Herd of Horns

The Dinosaur Game for Dinosaur Fans!

Herd of Horns was born of a simple idea; creating a tabletop roleplaying game focused on dinosaurs that doesn’t involve anachronistic crutches like modern technology, time travel, aliens, magic, or other contrivances.

Herd of Horns' characters are Ceratopsids - powerful four-legged dinosaurs with a rhinoceros-like body, impressive horns, and a bony frill. As a Ceratopsid, your character is a social being, living in a large multi-species herd that thrives because of the diversity of skills, abilities, and insights the members bring to the group. 

Your character’s job is to explore the land, secure new territory, and lead your community to prosperity. Standing in your way are some of history’s greatest predators, a mercurial environment, and rival herds who are competing with you over scarce resources. 

Predators and a hostile environment aren’t your only threats. Your herd is a complex ecosystem of competing ideals, politics and intentions. You and your mates must manage the social landscape as much as the ecological one if you want your herd to stay safe. 

Herd of Horns challenges you to balance the needs of the many with the goals of the individual. The game’s rules are designed to reward cooperation and collective risk, but with a few notable exceptions where individual goals take the spotlight.

I Know Dino Are Fans!

The team at I Know Dino are fans of Herd of Horns!  I Know Dino is one of the largest and most engaging paleo podcasts out there and we are happy to have them as backers.  If you were directed here from I Know Dino after listening to one of their paleo deep-dives... welcome!  

Want to Start Playing?  

Download No Crown, Only Frills, the Herd of Horns Intro Packet HERE.  

Your Character

The players play Ceratopsids who, together, fill key roles in a multi-species herd (much like the herds in the present-day Kalahari and Serengeti where zebras, wildebeest, impala, warthogs, and other animals band together for collective protection).

Your characters are part of a larger community called the EightPeaks. The EightPeaks herds are composed of eight Ceratopsid species, each of which bring different outlooks and experiences to the herd. Within the EightPeaks, diversity is celebrated, and community and mutual support are prioritized.

Characters have nine Attributes. There are seven core Attributes and two “special Attributes; Health and Size.  The seven core Attributes are Bones, Heart, Horns, Nature, Nurture, Vision, and Voice. 

To help your character overcome challenges, you have access to Skills and Features. Skills allow you to initiate a challenge, add bonus dice to a roll, and define how you will overcome a challenge. Features are special abilities that grant you access to a special metacurrency called Nudges. Nudges do a number of things, including allowing you to manipulate and redefine the result of rolls.  

The EightPeaks Community

Each species of Ceratopsid enjoys special physical abilities. Those differences help ensure each species brings something unique to the herd. The playable eight species are:

Centrosaurs are the most numerous species in the EightPeaks herds and claim to be the oldest Ceratopsids in Laramidia. They are the calm and measured bedrock of the EightPeaks community.

Chasmosaurs are decisive, intuitive, and insightful.

Pachyrhinosaurs tend to be political, gregarious and friendly. 

Pentaceratopsians are well-regarded for their bravery and warriors’ hearts.

Regaliceratopsians are known for their wisdom and insights.

Spinopsians are thinkers, artists, and dreamers. 

Styracosaurs place a premium on stamina, strength, and physical accomplishment.

Xenoceratopsians are explorers and questioners.

The Setting

Herd of Horns is set in the late Campanian Stage near the end of the Cretaceous on the continent of Laramidia (in what will become North America). 

The Campanian Stage is a time well before the famous extinction event that heralded the end of the dinosaurs - over eighty million years before our own time. This is a golden age for the dinosaurs, especially the Ceratopsids. The number and diversity of Ceratopsids is near its all-time peak.

The specific setting of our game is eastern Laramidia. Laramidia comprises a land mass that will eventually become western North America, including the area of the Dinosaur Park fossil beds in southern Alberta and Northern Montana (and to a lesser extent the Kaiporowits, St Marys, and Foremost formations). Laramidia is generally composed of areas now known as the Rocky Mountains and stretches north to south.

The eastern side of Laramidia faces the vast inland sea and is known as the Rangelands to the Ceratopsids who inhabit the area. Vitally important plains, swamps, forests, and valleys flank the mountains across the Rangelands.  

The Rangelands is filled with life and energy. The temperatures are warmer and balmier than they are today. Flowering plants, trees, cycads, fungus, conifers, and ferns dominate the landscape. Pterosaurs, crocodilians, marine reptiles, small mammals, and many types of dinosaurs (avian and non-avian) wander the land, covering the Rangelands in a rich tapestry of communities. 

The EightPeaks Ceratopsids are by no means the only herbivores to be found in the Rangelands. They share this fertile region with solitary ankylosaurs and massive herds of hadrosaurs. Both groups compete with the Ceratopsids for food in lean seasons but largely cohabitate in peace. 

Predators stalk the land in search of prey – foremost among them the Gorgosaurs and Daspletosaurs. These bipedal killers are not as large as their more famous descendant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but they are certainly formidable enough. 

