Beyond the Rift is designed, primarily, as a game to be played by three participants: a Weaver, who envisions the world; an Adversary, who injects conflict into that world; and an Echo, who imagines solutions to resolve that conflict.

Each of these three roles is essential; without a world, the Adversary has no context for creating conflict; without conflict, the Echo is just wandering a shapeless void.

That being said, you can play Beyond the Rift with fewer than three players, by sharing the responsibilities of the missing role. A game between two players, for instance, might see the Weaver take on both worldbuilding and conflict mediation, leaving the Echo to fend for themselves in a dangerous, antagonistic world.

Or you might have the Echo play the Adversary’s role as well, with the Weaver serving as a kind of mediator for the Echo’s inner struggles.

You could play the entire game alone, taking on all three roles at once, turning the game into more of a journaling experience.

You could play with a larger group, where multiple players occupy a single role. Have each player choose a suit, and play out their chosen role only when that suit comes up. There are a number of possibilities here.

The rules make the assumption that you have three players and that each player occupies a single role. Make adjustments as needed for your specific group.

No matter what role you’re playing, it’s okay to ask for input from the other players in describing the world of play. You’re not alone, in any part of this ritual. There is always someone who can help.

Weaver

You Will Need: a 54-card poker deck, with both Jokers

You are attuned to the Tapestry, the thick-woven fabric of memories that stretch across the world. It is you who have been asked to peer through the veil, and to facilitate the ritual for the other participants.

In your role as weaver, you will:

• draw cards from the deck and describe each new place as it is discovered;
• describe the places and people who live in the world beyond the rift;
• keep a list of the Echo’s defiances throughout their journey;
• read off the Echo’s defiances during The Confrontation; and
• offer words of encouragement when the Echo becomes discouraged, and urge them to press on.

Tip: When you introduce a new person or place, keep your descriptions loose, allowing the other participants to imagine the details for themselves as they listen. This is a ritual cast in silhouette; the potency of the story exists within the minds of those involved.

Adversary

You Will Need: 4 six-sided dice with sides numbered 1 through 6

You are attuned to the Tapestry as well, and yours is the role of interpreting the conflict that exists beyond the rift. You have been asked to convey that conflict to the group, in a way that allows the others to understand what is at stake.

In your role as Adversary, you will:

• roll dice to determine the outcome of dangers encountered by the Echo;
• communicate the Echo’s success or failure as a result of the dice;
• determine the source of the conflict in the world beyond the rift;
• keep a list of the Echo’s mistakes throughout their journey;
• describe the entity’s influence during The Tear; and
• read off the Echo’s mistakes during The Confrontation.

Tip: Although your role involves describing dangers and announcing the Echo’s failures, your role as a participant in the ritual is to look after the well-being of the other members of the group. When you describe something that runs close to a boundary for another player, ask: “would you like me to find an alternate interpretation?”

Echo

You Will Need: something to write with, a journal

You are the surviving memory of someone who was lost beyond the rift, a thing that the world has been struggling to resolve. This ritual is the exploration of your efforts to resolve your own story.

In your role as Echo, you will:

• describe how you failed;
• describe how you persevered;
• describe your actions within the world;
• draw on your map each new place as it is discovered; and
• record in your journal the details of every relic, secret, key, and hero you encounter in your journey.

Tip: When you describe your failures, anything could happen to you. Fall into a pit, get eaten by a snake, anything. You always come back, ready to try again, as the world tries to resolve your story again and again. How you fail is the story of your many unsuccessful attempts; how you prevail is the story of the one time you finally succeed. Because ultimately you will.