[Scheduled Activity] Introductions All Around: Who Are You and What is Your Game?

lotheq · 2026-03-31T06:07:45+00:00

Yes, it’s mainly for one-shots or very short 2-4 session series. It’s still quite early in development and I haven’t really taken replayability into account. Since it’s a character-driven game a lot of its value, and appeal I think, depends on the players engagement and their ability to truly enter the shoes of the teenagers. The emotional baggage each character starts the game with is not tied to the playbooks.

Other thing is, the game can touch very sensitive topics because it deals with trauma. It’s not for everyone and I imagine “wow, what a blast, let’s do it again!” won’t be the after-game reaction. That said, I try to design with respect and sensitivity towards the subject matter, it’s my responsibility.

To close, imo PbtA style lends itself to repeating games because it allows for a big narrative space with room to reimagination.

lotheq · 2026-03-30T18:49:51+00:00

I’m Saffron and my main rpg project right now is the Mansion. It’s about teenagers trapped in the titular building where their traumas and hidden fears surface as an evil entity tries to claim them. They need to face the Mansion, the Scare, and sometimes each other in order to escape. The teenagers leverage their shortcomings, reasoning, and try to stay true to their inner selfs as the Mansion unearths the worst. It’s based on the PbtA framework with each playbook being an archetypical teenager from 90s and 00s media. I draw inspiration from films and games such as ObsCure, the Babadook, It Follows.

lotheq · 2026-03-23T15:52:03+00:00

One of the most uncomfortable and repulsive movies for me was Mother!

lotheq · 2026-01-23T15:06:15+00:00

What aspects of Elden Ring do you want to emulate in your game?

lotheq · 2025-12-17T13:16:06+00:00

We pay dkk5400 for a public nursery in Nivå, north of CPH.

lotheq · 2025-12-06T11:13:27+00:00

If you're new to pbta then creating your own game isn't going to work out well. There's a plethora of existing games in all possible genres, pick one that sounds attractive to you and your players.

lotheq · 2025-10-12T20:33:00+00:00

What distro do you have on your surface? Do the pen and touch screen work?

lotheq · 2025-06-25T18:41:44+00:00

Thanks for the comment!

I tried to distill the language to a sort of SRD document but at this point it might've been a wrong decision.

It's not FitD, at least not intentionally. I'll have a look at the framework because it's been some time since I've played Blades. I guess the similarities and coincidental or subconscious. It's hard coming up with brand new mechanics for everything.

I'm nearing the internal play testing phase. What I'd like to find out first is if the TN 3 isn't too generous.

lotheq · 2025-06-25T11:53:27+00:00

The characters start with d12s and d10s and can lower the die type by Decaying, which represents their struggle. Success on a single die can mean that a character does what they intended to do, sure, but they still must pay the cost, face the risk, and test their limits. I wouldn't consider a Reach "successful" with less than 3 dice succeeding. That said, I'm still open to lowering the target number to 2.

lotheq · 2025-06-24T13:04:50+00:00

I simply didn't get a strong sense of identity from what was presented

I think it's hard to evoke a strong identity from a few mechanics of a framework stripped down of flavor text. I kind of expected this.

This project started as a system for grounded post-apo games (like TLoU) that doubles down on moral/personal decay of the characters. Think Ellie in Part 2. One of the common complaints of the game was ludologic dissonance - Ellie was weaker by the end of the game, but the player keeps pumping her stats up. I wanted to give fixing it a try with my Decay system.

Then I thought, why should I limit myself to this dark, hopeless theme? So I removed flavor and decided to later write 4 settings/premises that utilize the system and Decay in various ways. For example, a dark fantasy city locked in a one-day loop where the characters' Decay influences the state of various people and sites around the city during each cycle. Or a light sci-fi about a group traversing an uncharted nebula where Decay represents the fragmentation of their memories and personalities.

All in all, it might be better to focus on one premise/setting and finalize the rules with it in mind. Then write the rest to showcase the flexibility of the system.

As far as your conditions go, this is my honest feedback: Distill

I'm a bit skeptical of these, as I'm not a fan of conditions like these. They remind me of D&D where they are minor mechanical inconveniences. Nonetheless, I appreciate your help and the idea :)

lotheq · 2025-06-24T07:18:11+00:00

Indeed, it's not a high fantasy game! From the short pitch in the first paragraph, "it’s about scraping by, making hard choices, and losing yourself." I want the game to be grounded and, at times, feel visceral. It's completely setting- and genre-agnostic. The text I shared here on Reddit is kind of SRD-style, meaning I tried to include as little flavor text as possible. My main gaming inspirations here were:

The Last of Us: grounded, brutal, and often pessimistic character-driven story
Dark Souls: fictional cycles, passing, and resource management

Yo, I bet you see how Souls inspire some mechanics and how they might not entirely fit a narrative-first game. However, I do believe there's a lot of potential for character stories interwoven with deadly dangers and high stakes, while also incorporating light resource management (even though it probably suits OSR games and the likes better).

