a|state podcast episode two is out now!

In this episode it’s the turn of a|state co-creator Malcolm Craig to answer Jon’s infeasibly rambling and self-referential lines of questioning. This is a long-form chat between creatives, so expect rambling and opinions!

And if you missed episode one it’s here!:

What is it?

Hello! Jon here. 

A question I often ask myself when looking at roleplaying games, especially online, is “what is it?”. And I mean what is the game about? What sort of experience can I expect when playing it?

In the role of art director and game developer it’s a question I’ve been asking designers, writers and editors for years. Give me the elevator pitch. Tell me in a nutshell what this game is.

And so I figured it would be interesting to run through our games and deliver some really brief elevator pitches. Let’s go:

BEOWULF Age of Heroes: Heroic 5th Edition for one player and one GM, set in the half-remembered, mythic story-world of the Early Medieval period.

a|state second edition is powered by a customised version of the Forged In the Dark rules. Play out your struggle as troublemakers fighting back against the malevolent forces that oppress your corner of the sprawling City.

The Silver Road – an experimental, minimalist, settingless storytelling game. 

Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland is a psychedelic imaginary Mesolithic storytelling game which places your stories in Forgotten Doggerland – the land that lies drowned beneath the North Sea.

Where can in get these fine games? Right here:

Gone to the Dogs – coming soon for a|state

Something untoward is occurring at Folly Hills Dog Track. Unfancied hounds are winning races…
Competitive dogs are going to the pot…
The turnstiles are no longer thick with punters…

What has cast a shadow over the once-thriving Track?

Explore the cutthroat world of the dog track, the home of avaricious betting syndicates, vicious organised crime groups, disgruntled dog owners, and many bemused punters.

This supplement for a|state presents the Folly Hills Dog Track, a location teeming with trouble and opportunity that can become part of your game in many different ways.

The most straightforward way to use the Track is as an interesting location in The City, sitting alongside those described in the a|state book. Like those locations it is a source of inspiration and ideas, a potential place for troublemakers to visit, and an additional glimpse of the rhythms of life in The City. As with all those locations you can use it as presented, or strip this whole resource for parts to make your own version of the Dog Track.

The Track is presented so you can weave it into your struggle. The large number of people who converge on the Track, and the number of different interests that collide here, provide many opportunities to link it to your troublemakers. In the text following you will find many specific suggestions for ways to tie the Folly Hills Dog Track to the characters and conflicts at the heart of your game.

It is also possible to use it as your corner. Gone to the Dogs presents everything you need to build an exciting game of a|state with the Folly Hills Dog Track as the focus. If you and your group like the idea of getting into a game fast without having to build your corner from scratch, this will give you everything you need.

However you use the Folly Hills Dog Track, you will find that it gives you a robust starting point. The people, schemes, events, and rumours detailed here can branch off in infinite ways, depending on the actions and reactions of the troublemakers.

Gone to the Dogs will be heading out to backers of a|state second edition early next week. It will shortly thereafter go on sale to everyone at DrivethruRPG.

Maskwitches, The Meat Spoiler and Amulet Deck out now in PDF!

It’s a triple release for Maskwitches today, as the game itself, the first scenario story PDF, and the Masks and Amulet Deck all come out in PDF at DrivethruRPG!

Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland is a standalone storytelling game powered by the minimalist Silver Road rules. It takes your stories to Forgotten Doggerland, where you’ll take on the role of the mysterious Maskwitches, protecting the community against arising spiritual threats!

The Meat Spoiler is the first ever scenario for Maskwitches, and presents a host of material for Mediating your first Maskwitches story. We can’t say too much about it without spoilers! But things go wrong, and the Maskwitches must put them right!

The Masks and Amulets Deck PDF presents a set of print-at-home cards to track which witches are holding which masks and amulets: in the game your character is defined by their masks and amulets, and their masks can be traded between characters. These homeprint cards are a helpful accessory to track your character and who has what masks at any given time.

The PDFs are also available for free with a pe-order of the Maskwitches soft or hardcovers or the card deck:

Maskwitches releases in PDF 24th October

Tuesday (that’s tomorrow at the time of posting!) sees the PDF release of Maskwitches of Forgotten Doggerland AND the first story scenario for Maskwitches – The Meatspoiler. They’ll both be available on DrivethruRPG tomorrow!

Powered by The Silver Road rules, Maskwitches of Doggerland is a psychedelic mesolithic storytelling game. Players taking the role of the Maskwitches in a desperate battle against evil spirits spawned by disharmony in their community. Meanwhile, the tide is rising and nothing can stop it…

Of course if you’d like the PDF of Maskwitches /free, you can pre-order Maskwitches in book form here: