xi

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I t i s th e daw n o f th e a m e r ica n r evolu tio na ry wa r o f 1776. a ta n g l e d w eb

o f c o n spi r acy spa n s n orth a m e r ica . i t d oe s not m at t e r yo u r c r e e d, c olor,

c ultu r e , fa i th or g e n de r— a l l sta n d to g eth e r i n th e wa r for su rv iva l . ev e ry

r eb e l thom a s pa i n e’ s c om mo n s e n s e

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patr iot hol d s a lo f t a s th ey ta k e u p a r m s

aga i n st th e b r i ti s h e mpi r e . th e ci ty o f b o sto n i s o c c u pi e d by th e r e d c oat s ,

su r ro u n de d by r eb e l m i l i ti a s . but a s th e r evolu tio n h a s b e g u n , s om ethi n g fa r

mor e myst e r io us sti rs .

Agents of the occult entreat both the Continental Army FLAMES OF FREEDOM is an American
and British Empire. Freemasons conspire in the City of gothic horror role-playing game powered by the
Brotherly Love. Maryland is in the throes of a witch ZWEIHÄNDER RPG D100 game engine. Intensely
hunt by the Knights Templar. researched and developed by a diverse group of game
Amid the chaos, other grim fairy tales have designers, this tabletop RPG explores cultures beyond
emerged. Ghouls have been tunneling beneath Boston. North America’s European experience. We created
There are sightings of witches in the Great Dismal this game with Black writers, cultural consultants and
Swamp. Indigenous sachem speak of devils who walk Indigenous scholars of the Nations represented inside
among the living. The Leeds Devil haunts the Pine in the book. RPG safety and trauma experts guided our
Barrens of New Jersey. And worse still, a shadowy development cycle. We hope that this game can show
collective called ‘the Mandoag’ seeks to consume all, how American gothic horror can be inclusive while
Loyalists and Rebels alike. also portraying the horrific realities of war and the
In this game, most people have either chosen to deny supernatural.
the supernatural or rationalize it away. A rare few accept
it for what it is to act. You are among those heroes and
destined for greatness . . . or death. 
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THE SETTING GRIM & PERILOUS THEMES

It is the eve of the Revolution in 1776, and life is on Whatever level of horror you play, the game functions
the verge of drastic change. The Europeans shun folklore on the premise that everything you can imagine in
and witchcraft as the so-called Age of Reason is upon the supernatural—from the lowly dandelion plant to a
them. Tucked between missionaries, mutineers and sleeping stone giant making her home at the base of the
midwives, some know the actual truth. Magic—along Appalachians and the spirits that haunt Williamsburg—
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with monsters, demons and mythological creatures—is exists. Most people have rationalized the forces of
real. darkness away, ignoring their attacks and picking up the
This game is also about a different horror; one mired pieces as best they can. Your reputation, mind and faith
in mysteries, secrets and plots. The horror of 1776 relies are all on the line. Your characters are the last line of
heavily upon your imagination and ingenuity, using the defense for the innocent.
tools we provide for you to play the game. As you discover
more about the villainy of this world, you’ll realize that
some enemies are all too human, while others are actual
monsters from folklore. Some of these you will uncover FLAMES OF FREEDOM draws heavily
for yourself, but there are far more sinister secrets that upon the American Gothic genre, rooted in
you will uncover only in the late stages of an adventure Christian (specifically Puritan) ideas of good and
or campaign. evil, humanity’s sinfulness and the supernatural.
However, Christianity is not the only religion
USE & ABUSE OF HISTORY practiced in this game, and players can and should
The game will thrust your character into situations play characters from a wide variety of spiritual
where they will stand against enemies who use and religious backgrounds. Article 10: Life
historically harmful acts to meet their heinous During Wartime provides a historical context for
goals. While FLAMES OF FREEDOM creates portraying characters of different faiths.
a narrative of liberation and opportunity in-game,
this was not the reality for many living within
and near North America. We mustn’t ignore that
the past’s terrible truths happend, even in a game On a larger scale, there is something off about the
centered in colonial America. world: something sinister, malicious and purposeful. No
one truly knows what is causing this world to go awry,
not even the Indigenous Nations who have lived in this
New World for many, many years. Whatever evil has
infected the lands, it is up to the player characters to
stand together against it.

