Character March 2025: A Modest Life

Would you look at that, this is the final Character March 2025 article. It was a nice journey, and it caused my blog's number of blog posts to already soar beyond what I did in any previous year. 

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

A Modest Life

Zarah Millermann used to be a scout in her earlier days. Wandering the wilderness, navigating the group, watching over the party at night, all of this and so much more was all she used to do. But that was well over thirty years ago. At the moment, she's an old woman who lives in the Hiddenburg village, on a random road that's rarely even traveled anymore. Her form is a little hunched by now, her hair has lost its vibrant brown color a long time ago, now replaced with grays, and nowadays she works as a forager: looking for herbs and fruits in the forest still reminds her of the old adventuring days. The village appreciates it, especially the kids with whom she likes to share sweet forest berries.

Zarah is now 66 years old. Her stats are as follows:

• Tough 12
• Agile 16
• Wise 18
• Sharp 20

Her special abilities (a number of them equal to her age divided by 10, rounded down, so 6) are:

• Finder. If she asks the GM if there's a hidden item nearby, they'll reveal any that is.
• Lurker. She can be hidden if she does not move on her turn.
• Navigator. She can't get lost and always knows her way back home.
• Nightwatch. She can see well enough even in the pitch darkness.
• Sampler. She can tell through close examination if a food is harmful and how.
• Tracker. She can identify what the tracks mean and can't lose them after finding them.

Nowadays, Zarah brings forest's gifts and plenty of joy to the Hiddenburg village. But who knows how much longer this will last... her clock is ticking. Her body isn't what it used to be. And with every passing year, the chance that this was her last year grows. Who will replace her when she finally moves on to the other side?

Ratings

5/5 RPG. It might be a recency bias, but I think has a feeling different than just a procedure or a board game.

3/5 Soup Stone. I could imagine expanding on the game, but I think it does decent enough in this regard.

3/5 Would I Play. I'd like to see how this works in practice, but I'm not particularly driven to pick this system over others, at least not for now.

2/5 Would I Write. If I see a meaningful way to grow these rules, sure! I didn't publish it on itch.io yet because I think it still needs a little something, illustrations especially, but I'm not counting that into the rating because I'm just busy at the moment.

13/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: It's About Time

This one was made by a buddy of mine for a convention as a short game to hand out to people present to learn playing TTRPGs. It spans two pages, and it's largely based on Lasers and Feelings. I helped him by pitching ideas, playtesting the game with him, and offering guidance here and there, so since I ran out of games where I could have a character, I'm gonna count it.

A small note before I continue: The game was originally written in Slovak, and there isn't an English-translated version yet (at least not one I'm aware of), so I'll just be translating stuff I use to English for this article.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

It's About Time

Bella Minds is a cyborg psychologist. Half of her body is machine; the other half is an average-looking human with black hair and a piercing gaze. In the time that's present to her, she usually walks around in a white lab coat because of the subtle psychological effect of authority it has on people. Her pick of time travel ability is Echo, which allows her to create a copy of herself (probably by bringing one from the future) for one minute. As all other time travelers in this game, she comes equipped with some futuristic equipment befitting a psychologist, such as a tablet with every single Rorschach inkblot, the latest edition of the DSM, a hefty bottle of placebo pills, and so on. As for her personal goal, she wants to uncover something secret whenever she travels to the past.

Ratings

5/5 RPG. Plays like an RPG, I'd have a hard time treating this as a board game.

3/5 Soup Stone. Plenty of ideas are pitched by the game, so that's pretty good.

2/5 Would I Play. Perhaps when I have an incomplete group, or when a bunch of new players wants to try out some wacky time travel stuff.

1/5 Would I Write. Only if I had ideas on how to meaningfully expand on it myself, and I don't have any right now.

11/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: There Is No Tomorrow

... the time has come for the loop. And in the loop, the time has come for the loop. And in the loop, ...

