Other Borders

A modern-day game of drugs, money and magic in the American southwest.

There are borders everyone sees:
the looming fence with its sporadic observation platforms, the tags claiming this block or that in the name of a local gang or drug cartel, and the wrought-iron fences surrounding gated communities.

There are borders that are real only in our minds, like the imaginary lines that divide country from country, or one race from another.

But in this little southwestern town, another border reveals itself to those gifted with the power to see it: the veil between the worlds. Even today, the old ways of magic are still taught; spells, curses, visions and transformations are still practiced, and opposing clans are locked in a daily battle that no policia would ever understand.

OTHER BORDERS is a tabletop roleplaying game that uses Tom McGrenery's "Malandros" fork of Robin D. Laws' DramaSystem as influenced by D. Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World engine. Originally published as a Stretch Goal/Extension for Malandros, this Standalone Edition contains all you need to play (except 2 standard dice).

Also available at:
DrivethruRPG (PDF or Paperback)
Amazon (Paperback or Kindle)
Itch (PDF)

Author(s): 
Game Type: 
Roleplaying Game
Collaborative Story
Crunch: 
3 - Mildly Crunchy
Players: 
4+
GM?: 
Yes
Free?: 
No
Excerpt: 

MAGIA GENERAL MOVES
This subcategory is comprised of common magical skills. Magical practitioners of all types may use these Moves at any time.

Augury/Divination
Divination may be performed by reading the tarot cards or loteria cards, or by using more innocuous items such as an egg broken into a glass of water, the passage found in a book opened to a random page, or the ashes left by a smoldering cigar. When you attempt a divination, either for your own purposes or on behalf of another person, spend one hour and roll Magia.
On a 6+, you may ask the GM one question which they will answer truthfully.
On a 3-5, the GM’s answer will be cryptic, and will not make sense to you unless you succeed in a Knowing roll.
On a 2-, you obtain no answers at all.

Build Altar
A proper altar adds a +1 to all magical procedures performed upon it. The altar must be dedicated to a single entity. When you construct an altar, roll Magia or Making. On a 6+, choose 1 result below. On a 3-5, the GM chooses 2.

  • A specific component is required before your altar can be completed.
  • You must include an item of personal value or spend 1 Money.
  • You must agree to abstain from an action (chosen by the GM) for this episode.

On a 2-, your altar is not right; something is missing, and it will provide no bonus. You may not attempt to create an altar to the same entity until the next episode.