Il Giallo Lacrimoso, The First Campaign Setting for Lies by Omission, is in Active Development

A Combat-Light and Atmosphere-Heavy Role Playing Game for Small groups

Illustration and Design by Nick Ribera

Lies by Omissionis a table-top role-playing game system inspired by the gothic horror films that came out of Italy in the ’60s and ’70s. Often referred to as Giallo films (because of their yellow, or Giallo, posters), these films regularly depicted everyday characters that slowly begin to uncover occult mysteries hiding just beneath the surface.

Best suited for smaller player counts (1-4), the system allows players to learn about their setting one piece at a time, sometimes requiring them to revisit older locations when new information has been revealed. It relies on their ability to investigate, explore, interact with the cast, and most importantly communicate with each other. Combat is rare and often deadly, so be sure to have some backup characters at the ready. Additionally, the players will not need dice to play- their tests are conducted via a push-your-luck mechanic garnered from a standard (Rider-Waite style) tarot deck; the contents of which will evolve over the course of the game. This is designed to depict the growing dread that piles up throughout their investigation.

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Simple Gameplay focused on Role-Play

Four Character Stats
  • Communication is used to convince NPCs to give up their secrets
  • Investigation is used to identify clues
  • Athletics is helpful in action scenes
  • Violence comes in handy when all else fails.
Simple Character Sheets

Your players are exploring an unknown world hidden beneath simple, bucolic settings. What would you pack on a vacation? Reduce Dread as a reward for players who display creative uses for their otherwise mundane items.

Track their knowledge of secrets and mystical items with the Tarot cards.

Reward them with additional points to their stats as they display remarkable resolve in the face of incredible odds.

Spurts of Action

Break up the quiet investigations with moments of action- chase scenes, fist fights, stealth- all driven by random rolls from the Director (Game Master) and Stats checks from the players.

Third-Party License

We at Chain Assembly believe that every game is made more powerful by the creators who use it. Our third-party license is free for anyone to use when building their own supplements based on the Lies by Omission ruleset. You are free to create and sell any products that refer back to this ruleset without needing to consult with Chain Assembly, provided the following conditions are met:  

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“[Product name] is an independent production by [Author or Publisher] and is not affiliated with Chain Assembly. It is published under the Lies by Omission Third-Party License. Lies by Omission is copyright Chain Assembly.” 

Congratulations. We have now granted you Licensee status. Go forth and spread the word(s) of Lies by Omission.

Use the button below to access graphics that you can use on your projects in the Lies by Omission space.