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

There Is No Tomorrow

Felipe Contreras is an average surgeon. He's a little impatient when tending to things outside of his work, but he's also very much a people person. This contrasts the big city he lives in, where the people barely care about one another as they walk the streets. Still, he's got a few close friends that he meets now and then, like his drinking buddies, his girlfriend, and some of his family members who haven't moved out yet. His attributes are as follows:

• Strength +1
• Endurance +2
• Agility +3
• Talent +5
• Knowledge +4
• Intuition +0

Ratings

5/5 RPG. It can't really be played another way.

3/5 Soup Stone. While it leaves a lot of details blank due to its Mosaic Strict format, I think it still has a decent amount of details and time loop tropes to earn a 3.

4/5 Would I Play. I like a good time loop.

1/5 Would I Write. It feels complete to me. If I come up with a meaningful way to expand on it, I will.

13/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Match Two

Uber short!

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Match Two

Annie Loveheart is determined to make the couple fall in love with her trusty Beauty Mask.

Ratings

4/5 RPG. Plenty of space to improvise.

1/5 Soup Stone. Very little detail to work with.

2/5 Would I Play. With the right group of people, maybe.

1/5 Would I Write. Only if I were to start over.

8/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: MARSsacre

Should I use the same tone in this article? ... nah, let's not.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

MARSsacre

Chell Shotgun is a femme fatale in the manly culture of the Slayers. She's no stranger to being violent though, since she's got her hands on both an Atomizer, and a Jackhammer. Her Humanity starts at 5, and I can't give further details on her until her first mission, so that's all!

Ratings

2/5 RPG. Most of it is shooty stuff, though some roleplaying is encouraged to regain your humanity.

4/5 Soup Stone. Thematically strong, I think it's okay to rate this at a 4.

3/5 Would I Play. Maybe one day. It's low on my priorities list, but it sounds kind of neat.

2/5 Would I Write. Kind of? Depends on what I'd expand it with.

11/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Descent of the Holy

Let's make a priest.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Descent of the Holy

Father Maksymilian is a dwarven priest who's helping out the community of the Good City. Whether it's helping with the problems of people on the surface, or delving underground to fight off the vicious skeletal forces, he's always on the ready, and quick with a joke. His Faith begins at 1, as it does for all the characters. When delving into the crypt below, his carried equipment of choice is Aspergillum for when it's needed, and a Relic since one of the priests has to bring it. The first prayer he learns from the options listed in the game is Douse the Multitude, a prayer that allows him to regain 1 Aspergillum use after two uses. His stats are as follows:

• Fairness 1d6
• Altruism 1d16
• Courage 1d8
• Temperance 1d10
• Sin 1d4

Ratings

3/5 RPG. I think there's space for stuff that would make it different from a board game.

4/5 Soup Stone. Plenty is already there to work with.

3/5 Would I Play. Maybe one day if I feel like it. Maybe a oneshot? Who knows.

3/5 Would I Write. If I get some ideas for improvements, I could see myself updating this. Until then, this will have to wait patiently for its turn.

13/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Your Royal Slyness

This one will hurt me since it's probably the published product I disliked the most out of my itch.io products yet. If I remove games from there, this one might go first.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Your Royal Slyness

Drew Ace of Clubs and a King of Spades. I guess I'm the Monarch.

King Patriclus XII is the head monarch of the Wornall Kingdom. He starts the game off with 4 Secrets and 4 Rumors, and his secret motive is to Silence (or perhaps Kill) a Foreign Monarch, perhaps the ruler of a neighboring kingdom.

Now then, let's create some secrets and rumors!

• Secret: His men stole a valuable treasure from the neighboring kingdom.
• Secret: He seduced one of his servants several times.
• Secret: He ordered his men to smear the other king in his own kingdom.
• Secret: The actual Patriclus XII is dead, this is Hyacinthus impersonating his older brother.
• Rumor: He cheated on his wife.
• Rumor: He poisoned his wife several times.
• Rumor: He poisoned the king of the neighboring kingdom.
• Rumor: He dabbles in witchcraft with a secret coven of his maid-witches.

Ratings

1/5 RPG. You could put roleplaying in there. But it feels like a board game through and through.

