Posthuman Studios • Eclipse Phase • The Snarl
@posthumanstudios.com
Award-winning creator-owned design and publishing collective: game industry veterans Rob Boyle, Davidson Cole, Brian Cross, & Adam Jury. We Make Stellar Games.
Overall it’s a pretty straightforward system and we’re happy with it, though of course we are still refining some of the action costs. That’s where you can help out with our upcoming open playtest!
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Overall it’s a pretty straightforward system and we’re happy with it, though of course we are still refining some of the action costs. That’s where you can help out with our upcoming open playtest!
Read more about The Snarl on our Dev blog! snarlrpg.com/blog
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Read more about The Snarl on our Dev blog! snarlrpg.com/blog
Naturally, there are abilities that cut down the action costs of certain moves, make it easier to make multiple attacks, etc. There are also plenty of moves to spend actions on that don’t involve attacks, from bolstering your defenses and protecting others to distracting opponents or taunting them.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Naturally, there are abilities that cut down the action costs of certain moves, make it easier to make multiple attacks, etc. There are also plenty of moves to spend actions on that don’t involve attacks, from bolstering your defenses and protecting others to distracting opponents or taunting them.
Characters who end their turn in the skirmish zone must also spend 1 of their 3 actions making a Skirmish move or they take a jolt (if you’re not dashing around to avoid attacks, you’re an easier target).
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Characters who end their turn in the skirmish zone must also spend 1 of their 3 actions making a Skirmish move or they take a jolt (if you’re not dashing around to avoid attacks, you’re an easier target).
In combat, you can choose to spend all of your actions making attacks. However, each attack after the first is more difficult and inflicts a _jolt_ upon you, so it comes with a cost, as you are opening yourself to attacks.
(Read about jolts: snarlrpg.com/blog/jolts)
(Read about jolts: snarlrpg.com/blog/jolts)
Jolts
The Jolt System represents one of the unique ways in which we handle combat.
snarlrpg.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
In combat, you can choose to spend all of your actions making attacks. However, each attack after the first is more difficult and inflicts a _jolt_ upon you, so it comes with a cost, as you are opening yourself to attacks.
(Read about jolts: snarlrpg.com/blog/jolts)
(Read about jolts: snarlrpg.com/blog/jolts)
If you want to take a Disengage move and switch from the engaged zone to the skirmish zone, that costs 1 action — and your opponent can use their reaction to make a free attack. If you instead take a withdraw move, costing 2 actions, you move from engaged to skirmish with triggering an attack.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
If you want to take a Disengage move and switch from the engaged zone to the skirmish zone, that costs 1 action — and your opponent can use their reaction to make a free attack. If you instead take a withdraw move, costing 2 actions, you move from engaged to skirmish with triggering an attack.
We’ve talked before about how we handle positioning and movement with zones in combat. In our system, movement is tied into you the moves you make.
More on zones: snarlrpg.com/blog/zones
More on zones: snarlrpg.com/blog/zones
Zones
One of our aims with conflict in The Snarl was to have a system that was largely theater-of-the-mind but that still had robust tactical elements. To this end we adopted a zone-based combat system, wit...
snarlrpg.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
We’ve talked before about how we handle positioning and movement with zones in combat. In our system, movement is tied into you the moves you make.
More on zones: snarlrpg.com/blog/zones
More on zones: snarlrpg.com/blog/zones
On top of your 3 actions, you also get a single reaction each turn. Reactions may only be used when their triggering conditions are met. For example, if someone disengages from melee with you, you may use your reaction to take an Intercept move and get a free attack in.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
On top of your 3 actions, you also get a single reaction each turn. Reactions may only be used when their triggering conditions are met. For example, if someone disengages from melee with you, you may use your reaction to take an Intercept move and get a free attack in.
We chose it over systems that broke down your actions into different types (like D&D’s action/movement/bonus actions, or Draw Steel’s main action/move/maneuver) because we preferred its more open-ended aspects.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
We chose it over systems that broke down your actions into different types (like D&D’s action/movement/bonus actions, or Draw Steel’s main action/move/maneuver) because we preferred its more open-ended aspects.
