Intense drama. Hilarious comedy. And you are the sole protagonist. First Edition is the game of personal storytelling for one player and one GM. Incorporating new rules by GUMSHOE One-2-One and DramaSystem designer Robin D. Laws, First Edition features an accessible framework for creating compelling solo protagonist narratives. This core rulebook also includes eleven innovative […]
Please email us if you are interested in playtesting this. First Edition System: DramaSystem One-2-One Authors: Robin D. Laws, Wade Rockett, Sarah Saltiel, Ruth Tillman Deadline: 30th September 2023 Number of sessions: 1+ Description: In First Edition, one player and one Game Moderator create a story of dramatic interaction and personal transformation featuring a […]
In the latest episode of their emotionally rich podcast, Ken and Robin talk collaborative worldbuilding, more 90s SF cinema, exporting DramaSystem, and the magical assassination plot against Edward II.
When a friend asked me to run an RPG for their group of friends—all of whom were queer, and most of whom had never played an RPG before—I gave her some options to choose from. Horror? D&D-style fantasy adventure? When I mentioned DramaSystem, her eyes lit up. The rules are very light, there are no […]
When seeking structural inspiration for DramaSystem play, you’ll find the purest sources in literary fiction and realistic drama. With no genre conventions to process, the bones of relationship-based storytelling clearly show through. The satirical literary novel Startup, by Doree Shafrir, features an interconnected group struggling to stay afloat in NYC’s tech world. You could easily […]
In the shadow of empires, an epic saga of ambition and desire! Only 100 copies of this faux-leatherbound limited edition Hillfolk exist. 50 are available to customers in the U.S. and Canada, and 50 are available to customers outside the U.S. and Canada. The books are faux leather with foil, and each one includes a sticky-backed bookplate signed […]
Some of the most powerful roleplaying experiences I’ve ever had have come from running DramaSystem games. Starting with the Hillfolk roleplaying game, and continuing with Blood on the Snow and Series Pitch of the Month, DramaSystem offers a wealth of setting options for players to inhabit, and create compelling stories of interpersonal conflict and emotional […]
In my last Page XX column I promised a rule for a rare instance of procedural resolution. This occurs when the caller of the scene wants to be surprised by the outcome of an external event. I admit to being surprised that people want this, but it turns out that a few groups do. It […]
Some Hillfolk players report cognitive dissonance over an edge case in the game’s procedural resolution system. Success in a standard procedural scene with the players on one side and the GM on the other depends on matching a target card. When the GM spends a green procedural token, at least one of the player’s cards […]
In a world where it’s impossible to watch enough great TV shows to declare any of them the greatest TV show now in production, I’m still gonna call “Better Call Saul” one of the best shows going. (And I still haven’t made it all the way through “Breaking Bad”, which might suggest some kind of […]