1/5 Soup Stone. I feel like it doesn't give you nearly enough to work with, though I might be biased.

0/5 Would I Play. I don't think so. I literally don't even feel like reading it.

0/5 Would I Write. Only if I completely overhauled the game.

2/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: The Hungering End

This is the last of my systems that I posted on the blog. From now on, I'll need to go through the games I've posted on my itch.io. Once I run out of those, ... who knows?

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

The Hungering End

Lord Charles Nevermoor is the head of the noble family. He's a stern man who knows what this is about: the world is slowly ending. Whether he'll manage to get his family to behave and save the world from The Hungering End is something nobody can tell for sure.

His resource is Will, which he can spend to draw extra cards during the challenges. Furthermore, all his cards drawn get a +3 bonus to them. Both of these are relevant only within a challenge. I don't feel like going into details on what that specifically means, truth to be told.

Ratings

1/5 RPG. When the challenge begins, it turns into a board game. Outside of a challenge, it's pretty much nothing.

2/5 Soup Stone. There's some inspiration as to how it could work, but the core of the game is still up to the GM and the group to make up.

0/5 Would I Play. I don't feel like it anymore...

0/5 Would I Write. I feel nothing for its setting, and I'd much rather take what works about this game into something completely new.

3/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Gelt and Sand

Another short system is coming right up. I'll aim to make this one short.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Gelt and Sand

Voltaire Sunside is a member of the Philosopher cast within the society he lives in. Ever since his youth, he had visions of the past, the future, and even the present that he couldn't witness, so his merchant parents got him the best education they could afford. Now it's paying off, since he's one of the many advisors to the colony's ruler. His statistics go as follows:

• Strength +0
• Senses +2
• Smarts +1
• Socializing +0

He's kind of awkward when hanging out in groups, and he's far from a strong man, but his honed perception and intelligence make up for it greatly in the job he has.

Ratings

4/5 RPG. I guess it doesn't feel like a board game, so that's nice.

2/5 Soup Stone. At least it gives you a setting and some things to work off of. If I gave Rolling with It a rating of 2, this one gets a rating of 2 too.

1/5 Would I Play. I haven't watched Dune, so I'm not too invested in this style of game.

0/5 Would I Write. No real interest at the moment. For now it's a thought cabinet material, waiting for its chance to shine.

7/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: These Bloody Cells

This system technically features a character, so why not?

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

These Bloody Cells

Jacque "Sixer" Anderson is a vampire who has been imprisoned for over fifty years. He used to be a crime lord thanks to his charm, but nowadays, the criminal underworld has forgotten him, only considering him an urban myth, a rumor. He's determined to escape now, with some help from the other vampire buddies he made in the prison.

Bite is one of his powers, but another one is Charm and Sneak. His wardens are aware of these, but he's causing them a lot of trouble with these, regardless. His starting Blood pool is 11, though he only contributed 2 points to the Plan pool.

Ratings

4/5 RPG. I think this one could be fun, and it doesn't follow a strict board game structure.

4/5 Soup Stone. I'd say the game gives plenty of inspiration. It's far from perfect, but it's better at this than most of my games.

2/5 Would I Play. Sounds kind of fun in retrospect. I'm not absolutely keen on it, but maybe one day I could give it a go.

2/5 Would I Write. If I have good ideas for it, I could see myself do it.

12/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Arena of Popularity but no Death nor Magic

I didn't publish it on my blog because it felt rather lame in retrospect, but I might as well bring it up now. It's not balanced, it's kind of strange, and it has a comically long name. But it is how I started this whole thing.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Arena of Popularity but no Death nor Magic

The Howler is a wolf-themed warrior. Yes, he bites. Since the rules require a silly 20-word long backstory (thanks, One Punch Man), here it is:

Raised by deer. Ate them. Raised by wolves. Bit them. Raised by humans. Scorned them. Raised himself. Achieved great success.

