ShowrunnerRPG

Forgot to buy a grenade? No you didn't. Spend a Preparation token to reveal you had it all along. It’s the "Ace up your Sleeve" mechanic that rewards player cleverness in the moment instead of inventory management.

#ttrpg #indiegames #IndieDevs #RPG #showrunner

Most RPGs have two layers: The players and the characters. Showrunner adds a third: The Studio. You're playing a thief and you're playing the actor playing the thief, busy hassling the Director for better lines and retakes.

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Two chapters left and the core book is complete. Then a couple weeks to edit, polish, and start work on the second book: the Director's Guide full of consolidated rules, deep tables for Actor and Location generation, random Specialties, Flaws, and much more!

#ttrpg #indiegame #indiedev #roleplaying

Showrunner starts with a 20-Episode introductory Show with a roguelike "achievements" system that allows you to unlock new rules by using the ones you just unlocked.

Learn to play by playing.

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Creating a Show starts with the Pitch: who are the Stars and what's the Premise?

The #DnD default is a group of heroes killing monsters and taking their stuff, but how about special forces trying to study and contain a mysterious outbreak?

What will your Show be about?

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The Supporting Cast are key drivers for the success of shows in real life, why wouldn't they be in Showrunner?

Their power is not just their strength in the world, it's their narrative staying power. Every time they appear in the credits, they grow stronger.

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Showrunner's goal is to maximize the amount of time playing and minimize the amount of time reading rules or doing math. Everything from character sheet design to combat rules focuses on play over schoolwork.

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Tired of erasing holes into your HP box?

Showrunner takes a page from board games and uses physical tokens for commonly-used resources. Fast, tactile, and let's you gauge your in-game situation visually.

Add coins/chips for money to make your kinesthetic player swoon!

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Some pitches make you just want to jump into the Show NOW! You'll have to wait until 2/28. Only 3 chapters left to write!

What Show will you create?

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What if your group had a HP/Action Point/mana pool you could use when you were working together? What if the group leveled up along with your character?

Then you're playing Showrunner.

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The rulebook is a slow build up, learned through play.

Writing the rulebook is also a slow build up, written one page at a time.

Thanks for sticking with Showrunner as we push towards release!

#indiegame #ttrpg #RPG #indiedev #showrunner

Production Update: Karen reviewed the Showrunner release schedule and determined 'Qualitative Metrics' are trending below the 'Satisfaction Threshold.'

To prevent a 'Brand Integrity Event', she demanded a "Temporal Deployment Re-Assignment" to 2/28.

Larry is currently throwing a chair.

#indiedev

Disappointed that my best efforts weren't good enough, but relieved that I'll have time to complete it and polish it without having it feel rushed or incomplete!

The initial Showrunner release has unfortunately been pushed back to the end of February.

Even getting up at 5am to write wasn't enough to re-write 20 chapters in a completely new format. The new deadline will give time to

1) complete the last 4 chapters
2) edit
3) playtest final tweaks
#indiedev

A little over a week until Showrunner's target release date. What show will you create?

#ttrpg #RPG #DnD #indiegame #indiedev #showrunner

The Stars determine the plot. It's their story until they fail a roll, when the GM picks from the consequence menu. They deal with it and continue.

If they roll a Disaster, however, then GM crashes into the story until they can wrestle it back into their control.

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Showrunner doesn't have Long Rests or Downtime, it has Montage Scenes to rest and recover resources.

But you only get one per Episode: choose when to use it wisely!

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In most roleplaying games, your agency ends when the dice start. Showrunner's Influence system lets players decide when a roll is important.

The ultimate: Plot Armor, what makes main characters "main". It's precious; spend it wisely.

#rpg #indiegame #indiedev #roleplayer

In Showrunner, the main villain of your Show pales in comparison to the villains who run the studio.

Your nemesis will get your Character written off if you're not careful; Karen and Larry will end the entire Show if they don't get their way!

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Alternative history? Political drama? Comedy?

Most RPGs push you into combat. Showrunner uses universal rules to resolve whatever stands in the Character's way from a jilted lover to an angry titan, blockade to stock trade.

What Show will you create?

#ttrpg #indiedev #indiegames #showrunner

Showrunner is taught through a "roguelite" Show One: you make a Show about whatever you want while hitting "beats" given by your crazy producers.

Hit them all? Greenlight the next Episode, new rules.

Characters strive via the plot. Stars strive by keeping the show on the air.

#ttrpg #indiegame

Showrunner RPG Quickstart by Showrunner RPG An RPG where you're playing characters in the story AND the actors behind them, fighting to keep your show on air.

Perhaps it's an impossible dream: a narrative-first game inspired by PbtA but with deep mechanical "crunch" and a universal engine.

Get a taste in the free quickstart.

showrunners.itch.io/showrunner-q...

Full book drops 1/31. 5 years in the making!

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The core book sketches out the inspiration for 20 distinct Shows your Cast may want to create, but the game is designed to facilitate any Show you can imagine.

What Show will you create?

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I scrapped my Christmas launch to rewrite the whole game. Why? Because most rulebooks are boring. Scripts are fun. Learn to play by playing.

Showrunner premieres Jan 31.

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In our Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader playtest game, a player took out a cult on their ship. A psyker onboard happened to be adopted by the cult leader.

During the next Writer's Room between sessions, I rolled that psker. She killed the player's father in revenge. Emergent not planned.

#indiegame #rpg

Key Assets are one of my favorite parts of Showrunner. Plot-bound gear, implants, titles, and bloodlines that grant you unique powers and level up as you use them.

In Showrunner, everything levels up.

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Once the core books are out, development focus shifts to Showlo, the solo version so you can create your own Show. Options will include a minimal version and, if all goes well, a version that helps you write actual scripts for a Show out of the emergent play.

#ttrpg #indiegame #indiedev #showrunner

Just finished writing Episode 12: the players learn they can push past their normal limits, for a price.

Also, new progression choice: do I level up my Character or level up my Star? Better character or better actor?

Plus the usual learn through play.

#ttrpg #indiegame #indiedev #rpg #showrunner

Quickstart is free, aiming to have full game release 1/31.

Dice system is similar to PbtA but with 2d10 instead of 2d6: Both hit target = success. Both under = fail. One of each = partial success. Doubles = crit.

Initial release will be minimal and cheap, increasing over time as I add more content

It's amazing in play. And the world feels so alive, especially when players stumble across something transpiring between two "supporting actors" that doesn't even involve them. And it's not something I've invented, it's actual mechanical changes happening behind the scenes.