidebook and the (pretty-much-finished) text is now available: https://www.patreon.com/posts/vastlands-beta-110976074
Hope that helps!
Is the Death-Facing Passage chapter complete? It just stops after "soporifics."
Gah! Well-spotted. I need to update it to the latest file - I had a white image overlaying a part of the text, so it didn't come up on my initial editing passes. It should end like this.
Off topic but...have you listened to the album Deltron 3030? I think it would be your jam, so to speak.
I haven't! I'll have to give it a look.
Is there a post somewhere for me to find out what is the difference between 1e and 2e?
Yeah, a few places around the internet - but generally - 2E doesn't include the SEACAT system and includes more art, more vehicle options, and few extra tables and things.
The system's been moved / updated to SDM, which you can get for free as the BAREGHOST edition of the Eternal Return Key or on syntheticdreammachine.com.
I love the art and the game, maps and gm screen (it is shipping as we speak, but it has to come from far, far away).
Is there any way to get the GM screen or other images as a wallpaper for the laptop I am running the game on?
Had the 2e cover background for a while, but would love to stretch the GM screen over my 2 monitors :)
Mmmm ... I _think_ the freebies page includes the GM screen as a wallpaper. But it's a good point - I'll see about making it available!
Freaking awesome!
Can't wait for the bundle to arrive :)
This game is amazing! I am often looking for RPGs that sort of help the GM play, and this game has Flowcharts that almost made my jaw drop. It is the most easy to approach game as a GM and the weird world and fluorescent art just draw the eye in. One look at the GM screen art and it puts your imagination in a great place for UVG.
If you've been craving a game that's really about the long strange trip, this is the one, stop looking you found it.
Awww, thank you snerfmonster!
Hi, its possible to have a community copies?
I've seen people mention those before. How do they work?
Community copies is a free copy for who can't afford them, usually are limited copies.
I've found this article who explain everything... but its from years ago (dont know if its outdated).
http://berdan.ca/andy/community-accessibility-on-itchio
Mmm. I see. I'll think about it.
I love the books, just got it! I wander if introduction pdf from 1st edition fits the second edition, cause it is easier to me to navigate there looking for mechanic things about caravan and equipment. Art is amazing! I put Electric Octopus on speakers and started to read the book, it is really awesome and i can't wait to start the journey!
It doesn't fit perfectly - but it's close. The core system hasn't changed that much - the big numbers (level, life aka hitpoints, defenses, travel, dying of thirst, caravan mechanics, carrying capacities, etc.) are all basically the same.
I have to update it, but ... well, it will come!
PS - glad you like the books!