Steampunk

Steampunk

Smog curls above brass rooftops as an airship docks and a clockwork courier clicks to a halt. Your crew meets in a workshop lit by sputtering lamps. A magnate has vanished, a rival guild plots sabotage, and a prototype engine could change the world. Expect rooftop chases, tea-soaked intrigue, and frantic repairs mid-flight. You might parley with aristocrats in velvet salons. Then descend to roaring factories to uncover the secret that keeps the city's heart pumping.

Steampunk sings at the table because invention invites collaboration. Problems can be solved with wit, tools, and bold plans, so everyone contributes. Beginners and families enjoy familiar touchstones from history and clear stakes. Team events like the mix of roles, from pilot and engineer to scout and social lead, and the puzzle and heist focus. Veterans appreciate layered conspiracies, faction play, and crunchy gadgeteering if desired.

Our Game Masters tailor rules to your taste. Fast, pulpy action in Fate Core or Savage Worlds. Gritty crew drama in Blades in the Dark. Charming skyship one-shots in Lady Blackbird. Even D&D 5E tuned for gears and steam. Tone can swing bright and adventurous, grounded and political, or tinged with horror. Our Game Masters can go combat-light with capers and inventions, or combat-forward with wild contraptions. See the game systems our Game Masters use for options.

Common questions

Which game systems are best suited for Steampunk?

Fate Core manages freeform inventions and daring stunts. Savage Worlds is quick for chases, hazards, and dynamic combat. Blades in the Dark suits smoky cities, factions, and crew-driven escapades. Lady Blackbird is ideal for a light, rules-light skyship tale. D&D 5E can also be adapted with simple adjustments for firearms, gadgets, and tinkering. A professional Game Master will tailor rules to your pace, from intricate gadgeteering to relaxed pulp. If you want to explore options before booking, see game systems we run.

Is Steampunk a suitable choice for beginners or children?

Absolutely. The setting is relatable, allowing new players to easily envision airships, workshops, and city streets. The rules can remain straightforward, featuring clear actions for tinkering and collaboration. For younger players, a professional Game Master can create a lighter atmosphere, avoiding dark factory details and emphasising invention and adventure. Pre-made characters and gadget cards enable everyone to get involved quickly. Anticipate brief scenes, regular successes, and opportunities to create or repair things together. No previous knowledge of history or rules is required.

What distinguishes Steampunk from Gaslamp or Dieselpunk?

Steampunk focuses on Victorian-era aesthetics and steam or clockwork technology. Issues are often addressed with gadgets, bold plans, and social tactics. Gaslamp or Gothic styles delve into the supernatural, hauntings, and moral unease, placing less emphasis on invention. Dieselpunk advances to early 20th-century technology, featuring combustion engines, radios, tanks, and a grittier, noir atmosphere. If you’re drawn to brass, rivets, airships, and salons, choose Steampunk. If you prefer tales of ghosts or stories from the diesel age, those other genres might suit you better.

Can you adjust the tone, shifting from whimsical to gritty or political?

Absolutely. Let your Game Master know what you want to highlight. You can have bright inventor escapades filled with puns and brass gadgets, or grounded tales about labour, class, and resource struggles. Politics can serve as a backdrop or be a central theme. Supernatural elements can be either absent or present. Combat can be light, featuring heists and repairs, or more intense with clanking automata. Safety tools ensure content remains comfortable, particularly regarding colonial history. To explore different facilitation styles, check out GM playstyles and choose what feels right.

Booking Form


Click to select dates

0/1500
Illustration of a dragon perched on a rock, with wings spread and detailed line art, similar to a dragon from LOTR.

Sent!

Illustration of a dragon perched on a rock, with wings spread and detailed line art, similar to a dragon from LOTR.

Nat 1, give it another go!

Please try again or email info@storyforgers.nz

Game systems for Steampunk

  • Dungeons & Dragons

    • High Fantasy +7
    • 1 – 7 players
    • Moderate rules

    Forge your own fantasy tale with Dungeons & Dragons. Create a party of brave heroes, outsmart traps, negotiate with dragons, and claim treasure in vibrant worlds. Imagine the camaraderie of The Lord of the Rings, but you decide the paths, the battles, and the conclusion.

    View system: Dungeons & Dragons
  • Call of Cthulhu

    • Cosmic Horror +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Call of Cthulhu is the classic game of investigative cosmic horror. Take on the role of doomed investigators delving into occult mysteries and the fragility of sanity.

    View system: Call of Cthulhu
  • Daggerheart

    • High Fantasy +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Daggerheart is a high-fantasy RPG where every roll uses Hope and Fear d12s. Grand heroics meet significant consequences in quick, story-driven play.