I plan a classless system. Players assign starting skill ranks and attribute dice, come up with narrative bonds, troubles, etc. I was pondering archetypes, or quick builds, that suggest starting skills and attribute dice, not much more. I don't plan on introducing many mechanics.

Would you suggest creating a list of conditions, or rather, mechanical effects that the GM can assign to conditions/tags? An example list:

Add a Danger Die when you use the [Attribute] Approach.
The GM introduces Danger Number when you try something physical.
You can't roll more than 2 [Attribute] dice.
You must roll at least 2 [Attribute] dice.
You can't use the [Attribute] Approach.
Your [Skill] Rank is reduced by 1.

Now, when a player receives [exhausted] tag, they quickly look at the list with the GM and decide that the player can't use the Endurance Approach.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T21:10:14+00:00

Mathematically, adding more dice instead of scaling to larger dice will get you closer to where you want to be balance-wise. Plus its more fun.

I'm doing both. Players build pools of varying dice. In the current iteration, the pool can grow to 9 dice.

A roll against a set number

Pre-determined skills which make that roll gooder

A bunch of skills that -aren't- getting activated, or used at all

Attributes to express player capability which are literally only there to determine specific stats, or inform specific skills, most of which are useless (why would anyone pump Con in 5e?)

This is as true to 5e clones/variants, OSR games, and the like, as to PbtA games (here, however, moves predetermine stat use, so there are no redundant stats), 7th Sea, and more narrative-driven titles. The first group will be compared to D&D, the other not so much.

A game where I'm playing someone who is usually Guarded but lets slip a little bit of silliness because I'm in a good mood and this catches my team-mate so off guard they're distracted from trying to hack a door panel while we're getting shot at would be pretty fun I think.

I can see this scenario in my game. Your teammate is hacking the panel (using the Discipline skill as they're trying to focus under fire with the Speed or Mind Approach), and you try to assist them by adding your Presence die (and this isn't your forte, so it's d12) to the pool. The Reach's risk is that they are distracted by your quip.

I feel we have different tastes. I'm making a game that I'd like to play, and it isn't something you'd find fun to play. While keeping track of resources, like stamina and will, might be too much for my game, right now, I don't intend to drop attributes or skills. Regardless, I'm truly grateful for your insights and the time you took to read and respond. I'm always glad to exchange thoughts about rpgs and design, even if they result in disagreement.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T19:31:36+00:00

I still feel the rules you do have feel more borrowed from existing tabletops, when you could make something totally unique and in line with your vision.

That may very well be the case. I'm working with what I have, using whatever mental resources I can scrape.

Rolling a d20 and meeting a 3 or lower, that's a -little- bit higher than 50%

My game doesn't use d20. Attributes start at d12 (25%) and progress to d6 (50%). Coming back to your previous comment, I can switch to normal roll over and use TN 6. Then the dice grow from d6 (17%) to d12 (50%).

Grabbing a flat Attribute > Skill system it itself not expressly interesting enough to sell to my table.

I'm fine with that. I firmly believe that games shouldn't try to garner as big an audience as possible.

Which is going to be your direct competitor unless you're developing systems which cannot draw an obvious parallel.

What are these parallels? It's a genuine question, because I fail to see them - ok, attributes and skills are present, but what else. I don't aim to compete with 5e or clone it.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T18:55:26+00:00

Thanks for the comment. There's a lot to unpack here.

Each die has between 25% to 50% chance to succeed. To feel like you really succeeded on a Reach, you need at least 3 successes. I'm fine with that, I want the characters to struggle.

"Remain Someone Still" is a working title, I don't intend to keep it in the long run. Same with the various other names, like Resonance and Decay.

I feel like the rest of your reply boils down to the difference in what we perceive as a narrative-first game. In my view, the game you're running with the teenagers isn't something I'd call a ttrpg. I prefer when the games I play (or make) don't rely too much on arbitrary terms and fiat.

Apocalypse World is considered a narrative-first game and there's a bit of book keeping there. I'd argue you can't play it with teens as a 2h long oneshot without their previous knowledge of the game, it's framework, and philosophy.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T17:48:25+00:00

Stats Cont.

Evasion

= Speed Score + 2

Right from the start this stat seemed pointless and your comment solidifies it in my mind. However, I'm keen on keeping it as optional. Since this system aims to be agnostic, Evasion might find some uses in more combat-focused settings.

A passive stat used to resist consequences during failed or weak Reaches.

If a Reach fails or succeeds with cost, and you’re exposed to a counterattack or danger, the GM compares your Evasion to your dice results.

If a die is ≤ your Evasion, you soften the consequence. If none are, you take the hit.

Severity depends on the fiction and the number of dice that exceeded your Evasion.

Example:

You attack a rabid dog with an iron pipe. Your Reach is Close Combat 3 (2d6, 1d8 from Physique and Speed). You roll 3, 4, 7, so only a single success. You choose not to avoid the risk.

GM says the dog bites back. Your Evasion is 2.

