Good Monday, Gamer!
This week's musing is brought to you by Thomas Manuel of The Indie RPG Newsletter and the letter ‘D’. He recently brought up two of my favorite things: Urban Shadows RPG and the game mechanics of Debt. I’ve run way more of Urban Shadows' first edition than the second, but Thomas is right—debts are currency: collected, stacked, and spent. They're how you get characters to do stuff for you. You owe me for exorcising that demon from your mom or for getting that wolf pack off your back, and now it’s time to pay up. Thomas might call it bean-counting, but it's keeping score to me. 💪🏾
Debt fits the whole Urban Shadows/modern supernatural genre perfectly—calling in markers, favors...debts. Think about it: Harry Dresden’s constantly in and out of debt, and it either costs him or he cashes in. Angel had debts, and they weren’t exactly cheap, either. It’s a fiction-generating system that works. Now, where I disagree with Thomas is when it comes to refusing a debt. In the rules, the Refuse a Debt move has teeth. Worst case? If you refuse to honor a debt, you'll lose all the debts owed to you by that faction (vamps, wizards, fae—you name it) and take a penalty when dealing with them in the future. To me, that’s all bite. It’s like all the werewolves know you're a lowlife who can’t be trusted, or the fae are gunning for you because you break promises, and none of them owe you squat anymore! The penalty isn’t just a number on a sheet—it’s social doom in that setting, and it creates real, tangible tension.
But look, I’m biased. Debt mechanics are something I’d love to see more of in RPGs, and I've been yammering on about “Debtpunk.” I come from a background where debt was part of the family along with government cheese, free lunch programs, and, later on, in my early veteran life we’d meet again. Debt was always lurking, and I think there’s something there for games. Not as some fable or lesson but as a real driving mechanic. Imagine if you had starting debt in a TTRPG instead of starting funds. You owe people, and they want their money. Every bit of gear you buy or lose adds to that burden. Anyway, I’m ranting, nothing but Mad Love for Thomas and the Indie RPG Newsletter, I’d game again with him anytime—if you get a chance, ask him about his Legacy: Life Among the Ruins character sacrifice. It’s legendary!
On the Table:
Dolmenwood: Our dungeon delving in the cauldron continues. No spoilers, but things are getting high strange. We came across this bizarre cat-horse-headed monstrosity. I’m pretty sure it would’ve eaten us alive, but the vision/portal faded before we crossed into its world. We also had a run-in with some spiteful sprites—these little guys could make a person do things with just a gesture. My briggan magician, Gerg, saved the day using Vapours of Dreams to put most of them to sleep. We managed to puzzle out a secret room and snagged some treasure. Always a good time in Dolmenwood.
Kill Team 2024 review series by Goon Hammer is a good read, we’re a KT household and there is exciting stuff coming for my go-to minis sci-fi skirmish game.
MoonRing: Been messing around with this game on Steam. I might stream it later—it’s got some serious Caves of Qud psychedelic vibes I’m digging right now and it’s FREE!!!
Also, TinyCon—30% funded and counting! Slowly but surely, we’re getting there! Share & Support Please! 🙏🏾
Catch you next week!
Sept:
Meeple-a-thon (Sept 27-29): Through Durin’s Doors (The One Ring)
Oct:
RPGKC Monthly - Mothership: The Kuiper Belt Anomalies.
Burning Wheel Con?! 🤷🏾♂️
Nov:
Dec:
PAXU!! Lifted: Indomitable
Games on Demand
RPG Designer Meet & Greet
PANELS!!!