I'm writing a series of design notes about my PbtA teenage horror. saffronquill.substack.com

#rpgdesign #rpg #ttrpg

Thank you for attending my presentation. Would you like to know more?

#ttrpgdesign #gamedesign

As you can guess, the mechanics are lightweight and modular, with a narrative-forward design that supports improvisation, emotional arcs, and thematic play across genres. The ruleset favors systems where horror, drama, intimacy, and difficult choices take priority.

And, importantly, Decay rolls are tied to how you approached the moment. The stronger you get, the harder it is to stay the same.

Decay is:
- A flexible mechanic (corruption, trauma, time drift, memory loss, moral collapse, etc.)
- Tied to character behavior, not abstract alignment
- A trackable arc of transformation
- Not always bad, but always significant

When your character acts in ways that contradict who they are, for survival, revenge, or because they’ve simply changed, you risk Decay.

Each success gives a clear choice: meet your goal, reduce cost, avoid risk, etc.

More dice = more options, but also more exposure to Echoes. These are haunting, emotional flashbacks that shift your character.

What other systems call a check or move, Remain Someone Still calls a Reach.
You choose a skill and how you approach the situation (your dominant Attribute). That instinct builds your dice pool.
- Pools are small: usually 2–6 per Reach
- Each die succeeds on low rolls, 3 or under

Ekhem, care to visit the Mansion? I'm sharing my process and thoughts in a series of design notes

saffronquill.substack.com

Now, back to Remain Someone Still 👇

- Narrative-first, skill + approach-based dice pools
- Every roll reflects not just what you do, but how
- Focus on emotion, connection, and instinct
- Character evolution at the cost of self
- No classes. No levels. Advancement is open-ended

Players take on the roles of people trying to stay whole in a world that wants to take everything from them. Not heroes. Not villains. Just human beings, making choices that change them.

No HP. No weapons.
Just you, your secrets, and the house that wants them.

Read Part 2 now: open.substack.com/pub/saffronq...

I'd say it's good to have a name or a quick generator handy, just in case.

Though, if an npc gives directions then they'll use a name. It's organic.

What, wait, that's not... !

i think this is one of those games that's goign to have a HUGE effect on TTRPGs going forward even in its current form, and if it gets the chance to be really polished and tightened up, i could see this being one of my favorite fames ever written. fantastic work!! please go support the author!