GENDER NEUTRAL
LANGUAGE
Throughout this book, we use the singular they
along with its inflected forms—them or their—
for indeterminate gender. Play examples will
reference the pronoun appropriate to the identity
of the player or their character.
 xiii

AS A CHARACTER . . . K I am a Black and Indigenous woman. My mother tells

One or more people in the gaming group will each me stories of our homeland across the sea, while my
create a player character, an alternative personality in father tells one of our ancestors’ journey across vast
which you’ll take part in a supernatural horror tale set lakes and oceans. I have learned medicine from the
in and around the Thirteen Colonies. As a character, elders of my Nation, while my mother teaches me to
you can change the story’s outcome by deciding ‘in cultivate the earth. My time as a matriarch approaches

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character’—putting yourself in their shoes to think like quickly—in my dreams, the ancestors tell me to be
the character you’ve made. Rooted in the themes of grim vigilant, for change is on the horizon.
& perilous gaming, your character’s story will be very
personal, occupying a morass of conflicting values and
K Every parent tends to their little ones, soothing scuffed
hands and caring for them after their nightmares.
credos, while set against the rise of the supernatural and
For every nightmare, we administer love and prayer.
the machinations of secret societies. Although you will
However, they seem to grow worse. The children speak
come to better understand the game’s rules specific for
of ‘the skinny monster’ dwelling in the cupboards. We,
your character, you must also share the load with other
too, are now experiencing the same dreams as the little
players and the referee (the Historian) to make the game
ones.
enjoyable for everyone.
K I walk deer paths and roads carved into the earth from
CHARACTER PERSPECTIVES a time before Roanoke. With a gun or bow in hand, I
Here are some example character types you may hunt to provide for my family. I have spent many years
experience in this game: learning the ways of the woodlands. But among the
trees, I have seen something . . . strange. The woods are
K As I walk the streets of my new homeland, it is hard not what they seem and herald a change that speaks of
not to see the preparations for war. The very air calls
an evil as old as time itself.
for rebellion. Raising the liberty pole, we join in the
cries of liberation with our fellow Rebels. Give me a K Do you ask if I am a Quaker, a member of the Society
position and show me where the ammunition is! of Friends? I once was, but I am now a Universal
Friend. What is that, you ask? I have walked with
K The frontier is fraught with wild animals, robbers and Public Universal Friend, but likely you’ve never heard
the armies of King George. It takes a stalwart heart,
their story. They were a Quaker who succumbed to
healthy communities and a primed musket when
typhus but resurrected by God’s light. ‘The Friend’
needed to eke out a living. When the sun sets, I’ve
has attracted several women to their side. Like all
seen glowing eyes in the hills. We bar the door and
Universal Friends, we now spread the word of free will
windows at night to keep us safe. We look to others
and abolition.
for guidance, but even they are fearful of what has
come from across the sea. Some whisper of an evil that K We are free . . . in a way. My ancestors came to this
predates our ancestors. land against their will. I, too, spent time in bondage
and have family members who remain disenfranchised.
K I come from a long line of people from Turtle Island, However, I am conflicted—there is no going home.
and we have lived here long before the British Empire
I must make a life here now. What the people don’t
arrived. Change is in the air. Some of my people
understand is that stowaways of an older age were also
live among their own, standing against the invaders.
in the holds. We have set these monsters loose and
Others live in harmony with the Europeans, keeping
they will devour all, limb by limb.
our traditions. As tempers flare in the cities, I cannot
doubt that a war is coming. There is another war—a
secret war—that we have fought for generations. It is
against those who call themselves the Mandoag, and
they seek to consume all.
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K They sometimes call my trade ‘the world’s oldest,’ and

