(This is directly from the PbtA Q&A round 2, last question.) Back when I used to run a lot of Apocalypse World con games, 2013-2015 or so, here’s how I’d do it. Start Limit your selection of playbooks. I used to go with the battlebabe, the brainer, the chopper, the gunlugger, the savvyhead, the skinner, and one or […]
Author: Vincent Baker
Apocalypse World: Custom Advancement
This article was made possible by the generous support of our patrons. Please consider joining them by supporting us on Patreon. The Question & My Answer Is there any solution that let players play the same playbook potentially forever? Andrea Ricciardi on Discord There absolutely 100% is, yes! It’ll take a little bit of work on your part, […]
Otherkind Dice
This article was made possible by the generous support of our patrons. Please consider joining them by supporting us on Patreon. “Otherkind Dice” is the casual name of a resolution system I came up with about two decades ago. Otherkind dice underpin a lot of my design work and — through PbtA — they’ve influenced a lot of […]
An Independent Project in Game Design
This article was made possible by the generous support of my patrons. Please consider joining them by supporting me on Patreon. In 9th Grade, Tovey decided to do an independent project in game design instead of one of their other electives. We sat down together and I wrote up a rubric for their project, so that (a) Tovey […]
Under Hollow Hills Q&A
Hello, friends! I’m not Timothy Bones, just Vincent, but if you have any questions about Under Hollow Hills, it’s my pleasure to answer them. Q: Matt says: First, congratulations to you and Meg and your noble house on the release of yet another delightful game! Second, should any of my questions not interest you, feel free to ignore […]
A Theory Point: RPG Essentialism & RPG Exceptionalism
This article was made possible by the generous support of my patrons. Please consider joining them by supporting me on Patreon. There are, I think, two twin ideas that underpin a lot of rpg theory, to its detriment. Let’s call them rpg essentialism and rpg exceptionalism. RPG essentialism is the idea that deep down, all rpgs are the […]
Powered by the Apocalypse, Part 8: 6 Tricks for Drafting Moves
Using Apocalypse World to Outline and Draft Your Own RPG Here in Part 8, I’m sharing six tricks, my six best and most reliable techniques, for drafting interesting moves. This article was made possible by the generous support of my patrons. Please consider joining them by supporting me on Patreon. Here’s the problem. You might think of this […]
Powered by the Apocalypse, Part 7: Q&A Round 4
Using Apocalypse World to Outline and Draft Your Own RPG Here in Part 7, I’m setting aside some time for a good old straightforward Q&A. This is round 4, the final round! This article was made possible by the generous support of my patrons. Please consider joining them by supporting me on Patreon. Q: I love a PbtA […]
Powered by the Apocalypse, Part 7: Q&A Lightning Round!
Using Apocalypse World to Outline and Draft Your Own RPG Here in Part 7, I’m setting aside some time for a good old straightforward Q&A. I’ve gotten enough questions, and they’re challenging enough, that taking them in rounds. Here’s round 3: the lightning round! This article was made possible by the generous support of my patrons. Please consider […]
Powered by the Apocalypse, Part 7: Q&A Round 2
Using Apocalypse World to Outline and Draft Your Own RPG Here in Part 7, I’m setting aside some time for a good old straightforward Q&A. I’ve gotten enough questions, and they’re challenging enough, that I’m taking them in rounds. Here’s round 2! This article was made possible by the generous support of my patrons. Please consider joining them […]