What is Bardworthy – The Story Game?

Hwæt!

A young boy in an lonely room studied the ancient magic, and in a moment understood that he must find some better way. The old arcanery was a useful tool in his species’ common primordial quest, but it was built on a lie and a trap. He could no longer pretend not to see them.

Many decades he toiled. His tremendous respect for the old masters inspired him to craft a new magic worthy of them. No slapdash tricks or sloppy artifice would serve. Their shared quest required a fitting invention…

Many have longed to craft legends, to weave the stories of heroes and villains through strange worlds of discovery and challenge. The quest for story calls to them still, from deep to deep. The old magic aided them in the past, a better tool than none. Now a new way opens. At last a weathered bard reveals his work.

Bardworthy – The Story Game is an entirely new tabletop roleplaying system, the fruit of decades of labor and experience.

Versatile

Send the characters as you imagine them–no frustrating rails, no awkward fits–against limitless obstacles: swords and magic, subtle intrigues, psychological mysteries, orienteering (it can be hard for some groups). Your playstyle and imagination are freed.

Balanced

No one character type is the unrivaled envy and measure of all others, gifted with the majority of diverse and exciting actions. Leave no player behind! Every character has interesting options to influence any situation so that players can stay engaged with the story.

Robust

Enjoy a rich and thorough system that enables creativity and ensures fairness without having to resort to broad ambiguity or shallow gimmicks. Experience the thrill of building a story out solid materials, abundant but still meaningful and impactful.

Three Dice

Determine success and failure by rolling three dice at once. The modal result aligns the math of the game with the expectations of the story. No more tyranny of bad rolls.

Tiered Success

Don’t just succeed, know how well you succeed. Tiered outcomes from consistent results improve the diversity of game effects, while yielding a richer story!

The Attribute matrix

The Attribute Matrix provides a straightforward but nuanced system for describing character qualities. No simplistic buckets to reduce characters to caricatures.

Modular Characters

Combine interchangeable character elements to reflect the character you want to play. No more forcing your unique idea into one of a few prescriptive progressions.

More To Come!

We’re excited finally to begin sharing information about Bardworthy – The Story Game, our most ambitious product! We have so many exciting details to reveal over the coming days and weeks. Don’t miss out!

Become a Playtester?

Are you interested in trying the game before its available and providing valuable feedback to the design team?

The Bardworthy Playtest