CringeRoll
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TTRPG GM from Cyprus, author of Harlequin's Hand.
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So, what Harlequin's Hand is? It is a deckbuilding TTRPG about actors improvising a theatrical performance and competing for setting the outcomes of the scenes. While the characters are acting on the scene, brandishing props, and arguing backstage, the players are outplaying each other with cards.
6 days ago
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Current status is as follows: playtests by me and by other GMs are done, the mechanics are finalized, the virtual tabletop is set up. Currently we are preparing a design concept for the visuals of the rulebook. Next steps: translating to English, illustrations, editing, layout.
6 days ago
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That's how the table looked like during the game. I'm dreaming of being able to publish this game as a box (much like Alice is missing) with custom cards and playmats, but firstly I need a digital release. And that's why I'm translating the game to English now
6 days ago
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Your mask is a king of hearts. What does it mean? Hearts are feelings, attachment, or affection. King is wisdom, age, or power. So, you can tell that your character is an old widow looking for a new love. Or a sensitive duke. Or a wise troubadour. The options are endless.
6 days ago
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Now the mechanics. The core of the game is interpreting the cards. It's much like fortune telling: you look at the suit and rank, check the legend, and come up with fiction, inspired by the card or it's keywords.
6 days ago
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The concept of playing characters who are playing other characters can seem a little complicated, so I decided that we don't have names or stats for the actors. They are defined by their masks and props - the precious items for the travelling actor, that can make the crowd believe the story.
6 days ago
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And so the rules of the game are the agreement between the actors letting them to tell a story together even though they compete. And the GM is a director who is not performing on the stage and is there to mediate the actors and give each of the main actors their spotlight and meaning in the story
6 days ago
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So, all meta-discussions of a narrative game become a representation of in-game actions. The actors are arguing backstage, setting up who has narrative advantage. The actors are stealing each other's props. They push each other off the scene. They bluff and go off-script.
6 days ago
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It was the missing part for Harlequin's Hand. Now the cards represent not the facts of reality, but props, masks, and decorations. Scenes are literally scenes. Players outplay each other because the actors on a scene want to steal the scene and tell the audience the outcome!
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While playing the other game I'm creating (a fantasy hack of Masks: A new generation) one of my fellow players made a character inspired by Commedia dell'arte, and that's how I learned about improvisational theater, actors carrying a few props and masks quickly create a story out of standard tropes
6 days ago
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After creating the basic design model I tested it with an Italian Renaissance setting. Maybe because it was the most logical for a game of cards and bluff. But still something was missing. And the game was stuck in this alpha-version for a few years.
6 days ago
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I also wanted the rules to be so easy (even if unusual) that you can open them the first time and run the game the same day. Alice is missing and 10 candles are my main references of design for an easy first-time play.
6 days ago
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What I included: oneshot-focused, zero prep, collaborative improvised storytelling, extended narrative power of players, deckbuilding, bluff, and easily accessible tools of play (normal poker card decks).
6 days ago
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How it had started: I tried a lot of TTRPGs (56 so far?) and boardgames, and was wondering why it is so rare for TTRPG to use poker cards instead of dice. After thorough research I wanted to make a type of game with all the aspects I love
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So, what Harlequin's Hand is? It is a deckbuilding TTRPG about actors improvising a theatrical performance and competing for setting the outcomes of the scenes. While the characters are acting on the scene, brandishing props, and arguing backstage, the players are outplaying each other with cards.
6 days ago
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So, I am going to finalize and publish my TTRPG. I guess, it would be a good idea to share with the world how it's going. English is not my first language, so I haven't even chosen the name for the game in English. The temporary name is "Harlequin's Hand" so far
6 days ago
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