Imagine a role-playing game where players never hesitate before describing what their character does.
Where Game Masters never need to pause the session to check charts, cross-reference abilities, or calculate stacks of modifiers.
Where combat feels like a fast, dramatic, and unpredictable extension of the narrative, instead of feeling like switching to a different game entirely.
A Very B.E.A.R System is a Boundless, Expressive, Adaptable, Roleplaying game built to keep narrative, rather than rules, at the centre of the table.
It delivers a mechanically solid framework that fades into the background when the story takes over, empowering players and Game Masters to stay immersed, make bold decisions, and let consequences shape unforgettable adventures.
There are many excellent roleplaying systems available, each offering unique strengths and play styles.
A Very B.E.A.R System was designed with a very specific goal in mind:
To minimise mechanical interruption while maintaining meaningful structure and consistency.
Many systems tend to:
• Provide deep mechanical detail but require frequent reference.
• Offer narrative freedom but sacrifice mechanical consistency.
A Very B.E.A.R System is built to balance both.
It provides a clear, reliable framework for resolving challenges while deliberately removing layers of modifiers, rule stacking, and edge-case interactions that can interrupt storytelling.
The result is a system that remains mechanically trustworthy without becoming mechanically dominant.
A Noir Investigation in 1950s Los Angeles
Welcome to the City of Angels. Bright lights. Long shadows. And the truth always comes at a price.
Becoming is a grounded noir investigation set in 1950s Los Angeles. The player characters are Federal agents or closely connected civilians brought in to assist the LAPD in hunting down a fugitive accused of murder.
What begins as a manhunt slowly unravels into a mystery they did not imagine.
Tone & Themes
Cynical. Tense. Morally compromised.
The characters are not rookies.
They are seasoned professionals who understand how the system works — and how it fails.
They:
- Ask the hard questions.
- Kick in doors (with or without a judge’s signature).
- Know that intimidation can be faster than paperwork.
- Understand that the truth rarely leaves anyone clean.
This is a story about pressure, influence, fear, and ambition.
Important Note on Genre
There are no supernatural elements in the story as written.
Everything can be explained through human cruelty, manipulation, and power.
However, the GM may introduce occult or cosmic elements if desired. Doing so shifts the tone from grounded noir into full horror.
Conversation Starter
- Are your characters loyal to the badge — or to the truth?
- How far are they willing to go for answers?
- What compromises are they already carrying into this case?
Arcadia Prime is fine.
According to the city.
The lights are still on.
Hyper-trains still run.
The all-seeing city AI - Aegis Omnis - still assures everyone that statistically, things have never been better.
Meanwhile:
- An ancient machine beneath the city is waking up.
- The AI is quietly afraid of being replaced.
- A rebellion is being born among people who know they will probably lose.
- And the universe’s idea of “help” is… not human-centric.
This is a sci-fi scenario about:
- systems that insist they’re benevolent
- people who survive by being inconvenient
- and a world that doesn’t end with a bang, but with a very polite suggestion
You won’t be heroes.
You won’t be the chosen ones.
You’ll be professionals, failures, idealists, and opportunists who are present at the wrong moment and have to decide whether to interfere.
There are bars where revolutions start by accident.
If you want me to run this, I’m curious:
- What kind of characters would survive in a city run by a “polite god”?
- When systems collapse, do you pull the plug… or reroute the power?
- If an AI promises salvation but won’t explain the cost—do you listen?
If this sounds like your kind of mess, say hi, ask questions, or tell me the worst decision your character would absolutely make.
Arcadia Prime is stable…
It just hasn’t noticed it’s already changing.