A P&P RPG project I'm working on.

[crit29401]

You know how it goes, somebody says "hey, I've got this GREAT new idea for a computer game, all I need is somebody to program it for me, somebody to do the graphics, somebody to finance it and somebody to test it (that's actually a lot of work the testing, I mean imagine playing a game that you don't enjoy for hours every day, trying stupid and improbable thigns to see if they work and if they do what they're supposed to!) and then I'll release it and make a lot of money and after that, having ruined your private life and had you fired from your work, I'll pay you something for your efforts.

I'm actually not posting this to get help for my computer game.

A few years ago I made a pencil and paper RPG which I played extensively with my family because it was fun.
I've been working on it and refining it since, only problem is that it's now HUGE and despite trying to keep it simple, becoming quite complex. I've released various versions of it as public domain and I'll gladly send you a copy. I wanted it to be simple to play and require no real equipment except for dice, pencil and paper, the rule book and you could use a set of normal playing cards. I thought it would be fun to make cards for it if I could find a friendly illustrator (I can draw, but I'm lazy!) who was very good, that has since happened, but don't tell her yet, I'm getting enough money to pay her first.

When it started getting big and complex, my brother suggested it would work better in Python, he taught me some rudimentary coding skills and we made some progress in turning it into a game.
anyone intersted?

[crit29401]

Sorry, I was interupted before I could finish last time and just left it at
"anyone interested".
Ok, my brother and I managed to get the game to the level where you have can have characters who
work in terms of the game and can suffer damage or be healed. I'm a bit rusty and my brother kind
of got a job and a girlfriend who turned into a wife, who turned into a mother so he now has little
time to babysit me through my clumsy attempts to learn programming - nevertheless, I have not given
up on the Python game and I'm not going around asking people to code it for me just yet! I've made
tons of retro-style pixel art in the meantime. The Python Game will be released freely as PyGames
are normally.

I want to take the whole public domain thing furhter than I have. My idea I didn't finish telling you
about with regards to the illustrator is that my game and it's variants could be released as public
domain, but I wouldn't stop other people making money out of it if they could.
Obviously they could just claim that the whole thing was theirs from the word go and try to copyright
it, but I have uploaded the pdf of the rule book several times over the years and even posted it
randomly on people's forums, saying explicitly that I wanted this to be public domain; it should show
the date it was posted.
Someone making a version of my game or something based on it and copyrighting it then making money out
of it I support - someone trying to prevent others from playing it without paying them money I don't.
In much the same spirit, I'm trying to create opportunities for illustrators and writers to make money
out of my game.
I have explained that the game works and normal playing cards can be used. If you take the sections on
what the various playing cards represent out, the rule book will shrink down to "long shortstory" or
"novella" lengh. I think that the game could be very enjoyable if played with about three decks of
nicely illustrated cards. For this purpose, I'm making my game like Poker or Blackjack, it is a game
which nobody owns, but the set of playing cards can be owned by someone. Anyone can play with normal
playing cards or draw their own cards, but the game could be a lot more fun with a professionally
illustrated pack of cards. These I think illustrators would be able to sell if the game catches on -
this is actually my subtle plan to get other people to promote my game, becasue if they do they can
make money out of it.
Further, the game is quite versatile and can very easilly be adapted to work as one of those game-books
(only more fun to play with more intensive combat etc...) I'd like it that any writer anywhere can
write and publish one of those books for this game and make whatever money they can out of it. The
game can still be played quite easilly without the books or the fancy cards, they just make it more
fun. This is my plan for allowing people to make money off my idea while still keeping it public domain.

For the purposes of getting the ball rolling I'll commission a really good illustrator to make a nice
set of cards as soon as I have the money (it will mostly be done as a favor I hope, but still, it
will be expensive!) I'm also writing one of those game books, but it is difficult to do so in a way
which is interesting.

My brother started his own version of my game which was intended for a science-fiction based rpg,
needless to say mine was fantasy-based, I don't know exactly how far that has come, but my guess
is not that far.

So no, I'm not saying that I have this great idea and all I need is someone to make it for me,
it's made and being made right now. I'm interested in getting people to play it both in the
pencil and paper and in the computer version (as soon as that's done) I'm interested in getting
feedback on it and suggestions for improving it, as well as attracting illustrators who want
to make cards and writers who want to write game books. You don't even have to send me a free
copy of what you've made, I'll go to the shop and buy it gladly if you make something good enough
to sell in a shop! The way the game works, you can have up to thousands of different cards and
you can adapt it to write as many game books as people are prepared to play.

<I'm also looking for an excuse to post my pdf here so that people can see that even back in
2014 I was posting it and telling everyone it was to be freely distributed as public domain,
heh-heh!>

[crit19292]

I am glad that you created something you enjoy playing. I also have written my own rulebook for tabletop RPG (Antheel Rules). It is a very conservative version of 3.0 D&D. All those uber-feats and awesome character classes and skills - well, I don't have those. The combat system also has been worked to assure that all actions can be handled in a logical manner without all these special rules for this, special rules for that, and uber-rules that trump all those other rules. It has now been play-tested for a number of years, and I have copies to sell when I go to conventions.

Taking the time to create a gaming system takes a lot of work. Getting people to use it is even tougher. Still, I use my system, and like it, so I am glad with what I have done. I hope the same is with you.

[crit29401]

One problem I have sort of noticed with D&D style games is that it all depends on your DM.
If you have a bad DM or he's having a bad day, well things don't go so great for anyone. Played as a game purely (if you could imagine unistalling your imagination and just going by rules and gaming strategy) the games are seldom much fun - that is to say, if you aren't into it, you won't enjoy the game at all.
My RPG is very much more simple in terms of combat and game play, but most people who have played to tell me that playing the game itself can be fun - perhaps they are just being polite.

I'd be interseted to find out more about other people's tabletop RPGs, provided of course you aren't planning to sell it - mine was always just for fun and I hoped others would find it fun too - if anybody would like to share theirs with me I'll be very willing to play test them.

Perhaps we could have a critters Pencil&Paper RPG forum, it may take years to get feedback on your game, but it will be worth it