The Twofold is a third-party class designed for MCDM's tabletop roleplaying game Draw Steel. Designed for two players, this class plays like two choreographed dancers enacting their deadly routine on the battlefield, empowered by their inborn magical connection to one another. This class is designed around using movement to strategically create or remove space between you, your Second Soul, the rest of your allies, and even your enemies. More than anything, this is a class for two separate players who want a shared experience unlike anything tabletop roleplaying games typically offer.
To be clear, you did not read this wrong: this is a two-player class. If you're wondering, "What does that even mean?" You may benefit from checking out our level one preview.Essentially, two players share the class, make certain advancement decisions together, and benefit from each other's abilities and choices. Cool, right? Here's a quick spread showing off the tentative layout of the PDF:
Cover art by: @toloma.draws, layouts by me!
This product includes:
The Twofold class with these subclasses.
The Twin Subclass: Two identical heroes of fate and duality.
The Entwined Subclass: Two passionate heroes drawn together to save the world.
The Twiceborne Subclass: Two dreaded heroes raised from the dead as one.
The Twofold complication
Rules for playing a Twofold classless
Twofold retainers
Twofold rivals
Twofold iconic heroes and some of their fiction!
Backers will also receive anything unlocked through our stretch goals below!
Backing The Twofold will ensure that the product can be fully and earnestly playtested (with testers paid by you). The money from this crowdfunder will also pay for as many pieces of additional art, layout design, and supplementary materials I can reasonably pay for.
Additionally, when you back The Twofold, you are personally funding the first step toward a longer goal of making experimental, cutting-edge classes for Draw Steel. Every dollar not spent in the ways explicated above will instead be reinvested in producing a larger collection of products (tentatively) known as Other Heroes. While this is subject to change, Other Heroes aims to provide character options for...
The Heir-Apparent: A character option for players who want to live out the fantasy of playing a powerful prince or princess with amazing battlefield command.
The Wicked: A character option for players who want to hulk out, transforming between an unpredictable monster and an equally capable wily mastermind.
The Memory: A character option for players who want to play a soothsaying seer, remembering parts of the battlefield that no longer reside on our plane, but root firmly in the Remembered plane.
The Shaper: A character option for players who want to have dominion over the land itself, connecting to the heart of the earth and negotiating with its form.
The Weapon: A character option for players who want to be taken under control by a sentient weapon... or, for players who want to use their powers as a magical artefact to command a pitiful mortal fool. Depends how you look at it.
The Zealot: A character option for players who want to command a squadron of dedicated cultists, which grows throughout the levels, offering more and more power and loyalty to their charismatic leader.
The campaign is fully funded, and the product will have full layout design, multiple pieces of art (including spot and cover art) as well as all features listed above.
After the playtesting and publication of the Twofold, work will begin on the rest of Other Heroes, one class at a time.
At $1300...
The Two-Folk feline ancestry will be included in the packet. (Like our iconic hero, Tall Hook!)
At $1450...
The Twin subclass will receive its own iconic character and art.
At $1600...
The Entwined subclass will receive its own iconic character and art.
At $1950...
The Twiceborne subclass will receive its own iconic character and art, making all three subclasses as characteristically unique and narratively distinct as possible.
At $2150...
Twofold themed treasures and other project goals will be included in the packet.
Twofold themed monster bands (other than rivals) will be included in the packet.
Twofold themed kits will be included in the packet.
As a solo designer without a dedicated team, the biggest risk in a lack of funding would be a lack of support for secondary creators. In other words, less money means less art, less layout design, less bells and whistles.
While this would be unfortunate for the quality and scope of the project, it would not be a dealbreaker: if this project does not fund, the Twofold will still be made available, even if it takes slightly longer and looks slightly duller.
A small risk is incurred in the design phase: since the Twofold is a revolutionary class design (by involving two players), it might require more playtesting than the average class. With funding, this should be a non-problem, as I intend to pay dedicated testers to solve these problems before they arise!
A final note on risk: this is my first crowdfunding campaign, but this is not my first tabletop gaming design project. I have been working privately in the hobby for a decade doing thoughtful and intricate design. This is, however, my first time selling those designs for real life money. While there may be some hiccups, I intend to do my very best to deliver the project I'm promising to you.
All in all, you risk nothing: donate to this campaign only if you are the type of person who wants to fight goblins with their star-crossed lover. Or something.
As of right now, The Twofold is being written, designed, and edited by me (Ian Abercrombie/speep). Graphics, layout, and playtesting coordination will likely be done by myself as well.
Fara and Tall Hook on the cover and banner image were drawn by the wonderful @toloma.draws.
For the art and playtests, I intend to work with other creators, who will all receive credits and be named in future updates.
If you'd like an introduction to me, I'm a writer, game designer, and editor from Florida living in Newark, New Jersey.
Since this is a digital-only product (for now), I expect design, playtesting, and art for the Twofold to be complete and available during Q2 2026.
As for Other Heroes, work will begin on those products as soon as this product is done. Ambitiously, during the Twofold's testing and post-production phase, Other Heroes preliminary designs will likely be available.
We pledge not to utilize generative AI tools to create this project and to refuse to collaborate with creators who use generative AI in their own work.
