"Magick bleeds into the world. Someone has to hold the candle."
Candela Obscura is the first roleplaying game from Darrington Press, Critical Role's publishing arm, and the debut of the Illuminated Worlds engine. You play a Circle of investigators for the secret society Candela Obscura, looking into supernatural incidents, hunting creatures and sealing away dangerous artifacts. Short one-or-two-session assignments, a d6 dice pool, a GM who never rolls, and injuries that change your character for good.
The Fairelands — a Gilded Age-inspired world of gas lamps, railways and post-war weariness. At its heart is Newfaire, a city built over the ruins of ancient Oldfaire. Magick seeps in from another plane called the Flare, breeding monsters and corruption. The Candela Obscura keeps the secret and protects the public, even when it costs its investigators their minds and bodies.
d6 pool, take the highest
Roll as many d6 as the action's rating and keep the best. A 6 succeeds, 4–5 succeeds at a cost, 1–3 fails, and multiple sixes are a critical. The GM never rolls.
Drives and gilded dice
Three Drives — Nerve, Cunning, Intuition — add dice to rolls and fuel your resistances. Gilded actions swap in a special die: take its result and you earn back a point of Drive.
Marks and scars
Three harm tracks: Body, Brain and Bleed from magick. A fourth mark knocks you out of the scene and leaves a scar that permanently shifts your ratings. A fourth scar ends your story.
Circles and assignments
The party is a Circle with its own name, abilities and shared resources for healing and recovery. Each assignment is a self-contained mystery for one or two nights — perfect for one-shots.
Open in Session Zero to let every player vote and see the results.