RPG in development from Snorthro, RPG Review

The first game I got to play at SaltConthis year is a role-playing game (RPG) that is still under development by Snorthro, with a working title of Delve (this is different than one I have seen in other locations). I arrived a little late to the game Steve Northrop (self-proclaimed artist/designer/otter enthusiast) was hosting and was settling in to watch how the game went. But, I was the regular substitute because one of the players was one of the convention organizers. From my vantage of watching and playing I was able to see how they developed characters and how the system handled aspects of game play.

Characters are created by determining basic attributes in a limited number of areas. Then, skills are determined and equipment is purchased.  Different aspects of the character, ability, skill, quality of weapon, were represented by different colored dice which became the characters dice pool to be used during play. All of this was done quickly and smoothly. The players had characters in hand and were ready to go on their fantasy adventure.

The mechanics tend more toward the narrative side of gaming. Instead of how many feet, or inches on the table, the character can move the layout is in zones. A character could reach anything else in their zone, and had to use an action to move to the next zone. Ranges were set in zones also. For the players, including the game master (GM), this allowed quick descriptions of action during combat and other encounters.

Encounters, combat and skill, were resolved by the use of the dice pools created earlier. The character would roll the number of dice they were allowed based on the levels the characters ability, skill, and quality of equipment. If the equipment wasn't being used, those dice wouldn't be added to the dice pool. The number of dice as well as how well they work are important.

The dice pool not only represents how many attempts you are making, but also initiative and how many points of damage you are able to take. The most dice in play gets to act first. This allows characters of different levels of experience to easily play on the same adventure. It gives an advantage to those who are more skilled, better abilities, better equipment, etc. All of those things we associate with higher level characters. But, as the encounter continues this advantage can be quickly lost.

Each die represents a hit point for the character. The individual die, not the number it rolled. When damage is dealt the player controlling the character has to decide which one is removed for each point of damage. Do you remove one from your weapon dice, your magic dice, Ability? This becomes a strategic point of how to manage the character.

Steve Northrop--Artist/Designer/Otter Enthusiast

The number rolled on each of the dice determines a success. Standard successes are a 5 or a 6. The threshold for success can be lowered by becoming more skilled, better equipment, etc. When a player decides which die to remove because of damage they are removing a die representing something specifically associated with what the character can do and how well they can do it.

As the pool of dice dwindles the character acts slower (lower initiative) and has fewer successes. From several encounters I could tell this depleting dice pool provides a balance for those encounters where there are many against one. Although the one has a lot of individual power which if not dealt with gives them an initial advantage that must be considered.

The current work of Delveis less than 50 pages. This makes for an easy read and quick to get into game playing. The instructions are well laid out with a color coding system to understand how to easily build the pool of dice.

I look forward to seeing what Steve Northrop finishes with. Everyone in the group enjoyed the game, the structure, and the mechanics. We could tell he was working through some final tweaks before moving forward to market on his own or through another company.

If you are into systems that are designed to be easy to learn and easy to play, I recommend you keep an eye out for this one turns into.

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