Looking for a tabletop RPG to capture a certain 'grim Slavic' vibe

I just watched a playthrough of a video game called Black Book (technically it's just a teaser; the game has a Kickstarter going on), where you play a young woman who wants to resurrect her dead lover by becoming a witch and unlocking seven seals on a black spellbook. The storyline has you encountering creatures from various creatures and legends from Russian folklore, as you travel through hollow forests where the stars weigh overhead and explore looming windmills which demons use as their lair.

It's got a vibe of 'you are weak and the world is full of horrible things that will kill you, but if you learn to wield the powers of darkness you can perhaps outwit the monsters.'

You gather different magical spells that you can combine to hold monsters at bay while you find their weaknesses to defeat them. You often stand still in a circle of chalk rather than running around. You are certainly not a daring warrior.

Is there a good tabletop game that has a similar vibe, one where you adventure to locate different types of magic, rather than simply unlocking them as you gain XP? One where death is near, but you can use tactics to hold it at bay? Or do I have to write this myself, because I want to play it.

(And if I write it, how do I make it work as a party-based game? One vulnerable person facing evil has a different vibe than four people working together, unless we make the monsters really hard to hurt.)

RangerWickett said:

You gather different magical spells that you can combine to hold monsters at bay while you find their weaknesses to defeat them. You often stand still in a circle of chalk rather than running around. You are certainly not a daring warrior.

Is there a good tabletop game that has a similar vibe, one where you adventure to locate different types of magic, rather than simply unlocking them as you gain XP? One where death is near, but you can use tactics to hold it at bay? Or do I have to write this myself, because I want to play it.

(And if I write it, how do I make it work as a party-based game? One vulnerable person facing evil has a different vibe than four people working together, unless we make the monsters really hard to hurt.)

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Modos RPG is not that game.

But it could be, if you write a decent rules module for it! I'm not seeing a lot of specifics in your post, but you might consider:

• The GM can grant PCs skill points in each spell they "gather," no need to level up.
• The protective-chalk-barrier could be, rules-wise, a metaphysical (willpower) contest against monsters when they try to break in, or a fixed amount of progress points that a monster needs to wear down (if the PC drew the circle fast enough!).
• Finding monster weaknesses could be a matter of justifying the use of each spell based on the creature description. For example, if a creature's description mentions that it wears "tattered rags," then choosing to use Fire 1 against it is going to be a viable choice. Obviously, the GM should make descriptions interesting here and be generous in rewarding player ideas.

To make it party-based, you need to emphasize that the party members are helpless against monsters unless they work together. So drawing the chalk circle, gathering at the nearest spot, observing/knowing about the monster, and casting spells need to be done in the right sequence and on the right initiative counts to make sure no one gets caught outside the circle when the monster makes its first attack!

Hard-to-hurt monsters is a possibility. You can do this (in Modos RPG) with large physical damage pools (hit points), increased protection (reduces damage), or just say that supernatural creatures are immune to physical damage, leaving PCs to worry about causing mental or metaphysical damage instead.

Slavic fantasy made me think of Free from the Yoke an Apocalypse World based RPG set in Slavic Fantasy where it says you make pacts with the land and its spirits as you go. Seems to be more focused on nation building/house advancement though.

The Trophy games might be what you’re looking for. Have to delve into dark forests to bring back artifacts.

Symbaroum also has a dark Slavic feel although the rules are not great imo.

PEGinc Solomon Kane.
The PCs are all criminals who have been executed and have been brought back and given one last chance for redemption before they are judged again.
It's grim dark.
However it's not Slavic. But you could take a book of Russian Fairy Tales and stat them up easily.
Complete game: The Savage World of Solomon Kane | Product categories | Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Mythic Russia from Firebird games, which is probably perfect.

Curse of Strahd has a very Slavic feel to it, my Latvian friend feels right at home and it's horror and they are all tougher than you.. at first.

I have enjoyed all three.

Trophy or Torchbearer spring to mind first. Maybe Dread or 12 Candles if you're not looking for it to be a campaign.

Symbaroum and Trophy is what I would say.

RangerWickett said:

It's got a vibe of 'you are weak and the world is full of horrible things that will kill you, but if you learn to wield the powers of darkness you can perhaps outwit the monsters.'

You gather different magical spells that you can combine to hold monsters at bay while you find their weaknesses to defeat them. You often stand still in a circle of chalk rather than running around. You are certainly not a daring warrior.

Is there a good tabletop game that has a similar vibe, one where you adventure to locate different types of magic, rather than simply unlocking them as you gain XP? One where death is near, but you can use tactics to hold it at bay? Or do I have to write this myself, because I want to play it.

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Call of Cthulhu (1981) published by Chaosium is very close to this. PCs are normal humans, monsters can be very dangerous, all magic is found in play.

There's a PbtA game called Monster of the Week that might work for you. It's designed to cover a lot of ground genre-wise, but defaults to something like Supernatural or Sleepy Hollow. There are certainly playbooks that aren't combat oriented and playing a game like that would be more about finding the right magic than about getting the right gun out of the trunk. PbtA is a cinch to hack too, so a couple of twists and it's probably spot on.

Another option is Chthulu Gumshoe, which is Mythos, but specifically mystery oriented. That would also work pretty well.

Zweihander comes to mind.