I now wonder if this should appear in the navigator section of the main game rather than specific to a Theme? I think it probably should.

Wordplay is an exciting new and easy to play pen and paper roleplaying game for group story telling in any genre.

Story descriptions are allocated a number of six sided dice to be used in the game. Suddenly, everything described in Words have a game impact during Play.

Wordplay features the following:

• Create characters using descriptive phrases, ‘Traits’, which are then allocated to either your Body, Mind or Soul categories
• Create Goals for your characters and drive them forward to succeed
• A simple dice building game at the heart of all the action in the story
• Describe your character’s action and make use of as many supporting descriptions as possible to fill your hands with dice.
• You and your opposition each roll your dice trying to get as many successes as possible - highest number of successes wins. Beware, only the dice that land on the table count!

This is the ‘Core Rules’ version of Wordplay which, with a light dose of imagination and a large number of six sided dice, provides everything that you need to play.

This version has just been sent through for editing.

My Epic Fantasy Theme is 4000 words in and should be completed by Christmas, along with the others that are in development.

We remain on track for a Spring 2009 release.

Work on the Epic Fantasy theme has started in earnest; I am about three thousand words in. Here’s an example ‘Place’ that I have just added:

The Isolated Village

Far away from the main trade routes and ancient roads of decaying empires, hidden between hill and forest lies the isolated village. Self sufficient, this forgotten community has either become slowly detached from the rest of the realm, is geographically challenged, or has specific reasons for hiding away from the rest of civilisation.

The village perhaps has a secret that has to be kept at all costs. A home to some evil or curse? Or perhaps this place is a sanctuary, an idyll, that provides the heroes with much needed rest and respite, a home away from the battles that they have faced? An isolated tower just beyond the village would be home to an old wise wizard with enigmatic answers to the heroes’ difficult questions. The tavern, small and well kept, is either warm and welcoming, or filled with suspicious locals who wish the player characters would move on.

The village’s isolation weaves an effect on the inhabitants. Here you will find unexpressed love, hidden royalty, hero wannabes, simple wisdom and suspicious knives in the dark.

There’s almost certainly an adventure or three in or around the isolated village.

Body: Lungs full of fresh air, Six fingers, Strong as the mountains

Mind: Beast lore, Farming, Forage, Hunting, Ignorant, Know everybody in the village, Know secret lore, Know the way to the hidden dungeon, Magic craft, Self sufficient

Soul: Direct, Dreamer, Four leagues is a world away, Heir to the throne, Naïve, Secrets and lies, Simple wisdom, Suspicious, Starry eyed, Uncomplicated, Wary of strangers, Wide eyed innocent, Yearning to find love

On which subject, I am delighted that Nick Bradbeer will be proofreading and Mike Mason will be editing the text. These two strong additions to the team have really helped to make the prospect of the release much more achievable. I ma too close ot the text and impartial and skilled eyes will help shape things up.

Comments on this release are welcomed. Download, read and, if you can, play. Just click on the Donload tab and get yourself the PDF.

• make the rule and trait examples consistently fantasy related and not mixed and matched.

What do you think of this one? It keeps a consistent theme in the rules and prevents ’swordbearer’ and ‘SQL administrator’ in the same trait lists. Expressions of adaptability will be found through the themes.

• A single or two-page extended example of play showing how the players and the GM negotiate the results of their roll, assembling their hand and counting their dice, and perhaps using a multiroll contest to play out a fight, a social event or both.
• Advice on getting on the same board and agreeing on the theme, tone, setting details, etc.
• Who is in charge? The role of the Guide and the Players.
• Advice on creating adventures, possibly using the traits and defects selected by the players as an springboard.
• Advice on creating new templates for Places, People and Professions, though this might not be necessary if the themes included provide enough examples.
• How do you deal with those characters whose equipment is an integral part of their concept or is a signature element of their personality?

So, a lot to go in the Guide chapter.

July and August will see the great editing hack. My aim is to condense the text and remove duplication as far as possible. I see this as freewheeling on the downward slope to the release. I suspect that I will find it rather painful!

The core game is going to be CC3.0 share attribute licence or OGL. Basically all you have to do is acknowledge how gorgeous I am somewhere prominently on your text and you can take Wordplay and off you go! Do with it as you will. Bend and warp and lift the text and invent your own work. You can even sell it if you want!

To that regard, I’m looking at something like this for Wordplay releases:

‘Beta Releases’ These will all have silly names…

June Release - Major revamp of the text, updated and reorganised with different chapter break points, more explanations and summaries. Available to the Wordplay gang - but can be shared informally.

July Release - First draft finish of the core game.  Available to the Wordplay gang - but can be shared informally.

August Release - Playtest twiddles to the core game. Fantasy Theme substantially complete. Available to the Wordplay gang - but can be shared informally.

September Release - Playtest twiddles to the core game. Fantasy Theme complete. Available to the Wordplay gang - but can be shared informally.

Additional Themes are likely to be at an advanced stage by now in anticipation of the Christmas 2008 deadline for submission

Open Wordplay
All the main text of the game plus the Fantasy theme in a non artwork basic PDF. Free and CC 3.0 licence. Available October ‘08 in time for Furnace from the Wordplay website (if I can get my act in gear!)

Final (1st Ed - Book and PDF)
Full final product with all themes, DTP, Art, available via POD and PDF via whichever channels make sense to me. Will cost to buy, the artwork would remain copyright, but the text would also be CC 3.0 and available for re-use. Available Spring 09.

Question is do I actually need it? It’s not causing any harm by being in the game but is it adding sufficient value?

Food for thought…

Hero Points have been included as an option in the ‘Advice for Guides’ chapter, with four suggestions on how they are awarded and managed in the game.

I’m just having my 40K word count party right now!

Here’s  something I’ve put in on Power Payback Challenges…

If Wordplay’s default payback challenge is too frequent or burdening to the game’s vision of the power being used, then only require a payback challenge if the number of successes kept is equal to or greater than the foundation trait used.

I’m moving onto Trait Morphing now and then looking at some ideas from Dom on how to factor in Scale that provides or receives support from lower scale Traits.