Hollows is a tactical powerhouse of a TTRPG that’s both easy to learn and satisfying to master. It’s based around a simple D20 mechanic where actions can fail, succeed, or succeed brilliantly. Failure is always interesting – it exposes the Hunter to greater risk, creating moments for other players to step in, support, and help hold the line. 

Character creation and advancement is simple but powerful. The Weapons a Hunter chooses to wield and the abilities they select for them open up hundreds of possible character builds. Players select new abilities with every kill and choose which ones to make permanent when they baptise themselves in the blood of a Hollow’s Lord.

Gameplay moves elegantly between exploring a Hollow’s poisoned world – rules-light and roleplay-heavy – and many-v-1 tactical boss fights unlike anything you’ve seen in a TTRPG. Fights are fast but easy to follow, and players quickly get into the swing of planning their tactics and adjusting them as the battle intensifies. Hollows’ combat keeps the player characters right at the heart of the action, with the battlefield changing and developing with every action. It encourages players to work together, paying close attention to each other’s moves and devising clever, cooperative strategies to take down Entities far bigger and stronger than they are.

THE CORE BOOK

Everything you need to play is in the core book: rules, setting, and character creation of course, but also in-depth advice on how to get the most out of running and playing Hollows. That includes a chapter of Entities, two Hollows ready for you to run, and another entire chapter dedicated to designing your own Hollows and their Lords. Plus we’ve gouged a lot of tips out of the Rowan, Rook and Decard collective game design brain and distributed them throughout the book for you.