kalyr.com

Kalyr RPG: Outlines and Thoughts

I'm still considering the possibility of writing a full-blown Kalyr RPG, to be sold as a PDF download. I've got as far as putting together an outline, and writing first drafts for one-and-a-half chapters The game will be based on Fudge, and is intended as a standalone game.

Although it's based on the large amount of material already online, the whole thing's going to be rewritten and revised, with some cool new things added, and cheesy ideas that didn't work taken away. At least that's the idea. Consider it as a second edition.

The outline reads as follows:

  1. Introduction: 4-5 pages. This is an attempt to distill the essential flavour of the world in a few pages, without going into too much detail.
  2. Character Generation, probably 15-20 pages. The template-driven system means this chapter also includes a lot of world background. This chapter will also include the full skill list.
  3. Game System, another 15-20 pages, mostly taken from OGL Fudge material, with some Kalyr-specific examples. Covers skill use and combat, the usual stuff, in other words.
  4. Psionics, probably 8-10 pages, covering both game mechanics and a brief overview of the Academy of the Mind. I'm in two minds as to whether to expand this chapter, or whether to cover just the basics, leaving the rest for a later supplement.
  5. Technology, probably 8-10 pages again, with an overview of The Academy of Knowledge, and a list of available gadgets.
  6. Culture, 10-15 pages. This one's a bit more nebulous, and I'm wondering whether even to have the chapter at all, or whether to distribute the material through the preceding chapters. I do need to cover Religion somewhere, though.
  7. Bestiary, 5-10 pages. Covers races other than kandar and human, as well as native flora and fauna.
  8. Campaigns, 10-15 pages. The all-important GM's chapter, covering campaign frames and scenario advice.

At the moment, I'm not shooting for a specific page count. I intend on writing a first draft of the manuscript and seeing how long it comes out.

If it actually reaches the stage of having enough material to playtest, I'm going to be recruiting playtesters. What I'd really like is a mix of Fudge experts who can scrutinise my rules, a couple of existing online players who can tell me how well I've captured the feel of the world, and gamers familiar with neither who can tell me if the thing can be understood without prior knowledge.

Posted by TimHall at June 15, 2005 09:20 PM | TrackBack
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