DrivenIntoDarkness
The production of independent games for customers that are interested in the new and unique experiences I can provide with design that differs and seeks to solve common issues that arise from the mainstream experiences provided by other TTRPGs.
The value Proposition of Driven Into Darkness is a promise that the system will solve common problems that are present in most other games on the market. Inflexible mechanical character growth. Initial barrier to entry due to the complexity in learning the basics of the system. The length involved in resolving combat encounters and the way this can cause players to become disengaged when they are not acting in the game.
The Open Character Builder is a response to experiences I have had running class-based RPGs. As the game progressed players would feel a disconnect between their growing set of abilities and their personal playstyle. This disconnect was caused by only having one strong mechanical decision(class). A class initially chosen for the promise of a particular ability or to fulfil an archetype. Yet the class is then delivered to the player as a slow linear rollout; the player being handed a near always incomplete set of abilities that, as the game continues, may no longer feel narratively or mechanically relevant to the player’s characterization or playstyle. The Open Character Builder seeks to resolve this disconnect by having many decision points in the character-building process, making any character feel more pliable in relation to the evolving goals; play style and threats of an ongoing game.
The player-facing one roll D20 system was developed with an eye toward reducing the mechanical steps involved in resolving any set of effects and actions in order to maintain the flow of the game. The system allows, for example, a single dice roll to result in a martial character slaying the entire front line of an opposing force. A single dice roll can also determine how well a character defends against a spell effect, a surrounding horde of foes and a volley of missiles all at once.
Simultaneous Combat Rounds were developed in order to keep combat engaging for everyone involved by maintaining as little downtime as possible between resolving player actions and transitions between narrative and combat scenes.
