# The 7-Day RPG Contest [Voting is over!]



## Morrus (May 6, 2013)

Thank you to everyone who entered my 7-Day RPG Contest!  In this post, I will list all of the entries and provide the poll for you all to vote on the winner.  The winner wins $1000!

I encourage you to read as many of these as you can.  Some are just a page long; others are over 200 pages!  Most are in PDF format, but you'll see some RTF, .txt, and others here. And please do comment on and discuss these entries - I'm sure the authors will thank you for it!
_Right-click and save these files to download them._​
The voting booth will remain open for one week from the time I hit "Submit" on this post.  Contestants are welcome to campaign for and encourage votes; however, any contestant found encouraging anybody to cast more than one vote for an entry will be disqualified (you can, however, vote for up to three entries).

[h=3]How Do I Vote?[/h]
You can vote for up to THREE entries.  Voting totals will remain hidden until the voting period is complete.

[h=1]What should I judge on?[/h]
Your voting criteria are your own.  You can base your vote on anything you wish - but here are some suggestions for your consideration:



Is it an RPG? 
Would you buy it? 
Is it complete? 
Does it feel fresh or original? 
Is it well-presented? 
Do you _want_ to play it? 

[h=3]Single Page Game System[/h]
By JamesonCourage. The Single Page Game System is good for any game where you follow genre logic, and are okay filling in the blanks with your own narrative.  [Download]

[h=3]Simple Percent System[/h]
By NancyButtpeach. Designed to foster role-playing and immersion, with some interesting mechanical progression. [Download]

[h=3]Success[/h]
By Kirt Dankmyer. Success is a role-playing game designed for more "cinematic" genres, from Golden Age superheroics and pulp to certain kinds of children's literature. Any genre where the protagonists are extremely competent or extremely lucky is a good match for Success. [Download; this is a .txt file which you will need to rename as a .html file]

[h=3]Strangers of Fiction[/h]
By Kevin Ohannessian. Everyone's lives are filled with stories: books and comics we read,  films and TV shows we watch, the various games we play. All of these  stories and characters create a collective culture, a multitude of  genres and archetypes and tropes. 

Many of the great writers mix genres--Neil Gaiman's _American Gods_ or Alan Moore's _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_, for example. Well what if you can play in a world, not unlike the fore-mentioned _League_,  where many fictional figures come together. It could be Victorian  London; it could be a moonbase in the future; it could be New York in  the 60s. And what if your characters can shift this world of fiction,  affect the stories there, the _there_ there? This is the premise of Strangers. [Download; plus character sheet and introductory session]

[h=3]Men of Power[/h]
By Murph Murphy. In the land filled with FIGHT men, COOL men and BAD men, some FIGHT men, and COOL men rise to FIGHT and BE COOL against the onslaught on the BAD men.  [Download]

[h=3]Godsrealm[/h]
By Anubis Dread. "Godsrealm is a game in which the players take the role of a pantheon of  gods working to create a world together. It is loosely based off of a  forum game, by which I mean the concept is: mechanically is is pretty  stark in its differences." [Download]

[h=3]The Dark Isles[/h]
By aglashier. You play an adventurer in a dark world of swords and sorcery. [Download]

[h=3]Sol Invictus - a Sci-Fi RPG[/h]
By Stephen James Jones. "This is Sol Invictus, a Sci-Fi RPG which I wrote in the 1990s and did  nothing with, so here goes. It has some vague similarities to the movie,  Avatar. Unique Selling Point: This is the only RPG in which the PCs are given a  5kt tactical nuke as part of their starting equipment (on their Hydra  Shuttle), and permission to use it..." [Download]

[h=3]The Heights of Etherian[/h]
By Josh Demers. Battle rival Templars! Sweep the fair maiden into your arms and sail  away laughing at your foiled foes! Capture ghosts and ... burn their  tormented spirits ... to power your ghostship ... using their agonized  screams as weapons?

_The Heights of Etherian_ is a game of swashbuckling, dark magic,  and darker science, set in the decadent city of Etherian. Join the  Temple of Man to overcome the Ghostwrights. Attend the Academy of Cold  Fire and revel in your mastery over the spiritual energies of magic.  Many paths to take, many stories to tell! [Download]

[h=3]Hand of Fate[/h]
By Vyvyan Basterd. It is a multi-genre storyteller game that uses the Tarot deck for  character creation, plot development and conflict resolution. The event  was a supernatural horror mystery set during the Siege of Leningrad. [Download]

[h=3]Tournament Grounds[/h]
By Malcolm Northwinter. It's D&D meets Sci-Fi meets Modern meets anything you can muster up  from your old character sheets! Finally, put them to use. Welcome to Tournament Grounds! This is not a simple tournament. This is not a tournament for heroes who wish to spend their days talking to kings and dealing with the affairs of state. This tournament is about power, about grind. It’s about killing as many of your enemies as you can before you run out of lives. If you squeeze every last bit of potential from your abilities, you might survive this tournament. [Download]

[h=3]The Token System[/h]
By Cameron Morgan.  At its heart, any role-playing game is about creating a collaborative  narrative among all of the players.  In order to produce the tension  necessary to drive the game, most emphasize uncertainty by adding a  random element to the mechanics.

There are other ways to produce this tension, however.

_This_ game is not random.  In this game, the narrative tension is  derived from resource-management and strategy—a constant give-and-take  between the players and the game-manager.

Do not be deceived; this game is not a mere test of wits, nor an  exercise in rules-mastery.  It is a fast-moving game, which can be  approached with any level of caution and forethought, or none at all.   No matter the approach, it will be fun, for it is, at its heart, a  collaborative narrative-building game. [Download]

[h=3]Quad System[/h]
By Thomas Box all. The Quad system is a generic system that can be used in any setting from  Fantasy to Science Fiction.  The core is the Quadrant system that  divides a character up into four areas (physical, mental, social, and  magical). [Download]

[h=3]Daughters of Lear[/h]
By darkcyril. Daughters of Lear is the storytelling roleplaying game in the tradition  of games like Fiasco. Drawing on the timeless themes and traditions of  playwrights like Shakespeare, Daughters of Lear puts you and your  friends in the roles of the principle actors of your very own play,  utilizing a simple dice system to keep things fair and balanced as well  as expendable resources to heighten the drama and give your character an  edge in reaching his own goals in the scenario you've chosen. [Download]

[h=3]New Worlds[/h]
By Domini Writing.  You've got a group of non-gamer friends together who are willing to play  a role playing game. But they're not too excited about wizards and  dragons, and until you showed them, they didn't even know there were  dice that had more than 6 sides. "New Worlds" is the game for you. 
Create a world together with characters anyone can imagine. Take turns  narrating the adventure. Collect rewards each time you pick up the dice.

You don't need to study a massive rule book to call yourself a role  player. You don't need to own a bucketful of dice to enter a world of  heroes and drama. You just need New Worlds. [Download; plus character sheet]

[h=3]The Hope[/h]
By Adrián Gómez. This game, The Hope, is inspired by some old movies, as Labyrinth, with   David Bowie, or The Neverending Story. (oh, and the PC game Limbo!)

In modern times, Hope is disappearing from the world, and Fear is   winning their eternal struggle. Only those who still retain their   innocence and a pure heart will be able to change this. [Download]

[h=3]Theosis[/h]
By Stephen Rowse. Each and every child is taught the story the Prophet King. He is the glorious leader who defeated the gods and freed us from enslavement.

All learn that it is only through his magic, the Church, and the Questioners that we are kept safe.

These are lies.

The Church is the whip of a tyrant masquerading as a shield of reason. The past has been rewritten by the victors, but the future is yours to decide.

Theosis is a new ‘science fiction masquerading as fantasy’ roleplaying game system and setting created from scratch in the last week by Stephen Rowe aka Deadclown.  [Download]

[h=3]PIN (Play It Now) RPG[/h]
By Daniel Eugene Schorr. Pin (Play It Now) Role Playing Game is designed as a framework for building your own adventures and telling stories through your imagination.
Players imagine their characters. Narrator’s imagine the world and setting. Together they create the possibilities for endless stories. Pin has no fixed setting or genre, it can be used to play games of another imagined. [Download]

[h=3]Aftermath[/h]
By Jeff Nitzburg. A quick, gritty post-apocalyptic RPG. [Download; plus combat basics; plus character sheet]

[h=3]Asylum[/h]
By The Warden. Asylum is a roleplaying game of violence and survival. It's just you and  nearly 300 other convicts trapped on a deserted island with a ticket  for someone to go home. Except there's only room for one and there are  no rules on how you can get that ticket. It's called the Contest and it  pits convict against convict in a blood spewing frenzy. Ironically  enough, you must work with other convicts to stay alive as long as  possible, pushing through to the many zones of the island they call  Asylum.

