Mappa Mundi: An Exploration + Ecology RPG enters its final week on Kickstarter
A non-violent RPG for anyone who loves the study of the natural world
Mappa Mundi – An Exploration + Ecology RPG, the debut game from Three Sails Studios, is on its final Kickstarter week after raising over £50,000 - more than 400% of its original funding goal of £12,500!
This TTRPG, powered by hope and driven by curiosity, exploration, and a fascination with the natural world, is a non-violent experience that sets players a distinct challenge:
How do you save a world without doing any harm?
Players take on the role of Chroniclers, specially trained researchers and explorers sent out into the world of Ecumene to reconnect it after the Flux, a one-hundred year period of climate catastrophe that divided continents, regions, and cultures. With just four Abilities – Traversal, Exploration, Deduction, and Observation – Chroniclers must step out into a land that has lost its sense of self, its voice, and its history.
Armed with nothing but courage, training, and dedication, Chroniclers travel with a singular mission in mind: To learn about, engage with, understand, and document the world, including its Monsters, Creatures, environments, and cultures.
Rules Light, Narrative First Gameplay
Mappa Mundi features a brand new rule system – taking up only six pages of the book – that allows players and Narrators (GMs) to quickly dive into satisfying, collaborative, narrative-first gameplay.
The game uses only four dice per player (D4, D6, D8, and D12), and Narrators need not roll dice or track stats. Our non-combat gameplay means that Narrators don’t need to concern themselves with issues of balance, resulting in profound, deep, and meaningful stories around the gaming table right from the beginning.
And with our Shaping mechanic – described by playtesters as ‘adding flavour text to the world’ – creative and narrative control of the game is shared between players and Narrators. This gives players significant agency over the world they’re exploring, while reducing the creative storytelling burden for Narrators.
One Game, One Book, One Deck
Mappa Mundi – An Exploration + Ecology RPG comes as a 220-page hardback book, laid out by George Francis Bickers (Mappa Mundi’s creator, designer, and co-writer), edited by Jeremy Blum (the game’s developer and co-writer), and illustrated by Joel Kilpatrick. The book comes with the Journey Deck, a fully-illustrated set of 70 tarot-sized cards that are used to facilitate exploration.
Everything you need to run campaigns, one shots, or exploratory adventures is in a single box. No stretch goals were included in our Kickstarter campaign, and once the campaign finishes, our intention is to have the full product in your hands by Summer 2025!
For more on Mappa Mundi and Three Sails Studios, please head over to our Kickstarter, or join us on Discord! And if you know of anyone else who's been dreaming of an ecology-focused TTRPG that dares its players to do no harm, please spread the word. This game was made for you.
