Bonds: For The Love of TTRPGs (Free!)
A downloadable book
The idea behind BONDS comes from a desire to share the simple, yet amazing aspects of what it means to play and love tabletop games (known as 'TTRPGs') with people in your life who aren't all that familiar or experienced with the hobby. The game requires little no experience for both the GM and the Player, and you will only need paper, pen and 2d6 to play. Created to introduce beginners to tabletop RPGs in a way that feels both accessible and personal.
Adventures using the BONDS system follow a version of the Hero's Journey, simply referred to as here as the Hero's Path, which will be laid out and explained. Between each step towards the final 'Ordeal', there is not only space, but necessity for what are known as the 3 pillars of TTRPS; Exploration, Interaction and Conflict. The system does not force a narrative upon the table, it simply lays out the steps and guidelines for a great story, and lets the player and GM combine their ideas and form a memorable collaborative store.
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Development log
- Print Friendly VersionApr 05, 2023
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I am here because you want feedback.
The move set is interesting. I think it is easy to grasp and should cover pretty much everything the players are going to want to do. Dig Deep, especially, is mechanically interesting in the context of a game made to introduce people to TTRPGs: because it explicitly states that it opens players up to catastrophic failure, it gives players more narrative agency. They can control when they want to take big risks. I LOVE THAT.
The narrative tools are strong throughout, honestly. I like how you've taken the hero's journey and made it a structure for play.
My strongest criticism has nothing to do with the game itself or the gameplay-- it's strictly regarding the layout. Darling, where are your margins? This won't print. Which is a shame, because I think having physical pages people can hold really benefits new players. Digitally, this looks lovely, no problems there, but if you ever consider print just make sure all text and important images stay out of the "danger zone"-- the outer .25" of your page.
I really appreciate this feedback! It was so important for me to sneakily turn something more universal (the general path of a hero's story) into a genuine TTRPG experience. I'm thrilled to hear it was translated into the mechanics of the game.
When I tell you I have NO idea what I’m doing in terms of design, I mean it with my whole heart. But good lord am I grateful for your input. I will make an update to the doc right away!