This RPG provides a storytelling system whereby players roll Fate/Fudge  dice to determine the number of times players and the Director can  describe the next part of the story. Players can use reactions to  narrate their way out of trouble with the Director plotting against  these convicts as there can only be one standing when the Contest  ends... right? [Download]

[h=3]The Empire of the Raven[/h]
By kitsune9. The Old World is in a new age of prosperity and exploration. Gold is flowing out of the Shieldwall Mountains, many colonists are flocking on the ships leaving for the New World, and fleets of merchant profiteers, backed by their powerful noble patrons are embarked on many quests to recover the lost treasures and gold of the Dark Continent.

Yet not all is well.

The Theocracy of Zadene has split from the Church and there is talk of a fourth holy war between the Empire and the Theocracy. Those merchant fleets that do manage to return usually bring back stark raving madmen who saw the many Vile Horrors hidden away in the dark infested jungles of the Dark Continent. There are reports of entire colonies who have met horrific fates by some unknown horror in the New World.

The Empress, who has lived for over 800 years, demands answers and wants results. Those who please her are rewarded with titles and riches. Those who fail are sent to the obliettes deep below the Royal Palace where they will rot to contemplate their failure.

The world of Raventerra is a world of magic, exploration, and where a fast swordarm and a faster dragonshot will get results. It is also a world of terrible horror as the former Angel of Death, now known as The Grim seeks to corrupt all under its sway. [Download]

[h=3]Monsters & Ruins[/h]
By Jeremy Reaban.  "This is my entry, _Monsters & Ruins_. It's basically yet another retro clone, one I had been working on.

I was a very enthusiastic fan of 3rd edition when it came out and that  enthusiasm lasted several years, waning slightly before finally burning  out. When the 5th Edition was announced, I was drawn back to the game,  but quickly seduced instead by the old school Renaissance movement and  its variety of retro clones. I realized I was just happiest with the  older editions. And yet, I missed many of the features of third edition.

So I came up with house rules for a specific retro clone to try to  bridge the gap. And the more house rules I wrote, the more I realized it  was essentially becoming its own game. Unfortunately, by this time all  the good names were taken, so I went with _Monsters & Ruins_." [Download]

[h=3]Peasants... in a World of Monsters[/h]
By Aaron Infante-Levy. As the name suggests, players take on the role of peasants facing a  supernatural monster against which they have no hope of defeating. If  they’re clever, however, they might survive the monster or escape to  warn real adventurers. "Peasants…in a World of Monsters" is a  scenario-based RPG, meaning that the core rules are quite simple and  complexity is introduced via scenarios. "Peasants…in a World of  Monsters" is also an old school RPG in the sense that player ingenuity  is far more important than character skill or rules expertise. After  all, peasants do not wield magic swords or cast great spells. It can be  used standalone or as a tie-in with your gaming group's favorite fantasy  RPG, and works best for one-shot games. [Download]

[h=3]Dragon-Slayers of the Rio Grande[/h]
By Erick Johnson. A Tex-Mex game of old west monster-huntin’. It’s a Western game with a focus on dragon-slaying. There are three  types of enemies: banditos, chupacabras, and dragons. Stats include  important things like Grit, Justice, Fanciness, and Killing. [Download]

[h=3]Body Horror RPG[/h]
By Warren Davidson. The Body Horror RPG is a mature themed, intimate game of survival horror with players fighting hideous and painful bodily transformations whilst being subjected to declining humanity, sanity and emotional trauma. It’s a grim setting where the protagonists may not survive (at least in the sense of remaining human) and emphasises what it is to be human. Can the Players fight monstrous desires and cling on to what humanity they have left? Will they find a cure to their condition or at least punish those responsible? What will they become? [Download]

[h=3]Divine Right[/h]
By Andrew J Lucas. Divine Right is a role playing game using the open gaming license, in which the players assume the role of typical adventures but with a twist. The world of Divine Right has been devastated by the final battle between good and evil and as you might expect it has not gone well for the world as a whole. Call it the apocalypse or ragnarok it makes little difference. The world has suffered greatly and the various pantheons of good and evil clashed with such violence that both were destroyed. A new world is struggling to emerge from the ruins of the old, but this world is bereft of gods, good, evil or indifferent. [Download; plus checksheet]

[h=3]LINK[/h]
By Luigi Castellani. By the end of the 27th century, the Golden age seemed to have come back: poverty and strife had been banished long ago and the potential for infinite growth and expansion was at hand. In this moment of glory disaster struck: the Matter Transfer Matrix that connected all the worlds suddenly stopped functioning and FTL communication across the galaxy ceased. Without apparent reason the Earth Unity of Sentients collapsed in one day.

LINK is a rotating artificial habitat built by the EUS to act as a nexus in the galaxy-wide MTM.

LINK is a transhumanist role-playing game. [Download]

[h=3]DoC RPG (The Deck of Cards RPG)[/h]
By Chris Field.  This game is designed to be a framework for simple storytelling and  roleplaying. It uses ordinary decks of playing cards to create  characters and resolve encounters, with a narrative driven by players  and a(n optional) storyteller. The mechanics are simple, with plenty of  scope for future complication, some of which I have had the time to  write up under Optional Rules. You can play it as a solo challenge, a  cooperative story or a competitive adventure game. Most of all, it's  about having some low-cost creative fun! [Download]

[h=3]PET: Pet Extra Terestrial[/h]
By D. Surin. In this family friendly d6 system you play as an Animalia, an alien from  another galaxy that is stranded on Earth masquerading a pet. This is a  very open end game with varying objectives, super powers for pets, and  other goodies! [Download]

[h=3]Context RPG[/h]
By JMBeraldo. The Context RPG system focus on allowing players and narrators to craft fun adventures and stories without creating too many constraints.

The system replaces tons of numbers that predefine what a character is capable of doing to a set of player-made descriptions that both give characters a story and context, and work as source for imagining how to handle conflicts and challenges.

It can be used to any kind of setting and any kind of RPG style, be it a gritty dungeon delve or a court intrigue in the 25th century. [Download]

[h=3]Chaos Lord[/h]
By Tobias Loc.  _Chaos Lord _is a minimalist-rpg where the players take the role of  Demons of Elder Chaos possessing a cabal of sorcerers. From one to  eight players can take part in a harrowing metaphysical adventure. Will  they rip the universe to bloody shreds and dance upon its burning corpse  or will they succumb to the weakness of their new flesh and begin to  feel the sickness that mortal men calls compassion? 

Featuring:
A simple, quick, and brutal combat system.

An Exploding Dice mechanic that lets an outmatched combatant turn the  tables on a more skilled adversary (at least once in a while).

Three Magick Systems.

An advancement system where acts of wanton destruction, ruin, and death  are rewarded. Killing a few kings and emperors only gets you so far. To  advance quickly you must engineer the decline of empires and reduce once  enlightened civilizations to barbarism.  

Lots of supernatural mayhem and carnage! [Download]

[h=3]Doctors & Nurses[/h]
By Mike Eagling. “Doctors & Nurses” is a tabletop role-playing game of diagnosis and treatment inspired by television medical dramas. Players assume the roles of medical practitioners in a busy metropolitan teaching hospital. Each game episode the Player Characters are set challenges by the Games Master in the form of patients who must be diagnosed and treated.
The rules presented herein provide a framework for “simulating” the tasks of physicians and the effects ofmedical conditions. The objective of the game is to use this framework to tell dramatic stories. [Download]

[h=3]Reality Warp[/h]
By Joshua John Kitz. Reality Warp is a narrative role-playing game about people with unnatural abilities. Often it involves secret government organizations and their opposition, either by rival organizations or rebellions. These rebels may just be trying to live in peace. Reality Warp owes its inspiration to a host of sources including films like Push, Jumper,
Chronicle and The Matrix, as well as comic books like Mind MGMT. [Download]

[h=3]Cliffhanger[/h]
By Orion Rubic. Cliffhanger is a short advanced role-playing game system. Each player creates and controls a character and all together participates in a story created by the Show Runner (SR). It’s an advanced game system as it offers a few open ended rules that require a lot of improvisation and refers common RPG concepts that may prove difficult or unfamiliar for more inexperienced players. [Download]

[h=3]Eight-Sided Quest[/h]
By Erik Evjen. _Eight-Sided Quest RPG _is a retro-clone system that uses d8s for  all things involving dice-rolling. Saving Throws, Attack Rolls, anything  and everything uses d8s.

