Aether Operations is a tabletop roleplaying game where players embody a Manipulator from one of the four Quantum Realms (Spirit, Brain, Bone, and Meat) in an attempt to thwart vicious Keepers and maintain balance.

Traverse the realms in a forever struggle of imbalance, defeating powerful warlords and cleansing corrupted artifacts. Brutal and dangerous, even the most routine beasts spew damnation at the mere presence of you: the Manipulators. The unique denizens of each realm aspire to purge you in whatever malicious possible ways available in an effort to gain more power and bring the imbalance of reality towards a coming doom.

Aether Operations is a unique self-contained tabletop RPG system. Leaning into the unique art-heavy physicality of the zine, it is designed as both a streamlined, collaborative, and creative conflict-focused roleplaying game and an intense and special art object.

AeOps is for 2-5 players including a gamemaster with optional rules for gm-less play. Players, as Manipulators embodying Spirit, Brain, Bone, or Meat, use up to seven six-sided dice (7d6) to
• Traverse the Quantum Realms
• Annihilate Keepers, creatures and denizens
• Cleanse powerful Relics
while the GM uses a diminishing Balance Die, downgrading from d12 to d4 with each stage representing further destabilization of the Realms and a quickly approaching reality cataclysm.

The game encourages players to creatively interpret their list of Skills, determined at the start of play by the Realm you embody and expanding over the course of the game. Each Stat has a number of d6 you may gamble on any given check. The highest value rolled determines your success but every 1 result is a problem, regardless of success. If you roll really poorly, you can lose all of the dice wagered, whittling down your Skill list and vitality with repeated defeat.

Manipulators travel between the Realms on their whim, expanding the canon of your setting as you explore the landscapes and are punished by the unique denizens of each.

The Aether Operations printed zine is approximately 125x175mm (about 5x7") when completely folded and 500x700mm (about 19x27") when completely unfolded, featuring unique graphic spreads on each growing "page" as you unfold. The completely unfolded form is a large format poster. It is printed on broadsheet-sized newsprint, creating a unique feel and presentation.