Vast Grimm Buying Guide: Where to Start with the RPG

Quick answer

Start with the Vast Grimm core book, then add one expansion only after your group has played a few sessions. Accessories come last: a foil Cataclysmic Condemnation deck or a themed d6 set improves the table, but neither replaces the rules you need to run the game.

Vast Grimm is a grim, sci-fi horror RPG, and the fastest way to start is to buy the core rulebook and nothing else. Read it, run one session, and let the table tell you what to add next. Most beginners overspend on dice and accessories before they know whether the system fits their group.

This guide walks through the buying order: core book first, then expansions, then the accessories that actually change play. Prices below are catalog prices at the time of writing and can change, so treat them as relative signals rather than fixed numbers.

Buy the core book before anything else

The core book contains the rules, character options, and the setting you need to run Vast Grimm. Without it, an expansion or accessory has nothing to attach to. Buy the core book, read the character creation and combat chapters, and run a single session before spending on anything else.

If your group already owns a core book, the next purchase is an expansion that adds content your table will actually use. Expansions assume you know the base rules, so buying one first usually means reading two books before you can play.

• Check whether your group already has a core book before buying a second copy.
• Run one session before buying any expansion.

How to choose between books and expansions

Books and expansions split into two jobs: rules you need at every session, and content you use occasionally. Core rules belong in the first group. Campaign material, new factions, or alternate settings belong in the second. Buy the first group before the second, every time.

If you are unsure which expansion fits, pick the one closest to the stories your group already tells. A table that enjoys investigation will get more from a mystery-focused expansion than from one built around combat.

• Prioritize books you will open every session over books you will open once.
• Match the expansion to the stories your group already enjoys.

Accessories that change play, and ones that only look good

Some accessories change how the table runs. A foil Cataclysmic Condemnation deck replaces a chart roll with a random draw, which speeds up play and keeps outcomes visible. A d6 set gives you enough dice for the whole table without passing one set around.

Other accessories are cosmetic. A wax seal pin or a display slipcase improves how your shelf looks but does not affect a session. Buy those after the functional pieces, not before.

• Functional first: dice, cards, and anything that replaces a lookup.
• Cosmetic second: pins, slipcases, and display pieces.

What to add after your first few sessions

After three or four sessions you will know your table's gaps. If players fumble Tribute rolls often, a draw deck keeps momentum. If dice are scarce, add a d6 set. If the table keeps asking about a specific region or faction, that is your expansion signal.

Avoid buying a full accessory kit at once. Each addition should answer a problem you have actually seen at the table.

• Track what slows your sessions down for three sessions before buying.
• One fix per purchase keeps the budget predictable.

Decision rules for your first Vast Grimm purchase

• No core book yet: Buy the core rulebook only. Do not add an expansion or accessory in the same order. Run one session before your next purchase.
• Core book owned, table fumbles Tribute rolls often: Add the Vast Grimm Cataclysmic Condemnation Card Deck to replace the chart roll with a random draw. A USD 5.00 fix for a problem you have already seen.
• Core book owned, dice are scarce at the table: Add a d6 set such as In the Shadows of Innsmouth 12d6 Set so every player has dice in front of them. Buy dice before cosmetic accessories.
• Core book owned, group wants new content: Buy one expansion that matches the stories your group already tells, not the one with the best cover. One expansion at a time.
• Shelf display is the goal, not play: Buy pins, slipcases, and display pieces last, after functional accessories are covered. Cosmetic purchases do not improve a session.

Products that fit the buying order

• Vast Grimm Cataclysmic Condemnation Card Deck: A 20-card foil deck of Cataclysmic Condemnations from the core Vast Grimm rules, drawn randomly instead of rolling on the chart when someone fumbles a Tribute. It replaces a chart lookup with a draw, which keeps play moving and puts the outcome in front of the whole table. Catalog price is USD 5.00.
• In the Shadows of Innsmouth 12d6 Set: Twelve d6s in violet, tendril black, and sea-green swirls with iridescent glitter and a metallic green six face showing the Evolution of the Innsmouth Look. Enough d6s for a full table without passing dice around. The horror-themed finish suits grim campaigns. Catalog price is USD 12.50.
• Cackling Skull d2 Coin: An 8-bit style coin with the Cackling Skull on one side and Game Over on the other, made for d2 rolls and 50/50 choices, with inlaid enamel on the symbol side. A cheap way to resolve coin-flip decisions at the table without hunting for a die. Catalog price is USD 3.00.

Who this buying order fits

Best for

• New groups starting Vast Grimm who want to avoid overspending before their first session.
• Game masters who already own the core book and need to decide between an expansion and an accessory.
• Tables that want functional upgrades, like a draw deck or enough d6s, before cosmetic pieces.

Not for

• Collectors who buy for shelf display first and play second; buy pins and slipcases in whatever order you like.
• Groups already running a full Vast Grimm campaign with all the books and dice they need.
• Players looking for a rules summary; this guide covers buying order, not how the system works.

Buy the core book, run one session, and let the table tell you what is missing. Add the Cataclysmic Condemnation deck or a d6 set when you see the gap, and save pins and display pieces for last.