This is a proof of concept demonstration, however the system would be compatible with most RPG supplements. [Download; plus title page]

[h=3]Girls, Gore & Gold[/h]
By Mothshade. Girls, Gore & Gold is a lighthearted dungeon romp game where the  heroes are often driven to compete against each other to achieve  individual goals. Players and Gamemaster both will be flinging spare  "Bump & Grind" dice to enhance die rolls or knock them down a peg.  The attached PDF covers essentially the Player's Guide for this game. [Download]

[h=3]Eternal Harmonies[/h]
By Kexizzoc. A hacked D&D 3.5/4e, stripped down to the bones and rebuilt as a tongue-in-cheek fantasy game in a world where magic is music and adventuring parties are 4-man bands. Sort of a cross between the new Gamma World and the video game Rock Band. [Download]

[h=3]A Familiar Story[/h]
By MrMyth. A fast-paced and easy to learn Role-Playing Game about playing as one of the unsung heroes of the adventuring world – a Wizard's familiar, one of those rare and wondrous creatures who somehow end up doing all the dirty work for their boss, when they aren't simply being forgotten and ignored. [Download]

[h=3]Spectra[/h]
By Bungo Underhill. The world of Spectra is in turmoil. For time immemorial the tribes, races and nations have feuded fought and warred over lands, resources and ideals. But the peoples of Spectra and the factions in these conflicts have always lived, strived, fought, worshipped and died by attuning themselves to the Colours – the fundamental strands of existence; harnessing their powers, embodying their virtues and vices and shaping the world around them into the colours images.

But now a shadow is being cast across the previously vibrant world of Spectra. In remote area’s shadows linger and scholars speculate that the lands and its inhabitants are being stripped of their connection to the colours. Reports of restless dead are becoming more frequent and harder to dismiss as the fancies of drunks and dreamers and a number of brave, foolish or reckless adventurers, would be heroes and fortune seekers have set off to discover this darkness’ cause, drive back its influence or work out how to harness and exploit this new power. [Download]

[h=3]Zombie Attack![/h]
By ashockney. In the game zombie attack, your characters will attack, defend, or avoid a zombie infestation. Zombie attack is a solitaire RPG for one player, focused on innovation and simplicity in design. To play Zombie Attack requires pen, paper, and 3d6 (six sided dice). [Download]

[h=3]Seven Days[/h]
By Jeremy Forbing. A Super-Heroic OGL Mash-Up RPG About Braver New Worlds. 

The Crisis can’t be avoided.

Your world will end. A new one will take its place.

The greatest heroes of the doomed universe placed their faith in you.

You’ve left the Earth that is ending, in order to prepare the Earth that is to come.

If you can sow the seeds of wonder you’ve brought to this more mundane realm, your

mentors’ legacy will live on; the golden age of superhuman heroes can dawn anew.

But if you fail, the bright and colorful glories of your dying home will be forgotten forever, lost amid the grayness of this duller world.

The forces of evil got here first. They want a world without heroes, a world they can rule from the shadows. They’ve got a head-start on reshaping the new universe in their image,
and they’ll do everything in their power to stop you. And that power is considerable.

But so is yours.

Your Earth’s mightiest champions made you their successors for a reason.

You have seven days to make a new world.

Are you up to it? [Download]

[h=3]Follow the Leader[/h]
FOLLOW THE LEADER is a dungeon exploring game about envy, temptations and horrible acts of desperation. Each scenario is played out as a one-shot session in about 4 hours of play. The players portray troubled and desperate henchmen that accompany their „Heroic Leader“ through a short dungeon. The gamemaster tests the henchmen’s inabilities and, as their desperation slowly increases, tempts them to follow risky courses of action. Betrayal, thievery and backstabbing ensue and whoever survives the mayhem may win the game. [Download; plus character sheet]


[h=1]Disqualified Entries[/h]
At the time of posting, I have been unable to read all of the entries.  This means that it is possible that entries may still be disqualified - if you do spot an obvious use of someone else's IP, please let me know!  From the original list, I disqualified three entries; however, they are still worth checking out!



MERP House Rules (unfortunately MERP is not an open source system, and Tolkien's Middle Earth needs expensive licenses and agreements to use!) 
The Sound of Aliens (interesting concept; but _The Sound of Music_ and _Aliens_ are both third-party IP) 
Down and Out in Gadding-Thoth (unfortunately the entry was a link to a Drop Box, not attached to the post)


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## kitsune9 (May 6, 2013)

I'm not sure if I can campaign for my game here in this thread or if I should start a new one. Anyways, if the mods want to move it, that will be great. 

My game is Empire of the Raven and I hope you all like it but I wrote it in about three days (so the lack of editing may show - it certainly wasn't playtested!  ). It was an interesting exercise to do because it gives an idea of some considerations to make when under such a tight deadline, what to include, what not to include. I wanted to also write up backgrounds and more professions (such as the Aberrant Witch) and detail the client states of the Empire. Of course, the weapon and armor system would be nice to be expanded and a character sheet nicely done would be great. A sample adventure would be great too as I have a couple ideas for those, but am hoping the GM gets some ideas from the Campaign Setting and Secrets chapters.

Anyways, if you enjoyed it, please vote!

Happy Gaming!


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## Vaeron (May 6, 2013)

The Monster Ruins  link doesn't seem to work.  For me, at least, the link is just black, unclickable text.


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## Chris_Nightwing (May 6, 2013)

I submitted DoC RPG (The Deck of Cards RPG), and it's interesting to see two other systems that also utilise cards. I wanted to write alternative rules for using a tarot deck myself, for example, but didn't find the time.

I could have voted optimally for only myself, but I gave my other two votes to The Hope and Dragonslayers of the Rio Grande. The Hope is very well presented, and I would be very interested in seeing it developed further. Dragonslayers gets a vote for finding a good way to name stats ABCDEFGHIJKL, and I think there is a lot of scope in a wild west setting - though I would actually prefer to play it straight up without dragons, sort of like Oregon Trail the RPG (damn, why didn't I write that..). For both though, I can't tell how they would play, which I think is the hardest thing about voting.

So, vote for me! My game can be played in minutes, by yourself even! My name is Chris_Nightwing and I approve this message.


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## RangerWickett (May 6, 2013)

I'll just wait for EN World to review them, complain about them, and then talk about which ones they had a super cool time playing at the last Game Day they attended. Because I'm not sure I want to spend hours reading these, and . . . well, I normally judge books by their covers. 

Did anyone have a cover? 

Which one found the prettiest clip art online?

Which one is least like D&D? Because I don't need any more traditional fantasy knock-offs.

Oh, this is actually a factor I'll consider. Which one provides the best balance of fun mechanics with ease of explaining, so I could run it for a 4 hour slot at Gen Con?


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## sheadunne (May 6, 2013)

I think it would take at least a week to read through them all. I wrote mine based on a universal mechanics theme, thinking that it could either be easily adaptable to whatever genre someone wanted to play, or that it could be broken up into genre specific themes prior to publication. 

People certainly have plenty of options for what they want out of an RPG, whether that's a robust system or a one and done system. Any-which-way, I think fun is to be had using any of the game!

Cheers

PS Vote for PIN!


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## Morrus (May 6, 2013)

I was astonished by the turnout. I honestly expected a tiny handful of entries - and got about 40!


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## EP (May 6, 2013)

Boom! Asylum. 

If D&D were about killing your fellow human kind to survive on a deserted island and instead of rolling d20s to make attacks, you rolled Fate dice to determine the number of actions in your story, and if instead of being a dungeon crawl, it was a storytelling experience of tenacity and survival instead of finding evil monsters, then Asylum would be just like D&D. 