He starts with 0 Popularity, which is a shock with a backstory this amazing, and his stats are as follows:

• Head 5
• Main Hand 0
• Off Hand 0
• Body 4
• Legs 1

No weapons, no special equipment. Just a wolf mask and sharp teeth.

Ratings

1/5 RPG. Most of it is combat. I don't even know if there's stuff that one could do in between other than manage their popularity and roleplay with no consequence. Unless you'd soup stone it. Speaking of...

1/5 Soup Stone. Again, you get to battle, but not much else, as written.

0/5 Would I Play. No.

0/5 Would I Write. I'd rather start over.

2/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Final: Sole Survivor

Guess I'm killing it with these short articles, huh?

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Final: Sole Survivor

Liam Parker is a local university student and a musclehead too, about to do whatever the group is doing on this oneshot. He's always been a pretty Strong guy, giving him 3 Health instead of 2. His three skills are Hurl, Muscle, and Run. When it comes to his four items, he brought with him his smartphone, his pocket knife that's more for showing than using, a dumbbell, and a pair of shades despite it being evening. He's out to have some fun, chillax with his friends, and show off.

Ratings

5/5 RPG. Checks out.

4/5 Soup Stone. Pretty good selection.

5/5 Would I Play. Absolutely!

2/5 Would I Write. Only if I see good ways to improve it. And I want to see how I could improve it.

16/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Everyone Slays the Princess

One of my shortest games. Lightning round!

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Everyone Slays the Princess

Magician. The archetype of someone creative and a thinker. Trying to work out what this place is, who is the Princess, and who is the Hero... What more is there to say?

Ratings

5/5 RPG. Doesn't feel like a board game at all.

2/5 Soup Stone. The premise and some guidelines are there, but largely, it is what you make of it. Not as much as some of my other games, though.

5/5 Would I Play. Short and sweet. Once I figure out more ways to end it, I'd love to play it with groups of new players.

1/5 Would I Write. I consider it finished and complete. If I see something that should be added, I might return to it.

13/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Runehack RPG

A day special to me for private reasons should be dedicated to making a character of my own for the Runehack RPG. Publishing it was one of my resolutions for 2024, and I did it. At times, I had my doubts, considering publishing just two pillars, then just one, but eventually, the structure came to me. And when the muse kicked me and I started writing, I barely stopped for several months.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Runehack RPG

Fitzen Rainstone is a confident goblin who is a professional hoverboarder, participating in competitions to see whose tricks are the best. What might surprise most is that he enjoys writing and storytelling just as much as hoverboarding. What he lacks in strength and smarts, he makes up for with his handiness. He's 30 years old, so he's well aware that his career might be over soon. That's why he's raising a student of his to be just as good at skating as he is, an orc who's got a lot of potential. He hates his human manager since both of them are quite stubborn, and he's got a goblin love interest who's present every time he competes. Things changed when some influential yet hidden people contacted him, asking whether he'd want to join the Acumen. For a personal reason that's a secret to most, he agreed.

Since he's a goblin, his body has adaptive physiology that allows him to shift slightly and become just what he needs in roughly one week, provided he'll adjust his diet for it. Usually, he's an oak goblin, but if it's necessary, he's willing to switch things up. His attributes are as follows:

• Muscle 0
• Agility 2
• Training 3
• Cognition 0
• Hunch 2

His starting Burden is 1, allowing him to carry a single item without being slowed down. He could carry two items concealed on his body in such a way that others couldn't find them. His Masteries are hoverboards, rubber, and wood. He has 2 Guesses that he could spend to find out what's true without evidence. His Max. Energy starts at 10, his default targeting senses are Smell (while he's an oak goblin) and Sight (which is normal to all player characters), he starts with 300 credits and some basic possessions as listed in the rules, as well as a Penthouse. His feature choices for the pillars are as follows:

• Social: Fame is a feature that would give him a starting relationship of +2 with his fans and -2 with his haters, plus they'd know some basic facts about the famous skater. Furthermore, he'd take the Healing Factor feature unique to the goblins that allows him to heal from Wounds faster, literally within a matter of a day. His final feature of choice is a Secret, which increases one of his attributes by 1 (Hunch), but now there's a dark truth about him that very few know: he owes someone awful a great debt. And they are keeping an eye on him, waiting for the prime opportunity.
• Spy: In the Acumen, he found himself at home in the role of a Tinker. With his runecard's apps, he can use some telekinesis to create obstacles in unobstructed routes, and the ability to fall without getting injured (also through telekinesis). The obstacles he's mastered so far are Around and Over, since those felt to him as a hoverboarder quite natural. Being in the Acumen also gives him a Mask that he can wear to cover up his identity, and his runecard informs him whether there's any runetech present in his area, save for the runecard itself. (Note to self: that last part is what I realized just now I should fix in the rules.)
• Tech: When it comes to the more technical side of his secret life, his runecard can't be identified unless he allows it, and he can activate or deactivate runetech devices that are within his line of sight, provided he succeeds on a roll for them. His role is Modder, which allows him to jury rig devices, attaching and detaching components even outside of the Assembly Activity. As a modder, he can also purchase a special component called Hotswap Slot, allowing anyone to attach components to it outside of the Assembly Activity safely.
• Job: Seeker is the perfect job for a public performer such as a pro hoverboarder. His features of choice would be a Costly Talent (which doubles credits earned and lost during a Performance and from the Flourishes), and One More Try (allowing him to take a Perform action once freely if he succeeded on less than two rolls made as part of a Perform or Flourish action in a round).

Ratings

5/5 RPG. The procedures might seem board game-y, but I think overall it feels like a roleplaying game.

4/5 Soup Stone. There's still stuff to improve about it, like adding more Conspiracies and adding more and more options to the game, but I think it's already in a solid place.

5/5 Would I Play. Yes. I'd love to have a local group to play it with, but until then, I'll have to play with an online friend or two.

5/5 Would I Write. I want to add so much more to this game. I just keep getting sidetracked with other projects. I think that's actually a good thing, though! It gives me more space to relax from thinking about writing this game and also more time to try it out myself so I know if there's anything that needs to be changed.

19/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Runehack: Fairy Heist

Ironically, the game about the small beings is one of my bigger games.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Runehack: Fairy Heist

Naxandria Ashenrich is a regular fairy who lives in the Heart District of Ashington, not too far from Long Meridian Street. She doesn't have a nickname that would stick to her just yet because she has yet to make a group of good friends. She's a mix of an Oceanic and a Mountain fairy, since her skin is dark green, yet her eyes are red. During the day, she's a regular merchant's assistant on the Long Meridian, though she wants a life full of fame and thrills since her life is quite boring. The person who matters to her the most is her older sister Roxicity, who's running a small music band with great hopes of one day making it to Cape Nota. Naxandria supports Roxicity's dreams, though she's concerned about what would happen once she's all alone.

Her life was turned upside down when she got an anonymous message on her runecard, inviting her to a secret meeting. On the location where she was called, she met several other fairies, all called forth by the anonymous stranger, who left them a set of new, nulled runecards. They get to live a double life, stealing all sorts of medical experiments from the Lifestock and getting paid well for delivering them to the anonymous stranger. The fairies, bored with life and looking for some excitement, agreed to this offer.

Naxandria starts with 10 credits; her height is 13 centimeters, which is above average for a fairy. The nulled runecard in her possession comes with two installed apps: Telepathy (that allows her to speak 10 words audible to only one person she can see) and Grasper (moving things around telekinetically, as if held by a human hand). Her height also defines that she's stronger than an average fairy and can carry quite a bit of weight (a total of 13), but she's less agile than most fairies. She does not realize that her sister is staying in Ashington because of her. Naxandria believes she's not holding her back, but subconsciously, she is, until she tells her sister directly that she can go to Cape Nota.

Ratings

5/5 RPG. I've played it for several months. Among my games, this one probably feels the most like a proper tabletop roleplaying game.

4/5 Soup Stone. Plenty to work off of, little stuff that needed to be added.