    View system: Daggerheart
  • Vampire: The Masquerade

    • Vampire +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Vampire: The Masquerade is a modern-night roleplaying game centred around hunger, power, and secrecy. Imagine Interview with the Vampire, but you’re in control. Plot, seduce, and endure as a coterie while a professional Game Master brings a city of dark politics to life.

    View system: Vampire: The Masquerade
  • Cyberpunk

    • Cyberpunk +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Moderate rules

    Dominate the neon sprawl with Cyberpunk RED, the near-future game of mercenaries, megacorps, and tough decisions from R. Talsorian Games. Experience fast, lethal action, sleek technology, and high-stakes heists. If you're familiar with Cyberpunk 2077, you already appreciate the grit and flair.

    View system: Cyberpunk
  • Lancer

    • Mecha +7
    • 2 – 5 players
    • Comprehensive rules

    Pilot a custom-built mech in high-stakes missions that combine sharp tactics with character drama. Lancer offers intense battles and expansive sci-fi themes about duty, politics, and hope. If you enjoy Gundam, you'll feel right at home.

    View system: Lancer
  • Starfinder

    • Space Opera +6
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Comprehensive rules

    Starfinder is Paizo’s science-fantasy adventure filled with blaster battles, spell-slinging technomancers, and starship confrontations. Imagine Mass Effect but with magic. Our Game Masters lead you through bizarre worlds, daring heists, and alien enigmas that reward collaboration and courageous decisions.

    View system: Starfinder
  • Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

    • Dark Fantasy +7
    • 2 – 6 players
    • Comprehensive rules

    Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay immerses you in the Old World, a grim, disease-ridden realm filled with cults, corruption, and tough decisions. Imagine The Witcher, but with darker humour and even worse odds. Expect gritty investigations, deadly battles, and chaotic magic, all led by our Game Masters.

    View system: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
  • ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game

    • Survival Horror +7
    • 2 – 5 players
    • Moderate rules

    Stalk the darkness between the stars with ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game, a cinematic survival horror experience. Stress fuels panic and tough decisions as you fight to survive. If Ridley Scott's Alien captivated you, this brings that same cold-sweat dread to the table.

    View system: ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game

What players think

  • It was an amazing experience for the girls! Thank you, Marie! You were incredibly well prepared, the girls were captivated by your every word, and it felt like you had been playing together for years! Looking forward to seeing you next time!

    Annick

  • Fantastic session! Joseph was polite, kind, and professional. He made the entire experience enjoyable and inclusive for a novice group. Thank you very much!

    Laura

  • Dayron is fantastic! From our very first session, he has helped a group of inexperienced newbies to fall in love with this form of storytelling. His talent for portraying different characters really immerses us in the narrative. His understanding of the mechanics is excellent, aiding us all in learning the game. Overall, he's a great person who fits in like one of the family. I would recommend anyone interested in giving D&D a go to reach out to Dayron!

    Paulo

  • Ruby was fantastic; this was our group’s first DnD experience, and she helped everyone grasp the rules and enjoy themselves.

    Adam

  • We had a fantastic time; the boys really enjoyed their campaign, and Evan was excellent. I would definitely recommend Evan. Thank you!

    Cheidhia

  • Geert was a lot of fun and very enthusiastic! We were in stitches laughing :D

    Wessel

  • Tom was fantastic! He was really great with the kids and patient with his explanations. It was a wonderful evening and definitely worth doing again! The children asked the next day when we would be doing this again.

    Danny

  • First of all, I want to say that Sebastian was really great as a DM. For his first run as a booked DM, he did a fantastic job. The 3 stars refer to the following: 1. We were disappointed that the adventure was labelled a One Shot yet wasn't a complete story. Discovering that there are two more parts wasn't very positive for us, as it meant there was no satisfying conclusion to the story. 2. As new players, it was difficult for us to understand the English character sheets in such a short time. In German, it would have been much easier. Even receiving the character sheets a few days in advance would have been helpful for preparation. 3. More guidance would be beneficial. Especially for beginners, a more linear one shot would have been preferable. We wasted a large portion of the adventure time doing unnecessary things because we didn't really know how the game worked. Overall, I think the StoryForgers concept is really good and I see a lot of potential in it, especially for introducing new players to D&D. I hope you don't take my feedback the wrong way but see it as honest criticism. Cheers, Mario

    Mario

  • Bryan was exceptional. We had a group with varying levels of experience, and he managed to keep everyone engaged and involved. His positive attitude made the game enjoyable for all. I really appreciated how he could clearly explain what was needed from our less experienced players while also keeping our more seasoned players on their toes with his extensive knowledge of the game. Everyone in our party had a fantastic time thanks to Bryan.

    Jeremy

Related genres

Black diagonal cross icon, commonly used to close popups or dismiss notifications on websites.

We’re Looking for Game Masters!

StoryForgers is seeking enthusiastic and imaginative Dungeon Masters to become part of our team.
Are you keen?