Luckily, it's nothing like that. You can run a game of Asylum as a one-shot (just start the Contest in the first ten minutes) or run an entire campaign building up to the major events of the major plotline. You can choose whichever zones you want to play or for your one-shot or travel to every one as the story continues. There is no predetermined adventure and everyone has a chance to make an impact in the story without depending on dice rolls or character stats (but they do help). 

Vote Asylum!! Because this game will kill you if you don't.


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## RangerWickett (May 6, 2013)

Okay, I think we should all vote for Men of Power just to troll Russ.


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## Traveller (May 6, 2013)

Some Download Issues - 
Strangers of Fiction - "Download" is linked to the charachter sheet
Godsrealm - link does not work

Good luck...


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## Vyvyan Basterd (May 6, 2013)

RangerWickett said:


> Oh, this is actually a factor I'll consider. Which one provides the best balance of fun mechanics with ease of explaining, so I could run it for a 4 hour slot at Gen Con?




I wrote Hand of Fate over a couple of days, did a little research for my core idea (Loviatar's child's influence on the Siege of Leningrad), and ran a really fun 4 hour slot at ENWorld Chicago Gameday 27. With just the card meanings at hand, the players followed along quickly to form their story.


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## Rune (May 6, 2013)

[MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION], it looks like Anubis Dread's _Godsrealm_ is missing its download link.


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## Kexizzoc (May 6, 2013)

Well, I honestly didn't expect to be included here! I saw that there were some incomplete entries, but I felt like mine was...REALLY... incomplete (again, did what I could with 10 hours of work). This definitely brightened my day.

I'll be pushing myself over the next seven days to fill in the stuff that was conceptually finished in my head, but I simply ran out of time writing. Namely:

-Evocalist was the only class that was even close to almost finished. Finish off their Talents and add the missing flavor text.

-Skills were omitted entirely to avoid confusion in this text, but they will be in the final game. They'll function more like "Traits" rather than Skills in D&D; there will be a list of between 15 and 30 to choose from, you'll start with 3, with your Gift and Realms influencing your choices. Rather than flesh out each individually, the GM would determine which Skills apply in which situations. Examples include Strong Female Vocals, Heavy Metal, and Driving Beat-- essentially terms that sound like they were ripped from the Music Genome Project.

-Introduce some kind of Creative Spellcasting mechanic. It will relate heavily to the Songs mechanic, which will be much more fleshed out. An entire element of this game would be that the real-world background soundtrack would influence the game, with the GM putting the player's songs into a playlists (on shuffle). Enemies would also have songs.

-Enemies. I knew from the start that including a Bestiary was too difficult to tackle with limited time, but I feel like without it the world, setting, and tone are too difficult to picture. This is a combat-oriented game-- the difference is, combat is a wacky cross between a concert and the mosh-pit brawl. Without seeing a sample of the foes you'll be fighting (Savage Metalheads, swarms of rabid Sceners, DJs who control hordes of enslaved trance-dancers) you're only seeing half the game.

Anyway, good luck to everyone! I'll be reading as many of these as I can before the voting ends.


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## darkcyril (May 6, 2013)

A vote for Daughters of Lear is a vote for freedom and two-parent families! 

In all honesty, I would really appreciate a vote if you feel it's deserved. I wrote the game over a couple of days based on an idea that I had a while ago but never got around to writing for some reason or another. I had a lot of fun writing it up. Good luck to everyone else involved!


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## artikid (May 6, 2013)

LINK was written kinda hastily in two days. There's lots of things I'd change now.
I think DoC and Godsrealm are really neat.


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## NancyButtpeach (May 6, 2013)

I wrote my Simple Percent System in about two hours, but it uses my experiences in game design for about 10 years. I think it is simple and intuitive. The base mechanic of characters having a 50% chance to succeed on a normal adventuring task, which is then modified by character concept, seems to be solid.

Also, who could dislike Grog's adventures?


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## Xiyla (May 6, 2013)

I based PET off of the fact that as a kid and now I always wondered what my pets would talk about. I liked the idea that they were really capable of having their own little goals in life and that they were as varied as us. Figured d6s were the most common dice to obtained and though it is a family friendly rpg it can be made into something darker. I love very opened rpgs such as Lady Black Bird and that definitely influenced my game. 

Also I think it would be really cool if my cats had telekinesis and heat vision. It would probably lead to a lot of messes though.


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## kitsune9 (May 6, 2013)

darkcyril said:


> A vote for Daughters of Lear is a vote for freedom and two-parent families!




Good one. 

I walk softly and carry a biiiiig stick! A chicken in every pot!


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## Thondor (May 6, 2013)

The only submission I've read so far was the _Token System_. This was partially because I was curious as to how it related to my _Reality Warp_ submission. Beyond both of them being narrative systems there isn't a lot.

Token System is a resource management game that reminds me a little of the 2004(?) Marvel game. You have tokens that you bid and trade back and forth. It's well written, and has some neat templates for various genres. Would I play it? Maybe if it was house-ruled so the bidding was secret.

My system uses Narrative Tokens as its basic currency. Spending them lets you enhance your character, create people, groups, assets and secrets. The game plays like a movie about people slowly (or quickly) discovering their ability Warp Reality. Psychic powers, secret organizations, realizing that what you thought was real isn't.
There is random mechanics, generally you use your reality warping to try an overcome somethings 'narrative Significance' to effect it. 
Each Scene players get more Narrative Tokens. When you spend Narrative Tokens you may gain Risk. Risk determines your characters final fate in the Endgame.


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## EditorBFG (May 6, 2013)

Since each author posting a bit of info about their game seems to be customary, I should take the opportunity to clarify a few things about my own game, SEVEN DAYS:
_1) Forgot to post my own line in the OGL Section so that people could use the open content. The very last line of the doc should be:
_SEVEN DAYS RPG, Copyright 2013, Jeremy Forbing; Author Jeremy Forbing._
2) Did an XP system and some alternate rules (for people who wanted to use more dice or slightly different card rules), then left both moldering in a text file by simply forgetting to cut and paste them. Ugh. The other mistakes, I can chalk up to just having been in a hurry, but this one just makes me feel like a dolt.
3) Made an ugly character sheet, didn't have time to make a pretty one, and then left it out entirely. That was too bad, because I think just having a character sheet in front of you makes character creation easier in any RPG.
4) It occurs to me now that you could easily use stuff from existing d20/OGL games in this, especially bad guys and encounters. Minor bad guys would pretty much just work normally. Major bad guys would just need some descriptive aspects, but could use their d20 bonuses/modifiers normally (forgive the game-speak that only makes sense if you've read the game), pulling one card for aspect, one card for using a classic D&D ability score (replacing SEVEN DAYS' Attributes), and one each for using a skill or power. For balance purposes, my guess is characters from this game are on average about as mechanically tough as 10th level D&D/Pathfinder characters, just with crazier abilities. Had that occurred to me, I could have written a section on conversion rules. Then again, I didn't have time to do all the other things I planned either.
5) Could have auto-generated a table of contents in Word (because I used headings), and forgot that too. Man._

The whole idea for this game was inspired by the contest itself. I actually didn't think I would enter, but then thinking about a 7 Day RPG contest made me think of the Judeo-Christian creation story (the Earth being created in seven days), and the idea of writing a game in seven days about creating (or recreating) a world in seven days gave the whole thing a self-referential (or perhaps self-indulgent) flare that appealed to me. I had the idea, then realized that the idea would never be quite as good outside of the context of the contest, so I decided to really write the whole thing in the allotted week.

So I didn't have one word of this written before the contest, but I knew that to do a really robust game (for some reason, perhaps masochism, I decided not to do a simpler bare-bones game), I would have to draw upon the open game license. I wanted it to feel totally different from a normal OGL/D20 game, but still be familiar enough that most folks reading it could immediately grok the rules. Then I thought of the idea of keeping the basic OGL mechanic almost entirely, but using a different randomizer that would achieve roughly the same results, and making that means of generating a random number customizable based on the character and what they were trying to do in a more story-game kind of way, and I was off to the races.

To do everything a superhero game has to do, and make character creation really meaty, I had to use a lot of open content. But I decided not to port anything in whole cloth, but instead remix, repurpose, or rewrite anything I used. Still, there is no way I could have done this without the OGL. Not in a bazillion years. So making sure to open up just about everything I did to the OGL just seemed right. I really hope someone finds some way to use elements of this in their own crazy game.

