[2:07 PM] Mumbleford Waits: My name is Alex, and with Asa I’m a creator of Backwater and the expansion Backroads. Originally a midwesterner, I’m now in New England. Been a TTRPG player since I was about ten, and I love reading rule sets and different worlds, and I’m excited to be here to talk about ours! (Done)
[2:08 PM] BackwaterGames: Hey, everyone. My name is Asa, and I’m one of the creators for Backwater Games. We’re currently funding Backroads on Kickstarter! Backroads is our second game that we funded on Kickstarter. We funded the first one last year, Backwater: a southern gothic horror ttrpg set in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans. Backroads expands on the setting. But you don’t need to have Backwater in order to play. All of the rules for the game system are included in Backroads. Alex and I are old pals who met in a ttrpg group, back when we lived in the same state together. I moved to Arkansas. He moved to the east coast. We kept play ttrpgs together online and somehow ended up writing them together too.
[2:09 PM] BackwaterGames: We’re both glad to drop in today! Hope we aren’t distracting anyone from work (too much). (done)
[2:09 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Thanks, guys! The floor is open to questions!1
[2:10 PM] Dan the GMshoe: So just to clarify, Backroads: City of the Arch is a complete game on its own?
[2:10 PM] Chantel (SHE/HER): Do These backroads take me home to that place I want to be?2
[2:15 PM] BackwaterGames: Correct. Although Backroads expands the setting for Backwater, it comes with the complete ruleset. It has everything you need to play the game. I think it can be hard (sometimes) to justify backing a book by an indie creator when… well, it requires someone to purchase a second book. We also want people to be able to pick up whichever setting they’re most interested in and run with it. In the future, we hope to do other settings as well. Backroads is set in Saint Louis, which is a completely abandoned but well-preserved city in this post-apocalyptic setting. It has a bit of a gold-rush feel, where people have come to St. Louis to make their fortune or to discover forgotten knowledge on expeditions into the ruins. But the ruins are dangerous. There are monsters in the game, many of whom have sprung up after the apocalyptic event, known simply as The End. (edited)
[2:15 PM] Mumbleford Waits: @Chantel (SHE/HER) If the place you want to be is the post-apocalyptic ruins of St. Louis and home is a burned out school bus or a boarding room in a Deadwood-style frontier town, then the answer is yes!2
[2:16 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Does anyone know what The End was?
@Mumbleford Waits@Chantel (SHE/HER) If the place you want to be is the post-apocalyptic ruins of St. Louis and home is a burned out school bus or a boarding room in a Deadwood-style frontier town, then the answer is yes![2:16 PM] Chantel (SHE/HER): Sounds like my kind of place.1
@Dan the GMshoeDoes anyone know what The End was?[2:19 PM] Mumbleford Waits: That’s a great question. No one in the American Lands knows for sure. The End is meant to be traumatic and vague, so GM’s can invent their own causes. For me, it’s probably a combination of nuclear winter and climate change, with some mysterious supernatural element as well.1
[2:19 PM] Dan the GMshoe: How long ago did The End take place?
[2:19 PM] BackwaterGames: We also leave that vague. But the implication is that is has been quite a while, more than a century.
[2:20 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Yeah, probably closer to 3-4, maybe even as many as 6.
[2:20 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Six centuries ago? Wow…
[2:20 PM] BackwaterGames: We have a discord for the game and enjoyed hearing folks debate it Plain and simple: it was long enough for a make-shift nation “The American Lands” to spring out of its ruins
[2:21 PM] Dan the GMshoe: What is the tech level of the American Lands?
[2:23 PM] BackwaterGames: Technology has regressed quite a bit. The first book, Backwater, connected southern-gothic themes with post-apocalyptic themes. We were going for elements of the setting that invoked reconstruction-era America. So, late 19th century.
[2:24 PM] BackwaterGames: In Backroads, people are trying to recover some of this lost technology through reverse engineer. Usually failing. Sometimes succeeding. But mostly experimenting. And there are some items that reflect this experimentation, with potentially disastrous effects to the user.
[2:24 PM] Dan the GMshoe: About how late is “late”? Late 19th century could include primitive automobiles and water-cooled machine guns, for example.
[2:25 PM] BackwaterGames: (Also, The End was not six centuries before the game setting. But as Alex was saying, it’s meant to be vague and folks in the world feel very cut off from the past)2
[2:27 PM] Mumbleford Waits: The tech of the first game is really trying to focus on reconstruction era style, so not later than the late 1870’s if we’re using exact time frames. We have trains, daguerreotype photography, steam engines, repeating rifles, etc.
