cerinslair

[cerinslair]

Desire to host a Heart Heist game jam growing...

But I really wanna finish the complete editon first, so that the chapter on how to design a good heist is released into the wild.

[cerinslair]

Introducing: Chimera Hearts! A Network for People Who Care about RPGs

Way back in February, I made This Post (inspired by This One) talking about some of the issues facing the RPG hobby and industry, and calling some of my peers to action to see what we could do about it. Originally, the goal was to hold a discussion with speakers & debate, taking the lessons we learned from each other back out into the world. After a week or so of incompatible schedules, we decided to expand the discussion. After a bit more back-and-forth, something kind of amazing happened.

With the incredible leadership of Daniel of The Copper Compendium, that same gaggle of folks has been putting together a discord server to act as the hub of what we hope will be a larger movement in RPGs. We call it Chimera Hearts – and we want you to join.

The Chimera Hearts server isn’t the heart of the movement – rather, it’s a hub for discussion & teamwork between disparate corners of the RPG world. A place to share tips and tricks – effective methods we’ve found to address the heads of the proverbial hydra, and a place to go when we’re looking for the solutions others have developed.

We also want Chimera Hearts to be a place where folks from across the industry can get together to build programs, initiatives, and infrastructure to cultivate the health & longevity of the industry.

There are already a couple of folks developing such programs; Aaron Voigt is putting together a mentorship program to give people the tools to start making their own RPG videos on Youtube! And I am currently in the middle of an experiment (which you can read about here), the goal of which is to figure out how to create a casual indie RPG audience in your city.

Chimera Hearts isn’t centralized; this isn’t a project built around a group of experts or authorities. The goal of the network is to connect people between otherwise disconnected subcommunities and give them the tools to start improving this industry in accessible, practical ways.

I’m blown away by how people responded to my call to action, and intimidated by the scope of motion that seems to have been set by it. It was by the dedication and expertise of Daniel, Aaron, and the rest of the folks working to put this together that Chimera Hearts exists, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it in any way. I hope you’ll join us and be a part of it, too.

Currently, the founding team of Chimera Hearts includes: @monsterfactoryfanfic; @thecoppercompendium; @in-case-of-grace; @theresattrpgforthat; @rowansender; @thefiresontheheight; @ladytabletop; @stoicheincat; and Julian, the Game Mistress of @tinytablepodcast!

[cerinslair]

Have you played Heart Heist : The Zine ?

By Cerin

Heart Heist: the Zine challenges players to carefully balance cooperation and competition. Play as a team of world-class thieves sent on a heist by your beloved dragon patron. Your partners in crime are also your rivals in romance, because it's not just about stealing the target - It's about looking the hottest doing it!

Puzzle out the dragon's dating preferences. Do your best to appeal to their tastes, while making your teammates look second-rate in comparison. Comb through your intel to devise a heist that gives you the best chance to come out on top. Intrigue, secret alliances, and inevitable betrayals all in the name of monster love. But be careful - If the heist is a failure, everyone loses!

This TTRPG is focused on one-shots with quicky + easy to learn rules, and an almost party-game-like settup. The zine edition is the rules-light/quickstart version, with a complete edition currently in development.

[cerinslair]

Dragongirl kidnaps a maid instead of a princess by mistake; comes back to her lair after a hunt to find the coins and gems in her hoard have been organized into neat piles sorted by type, value, and kingdom of origin.

[cerinslair]

Have you played Heart Heist : The Zine ?

By Cerin

Heart Heist: the Zine challenges players to carefully balance cooperation and competition. Play as a team of world-class thieves sent on a heist by your beloved dragon patron. Your partners in crime are also your rivals in romance, because it's not just about stealing the target - It's about looking the hottest doing it!

Puzzle out the dragon's dating preferences. Do your best to appeal to their tastes, while making your teammates look second-rate in comparison. Comb through your intel to devise a heist that gives you the best chance to come out on top. Intrigue, secret alliances, and inevitable betrayals all in the name of monster love. But be careful - If the heist is a failure, everyone loses!

This TTRPG is focused on one-shots with quicky + easy to learn rules, and an almost party-game-like settup. The zine edition is the rules-light/quickstart version, with a complete edition currently in development.

[cerinslair]

The zine also just got an update!

Have you played Heart Heist : The Zine ?

By Cerin

Heart Heist: the Zine challenges players to carefully balance cooperation and competition. Play as a team of world-class thieves sent on a heist by your beloved dragon patron. Your partners in crime are also your rivals in romance, because it's not just about stealing the target - It's about looking the hottest doing it!