Dunno if I will win, but I am sure I am not the only contestant who feels that if even one gaming group ever uses my game and enjoys it, I will be thrilled, and I would LOVE to hear all about that, so if anyone does, please _please_ post about your experience.

Now I'm off to read all the other entries!


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## JamesonCourage (May 7, 2013)

I wrote mine (Single Page Game System) over the course of maybe an hour, but I've played it a couple times with my friends, and it was fun enough (I even tweaked stuff, so it was technically playtested!). Good game if you only have access to d6s and you want a fast game where you slowly learn about your character / whatever world you choose to be in; players / the GM even get to make up facts as they go along, as per the mechanics. You get to learn things by winning / losing, and get more powerful for losing!



Morrus said:


> I was astonished by the turnout. I honestly expected a tiny handful of entries - and got about 40!



Yeah, I was thinking you'd have a low turnout, too, and that's why I joined up. It was my only chance of winning...

So, when the inevitable happens and I get zero votes, I'll make it look like it's my fault by saying the following: nobody vote for me. Thank you


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## Rune (May 7, 2013)

Thondor said:


> Token System is a resource management game that reminds me a little of the 2004(?) Marvel game. You have tokens that you bid and trade back and forth. It's well written, and has some neat templates for various genres. Would I play it? Maybe if it was house-ruled so the bidding was secret.




Interesting concept.  That _would_ change the dynamic.  That said, the tension of the Token System comes from the strategic interplay between the GM and the players.

I liken it to roleplaying a game of Chess or Go.  The uncertainty doesn't come from secrecy, but from assessing your own position and second-guessing your opponent's approach.




All that said, your system does look fun (and the secrecy house-rule for The Token System might be, too!).


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## JoshDemers (May 7, 2013)

I've read many of the entries and there are some great games here! 

I would offer another plug for Heights of Etherian, but I would rather just say: "It was a great fun putting together an rpg in a few days. I love the setting of class (as in Have's and Have Not's) based strife, warring temples, and the - what would you call it, 'Ghost-Punk?' - feel of the ghostships and other technology. I think the system creates a fast-paced, stylistic way for the players to tell a lot of the story without interfering too much with the tale the GM is telling."

... I guess I had a plug to offer after all. Happy Voting and Good Luck to my fellow contributors!


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## Vyvyan Basterd (May 7, 2013)

darkcyril said:


> A vote for Daughters of Lear is a vote for freedom and two-parent families!




A vote for Hand of Fate puts me one step closer to paying off the sewer ejector pump I had to replace today.


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## Mothshade (May 7, 2013)

Girls, Gore, and Gold is a little project I had lying about for a while. It is intended to be a game where you can create a character in a few minutes and get into the action.
I wish life had not conspired against me last week so I could've had more time to devote to finishing the design. As it is, G3 is missing a lot of elements I have jotted down as notes.
There is a lot of humor and good-natured competition waiting to be added, and I intend to get the rest written up and playtested.
No, I definitely do not expect to win. The material was rushed, at best - and does not do justice to the notes hastily jotted by hand.   
I really enjoyed the experience, and have learned a lot in the attempt. Thank you for hosting this competition. Good luck to all the entrants!

David A. Hill


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## Murph Murphy (May 7, 2013)

Hey guys.  Murph here.  I am glad you are enjoying MEN OF POWER.  But I have heard crying out, like dog in wilderness.  So as a stretch goal, I submit WOMEN OF GLORY.If I win the contest, I will write a supplement called 








CATS OF BOSSITUDE


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## sheadunne (May 7, 2013)

Did I mention that PIN is a d12 system. And by d12 I mean LOTS of d12s lol. Dust those bad boys off!


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## Rune (May 7, 2013)

*The Token System -- Play Report*

Tonight, I got together with some friends and family for a couple of hours to play a quick game (by which I mean, probably an hour of actual play-time).

If anyone's interested, here's how it went:

[sblock]The Genre was _Mythic Bronze Age_.  The characters were:  

*Andrea* (Beauty 5, Charm 3, Enmity of Hera 2, Evasion 2, Heart-breaker 3), the very, very beautiful.

*Hippostottleclese* (Endurance 5, Evasion 3, Fighter 3, Hubris 1, Sharpshooter 3), the world's greatest warrior (or so he believes).

*Tridenticese* (Divine-Blooded 5, Fighter 4, Sailor 3, Superstitious 1, Weather-Wise 2), the Son of Poseidon.

*Web* (Charming 3, Evasion 3, Ill-Fated 5, Oracle 1, Sorcery 3), the weaver, sorceress (and part-time oracle).  Also, fated to one day turn into a spider.

Play begins (and this is, believe or not, the players' choice!) in a drinking hall.  A drunken blind man mutters woefully into his wine and the players cajole a story from him (truthfully, it takes little cajoling).  He once was king of his own city-state, but earned the disfavor of the gods when he cast out a blind vagrant from his court, thinking him a fool and beggar.  "Hubris...it'll get you every time.  Anyway, long story short, I hooked up with my mother and gauged out my own eyes.  Well, I've gotta go piss."

But, on the way out the door, a tremendous bolt of lightning strikes.  Tridenticese knows that this _must_ be a bolt sent from Zeus, himself, and prostrates himself to learn how they [that is, the mortals present] might please Poseidon and could he please calm his irate brother-deity.  In response, Poseidon speaks directly into his brain: _If want to please me, find my Trident._

It is determined that they should go to the Oracle at Tridelphi, so they head to Tridenticese's fishing boat, but it's too small for four!  No problem--Web just floats above it with her unnatural powers of sorcery.  Also, it's raining, and Andrea doesn't want to get her hair wet, but that's not a problem either--she's so beautiful that the raindrops do their best to avoid messing up her hair.

Fortunately, Poseidon favors their journey, and a path of calm weather stretches before them.  Unfortunately, Tridenticese's superstitions (about fish oil and eyes, and their application to nautical implements) lead Web to charm some fish into the boat.  Andrea, of course, tries to avoid them as they flop about, and it takes all of Tridenticese's skill to keep the boat from capsizing.

In his pride, Hippostottleclese attempts to spear the largest fish in the ocean and manages one as large as he, eventually dragging it aboard.  But the boat cannot support the additional weight, nor the desperation of the struggling fish.  Andrea calms the fish with her soothing touch, and it is little trouble to then net the fish and throw it overboard.

Which, is great until the shark attack, of course.  After ramming the boat, and ripping the netting apart to snag the tasty treat, the shark swims away, but now the boat is taking on water!  It takes some time to repair it, but the leak is a slow one, so they have the time.

Next morning (red sunrise!), they catch sight of a giant eye looking at them from the depths.  A giant eye attached to a mass of tentacles.  A titanic battle seems imminent, but, Andrea's unearthly beauty pacifies the massive sea-creature.

On the horizon, the temple of Tridelphi stands atop a mountain.  Once the party gets ashore, they discover that the winding path leading up is guarded by a great skeletal hound, eye-sockets flickering with unnatural flame.  Hippostottleclese attempts to sneak by it, but is quickly rooted out.

The guardian charges toward him.  In response, Hippostottleclese roots himself to the ground and readies himself for the hit.  When the blow comes, it has the force of a mountain behind it, but the warrior endures.  Bones clatter across the rocky path as the hound bounces off of the immovable man.

Tridenticese takes the opportunity to sever the spinal column with a swipe of his broad-headed spear.  Bones shower the heroes with victory and the way to the Oracle is clear...[/sblock]

...And that was it for the night.  First time playing the game for all but one of the players (there's not a lot of play-test time in a 7-day competition!).  As might be imagined with such a different game-philosophy, it took a little while for them to wrap their heads around how different it was from games they're used to (no dice, no turns, almost every action player-initiated), but once they did, the game flowed smoothly.  Fun was had by all.


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## Sir Robilar (May 7, 2013)

Hi, Sir Robilar here. I created the last in the line, "Follow the Leader". It's a game for 4-hour one-shots and even has a title page!  I had great fun writing this in the last 5 days or so. If anyone's interested, this is the gist of my game: 


"Players portray lowly mercenaries with money troubles, burdened by shortcomings and desperate to survive the day. In order to solve their troubles, they have signed a contract with a so-called 'Heroic Leader' (portrayed by the GM), a greedy and powerful adventurer who exploits the henchmen’s skills and uses them for the dirty work. 