[2:27 PM] Mumbleford Waits: But of course there are anachronisms where it’s fun or cool.
[2:27 PM] BackwaterGames: Yeah, think 1860s to 1870s – similar to what you might expect from the Wild West. But of course, it isn’t meant to be a historical representation either. So, not technically an anachronism. It’s simply some technological regression.
[2:28 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Gotcha. So Gatling guns are state-of-the-art, I’m guessing?
[2:28 PM] Mumbleford Waits: We had that come up in the game discord!
[2:29 PM] Mumbleford Waits: At the moment, that tech is lost, but experimental versions are no doubt being pondered by American inventors.
[2:29 PM] Mumbleford Waits: I think Asa had included a version in an early draft, but it didn’t make it to the full game.
[2:31 PM] BackwaterGames: Yep. That’s right haha. In the original game system that we created before Backwater and Backroads, gatling guns were a thing but were just too clunky at that time. We’re still debating if we include them in this setting, so we have some experimenting of our own to do
[2:31 PM] Dan the GMshoe: You mentioned a possible nuclear aspect to The End. Are there mutants?
[2:35 PM] BackwaterGames: Yep Not quite like in Mutants in the Now/Next, who I know was your last Q&A. In this game, many animals were changed by the End. The most notable are “monstrosities,” which are essentially larger and more aggressive versions of the original beasts. In Backwater, one of our favorite illustrations was a gatory monstrosity. I’ll try to grab an image of it. I think my favorite in Backroads, so far, is the catfish monstrosity, which you might stumble across while on a steamboat trip down the Mississippi or while trying to ferry between Meecham (a boomtown/settlement located in our modern-day East STL) and the ruins of St. Louis. Illustration by Carlos Eulefi forthcoming.
[2:36 PM] Mumbleford Waits: We’ve also included some original monsters, notably the gores and the hollow men that are called “cousins of humanity”, but are effectively mutants in their own right.
@Mumbleford WaitsWe’ve also included some original monsters, notably the gores and the hollow men that are called “cousins of humanity”, but are effectively mutants in their own right.[2:36 PM] Dan the GMshoe: I assume they aren’t playable?
[2:36 PM] Mumbleford Waits: And players also have the opportunity to select animal companions which may have mutations both helpful or not.
[2:37 PM] BackwaterGames: Nope! Gores and Hollows are some of the monsters that you might stumble upon in the ruins or among the backroads of the American Lands
[2:37 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Are there supernatural entities as well?
[2:39 PM] Chantel (SHE/HER): And if there are how do the inter act with the people?
[2:39 PM] BackwaterGames: That’s correct. That sort of started out because of the southern-gothic themes in the first setting, where some folklore is reality. There are devils looking for stray souls as well as other monsters (e.g. loupgarou/werewolves)
[2:40 PM] BackwaterGames: Most people don’t believe in these things, but some do and there are always rumors of ghosts.
[2:41 PM] BackwaterGames: (But we do leave it up to the GMs to decide how heavy they want the supernatural themes)
[2:41 PM] Chantel (SHE/HER): So what you are saying is I could bet my soul against a gold fidle?
[2:41 PM] BackwaterGames: I’ll add: supernatural doesn’t equal evil per se. So, to answer Chantel’s questions, that interaction depends on the circumstances. (edited)
@Chantel (SHE/HER)And if there are how do the inter act with the people?[2:41 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Great question! Often depends on the monster. Some see humans as food or prey. Still others ignore humans. And finally there are those that live among humans, often in hiding, like the shape shifting Etranje (a kind of doppelgänger)
[2:42 PM] Dan the GMshoe: (brb — phone)
[2:42 PM] BackwaterGames: And you definitely can haha.
[2:42 PM] Mumbleford Waits: We’re actually thinking about adding a specific mechanism for making a pact with a devil. Still in the experimental phase, though.
[2:44 PM] BackwaterGames: While Dan is on his way back, I’ll share one of our animal companions, which Alex mentioned earlier: a canary, used for exploring the ruins, along with its resuscitator.2
[2:45 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Okay, back, sorry. Let me scroll back here and see what I missed…
[2:46 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Do PCs have access to supernatural powers?
[2:48 PM] BackwaterGames: They do. In Backwater, there were Seers, who have abilities related to blood magic and “the sight” (essentially psychic). In Backroads, we’ve introduced the Sparklock, who has abilities that help them use and repair old technologies. There truly aren’t spells or anything like that. But these characters have a couple tricks up their sleeves, which they can use in exchange for expanding a Health Point or a Resolve Point. So, their magic can be costly.