If you’ve played Pathfinder 2 you are familiar with this kind of economy. Ours is similar, and it’s nothing new or groundbreaking on its own, but it does include some twists to fit with our other mechanics.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
If you’ve played Pathfinder 2 you are familiar with this kind of economy. Ours is similar, and it’s nothing new or groundbreaking on its own, but it does include some twists to fit with our other mechanics.
Most moves use a single action, more complex ones cost 2 actions, and something that consumes your entire turn takes 3.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Most moves use a single action, more complex ones cost 2 actions, and something that consumes your entire turn takes 3.
We went through many iterations of the rules before settling on a 3-action economy for The Snarl. In other words, on your turn, your character has 3 actions to spend. The specific things you can do are defined as moves, and each move costs a specified number of actions.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
We went through many iterations of the rules before settling on a 3-action economy for The Snarl. In other words, on your turn, your character has 3 actions to spend. The specific things you can do are defined as moves, and each move costs a specified number of actions.
Scrill art by @crimreaper.bsky.social !
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Scrill art by @crimreaper.bsky.social !
Read more about our upcoming weird fantasy RPG, The Snarl, on our Dev blog! snarlrpg.com/blog
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Read more about our upcoming weird fantasy RPG, The Snarl, on our Dev blog! snarlrpg.com/blog
Scrills are hermaphroditic, each expressing both male and female sexual characteristics—and gender identities—over the course of their lives.
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Scrills are hermaphroditic, each expressing both male and female sexual characteristics—and gender identities—over the course of their lives.
Their flower-like frill can be raised up to approximate a face. Multiple vine-like arms manipulate objects as dexterously as hands. They wield a barbed and sometimes venomous whip-like tongue against prey. Their blooms are aromatic and patches of their skin are phosphorescent.
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Their flower-like frill can be raised up to approximate a face. Multiple vine-like arms manipulate objects as dexterously as hands. They wield a barbed and sometimes venomous whip-like tongue against prey. Their blooms are aromatic and patches of their skin are phosphorescent.
Scrills are a carnivorous, motile plant species known for their patience and cunning. Their caterpillar-like bodies can slither like a snake or crawl along on dozens of millipede-like legs, though they often raise up their front half when interacting with others.
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Scrills are a carnivorous, motile plant species known for their patience and cunning. Their caterpillar-like bodies can slither like a snake or crawl along on dozens of millipede-like legs, though they often raise up their front half when interacting with others.
Read more about The Snarl on our dev blog: snarlrpg.com/blog
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Read more about The Snarl on our dev blog: snarlrpg.com/blog
If you want a sneak peek, we’ve posted a draft of the chargen rules to our patreon. If you back it, you’ll get access to that plus a few other Snarl previews and several years of Eclipse Phase content. You can also keep an eye on out for our open playtest — we’ll be kicking that off soon!
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
If you want a sneak peek, we’ve posted a draft of the chargen rules to our patreon. If you back it, you’ll get access to that plus a few other Snarl previews and several years of Eclipse Phase content. You can also keep an eye on out for our open playtest — we’ll be kicking that off soon!
One thing we’ll be playtesting is how much Grit the non-optimized characters should start with. We think we’ve settled on a good balance, but we need more people to give the system a spin to be sure.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
One thing we’ll be playtesting is how much Grit the non-optimized characters should start with. We think we’ve settled on a good balance, but we need more people to give the system a spin to be sure.
In this case, you pick your path first and then assign stats randomly. To keep it balanced, you start off with a decent amount of Grit — points that let you modify dice rolls in certain situations. You may not be the ideal person for the job, but you can still pull it off when the stakes are high!
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
In this case, you pick your path first and then assign stats randomly. To keep it balanced, you start off with a decent amount of Grit — points that let you modify dice rolls in certain situations. You may not be the ideal person for the job, but you can still pull it off when the stakes are high!
You can make a fully optimized and heroic character if that’s your thing, assigning stats to line up with your primary strengths. Kick ass and be the hero! But if you want a character who sticks out, who is non-optimized and who has flaws but is still capable, there’s an option for that as well.
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
You can make a fully optimized and heroic character if that’s your thing, assigning stats to line up with your primary strengths. Kick ass and be the hero! But if you want a character who sticks out, who is non-optimized and who has flaws but is still capable, there’s an option for that as well.