Another #RPGaDay 2017 question that made me go, "Hmmmmmmm...."
Day 19: "Which RPG Features the Best Writing?"
I can think of quality publishers, a sourcebook of note, but I had to think long and hard into the past, only find the answer in the immediate past for some of the best writing in a rulebook I've seen in quite some time.
The My Little Pony Tails of Equestria Storytelling Game.
Yeah, you can stop laughing. This game makes your favorite game appear to have been written by dyslexic monkeys with hooks for hands who typed it up in the middle of Grand Mal seizure.
Now that I've offended everyone, let me explain.
This type of book needs to cover three groups: the Pony fanatics, kids and their parents, and the general role-playing crowd, and it successfully writes to each group at the same time, without talking down to them or going over their heads.
This has some of the best explanation as to what an RPG/Storytelling game is, solid examples on how mechanics should work 99% of the time (without persevering on the 1%), and almost calming advice to those who want to run a game.
The kicker is character creation: With only one quick breeze through of the book, I was able to conduct full character creation with my six and eight-year old daughters in just a few minutes, because the section was so well structured that my eldest could pop between the required chapters to look up talents and quirks. Page numbers for other sections and basic explanations that make an experienced gamer admire its simple elegance was the apparently the mission of the writers/editors.
I'm willing to compare it to my Savage Worlds Explorer Edition, because (a) the kids love playing Savage Worlds and (b) the similarities between character creation and mechanics are oddly comforting (Maja, my eight year old, realized that all by herself). So, while portions of Savage Worlds are wildly in-depth, it's not the multiple options available for character advancement that turns Maja off, it's the lack of internal organization and reference points so she can compare and contrast. .
And their version of "Bennies" blows the lid off anything Savage Worlds does.
I was planning Mousling Fantasy games using Savage Worlds, but I figure a few more sessions under our belts, and I could easily set up under My Little Pony.
Heck, I assume after a few more read through and me teaching her what a basic story outline is, Maja will be ready to GM her first RPG any day now, and I'll be forced to run Mouslings if I want a chance of GMing something.
Day 19: "Which RPG Features the Best Writing?"
I can think of quality publishers, a sourcebook of note, but I had to think long and hard into the past, only find the answer in the immediate past for some of the best writing in a rulebook I've seen in quite some time.
The My Little Pony Tails of Equestria Storytelling Game.
Now that I've offended everyone, let me explain.
This type of book needs to cover three groups: the Pony fanatics, kids and their parents, and the general role-playing crowd, and it successfully writes to each group at the same time, without talking down to them or going over their heads.
This has some of the best explanation as to what an RPG/Storytelling game is, solid examples on how mechanics should work 99% of the time (without persevering on the 1%), and almost calming advice to those who want to run a game.
The kicker is character creation: With only one quick breeze through of the book, I was able to conduct full character creation with my six and eight-year old daughters in just a few minutes, because the section was so well structured that my eldest could pop between the required chapters to look up talents and quirks. Page numbers for other sections and basic explanations that make an experienced gamer admire its simple elegance was the apparently the mission of the writers/editors.
I'm willing to compare it to my Savage Worlds Explorer Edition, because (a) the kids love playing Savage Worlds and (b) the similarities between character creation and mechanics are oddly comforting (Maja, my eight year old, realized that all by herself). So, while portions of Savage Worlds are wildly in-depth, it's not the multiple options available for character advancement that turns Maja off, it's the lack of internal organization and reference points so she can compare and contrast. .
And their version of "Bennies" blows the lid off anything Savage Worlds does.
I was planning Mousling Fantasy games using Savage Worlds, but I figure a few more sessions under our belts, and I could easily set up under My Little Pony.
Heck, I assume after a few more read through and me teaching her what a basic story outline is, Maja will be ready to GM her first RPG any day now, and I'll be forced to run Mouslings if I want a chance of GMing something.
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