[23-Apr-21 08:35 PM] SKelty#6124
Hey everyone! I’m S. Kelty. I’m an indie game designer/writer based in Seattle WA. I’ve been involved in gaming for the past decade, and I’ve been writing and creating games for the past four. It’s been a long road, but the first of those games are starting to release. My debut game, The Bleakness is live on Kickstarter now. Its a rules lite horror game with simple survival mechanics, and great atmospheric encounters.
[23-Apr-21 08:38 PM] SKelty#6124
(Done)
[23-Apr-21 08:38 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
No problem!
[23-Apr-21 08:38 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
The floor is open to questions!
[23-Apr-21 08:38 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What is the game’s setting?
[23-Apr-21 08:40 PM] SKelty#6124
It’s a barren world where civilization is limited to isolated villages. The only contact between them is an ancient road pointing straight north. The road is the religion of the place, and traveling North is the literal path to enlightenment.
The setting is low magic, akin to dark ages northern Europe in tech and environment. It really seeks to capture the feeling of being alone in a vast wilderness.
[23-Apr-21 08:41 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Who are the PCs?
[23-Apr-21 08:42 PM] SKelty#6124
The PCs are villagers who have set out on the road. For some, this is a religious journey. For others, it is a necessity due to starvation or other forces.
Each PC is given a randomized background that gives them unique motivations, and at times, secrets that put them at odds with the party’s stated goals.
[23-Apr-21 08:45 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What sorts of capabilities do they have?
[23-Apr-21 08:47 PM] SKelty#6124
Almost none. Players are simple villagers. They have little to aid them besides their wits. The system is bare bones and classless. Everyone is assume to be of average ability, or in some cases even hampered by physical ailments. The game wants you to feel powerless in the face of a world you don’t quite understand.
[23-Apr-21 08:48 PM] SKelty#6124
True horror is based in this feeling of powerlessness. In RPGs it is tough to manage, as you want players to have control over their own destinies. I think The Bleakness finds this balance in a unique way.
[23-Apr-21 08:51 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Who/what is the opposition?
[23-Apr-21 08:53 PM] SKelty#6124
Without spoiling anything, the opposition is ever present but rarely a physical force. Cold, hunger, and darkness become very real threats. Other travelers can be dangerous if they are starving or otherwise pushed to the edge.
[23-Apr-21 08:59 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Are there monsters?
[23-Apr-21 09:02 PM] SKelty#6124
Depends on what you mean by monsters 🙂 . There are people driven to monstrous acts, and nightmares lurk in the shadows. But who is to say if they are real or just a trick of the light.
To give a straight answer, you won’t find goblins or other standard mythical creatures in The Bleakness. That isn’t to say all threats are mundane though. The Bleakness has its own mythology that is discovered through play.
[23-Apr-21 09:04 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Really? What is the setting’s comology?
[23-Apr-21 09:07 PM] SKelty#6124
The only known religion (at least at the start of the game) is The Church of the Road. It is monotheistic, and teaches that The Road is a literal path to heaven created alongside the world, and that humans were made to travel it. As with most religions, there is an opposition, a force of evil, however it is a secret that can be discovered in game and I’m not going to spoil the surprise.
The Bleakness is inspired heavily by A Pilgrim’s Progress, so it has a lot of religious allegories in it. The entire thing is steeped in religious themes.
[23-Apr-21 09:12 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Can you describe the system?
[23-Apr-21 09:13 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
(back in a sec)
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[23-Apr-21 09:16 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
(back)
[23-Apr-21 09:17 PM] SKelty#6124
When I created The Bleakness it was just a setting and adventure in its early drafts. Then I started realizing that any system I tried to pair it with didn’t fit.
So I ended up building my own. It is an extremely simple system in the same vein as Into the Odd and Mork Borg. It is D20 based and meant to be as easy to use as possible, getting refs and players comfortable almost instantly and right into the action. It has built in resources mechanics that make survival type role playing simple and straightforward.
[23-Apr-21 09:22 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What are the modifiers to the d20 rolls?
[23-Apr-21 09:25 PM] SKelty#6124
As part of the stripped down rule set, modifiers aren’t common. The only one that consistently comes up is a -1 for an improvised weapon. The ref can also give situational bonuses as needed. Part of the reason for a stripped down system is that while combat does occur, it is relatively rare, usually occurring no more than once per session.
[23-Apr-21 09:26 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Well, to be clear, are there attributes and/or skills involved?
