I am new to TTRPG. It seems this information is not included on a lot of game descriptions on itch.io. Maybe it’s obvious to most people, but not to me!
How many players does this game support? (please clarify if it includes or excludes the GM)
Xenopolitan assumes you will play with 2 or more players (1 GM plus 1 or more players). Sessions might last an hour or more.
If you are new to role-playing, the Xenopolitan book has a very thorough example of play in the last chapter. It basically shows what an entire session of the game might look like with 1 GM and 3 players. This will probably answer some questions about how TTRPGs in general might work.
Xenopolitan is a feature length tabletop rpg about playing as a normal person in a weird future. It's by Willy Elektrix, the designer of Void Pyramid, and like Void Pyramid it is way too good to be this free.
The PDF is 78 pages, with a solid, well-organized layout and a lot of quirky, charming black and white art.
The book is packed with lore, and the lore does a really good job juggling big picture information with specific ground-level details. Fully half of the book is setting-specific information, and by the end of it you'll feel like you're reading about a place you've visited, not a fictional sandbox.
Xenopolitan takes place on Ingress, an economically deregulated city orbiting earth. A lot of money flows through Ingress, but it's mostly concentrated at the top, and everyone else makes due with living in a place where all the infrastructure is sort of designed to wring the income out of you.
This creates a natural story hook for basically every character: "how do you get through the day?" Simultaneously, it leaves open the option to get involved in high politics, crime, or more action-movie-esque stuff that the game doesn't pitch itself as being about.
Mechanics-wise, Xenopolitan uses Fudge dice. If you've played Fate, you're familiar with them. If not, they're d6s that range from -1 to +1. This means that most rolls will average to +0, and thus your skills will tend to control whether or not you succeed at tasks. Bonuses and complications are brought into play by a d10 Luck Die, and aren't tied to your skill roll's results, so a 1 on the Luck Die is always a complication, even if your roll succeeded. Likewise a 10 on the Luck Die is always a bonus, even if your roll failed.
Instead of Fate Points, Xenopolitan uses Focus points, where are scarcer and less effective. Everyone gets three per session, and they can only be used to slightly nudge dice results.
Character creation is quick, and it gives a lot of customization through Advantages and Drawbacks. Creating your own Advantages and Disadvantages is encouraged, and the premade Advantages and Disadvantages tend not to be tied to specific mechanics. They simply tell you that you can do something, or that you have trouble with something. They don't give skill bonuses, extra Focus, or the like.
For GMs, a number of resources are provided. There's sample characters, the thorough lore section mentioned above, and a chapter on GMing tips. There's also a super detailed example of play, making the book surprisingly beginner friendly.
Overall, if you want to run a weird sci-fi game with normal-person-scale stakes, I'd definitely recommend Xenopolitan. And by a similar token, if you already have a system picked out but haven't decided on a setting yet for your sci-fi game, I'd strongly recommend giving Xenopolitan's city of Ingress a look.
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I am new to TTRPG. It seems this information is not included on a lot of game descriptions on itch.io. Maybe it’s obvious to most people, but not to me!
Xenopolitan assumes you will play with 2 or more players (1 GM plus 1 or more players). Sessions might last an hour or more.
If you are new to role-playing, the Xenopolitan book has a very thorough example of play in the last chapter. It basically shows what an entire session of the game might look like with 1 GM and 3 players. This will probably answer some questions about how TTRPGs in general might work.
Xenopolitan is a feature length tabletop rpg about playing as a normal person in a weird future. It's by Willy Elektrix, the designer of Void Pyramid, and like Void Pyramid it is way too good to be this free.
The PDF is 78 pages, with a solid, well-organized layout and a lot of quirky, charming black and white art.
The book is packed with lore, and the lore does a really good job juggling big picture information with specific ground-level details. Fully half of the book is setting-specific information, and by the end of it you'll feel like you're reading about a place you've visited, not a fictional sandbox.
Xenopolitan takes place on Ingress, an economically deregulated city orbiting earth. A lot of money flows through Ingress, but it's mostly concentrated at the top, and everyone else makes due with living in a place where all the infrastructure is sort of designed to wring the income out of you.
This creates a natural story hook for basically every character: "how do you get through the day?" Simultaneously, it leaves open the option to get involved in high politics, crime, or more action-movie-esque stuff that the game doesn't pitch itself as being about.
Mechanics-wise, Xenopolitan uses Fudge dice. If you've played Fate, you're familiar with them. If not, they're d6s that range from -1 to +1. This means that most rolls will average to +0, and thus your skills will tend to control whether or not you succeed at tasks. Bonuses and complications are brought into play by a d10 Luck Die, and aren't tied to your skill roll's results, so a 1 on the Luck Die is always a complication, even if your roll succeeded. Likewise a 10 on the Luck Die is always a bonus, even if your roll failed.
Instead of Fate Points, Xenopolitan uses Focus points, where are scarcer and less effective. Everyone gets three per session, and they can only be used to slightly nudge dice results.
Character creation is quick, and it gives a lot of customization through Advantages and Drawbacks. Creating your own Advantages and Disadvantages is encouraged, and the premade Advantages and Disadvantages tend not to be tied to specific mechanics. They simply tell you that you can do something, or that you have trouble with something. They don't give skill bonuses, extra Focus, or the like.
For GMs, a number of resources are provided. There's sample characters, the thorough lore section mentioned above, and a chapter on GMing tips. There's also a super detailed example of play, making the book surprisingly beginner friendly.
Overall, if you want to run a weird sci-fi game with normal-person-scale stakes, I'd definitely recommend Xenopolitan. And by a similar token, if you already have a system picked out but haven't decided on a setting yet for your sci-fi game, I'd strongly recommend giving Xenopolitan's city of Ingress a look.
I meant to say this months ago, but this is a very informative review. Thanks for this!
No worries. Thank you for writing Xenopolitan!
74 pages for free? You're fab.
No, you're fab! I hope you like it. =)
The lore in here is really cool. I think I'll use it the next time I run a sci-fi game. Thanks for making this :)
YES! DO IT!