Boundless Nations

@boundlessnations.bsky.social

51 Followers 67 Following

Boundless Nations is a 4X tabletop RPG - lead a civilization through epochs in a sprawling magical multiverse. Stories as limitless as the imagination. Discord: https://discord.gg/n9cgV2PE

Black and white ink illustration of a Lychwalfen, a stout, dwarf-like fantasy character with large round eyes, flowing voluminous hair, and an elaborate braided beard. They wear chainmail armour with a decorated belt buckle, a flowing cape, leg wraps, and ornate knee guards with knotwork designs. They stand holding a large double-headed battle axe adorned with intricate Celtic-style patterns. The drawing style uses fine crosshatching and line work with grey tonal shading
Comic-style graphic titled 'We found a Core Rule Book typo that creates a loophole.' Top panel shows the original text where a species trait says players 'have to conduct themselves with them as if they genuinely can stand them' — with 'can' circled as the problem word, and a caption reading 'That could cause some arguments...' Bottom panel shows the fix: 'Players and NPCs must show utter disgust toward the Cenelin in every interaction,' captioned 'There we go.'
A rich brown textured cover illustration for Boundless Nations: A 4X Tabletop Role Playing Game. Line-art characters including anthropomorphic animal figures and a jellyfish-like creature are depicted against a backdrop of a fantastical cityscape and the world map. The title is displayed in ornate gold lettering at the centre.
A detailed black and white ink illustration of a fantastical alien landscape. Large geometric crystal formations dominate the centre and foreground, with the tallest spires reaching toward a dark, gradient sky. Fluffy otherworldly shrubs and smaller crystal clusters are scattered across a rocky middle ground. The linework is highly detailed with fine hatching used to suggest texture and depth.
A wide open meadow of mixed short and long grass leads toward a dense woodland treeline under a partly cloudy blue sky. Dappled sunlight casts soft shadows across the foreground.
Adobe Premiere editing interface showing the Boundless Nations pitch video. The preview window displays the game's title card: "BOUNDLESS NATIONS — A 4X TABLETOP ROLE PLAYING GAME" in an ornate stencilled typeface, set against a glowing blue circular portal. Below, a dense multi-track timeline shows colour-coded video and audio clips across four video tracks and two audio tracks, marking a video in active editing.
Jesse adjusts a camera on a tripod while setting up for the Boundless Nations pitch video shoot. LED panel lights are positioned nearby, with printed script pages clipped to a stand behind the camera. A Pelican case and gear bag sit by the door.
Line art illustration of a muscular, shirtless human slave carrying a large ornate fishbowl. The bowl contains an Ouphyre — a fantastical goldfish-like creature with elaborate flowing fins, bulging eyes, and trailing barbels. The bowl is crowned with an intricate royal crown and decorated with a laurel wreath around its rim, signifying the fish's high diplomatic rank. The human wears simple baggy trousers and textured boots, his posture straining under the weight. This is a diplomat of The Fishbowl Republic, a culture of psychic fish who enslaved humanity through mind control."
Close-up of the ornate crown sitting atop the fishbowl. The crown features alternating panels of flowing scroll patterns and fine cross-hatched lines, topped with an orb finial. Sweeping decorative arches curve outward from the crown's base. Below, part of the laurel wreath encircling the bowl is visible alongside trailing fin tips of the Ouphyre inside. The crown denotes the diplomatic rank of the fish within The Fishbowl Republic.
Close-up of the Ouphyre's face and fins. The creature has two large, protruding telescopic eyes with concentric ring detail, a wide gaping mouth with trailing whisker-like barbels, and textured, bumpy skin. Its fins are enormous and elaborately rendered with flowing parallel lines, giving them a silky, layered quality. The overall impression is of something simultaneously beautiful, absurd, and unsettling — fitting for a psychic parasite that toppled human civilisation.
Mid-shot showing the human slave's torso and hands gripping the fishbowl, with the Ouphyre clearly visible inside. The fish's flowing fins nearly fill the bowl, its bulging eyes and open mouth facing the viewer. The bowl's ornate handles curl like baroque metalwork, and the laurel wreath and crown are visible above. The human's muscular arms and splayed fingers emphasise the physical burden of carrying his master. Fine line work throughout gives the piece a detailed, engraving-like quality.
Line art illustration of a muscular, shirtless human slave carrying a large ornate fishbowl. The bowl contains an Ouphyre — a fantastical goldfish-like creature with elaborate flowing fins, bulging eyes, and trailing barbels. The bowl is crowned with an intricate royal crown and decorated with a laurel wreath around its rim, signifying the fish's high diplomatic rank. The human wears simple baggy trousers and textured boots, his posture straining under the weight. This is a diplomat of The Fishbowl Republic, a culture of psychic fish who enslaved humanity through mind control.
Stylised image presenting the Boundless Nations logo and text: BOUNDLESS NATIONS A 4X Tabletop Roleplaying Game of Civilisation, Diplomacy & Conquest We're creating the world's first true 4X Tabletop RPG. A game where you don't play heroes—you play entire NATIONS, weaving vast improvised narratives, guided by game mechanics across the epochs. Guide your Culture through five ages of history, from the Stone Age to Global Empires. Research technologies, wage wars, master magic, and shape worlds in the Boundless Realms—a multiverse of infinite possibility.
