SADS - Core rules and goals

Tradition would demand that to play a roleplaying game, you need some framework for people to use. 
This is, I think, entirely reasonable - but there is a huge range of what this actually means in practice though - from seriously crunchy, dense rulesets, to those that focus on storytelling and narrative, to those that provide merely the lightest touch. 

I am firmly in the camp of 'less in much, much more' when it comes to TTRPGs. Provide enough of a framework for people to actually play, and then leave them to it. 

For the games I'm writing, my goal is for them to all have the same core system - SADS (named to both set the mood of all of them, and relating to the four core stats). On top of this, though, there should be a unique game and world - so the bones are familiar if people move between the games, but feel unique and flavourful.

There are some principles and rules I'll be trying to stick to when writing any rules:

1) All of the core rules should fit on 2 a4 (plaintext), or 2 a5 (laid out) pages. I prefer the term rules sparse to rules light, and this is the core of it. 

2) Storytelling and narrative should be baked into the game. I don't want to write a generic roleplaying system - I'm not a talented enough rules writer - but have rules that help convey the tone of the game of the world it takes part in. 

3) Death should be possible. Because of this, character creation has to be quick. 

4) Leave space for players to explore the abilities of their characters, use their own creativity, and roleplay their character. 

If I can stick to all of these, I will be happy. 

Next time, I'll post one of the character classes from the first game - titled After the Burning. I'm currently choosing between the Enochian Judge, Fear, or Achorite. 

SADS Roleplaying - What and why now

 Hello world, and welcome to SADS Roleplaying. 

I'm reliably informed by the various blogs I read that blogging and roleplaying games go hand in hand - so here I am. 

For the past couple of years (at least) I've been noodling around a plan to finally, finally sit down and write an RPG. Or, in this case, a few RPGs. Like many people, I've got a google drive full of half baked, semi-abandoned projects. But no more! 

I have a plan - and it is thus:

9 games. 

3 Fantasy. 

6 'historical'. 

All connected by tone - broadly speaking, sad. 

All using the same core system. SADS. (See what I did there?)

The RPG space right now is the most creative its ever been (in my humble opinion). The domination of D&D over the space is the lowest it's been in years, and the void it's left is well and truly being filled. The zine space is at an all time high, with games like Vaults of Vaarn and Electrum Archive are just overflowing with creativity. 

The OSR/Nu-SR/whatever we're calling it is at the moment is in...well, a renaissace. I think the last time I personally felt this much was going on in that space was the original hayday of Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

On top of all of that, Backerkit and Kickstarter have allowed those individuals who are on the cusp of Going Big to truely Go Big - incredible games like the Bastionlands and Heart have got beautiful hardback books that are of no less quality that Wizard's products (but with oodles more creativity, in my opinion).

And - simply put - I wanna be a part of it, in some small way. 

So, galvanised as I am, I'm going to try and use this blog to chart me finally wrangling my creations on to paper. Three of my games are in a semi-complete state, two of the historically inspired ones, and one of the fantasy ones. We're going to be starting with the fantasy game first - purely because at the time of writing, it's the one I'm most inspired by.  

I think in the next blog I'll talk about the core system that will underpin all 9 games - at the very least, typing out my thoughts should help me sense check my choices vs them. 

Until then, sayonara.