TheDevinTeam

@thedevteam.itch.io

1385 Followers 680 Following

Hyper-focusing on RPG design, Cleave (out now!), PBTA, Pathfinder 2e, etc. he/they, free Palestine, blocks AI slop https://www.devin-developing.link

Reverence When you evoke a bond or resist a bond from a deity, add +1 to the relevant roll.
Cloud stands next to two women talking. Woman 1: "She met Dillan here, didn't she?" Woman 2: "Maybe Toby could be your Dilan." 1: The same Toby who was making moves on you? No way. That guy's too big a flirt for my taste. Maybe I'm just over men in general." 2: "Then would you consider dating... me?" 1: "Huh?"
A five-star review, but the only word is, “good”
The front page of The Delinquents RPG, detailing character creation and moves [PDF available at the link in the post]
A stick figure presenting with a slide of the Twin Towers burning: “Based on my analysis, I believe the government faked the plane crash and demolished the WTC North Tower with explosives. “The South tower, in a simultaneous but unrelated plot, was brought down by actual terrorists.” Caption: The 9/11 truthers responded poorly to my compromise theory. [alt text on the original comic: I believe the truth always lies halfway between two extreme claims.]
[excerpt from blog post] Also! Before I forget! The Doomsayer class rolls to cast, and if they critically fail, some sort of horrible thing happens, based on a random table. "Like what?" you ask? Well dear reader, we get two examples: crops wither and die, or every fetus in a one-mile radius shrivels and dies in the womb. You know. Like in FATAL. Those are our two examples of spell failure, and they each get mentioned in two separate videos. This is a system with a town named Pissberg and spells like Tragic Missile, why are we bringing mass miscarriages into this game?
The front of Street Light Brawl, an RPG about kids in gangs doing fights. This page includes character creation, moves, and basic GM advice. [a full PDF will be uploaded to my Itch later. I'm not able to include all the text in this alt text]
Be dangerous When you do something dangerous, you do it, but ask the GM if you face trouble now or stir trouble for later.
Cool it (chill) When you try to calm things down with someone, roll +Chill. 7+: they tell you what they honestly want, but on a 7-9, they might still stir trouble later even if they get it. 6-: Fuck you (they say why).
Cutscene from Metal Gear Solid. Otacon says, "Do you think love can bloom, even on a battlefield?"
The hand pointing cursor from FFVII
Still from Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Hec (Sam Neill) and Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) explore the bush with rifles in tow. Hec is aiming his rifle at something offscreen. Also there’s a dog.
Gravity Falls meme: two men stand next to a weird science portal. One says, “There’s nothing about this I understand.”
Taylor Tomlinson stand-up. Taylor says, “So I texted the 3 happiest couples in my phone” [continued in next screenshots]
THE LAWMAKER Here in the ashes of the world, there’s not much law to be found. Most places, if someone’s wronged, they’re on their own. Your holding is a kind of oasis. Your law is a kind of water, sweet and cold after too long without.
Brute You care deeply, relentlessly, violently. You act first, talk later. You hide how much your bonds control you. Fighter Conflicts inevitably find you. Violence is always a solution. You fight for and against your bonds. Hunter Hunting is how you understand the world. Observation, empathy, and violence are your tools. You bond with what you hunt. Knight Your order is your safeguard against the world. You give commands, protection, and direction. You bond with your order above all else.
Avowed 2 was being set up to be announced soon, and they were hoping to have it out with only 3 years development time by reusing tech and assets and building on the design decisions they laid out in Avowed 1. That would’ve put it as being released in 2028. And, despite the YouTube rage, Avowed was a well-received game with some positive word of mouth. It didn’t meet sales expectations but it wasn’t a flop. And part of the reason it didn’t meet sales expectations was because it had been rebooted a couple times during development, significantly increasing the costs to develop it. So instead of quickly releasing a sequel and building momentum, they’re cancelling what they’ve done so far and building a new game from scratch with no pre-existing systems or assets. They maybe can use TOW2 work, but still, it’ll probably be 5 years at least, which means it’ll likely be 2031 before we get to play it.
