The Stars Aren't Alright

Tale of the Manticore is a hybrid between a dark fantasy audio drama and a solo Dungeons & Dragons RPG. The dice make all the important decisions and, as a writer, my job is to interpret them and tell their story. Part fiction, part game, it’s the story where ”Chaos rolls.” Links taleofthemanticore.com - Official website youtube.com - Youtube channel spotify.com - Spotify feed

Shadowrun is a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate future in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. The game has gone through multiple variations and versions, since its first release in 1989, the latest "Sixth World" game system was published in 2019, by Catalyst Game Labs. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy, and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy, horror, and detective fiction. The system it directly evolved from is Shadowrun 5th Edition Description Shadowrun takes place several decades in the future (2050 in the first edition, currently 2088). The end of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar ushered in the "Sixth World" with once-mythological beings (e.g. dragons) appearing and forms of magic suddenly emerging. Large numbers of humans have "Goblinized" into orks and trolls, while many human children are born as elves, dwarves, and even more exotic creatures. The Shadowrun world is cross-genre, incorporating elements of both cyberpunk and urban fantasy. Unlike in a purely cyberpunk game, in the Shadowrun world, magic exists and has "worked" since 2011. System Overview & Key Features The d6 Dice Pool The core resolution engine uses a massive pool of six sided dice. To attempt a test, a player adds their relevant Attribute and Skill together, then rolls that many dice. Every 5 or 6 rolled counts as a "hit" and players need to roll a certain number of hits to succeed. The Edge System In the Sixth World edition, Edge is a fluid tactical resource. Instead of tracking dozens of tiny situational modifiers, characters earn Edge points during a fight by having a superior position, better gear, or catching the enemy off guard. These points are spent immediately for rerolls or special combat actions. The Three Worlds The game takes place across three distinct layers of reality. Physical combat happens in meatspace, hackers project their consciousness into the virtual reality of the Matrix, and mages project their spirits into the magical Astral Plane. A well balanced team must handle threats from all three directions at once. Magic and Drain Spellcasters do not use spell slots. Instead, they can cast spells as often as they like, but channeling arcane energy takes a physical toll. Every time a spell is cast, the mage must resist "Drain" which can cause severe stun or physical damage if they are not careful. Additional links shadowrunsixthworld.com - Official Shadowrun website catalystgamelabs.com - Official Catalyst Game Labs website

Forged in the Dark is a tabletop roleplaying game framework and System Reference Document created by John Harper. Released in 2017, it is the underlying engine that powers Blades in the Dark and has since been used by independent designers to build countless other games, such as Scum and Villainy and Band of Blades. It excels at telling stories about capable but flawed groups of people pulling off daring missions against overwhelming odds. The system it directly evolved from is Blades in the Dark Description Instead of being a single game, Forged in the Dark is an open license toolkit. Players form a crew, whether they are space smugglers, military mercenaries, or rebel outcasts, and undertake dangerous missions known as Scores. The system is heavily narrative and focuses on failing forward, meaning a bad dice roll never stalls the story, but instead introduces a new complication. It completely eliminates tedious planning phases by throwing players directly into the action. System Overview & Key Features The d6 Dice Pool To resolve a risky action, a player rolls a pool of six sided dice based on their action rating. The highest single die determines the result. A six is a full success, a four or five is a partial success with a consequence, and a one to three is a bad outcome. Position and Effect Before the dice hit the table, the Game Master establishes the Position (Controlled, Risky, or Desperate) and the Effect (Limited, Standard, or Great). This ensures everyone understands exactly what is at stake and how much impact the action will have. Progress Clocks The game tracks complex threats and long term projects using circular clocks divided into segments. A stealth mission might have a clock for the guards going on high alert, filling up bit by bit as the players roll partial successes or failures. Stress and Resistance Characters have a Stress track that they can spend to push themselves for extra dice or to assist an ally. More importantly, players can spend Stress to resist any consequence the Game Master introduces, allowing characters to survive deadly situations by sheer willpower. Flashbacks Players do not need to spend hours planning a heist or mission. When they encounter an obstacle, they can simply spend Stress to declare a flashback, narrating how their character anticipated the problem and set up a solution in the past. Phases of Play The game flows through specific phases. Free Play is where characters gather information and choose a target. The Score is the actual mission. Finally, Downtime allows the crew to recover from injuries, reduce their heat, and work on personal projects before the cycle begins again. Additional links bladesinthedark.com - Official System Reference Document and rules database evilhat.com - Official Evil Hat Productions website