I don’t know how many times I’ve sat down to try writing my own roleplaying game, but I do know that this blog is testament to several attempts.
Each attempt has failed. That said, each version gets me one step closer to that mythical “ideal” roleplaying game. My sincere hope is that my new project, “Whitegrave“, will hit the spot. I certainly has all the makings of something fun.
What is Whitegrave?
Whitegrave arose from the collision of five inspirational sources that have been mulling around my brain for a while.
- The first was the best bit from Traveller5, namely the d6-based dice tests.
- The second was the Whitebox edition of Swords & Wizardry.
- The third was David Hargrave’s classic Arduin setting and house rules, originally published way back in the 1980s.
- The fourth was Whitehack Second Edition, by Christian Mehrstam.
- The fifth was a dream about an urban fantasy city, blending classic fantasy with science fiction.
In short, I wanted to hack together a game that would bring this mythical place, Whitegrave, to life. The setting would mash-up all the stuff I love about the so-called “gonzo” fantasy of the early days, combining it with some of the best ideas from other sources.
Thus, I’ve grabbed up the core text of the Whitebox S&W rules (available for playing around with under the OGL) and mashed it up with what I’m calling the “Affinity System” dice mechanic (which I’ve been messing around with for years!), ideas from Hargrave’s ramblings, and one or two nifty ideas from Whitehack.
The resultant and emergent game is… well, exciting! An alternative that expresses my own brand of fantastic dreaming in a fresh manner.
Whitegrave, City of the Apocalypse
At the edge of time and reality lies the city of Whitegrave. Those living there are the refugees of lost realms drawn together in a bitter struggle for survival. All know that the city is the best hope for all, despite their petty squabbles and bitter rivalries.
Swept to the world of Taran through the magickal Ether Storms, many are the descendants of the random swirlings of Etheric energy that captures and carries all manner of beings across time and reality. Others had ancestors who stepped through a Moongate and entered the world willingly, but they are no less trapped. Taran is a world between other worlds, a place where the lost seek to become found.
The desolate lands that surround Whitegrave are the doom and the hope of many. For those who would escape the confines of the city, the realms around it are filled with abandoned places from which treasures and artefacts might be recovered. With each passing year, the adventurers of Whitegrave both reach further and delve deeper into the secrets of the world upon which they find themselves. It remains to be seen whether these items and secrets are best discovered or left untouched.
Affinity System
At the heart of the game is the “Affinity System”, a prattling title for the basic dice mechanic.
Each character has some Affinities which quantify their raw ability in certain key functions of the game. Tests are made by rolling some dice. In short, to succeed you need to roll equal to or less than the value of the Affinity that’s being tested.
For example, if I am testing my Strength to see if I can break down a door, then I need to roll equal to or less than the value of my Strength.
Difficulty?
Sometimes a test is made more difficult due to circumstance. A test that is typically a mere challenge calls for a roll of 3d6. If things are harder, the Game Master will ask you to add one die for each level of difficulty the test endures; if things are easier, the Game Master will take away a die.
Thresholds?
Sometimes a test will have a Threshold. This means that, in addition to rolling less than or equal to your Affinity value, you also need to roll higher than the Threshold. Typically, a Threshold is attached to things that offer some kind of passive resistance to your action.
For example, when trying to break down that door the GM decides that it’s not just Difficult but also reinforced. He assigns a Threshold of 8. Now you’ve got to roll less than your Strength but also more than the reinforcement Threshold of 8.
Boosts?
For some tests your character might have some skill, piece of special gear, or other ability that boosts their chance of success. We call these Boost Dice because… well, they boost your chances of success.
Each Boost Die can be added to the handful of dice you are asked to pick up by the GM. Instead of simply totalling the dice, however, you can substitute one of your Boost Dice for any of the regular dice.
For example, with my Difficult Strength test, I pick up 5d6. Because my character has been empowered by a magick spell, however, the GM says I can also pick up a Boost Die. I roll 6d6 and pick the most favourable 5 dice to total. In other words, I’ll probably ignore the die with the highest value because I want to roll lower than my Strength.
Whitegrave In The Raw
If you’re curious, you can grab the raw text of Whitegrave as it evolves from its very own home page. The ebook is free and available in multiple formats, which is all handled by those lovely folk at Leanpub. I’ll be adding to it, editing, polishing, and generally fiddling around with the text for the coming months. Once you’ve “bought” (it’s free, at a stunning $0.00) the book, you’ll get updates at no further cost too.
As for me, I’m going to keep tinkering away and see if I can get a working draft bashed together sooner rather than later. Once the basics are there, and I’m pretty close as it stands, I can knock up some playtest characters and have at it!
Game on!