Explode Effect: Choose a near target. Deal [3d6] damage to that target and half that damage to at least 5 creatures close to it (or all creatures, if there are less than 5 creatures close to it). Price: The spell chooses one: • It destroys a structure within near range. • It flings you to a near location. If you hit or are hit by debris, take [2d6] damage.
Text: “Previously, Sawyer had been directing a roleplaying game that was similar structurally and thematically to Fallout but was not part of the franchise.”
Advanced moves At level 6, you may gain the move Grab power when you gain a move from leveling up. You can’t gain any other advanced moves this way. Grab power [This move allows you to gain the other advanced moves by taking a position of power in Refuge] Diplomacy Anyone who respects the city you represent also respects you. When you negotiate terms as a representative of your city with an outside force, on a 13+, the GM also tells you if they’re acting in good faith or if you should doubt their words or commitment. Informants When you gain information by using your network of spies, roll +Lore or +Precision (your choice), and on a 9+, if anyone in the city knows the info, you learn it. Lead people When you issue a command or decree to the people as a whole, and this move is unmarked, ask the GM if the people understand why they should follow it. If so, they generally do. If not, roll +Resolve. On a 9+, they follow it in general, but on a 12-, you mark this move. On an 8-, anyone who would be burdened or inconvenienced by following this command doesn’t. Powerful rituals Requirement: Ritual magic When you use ritual magic by using the resources you have as an archmage and this move is unmarked, you may mark this move to ignore up to two additional costs. When your magic publicly deals with a threat impacting at least half of Refuge, you may unmark this move. Wage battle [This move allows you to lead forces in battle]
Stonetop RPG - two gray books in a book case
Lindsay Ellis tweet: “Tyrion S4: I SHOULD HAVE LET STANNIS BURN THE LOT OF YOU, I WISH I HAD ENOUGH POISON FOR ALL OF KINGS LANDING Tyrion S8: But your grace what about the Geneva conventions
Anime meme. A pilot says, “I am a genius,” and then, “Oh no!”
POSITIONING IN COMBAT Fictional positioning includes distance and location, and these are key in a combat encounter. Keep the following in mind when engaging in combat encounters: • A player character moving toward a foe intending to use a melee attack triggers charge. • A player character repositioning to avoid an attack triggers avoid harm if they’re in danger while doing so. • A player character moving through obstacles triggers one or more costs. Resisting these triggers overcome.
Soul casting Choose three spells to keep in your soul. You can cast them without making any outward motions or obvious tells. When you cast a spell from your soul, you may roll +Resolve instead of +Lore. If you do roll +Lore, on a 9-12, you may mark a bond with your target instead of paying the price of the spell.
Bond burn Requires Soul attack When you deal damage to a bonded character, you may mark an unmarked bond with them. If you do, you ignite their soul, dealing [+4d6] damage. If this inflicts a wound, you destroy their soul. Keep any bonds with them; you can never resolve them.
Tenuous Grasp: Assails the target's grasp on reality, causing Shaken and Confuse.
Soul attack You can damage a character’s soul as well as their body. You gain the following option for clash and volley: Soul whip: Damage a belief or thought they have. Say what. Ask the GM how this changes their behavior, at least momentarily. Dominate soul Requires Soul attack When you roll 13+ on clash or you use a gambit on strike, you may, instead of the normal options, destroy a core belief that character has. Name it and describe how this almost irrevocably changes their behavior.
Read the soul When you peer into another character’s soul, roll +Precision. On a 13+, choose two to learn. On a 9-12, choose one. • A thought they’re thinking right now • A thought they wish to hide • A thought they wish they could share • A thought they cherish On an 8-, they become aware of your intrusion and act accordingly. Soul bond When this move is unmarked and you read the soul of a character, you may boost a bond with them based on what you learn. If you do, mark this move. If you keep what you learned a secret, you unmark this move if you act on that information to reinforce the bond. Soul manipulation When you deceive a character by manipulating their soul and altering their perception, on a 9+, they see, hear, and feel what you want them to. They are impaired while doing so. This lasts until they have reason to doubt their own senses.
