Knives at the Feast

Written by Tom Mecredy and illustrated by Katie Wakelin, Knives at the Feast is a Powered by the Apocalypse game of treachery, intrigue and survival. This ashcan version of the game provides everything you need to get started, with a full zine-length release currently in development. 

The game is designed exclusively for one-shot play, with a unique structure supported by innovative moves and mechanics. The escalating tension is tracked by use of a tumbling block tower, with blocks removed as players fail rolls and the situation starts to spiral towards chaos. 

Knives at the Feast is a game for 4-6 players. One player takes the role of the Game Master (GM), playing the roles of Vortigern, Hengist, Horsa, and the other Saxons at the feast. The other players take the role of British nobles, each with their own agenda. Characters are quick to build and easy to visualise. Each player also creates a Saxon dining partner, who they'll learn more about during play. 

To prepare for Vortigern’s last feast, you’ll need the following:

• The ashcan version of the game, which includes playbooks for four kinds of British noble (chieftain, warrior, bard, and priest), move reference sheets (print these double-sided with the aftermath moves on the back), character creation worksheet and GM reference sheets.
•  Drinks and snacks. (It is a feast, after all.)
• At least two six-sided dice per player.
• A tumbling block tower. 
•  A table big enough for everyone to sit comfortably, and reach the block tower.

Knives at the Feast steps back into Britain's mythical past, to an island devastated by war. Following the departure of the Romans, Britain is governed by the feckless high king Vortigern, who is embroilled in a costly war with the northern Picts. To help bolster his dwindling forces, he invited the Saxon adventurers Hengist and Horsa to Britain, promising a grant of land in return for their services as mercenaries.

Hengist and Horsa settled in Kent, and invited other Saxon nobles to join them. Massing their forces, they attacked the incompetant Vortigern in an attempt to expand their territory. After the high king's son Vortimer was killed in battle, he sued for peace, inviting the Saxon brothers to a great feast to bury the hatchet. 

Realising they had a golden opportunity to eliminate Vortigern and all his nobles, the wily Saxons hid weapons upon their person and prepared to murder their British counterparts over dinner.