Your Herd

Herds play an important role in our game and in many ways act as a character unto itself.   

Herds are not created using the standard Attributes and Skills available to your characters. Instead, a Herd uses its own Attributes: Cohesion, Morale, Population, and Territory. Players take turns guiding and directing their Herd during periods of crisis and urgency. When the Herd acts, it does so using its own relevant Attribute combined with one of the Lead character’s own relevant Attributes (and, sometimes, Skills).

Because the Lead character can (and will) change from Round to Round, different characters will apply their Attributes and Skills differently when directing the Herd. This is okay – and completely appropriate for the game. The shift from character-to-character and action-to-action is a process called “herding.”

While fending off predators or crossing a raging river are key moments in the survival of the herd, conflicts and challenges within the herd often represent the most pressing and enduring problems the players will need to overcome. Factions within the herd are called “caucuses” and politics play a central role in the game. Some characters may choose to join a caucus, and that choice will color how the herd sees itself and resolves problems.

How the players manage cross-faction rivalries and politics both within the herd and across other EightPeaks herds is one of the game’s central challenges.

Mechanical Basics 

Herd of Horns uses 10-sided dice (d10s).  To resolve actions you roll a pool of d10s drawn from your character's Attributes and Skills. Throughout the text we use the format “𝑥d” to denote how many dice you should roll – where the 𝑥 is the number dice you use. 

In general, you want as many dice showing the same number as possible. Two dice showing the same face value are called a pair or a match.

A single match is normally all that’s needed to overcome an obstacle. The more dice that match (called the “width” of the roll) the greater the success. The face value of a given dice (the “height”) matters in a number of ways, but higher numbers are not always better.

(For tabletop rpg veterans, this system uses elements and concepts inspired by the One Roll Engine and the Stakes System).

One of the core mechanics used to simulate a dinosaur-as-character is the introduction of High, Low, and Mid ranges. High numbers (7–10, called “the High Range”) reflect actions that are exploratory, aggressive, or seek to break the status quo. Low numbers (1–4, called “the Low Range”) are for actions that are defensive, nurturing, or seek to preserve the status quo.

In Herd of Horns you will not always want to roll high, particularly if you are trying to protect or defend someone or something. Instead, you want matches within the range of the type of action you are attempting. If you are trying to protect your clutch from nearby predators, you want matches with numbers one through four.

Types of High Range Actions (7, 8, 9, 10):

                        Confront, Convince, Explore, Investigate, Inspire, Order, Shatter, Subdue

Types of Low Range Actions (1, 2, 3, 4):

                        Conceal, Conserve, Defend, Educate, Evade, Heal, Nurture, Withstand

There is a third Range covering the middle numbers of five (5) and six (6). This is the “Mid-Range.” Successes in the Mid-Range generally represent a moment to reassess, or special cases. They rarely count as successes towards the player’s intended action. Instead, they help the character’s next action. When used thoughtfully, Mid-Range successes can turn a temporary setback into a future victory.

There is considerably more in terms of mechanics within the game. Help us fully fund so we can show you the full rules!  

Why Crowdfunding?

We need funds to help with:

-          More art! 

-          Layout and graphic design.

-          Another round of editing.

-          Offset printing and logistics costs.

-          Your feedback (playtesting).

-          And, possibly, seed money for the first two supplements (and an art book). 

The alpha version of Herd of Horns is already complete and undergone playtesting and editing. The full game clocks in at over 37,000 words. The game is in good shape but we seek additional stress testing to ensure the rules are as fun and robust as possible. That’s where you come in. We are hoping you can help us make Herd of Horns the best game it can be.

The Premium Book Option

The crowdfunding campaign will not only help get Herd of Horns into publishable form but will also allow us to offer our backers the option for a premium offset print version of the core book.

Herd of Horns is going to be filled with amazing art, and a high-grade offset print option is important to us. Print on Demand will be offered later, but the quality an offset print run can offer simply cannot be matched by POD. 

If you want a premium copy of Herd of Horns in physical form, please back at the Elder of the Herd level.

We will charge shipping closer to when the books are ready to be delivered. 

Please note: If your country is not listed in the "Ships To:" field and are interested in backing Herd of Horns, please contact us via DM here or at WeaponizedInk@gmail.com

Looking Ahead 

We are interested in doing two supplements. The first will focus on adding detail to Laramidia and the Rangelands. The second proposed supplement would be an exploration of the EightPeaks herds, particularly the social and political dynamics.   

These stretch goals will be available as .pdfs and PoD.  

• Stretch Goal 1: $12,000
  • The Book of Laramidia 
• Stretch Goal 2: $18,000
  • The Book of the EightPeaks
• Stretch Goal 3: $25,000
  • ??? 

If this campaign funds beyond Stretch Goal 2, we will engage with our backers to talk about the future of Herd of Horns. Perhaps new era books? Maybe a book to make the GM's life easier? New rules for playing other types of dinosaurs? Or how about a big book of antagonists? 