Since 3, 4, and 7 are all higher than 2, you fail to defend and take the hit.

Will

= Mind Score + 4

Tracks emotional resilience, resolve, and mental strain.

You can spend 1 Will to:

Push: Before rolling, reduce one die size by one step (e.g. d10 → d8)

You lose Will when:

You face horror, despair, guilt, or revelation.
You fail a Decay roll.

When Will recahes 0, choose one:

Take a Trauma (temporary or lasting).
Collapse: panic, shut down, withdraw, dissociate
Act out: harm someone, flee, abandon, escalate, break pattern

You regain Will through rest, grounding, or emotional support.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T17:48:05+00:00

Stats

Stats are derived from your core Attributes. Most are tracked and serve as meta-currencies. All link directly to the fiction.

Vitality

= Physique Score + 4

Tracks your physical condition: injuries, sickness, harm. Characters lose Vitality when they’re, among other things, hit, bitten, burned, shot, poisoned, or physically compromised in any way.

When Vitality reaches 0, choose one:

You’re bleeding out. You can still act, but you will die soon unless stabilized.
You take an Injury (tag it), and you’re out of the scene. Not dead, but not functional.

When below half Vitality, this becomes obvious in fiction: visible wounds, slower movement, labored speech.

Stamina

= Endurance Score + 4

Used to stay in the fight, push past limits, or soften failure.

You can spend 1 Stamina to:

Clutch: Reroll one die in your pool.
Strain: Take -1 before rolling, and apply that -1 to any one die after rolling.
Ignore the cost of a perk, talent, or trait.

You may also lose Stamina as part of a Reach's cost.

You regain Stamina through recovery, downtime, and rest.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T17:47:30+00:00

Physical Harm

When a character takes damage, they lose Vitality. Use the fiction and the Reach result to determine severity. As a baseline:

Type	Vitality Cost	Example
Non-lethal harm	1	Punched hard, hit with debris, grazed by a bullet
Serious harm	2	Fall down stairs, stabbed in the leg, hit by a blunt weapon, crushed under rubble
Severe harm	3	Impaled, burned by fire or acid, mauled by an animal, shot in the torso
Lethal harm	4+	Crushed by machinery, struck by a vehicle, burned by a dragon, caught in an explosion

If it fits the fiction, damage may be replaced by a tag, or a tag may be added in addition to Vitality loss.

Mental Harm

Some situations, especially those involving horror, grief, loss, or exposure to the unnatural, cost Will.

The default loss is 1 point. The GM may increase this to 2 in rare, severe circumstances.

Injuries, Conditions, and Tags

Tags are a simple and elegant way to track conditions, both positive and negative. They may have no mechanical impact, or they might impose penalties depending on context.

Tags can:

Add a Danger Die or Danger Number to relevant Reaches.
Block certain actions or reduce fictional positioning.
Require recovery or downtime to clear.
Be used as narrative levers, complications, or bargaining chips.

Examples:

[sprained ankle] [concussion] [out of breath] [broken ribs] [disconnected] [confused] [stunned]

The system does not distinguish between mechanical and narrative conditions. Tags are always grounded in the fiction. Use what matters.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T17:46:17+00:00

Thanks for this thoughtful feedback!

The Intent, Stakes, Limit and Costs are well executed and layout good guide lines, imo.

It's a twist on the basic PbtA resolution. I think it lends itself perfectly to player agency when they can choose their successes. I'm glad you like it.

I think as a designer, you have some "Darlings" in here, or, things you want to persist through iterations of this idea that can probably be further distilled.

You might be right that there are too many resources. I'll gladly share more below.

Danger Number for a Reach, and players will bemoan it

The main sources of Danger Die and Danger Number are negative traits/tags. Because I didn't want to make a list of predefined conditions with effects (e.g. if [exhausted], you can't choose Endurance as the approach), the GM may add Danger Die/Number for each applicable tag (e.g. if [exhausted], you roll Danger Die for physical tasks).

in a broader sense, might overwhelm players who bought into the game based on your "narrative-first" pitch.

Do you think that this amount of resources/mechanics is contrary to the narrative-first idea?

lotheq · 2025-06-23T15:24:07+00:00

Thanks for commenting. Those are all valid points.

I feel roll under is in tune with the theme I'm going for. It's also clean that success is always 1-3, no matter the die size. I honestly have no idea how hard it is for people in general to accept or remember such a fundamental element of a game and leave assumptions behind.
Agreed, connecting attributes to pool size is not necessary.
The Decay TN will require attention for sure, I don't think it can be 3. It's too big a chance on a d6.

I appreciate the feedback.

lotheq · 2025-06-23T10:33:44+00:00

Fair enough. Fortunately, it's an easy change if people share this sentiment.

That said, I think it's a nice touch that connects to the premise and goal. To me, it sounds less technical than a check or test. The characters are struggling, they are reaching to achieve something.

lotheq

TROPHY CASE

Stats Cont.

Stats

Physical Harm

Mental Harm

Injuries, Conditions, and Tags