Following their Heroic Leader, the henchmen explore the dungeon, evade traps, collect treasures and defeat foes. During the adventure, they will have to overcome their inabilities (Weakness, Clumsiness, Confusion, Stupidity, Cowardice, Desperation). The more deaths they encounter along the way, the more desperate the poor henchmen become. When a henchman witnesses the death of an ally or something else that is really shocking, he might be overwhelmed by desperation. In this case, the GM hands the player a temptation card with a proposed course of action, for example:

„_Why not pull the lever behind the demon statue_?“, 
„_Why not keep the emerald for yourself_?“, or 
„_Why not spill some blood on the black altar_?“

A temptation card represents the henchman’s inner struggle in the face of death and horror. To clear his mind (and to win the game), the henchman has to get rid of all temptation cards. The only way to do this is by taking the proposed action. Unfortunately giving in to temptations causes all sorts of problems: Traps may be triggered, allies harmed and intra-party conflicts might escalate. It could even lead to the deaths of henchmen, which will add to the witnesses’ desperation and might force the GM to hand out further temptation cards. Since the results of giving in to temptations depends on the players and their play style, one and the same scenario can result in wildly different games."


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## Mike Eagling (May 7, 2013)

Hello! Here's my pitch for "Doctors & Nurses, the role-playing game of television medical dramas".


When this competition was announced I deliberately set out to write a game that hasn't been done hundreds of times before. I looked around for a genre that had all the hallmarks of an RPG setting, yet lacked a slew of games already. It had to be a defined setting that presented specific challenges. It had to cope with a variable number of players. It had to provide opportunities for co-operative and competitive play. And, most importantly, it had to be dramatic.


A non-gamer friend of mine is a big fan of "Grey's Anatomy". It struck me that no-one seems to have written an RPG set in the genre of TV medical dramas, despite it fulfilling the criteria listed above. There are probably many reasons for this. Arguably the crossover between fans of such programmes and RPGs is very small. 

Also, Doctors & Nurses is almost "anti-D&D": instead of an adventuring party hell-bent on killing everything in sight and stealing their swag, D&N involves characters trying to cure those afflicted with injuries and diseases.


The system is... er, simplistic. Embarrasingly so. My original idea was to simulate human physiology in a much more realistic way. Diagnosis and treatment would be far more nuanced. However, modelling the entirety of modern medicine simply wasn't possible in the time available. Like other entries it was devised and written during the 7 days of the competition.


Thanks go to anyone taking the time to take a look at the game. Votes are obviously welcome, as is feedback.


Thanks also to [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] for the competition. If nothing else, it's been an interesting exercise.


Good luck to the other entrants. There are some interesting ideas here. I'm now going to work my way through them and submit my votes.


Cheers,
Mike


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## wasmeister (May 7, 2013)

I spent the full seven days creating The Body Horror RPG, it was a concept I had whilst determining which genres hadn't been turned into role playing games yet. I found the idea of players fighting their own bodily changes whilst figuring out why something so monstrous would be inflicted on them interesting. I'm quite proud of the Mutation dice mechanic and how it ties in with the body locations as I don't think it's been done before, especially as I wanted the body to be the focus of the games rules. I appreciate that its a grim setting but that was the design goal, but I wanted a glimmer of hope to exist for the players. I am currently in the process of writing a scenario for the system which I will post in due course. I hope you enjoy the game and I would more than happy to entertain any comments or criticism you may have. Good luck to all the entries.


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## EP (May 7, 2013)

I'm really hoping to get to reading some of these entries over the weekend (c'mon, free time!). Looks like quite a wide variety of very indie games in here.


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## Anubis Dread (May 7, 2013)

When I read that people were having trouble downloading Godsrealm I had a minor panic attack -_-; Thankfully it seems that the issue is resolved now, or at least was only experienced by a couple of people.

I was pretty confident going into this thing, but seeing all the other entries is more than a little bit intimidating. Most of them are very high quality, and all of them are more prettily arranged than my own 'word.doc turned pdf' >.>

As it seems to be becoming the new fad, here's some things I would have included in my RPG if possible:
-actual images
-a section outlining an example of a game to help show what a typical turn might look like
-a second tie in game where you play mortals in the game your gods make. Turns out making a game to cover literally everything you could make in human imagination is a little beyond me 
-I just realized that even though the entire RPG is fantasy themed, there are no rules to prevent turning it into a modern or sci-fi world. I consider this more a feature than a bug, but if I'd thought of it I'd have included a section on playing other genres.

Thank you for accepting, and good luck to everyone else! But especially me, please vote Godsrealm


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## JMBeraldo (May 7, 2013)

Oh, we're still pitching? 

So, Context RPG!

It was an idea I've been brewing for a short while, of focusing on a game that was easy to learn and that would allow both players and narrators to get right into the adventure and build as they go. Really, who needs tons of extra rules, numbers and esoteric rules no one remembers anyway?

When I first played RPGs some 20+ years ago, I didn't really know what I was doing! English is not my first language and, despite the fact that I learned it pretty early, when I was 11, my grasp of D&D and AD&D rules was more out of my imagination than anything else. My friends would come up with actions and solutions and I'd rule them based on the situation. Did it make sense based on what we played so far? But my feeling is that today's RPG systems add too much crunch, when in fact players need only guidelines and their imagination.

I hope you guys try Context and let me know what you feel about it. I believe this could be an awesome system that is just calling for a number of unique game settings with MAYBE a few more rules here and there to spice things up!


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## kitsune9 (May 7, 2013)

Hi all,

If you haven't checked out my game, The Empire of the Raven, I'll explain the mechanics and story a bit here.

It's a game of 17th Century "Europe-type" world that is about exploration, colonization, and reclaiming lost magic from ruined civilizations. However, while exploring, many of the monsters and horrors that awaits in the deepest regions are mind-shattering, other-worldly and most who seek riches either die horribly or go back mad. 

As for the mechanics I use a 3d8 system in which each die is a different color. A red die (Damage die) determines the base damage plus the attack. If your attack is successful and you've rolled an 8 on the Damage die, it explodes so you can roll again and keep adding up the damage as long as you get an 8. A white die is called the Fortune die. If you roll an attack and get an 8, you get a Fortune point, even if your attack missed. Fate is smiling upon you. The last die is a black die and is called The Grim. Should you roll an 8 on that die, you get a Grim point which slowly corrupts your character. The propensity to commit violence (and using certain insanity-risking skills) exposes a character to corruption. If you earn enough Grim points, your irrevocably corrupted unless you have Fortune points to counter them. Should you roll an 8 on both the Fortune and The Grim, you get 2 Fortune points and 2 Grim points.

You can use Fortune points to influence your actions such as increasing or mitigating damage, turn a miss into a hit, etc. Should the Fortune point require a roll, if you get a natural 8, it explodes. If you have any Fortune points leftover at the end of the adventure, they are converted into experience points for character advancement.

Monsters can use Grim points against you though there is a limit. They can use your Grim points against you to increase their damage, heal themselves, or mitigate damage from your attacks.

Characters have talents (kind of like powers/skills/perks/feats) and if they have a Spirit modifier of at least +0 or higher, they can use magic (called powers). There are some skills though few.

The setting is designed to be grim and there's four ways a character can be permanently ended in the campaign:
1. They died (however, I intended to write that the GM can provide a second chance by having the character bargain for their soul with an other-worldly entity).
2. They've gone insane (sanity points though are not treated like Call of Cthulhu, you can completely restore your mental health for the next adventure as long as you have some sanity left and get to a safe haven).
3. They've become corrupted by The Grim (as long as you have Fortune points, you can stave off this, but if you're out of Fortune points, you're out of luck).
4. They've failed their noble patron and put in prison (one of the professions can try to get you a second, third, etc. chance, but each failure it gets more difficult to not get thrown in prison).

If you have any questions, please drop me a line. Right now, the entry stands alone as it is, so there isn't a character sheet. However, once the contest is over and there's been interest, I'll post a char sheet and a sample adventure. It would be interesting to see if my game was actually playable (that's what happens when you write a game in just 7 days!  ).

Happy Gaming!


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## Stalker0 (May 7, 2013)

Just read "follow the leader" and its hillarious.

For a nonstandard system that I would want to pick up, it needs to be a bit quirky, and getting to play the B team is right up my alley!