Over-ambitious stretch goals are a trap for too many crowd-funding campaigns. So, as the campaign progresses, we will design our stretch goals to be reasonable and realistic. Any additional work we take on as a result of a stretch goal will be done in a fiscally responsible manner so we remain confident we can deliver on what we promise. 

Burning Questions

How scientifically accurate is the game?

A key design goal was to get the science as accurate as possible. The designers are lifelong paleo-nerds and spent hundreds of hours reading and researching, particularly on recent revelations on dinosaur behavior.  We also spoke to paleontologists to help guide our decisions. However, we also sought to balance that accuracy with playability and compelling narratives. 

All that said, the design team is not composed of planetological professionals. We are storytellers, first and foremost. There are bound to be inaccuracies. Some of those inaccuracies are intentional (to facilitate the narrative), but some will inevitably be mistakes or oversights on our part.

Why Only Ceratopsids?

We decided to implement design guiderails to help keep things focused, while also providing players a wide range of character options. Without those guiderails, the game could have become too expansive and unfocused. Too many options can undermine the ability to play the game, much less create defined starting points to facilitate an understanding of what the characters can and should do. By focusing on a specific family of dinosaurs, we endeavored to create a balance between offering a wide range of characters options while also keeping the setting focused and approachable.    

Also?  We really dig ceratopsids. They are awesome.  

In time, and depending on the success of this crowd-funding campaign, we may explore other types of dinosaurs and their communities. 

Where Are Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops?

In geologic time, they will come later.  Herd of Horns intentionally focuses on an era a bit before icons like Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops burst onto the scene. 

The main driver for selecting the Campanian era is the diversity of species available. More species options offer more character options and a greater amount of areas for the game to grow. Accounting for the many different types of Ceratopsids that lived in the Campanian is, simply put, exciting. The Campanian is also a time when two different Tyrannosaurids exist, giving us more iconic antagonistic species to play with. In later eras, including the era Triceratops lived in, the number and variety of ceratopsids dwindles. So, the Campanian made the most sense considering design and narrative goals. 

Further, since the flora and fauna of the Campanian are not as well known as some other eras, we have a chance to introduce new types of dinosaurs and narratives without being completely boxed in by pre-existing assumptions focused on well-known icons like Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus. 

Generative AI?

No.  Never.  

I want to talk about Herd of Horns.  Where can I?

The best place is on the WeaponizedInk Discord: https://discord.gg/2crQ6XwUfR

The Team

The core team is composed of Chris Gunning and Simon Berman. Chris and Simon are long-time rpg veterans with considerable credits to their name.

Chris is a multi-Ennie award winning writer and game designer. He has worked in the rpg industry for over 25 years. His writing credits include work with Son of Oak, Arc Dream, White Wolf, Renegade, Dream Pod 9, Privateer Press, and a host of other companies. His personal imprint is WeaponizedInk, which delivered a successful KS campaign for The Hammer and the Stake. Aside from writing and storytelling, Chris is an avid traveler and loves exploring the remote parts of the world. He is married and the father of three daughters, one of whom helped him conceptualize and playtest early versions of this game.  

Simon has been a tabletop gamer since 1993 and has worked as a writer in the tabletop games industry since 2008. He was a staff writer for the first three editions of WARMACHINE and HORDES and the Iron Kingdoms full Metal Fantasy Roleplaying game. His writing credits also include Eclipse Phase, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, and The Hammer and the Stake. His work on both the IKRPG and Dune’ won Gold Ennies in their categories, respectively, for Best Game and Best Writing. Currently, he is the war gaming news correspondent for Bell of Lost Souls and the General President of the Brush Wielders Union, a worldwide organization of miniatures painters of all skill levels. He also runs his own small-press publishing company, Strix Publishing, and paints more miniatures than he can keep track of. Simon lives with his wife in Tacoma, Washington along with a number of cats and a pack of savage wiener dogs.

On the art side, Adam Works is the primary artist for Herd of Horns. Adam is a freelance Illustrator and enthusiastic aspiring paleoartist who has been working in merch design and editorial artwork for clients like Bitmap Books, Fangamer, Eightysixed, and Harper Collins among others. He has a deep passion for the prehistoric creatures and mythological beasts. 

Aram Papazyan is an illustrator based in Yerevan, Armenia. He works in both traditional and digital mediums and is known for the exacting detail he invests in his paleo art. He has been drawing since he was 4 years old when his passion for dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts blossomed. His key influences include the Jurassic Park franchise, King Kong, the Walking With series, The Lost World and many more. Over the years he produced numerous works, collaborated on various IPs (including Primal Dominion Aftermath, Primal Carnage: Extinction, and Primal Carnage: Evolution), and worked with a wide range of individual clients, building a substantial portfolio over more than a decade.

Other art credits include Jati “Toro” Kuncoro, Paul H. Way, Dean Oyebo, and Saga Mackenzie.