So, this is relatively fresh off of Kickstarter, so it’s not yet available on DTRPG.com as of yet, but I would guess it would be in the next couple weeks. The Kickstarter option I took was the $25 level, which got the hardcover and pdf versions, and then $6 for shipping.
From the back cover: *Open Source RPG Ruleset for story-driven Fantasy. Play any adventure path, campaign, or homebrew setting that fits the sword & sorcery genre.
- Setting agnostic rules with an OSR-style lens for gameplay
- Story-driven mechanics that focus on threats and resolutions, not on tactical play
- Completely free for use commercially under Creative Commons licensing (some bullet points not listed)"*
The book has 120 pages (including index) and has everything you need to insert your world into it. It starts with the usual “What is an RPG?” stuff found in most games and leads right into character creation. An interesting option with the game is languages. They include: ancient, gutter, official, and sacred, and you can choose to be fluent and literate in 1 language, or fluent (but not literate) in 2. You then pick a trade which will give you a talent, silver and gear. Trades include: Royal Court, Crafting, Laborer, and Martial.
There are 4 heritages in the game: Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, and Mortal. From there it’s time to pick a path. There are 6 paths, and include: Cleric, Knight, Mage, and Rogue. Lastly, we get into gear and feats.
Next comes the gameplay section. For those familiar with Highcaster, this is going to be very familiar. The only real difference in nomenclature (just wanted to use the word) is Inspiration, whereas in Highcaster it’s called Favor. You start with one every session and can earn others by rolling 20+. As with Highcaster, a roll of 20+ also allows the PC to Introduce a Truth about the outcome of the threat. The Game Moderator (GM) section walks you through the process within the confines of the rules and how to incorporate them into your world and game.
Lastly, we have the resources section. There are several pre-gen NPC Threats, Beast Threats, and tables galore to flesh out your world. I just finished my initial read-through, so I’m sure I may have missed some of the other differences (if any) and other points of interest, and if I come across any in subsequent read-throughs, I will definitely update the blog. But, like I said earlier, it’s basically Highcaster, but without the world lore that Highcaster provided.