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## RangerWickett (May 8, 2013)

I've at least skimmed all of them, and I am most impressed or amused by *Follow the Leader*, *Dragon-Slayers of the Rio Grande*, and *Men of Power* (because, as I said above, it'd be hilarious if that won $1000).

I kinda hoped Familiar Story would be antagonistic against the wizard, like Follow the Leader is against the 'Fearless Leader,' but it seemed to play it straight, which sacrificed some charm. Doctors & Nurses had a novel idea, but it was a bit of a dry read. Eternal Harmonies reminded me that some day I want to play a Dethklok game, but I think I want something more rules-light.

I guess my bias is that I want fun writing, a clever concept that jumps into the flavor from the get-go, and mechanics that are either simple or novel. Humor is a big trump.

I wish I'd had time to write a My Little Ponies knock-off, because my GM's wife says that she'll give role-playing a try if she can be a pony. Since I didn't, I wish the rest of the folks here well.


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## Murph Murphy (May 8, 2013)

So I've got a special treat for you guys.  I was struck with inspiration, and spent hours on my new game.  It features ALL NEW MECHANICS. Also you can BE A DOG.  It is called DOGS OF AUTHORITY and it is world debut strech goal here.

View attachment Dogs of Authority.pdf


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## NancyButtpeach (May 8, 2013)

I agree that Follow the Leader looks great, though I think it is more of a board game than an rpg- it reminds me of a comical version of TOMB. If you don't vote for my system, them vote for it .


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## Stalker0 (May 8, 2013)

RangerWickett said:


> I am most impressed or amused by...*Men of Power* (because, as I said above, it'd be hilarious if that won $1000).





No offense to the author (I got a good laugh out of it myself), but I would be pretty disappointed if the "joke" system one against other legitimate entries.


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## sehmerus (May 9, 2013)

I really Liked the token system. at least in reading, i hope i get a chance to try it out sometime this summer. perhaps i will convert my fantasy campaign setting to it? i been trying to find a good system to apply my setting to. hmm i suppose if it wins i will not get a chance to maybe discuss using it for my setting... Hmmm maybe i should take back my vote.. LOL oh well, even if i dont use it for my system. it sounds a lot of fun cant way to try it out myself.


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## darkcyril (May 9, 2013)

sehmerus said:


> I really Liked the token system. at least in reading, i hope i get a chance to try it out sometime this summer. perhaps i will convert my fantasy campaign setting to it? i been trying to find a good system to apply my setting to. hmm i suppose if it wins i will not get a chance to maybe discuss using it for my setting... Hmmm maybe i should take back my vote.. LOL oh well, even if i dont use it for my system. it sounds a lot of fun cant way to try it out myself.




I don't know. It feels too similar to Greg Stolze's Token Effort system for ... In Spaaace! for it to really stand out to me. It's its own game to be sure, but I definitely felt like I've seen it before when I read through it.


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## Rune (May 9, 2013)

darkcyril said:


> I don't know. It feels too similar to Greg Stolze's Token Effort system for ... In Spaaace! for it to really stand out to me. It's its own game to be sure, but I definitely felt like I've seen it before when I read through it.




Is that system completely non-random?  The only RPG I'm aware of that has no randomizing elements (other than the newly created Token System, that is) is Amber Diceless Roleplaying.  Fankly, I never really liked _that_ system all that much, because there didn't seem to be any means of creating uncertainty (and, hence, tension).

The meat and potatoes of the Token System is the carefully balanced economy of the game-play mechanic--and the uncertainty (and, thereby, tension) of playing against a thinking opponent.  And _knowingly_ weighing the risk/reward of the bid.  (The GM is not an adversary, but _is_ a constant source of opposition!)

EDIT--I just did a google search for the Token Effort system.  There are some definite mechanical similarities there, including the primary balancing mechanic.

However, the fundamental _philosophy_ of the game is drastically different.  That system appears to derive its tension from the uncertainty of secret bidding--a mechanic that would make for an entirely different play experience!

For that reason, I think the Token System more closely resembles poker than it resembles Token Effort.  Although I _do_ now wish I'd come up with a better name.


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## Murph Murphy (May 9, 2013)

Stalker0 said:


> No offense to the author (I got a good laugh out of it myself), but I would be pretty disappointed if the "joke" system one against other legitimate entries.




So I'll break out of the Kaufmen-esque mode for a sec for serious game design talk.

So MEN OF POWER does present several meaningful choices to the player and GM. It is a humorous package around an actual game. 

In most systems, the GM should be preparing obstacles and challenges that can not be overcome through combat (unless, explicitly, you are creating a "lets just fight using the system" style game, which is a valid playstyle, but not the normal flow). MOP with Fight men makes the need to do this all the more explicitly. The stereotypical "bandits attack the caravan" encounter doesn't work, assuming the party contains a Fight man and the bandits are all Bad men. You have to take it a step further as a GM and challenge your players to not just defend the current caravan, but figure out why there are bandits and how you can stop them in the future. Also the scene gets more complicated if one of the bandits is a Fight man. Now if the players chose to fight, they have to be satisfied with a half victory, figure out victory means to them, and how it's compatible with the bandit's Fight man. Is everyone getting out alive enough, if the bandits get to keep the carts? Are you willing to die for the caravan to get to it's destination? It's a game about compromise when two unstoppable forces meet.

Cool man faces all the same choices as Fight man above, all be it in different situations. You'll actually find this dynamic in a 3.x game with unlimited splat books or Shadowrun. Some players will optimize towards combat, and some will optimize towards social. While it's not as explicit as MOP that each character dominates in one arena in the previously mentioned games, it is how the dynamic can shake out. Interesting things happen when you force the Fight man to the social challenge and Cool man into the combat challenge, as non-standard solution are apt to rise in those situations.

Also, why do Bad men exist?  They have three reasons to exist.  They are the mooks, the 1/2 hit die kobold, the 1 hp minion, the people batman throws around before confronting the Joker.  They are bodies for the GM to add to the story.  A "main villain" should never be a Bad man, though he probably is a surrounded by them.  Secondly, they are a foil to hold up the PCs, who will mostly be Fight and Cool men.  If these men are always bad, then these men should be always good, except sometime they are not.  Finally, some players like playing weaker characters, but I wouldn't advise it.

To wrap it up, MOP is a game of humor, minimalism and compromise. 

Also anticipate MOP: 4th edition.


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## Morrus (May 9, 2013)

_Men of Power_ is, essentially, rock-paper-scissors.  As it is at present, I quite like the concept and think it definitely has a place, but it would need to offer more value before folks would pay for it (and more than the standard GMing advice etc. one finds in an RPG).  But there's absolutely a kernel of something there.

I do love some of the mechanics in these entries.  There's a wide range there, geared towards different playstyles. _Daughters of Lear_, for example, has a simple mechanic/concept which appeals to me; and I like the idea of some of the less (or not) randomized resolution mechanics.

I haven't voted yet!


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## Lwaxy (May 9, 2013)

I don't think I will have time to read all of them, unfortunately, so I'll just read what's interesting on first sight, and that will already take some time. Wow, people are really creative.


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## Mike Eagling (May 9, 2013)

Murph Murphy said:


> You have to take it a step further as a GM and challenge your players to not just defend the current caravan, but figure out why there are bandits and how you can stop them in the future.




Isn't that true of any rpg, unless it's just a glorified combat fest?

Having said that, MOP (I love the fact it has it's own abbreviation already) was very funny. It reminded me of "Hit a Dude", which won an ENnie so I can't complain if MOP wins this.

http://hitadude.com/

Not that it should, of course: VOTE FOR ME!!! 



Murph Murphy said:


> Also anticipate MOP: 4th edition.




Will it have miniatures rules? And can I lead the complaints that 4th edition breaks the game and anyone not playing MOP1e is obviously doing it wrong?


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## Rune (May 9, 2013)

darkcyril said:


> It's its own game to be sure, but I definitely felt like I've seen it before when I read through it.




Given time to ponder this statement (and sleep), I must confess that I am still confused by it.  No one singles out the myriad of systems that use some variation of the "Roll die/dice, add modifiers, & compare to target number" chassis as not being innovative, or not standing out.  Why?  Because the mechanics aren't the point.

The mechanics of the game exist as they do for only one purpose: to enable a particular play experience.  If _The Token System_ is in any way innovative, it is not because of its mechanics, but because of what it expects from its players--and what they can expect out of it.