4/5 Would I Play. I'd rather play Runehack RPG, but I think I could do a game of Fairy Heist now and then if I were to give it an update.

4/5 Would I Write. I want to use the Runehack RPG like an "engine" of the game and remake this one day to be compatible with it. Fairy Heist is like its parent; it's deserved for doing so much hard work for what the Runehack RPG is today.

17/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Runehack: Express Deliveries

Funny thing about this one is, I struggled with formulating satisfying vehicle mechanics for months. But when the game jam started and the theme was "transport", I knew I had to give it a try. In the end, I am very satisfied with how it turned out. Driving in this game really feels different from having your character walk.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Runehack: Express Deliveries

Mr. Whiteflame is a dwarf who does deliveries around the city of New Prista on his hovercar. He's a silver dwarf with pale gray skin and gray hair due to his age, and he's usually seen in a casual outfit that would be seen as an equivalent of a Hawaiian shirt. He's a pragmatic person who's seen it all, so it's hard to make him excited. He just wants to live an average life and blend in with the crowd until his final day comes. In his digital wallet, he's got 100 credits, and his specialization is that of a Courier, which means he can deliver items faster than other drivers would under the same circumstances.

Ratings

3/5 RPG. It's a driving minigame for the most part, but there's some potential for roleplay, especially while not working or while driving a customer or more.

3/5 Soup Stone. Lots of stuff is defined, and lots is left for the player to decide.

3/5 Would I Play. Maybe, but it's hard to tell. Giving this one a 3 because I'd still be more okay with playing this than some of my other systems.

2/5 Would I Write. I already expanded on this in the Runehack RPG greatly, so I don't feel like it's necessary unless I want to make this a thing on its own.

11/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Runehack: The Asterist

Let's delve into the Runehack games and see how they're going to hold up!

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Runehack: The Asterist

Octica Ironwell is a human from Moorwell who could afford her own digital immortalization. Before that, she used to work as a dentist, with a regular job and a regular family. Once her mind was scanned and uploaded to Everling, she nicknamed herself 8ECT. There, she could finally have a chance to try new things as much as her heart desired. See all the movies, read all the books, listen to all the music. For now, there are still many experiences ahead of her, but one day, she'll have to stop and ask herself the hard question: "Does this life fulfill me?" If she's given a choice to break out of Everling, her response will be yes only once she really considers the question.

One of the things she got to experience is Asterism, hacking the world around her. At the moment, she doesn't use it often, but perhaps when there's a group of other players around her, she might just start to. Her starting Integrity is 4 (I suppose she was into some strange things), and her Corruption starts at a 0.

I don't feel like writing up the full structure of how she'd spend her points, so instead, I'll describe which stats she'd prioritize:

• Stability is at the top since she wants to experience a lot of things, sometimes things dangerous to her simulated self.
• Speed, so that she doesn't miss out on anything.
• Visual, so that others can see her well even when she's silent (she'd always put at least one point here).
• Audio, so she can be heard well by others.
• Runecraft, because you never know when you'll need a bit of Asterism.
• Strength, Auxiliary, Cravenlore, Mindlore, Witlore, and Worldken, only if they are relevant to the experience she's currently going for.

She'd probably also try to keep some points in her Reserve in any situation, just in case.

Ratings

5/5 RPG. It has the freeform nature of a roleplaying game to me.

4/5 Soup Stone. You'll need to make up some stuff, but I think it's also giving you plenty to work with.

3/5 Would I Play. See, this is hard for me because I already reworked the hacking minigame into the Runehack RPG. This game's unique selling point for now is that you get to play as a digital ghost in the city of Everling, but I don't know how much longer until I find a way to include those in the Runehack RPG.

3/5 Would I Write. I'm torn on this. If the question is, "Would I take the best aspects of this and include them in the Runehack RPG?", the answer is yes. If the question is "Would you update The Asterist?", the answer is no because the Runehack RPG is what I want to focus on a lot more.