Puzzle out the dragon's dating preferences. Do your best to appeal to their tastes, while making your teammates look second-rate in comparison. Comb through your intel to devise a heist that gives you the best chance to come out on top. Intrigue, secret alliances, and inevitable betrayals all in the name of monster love. But be careful - If the heist is a failure, everyone loses!

This TTRPG is focused on one-shots with quicky + easy to learn rules, and an almost party-game-like settup. The zine edition is the rules-light/quickstart version, with a complete edition currently in development.

[cerinslair]

Have you played Heart Heist : The Zine ?

By Cerin

Heart Heist: the Zine challenges players to carefully balance cooperation and competition. Play as a team of world-class thieves sent on a heist by your beloved dragon patron. Your partners in crime are also your rivals in romance, because it's not just about stealing the target - It's about looking the hottest doing it!

Puzzle out the dragon's dating preferences. Do your best to appeal to their tastes, while making your teammates look second-rate in comparison. Comb through your intel to devise a heist that gives you the best chance to come out on top. Intrigue, secret alliances, and inevitable betrayals all in the name of monster love. But be careful - If the heist is a failure, everyone loses!

This TTRPG is focused on one-shots with quicky + easy to learn rules, and an almost party-game-like settup. The zine edition is the rules-light/quickstart version, with a complete edition currently in development.

[cerinslair]

Heart Heist: The Zine Update 1.1 Out Now!

While work on the Complete Edition continues, Heart Heist: The Zine has also received its first major update!

Now that I understand itch's platform a bit better - as well as the scope of this project - it no longer seems correct to update the zine itself directly into the Complete Edition. I think it makes more sense to split Heart Heist into two bespoke editions: the cheap, easy to distribute, lowest-possible-barrier-of-entry Zine Edition; and a Complete Edition that is free to grow into whatever it ends up becoming. I don't want anyone who supported this project already to feel cheated out of the Complete Edition, which is why anyone who purchased (or purchases) the Zine Edition on itch will get $5 (the full price of the zine) off of the Complete Edition when it releases.

This does not mean that the zine is an unfinished version of a full game. Now it is quite the opposite - it is its own, complete thing (and has had its release stats on itch updated accordingly). It has everything you need to play, and can stand on its own. Some might come to call it a "rules-lite" version, and while I don't want to fall into the rabbit hole of definitions, it is looking very likely that the Complete Edition will have at least three more mechanics than its zine counterpart. Some players might even come to prefer one version over the other - relative simplicity and ease of use vs. mechanical depth and additional useful tools. Only time and continued development will tell.

While the Zine Edition obviously won't have everything the Complete Edition will have in it, it will still benefit from some of the updates work on the Complete Edition produces - such as the changes that released today!

Thank you for continuing to support Heart Heist!

Changelog:

Created a Google Sheet that helps automate calculating each Thief's Favor at the end of the game if you don't feel like doing math

Updated estimated play time based on additional playtesting with more groups of different players - down from 5 or 6 to 4 hours!

Added expectation of an additional 30 to 60 minutes if the entire group is new to playing Heart Heist

Added section strongly encouraging players to read their intel before meeting up to save time at the table. This section also explains that heists cannot be "spoiled," and are reusable!

The Evocative Language Update

"Stats" → "Vibes"

"Game Master" → "The Guy in the Van" (GV)

Removed unnecessary references to upcoming material meant for the Complete Edition

Rephrased explanation of "Fake It 'til you Make It" for clarity

Fixed unspecified print error on page 5

Added missing paragraph break on page 9

Fixed various typos

Removed grey sketch line from corner of Bingo.png

Fixed missing Alt Text for Bingo.png

Clarified that armor counts as a set of clothes

Specified how long it takes for a glass cutter to cut holes of various sizes

Reduced cost of the Aptitude spell from 3 to 2 Favor

Added advice for players to - at minimum - figure out how they will get in, how they will acquire the target, and how they will get back out again within their planning time limit. You'd be surprised how many groups forget one of those three things!

Added reminder for the Guy in the Van to award bonus Favor for the Dragon's Patron effect at the end of Phase 2: The Plan

Various tweaks to The Princess in the Box example heist based on continued playtesting

Added a timeline overview of the heist to The Princess in the Box

Increased margin size of The Princess in the Box intel handout for easier note taking

Updated the titles of some of the art pieces in the credits

[cerinslair]

Writing slowed down the past month between moving to a new city and getting sick, and then when I felt up to writing again I was busy getting the 1.1 update out the door.

