They say you have to playtest, but they forget that I'm a lazy man, so when it came to travel rules, I didn't feel like simulating a bunch of journeys. So it's time to get the computer to do the work for me.

Setup

An encounter roll occurs every 1D6 intervals in BIND (where an interval = 'one quarter of the day' = '6 …

A random RPG mechanic popped fully-formed into my head, so now it will pop into yours.

The player first states what the character will do:

• I cut the heads off three goblins.

• I stab him in the neck.

...and the opponent makes a counter-proposal.

• I shoulder-barge a bandit, and throw him into the river.
  • Or he could …

When designing Fenestra, I noticed it had no magical universities. I really mean 'noticed', rather than 'stipulated', or 'invented'.

People think that if anything's possible at the start, then it'll all be possible later. Options 'A', 'B', and 'C' are each possible, so perhaps we might select option 'A', and later 'B'. …

Your last three sessions have felt like a mini-campaign, bursting with mystery and possibilities.

Now that we've captured the baron, how did he get all those goblins into the basement? Did we miss some hidden door to the underdark? Or was the smuggler we got that magic scroll from involved?

1        "No, it was …

I've decided against having online printing available for BIND. This may change, but here's the thinking so far:

Printing means I need to have the book mailed to me, but posting to Serbia means a whole bunch of faff. Of course, a voice in my head reminds me I could always find a way.

Send the book to a friend, and …

I've rather gone off the notion of 'collectibles'. Collectible RPG books are special because they can't meet the demand. We can't all have a copy of those original D&D books, or whatever swanky thing White Wolf brought out with the expensive full-page art.

In this vein, I've been making the campaign book - ' …

Minimalism rocks.

Looking at these minimalist systems like Cairne and Mörk Borg, I felt they were onto something. 3-pages of rules, and 'on with the game!'.

I've yet to play one, but the more I read these systems, the more I feel something's simply missing. Specifically, 'everything except combat'.

In the old D&D …

This chronological rundown of how I approach RPG design will go over the most universal principles I've learned or copied from others.

Attitude

All rules are bad, but some rules are worth it.

The rest of the ideas here will talk about technical implementation, but the core thought, riding alongside every notion, is …