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ACCLAIMED ADVICE.
Following the work of one Paul Baldowski, I’ve picked up several gaming approaches that align with what I enjoy and get out of TTRPGs.
I first came across Paul’s work with his standout RPG, The Dee Sanction.
I liked what I read, but also what I saw, the bolded text that signified some kind of symbology or meaning (although not everyone took to this), the clean, succinct sentences, the economy, but somehow they presented a wealth of feeling and thoughts that fleshed out the scene, the character, the elements of the game.
So playing and running Paul’s games and talking to the chap at times has given me two great pieces of advice, though he may not know it, that I take into my dabbling on game design.
Economy
Only write what you need to, there is beauty in minimising to only that which needs to be said. The enemy of RPGs is word salad. This also gets the brain thinking about the core and essence of what your game is about, what you enjoy about it and what message you want to get across to the GM or players. I tend to do this in iterations, starting with a lot, and reducing and reducing it, until I have what I need. But don’t through anything away, store those things, because they can become little gems in their own right. One day you may end up with something like The Dee Sanction, 70 pages of rules, a bestiary, a multi-session adventure, a character sheet, a glossary, an index and content. Wow!
Avoid the straight path
Look at the odd angles, peer through the murky windows and explore the unobvious elements of the story that are bouncing around in your head. For me, these become more memorable elements in play, they also won’t bore you or your audience unnecessarily and usually start you on a journey to discovering more interesting thoughts at the edge of your story. Many a time I’ve looked at Paul’s scenarios or rules and pondered, what they mean, but sometimes those things are better left unclear or unsaid, letting the GM work a bit or fill in the gaps and create something new or unique from Paul’s design ideas.
But don’t just take my word for it, go and check out some more of Paul’s excellent games like Cthulhu Hack and Sanction. Plus the amazing range of RPG accessories at All Rolled Up - the Harker Adventurer Oilskin All Rolled Up Dice Bag - Chef’s Kiss!