I'll probably rest a bit now that that's done, but don't worry - my in-depth post about how the mechanics support the intended play experience in Heart Heist plus all the cool dice math is still on the way!

[cerinslair]

Heart Heist: The Zine Update 1.1 Out Now!

While work on the Complete Edition continues, Heart Heist: The Zine has also received its first major update!

Now that I understand itch's platform a bit better - as well as the scope of this project - it no longer seems correct to update the zine itself directly into the Complete Edition. I think it makes more sense to split Heart Heist into two bespoke editions: the cheap, easy to distribute, lowest-possible-barrier-of-entry Zine Edition; and a Complete Edition that is free to grow into whatever it ends up becoming. I don't want anyone who supported this project already to feel cheated out of the Complete Edition, which is why anyone who purchased (or purchases) the Zine Edition on itch will get $5 (the full price of the zine) off of the Complete Edition when it releases.

This does not mean that the zine is an unfinished version of a full game. Now it is quite the opposite - it is its own, complete thing (and has had its release stats on itch updated accordingly). It has everything you need to play, and can stand on its own. Some might come to call it a "rules-lite" version, and while I don't want to fall into the rabbit hole of definitions, it is looking very likely that the Complete Edition will have at least three more mechanics than its zine counterpart. Some players might even come to prefer one version over the other - relative simplicity and ease of use vs. mechanical depth and additional useful tools. Only time and continued development will tell.

While the Zine Edition obviously won't have everything the Complete Edition will have in it, it will still benefit from some of the updates work on the Complete Edition produces - such as the changes that released today!

Thank you for continuing to support Heart Heist!

Changelog:

Created a Google Sheet that helps automate calculating each Thief's Favor at the end of the game if you don't feel like doing math

Updated estimated play time based on additional playtesting with more groups of different players - down from 5 or 6 to 4 hours!

Added expectation of an additional 30 to 60 minutes if the entire group is new to playing Heart Heist

Added section strongly encouraging players to read their intel before meeting up to save time at the table. This section also explains that heists cannot be "spoiled," and are reusable!

The Evocative Language Update

"Stats" → "Vibes"

"Game Master" → "The Guy in the Van" (GV)

Removed unnecessary references to upcoming material meant for the Complete Edition

Rephrased explanation of "Fake It 'til you Make It" for clarity

Fixed unspecified print error on page 5

Added missing paragraph break on page 9

Fixed various typos

Removed grey sketch line from corner of Bingo.png

Fixed missing Alt Text for Bingo.png

Clarified that armor counts as a set of clothes

Specified how long it takes for a glass cutter to cut holes of various sizes

Reduced cost of the Aptitude spell from 3 to 2 Favor

Added advice for players to - at minimum - figure out how they will get in, how they will acquire the target, and how they will get back out again within their planning time limit. You'd be surprised how many groups forget one of those three things!

Added reminder for the Guy in the Van to award bonus Favor for the Dragon's Patron effect at the end of Phase 2: The Plan

Various tweaks to The Princess in the Box example heist based on continued playtesting

Added a timeline overview of the heist to The Princess in the Box

Increased margin size of The Princess in the Box intel handout for easier note taking

Updated the titles of some of the art pieces in the credits

[cerinslair]

Tabletop game design tip: always write a glossary for your game, even if you have no intention of including one in the finished product. If there are any bits of mechanical jargon for which you're struggling to write a clear and concise definition, chances are the text itself is fuzzy on what it actually means when it says them!

[cerinslair]

Still refining the list for my Pokémon TCG coin-flip theme cube. Send me recommendations for your favorite cards that involve coin-flips or rock-paper-scissors! Or just coin-flip cards that you think are fun

[cerinslair]

Okay, one more custom card for the coin-flip cube. There are not very many recovery cards that involve coin flips. And most that do only recover a single card, meaning your hand + deck doesn't actually have any more cards in it than it did before. I wanted to add a decent recovery card because (unless it's the strategy one of the players is actively going for) decking out isn't a very fun way for a game to end if it happens too often! Which in a cube where a lot of the cards are inconstant, that could be an issue.

I went with four coin flips so that on average it's worse than a Super Rod, but potentially it can be better! (Of course, that also means it can be worse... but that's a feature when it comes to this cube!)

