Thoughts & Chattery is a game system which allows you and your fellow players to experience a fantastical adventure through simple conversation, and a few rolls of a die.
Your objective is to make it through to the end of the story, while more importantly, having some fun discussions along the way. What is possible in this fantasy world is wholly up to your game master, and your debate skills.
With these rules you'll be able to go on countless adventures.
Looking for a party, or interested in writing your own campaigns? Then you ought to join our community on Discord!
Let's talk about stetting up a game.
3-5 players from a party.
1 player takes the role of game master.
Each party member will have to pick a class. Each class will include a customization choice to be made.
A list of classes can be found in each campaigns addendum.
Meanwhile the game master should familiarize themself with the campaign.
Note that party members don't need any tool or device to play. They might want to look through a campaing's Overview page to read through the class list, but in practice, only the game master needs access to the campaign.
Once every party member has picked their class, they should each share it, and the choice, they made with the group.
Once that’s settled, the game master should read the story from the beginning to the party.
The story will eventually come to a challenge, one which the party will have to overcome.
First, the game master will read the challenge and its details to the party. This will include a question:
“How will you . . . ?”
Now, the party will have to discuss and figure out how they want to approach this challenge and solve its problem.
Once the party has agreed upon a solution, one party member will be chosen to lead. They will have to relay the solution to the game master. They should highlight when a class or item is being applied.
If there’s something within the solution which the game master deems impossible, lacking in clarity, or not a helpful application of a class or item, they should make that known, or ask followup questions until it is cleared up.
How much a game master scrutinizes a solution is up to them, though they should keep in mind that their goal is to facilitate interesting and fun discussions first and foremost.
Success: If the die shows a 5 or 6 within the allotted rolls, the solution will be deemed a success. The party will have completed the challenge and the game master should continue to read the story.
Item: If the die shows a 6, the party will receive an item. The game master will have to think of a sensible way the party might have gained the item in this moment. The solution will also be deemed a success.
Failure: If the die doesn’t show a 5 or 6 at least once, the solution will be deemed a failure.
The game master will have to think of a sensible way in which the plan has failed, including how the leading party member has been sidelined. The party will have to go back to step 2, keeping in mind any changes to the situation.
Items are gained through excessive success, i.e. rolling a 6.
Occasionally, the story might offer a choice. This will impact how it progresses. The players should make this choice together. This will determine which page the game master will go to to continue the story.
While playing, these things will likely stay in your mind, though feel free to write things down. If you plan to take a break and return to the game later, making a note will prove invaluable.
Note that the specifics outlining classes, items and the challenges can always be retrieved from adendum. So don’t stress it too much!
This game system was designed to be concise and portable enough for it to be played anywhere. Possibly outside in nature, or some inspiring location to compliment the narrative.
Though, through this design goal, the game has also become fit for long distance play and other applications, which is a great bonus.
Either way, we wish for your adventures to be grand and merry. And don't forget, the conversation itself is the fun part.