15/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: D6 Feet Under (updated)

As promised, I'm working on updating the game. Not sure when it's going to be released, so consider this a tiny preview of what's ahead.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

D6 Feet Under (updated)

Felicity Long is a mortal born in the Badwell. There are three things she feels passionate about. One, amassing as much wealth as she can. Two... ehh, better not talk about two. And three, Saint Rue Brightguns. The woman who took everything from her. Her family, her reputation, and her wealth. Felicity is on her way to Saint Rue, but as an angel, she has a couple of underlings who will stand in her way.

Her two weapons of choice are a shovel and a revolver. The first feature Felicity will pick is Dodged the Bullet, which will allow her to regain 1 Luck if she rolls a 1 on all weapon dice and decides it's a miss. Her starting stats are Grit 3, Fit 5, Wit 4, and Merit 0.

Ratings

4/5 RPG. Done this way, it feels better than the original. There's 

4/5 Soup Stone. Hopefully, I'll have some guidelines for generating the towns and NPCs, but beyond that, there's just the right amount of mechanics for what the game is about.

4/5 Would I Play. Runehack RPG is a game I'd prefer to play, but I could see myself running this too if I had the energy and people for it.

5/5 Would I Write. I want to finish this and publish it on itch.io sometime this year.

17/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: D6 Feet Under

This one will hurt me, but only for a bit. Before I even knew about the Character March, I started working on this system's rework. It's still far from being finished. That being said, it's so radically different from its original version that I will do myself a favor and consider those two separate systems. That way, I'll have one less game to sort out for this monthly challenge.

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

D6 Feet Under

Nate North is a good man, save for his gambling addiction. He's obsessed with Success, and gambling is an easy way to prove he can succeed. He wanders the world trying to find Pearl South, the one woman who defeated him in a game of chance every single time, got the local community to mock him, and can't stop bragging about it. His starting Luck is 2, and his weapons of choice are a revolver, a shotgun, and a knife. His stats are:

• Grit 5
• Fit 3
• Wit 2

Finally, his lucky item is a horseshoe that he got from his grandpa. This increases his Luck to 3.

Ratings

4/5 RPG. It doesn't feel like a board game to me, at least for the most part. Some aspects of it feel like it, but I think there's plenty of space for roleplaying.

2/5 Soup Stone. Some things you'll have to work out on your own, but you do get some inspiration for it.

0/5 Would I Play. It's too clunky, I'd rather not. I mean, the stats get better the lower they are, which goes counter to most game conventions. You're sometimes asked to roll up to 6d6 and keep the lowest result, which is unnecessarily punishing. It was a good foundation though, so...

5/5 Would I Write. I am literally doing that in between these articles.

11/20 Total Rating

Character March 2025: Lethal Companions

Time to get spooky with my final 200-word game made as part of the 2023 monthly challenge!

My ratings will be done on four scales, each ranging from 1 to 5:

• RPG: How much does this feel like an RPG to me, as opposed to a board game?
• Soup Stone: How little content does the game expect you to add? For this scale, 0 is a complete Soup Stone since I'd like to sum the scores to see the game's total score.
• Would I Play: If I were given a chance to, would I play this game?
• Would I Write: If I were inspired enough and had time/energy for it, would I get back to working on this game?

Lethal Companions

Hide-behind is a deadly monster and certainly not a rip-off of the brackern. Its specialty is being subtle and killing fast. Its skin has a dark shade so that it can hide in the darkness easily, and it has a mixture of canine and feline features. Its stats are as follows:

• Hide d20
• Sway d4
• Kill d12
• Track d8
• Resist d10
• Steal d6

Ratings

3/5 RPG. It has the potential to be something.

3/5 Soup Stone. Plenty of space to develop it, but I think it feels less soup stone-y than most of my other games. I guess because it allows you to generate your facility and gives you the stats that serve as prompts for formulating how your creature works.

2/5 Would I Play. Maybe once or twice for fun, if I had the time and the energy.

2/5 Would I Write. It's based on a franchise I don't own, so I'm not sure if I'd want to. If I did, it would be something with a similar premise but without referencing the video game.

10/20 Total Rating