Memories in High Fantasy
I don't usually get this excited about an item in the mail, but in this case I'll make an exception.

Back in the previous century, around 1983 to '84, I came across an even then obscure RPG titled High Fantasy. It took a decidedly different approach to fantasy role-play, with no "hit points," injury instead deteriorating your character's skil
https://lestersmith.com/2024/02/memories-in-high-fantasy/
#Announcements #GameDesign #OldGameDesigns #RoleplayingGames

Magnum Opus?
If you'll forgive a bit of introspection about my own work …

Last night, Jennifer asked me if, given its ongoing success, I thought the Bookmark HP RPG was my magnum opus.

My first quip was, "So far!" But honestly, I doubt there'll be another. Three self-published RPG lines is more than enough to keep an old guy busy, what with people
https://lestersmith.com/2023/12/magnum-opus/
#BookmarkNoHPRPG #Commentary #DiceCardGames #GameDesign #OldGameDesigns #RoleplayingGames

11 Years and Counting
Kinda hard to believe this was 11 years ago, or in some ways that it was only 11 years ago. It was my first self-published card game, Invasion of the Saucer People. A Kickstarter paid to replace this retro stock art with new illustrations by an old friend and GDW colleague, Bradley K. McDevitt.

In the 11 years since, a lot of very ki
https://lestersmith.com/2023/08/11-years-and-counting/
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Tectonic Shifts of D&D
"The original impetus for the open licensing of the d20 System involved the economics of producing role-playing games (RPGs). Game supplements suffered far more diminished sales over time than the core books required to play the game." Wikipedia, "d20 System"

I think I sorta pissed someone off years ago by making this exact point. My opinion was based on the experie
https://lestersmith.com/2022/12/tectonic-shifts-of-dd/
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