[2:49 PM] Mumbleford Waits: In Backroads we’ve also added the Spiritualist, who is able to manifest supernatural abilities though their faith (edited)
[2:49 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Supernatural healing, divine guidance, etc
[2:53 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Is this a class-based system? Or are characters like Spiritualists more like archetypes?
[2:58 PM] BackwaterGames: Character creation is pretty flexible. It’s technically “class-based.” So, at first level, you’ll select your class (which we call an archetype). But from there, you make it your own. Archetypes determine your starting abilities, as well as a vague path for later abilities. But it doesn’t determine you wealth, skills, weapons, or anything like that. These components are determined by a mix of things. Your character’s “ideals” are primarily what determines how much coin they begin with and what skills they are good at. So, for example, you might select wanderlust as an ideal or defiance. And based on that ideal, you get so many skill points and a list of skills that cost less, as you’re more likely to have experience in them based on your ideals (like travel or exploration-related skills for wanderlust). However, you can technically purchase proficiencies in whichever skills you would like.
@Mumbleford WaitsGreat question! Often depends on the monster. Some see humans as food or prey. Still others ignore humans. And finally there are those that live among humans, often in hiding, like the shape shifting Etranje (a kind of doppelgänger)[2:58 PM] aiodjed: is Etranje a play on ‘stranger’?
[2:59 PM] BackwaterGames: There are a few other bits in character creation that can affect how much coin you start off with and how many skill points you get. Such as your “fortune,” which is basically your socioeconomic status.
@aiodjedis Etranje a play on ‘stranger’?[3:00 PM] Mumbleford Waits: It is, yep!1
[3:01 PM] Mumbleford Waits: We wanted something that would reflect the fact that the locals knew something was up, but couldn’t quite put their finger on it.
[3:01 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Do you have a character sheet that we can see?
[3:02 PM] BackwaterGames: Sure! Here is the preview for the Backroads character sheet (also compatible with Backwater, of course).Backroads_CharacterSheet_Preview.pdf1.12 MB
[3:03 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Nice character sheet!
[3:04 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Looks like this is an attribute + skill system of some description?
[3:04 PM] BackwaterGames: We were also thing of the motif of the stranger or outsider in fiction and stories like William Wilson by Edgar Allen Poe. Doubles show up so often in American gothic and southern gothic, so the monster was another way to work in those themes
[3:04 PM] aiodjed: nice and clear yep1
[3:05 PM] BackwaterGames: That’s correct. Resolution of tasks, like skills, have you roll a d20 and add your proficiency + the associated characteristic. the goal is to roll over. But there are some other cool bits that we incorporate.
[3:08 PM] BackwaterGames: Every character (npcs included) have four main attributes. Vigilance, Build, Reflex, and Intuition. These attributes have goal scores (which people roll against) and modifiers (which you use to roll). Skill rolls that target a character are rolled against their attribute goal scores. So, if you’re trying to Persuade someone, you roll against their Intuition. If you’re trying to sneak past them, you roll against their Vigilance. Etc. The attribute rolls are sort of like saving throws in D&D. You step on a pitfall? Make a Reflex roll. So, these four attributes do a lot of work. And they can improve as the game goes on.
[3:09 PM] Dan the GMshoe: How do attributes and characteristics relate (if at all)?
[3:09 PM] BackwaterGames: For sure. And then I’d like to plug how Health and Resolve work too, if that’s okay.
[3:11 PM] BackwaterGames: Characteristics are static. They are set at level 1. They’re sort of like a character’s natural/inherent traits. However, characteristics influence attributes. Attributes aren’t static. They can improve over time. They’re more like learned traits.
[3:11 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Sure!
[3:11 PM] BackwaterGames: So, characteristics help calculate attributes at level 1. And from there, your attributes can improve as you level up.
[3:14 PM] Chantel (SHE/HER): What are the attributes in this game?
[3:14 PM] BackwaterGames: The last thing I’ll mention are Health and Resolve rolls. Health Points work like hit points in other games. And Resolve is basically a stress mechanic. But they also have another cool function. When you’re hit with something that might cause a condition (e.g. a shotgun might make you bleed out via the Bleeding condition), you make a Health roll or a Resolve roll, depending on the condition. With these rolls, you try to roll under or equal to your current Health or your current Resolve. So, in effect, every time you lose Health or lose Resolve, these rolls get harder.
