Explore Orsterra with friends
Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler is a role-playing game masterpiece, weaving together the stories of eight heroes with big personalities and complicated backstories as they try to correct past wrongs and make a mark on the world. Designer Yura Kubota turned the mechanics and lore from the 2018 game and its 2022 free-to-play prequel Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent into a tabletop role-playing game, and the Octopath Traveler TRPG Rulebook will be published in English for the first time in October.
Dark Horse Books is handling the translation of the 328-page book, which is available to preorder for $59.99. The game uses a 2d6 system and allows players to use pre-built character sheets to take on characters from the games. You can also explore the world of Orsterra using new characters built by combining classes and backgrounds. The book includes pre-written adventures packed with action and mystery, plus tips for game masters to work with players to craft their own journeys. Presumably the game works well with large groups, or at least with parties that can easily swap out members based on who’s free for an adventure.
While Japanese role-playing video games like Octopath Traveler, Final Fantasy, and Bravely Default have earned huge followings worldwide, the country’s tabletop roleplaying games have only recently been spreading through localization. A BackerKit campaign is launching in March to fund the first official translation of Sword World RPG. The game’s publisher, Group SNE, is releasing a TTRPG based on Elden Ring Nightreign this spring. Hopefully, we will also get an English translation.
If you want a taste of JRPG tropes at the gaming table before then, you should check out Fabula Ultima, which offers books focused on natural fantasy, science fiction, and high fantasy settings.