Design

Designing around Spike-Traps

Apr 20, 2024 · 5 min read · RPG Design BIND

When making things, once in a while you spit a pit-trap laden with spikes, and screech to a halt to think about the route ahead very carefully, then try out the solution. When making chairs, I guess people test by sitting in the chair. Writers and RPG designers can't get this kind of snappy feedback, so I guess we're …

Print it Yourself

Feb 9, 2024 · 2 min read · RPG BIND Design

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 have …

Consumers of BIND

Jan 30, 2024 · 2 min read · RPG Design LaTeX

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 - …

Small RPGs

Dec 13, 2023 · 1 min read · RPG Design

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 …

How to Write a Tabletop RPG

Dec 2, 2023 · 12 min read · RPG Theory Design

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 …

One Roll Only

Nov 25, 2023 · 3 min read · RPG Design BIND

The roll-only-once rule saves a lot of real-world time. Nobody rolls again. Every roll means something. Multiple Rolls Guarantee Success Let's say the PCs want to pick a lock. The first one fails the roll, but they have plenty of time. Another rolls the dice and fails. A third sighs, knowing they will make it out of …

Subraces Should be Cultures

Nov 5, 2023 · 3 min read · RPG Design BIND

Referring to elves as a 'race' makes perfect sense. They're clearly different from the other humanoids, have their own features, and biological properties and oddities.1 But 'sylvan elves'? The elves who live in forests, but generally act like any other elf? They're clearly just elves living in a different climate. …

On the Necessity of the Four Classical Elements

Jul 27, 2023 · 3 min read · RPG Design

I wanted to make an elemental magic system, and tried to deviate from the four classical elements. It's a lot more challenging than I thought. If you go with random stuff, like trees, birds, and rivers as your basic elements, then you end up with a multitude of items. We could divide the world into larger pieces of …

Writing for the GM

Jun 26, 2023 · 3 min read · RPG Design

I don't have the reading time for RPGs I once did (or for anything). I'd like to chalk if up to being an adult with a job now, but perhaps the truth is just 'internet'. Whatever the reason, I want to write better for GMs. Here are the principles I've picked up from reading/ writing (no credits given - I can't even …

Drinking Game Design

Feb 9, 2023 · 2 min read · Prattle Design

Standard drinking games are badly designed; if someone does badly, they get drunk, then do worse on the next game, which prompts more drinking. The only people who play drinking games want to drink, but when you lose, you drink, so the incentives don't track anyone's goals. A better drinking game would have a drink as …