What is Paizo’s New 13 Omens Horror TTRPG?

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This past April, Paizo announced that a brand new rules-light horror tabletop RPG entitled 13 Omens was officially in development. The game has since been demoed at both UK Games Expo and Gen Con 2026, but now you can test it out for yourself, with Paizo recently unveiling a Reservation Page.

For just $5 USD (which will be put toward the future purchase of the full product), you’ll receive downloadable PDFs of the 64-page Rulebook Primer and an accompanying 35-page adventure entitled “Bequeathed.” While both are still technically a work in progress, they’re also extremely polished, with full art, rules and professional layout. A core rulebook will first be coming to Kickstarter on October 13th, but the two preview PDFs do give a good sense of what to expect.

So will 13 be a lucky number for Paizo? Below, we break down all the new details.

What is Paizo’s 13 Omens TTRPG about?

13 Omens is a rules-lite horror TTRPG set in a twisted version of the modern world filled with ancient monsters, supernatural horrors and dark secrets. Players take on the role of normal facing people down these living nightmares. The game, however, isn’t really designed for long-term campaign play and is instead focused on short, one-shot adventures known as Scenarios. The lethality is extremely high and each scenario consists of Three Acts, with both the story and mechanics changing as the scenario reaches the end.

In this sense, 13 Omens is similar in nature to tabletop RPGs like Ten Candles and Dread, both of which are meant to be single-session experiences rather than any kind of prolonged experience.

What is character creation like in 13 Omens?

Character creation in 13 Omens includes the following elements:

• Archetypes: Rather than using a generic class system, players choose pre-made Archetypes designed specifically for a given scenario. For example, in The Haunting of Hollybrook, players play members of a TV film crew investigating a haunted house and can choose from The Face (the narcissistic reporter), The Tech Specialist (the camera and sound operator), The Gopher Supreme (the overworked crew member), The Local Fan (an overeager caretaker) or The True Believer (a guest ghost hunter).
• Aspects: Characters have five Core Aspects (Courage, Evade, Fight, Luck and Perception) alongside five Story Aspects unique to a specific scenario (such as Viticulture, Medicine, Technology or Charm). Players then assign a fixed spread of ratings (Great, Good, Average, Bad, and Terrible) across each group of Aspects to establish their character’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Perks: Players select two special Perks from their Archetype’s custom list. These grant unique thematic abilities, such as ignoring environmental drawbacks, boosting allies or using specific skills in clever ways.
• Gear: Characters also receive mandatory story items based on their Archetype as well as a selection of discretionary special Gear (such as a smartphone or first aid kit), which can be used during play to gain an advantage (known as an Edge) on checks.
• Personal Goals & Traits: Each Archetype provides suggested personality traits and personal goals (such as retrieving a childhood memento, scrubbing a father’s computer history or capturing rare footage). These give players immediate narrative hooks and individual motivations beyond basic group survival. Each Archetype also includes specific notes on how the character relates to other members of the group for that scenario, helping to further flesh out character dynamics and narrative.

What are the gameplay mechanics of 13 Omens?

The primary gameplay mechanics in 13 Omens are as follows:

• Players Always Roll: Only the players roll dice to resolve actions, make checks or avoid dangers that affect their characters. The Game Master (known as The Host) never rolls dice, instead controlling NPCs and narrating outcomes based on PC rolls.
• The D6 Dice Bag: All checks are resolved using D6s drawn at random from a shared dice bag. To make a check, a player draws two D6s from the bag and rolls them to meet or exceed a Target Number set by their Aspect. Matching the Target Number results in a success with a minor complication, while rolling below it results in a narrative failure.
• Checks & Target Numbers: Whenever an action’s outcome is uncertain or dangerous, the Host calls for a check using one of the character’s 10 Aspects. A character’s rating in that Aspect sets their base Target Number (TN): Great (TN 4), Good (TN 5), Average (TN 7), Bad (TN 9) or Terrible (TN 10). Overall task difficulty modifies this number directly, ranging from Very Easy (-2 to TN) up to Very Hard (+2 to TN).
• Edges & Flaws: Favorable conditions, helpful tools or assistance from another character (known as Aid) grant an Edge, allowing the player to draw one extra D6 from the bag and keep the two highest results. Environmental hazards, missing tools or injuries impose a Flaw, forcing the player to draw an extra D6 and keep the two lowest results. Edges and Flaws cancel each other out on a one-to-one basis, with up to two Edges or two Flaws applying to a single roll.

