I’ve been playing tabletop roleplaying games for the better part of 50 years now, and designing them (mostly for my own enjoyment) for the last three decades or so. Over that time, I’ve been influenced by a lot of different TTRPGs, some more than others, and some a lot less than one might think (“Call of Cthulhu”, I’m looking at you). In this series of blog posts I will be talking about the games that have had a major impact on how I look at game design, creating game settings, and so forth.
First up to bat: “Vagabonds of Dyfed“.
Now then, why VoD, rather than any of the many other Old School Revival games out there that I enjoy? Why not “Dungeons & Dragons” itself, for that matter? Because VoD takes OSR sentiments, mixes it with the narrative-driven play of “Powered by the Apocalypse”-style games, and comes out with a game that is frankly sublime. Yes, there are other fantasy PbtA games. Hell, the original fantasy PbtA game “Dungeon World” is planted firmly into the OSR mindset, but it is also DW…
If I wanted to play 0e D&D with a heavy emphasis on narrative play, I’d just play 0e D&D.
Anyway, “Dungeon World” is basically as thick as a bible, and in my opinion, unnecessarily so. “Vagabonds of Dyfed” gives you everything you need to play, in a streamlined and well-written tome that is a fraction of the size of DW. The rules are quick and easy to understand, character creation is smooth, and ultimately the game is a joy to play – even if only by oneself.
So how exactly did VoD influence my game design? I see it as a game that shows just how immense and immersive a game can be, when you just stick to the essentials. Don’t overthink things, which was something I struggled with in my early games. Take a good concept, such as the basic PbtA “system” (kind of a misnomer, really), and make it your own, but don’t make changes just for change’s sake.
Moreover, VoD doesn’t slam you over the head with setting details. It gives you a framework to build your own adventures around, with just enough detail to hang your own ideas onto. I like that. There’s no reason to write a novel as a setting guide, when ultimately, it is the GameMaster and Players who will flesh out their world the way they want.
Just the basics. This is what “Vagabonds of Dyfed” gives you, and as both a GM and Player, I really appreciate that, especially for a PbtA game. A major aspect of PbtA games is that – in most cases, anyway – the GM and Players work together to build their own world. “Dungeon World” is a great example of this, actually, although I feel VoD does it better, being much more streamlined.
