Wonder at the table

Utilising player knowledge for the game is baked in, and seemingly they chose some design elements which are smoothly fitting the theme of dealing with horrible fairy tale monsters, while getting through Grimm stories in a horror fashion.

Time to re-read fairy tales.

I'm here on tumblr bitching about burnout. Gods save me, I watch Trent from Miscast doing what he loves, barely making enough to survive, yet being happy.

I thought that I do what I love in my day job. Working in TTRPG publishing as a producer seems like an absolute bliss, but in the end, it is soul-sucking, as it is sold to you as a creative endeavour, but in the end you are just executing the wishes of people above you. Especially, if you are working on licensed stuff. No expansion on the medium, the setting, or much else is allowed.

In the end, I just want to make my indie-heartbreaker, do art for it, and feel like I'm alive.

The Avenging Brothers arrive in the Lair of Balagos, The Flying Flame through a portal.

Graz'zt will be casting a polymorph on them to make them look like Hobgoblins and a Bugbear.

Since the lair has been taken over by a Hobgoblin Warlord called Neran Maal, the Halfeyed.

Neran devised a plan to capture Balagos in a mortal body, after he found a relic in the depths of Swordsmere

Since then, the Ebon Legion, under the command of Warlord Maal has captured Fort Ilbratha and is planning to siege Quarrelshigh.

Neran's forces are all over the Troll Mountains, constantly fighting skirmishes with the Troll King, Burak, the Scarred.

The players will be stumbling out of the portal in the middle of the lair, where an outpost has been established.

Infiltrating through the camps, and finding a map will be crucial to navigate out of the depths of the Smokespire.

The Ebon Legion uses the volcano as a massive industrial complex, using the labour of three goblin tribes; The Red Teeth Tribe, The Bald Scalps Tribe, and the Skulking Skulls Tribe.

I used to ask them for a page of a draft, or just some background ifnfo, so I can set up some knives for the characters, but whenever they planned some majorly important npc in their past, they cared less when it was showing up, than when random npc shopkeep got into trouble, and they wanted to help him.

A small introductory adventure game for anyone who’s curious about roleplaying games, but intimidated by the character sheets or the rules that are too complicated and overwhelming at first.

Design Goals

Create pre-generated characters with a character sheet that has concise, succinct and natural language explaining what a character can do, along with visual aids.

Those characters should be heavily integrated with the narrative of the adventure.

The adventure should be intriguing but not complicated, touching on the key pillars of RPGs.

Combat (An intro fight, a mid/fight, and a boss fight.

Exploration (A dungeon and mini hexcrawl)

Roleplay/Social (Playing as a character and making in-character choices)

Shenanigans (Humour, and creative ideas)

Handouts for all items and effects in a card form.

The whole booklet should not be more than 16 pages.

Blackwood - The setting

A small valley of a lake and dark forest with a small settlement and a ruined bastion that was once Blackwood Castle.

The settlement is now fishing and hunting, and is mostly making a living out of forestry and the local plot of land near the entry of the valley. A small swampy area is also located nearby, that is from the mountain spring trickling down from the North-eastern peak.

ASPIRE - The system

Or the lack there of. ASPIRE is meant to be the first step of player facing narrative and referee facing mechanics. Most of the numbers and mechanics are hidden for the players while the referee has a simple system to handle in the “back-end” of the game.

The character sheets have natural and succinct language to tell the players what their character can do. No formalizing terms, or features, only the number they would need to roll on their dice, and what that would mean.

To keep players focused on the narrative, equipment is also just called out and listed on the character illustration, and can be given as a card handout.

For example:

“Tirius has a natural talent for swordfighting, to strike the enemy with his blade, roll 9 or above.”

Simulating character skill and knowledge is as simple. The facts the characters know are written in short bulletpoints:

Tirius is familiar with the noble lineage of the region, the Ravenheart family. Once he was invited to Blackwood Castle to hunt along with the young scion, Felix Blackwood.

And then the player can refer to this. The game master will be able to elaborate, with additional details, but players can be encouraged to think of new and fun details.

Additional or secret information, or newly gained knowledge can be handed out in a card form.

Long were gone the days of emptiness and cruel void. Envy bore its ugly head into the fabric of curiosity, life sparked into the darkness, and the booming litany of suffering life filled the universe.

We are nowhere near of that moment now. We are far from that existence. We are at the end of infinite divinity. Mortal.

And nothing awaits, the void will never forget being robbed of its magnificence and majesty. It is arrogantly waiting until our time comes, and nothing remains, only the emptiness.

And we cajole, beg, threaten, yell, and cry. We wish nothing but to remain, for we fear the unknown of not drawing breath anymore. We are driven by primal urge to cling onto the suffering and pain of miserable existence.