Xeneolithic

The world is big and scary. You are a blob.

One of you needs to change.

Up until recent years, your species could rely on the Rift for energy, communication, and even reproduction. But now the Rift is closing and the Ether it blasts across the world is fading. Evolution’s playing catch-up.

Looks like you’ll be the one changing.

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Xeneolithic is a xenofiction biopunk TTRPG where you create a species developing into a stone age civilization. You start with magic being able to handle your every need, but that magic is fading. Evolve traits, develop technology, and create a species that can withstand the test of time.

Inspired by games such as Spore and Civilization, this system is oriented around the development of culture and the exploration of an unfamiliar world. Your creature will die. But its species will live on, learn from its mistakes, and grow until the fateful day when the Rift closes for good.

After that, it's all up to how well you prepared.

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Xeneolithic: Evolution and Exploration includes:

-Rules for creating a species from the ground-up, where you choose every single trait it has and evolve it in a desperate race against magic fading. Leverage Factions, develop culture, and call upon your Ancestors to survive the harrowing nights.

-The Rift Closure tree, a ticking clock that both indicates how long magic will retain in the world as well as how long the players have before they can spend their XP.

-Travel rules that allow your creature to take on different roles, contributing to the troupe as you advance through an uncertain world. No need to worry about carrying capacity because it hasn't been invented yet!

-A crafting system that allows you to harvest anything and slap it together in a ramshackle approximation of a useful tool. Just don't get too attached, it's gonna break at some point.

-Mysterious, unknown alchemical processes that rely on the Ether fading from the world. It has never been understood and your players won't change that.

-Pets! The ability to domesticate wild animals into generational companions.

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Xeneolithic: Biome and Bestiary includes:

-History of the entire world, I guess. Though how much of it is literally true?

-72 bestiary entries across 12 Regions, forming ecosystems and Biomes to populate your world. Each has its own uses as well as superstitions surrounding them.

-4 Example Conflicts to jumpstart your game and introduce you to the cultures of your Ancestors. Completely self-contained and only a session or two long!

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Xeneolithic will never include:

-Biological coherence

-Anything more advanced than the wheel

-Humans

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As of May 2026, this is the Playtest 1 version. If you find a mistake, break the game, or have a question about the system, please let me know on this feedback form! https://forms.gle/mkZWSLxyya2JaVNQ8

Altenatively, let me know in the Arocord community discord server or feel free to email me at arokiswrites@gmail.com.

Have fun~