Valorous Echoes: The cipher brings echoes of an ally's past lives to the surface, inspiring the ally to greater feats of heroism. Provides Strong and Insightful Inspirations.
Bridge souls When you build a soul bridge between your soul and a bonded ally’s soul, you may evoke a bond for them without marking it (and they may do the same for you). The max number of soul bridges you can have at one time is equal to your Resolve. Connect souls Requires Bridge souls When you build a deep, permanent connection between the souls of you and a bonded character, you always have the effect of bridge souls with them, and they don’t count toward the max. Also, you may evoke a bond for them at any time, regardless of circumstances. You can only build a connection like this once. Warm the soul When you learn a bonded character’s deepest fear, and you comfort their soul directly, roll +Resolve. On a 13+, choose two. On a 9-12, choose one. • You boost a bond with them. • They boost a bond with you. • They gain +2 forward to face that fear. On an 8-, your comfort is intrusive, misguided, or unhelpful. They say what they want from you. Do it or decay a bond with them. Wounded soul When you comfort a wounded bonded character and take their burdens on your soul, you gain a wound, Shared burden, and its effects are identical to a wound on that character. While you suffer Shared burden, they ignore the related wound.
A store clerk talking to a woman says, “People are not doing well.”
Speak with actions When you do something nice for someone without them asking, and this move is unmarked, their player chooses one: • You earn their respect. • You earn their affection. You may boost a bond with them and mark this move. • You seem soft. When they would next become frightened of you, they don’t. • They don’t notice it.
Vengeance When you fail your brute force goal to protect someone, you may change your goal to “Kill who hurt them.”
Brute focus When you set your sights on a character, and this move is unmarked, you may choose a goal. • Control them • Protect them • Impress them • Finish them If you do, mark this move. When you trigger a move pursuing this goal, you may choose a bonus for that move: • +1 Vigor • Ignore a wound • [+2d6] damage • +1 armor When you achieve your goal, that character, if they are in your presence, becomes frightened of you (say why) and you may unmark this move.
Fighting words When you negotiate terms and offer to fight someone, you may roll +Vigor instead of +Resolve. If you roll +Resolve, you boost a bond with the person if they take your offer.
Tom Bombadil next to a woman dancing in a green dress
Playbook for the Minstrel from Cleave
Particularly idiotic extract from the cass review. “6.9 In the UK, the average male is 5'9" tall and the average female 54". Some females are taller than some males, and this is part of normal variation. It would be very difficult to guess whether a 5'7" person was male or female from their height alone, because this falls right in the middle of the overlap.”
The Hunter playbook page flanked by a page for bonds and equipment, with most of their page hidden behind the main playbook page
A playbook for the Hunter in Cleave, with all the moves together on one side
A printed out playbook for the Hunter in Cleave
First text: Just watched a Toy Story special on abc - with Tay Tay [Taylor Swift, who has a song in the new movie] Reply: A Tay Tay Toy Story story?
A cartoon character holds up a sign that says, "what game would you instantly buy if it got remastered and the gameplay was updated"
Move results When players roll on a move, always check the move results. Then say what happens based on those and the position the players are in. Most moves with rolls indicate three separate degrees of success. Usually, thirteen or more (13+) offers the best outcome. Nine through twelve (9-12) offer something less. Eight or lower (8-) offers the worst outcome, often meaning you, as the GM, make life worse for them in some way. Importantly, these results are relative. While 13+ usually gets players what they want and 8- usually doesn’t, this isn’t absolute. 13+ does not necessarily mean “success” in the same way that 8- doesn’t necessarily mean “failure.” If characters trigger a particularly risky move, they might still have to pay some significant cost even on a 13+. For safer moves, the 8- effect might still allow them to move where they want to go, just with more complications. The reason for this is that [bold]the positioning of the players always matters, no matter how the dice land.[end bold]
Plead (GM Character) When you make an earnest request of a GM character who respects you and understands you, roll +Resolve. On a 13+, they do as you request or tell you what they would need to do as you request. On a 9-12, as a 13+, but the GM chooses 1: * You lose their respect. * The GM creates an unexpected danger. * They (accidentally or willingly) cause a complication. On a 8-, as a 9-12 (but the GM chooses 2) or they refuse the request. Prepare for the worst.
