The 10 Commandments of Writing an RPG

I’ve said it before, “We all have our own RPGs, don’t we?” Well, I suppose so, because I have written several, and some of them have several editions. No, I’ve never published any of my RPGs – they’ve always been written for my enjoyment, my players’ enjoyment, and my need to vent my creative mind buildup. Usually, I write them simply because I want to play or run a game (genre) that isn’t really out or available. Sometimes I even thought I could make a better version of an existing game. In fact, publishing a role-playing game for profit is another hot ball of magma, one that I’m definitely not qualified to talk about. * I am not a professional writer and I have never tried to sell a game. *Read more: how to apply got2b paste on forehead I have written several RPGs. Unfortunately, most of them are 10-30 pages long devoted to a fiery death in the trash. However, I did have a couple of jugglings that witnessed some serious gaming time, so I’m happy for that…

Back in high school (when my love/hate relationship with Heroes Unlimited began), I felt that I could make a super game better than anything else out there. Using Wordperfect, I put together over 100 pages of pure metadata (titled “Supers“). Unfortunately, it ended up not being the same as the original, so I rewrote it – only to find that it still wasn’t very original. So I just threw the whole thing away.

Then I created two versions of Militech, it’s a great combination of Aliens and Robotech. Spaceship combat and multirole fighter jet combat provided our team with hours of entertainment, complete with military ranks, tons of options, and some cool artwork ( ripping off). I even printed six books, complete with a beautiful front cover. Unfortunately I ended up killing the game because I kept tinkering with it. I take inspiration from a movie or book and then try to add those new concepts to the game. I should have left it alone, since a lot of time was spent on that RPG.

My last major attempt was Nighthaven. A kind of Blade/Buffy/Underworld game. This game has all bells and whistles. 150+ pages, great options, and awesome (rip-off) artwork. Of course, I had to print it as a book. We’ve played this game over and over again, and I simply enjoyed it. I like this game so much that it has gone through three versions. And that’s what ultimately set it aside. I kept tinkering with it, changing things, making the game “supposedly better” – and it simply ran away from me. I should really focus more on fluff rather than stuff.

So, where did I go wrong with all my games? And why am I writing this? Well, I’m itching to start developing Nighthaven again, but I don’t want the same old problems. So I thought about it, and then came up with some of the obstacles and pitfalls I’ve faced in the past in the hope that I won’t make the same mistakes again. If you’re looking to write your own RPG for fun, hopefully you’ll find this helpful as well.

10 Commandments When Writing RPG

Create a “to-do” list. Make a list of things that need to be explained in the game. This is usually a list of chapters and subchapters. I always look through other RPGs to see what’s explained in them, to help make sure my game is complete. Really, in making the list, you are creating a plan of attack, a plan that will keep you on track.

Do not stop. If you have an idea, start with it. Don’t worry about your ideas not being original or perfectly visualized – you just have to catch the rolling ball. Don’t sit there trying to get it all out of your head. I’ve been sitting for hours in front of my computer just waiting for the right words to magically flow through my fingertips on that keyboard. And you know what? Those are very wasted hours. Once you get that initial idea, just get started with it. Write, write, write.

Install, Install, Install. This is important. A great system mechanic or character option tree can be great, but it won’t last when paired with a poor, tedious, or underdeveloped setting. A setting that connects the player’s characters to the story, and that’s important in keeping the player interested in the game.

Focus only on what’s on your mind. You don’t have to write your game front to back (this is why you create your “to do” list). If you’re working on a specific piece – like PC Races, but then get inspired by your PC Class, work on your PC Class. You’ll do a lot better writing about what you’re thinking than if you try to finish one section before moving on to the next. Trust me.

Steal what works from your competitors. Hey, if you like the way Wizards format their D&D Powers section, copy it. Or, copy and change it. Whatever. You can research what’s there, as it might fit your game (and you might even improve on it). On the other hand, you can also check things from games that don’t seem to work and avoid making those mistakes.

Keep it simple. Some of my failures were partly because I thought I could make the grappling rules more realistic, or ranged combat, or damage drop…whatever. All that did was add more rules to an untested RPG system. Using my “apparently superior intelligence” to make certain parts of the game more realistic only made the game less playable. It makes the game messy and opens your system to a bunch of inconsistent rules. Just keep it simple. Again, trust me.

Consider using an existing game system. To keep it simple, why not make your game using an established common system, like Savage Worlds or Stands of FATE? This makes for much less work and (more importantly) less stress. Of course, if your idea for a game is based on a unique system mechanic of your own design, then go ahead – just remember that specifying your own system can be a task. difficult, time consuming and tedious. Using an existing generic game system could easily cut through tons of hours of addictively challenging gameplay.

Experiment with one shot from time to time. This will help you adjust the numbers, balance the power, and show you what simply doesn’t work (and anything that requires a lot of explanation certainly doesn’t work). Players won’t want to play the game if they can’t remember the eight-step process for determining the initiative.

Make the rules consistent. When you design your own system, one error often occurs – it is very easy to focus on combat resolution while neglecting conflict resolution. Then you’ll later find out that you need to figure out how to handle ability tests, skills tests, magic spells, and socializing behaviors. Very quickly you can end up with a number of different ways to handle such conflicts (subsystems), when you should think of a single tool that applies to all situations.

Stop making changes. After you’ve completed your game and distributed it to your players, resist the urge to change. This is the time to play the game, not work on it. Unless you find something that is seriously disrupting your RPG, leave it alone. Just do with what you have and leave it as it is. Sure, you’ll find bugs, inconsistencies, and power imbalances, but your players will forgive that. They won’t forgive you for interrupting your campaign once you start making changes. My two most successful games ended up being killed because I kept trying to improve them.