Drawn broadly, the category of "surreal science fiction" includes two main classes of stories. One encompasses the first popular science fiction shorts, appearing in pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories and Astounding Stories (later to become Analog Science Fact &...
Get ready for the next level of Auteur GameMastering: an infinite variety of surreal science fiction tales are waiting to emerge at your table. Psychic Content. Oracular Prep. Narrative Resolution. Vertical Control. High Bleed. You've played like this before, but...
In books and movies, it’s rare to know the entire history of a character before the actual plot begins. In fact, in many books and movies, the only backstory you ever get occurs in flashbacks, after you’re familiar with the character on a more pedestrian level. The...
Drir is a planet of poisonous swirling mists and intense humidity. Wisps and dark clouds of blue and green gases drift casually about without mixing, like oil and water, creating layers of shadow and subtle motion as far as the eye can see in all directions. It drips...
On a routine Exploration mission for a reality-hopping travel agency, the crew encounters a Flux Storm and something goes horribly wrong. The PCs find themselves in a comedic and surreal situation, dealing with a cast of neurotic NPCs, trapped in a world they may...
Inspired by the surrealistic science fiction of Moebius, Moorcock, Rucker, Weinbaum, Heinlein, Vance, and other masters of weirdness, the DayTrippers system can be used for either "GM-Lite" collaborative play or heavily-prepped campaigns. The system uses d6s only ·...
ScenePlay is a card-based collaborative narrative game that creates movie and tv stories. It's one of my latest obsessions. ScenePlay Version 0.13 is a beta test document, which has been released to all members of the As If Collective for edification, playtesting and...
The words "Narrative" and "Story" are often used interchangeably, but they are not synonymous. The Difference between Narrative and Story is part of a structuralist approach to game design and interactive storytelling currently being explored by the As If Collective....
Released under Creative Commons, this is an open-source version of the DayTrippers RPG rules for customization. NOW AVAILABLE AT: DrivethruRPG
If you're interested in running oldschool characters in a PbtA system, or using PbtA moves in a d100-based game, you need a way to convert stats and moves between the two systems. Here is my 1d100 to PbtA Stats conversion table... 1d100 AW10 AW7 01-03 = -2 = -5 04-09...
Pocket Things is a silly little storygame for people with pockets, and things in them. Guest appearances by Chuck Norris possible, but not guaranteed. NOW AVAILABLE AT: DrivethruRPG Itch.io
Over at Coming Out of the Basement, Jack Stephenson-Carr is engaging in an in-depth analysis of the question (and the assumptions behind the question): "Are Roleplaying Games Art?" Here's my take on it. Certainly they are, if they convey meaning. But they're not...