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Thielavision

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A member registered Jun 11, 2020 · View creator page →

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I haven't watched any Mazes playthroughs, but I can imagine why you had that reaction. 

Like you, what appeals to me about Polymorph is that the core resolution mechanic is so very basic, yet allows for a few surprises.

My own design goal is to create something that scratches my PBTA itch while being even simpler.

One thing I've enjoyed about PBTA is that all of the character creation stuff is on the character sheet itself. While I haven't quite gone that far here--mostly because I'd need to make 12 different templates--I still like the ability to stat up a character in a couple of minutes.

Another plus of PBTA--specifically Dungeon World--is that there are no lengthy explanations of the how, what and why of monsters. They get a few keywords and some stuff they will do when someone blows a roll.

There aren't any rules for how a Medusa's petrification works; a Medusa turns someone to stone because that's what a Medusa does. And there's probably a magic spell that can change them back, but it will take research and perhaps an exotic ingredient or two.

I began to question the need for Darkness as a GM resource. With a loosey-goosey system like Polymorph or PBTA, did I really need to justify making things up on the fly? Isn't that part and parcel of a rules-light TTRPG? 

It occurred to me that instead of being used as a currency, Darkness could be a condition that "unlocked" certain abilities of Elite Hazards as the game clock advanced from Daybreak to Dusk. That would maintain the notion of Darkness as something to be feared, while eliminating the potential weirdness of the GM overspending their way back into a "lighter" tier.

I think that's something I could develop more fully in a later version.

Thanks for the feedback! A lot of it comes from the Polymorph SRD, but there’s some Rebel Scum and Mazes DNA in there too. Monster of the Week is an obvious influence, and there’s a smidge of Dungeon World/PBTA as well. 

Originally I had something more akin to the Treasure mechanic from Mazes, but I eventually realized that it was more complicated than I needed, and went for more of an Action Point pool. 

Similarly, I initially used Darkness as a GM resource per the Polymorph SRD and Mazes, but it was pointed out to me that it didn’t make thematic sense for Darkness to decrease when the Big Bad summoned minions. Also, I liked the more straightforward progression of the Darkness track in Rebel Scum. 

Are you asking whether I’m planning to create adventures for it, or if I intend to add more about adventure creation?