The PDF is 3 pages, with a bare but readable layout.
Gameplay-wise, this is a tight, minimalist rpg with classes and abilities and hp. It's impressive how densely packed it is, given that it runs on a single deck of playing cards.
There's also some really cool game tech here. Card pulls are used to pass checks, which isn't unheard of, but on crit fails players can modify the deck, adding or removing cards.
GMs will have to do some work to use Campfire Stories, as there aren't too many GM tools, just suggestions on how to structure stories. There also isn't much of a mechanical counterweight to the players getting really good stat pulls, or to them eventually stacking the deck full of auto-win cards.
I think a mechanic where monsters can sometimes pull from the deck and get powers from the same cards that help players would be helpful. And I think having players spend and redraw their stat cards could also make the game more fluid.
Overall, though, this is a really solid foundation for a system, and worth trying out the next time you go camping. Bring a deck of cards, skip the character sheets, and tell some cool spooky stories around the fire.
Minor Issues:
-Page 1, do you write a health number at the top of every card? Is there a better way to track it than marking the cards in your deck?
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Campfire Stories is a fireside horror ttrpg.
The PDF is 3 pages, with a bare but readable layout.
Gameplay-wise, this is a tight, minimalist rpg with classes and abilities and hp. It's impressive how densely packed it is, given that it runs on a single deck of playing cards.
There's also some really cool game tech here. Card pulls are used to pass checks, which isn't unheard of, but on crit fails players can modify the deck, adding or removing cards.
GMs will have to do some work to use Campfire Stories, as there aren't too many GM tools, just suggestions on how to structure stories. There also isn't much of a mechanical counterweight to the players getting really good stat pulls, or to them eventually stacking the deck full of auto-win cards.
I think a mechanic where monsters can sometimes pull from the deck and get powers from the same cards that help players would be helpful. And I think having players spend and redraw their stat cards could also make the game more fluid.
Overall, though, this is a really solid foundation for a system, and worth trying out the next time you go camping. Bring a deck of cards, skip the character sheets, and tell some cool spooky stories around the fire.
Minor Issues:
-Page 1, do you write a health number at the top of every card? Is there a better way to track it than marking the cards in your deck?
-Page 2, "before the draw the stakes" they draw
-Page 2, "the third time they charge" change?
Thanks for the review! I'll update those issues.