Beyond the Wall (RPG)

Since there are a few RPGers posting today, I want to ask about this game specifically. I guess the idea is that it's a game where the players are young adults sort of like the Lloyd Alexander books. Is it a 'kids' game though, or a game for adults to play as younger than usual characters?

The game also has, supposedly, minimal prep campaign rules.

But I'm really intrigued by the 'playbooks' that help build chargen. It looks to be a nifty way to tie the characters together beyond the tired 'meet in a tavern' (though I do like that too...). Here's an example of these playbooks from rpgnet ( forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?679324-necr...ries-looks-brilliant ):

All that's cool, but what really got me excited about this, and what really made it stand out for me are the playbooks.

Each is a little quickstart chargen guide for a character, which contains starting class, some pre-picks in terms of skills and gear, and then a random-gen lifepath scheme which gives you your ability scores, additional gear, skills, proficiencies, knacks, and spells. And what made me really delighted was seeing how some of those steps referenced other players at the table, and sketched out a shared experience your characters' had together. The premise is a group of childhood friends gather later for adventure, and the playbooks both feed this premise, and also sketch out the local setting through the chargen process. There's some Dungeon World in here. Some SotC. Lots of random gen, but it feeds their overall goal of a little-to-no-prep game, as these random gen elements are pregnant with implications.

I snag the "Witches Prentice" playbook. That sounds cool to me.

Starts me out as Mage. I get Herbalism to start. My first cantrip is Hexing (it lets me zing enemies with a modest penalty). Starting scores are all 8, save for Int which is 12. Basic kit is knife, clothes, herbs, pouched belt, heavy gloves, and (roll some dice) 13 silvers.

Now, so see what brought me to this point.

"What was your childhood like?"
I throw a d12, and get... "You worked the loom, cutting and twisting as the fates". I get +2 Dex, +1 Int. +1 Cha and the Weaving skill.

"How did you distinguish yourself as a child?"
I throw a d8, and get... "There wasn't a game you couldn't win". I get +2 Dex and +1 Int.

"The other characters in the village were your best friends. Who else in the village did you hang around?"
I throw a d8, and get... "You are about to marry into the Miller's family." I get +2 Wis and +1 Str.

"The old witch who lives on the edge of the village chose you as her apprentice. What first caused the witch to choose you?"
I throw a d6, and get... "You command respect wherever you go. I get +3 Int, and the Intimidate skill.
(but check out the option just before this one in the table... "No other six-year old had their own still")

"With what did the witch have power?"
I throw a d6, and get... "With health and the body" I get +2 Wis, and the Blessing cantrip, the Healing Touch spell, and Goodberry ritual.

"The witch was hard on you. How did you finally prove yourself to her?" [Note: with player to Right]
I throw a d6, and get... "You watched for many years, and learned the secrets of her garden." I get +2 Int, and the Entanglement spell. But the character of the player to my right spent time with me in the garden learning as I did, and they get +1 Int.

"Where is the witch now?"
I throw a d6, and get... "A dark spirit came to claim you, and she died banishing it" and from this final thing, I get +2 Con, and her charred staff.


I have now have my ability scores (Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 12, Cha 9), I have my skills (herbalism, weaving, intimidate), I have my magic (hexing, blessing, healing touch, entanglement, goodberry), and I have my gear. More significantly to me, I have the spine of a personal history that involves at least one other PC, and begs for further elaboration. And it took me longer to write up this description of making this character than it did to actually make them.

Of course, a Jon Hodgson piece is going to sell me everytime...


and supplement


Anyone here have experience with it?

Damn it, El Jeffe. Guess what I now want to add to my litany of RPGs?

P.S. - Mark of the Beast post, bitches. How appropriate it's in an RPG thread.

You and me both...

Looks like there's a few free supplements out:
www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/5370/Fla...and-Other-Adventures

Just run them through a dungeon funnel in DCC, Jeff. Why the interest in so many different rpgs? You know DCC is the One RPG to Rule Them All. Haven't heard of Beyond the Wall, but I really dig the cover artwork, the typography not so much.

Are you actively looking for an RPG to play with your kids? Have you looked into the Mouse Guard RPG?

Is this compatible with old school Basic D&D?

Yes, it is pretty much B/X with a custom chargen system and a custom magic system. You could run e.g. Keep On the Borderlands on the fly, but why? The game comes with several semi-improv adventures that are much closer in tone to what the game is going for.

I wrote a review here:
www.rpggeek.com/thread/1057868/small-beautiful

Nice review, dysjunct. It sounds really cool...