[23-Apr-21 09:30 PM] SKelty#6124
None at all. This is easily one of the most rules lite games out there.
All player characters are ordinary, and the world wants them dead. To counter-act this and bring balance, skill checks are handled a little differently. They are judged by the ref as Guaranteed, Impossible, or 50/50. If a non-combat challenge is reasonably achievable, it succeeds automatically. This encourages smart play and clever solutions to problems.
[23-Apr-21 09:31 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
So do the PCs have any stats at all?
[23-Apr-21 09:35 PM] SKelty#6124
Nope! Each character has two attributes. A Role and a Challenge.
Roles represent what role the character had before embarking on their journey and how they are known to the others. Many roles also have a secret, which lets that player bend the rules or encourages a certain type of play.
Challenges represent a setback that character has on their journey. It may be a physical disability, fewer starting items, etc.
[23-Apr-21 09:36 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
So how is combat resolved? How is damage rated?
[23-Apr-21 09:39 PM] SKelty#6124
Combat is resolved very similar to most D20 systems. Rolls of 12 or greater are assumed to hit most things. As we are talking about pilgrims traveling lite, armor isn’t really a thing.
The difference comes where damage is concerned. The Bleakness uses something called Harm. When a PC, NPC, or creature is hit with an attack they take a harm effect. These range from small flesh wounds that can be ignored, to debilitating injuries, to instant death. This makes combat quick and deadly, usually settled in only a few rounds.
[23-Apr-21 09:41 PM] SKelty#6124
This also removes some of the abstraction from combat, adding to the horror aesthetic. You know exactly what each hit does. Its not some vague concept of HP.
[23-Apr-21 09:41 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Do weapons matter?
[23-Apr-21 09:43 PM] SKelty#6124
Yes, though not as much as in some games. None of the players are trained warriors. These are farmers, cowherds, and blacksmiths. As simple villagers turned pilgrims, combat is generally a last resort.
Improvised weapons are used frequently, and these have a -1 penalty. There are also some special items that give limited bonuses.
[23-Apr-21 09:44 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
You mentioned it being a low magic setting. What forms does magic take?
[23-Apr-21 09:48 PM] SKelty#6124
The magic of The Bleakness is not magic in the strictest sense. It is about as magic as Cthulu. There are divine forces at work, bestowing blessings and curses. There are very inhuman powers at play that the players may find themselves allied or opposed to, depending on their actions.
[23-Apr-21 10:02 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Is this a one-use game for a given group?
[23-Apr-21 10:06 PM] SKelty#6124
Yes. Obviously, the system could be used for other survival horror campaigns, but The Bleakness is a single campaign arc designed to be played over 3-5 sessions. When it is completed, or there is a TPK, the game is over for that group. This is important because as a horror game it is about the fear of the unknown and wondering what is around the next corner. With that said, it is really fun to ref for multiple groups. The game is centered around semi-randomized encounters which creates new emerging narratives each play through.
Also, this is longer term, but I intend to write additional games using The Bleakness system, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see new campaigns be released as supplements in coming years.
[23-Apr-21 10:15 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
What is your least favorite aspect of the game?
[23-Apr-21 10:19 PM] SKelty#6124
Ooh. Great question.
Any time you are dealing with randomized encounters, you have charts and references to go through. It takes a little practice to be seamless about looking up the next encounter. I never like an awkward pause while Im flipping through pages to see what the players encounter. Our next stretch goal is a reference sheet that will help with that and make it a little more seemless.
[23-Apr-21 10:23 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
In the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t discussed that you’d like to bring up?
[23-Apr-21 10:25 PM] SKelty#6124
I’d just love to thank the folks at Exalted Funeral. They are the publishers behind the scenes on The Bleakness. As a first time author in the space, they went out on a limb for me.
I’m excited to finally get the book I’ve worked so long on out there. I’ve had rave reviews from play-testers, and I think I’ve got something really special to share with everyone.
Thanks again for having me for this Q&A, Dan. It was great chatting!
[23-Apr-21 10:25 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Yes, thank you for joining us!
[23-Apr-21 10:26 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Usual reminder: If you’ve enjoyed this Q&A and would like to treat me to a coffee or two, you can do so at https://www.ko-fi.com/gmshoe. Anything’s appreciated! 🙂
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[23-Apr-21 10:26 PM] Dan Davenport#6715
Now, if you’ll give me just a sec here, I’ll get the log posted and link you!
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