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How about some more feedback from TTRPGs I just read? Short things, game supplements, interesting things, every time. A vision of TTRPG that appeals to me.
Chariot of Air-Sprayed Fire, by Wes Franks
Wes Franks, who is also behind Carrion Comfort, is an author I discovered in The Gauntlet community. I discovered him in particular in the actual play The Ninth Step, but also with a very promising ashcan: Come On In.
Anyway, here's a short production about Public Access. An unlockable reward. One morning, on Rodenbecker Street, not far from where the Latchkeys have settled in for the summer, an old van has been put up for sale. And the Latchkeys are going to pitch in to buy it from its enigmatic owner (whom they'll never see).
From then on, in addition to being able to use the van in fiction, players will also be able to customize it (under certain conditions). Unlockable upgrades for the van range from a supercharged engine to a striking paint job, from a CB radio to a panoramic roof with telescope. And other surprises.
What's great here is that each upgrade brings interesting and varied ideas from a mechanical point of view, which will push players to play in a certain way, but we also find, for each upgrade and in just a few lines, a micro-story that will bring intriguing fictional elements to add to our stories. This van is a story magnet.
There's also a Victorian cousin of the van for The Between.
A Chariot of Air-Sprayed Fire is available on itch.io
Green River, by Riley
Available only in french...
Following the release of Liminal Horror in French, a Game Jam was held with many participants, on a wide variety of formats and ideas.
Riley, an active member of the JDR Academy, had provided me with a first version of his Green River for review, and as the scenario is now available, it's time to talk about it. First of all, it's interesting to see that river descents in canoes or rafts continue to excite the imagination. Because that's what it's all about here: a bachelor/bachelorette gathering, which of course will end badly. After all, we're in Liminal Horror.
The module fits on an A4 double-sided sheet, in three panels. A condensed, to-the-point format. The roles to be played define the proposition. We play a group of friends, with archetypes. A reduced equipment list is adapted to the starting situation.
And then there's the strange and horrifying. A dangerous family lurks by the river. Strange places are to be found, and of course there's a stress table adapted to the environment. The atmosphere is well set, but remains a little too survivalist for my taste. With Liminal Horror as an engine, I'd have liked to see a little more madness in there.
Still, it's a great canvas for those who like to get started with little preparation. But don't expect a complete scenario here: it's full of blanks, and it'll be up to you to fill in the blanks, depending on what happens at the table. No final resolution, no plans, no precise details of locations. Improvise, bounce around, ask the players to create the story with you!
Green River is available on itch.io
Out of Print, by Jason Pickering
How would you like to spend the winter with a cozy solo RPG? How about quietly running a bookshop with a cast of regulars who come to see you?
In Out of Print, we're going to play and write down, in a diary, various events of our day as a bookseller, in a quiet little town. We'll start by creating a few NPCs who'll come to see us often, with characteristics such as an occupation, an animal trait (Animal Crossing vibe!), a character and a favorite genre. That's all there is to it.
Then we'll draw up prompts, ranging from a simple encounter in the store to a ride home with one of the recurring characters, or the reception of a long-awaited book. Nothing exceptional about these prompts, but a very restful, very calm, very cozy touch. Once you've reached the end of the prompts (by moving through them via the D6), your day is over... and you can get ready for the next one.
It all fits on one page, in mini-zine format (folded into 8 pages), which is perfect for slipping into a notebook. It's simple, but well done and perfectly suited to its purpose. A pleasant little treat.
Out of Print is available on itch.io
A Singular Quest, by Gregor Vuga
We finish this issue with something singular. A Singular Quest offers a format similar to that of The Barbarian's Bloody Quest: one person plays a character, the main protagonist of the story. And it's this player who controls the rules, and sets the story. Facing him/her are one or more other people, who will be asked to bring the world to life, to set up dangers and perils.
Here, the game proposes a unique maneuver to confront a peril. Based on the same principle as in Pasion de las Pasiones, for example, we evaluate four questions (am I prepared, do I have the favor of the gods, etc.) which give us as many bonuses on the die roll. Then, depending on the result (with classic PBTA levels), we'll obtain more or less favors (or misfortunes). The favors are chosen by the volunteers, the misfortunes by the player himself. The player retains control over his character's destiny.
A destiny that leads him on a quest, which will progress as he faces the trials and tribulations that lie ahead, with a sort of clock to fill.
The game's graphic ambience, certain suggestions in its lists (you can play a hunter, a skeleton, a princess, a witch, a trouveur...) and certain formulations give off an antique, slightly melancholy poetry. It's hard to describe and specify, but this text exudes a particular atmosphere.
Perhaps all this should be supplemented by guides, atmosphere lists, quest ideas or encounters. But as it stands, if you've got a bit of background, a lore book, a shared universe or a few random lists, it'll be easy to set off on a quest.
A Singular Quest is available on itch.io