The Real Thing RPG is a throwback to TTRPGs from the 1990s. It embraces the ambiance of games from that time while adding the techniques and mechanisms common to emergent-style RPGs from today. Players drive the action. Narrators guide the story by providing prompts. It is cooperative and immersive… the perfect system for deep character development and gritty modern fantasy.
The RPG zine market has exploded in recent years, and people have realized that short-form storytelling offers an opportunity for curated, immersive experiences. The Real Thing leverages a variation on the popular and versatile Powered by the Apocalypse gaming system and has been approved to carry that label by the system’s creators. For fans of this system, our game will be a welcomed addition to their collections. For those who have not played before, it will be easy to learn, easy to play, and easy to run.
The game is presented in three books. Book 1, The Real Thing, contains everything you need to tell your own short-form stories of modern fantasy. The system focuses on “discovery,” a new tool for creating character backgrounds as characters advance through the story. It also contains about 20 hours of adventure content based loosely on themes from The Real Thing album from Faith No More. It’s a bender of a story!
Book 2, Angel Dust, adds new rules for lengthening and expanding stories. This includes concepts and rules for fleshing out towns and cities, factions, and specific locations that add depth to your world. It also adds about 30 more hours of adventure content, continued directly from the story in The Real Thing.
King for a Day, book 3 of the trilogy, adds new rules for supernatural characters and challenges. The system allows for the modular creation of supernatural entities based on lore from around the globe. The included story adds the final chapters of The Real Thing storyline with nearly 20 more hours of playable content.
