21. Which RPG does the most with the least words?
One fan of the playtest version of Amazing Tales suggested entering it for the 200 word RPG challenge, I imagine the answer to this question is somewhere in there. Sadly the 2017 deadline had gone. Still, here is the Amazing Tales system reduced to 200 words, I might enter it in 2018.
26. Which RPG provides the most useful resources?
I’m one of those gamers who likes everything in one book. I’m not a fan of DM screens, custom dice, campaign expansions and the like. So I’m not well placed to answer this question.
But, as I’ve got older, and had less time, I’ve come to appreciate the value of the pre-written scenario. So I’m going to suggest Goodman Games. There stuff is very genre specific, but it’s very very good at what it does.
And then there’s the fact that the most useful resource a game can have is a community. I’ve never played much D&D, but in recent months I’ve been poking around the D&D community and simply as a function of its size it produces some amazing content, way more than any publisher could ever hope to. So that’s my other answer, good ol’ D&D.
How’s Amazing Tales going? Pretty well. We’ve got 23 out of 26 full page illustrations nailed down. The text is done. The layout is happening. Indeed below are a couple of screen grabs showing the layout which is being handled by Duncan at Sparkwood and 21.
There will be changes, but this gives a feel for what the book is going to look like. And the whole thing will weigh in between 90 and 100 pages.
I know, there haven’t been updates for a while. But Amazing Tales has been progressing quietly behind the scenes. How far along are we?
That, is a lot of progress. How much more is there to do? Well, a bit. Once layout and illustrations are finished then we’ve got to have Drivethru rpg deliver a sample copy, check it’s good, make any remaining changes and then we’ll have a book that’s ready for the world.
To give an idea of how things are looking these days – here’s a finished piece of artwork, showing a fairy from the Deep Dark Wood. The finished book will probably have around 25 full page pieces like this, all by the wonderful iris of www.irisistible.design/
Amazing Tales will include four full settings to help fire up your creative juices. Each setting will include suggestions for characters, game ideas and advice on how to make the best of the possibilities. I picked the settings to be ones children are often familiar with, through other books, TV, film and make believe. The settings are
The Deep Dark Wood – home to fairies, talking animals and all manner of magical creatures
Magical Kingdoms – where knights in armour, dragons, princes and princesses adventure
The Pirate Seas – treasure, adventure, mysterious islands and the smell of gunpowder on the sea air
Adventures beyond the stars – take your adventures into space, with aliens, robots and rocket ships
Each setting will be illustrated with a full page image, crammed with inspiration and ideas for stories. All the full page illustrations have now reached concept art stage, so we can take a look at how they’re coming together. And here they are
Most recent, and least developed is this, for magical kingdoms. Lots of things in here are ideas that will develop further.
In contrast, the first piece we worked on, and the most developed is the Deep Dark Wood
Still very much at the sketching stage is this for the Pirate Seas. Even so, the figure leaning off the front of the first ship is packed with adventure.
And here we are, beyond the stars.
As you might be able to tell from the new look of the website the process of illustrating Amazing Tales is well underway. Nothing is finished yet, so all the things popping up on the site are concept art. (I know, amazing isn’t it?).
We’re working on four full page showcase illustrations. One each for the settings Deep Dark Wood, Adventures Beyond the Stars, The Pirate Seas and Magical Kingdoms. Supplementing those will be character art pieces for everything from aliens to wizards, and, you know, Badgers.
I’m having a blast working on this, and can’t speak highly enough of the wonderful Iris at www.irisitible.design who is making it all happen.
I’ve been working away on a new draft of Amazing Tales, and lining up some support to ensure that the next version will look a little more wonderful.
Editing, layout and illustration is now lined up, which I’m really excited about.
The new version will feature suggested backgrounds for adventures in Space, adventures in Magical Kingdoms and adventures on the Pirate Seas, as well as the existing Deep Dark Wood background.
The idea is to have a free to download .pdf file available as well as a print on demand option, which will obviously have a price attached.
Fairy Rose was assigned a D6 for Bravery, a D8 for Strength and a D12 for Magic
“Help, Help!” Bushybrow the squirrel came running through the forest. “Princess Melody has been kidnapped by the Spider Witch and taken to her castle! Can you help Fairy Rose?”.