Species & Cultures section featuring greyscale artwork of a Leporidian noble in a top hat riding a strange striped creature with tentacle-like antlers past a pond with ducks. Text explains players choose their Species and Culture, each with unique abilities.
Eight technology ages displayed as badges: base game includes 0-Lithic, 1-Dire, 2-Mesial, 3-Awakened, 4-Assiduous. Coming in Boundless Worlds expansion: 5-Proliferated, 6-Cybernetic, 7-Empyrean.
The World Keeper responds to decrees in three ways: 1) "Yes, this happens" for easy stuff, 2) "You can't do this yet..." when you need technology or resources first, 3) "Roll the dice" for uncertain outcomes.
The Decree System explained: Every turn you make 2 Decrees — orders to your civilisation. Examples include building settlements, sending explorers, researching Clairvoyancy, opening trade negotiations, and training archers.
Boundless Nations logo above the title "How Does The Game Work?" with subtitle "A 4X Tabletop Roleplaying Game of Civilisation, Diplomacy & Conquest" and a playtester quote: "It's easier to understand than other D&D styled games — the rules make more sense to me"
Boundless Nations logo — a red D20 outline behind stylised text reading 'Boundless Nations' with the tagline 'The World's First True 4X TTRPG'. Background is aged parchment with faint illustrations of fantasy cities, creatures, and landscapes in the corners.
Hand-drawn animation of a group of anthropomorphic bear-like creatures playing music together in a stone courtyard. The ensemble includes musicians playing stringed instruments resembling lutes and guitars, a violin, and small drums. They're dressed in rustic Renaissance-era clothing—waistcoats, breeches, and hats. The scene has a warm, convivial folk music session atmosphere, rendered in detailed black and white linework with textured cobblestones and arched columns in the background.
Hand-drawn animation depicting a realm of eternal punishment from the tabletop RPG Boundless Nations. Bodies of the condemned emerge from churning, mud-like waters rendered in flowing organic lines; a monstrous multi-armed deity with a gaping circular mouth rampages through a ruined city while surveillance drones circle; an anguished face materialises from swirling Van Gogh-like contours, bound by chains; a figure hangs crucified against textured backgrounds; countless bodies churn in turbulent waters. Black and white linework animation blending mythic imagery with modern elements like drones and urban decay.
Animated 3D render of Boundless Nations game components. Camera slowly pans across a game board with territory cards, green resource cubes, and a 'Genelin' character standee. The Core Rulebook by Jonathan Staines and Jesse Koan Smith stands in the background alongside other game materials.
An animated sepia-toned sketch showing the evolution of a landscape over time. The scene begins with bare plains and distant mountains, then gradually develops through successive frames as small huts appear, grow into larger structures, and eventually transform into a densely built settlement with varied architecture. The animation loops continuously, illustrating the progression of civilization from primitive beginnings to urban development.
Boundless Nations tech tree showing branching advancement paths. Players progress from basic technologies upward through interconnected nodes representing new capabilities. Icons depict buildings, tools, ships, weapons, and cultural developments. Multiple parallel tracks allow different civilisation specialisations. Styled as an aged manuscript with detailed line art illustrations for each technology node.
Three tech cards from Boundless Nations representing the Mesial Age (Age 2). Left: red Military Research card for 'Trebuchets' showing a siege weapon silhouette, tagline 'Walls are merely a suggestion', unlocks Trebuchets. Centre: blue Science Research card for 'Universities' showing a graduation cap, tagline 'Where minds gather, knowledge multiplies', grants additional d20 breakthrough checks when researching and is required to progress to the Awakened Age. Right: purple-blue Combined Research card for 'Alchemy' showing an alembic and retort, tagline 'To know the hidden nature of all things', unlocks potions, poisons, and transmutation research.
Three tech cards from Boundless Nations representing the Lithic Age (Age 0). Left: green Industry Research card for 'Flint Knapping' showing a hand gripping a flint tool, tagline 'The first spark of ingenuity', unlocks Stone Tools and Stone Weapons research, grants +1 Damage on Hunter-Gatherers. Centre: blue Science Research card for 'Early Agriculture' showing a wheat stalk, grants +1 Food on all settlements and allows building Farms. Right: purple Magic Research card for 'Witchcraft' showing a mystical burst pattern, tagline 'There are those who speak to shadows', grants +1 Magic Dice and allows decreeing Rituals.
An downward panning shot of a Tech Tree. The technologies are represented as game cards. See Alt text on images in the rest of the thread for card descriptions. It was too much text to include here.
Title card for Boundless Nations: A 4X Tabletop Role Playing Game. Warm sepia-brown background with detailed cream line art in an etching style. The central title uses a distinctive angular font evoking ancient carved stone. Surrounding illustrations depict the game's civilisation-spanning scope: a sailing vessel's rigging, gothic church spires, a hillside city, a minotaur figure with an instrument, a bearded character, and a tentacled sea creature. A faded fantasy map with place names like 'Nor Chiang'Na' fills the upper portion, suggesting the game's world-building scope