Core Concepts & The World
The foundation of Outrunners — what drives the game, how it plays, and where it takes place.
What is Outrunners?
Outrunners is a narrative-driven tabletop RPG where every character begins with a Vision of their own death — and a chance to outrun it. The game is built for high-stakes storytelling, one-shot sessions, and the tension between fate and free will.
The system is deliberately light. There are no hit points, no initiative rolls, no complex combat grids. Instead, the game revolves around Skill Checks, Narrative Control, and the ever-present threat of the Harbinger — the manifestation of death that stalks every Outrunner.
The Gameplay Loop
The Vision
Every Outrunner begins with a glimpse of their own death — a scene, a sensation, a moment frozen in time.
The Journey
Players navigate a world where their choices ripple outward. Every decision brings them closer to — or further from — their Vision.
The Harbinger
Death doesn't chase. It waits. The Harbinger manifests in ways unique to each session, escalating tension as the story unfolds.
The Reckoning
The climax. Players face their fate head-on. Some outrun it. Some don't. The dice and the narrative decide.
Key Mechanics
Stat Dice
Six stats (Fortitude, Will, Reflex, Intellect, Charm, Prowess) are assigned dice from d4 to d20 — not numbers. Your dice ARE your stats.
Narrative Control
The difference between your roll and the DC determines who narrates the outcome — not just success or failure, but HOW it happens.
Fate Points
Earned through roleplay and risk. Spend them to invoke Destiny's Sacrifice, Divine Intervention, Shared Destiny, or Temporal Shuffle.
The World: Adamah
Outrunners takes place in Adamah — the same universe as Einsol's Razor. A world where neon-soaked cities tower over ancient ruins, where magic and technology have merged into something neither wholly arcane nor entirely scientific, and where corporate empires wage shadow wars while ordinary people try to survive.
But in Outrunners, the focus is personal. You're not saving the world. You're saving yourself — or trying to. Death has already shown you its hand. The question is whether you fold, bluff, or flip the table.
“Don't sleep near mirrors. It comes through reflections. Carry salt in your pocket. Don't ask why. Just do it. Trust no maps. The roads change when it's near. If you feel a hand on your shoulder… don't turn around. Keep moving. Always keep moving. Stillness invites it.”
— Survivor's Notes
NPCs: Allies, Enemies, and More
NPCs in Outrunners aren't just background characters — they're tools of the narrative. The GM uses them to create tension, provide information, and sometimes serve as unknowing agents of the Harbinger.
Eira Þazrún
A weathered tracker who knows the old roads. She's survived three Visions — or claims to have.
Garen Brask
A corporate fixer with connections everywhere and loyalties nowhere. Useful, but never trustworthy.
Salma al-Zahir
A street medic operating out of a converted shipping container. She asks no questions and expects the same.