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I've been very happy that we (Compose Dream Games) has been able to make it available in print and in PDF for both Canada and now the UK. Canada: The Monster Overhaul United Kingdom (and EU): The Monster Overhaul Your FLGS can also order it in for you from us! The book is already on it's 3rd...

That's an interesting point. Narrative magnitude can be a pretty real thing. In Simple Superheroes #0 people start with a choice of three arrays to pick. Focused, Standard, or Well-rounded. Focused get fewer higher ranked talents, while well-rounded get more lower ranked talents. Focused...

Interesting, the last one in particular seem to match my Scenario Game definition, which I don't think I have actually heard anyone use before! I would agree that "Zine" is just format. A short "half-sized" saddle-stitched book. There's some overlap but there's plenty of adventures for other...

This is a refreshing take, and a freeing one. I recall a story about Dave Arneson running games at conventions and handing out character sheets from different editions (3e, Basic, AD&D and I believe something else entirely like Adventures in Fantasy maybe). Some of the players were naturally...

Exactly, there are always borderline cases. Lots of starter sets for RPGs or similar might come with maps, dice, figures etc too, but that isn't the expected norm.

Alright, this has been percolating for a bit. I think I would go with: Scenario Games. Think of it as an Adventure+System. They are written to facilitate a relatively narrow story -- much like a scenario or adventure for a larger system -- but include all the necessary mechanics and context to...

I spent a chunk of today chatting with a boardgame cafe owner at OtonaCon in Peterborough about RPGs, storygames, and the border between boardgames and these. They are often pretty blurry. Once a game is GMless it can be more so. To me the main difference is two-fold -- a) a boardgame...

There's a premium on the Leatherette versions. Regular covers are notably less.

I enjoyed reading some of @robertsconley blog posts and I'm pretty tempted to pick up the book! Most recently I have considered running the "underdark" style hexcrawls in AA#23 Down the Shadowvein and it's sequel AA#24 The Mouth of the Shadowvein because of the somewhat linear river and...

@_HERETIC_ Looks like you are new here on ENworld, so if you have read and played dozens of very different RPGs . . . then what follows doesn't apply. My best advice to someone who is looking to design a system is combine things you like from multiple (at least two) different games that you...

You need to specify your DnD edition ;) Your description I take to mean 3ed + versions. If you only ever use ability attribute modifiers and never use the actual scores for anything, then you do not need the scores. Many games use just modifiers that are actually used in rolls and these are...

Hot take: Unless you plan to have your system uses ability checks where you roll under their value (i.e. make a dex check -- Frank the Fighters dex is 12 -- he roles 3d6 or a d20 and hopes to get 12 or under) don't have attributes like this. Have a -2 to +3. Got six stats? Give them 6 points...

The first "writer's room" game I encountered (played it at an event) was Universalis (first release in 2002, very Forge Era). I pretty much described it that way before I heard the term (it feels like you are a bunch of writers brainstorming a movie or TV series.) Most systems I've played along...

Looks like your store is in BC, Canada? If you'd like I'd be happy to send a little package of Canadian RPGs from ComposeDreamGames.com your way as a "that sucks and here's a small way we can help." You are welcome to send me a PM to talk further.

There's a lot I could say on this topic and I intend to respond to some specifics of others thoughts. Here's some of mine: A1: Each of my game designs should have its own set of design principles/goals. (Otherwise why make a new game? The "A"s below are other apriori items.) A2: Mechanics and...

I don't feel like scaling at all levels is useful. I do like how Pendelhaven Publishing scaled both their Creatures of Fairy-tale and Myth 5e and Creatures of Fairy-tale and Myth for Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok. Both have configurations for all 50 or so monsters at 5 different tiers. Those...

Ah . . . thanks for letting me know. Corrected!

Skerples has already started work on "The Treasure Overhaul" which seems pretty sweet. His two most recent blog posts on Coins and Scrolls cover it and provide a couple downloads. My own recent big project was launching an indie RPG distributor in the UK to match the one I run in Canada ;) So...

Alright, so I am pretty much saying it here first: There are 84 copies of the The Monster Overhaul that have just landed in the UK (actually 90 but 6 are already claimed). We expect to have them in our hands mid-week. You can order from The Monster Overhaul This is also the best place to order...

I spent the some of the day setting up a reward program for the RPG Marketplace I run. So people can earn points on any PDF purchase and then redeem those points towards other titles. You also earn reward points for sending someone else a e-gift card like say your GM buddies. Details...