Roleplaying Games

Would You Buy System-Free Settings?

My head is full of ideas for interesting settings, including adventure hooks and metaplots. I’m slowly putting all of these settings together into documents that I plan to sell via Lulu. It’s all fluff, mostly because I have no desire to engage in Edition Wars, futz with the OGL or GSL, make decisions about which system would work best for a setting, or rattle my head with multiple stat blocks for multiple systems. My personal needs as a gamemaster run toward source material that I can adapt to the system of my choice and tailor it to the campaign I’m running. What I really want is a storyline and encounters to work from. The stats I’ve always been able to supply myself.

Realizing that I’m sort of an odd animal when it comes to roleplaying, I wanted to solicit the opinions of others on this. I know that Green Ronin has had success marketing system-free Freeport, but it started out as a d20 product. I can see the following advantages to systemless settings:

A Need for Adventures of a Certain Level
Someone always seems to say that they need more adventures for low/medium/high level characters. They end up adapting adventures intended for other levels of play. If you’re adapting anyway, systemless isn’t a huge leap.

A Need for Adventures for System X
Whether it’s an out-of-print system or a game with little support, people always seem to be looking for material for their favorite game. Systemless material can be used with you system of choice.

Gamemasters Hack Adventures Anyway
Other than tournament and convention play, I know very few gamemasters who play things as written out of the box. They add, delete, alter, and bent things to their tastes and the needs of their campaign. Systemless remove the obstacle of stat block and lets you fill in your own.

Any and all feedback is appreciated. Feel free to tell me I’m way off the mark. If you don’t think this would work, tell me what needs to be changed to make it work.

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About Berin Kinsman

Hello, I’m Berin. I am a freelance writer, putting down words on things as varied as short stories, screenplays, recipes, productivity advice, and tabletop games. Those are all things that I love, and I enjoy working with and promoting fellow bloggers, writers, editors, and publishers who share those interests. My other passion is working with groups that assist the poor and the homeless. This is my way of trying to be the change I’d like to see in the world, as well as paying it forward in honor of everyone who has ever helped me in large or small ways. I currently live in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my wife, the incredibly talented artist, crafter and educator Katie Kinsman, and our small army of cats.

Discussion

2 Responses to “Would You Buy System-Free Settings?”

  1. Stats are something I consider myself fairly good at. World-building is much harder. I would definitely consider system-neutral settings. The guys at Gnome Stew are already somewhat spearheading this effort with their Eureka! and Masks books, containing system-neutral plots and NPCs respectively.

    Posted by Xenuite | November 23, 2011, 4:26 pm
  2. Yes. Yes, I would. I’ve become unbound from one specific system, seeking to play many different systems. This would be a great help for me. As Xenuite said, I’m good with crunch, and still working to improve my fluff. And, though I hack from one system to another, having a systemless start would be much easier.

    Posted by Alexander | November 25, 2011, 11:16 pm

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