Paizo takes a new path into horror with 13 Omens

Paizo is stepping beyond its familiar fantasy and science-fantasy worlds 13 Omens, a new horror roleplaying now funding on Kickstarter. Set in a dark reflection of our own world, it promises us stories of spectres, killers, cursed places and secrets which are best left buried. It’s Paizo’s first new standalone RPG in some time, and marks a big change of pace for the publisher, who are best known for the detailed rules of Pathfinder and Starfinder.

Floorboards creak under foot as the pair enter the palor of an old, decrepit house. Shandra falls behind Luke, smacking the dying flashlight with the palm of her hand, hoping to coax a little more light out of it. Without warning, the fllor underneath Luke gives way, as the abyss opens up and swallows him whole. Nearbuy, something stirs in the darkness, hungry for its next meal.

13 Omens is designed for one-shot sessions, with each story moving through a prologue and three acts towards a horror-movie style climax. One player takes the role of the Host, guiding the story, while the others play characters built from archetypes provided for the specific adventure, with Paizo recommending a Host and four or five players as the ideal number. The stories take place in a contemporary world where familiar events of situations can turn frightening, with a family gathering, strange building, or an unexplained presence more than capable to draw characters in danger.

Instead of Pathfinder’s d20 rules, 13 Omens has its own rules-lite system using six-sided dice. When a character faces danger or an uncertain outcome, the player draws dice from a shared bag and rolls them. At the beginning of the story, the bag contains eight Safe dice, but as the story unfolds the Host adds Omen dice. Omen dice make checks more perilous, with the threat rising as the characters move through the story. The games dedicated Dice Kit comes wit 21 dice - eight Safe and 13 Omen - as well as an opaque bag.

The Kickstarter is offering the core rulebook in hardcover, PDF and as a Special Editio, along with dice, story zines and other accessories - including plush toys, t-shirts and messenger bags. Extras include a vast array if items, including a special dice set made from real bone, although thankfully nothing more macabre than elk bone in this instance.

13 Omens is designed by Jason Bulmahn and Joe Pasini. Bulmahn is best known as the primary designer of the original Pathfinder RPG, with Joe Pasini described as a co-designer of the new game. Together, they are taking the company down a new corridor, one leading to a locked door to an attic, something following you home that you keep catching shadows of at the edge of vision, with a new genre and new system to tempt and terrifying gaming tables everywhere.

13 Omens has had a few previews take place during the summer convention season, and actually had a scenario called Bequeathed, written by Paizo’s James Jacobs, sold as a limited preview edition at Gen Con.

13 Omens is currently funding on Kickstarter, with the campaign running until Friday 13th November 2026.