• Omen Dice & Escalating Evil: When play begins, in the dice bag there are 8 Safe dice (which can be rolled without any issue) and 1 Omen Dice (which cause negative consequences). A reserve pool of 13 Omen dice also sits in front of the Host. As the story progresses across the three Acts, the Host adds more Omen dice into the bag or applies them directly to player checks as Flaws to reflect the mounting supernatural threat. (Notably Paizo is releasing a set of special 13 Omens dice sets, but you can also use your own standard D6s, as long as you can tell which ones are Safe dice and which are Omen dice).
• Wounds & Character Death: When an Omen dice is drawn and rolled, its face value is compared to the current Act number (1, 2 or 3). If the die’s value is less than or equal to the current Act number, the character takes a Wound, and that Omen D6 is removed from the bag and set in front of the player. Accumulating 3 Wounds places the character in severe peril, imposing a permanent Flaw on all future checks. Receiving a 4th Wound results in death or total despair, removing the character from play and returning their Omen D6s back into the bag.
• Risky Checks & Strains: High-stakes actions declared as Risky Checks carry extra consequences. Failing a Risky Check inflicts a Strain on a specific Aspect or cost a piece of valuable gear (which is lost or destroyed). Any future check using a Strained Aspect takes a Flaw until the injury is treated. Low-stakes moments may be designated as Harmless Checks, where low Omen dice inflict a Strain instead of a permanent Wound.
• Survival Options: Once per story, a player can Cheat Death when taking a Wound by placing a drawn Safe dice in front of them instead of the Omen dice, slowing their descent toward death at the cost of removing a Safe dice from the bag. Additionally, a player with 3 Wounds who draws an Omen dice can declare a Valiant Sacrifice, foregoing the roll to automatically succeed at their action in exchange for heroically perishing in the process.

Who is the creative team behind 13 Omens?

13 Omens is designed by Jason Bulmahn and Joe Pasini. Both men have an impressive design portfolio and extensive experience in the TTRPG industry. Bulmahn is currently the Director of Games at Paizo having been with the company for over 20 years and worked on numerous projects, including being one of the key designers on the first edition of Pathfinder. He is also the founder of Minotaur Games, which released Hopefinder, a modern zombie apocalypse horror game that was developed using the Pathfinder 2E mechanics.

Pasini is currently a Lead Designer at Paizo, having been with the publisher for over a decade. He previously worked as the Lead Designer on Starfinder and prior to that spent time as a text specialist at Nintendo of America.

When will the 13 Omens Kickstarter launch?

Paizo has not yet published an official Kickstarter page. We do, however, know that crowdfunding will officially kick off on October 13th, 2026, just in time for Halloween. Notably, Paizo does have a product page on its website, even though the game will first go to backers.

What are the 13 Omens Kickstarter options?

Details have not yet been released on what will be included in the Kickstarter. We do know from Gen Con, however, that the primary focus will be on a core rulebook and that a dice set (containing a mix of Safe and Omen D6s) will also be available.

Final Thoughts

13 Omens feels like more than just another horror TTRPG. It feels like a major shift for Paizo, which for the past 25 years has focused almost exclusively on creating products for its Pathfinder and Starfinder tabletop RPG systems. Whether or not this new game will scare up any new fans, however, remains to be seen.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on 13 Omens in the days ahead and will update this page with new information as it is made available. In the meantime, you can learn more and pick up the preview rules and adventure now on the Paizo website.

Also, below is a teaser trailer on the official Paizo YouTube channel entitled “Obituary of Erique Salazar,” which offers some further clues as to what to expect.