Historical narrative roleplaying · Lucky 8
A person before the uniform.
A life beyond the firefight.
Pivotal Actions Through History. A tabletop RPG about the people living through the Vietnam War: what they know, what they carry, who they trust and what their choices leave behind.
Play with a Narrator and a group, or use the manuals’ solo procedures. History gives you the circumstances. Your Soldier still has to decide what to do.
The narrative engine
What are you trying to do? Do you have the training, the tools and a workable approach? Set those facts and the stakes first. Routine, competent work doesn’t need a roll.
When an outcome is possible, uncertain and consequential, Lucky 8 uses eight-sided dice. Add the dice together. Original natural 8s can explode once and generate Luck. Preparation, Support and the method you choose matter.
The record carries the result forward: wounds, supplies, relationships, pressure and promises. A successful mission can still leave people changed.
Read how Lucky 8 works →The current library
The manuals are held at V1.098 for this round of reading and play feedback. Start with the Primer, then open the books that fit your place at the table.
Current digital editions: 753 pages across the four PDFs, including their covers. Paperback pagination differs. Release details will be shared through the waitlist.
V1.098 · 64 pages
A first route into Vietnam, your Soldier and the Lucky 8 engine. Work through core rolls, Luck, Support and Rush, then learn what FUBAR, Trauma, Trust and load mean at the table.
V1.098 · 257 pages
Create your Soldier through LifeP.A.T.H.—Previous Activities, Training, History—and carry that person into a campaign. Your training, relationships, equipment and choices stay on the record.
V1.098 · 176 pages
Run the campaign with dated information, clear stakes and people who have reasons for what they do. The Narrator’s job is to follow consequences, including the quiet days between operations.
V1.098 · 256 pages
The setting book follows the wider war through its changing periods. Geography, institutions, military and civilian lives provide material for campaigns beyond a single unit or viewpoint.
From the table to the browser
P.A.T.H.: Vietnam — Tour of Duty is built on V1.098, these four manuals and the Lucky 8 narrative engine. It brings the campaign into an illustrated solo browser game, with the Field Desk, kit, mail, music and the record of your tour.
The live game is still a prototype. Work continues on its implementation and testing; the books describe a wider tabletop game than any single digital campaign.
Stay in touch
Get news from Robert and PATH Games about the tabletop RPG, book previews, availability and the next round of playtesting.
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