UKRP Design Collective

[catty_big]

The UKRP Design Collective is an association of some of the best and most creative indie designers in the UK, who have banded together to spread the word about all the cool stuff they're producing. If you happen to be at Indiecon (a major UK con) in November, come and see us at our stall there, and we'll happily bend your ear about our fab games. Better yet, why not play some of them?* Ah go on. Ah you will. You will, you will, you will you will you will.

Oh, and have a shufti at our blog, and chat to us about games and game design. Yep, we love talking about games and game design. And we do it .

*Even better, why not treat yourself to the books, which will be available to buy at our stall . For those of you not based in the UK, have no fear, you can buy our books too- most of us have separate websites or blogs etc. where they can be obtained, but, if you're having difficulty obtaining them, post a comment on our blog, or contact me here and I'll try to put you in touch with the relevant designer .

Happy gaming y'all!

[catty_big]

Here’s some info on some of the UKRPDC’s games:

The Pompey Crew
Witch: The Road to Lindisfarne is a GMless and prepless story game about guilt and absolution in medieval Britain. Most basically, it's about some people dragging a young woman to her execution in order to save the country. It's fairly serious and it's focused on exploring the backstories of the characters involved and how that effects the power dynamic of the group up until the critical moment at Lindisfarne. It's designed for focused single-shot games.

The Marquis of Ferrara is a GMless and prepless story game about passion, politics and murder in Renaissance Italy. Most basically, it's about some powerful nobles fighting and politicking over a city after one of them killed off the previous Marquis. It's fairly melodramatic and focused on exploring the promises and lies people will tell to further their goals. It's designed for focused single-shot games.

Damwain Games
What You Wish For is a GMless structured freeform for exactly 3 people. In which you explore the hopes and memories of everyday people who have become dissatisfied and directionless. You reflect on their past, dream about their future and then make a decision about how they will positively move on with their life. It uses interpreting art cards as the main mechanic of play.

Kiwi Games
Intrepid! is a GM-less, prep-less, structured freeform game of fantasy adventure and world building for 3-5 players. You explore the stories and struggles of characters in a collaboratively created world. The setting and map grows in detail and scope as you play, taking what you do and reincorporating it. Suitable for both one-shot games and longer campaigns.

Paul Mitchener (dr_mitch)
Age of Arthur is a game set in dark ages Britannia, two generations after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire. It is a time of fading magic and desperate heroism. A brave few battle for freedom, the old ways, and the memory of Rome against an ever growing invading power, when all is crumbling into barbarism.

In terms of modern fiction, Cornwell's Warlord Trilogy and some of Rosemary Sutcliff's books are inspirations, though with added doses of the fantastic, such as the Fae and some of the Welsh Legends.. Although inspired by Arthurian myths, the feel is dark ages rather than medieval. Magic is present, though mostly low-key, and an option for player characters.

It's a self-contained game and the system is a variant of the popular Fate gaming engine, modified to best model the feel of the setting.

Simonpaulburley
Squadron UK is a thoroughly traditional silver age Superhero RPG.

Says Simon Burley, the designer, "I believe in the creativity and imagination of Referees and players. I believe game systems should boost and support that creativity. However, as art, without limits is mere anarchy, I believe in a clear structure." Squadron UK is fully scaleable, but basically it's in the Stan Lee/1970s Marvel mould - with the Comics Code in place.

The game features the single best Superhero character creation system in print. The perfect blend of random elements and design drives the creation of some of the most inventive characters ever seen. Basically the players roll a few dice to get a starting point for their heroes but then have complete control over how they turn out. You can come to the table with no idea what you want to play and- a few minutes later- you've got an original living breathing Superhero that you've created that you want to play.

A system of derived characteristics drives things forward. How you act in one game directly affects what happens in the next. If you're a true hero (ie. follow the Code) people look up to you. The more you solve crimes, the better a detective you'll become.

Simon again, "I originally wrote Golden Heroes over 30 years ago (it's in Wikipaedia). Squadron UK has grown out of 30 years of experience and criticism. Whilst the combat system is still fully detailed, for, example, it's now deliberately streamlined so that one combat doesn't occupy a full play session. You can play out the entire Avengers movie in a session or two."

Silver Branch Games
Rocket Amoeba is a little generic light ruleset that Silver Branch Games (the publishers of Questers, Jaws of the Six Serpents and Albion) released earlier this year. System-wise it's a bit like Fate and Savage Worlds had a baby and PDQ was among the aunts and uncles. It aims toward handling things like comics and TV series. Says Tim Gray, the designer, “It's got the explainification and clear, simple layout that's my schtick. I hope it will work well for introducing new gamers, or boardgamers who want to dip a toe in”.

You can grab the pdf for $1 at DriveThru/RPGNow.

Omnihedron Games
ERA is a roleplaying game designed for small group play (1-2 players plus a storyteller) and quick play, with a session being completed in around an hour. In ERA, you take the role of Legends - classic solo heroes (think 'Conan', 'Hercules' or 'Judge Dredd') - or legendary partnerships (think 'Fafhrd and Grey Mouser', 'Han Solo and Chewbacca' or 'Batman and Robin') - and battle against a variety of epic obstacles as you progress on your heroic quest. The game plays through a mutable series of scenes that mirror the Legends abilities and themes.

ERA is powered by setting packs - 'The Dragon Toothed Mountains' (a northern fantasy setting) is included in the base book and 'Caliphport' (an Arabian nights style setting) has just been released. Upcoming setting packs have been sponsored through Patreon and include 'Cthulhu's Company' (Sharpe vs Cthulhu), an as-yet-unnamed 'School of Witchcraft' setting and 'The Last Briton', with your hero facing off against invading Romans.

ERA is available on a Pay What You Want basis from rpgnow via Omnihedron Games.

indyhippo
That's me! I've posted about Sci-Fi Beta Kappa often enough here and elsewhere, and I'll post about my other games as and when they see the light of day .

[Rob Lang]

How did the Con go? Was it good fun?

[catty_big]

[Rob Lang]

Splendid! It's reminiscent of photos of the Forge booth back-in-the-day when the Forge was more about indie game developers and less, well, what it became.

[catty_big]