Folk Hero is the first official expansion for The Punk is Dead songwriting TTRPG. In addition to new roles, lore and gigs to play, the 90 page, 7 inch hardback contains a new solo mode.
The punks are scrapping with each other over what is punk and what is not, the ravers are pursuing their own shifted chemical realities, and everything else lives beyond hope or prays for the end. It's times like this, we need a hero.
A 7-inch format book with 90 pages of eclectic layouts, rules, lore and Pantones that pop.
Folk Hero is the follow-up to expansion for Punk is Dead, a post-apocalyptic songwriting game. It features a standalone solo mode that doesn't require the original rulebook, but also contains more lore, creatures and gigs that will work in the multiplayer game.
Taking place in the same alternative version of the UK, the UnUnited Kingdom, Folk Hero gives you the opportunity to explore the world as a lone troubador. You'll find yourself touring this fractured isle, helping the helpless, kicking bad guy ass and creating protest songs that kick back against a land tormented by a fight for power between monsters both real and imagined.
The main themes of Folk Hero include:
Folk music as a tool of hope and bringing people together.
British folklore creatures reimagined in a post-apocalyptic world.
Discovering the overlapping boundaries of the individual and the collective.
Fighting fascists and handing their asses to them.
Just like it's predecessor, Folk Hero is divided into tracks that deliver the lore, rules and much more through the evocative language and layouts of Tim Roberts combined with human made art from multiple creators and the author's own photographs. The finished book will at least 90 pages, presented in the same hardback format as Punk is Dead (7 inch square) and with the same eclectic designs and Pantone™ colours (803u and 806u if you're a total colour nerd).
And, as always, it's stuffed full of musical references.
Here are the sleevenotes:
The UnUnited Kingdom - five realms divided and, within each, further fractures based on a fear of the things that lurk beyond the safety of cities, towns and settlements. This Land Is Your Land delves deeper into the lore, communities and geography of each realm.
The Five Realms are back - with more detail and lore.
` I Walk the Line presents a solo-play mode that is compatible with Punk is Dead (& Mörk Borg). This track includes a new playable role: The Troubador, with a heap of options to fine tune your character as well as your instrument. The solo mode includes a scenario especially designed to get you started as well as rollable tables to generate your own gigs and encounters. Tim Roberts, an award-winning creator of solo games such as Be Like a Crow has created a new procedural mechanic that allows you to play any Punk is Dead or Mörk Borg games as solo adventures.
There are 20 new bad bastards and fascists in Meet Ze Monsta, all a twisted new take on ancient British Folkore and injected with Quantum F**kery. Some are legendary, some will provide everyday encounters. Others will dive deeper into the lore already created. They span the length and breadth of this tortured isle and draw upon ancient legends of the dark and unpleasent land.
The monster art is created by real humans, sourced directly from the artist or from art packs and stock imagery they have created - all credited and all paid for. That's right, real human artists paid for their creativity.
It wouldn't have that Mörk Borg flavour if it wasn't stuffed full of rollable tables. There's a whole section of tables for weapons, loot, creating NPCs, generating gigs, horrific injuries, bad guy motivations, song titles and much more -- all of which can be used with the solo or multiplayer rules. Folk around and find out.
Are all werewolves bad? How do you change mob mentality? Two of the questions asked by the scenario/gig , Born Under a Bad Sign, where you will attempt to find out what is terrorising a settlement in the Fern Jungle and maybe prevent an injustice.
We're not trying to create a capitalist frenzy with this game, so there are currently no stretch goals. That said, we do have one idea for a guest writer to add a horror scenario... more on that during the campaign.
Tim does, however, intend to do one of those low-key free-game things he usually does in the last week of the campaign. If you bothered to read this section, then congratulations; you are privy to the fact that another free PDF game will be shadow-launched as part of this campaign.
You'll be able to grab lots of extra bits and bobs, such as additional rulebooks, dice, Punk is Dead, and our entire back catalogue of games, either when you first make your pledge or when you complete the survey after the campaign is closed. With fixed shipping costs, it doesn't matter how many games you add to your pledge, you'll pay the same to get them to your door.
Here's a tasty graphic showing you a few of the things that you can get your hands on.
Stock up on zines and it won't affect your postage.
The plan is that we will be 100% fulfilled by February of 2026. That means PDFs will be out just before Christmas and the physical stuff will start heading out in January 2026. If anything changes, we'll make sure you know via updates ASAP.
Tariffs: Who knows where these will be when we start fulfilling. That said, books are protected against tariffs in the US - even when they are executive orders. We've tested this theory with several thousands of dollars of game books shipped to the US and not a cent of tariff paid.
The reward pledges do not include shipping. We will collect shipping when you complete your survey. Here are the rates you will pay:
If you've followed any of our campaigns before, you know Tim loves an update. Don't worry, he's still in oversharing mode, so you're guaranteed a load of random stuff in your inbox as the campaign progresses. Look, he's already at it.
