Matthew Sheret released Ballads of the Lilypond on itch.io in late summer 2026, delivering an original, lightweight tabletop release that puts storytelling and verse front and centre. The game casts players as wandering bards in the realm of Idyllica, spending their evenings chronicling the exploits of the amphibious Knights of Duck Bottom Pond.
Digital roleplaying games often suffer from dense two-column layouts that fight against mobile screens, but this PDF avoids that trap entirely. The text flows in a single clean column using large Century Schoolbook typography and uncluttered tables, making it exceptionally comfortable to read and run straight from a smartphone without zooming or panning.
Setting the Scene in Idyllica
The game adapts chivalric Arthurian romance to the riverbank. Instead of the Round Table and mythical beasts, troubadours sing of knights seeking the Sacred Spork, crossing muddy wellies, and outwitting grumpy carps. The tone lands in a pleasant space between courtly pomp and pondweed silliness, matching classic fable traditions without becoming trivial.
The physical PDF layout borrows structural cues from Lelouch Vee’s Mythic Bastionland template, pairing clean margins with Lombardina Initial drop capitals. Illustrator Sar Cousins provides black-and-white ink drawings that ground the book’s look with lively, expressive amphibians. Because the title uses a card deck instead of polyhedral dice, pairing the game with a deck of William De Morgan’s Frog playing cards mirrors the table’s aesthetic.
The Card Engine and Resolution
Rather than adapting standard systems like Powered by the Apocalypse or the d20 roll-high model, Ballads of the Lilypond uses an original card-draw resolution system with a standard 52-card deck.
| Suit Drawn | Encounter Outcome | Consequence Draw |
| Spades | Success | Draw a Reward card |
| Clubs | Failure | Draw a Lesson card |
| Hearts | Success | Draw a Lesson card |
| Diamonds | Failure | Draw a Reward card |
Card ranks cross-reference fixed prompt tables to determine the exact nature of the trial, the lesson learnt, or the reward gained. Jesters act as unstructured wildcards, inviting players to introduce narrative reversals, sudden luck, or dramatic twists. It keeps setup minimal while guaranteeing unpredictable results across a 90-minute session.
Character Generation and Baggage
Creating a knight takes four card draws, each matching a rank to an evocative attribute:
- Name: Chosen by rank, providing names like Buckthorn, Milton, or Splash.
- Trait: Ranging from brave and wise to gassy or lovesick.
- Title: Determined by card parity and face values, designating the character as Sir, Lady, or royal stock.
- Baggage: A companion or prop, including a wooden sword, a foul-mouthed tadpole, or a goldfish steed.
These prompts give players an immediate comedic or heroic hook. Once the knight is defined, a ten-minute writing timer starts, and players draft their opening stanza before reciting it to the table.
Structure and Game Flow
Play proceeds through three rounds of encounters followed by a closing recital. Each round follows a tight sequence:
- Troubadours draw a Trial card to set their obstacle.
- A Result draw determines success or failure, followed by a draw for a Reward or Lesson.
- A shared ten-minute timer begins, during which each troubadour drafts their verse as an epic couplet, limerick, or shanty.
- Players recite their verses aloud in turn.
After the third encounter, players take one final ten-minute block to write their concluding stanza, underline their poem’s title, and read their complete ballad aloud. The rules keep bookkeeping down to zero, prioritising group performance and creative interpretation over complex arithmetic.
To complete the riverbank aesthetic at the table, pick up William De Morgan’s Frog playing cards on PlayingCardDecks.
Quick Links
- Matthew Sheret‘s Ballads of the Lilypond