(As for whether or not _I_ think it's innovative: _I've_ never seen another RPG that plays the way _The Token System_ does--that is, providing tension solely through strategy, resource management, and narrative complications.)


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## Adrián Gómez (May 9, 2013)

I love seeing so many voters in the poll, because that means not only we the authors are interested in this. 

For my game -The Hope- I just tried to do a different background from what I usually like to play (I'm old school, y'know, swords and muscles). And I enjoyed a lot working on it for a few days. Of course it hasn't been tested, because now I'm playing other games with my role groups, but still hope you like its story and design. ^^

May the best win! This is a great contest!


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## Morrus (May 10, 2013)

Oddly, there are two entries with zero votes -- which means not even their creators voted for them!


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## Rune (May 10, 2013)

Maybe they're still reading the other entries?


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## sheadunne (May 10, 2013)

Rune said:


> Maybe they're still reading the other entries?




Who are they, I'll vote for them!


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## JoshDemers (May 11, 2013)

> Oddly, there are two entries with zero votes -- which means not even their creators voted for them!




Well, OK, but should you really be telling us before revealing the final results? If it's me ... I'm not sure I would want folks to vote for me just because no one else had.


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## Domino Writing (May 11, 2013)

I wrote "New Worlds" (it's actually Domino Writing, not Domini). I've been impressed with a lot of the entries - I downloaded and read them all. The ones that caught my attention are the ones that touched on genres that aren't often seen in RPGs, and also those with unique systems for action resolution or character generation.

It's a great selection of games - even the ones that spin off of the d20 system really do bring something new to the game table.


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## EditorBFG (May 11, 2013)

I just finished reading all the entries as well, and I have to say, it is really hard to think of any that didn't bring at least one new and interesting idea to the table, and many had several. I still feel pretty good and competitive about SEVEN DAYS, but I will say there is one other game in particular that has me extremely worried because it is so good (I won't say which yet, because at this point I could really, really use $1000), and which I actually want to run at a con or something at some point. I will also say that I am very glad I don't have to compete against The Sound of Aliens, becaus that awesome/bad photoshop on the first page of Julie Andrews and the Alien Queen had me laughing hard, and would've earned my vote just for that, and was a really interesting game with great looking character sheets besides.


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## TBRMInsanity (May 11, 2013)

Good day everyone,

I've been a Freelance RPG developer for close to 20 years.  In the true spirit of this competition I developed the Quad system over the 7 days of the competition.  Regardless of the results of this competition I will be moving to the next stage of development with the Quad system and I'll be producing pre-packaged races, character lifepaths, and basic equipment.  The Quad system is "market ready" as is, but with a little more effort, it will be great.  Give my system a chance and I encourage everyone to read through it and even try it out with your local RPG group.

Thomas Boxall


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## Erik Evjen (May 12, 2013)

Hello everyone!

Sorry to chime in here within the last 14 or so hours of the contest, but I've been incredibly busy with work, college graduation, and other concerns. One of those concerns being furiously posting on the various social medias about this contest in particular. 

Eight-Sided Quest is in a bit of a incomplete state, being squished within the two days of me graduating and than the deadline to enter the contest. Of course it uses d8s to resolve all die rolls (no other polyhedrals needed!), and was intended to be very freeform in play. Skills, Feats, and other such things of those nature were intentionally left out of the system, as I aimed to provide as much of the full role-playing experience within the expanse of the d8s and not have it become overly complicated at the same time.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to flesh out example spells and a few other things before the deadline, but I'm hoping that it caught some attention. 

Thank you, everyone!

- Erik Evjen


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## fuzzyhobbit (May 12, 2013)

I don't have too much to say about my game, Strangers of Fiction. It is supposed to be fun and pulp-y. It has a system that is general enough to support many genres and many kinds of characters or stories. As a GM, I like the idea of running a game filled with characters from other works of fiction. And when players get into a fist fight with Peter Venkman, debate the virtues of Butter Pecan ice cream with the Doctor, or visit the Mars colony and its mutants, they will have an RPG memory that will stay with them. And I think the mechanic of players being able to take control and shift the genre of a scene will make such memorable games even more personal. Thanks.

- Kevin Ohannessian


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## Morrus (May 13, 2013)

If I'm reading the ending time correctly, we have about 45 minutes to go.


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## Morrus (May 13, 2013)

And we're done! Congratulations to [MENTION=6746034]darkcyril[/MENTION], who has won $1000 for _Daughters of Lear_


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## Mike Eagling (May 13, 2013)

Well done [MENTION=6746034]darkcyril[/MENTION].

Thanks [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] for running the competition, it was a lot of fun.

Thanks also to the people who voted for Doctors & Nurses


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## Morrus (May 13, 2013)

So the top few, in order, are:


Daughters of Lear (29) 
Follow the Leader (27) 
Dragon-Slayers of the Rio Grande (26) 
Eight-Sided Quest (22) 
PET: Pet Extra Terrestrial (20) 
Men of Power (19) 
The Hope (13) 
The Token System (12)


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## artikid (May 13, 2013)

Congratulations to darkcyril and thanks to Morrus!


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## EP (May 13, 2013)

Congratulations, darkcyril, and everyone else who entered and fared well.


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## Sir Robilar (May 13, 2013)

Thanks Morrus and congrats to darkcyril! 

I had tons of fun with the contest and am surprised and happy my entry reached 2nd place.


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## kitsune9 (May 13, 2013)

Congrats to Darkcyril and to those who voted for my entry.


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## Rune (May 13, 2013)

Congratulations, darkcyril.  I really liked your entry (among several others!) and look forward to seeing a developed version of it (among several others).


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## Xiyla (May 13, 2013)

Congrats Darkcyril!


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## darkcyril (May 13, 2013)

Oh my gosh. Thank you everyone. There was some very, very solid competition, and I'm extremely flattered that my entry was chosen over some of the other games. 

Thanks to Morrus for giving me the chance to flex my design muscles a little bit by hosting the competition.


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## Kexizzoc (May 13, 2013)

Congrats, darkcyril and everyone else. Thanks for hosting this, Morrus. I have to say I had a lot of fun with this. Hope this isn't a 1-time thing!!!


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## Morrus (May 13, 2013)

Kexizzoc said:


> Hope this isn't a 1-time thing!!!




That depends on whether I manage to make my $1000 back!


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## Mark CMG (May 13, 2013)

Congrats to darkcyril and all of the participants!


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## EditorBFG (May 14, 2013)

Congratulations to darkcyril! As a guy who has directed or appeared in half the Shakespearean canon, I heartily approve of your inspiration. This looks like a great game.

Also very glad to see Follow the Leader in 2nd. No slight to anyone else, but that was the game so genius I wished I'd thought of it. "Inability Scores" alone is worth the price of admission. I would actually like to run this at a con or something soon, so now that the rights to the non-1st place finishers have reverted back to their authors, I hope Sir Robilar gives us an update on the future of his creation.


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## JoshDemers (May 14, 2013)

Congratulations, darkcyril! I'm looking forward to seeing the the published product looks like!


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## trancejeremy (May 14, 2013)

Well, thanks to the 4 other people who voted for my entry, Monsters & Ruins (not Monsters Ruins as it says).


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## Sir Robilar (May 14, 2013)

EditorBFG said:


> Also very glad to see Follow the Leader in 2nd. No slight to anyone else, but that was the game so genius I wished I'd thought of it. "Inability Scores" alone is worth the price of admission. I would actually like to run this at a con or something soon, so now that the rights to the non-1st place finishers have reverted back to their authors, I hope Sir Robilar gives us an update on the future of his creation.




Wow, thanks! That is high praise. 

I've grown quite fond of the game myself and am considering to self-publish it after a thorough rewrite. I'll let you know once I've given more thought to the issue.


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## darkcyril (May 15, 2013)

EditorBFG said:


> Congratulations to darkcyril! As a guy who has directed or appeared in half the Shakespearean canon, I heartily approve of your inspiration. This looks like a great game.




Thank you! The original concept was one I had a while back, but it was much more of a "traditional RPG" in the fact that you had players, a GM, and defined characters that you advanced through play, and it didn't gel very well. When this competition came about, I had just seen the link that had been going around Facebook for Shakespeare Day with James Earl Jones, Alan Rickman, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, and several other actors performing Shakespeare and it shook the idea loose again and through several thought experiments, it evolved into what you saw in the contest.


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