So You Want to Write a TTRPG

Want to make your own TTRPG? Here is an article with what to expect, and what you don't realize you will need.

One of the biggest goals for many who play TTRPG's is to make one of their own.  However, many find themselves diving into years of work or just abandoning the game once it gets too much.  Here is a list of what to ask yourself before embarking on this adventure, as well as things to consider as you start on this adventure.
Now please don't get me wrong, I don't want to dissuade anyone from making a game.  I find it highly rewarding to come up with the rules, settings, and testing it to no end.  But this isn't for everyone.

Questions to ask yourself

• Why are you making your game?  Have you been inspired to make one?  Do you think there is something missing from the hobby, and it's your goal and purpose to bring it to life?  Or perhaps you are playing something, but your table has so many house rules, adjustments and hacks that it doesn't feel like the original game anymore.  Either way, figure this one out first and it will help guide your design choices later.
• What kind of game do you want to make?  Even in a generic system, you still need to figure out what type of a game are you looking to make.  There are a few different focus' in making a game, and you have to figure out which focus you want.  Narrative focus has plenty of role-play elements, rules to navigate social situations, and the combat is loose and allows for the heavy swings that make movies work.  A combat focus will drive a game to have less social and narrative elements.  While still there, the rules are going to be heavier in combat, weapons, and armor.  One focus that many don't aim for but it happens anyways is a simulation focus.  These games try to make things as realistic as possible.  Wide swinging combat is replaced with a streamlined but realistic feel, narrative situations will have rules to guide them towards realism.
• Is this game going to be unique, or a hack of an existing system?  There are several games out there that have open licenses.  The biggest game in the hobby has an open license and gets hacks all the time.  And there are other systems that welcome hacks or "Powered By" interpretations.  But if you can't find any of these systems or games that fit your vision, there is nothing wrong with starting out with a system that you create on your own.  That's exactly what happened with POWERS RPG.  I couldn't find a system that fit my vision, so I sat down and crafted the basic rules of the system on my own.  But if you are going to hack an existing system, please make sure that it allows hacks if you plan on putting your game out into the public sphere.

Things to Consider Before Starting

• Plenty of Work.  Making a game, even hacking a setting around an existing system will take plenty of work.  Planning, writing, rewriting, and then getting feedback and reworking based on the feedback.  Don't forget the playtesting.  It isn't going to be a single round and it's done.  You might be testing parts of the game at different times.
• Changes will happen.  Many and often.  No game, book, movie, song, or any creative work doesn't go through edits and changes.  Your game will be no different.  You will need to remember a very important saying in the writing world: "Don't be afraid to kill your darlings."  What that means is that you might be totally in love with a section, but it just does not fit or work with the greater work.  You might have to take it out.  But keep those notes.  You might be able to use it somewhere else.
• Don't look at the printing, artwork, layout, publishing.  At all.  I should clarify.  You can think about these things, but they shouldn't be a concern when you start.  Once the rules are figured out, you can start looking into writing them down, and once you have finished a few drafts, then you can start thinking about testing it all.  Once you have the testing done, you can start working on the next drafts and next rounds of testing.  At some point in that process, you can start talking to an artist about a general feel and theme for your art and layout.  And if you have a publisher lined up before pen is on paper, you will disappointing the both of you.  Just write your game.  Besides, if you do end up with a publisher they might have the tools to help with art and layout.

Don't let this list dissuade you from starting your project.  Making a game is an extremely rewarding experience.  Especially when other people start playing it.  Just remember the work involved, and that's what it takes to make an excellent game.

And if you have a game that you have made, we here at Back Alley Games will playtest it for you and provide feedback.  Just send us a message on our contact form.