Fairy Rose was sure she could. She walked to the castle. It was very frightening, but she was very brave (roll brave vs 3) and made her way to castle’s door, which was locked tight. After realising she didn’t have a key Fairy Rose used her magic wand to unlock the door, the end of the wand turning into a key that fitted the lock perfectly. The door swang open.
Inside was a dark room. Fairy Rose had a choice, she could bravely go into the dark, use magic to make a light, or go and gather firewood to make a torch. She bravely went into the dark (roll vs 4). Inside was a big room, as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light provided by strange glowing fungus she saw a giant spider dropping out of the roof to catch her in its web.
Fairy Rose waved her magic wand and the spider was sent back into the ceiling, where it waved it’s legs helplessly. (roll magic vs 4). Her opponent dispatched Fary Rose saw stairs going up and down, she went up.
On top of the castle the roof had fallen in, making it easy to see. There was also a chest. It was too heavy to pick up (strength vs 3), but with an extra special effort (bravery vs 4) she managed. It rattled when she lifed it. Fairy Rose put the chest down and opened it. Inside was a silver ring, with a blue jewel. Fairy Rose put it on. Immediately it glowed with a soft blue light, and Fairy Rose felt much braver. (magic ring, +1 bravery, provides light)
Now she decided to go all the way down the steps. She went deep, deep down underground. But with the magic ring she could she what she was doing. At the bottom of the steps was a rope bridge, stretching across a deep dark cavern. The bridge didn’t look safe, so Fairy Rose just flew across+. On the other side of the bridge was a tunnel, she went further into it.
Suddenly, she heard someone calling out. “Help, help. Can someone save me? I’ve been trapped here by the Witch!” It was Princess Melody! Fairy Rose rushed over to find her trapped in a big spider web. Bravely (roll brave vs 4) she climbed into the web to free her.
On the way back Priness Melody was too scared to cross the rope bridge. Fairy Rose tried to carry her, but Princess Melody was too heavy (roll strength vs 3). So instead she used her magic to give Princess Melody wings (roll magic vs 3). The two were at the foot of the stairs when they heard the sound of the witch coming home. “Princess Melody – It’s time to eat you up now’ she cackled, and her footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs.
Princess Melody and Fairy Rose tried to fly past the witch, but she made a magic spell and cobwebs appeared everywhere. Their fairy wings wouldn’t work (failed roll, magic vs 4). The witch cackled “Two of you then? Well, I like eating fairies too!”. Fairy Rose tried to magic her way out of the webs* but it didn’t work (failed magic roll vs 4), and she couldn’t struggle free either (failed strength roll vs 3). As the spiders got closer and closer the ring on her hand suddenly glowed with bright light, sending the spiders scuttling away (bravery roll, vs 2). Now Fairy Rose used her magic to make the webs disappear (magic roll vs 3)
The witch cast a spell to turn Fairy Rose into a slug. Fairy Rose tried to grab the witches wand to stop her (failed strength vs 3), but the witch was too strong. Fairy Rose could feel her legs getting slimy. Then she used her own magic to turn the Witch into a Spider (roll magic vs 4). The witch turned into a big fat spider, ran away and hid.
Princess Melody and Fairy Rose ran out of the castle. Princess Melody was very greatful to Fairy Rose for saving her.
+ Yup, I’d forgotten fairies have wings. Four year old girls don’t forget stuff like that though.
* I didn’t do this. Lisa decided she’d been trapped in the web.
Notes : I’ve been thinking about trying this with Lisa for a while. We tell lots of stories to each other, which I try to draw, but this was a big step up in terms of decision making. My basic GM technique was to ask lots of questions to get narrative answers, and when Lisa seemed stuck to give her an option for each stat. Strength had started out as Fighting, but made more sense as ‘any physical task’.
Difficulty levels for dice rolls were kept really low (especially once she was getting +1 on brave tests) but to my surprise she was completely OK with failed rolls. When a roll failed I’d immediately offer an alternative action based on a different stat, but try to leave the narration with her e.g ‘she’s too heavy – do you want to try magic?’
She hasn’t really worked out yet that the bigger dice are better. Either that, or she’s determined to test Fairy Rose’s courage at every opportunity.
And for those who like such things, this story conforms nicely with both the Hero’s Journey and Booker’s ‘Defeating the monster’ story structures…