[3:15 PM] Dan the GMshoe: That’s clever. (edited)
@Chantel (SHE/HER)What are the attributes in this game?[3:15 PM] Mumbleford Waits: The attributes are Vigilance, Build, Intuition, and Reflex.1
[3:15 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Vigilance is where you act in turn order, and your perceptive abilities.
[3:16 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Build is how big your character is, their physical prowess, etc. a character with high build is hard to trip, shove
[3:16 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Intuition is your brain skills, the ability to detect lies, sense something is amiss.
[3:17 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Reflex is like your D&D AC, determines how hard it is to hit you in combat, but also how quick you are. If you’re able to dodge a trap, for example.
[3:18 PM] Dan the GMshoe: How does combat work?
[3:23 PM] BackwaterGames: It’s a turn-based system, divided into two phases. Movement and Action. Which allows for it to be a bit more tactical, in my opinion, and can mean quicker turns to keep people engaged. Something that I like to highlight about combat is how turn order is determined. Rather than rolling initiative at the start of combat (or drawing cards or other mechanic), it’s determined at the start of each session. By default, the turn order is determined by character’s vigilance scores, which allows the GM to plan a head a bit. However, player-characters can opt to make a Vigilance roll instead of using their Vigilance score to get a better (or worse) spot in turn order. They’re stuck with the result.
[3:24 PM] Dan the GMshoe: That’s cool.
[3:25 PM] Mumbleford Waits: A thing I’d like to add is that we tried to make combat feel consequential. More a choice than a mandatory part of every session. We wanted there to be alternate options to combat, even if that option is simply running from a powerful monster.1
[3:26 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Combat usually goes pretty quickly and I think is pretty streamlined, but it’s something to be entered when other options fail, as characters can get messed up pretty quick if they aren’t careful.
[3:31 PM] BackwaterGames: Yep. We wanted to make sure that combat skills didn’t become an obligated part of someone’s character. It’s part of the game, but it’s definitely not the only cool part of the game. In fact, there’s a lot, so you can really have fun experimenting with different types of characters.
For example, we had a friend who played with us a couple of months ago and mentioned how they really appreciated being able to create the character that they wanted, which is to say they didn’t feel obligated to work combat skills into their con-man. It’s not like that with every game, and I’ve certainly felt that way before.2
[3:31 PM] Dan the GMshoe: How is damage determined, and how does armor work?
[3:33 PM] BackwaterGames: I’ll add, Alex and I really like investigation/mystery style games and games with roleplaying, where you can really get to feel your character. That was a major focus for us in Backwater. Exploration has always been a part of the game too, such as haunted houses in Backwater. With Backroads, we’re kicking it up a notch too. So that’s another pillar that we’ve been trying to build out more. We have more exploration/navigation rules, rules for hexcrawls, and rules/guides for travel montage.1
[3:36 PM] BackwaterGames: Damage is based on the weapon that someone uses. It usually incorporates a bonus to the damage based on a relevant characteristic (such as your size with certain melee weapons). To deal damage, people make a Melee roll or Ranged roll against your Reflex goal score. If they roll above, they hit and deal damage. Simple. Armor is an item in this game. It’s about damage reduction. No rolling or anything here. Your armor has a score, and you simply subtract it from the damage. So, if the big bad deals 5 damage to you and you have an armor with a score of 2. It only deals 3 damage.
[3:39 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Does degree of success matter, in combat or otherwise?
[3:41 PM] BackwaterGames: No degree of success in this instance, although we did experiment with it in earlier versions of the system (predating Backwater and Backroads).
[3:44 PM] BackwaterGames: Also, a somewhat relevant plug: we’re getting our character sheet set up for Roll20 now so that we can automate rolls. Rolls are pretty easy to figure out in Backwater/Backroads. Alex and I enjoy a game with crunch, but we wanted less time with rolls and more time in our roles for this game (sorry for that atrocious turn of phrase). That being said, it’s always nice to have a sheet with some automated features. That’s something that our current Kickstarter is helping fund (and which actually hit its funding goal earlier today, woo!) (edited)
[3:46 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Awesome.
[3:47 PM] Dan the GMshoe: No game is flawless, nor is any game for everyone. What is your least favorite aspect of Backroads, and who is the game definitely not for?
[3:48 PM] BackwaterGames: My least favorite part is that we can’t make it longer (Is Alex typing this too?)
[3:48 PM] BackwaterGames: But let me think of a less cheap answer.