Negotiate terms When you push a character to do something, and you lay out what you’ll do for them in return, roll +Resolve. Their player determines if the terms are agreeable. If the terms are agreeable, on a 13+, they’ll do it for the reasons you gave. On a 9-12, they’ll do it if they respect you or have some reason to believe you’ll follow through. If they don’t, and on an 8-, they need you to hold your end of the bargain first. If the terms aren’t agreeable, on a 13+, they’ll state what, if anything, will fix that. Meet their terms, and they’ll do it. If they respect you, on a 9-12, you can give that up respect to push them to counter (treat as a 13+ if you do). If they don’t respect you, or if you roll an 8-, you can push them to counter but prepare for the worst. Otherwise, you reach an impasse.
Cover of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020. Mario and Sonic stand in a field with gold medals around their necks.
ARCO key art. A man in a poncho and wide-brimmed hat wields a magically-powered bow.
Pillars of Eternity key art. Fantasy heroes stand atop high ground fighting off hoards of enemies.
Rivals of Aether key art. An anthropomorphic fire lion and poison frog fight next to the logo. Several other animal/element themed fighters stand at attention around the logo.
Armello key art. An anthropomorphic wolf, rabbit, bear, and rat in medieval gear stand at attention in a magical medieval world
Tooth and Tail key art. An anthropomorphic Russian mouse holds a red flag high.
CRAWL key art. A lone warrior with a red blade stands surrounded by monsters
Children of Morta title art. A group of family warriors fights side-by-side against a horde of corruption.
Key art for HEAT SIGNATURE, featuring the game’s title next to an overhead view of a spaceship interior
Although he continued writing, including a sequel novel Closing Time, Heller's later works were inevitably overshadowed by the success of Catch-22. When asked by critics why he had never managed to write another novel as good as his first, Heller would retort with a smile, "Who has?"
WHY TO PLAY One: Because the characters are fucking hot. Two: Because hot as they are, the characters are best and hottest when you put them together. Lovers, rivals, friends, enemies, blood and sex—that’s the good shit. Three: Because the characters are together against a horrific world. They’re carving out their little space of hope and freedom in the filth and violence, and they’re trying to hold onto it. Do they have it in them? What are they going to have to do to hold it together? Are they prepared, tough enough, strong enough and willing? Four: Because they’re together, sure, but they’re desperate and they’re under a lot of pressure. If there’s not enough to go around (and is there ever?), who’ll stick together and who’ll turn on whom? Who do you trust, and who should you trust, and what if you get it wrong? Five: Because there’s something really wrong with the world, and I don’t know what it is. The world wasn’t always like this, blasted and brutal. There wasn’t always a psychic maelstrom howling just out of your perception, waiting for you to open your brain so that it can rush in. Who fucked the world up, and how? Is there a way back? A way forward? If anybody’s going to ever find out, it’s you and your characters. That’s why.
Better off When you push a bonded ally away emotionally, detail what you say out loud, what you wish you could say, and what you want them to do. Then roll +Precision. No matter the result, decay the bond, and they either do what you want or the GM tells you how you could make them do what you want. Also, on a 13+, you decide if they know what you wish you could say. The GM will tell you how this will alter their behavior before you decide. On a 9-12, the GM decides if they know what you wish you could say. They don’t have to tell you. On an 8-, they think they know what you wish you could say, but they’re mistaken about something important.