TUNNELS (Playtest)

*This is a work in progress. Please treat this playtest as such. Any recreation, reselling, or plagiarism of any kind are prohibited under copyright laws.

An underground exploration TTRPG with elements of cosmic horror and doomed survival for 1-6 players and a GM.

“You are a Tunneler. Your job is to explore Underdirt, the sub-surface world humanity carved from the husk of their razed planet. Life is different, but familiar. Several Hubs constitute the remainder of civilization, from autotroph farms to transportation fields, education colonies to fashion empires. People live, and create, and die. But the Tunnelers are the ones that ensure new spaces are found. That protective measures are in place. Because you are not alone.

Creatures lived here long before we did, and very few enjoy our presence. Tunnelers ensure the Hubs are safe, and explore the depths of Underdirt in search of the new and strange. It’s a dangerous job. Tremors threaten the tunnel systems you build. Sub-lightning storms rage through Hollows filled with ancient architecture. Rogue Tunnelers roam the backchannels of the Tunnelway, keen on banditry and obstruction. And beneath everything, an otherworldly presence permeates. Always in the back of your mind, growing louder the deeper you delve. It is no secret. Everyone knows, and your Pillar warned you when you took the task: there is something at the core of Underdirt.

The further in you go, the weirder things get. Shadows follow your vision. Objects don’t stay where they should. Your dreams become tainted by odd-tongued promises. The breath of the long-dead fills your lungs. And the more you learn, the more you understand the truth. That there is only one certainty as a Tunneler…

Once you dig deep enough, whatever climbs back out won’t be you.”