@Dan the GMshoeNo game is flawless, nor is any game for everyone. What is your least favorite aspect of Backroads, and who is the game definitely not for?[3:49 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Ha! Love it. The second part is easier. If you’re into D&D action/adventure where your characters are taking on hordes of enemies, this maybe isn’t your game. The characters are squishy, and there’s a lot of danger in both combat and exploration.
[3:49 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Not as squishy as Call of Cthulhu, but they won’t be taking down an army of orcs like it’s just another Thursday.1
[3:50 PM] Dan the GMshoe: (Oh, those darned Thursday orcs.)1
[3:50 PM] Mumbleford Waits: I second Asa’s regret/dislike about us not being able to make it longer.
[3:52 PM] Mumbleford Waits: I think my least favorite part is that we set a tech level and have been forced to stick to it. We have some experimental weapons in Backroads, but I wanted to get real crazy with jury-rigged jet packs, stealth suits, etc. but we had to reign that in a bit.
[3:52 PM] BackwaterGames: (We reigned it in a lot. Alex probably hates me for it)1
@BackwaterGames(We reigned it in a lot. Alex probably hates me for it)[3:52 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Only the smallest bit.1
[3:56 PM] Dan the GMshoe: How large is the game’s bestiary?
[3:56 PM] BackwaterGames: I would say that for me there are still some bits that are under-utilized. And that’s an honest answer. We had a great discussion in our discord the other day about “credit,” which is a stat but doesn’t get a chance to shine after character creation, at which point someone uses it to calculate their coin. I’ve used it in my adventures (e.g. impacts the cost to rent a boat! or (if they don’t have the clothes for it) can impact whether someone gets into a party). But it could really be fleshed out more. In fact, one of the players suggested being able to make a “credit roll” (roll under credit during a negotiation). Anyway, that’s something that sticks with me. And I’m really appreciative of the small but fierce community that’s started to grow around the games and the ideas/feedback they share. We’re better for it. And the games are better for it too.
[3:57 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Great answers!
[3:57 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Aside from the bestiary question, in the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?
[3:59 PM] BackwaterGames: Backwater has 66 NPCs and monsters. Uffdah! And Backroads will be closer to 40. However, it’s still being settled, as we have a pledge tier (and add-on) where you can create a monster with us for the new game. Check it out! It’s pretty affordable, and we’ll do (setting appropriate) art for it too. Some restrictions apply (can’t be offensive, for example, or infring on IP).
[3:59 PM] Mumbleford Waits: I think Asa will handle the beasts question, but I’d just add that even though we’re currently funded, we still have some stretch goals we’re hoping to unlock, including more art for the book and some adventures. All of that will really help us flesh out the setting, which is very dear to both of us.
[4:01 PM] BackwaterGames: I don’t think Alex’s and my discussion today didn’t do the setting justice, but I will say it’s one of the things that people reach out to us about most frequently. It’s very cool to hear what people think of it and what they think may be happening in their neck of the woods (if they’re from the U.S.).
[4:02 PM] BackwaterGames: I’d say, if you want to learn more, our Kickstarter page is likely more eloquent than we are. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/backwater/backroads-city-of-the-archKickstarterBackwater GamesBackroads: A post-apocalyptic American-gothic Horror TTRPGExplore the Outskirts. Travel its ancient backroads. Brave the ruins of post-apocalyptic St Louis in this American-gothic horror TTRPG
[4:02 PM] Dan the GMshoe: Thanks very much for joining us today, guys!
[4:02 PM] Dan the GMshoe: 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! Ko-fiBuy Dan Davenport a Coffee. ko-fi.com/gmshoeBecome a supporter of Dan Davenport today! ❤️ Ko-fi lets you support the creators you love with no fees on donations.
[4:02 PM] Mumbleford Waits: Thanks so much for having us!
[4:02 PM] BackwaterGames: And we have some things on itch too. Right now our solitaire adventure is free. So you can use that along with the free quickstart to get a sense of the system and setting
[4:02 PM] BackwaterGames: https://backwater-games.itch.io/solitaire-eulalieitch.ioEulalie’s Curse: A Backwater Solitaire Adventure by Backwater GamesA Backwater solo game
[4:02 PM] Dan the GMshoe: I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit and will feel free to hang out with us whenever you like!2
[4:03 PM] BackwaterGames: Thanks, @Dan the GMshoe
[4:03 PM] Dan the GMshoe: If you’ll give me just a minute, I’ll get the log posted and link you!