Card art made using stock art of a claw machine and Pokeball by Okusu

I've wanted to build my own cube for years now, as a fun game design exercise (and because I just love cardboard rectangles). So I've started working on this Pokémon cube themed around coin flips. It's really started to come together, but I found it was missing two things. So I made/adapted them myself.

First, I liked the idea of the infamous Chaos Gym from the old Gym Challenge set (illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi). But the wording was a little outdated for the modern Pokemon TCG. Plus I liked the idea of shuffling the stolen cards back into their owner's deck. On the one hand, it feels a little less bad because you conserve the resource of a valuable Supporter card. On the other hand, assuming Chaos Gym remains in play, your opponent could get another chance to steal it again!

Second, there have never been any special energy cards printed that interact with coin flips. So I made a one! I decided to keep the loose Chaos Gym theming. Chaos Energy gives you a consolation of 2 damage counters to your opponent's Active whenever you flip tails, but at the expense of 2 damage counters on your own Pokémon as well! I might tweak the numbers a bit, but I imagine it could also help speed the game up a little in the event both players are consistently flipping tails a lot!

[cerinslair]

I've wanted to build my own cube for years now, as a fun game design exercise (and because I just love cardboard rectangles). So I've started working on this Pokémon cube themed around coin flips. It's really started to come together, but I found it was missing two things. So I made/adapted them myself.

First, I liked the idea of the infamous Chaos Gym from the old Gym Challenge set (illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi). But the wording was a little outdated for the modern Pokemon TCG. Plus I liked the idea of shuffling the stolen cards back into their owner's deck. On the one hand, it feels a little less bad because you conserve the resource of a valuable Supporter card. On the other hand, assuming Chaos Gym remains in play, your opponent could get another chance to steal it again!

Second, there have never been any special energy cards printed that interact with coin flips. So I made a one! I decided to keep the loose Chaos Gym theming. Chaos Energy gives you a consolation of 2 damage counters to your opponent's Active whenever you flip tails, but at the expense of 2 damage counters on your own Pokémon as well! I might tweak the numbers a bit, but I imagine it could also help speed the game up a little in the event both players are consistently flipping tails a lot!

[cerinslair]

Been thinking of organizing a crowdsourced megandungeon jam (basically everyone creates a small dungeon and at the end we stitch them together into a megadungeon) Would anyone be interested in participating in it?

[cerinslair]

Heart Heist: The Zine is 25% off for Valentine's Day!

Compete to date your dragon patron in this one-shot TTRPG where your partners in crime are also your rivals in romance! The zine includes a ready-to-play heist so your table can get started right away!

[cerinslair]

Blood & Tears

I want to make a vampire game.

I've been wanting to make this game for quite a while. I've always loved vampire stories. Not sure why. I'm a recovering goth, and I've always been fascinated by the idea of immortality. Of how it would warp human perspective, how at some point it would become alien, unknowable, unapproachable. It would be lonely and sad, a tragedy, and I've always liked tragedies too.

The world always feels more approachable to me when it's sad.

So I'm gonna make a tabletop roleplaying game about vampires.

It's called Blood & Tears.

It's coming together pretty quickly, probably because it's one of the projects that's been cooking in the back of my brain for a few years now. Every time I watched a vampire movie I'd take notes, I'd make a wish list of what I'd like to see and what I think I'd need to make rules for telling stories about vampires.

And then well, we had the Interview With The Vampire series, and that incredible Nosferatu movie, and I thought people would be pretty receptive of something like this. Especially the freaks, who make up probably a sizeable portion of my audience.

Hi freaks.

I want to make a game that lets you play in history. That teaches you about things, that doesn't overexplain, and encourages you to look some stuff up to figure out what's happening. I want the zine to read like a tome detailing a secret in the world that's been true for a very very long time.

I'm the one in the horror movie that cracks open the old tome and summons the dead god. I'm the one that would read the Necronomicon. I'm sorry, but that's who I am. Curious to a fault. So maybe that's why I'm enjoying putting all these thoughts into layout so much.

Anyway. I want to make a game about vampires. I want to make a space for a table of friends to think about what it means to live forever, about the friends you'd make or lose, the factions that hold power over centuries, and what other things might be true if vampires exist.

Don't worry. At least one of the playbooks will be Sad and one will be Horny. I know my audience.

Blood & Tears is funding right now on Kickstarter, from February 1st to the 12th. You can find out more about the game there.

Check it out. Spread the word. Ask yourself...

"Do you want to live forever?"