its practice dates well before Mary Chilton stepped
ashore at Plymouth. I imagine that she’s rolling in her
grave, knowing what I have to do to survive. As the
conflict calls for people to report on the front lines, I
worry for them—and myself.
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K I’ve cared for many women during birth, welcoming

these little bundles of joy into the world. And
helped the wives convalesce and pray when a child
was stillborn. I take this charge seriously, and as
the impending war places additional stresses upon
women, I hold these labors even more sacred than
before.
K We’ve tended the land, but it has grown sick. My
husband says that the trees ‘speak’ to him in his dreams.
He’s become addled, growing more despondent. The
children and I have taken over his duties, but we can
feel something creeping into our dreams.
K “Believe in God and fear the Devil” is the guiding
principle that gives me strength. We shall stand
together to protect believers and non-believers alike.
We will fight the minions of darkness who linger
at the periphery of the world. Fear not this evil, for
you stand in the light—and that light is vast and will
drive away the devils!
K As both a partner and trusted confidante, the politician
I serve is one of incredible influence and means. There
is also one made behind closed doors behind every
public dealing—necessary for the coming troubles.
But I grow worried about darker dealings being done,
not made in the light of the Lord, but made with the
servants of Lucifer.
K I have walked the path of the occult; I have made the
darkness kneel before me. Others like me understand
an ever-present evil over this Age of Reason. A pox
K There is an ancient art; one whose roots trace back to on all who think I am delusional! Magic is real, and
ancient times. Though many now have embraced the
my people have practiced it for as long as time itself.
natural sciences and have used it to define the world,
What do the petty going-on of the Loyalists and
I scoff at it. It is through the crucible, the forge and
Rebels have to do with the greater evil? Despite how
the elements I create objects that bring purity. If any
many times they call me ‘mad,’ they’ll be begging for
seek to know the real secrets of this world, they only
my help when they realize the truth of the world, to
need to follow me to the forge. It is there I will show
protect them from things in the darkness.
them the true face of God.
 xv

AS THE HISTORIAN . . . its practice is well-hidden by mages. The Devil and his
One person in the gaming group will be the Historian. minions seek to corrupt all. Films like Brotherhood of the
The Historian will create adventures inspired by North Wolf, Bone Tomahawk and Edge of the Knife have dark
American history set in 1776. You’ll be responsible as forces that fit this style. In works of literature, Mary
the chief narrator of the character’s stories; you’ll be the Shelley’s Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus and
keeper of secret plots and you’ll portray other personas Bram Stoker’s Dracula also evoke this horror style.

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(called a non-player character or NPC) and threats. You Monsters are at the fore of the game, and players and
also serve as a ‘fan’ of the characters, promoting fun and their characters will use this learning to their advantage
fairness for players in equal measure. Although you will against the horrors that stalk the world.
have to learn more about the game’s rules than players,
you are not alone, as the players will share the load. A OCCULT MYSTERY
Historian will also be the ultimate arbiter of rules and This style introduces players and their characters to the
detail a narrative that encapsulates what the players and mysteries of 1776 but softens the horror. Adventures
their characters are experiencing. center on the mysteries of secret societies who pull strings
behind the scenes. Video games such as Assassin’s Creed
YOUR FIRST ADVENTURE III and Never Alone, along with films like From Hell,
Using the Boston Besieged adventure in the back Sleepy Hollow and The VVitch share elements suited to an
of this book, the game will start by enlisting occult mystery campaign. The works of Edgar Allan Poe,
the player characters in a conspiracy that spans Nathaniel Hawthorne and Robert E. Howard’s Solomon
Boston’s city, leading up to the siege of the city Kane also represent a similar tone and scope.
by George Washington. With the gaming group, This playstyle encourages investigation of
you will explore the story, arbitrate the game rules, conspiracies and secret societies while downplaying
enact the NPCs’ plans and create your own vision magic and monsters.
of FLAMES OF FREEDOM.
HIGH ACTION
Instead of slaying monsters, the characters will fight
PLAYSTYLE threats like French traders and the British Imperial
military. It is rooted in ‘historical gaming,’ but without
A Historian will use playstyles to craft stories with the
reprehensible actions like the genocide of Indigenous
players. Playstyles will evolve with the needs of the
Nations and slavery. This style draws inspiration from
story and may change from adventure to adventure.
the stories of James Fenimore Cooper and Brian Wood’s
The following refers to various books and films that fit
comic book Rebels. Films like The Last of the Mohicans,
the style. While not all the aforementioned media are
The Revenant and the television series John Adams and
perfect in their depictions, they represent a starting
TURN: Washington’s Spies are also a great fit. Adventures
point to inspire a sense of historical fantasy.
could also take the shape of a military campaign or a
SUPERNATURAL HORROR story of spy-versus-spy. 
This style implies a greater sense of heroism and
This style exposes the player characters to situations
spycraft and works well for those who want to explore
and experiences that give them a new perspective upon
the natural, mortal world of 1776.
reality. They realize supernatural forces have made
themselves known to the world. Sorcery is abroad, but
 xvi

STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY BLACK PERSPECTIVES

FLAMES OF FREEDOM represents a mélange of Slavery ensured thousands of Black people lived and
heritages and conflicting beliefs, one where cultures died in the fields of the New World—a small, but no less
and genders outside traditional standards were equally tragic, percentage of millions that toiled outside of North
instrumental in fomenting and conducting the America. This gives those players wishing to play Black
rebellion. And, although traditional games set during characters an exciting period to explore. Religious folk
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the Revolution place English men at the fore of the spoke against these terrible institutions, while freedmen
conflict, this game calls upon the secret history: one were building churches and communities of their own.
where heritage and genders outside the norm were just Abolitionist groups are growing, with memories of
as important—and, often working behind the scenes— the New York Insurrection and Stono Rebellion fresh
during this pivotal time in America’s founding. in the current generation’s minds to stoke the fires of
freedom. Crispus Attucks was the first casualty of the
early American Revolutionary War.

THIS IS AN exciting time in history and one

that demands both respect and introspection in
the portrayal of the African diaspora. The Rebels
work side by side with Black people as spies in the
war (consider Cato, a Rebel courier for Hercules
Mulligan), and still, more are fleeing to join
Indigenous communities, each hoping for a life
better than a drastically shorter existence of toil
and misery. As a Black character, will you be a
preacher with your church, desperate to keep your
flock safe from the wolves prowling for conscripts
in a war you have no stake in? Perhaps you are
a woman looking to rescue her loved ones and
so is reaching out to the power of her ancient
ancestors to incite her own rebellion? Whether
your character is a doctor, evangelist, magistrate
or soldier, they will doubtless find themselves on
the front lines of many battles, some far beyond
human comprehension and others all too painfully
human. We’ll help provide tips to help you create
interesting Black characters without turning
them into caricatures. We’ll provide guidance on
how to portray Black people from this period in
Article 10: Life During Wartime.
 xvii

INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES
For the people of Turtle Island (North America and
Canada), this tumultuous time is rife with conflict and
intrigue. The Europeans are encroaching on the lands
they have stewarded since before time had a name.
Malevolent spirits threaten lives across community

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and clan lines. While Indigenous people look to their
elders, each must choose: will they take a chance on
these foreigners’ promises? Will they use their talents
in medicine to support their own or help these haggard
newcomers? Will they intercede with the spirits for
their communities and beyond? Or will they swindle the
descendants of pilgrims who cheated them first? 

ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT to know about

the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island is that
they are a varied people and not a monolithic
culture. They do not fit the television and cinema
tropes of a tanned folk with stern faces on
horseback but are individuals who still exist today.
Matriarchs, two-spirit people (some of which
were healers) and children gifted with dreams
made up some of the most influential people in
these communities. Some may have been noble in
their pursuits, while others look to make a quick
sterling before skipping town. While varied, their
cultures tended toward respect for the earth and
all the living and non-living beings living on it.
There are obvious cases where European
and Indigenous peoples have integrated into
each other’s societies, conforming to new norms.
How you juggle these concepts is what will make
your Indigenous character of this background
believable. We’ll provide you with guidance on
how to portray a member of the Indigenous
Nations prevalent from this period in Article 11:
Indigenous Nations.
 xviii

WOMEN’S PERSPECTIVES
Despite their culture, women bring strict roles and
beliefs with them wherever they came from. They
decided what each could or could not do, rather than
who they are or what they are capable of. But in the face
of war, everything has changed. Those previously strictly
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bound by their gender find freedom in taking jobs and

professions otherwise denied to them. Women now dare
to express their true selves, sometimes openly and other
times within the private company of those they trust.
No one can afford to turn away help, and even fewer can
afford to abide by cultural beliefs that no longer serve in
the fires of war.

REMEMBER THAT WOMEN have shed

the constraints of what should and shouldn’t be
and dare to be a light in the dark during this
tumultuous time. Everyone can feel the pressure
from the rising violence, and no one lifts a brow
at those who break out of traditional gender roles
to embrace themselves and manifest what women
are just as capable of as men. Women take jobs
as doctors, Indigenous two-spirit people become
generals for the Colonies and men stay home
to care for frightened children, the supposed
‘natural order’ forgotten in the battle for survival.
Beyond the impending revolution, something
else stirs. The darkness wages another war, the
kind that destroys any notion of decency for the
sake of survival. Evil doesn’t care who or what you
are. It cares about how it can tempt you into its
embrace. We’ll provide you guidance on how to
portray women from this period in Article 10:
Life During Wartime.
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NO DISCRIMINATION CREATING A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
Let us be clear: FLAMES OF FREEDOM is not a Hopefully, this game will teach you how to create
tabletop role-playing game where you will discriminate engaging, meaningful and nuanced stories set during
against women, practice slavery and indentured servitude, the American Revolutionary War. To do that, everyone
slaughter innocent people or ‘tame the wilderness’ of at the table must have a positive gaming experience. It
Indigenous Nations. It is a game where people come is the responsibility of every person at the game table to
together to fend off a secret war that took root long create an enriching, positive experience for themselves
before the American Revolutionary War. In it, you are a and for each other. It’s important to share our ideas,
person fighting against unseen powers which mean harm but doubly so when introducing content that could
to every person. It is also a game where you’ll blaze your upset some players. Consent and agreement are vital to
own path, free from outdated thinking. History informs collaborative storytelling. 
the story, but we do not mean it to be entirely historically
accurate. It is up to the gaming group to decide how
strictly it will hew to history. Everyone should be a part
of this decision, and it should be a unanimous one. FOR THOSE WHO need RPG safety tools
at their game table or for online and convention
play, you can download the Entreat The Darkness
TTRPG Safety Tool from http://darkness.
THIS GAME DOES not endorse racial or zweihander.game. It is designed for role-playing
gender discrimination based on differences in games Powered By ZWEIHÄNDER RPG.
the period. Regardless of their identity, there are
no mechanical, intellectual, physical, emotional or
spiritual distinctions between women,men,intersex,
agender, non-binary and transgender characters. Always remember that a positive experience doesn’t
That said, people relate differently to one another, have to mean the game isn’t disturbing, horrifying
and there is no reason to ignore differences because or visceral. It means that everyone at the table works
the game world does not embrace discrimination together to make the game they want to play—leaving
as its real-world counterpart. no one behind—and actively engaging with each other
to ensure everyone gets what they want out of the game.