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| Tiny Frontiers Game Book |
The expanse of space lies before you and your fellow explorers. You are cruising through the darkness of the vast to your next adventure. The captain has chosen the location and the navigator plotted the course to Messick. Though the ship is pretty much capable of directing itself through the darkness, the pilot is nearby and ready in case something unexpected happens. The only people appearing to be on edge are the captain and the quartermaster. There wasn't any word as to why you were going to the system. Maybe, it would be best to check to see what's in the computer.
Tiny Frontiers by Alan Bahr with Thomas Keene from Gallant Knight Games is a wonderfully compact gaming system for space adventures. It provides a game that can be used to introduce new players, new settings, and new games quickly and easily. The approach to creating Tiny Frontiers appears to be different the so many of the existing science fiction role-playing games (RPGs).
Many science fiction RPGs are based in an existing universe that provides boundaries so adventures fit the parameters of the overarching story the RPG is drawn from. On the other side of that coin, are the games systems that provide so much information trying to cover every aspect of what a game master (GM) may want to create for their universe. I have seen these taken to the extreme in both directions. If you are a fan of the existing universe, the guidelines given are not a problem because you have already allowed yourself to be in that universe. The, again, the other side usually means there is a lot of work for the GM when building a new universe to game in.
The size of the book is smaller than most game books. It can be tucked into the pocket of a pair of cargo pants. It is something to know that you have the universe in your pocket. Even though the book is 136 pages in total length, the first third of the book is all that is needed to create your characters and start playing. The additional 90 pages are micro-settings. The concept is to be able to build on the narrative, cinematic aspects of role-playing and not to get bogged down in the details of creating the tactical aspects of the strategy.
The 40 pages of game mechanics are straight forward, easy to understand, and readily adaptable.
Creating a character is a simple matter of deciding on your race, traits, and what you're carrying. Your personality can grow from their as you decide. There are races presented, which some would say provides those boundaries I was talking about earlier. And, they do. At the same time, the style of the game allows for development of additional races without having to do a lot of behind the scenes work.
Character traits and equipment are presented in the same manner to provide a quick start to play. In fact from start to finish it took fifteen to twenty minutes to have a character ready for adventuring.
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| Tiny Frontiers GM screen |
When I received the book from Alan he told me he wanted to create a system where you can keep your character on an index card. And, a three by five or a four by six index card really is enough. The only thing that might take you more is how much backstory you want to give them.
There are 16 unique micro-settings from 12 other authors. Because the authors come from different backgrounds (including science fiction, fantasy and horror) each micro-setting has a flavor all its own. There is enough information that a GM can base an entire campaign in any of the settings. Or, like any good recipe, they can be combined to create a diverse universe.
The longest write up of a setting is only nine pages long (and these are small tiny pages). Most of them are structured to be about two standard notebook pages in length. The smaller format gives enough information so you can easily introduce the setting to your players and peak the creativity of the game master. Although it seems like these are short descriptions that would be lacking, they are not. Reading through the settings reminded me of the great paperbacks I read in my youth, places among the stars I wanted to visit.
Tiny Frontiers is a great RPG to have on hand for experienced and new players. The size of the book and the characters, along with using only six-sided dice, makes this game easily transportable. It is one of the few RPGs I feel I can say would make a good cabin game—something to play when you are away from home, but unable to get out of the cabin.
Everyone is nervous now you are coming into a dilapidated port. The captain finally spoke up that he took a commission to find some lost prospector in the desert on Messick. (This is drawn from one of the micro-settings presented.)
As a side note, Gallant Knight Games has acquired the rights for producing more on the Tiny Dungeonruleset.
I would like to thank Alan Bahr and Gallant Knight Games for the opportunity of playing and reviewing Tiny Frontiers.
If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.
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