The Legacy of Kain is taking fans back to Nosgoth, except this time they're not expected to dust off their Dreamcast or even hop on any other newer console for that matter. Instead, you'll just need a sourcebook and some dice to join the ranks of The Sarafan Order and rid the land of its vampiric curse.
You may not have seen it coming (we certainly didn't), but the Legacy of Kain series is getting its own TTRPG adaptation in Legacy of Kain: Scourge of the Sarafan. The gothic tabletop roleplaying game will borrow mechanically from one of the best tabletop RPGs, using Mörk Borg's distinctly brutal and brilliant rules system to guide players through hunting and eliminating the blood-thirsty undead. Beyond the thrill of slaying vamps, you can also expect time-travel shenanigans and journeys through the afterlife.
According to the project page, Scourge of the Sarafan "comes complete with six playable character classes, Sarafan weapons and spells, and a bevy of nocturnal horrors to battle. With a simple d20 dice system, both players and the Game Master alike can stay present in their shared adventure without having the action and atmosphere broken by complex mechanics, while high lethality keeps combat risky, forcing players to pick their battles carefully."
Scourge of the Sarafan is available as a pledge reward through the project's Backerkit, where it has managed to crush its £32,500 funding goal to a fine dust within one day (at £176,000 at time of writing). The TTRPG's Standard and Deluxe editions make up a variety of pledge tiers for the project. However, also included among these is The Book of Nosgoth, a 200-page "encyclopedia and archive" that provides both an in-depth collation of the game world and story. Alongside this, it features an exploration of the series' development through behind-the-scenes materials, concept art, and interviews with developers like Michael Bell and Simon Templeman.
Both The Book of Nosgoth and Scourge of the Sarafan appear to be continuing publisher Lost In Cult's pattern of producing stunning game-centric artsy books that are just begging to wind up on your bookshelf. Each one is hardcover, sewn-bound, and filled with the kind of gorgeous design that reminds me that flicking through TTRPG books is almost as fun as actually playing TTRPGs. This is a deeply unfortunate reality for my bank account.
I'm a decent bit too young to have experienced this cult classic series at launch and so I'll admit the Legacy of Kain games are sort of trapped in my jam-packed gaming backlog. That said, I do have a deep love for Gothic fiction and an irresistible urge to try out anything even slightly Mörk Borg-flavored, so I think I may have just accidentally given myself an excuse to pick up the recently released Soul Reaver 1 & 2 remaster to prepare myself ahead of the TTRPG's release.
For recommendations of what to play next, check out the best board games or the best adult board games!
