Krakow-based Pawel Kicman is funding a minimalistic roleplaying game inspired by 18th-century history and Slavic and Germanic legends that draws on the writings of von Goethe.
The RPG, which also draws on the art of Arthur Rackham, can be played like a traditional adventure, but it’s designed to use a GM as infrequently as possible. Pawel has attracted over 100 backers; you can see progress on the pitch page.
The minimalistic RPG uses a d6 system with some twists; success does not always reward, for example, and the blind rolling mechanic kicks in for stress, with the player rolling the d6 with their eyes closed and guessing the results.
The designer states there’s no wrong way, nor even a right one, to play Whisper of the Woods. Games can be a melee-style adventure, a cooking challenge, or even a prayer in the forest’s darkness.
The finished book will take around 80 days and have class roles like Crone or Hunter and rules for character creation with random tables. Whisper of the Woods will support solo play and, if useful, GM-less play too.
The RPG will have simple and advanced rules and a hex map generator, complete with plot hooks.
If you’re unfamiliar with the history of 18th-century central Europe, there’s a primer.
All the choices made and all the dice rolled will influence the characters and the woods around them in ways that are not always obvious or expected.
Backers at the €12 level will get the digital edition of Whisper of the Woods as a reward and the option to add in the wood dice and hex set.
At €30, the hardcover edition of the RPG is added.
The wood dice (4) and hex tablets (9) are the most costly part of the project and are part of the rewards, along with the RPG, for anyone pledging €100 or more.
The campaign closes on the 23rd of January, and the estimated delivery is May.
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