How good is the Discworld’s official RPG?
More than 2 decades ago, I was introduced to Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. It quickly became one of my favourite book series and while I consistently enjoyed the humour that emerged from his stories, what really drew me in were the mysteries he’d unravel and his brilliant characterisation.
I love a good mystery, but find that most authors struggle to write them in a way that is compelling and lets you feel like you can try to work out the clues along the way. Pratchett was different, your theories could evolve as you unwound the various motivations and machinations ongoing in his stories. Havelock Vetinari quickly became my favourite fictional dictator, Captain Carrot, my favourite wrongly proportioned dwarf and Moist Von Lipwig, my favourite rapscallion turned hero.
Like many others, I was sad when one of my favourite authors of all time passed away too early.
So when Modiphius launched a Kickstarter campaign about a year ago with the promise of a fully-realised RPG set on the Disc, I was naturally keen to dive back in and begin playing all the stories that couldn’t be told before Pratchett’s death.
Having read through the whole Core Rulebook and the Gamesmaster’s Toolkit, I’m ready to give my initial impressions of this brand new RPG and how I think it stacks up ahead of diving in to actually running some adventures.
What exactly is the Discworld: Adventures in Ankh Morpork RPG?
Lets start with the obvious bits. It’s an RPG (Roleplaying Game for the uninitiated). This means that it’s run by a gamesmaster (or GM) who creates a story. Players take on the roles of the main characters within this story while the GM plays the roles of everyone else.
Players affect the story by making choices and dice are rolled to determine how successfully those actions are performed. The GM then determines the outcomes based on these rolls and the characters involved.
There are many RPGs, and if you’ve played D&D, Daggerheart, Pathfinder or one of the other myriad RPGs out there, you’ll be familiar with the general format.
But unlike those RPGs, the Discworld RPG is set in the Discworld; the universe made famous by the late Terry Pratchett.
What to expect from the Discworld RPG?
Almost none of the number crunching, mechanical gerrymandering of the systems mentioned above. There are no classes, features, attributes, hit points or armor classes in sight in the Discworld RPG. There are species, but even that’s a term that’s being strained almost beyond recognition (can a walking suitcase really be considered a species? The Discworld RPG certainly thinks so).
Instead, the Discworld RPG is a very narrative-focused RPG with a very mechanics-lite approach. There are probably about 3-5 rules for players to know and most of the rest is roleplay, investigation and using puns in obscene ways.
If you’re keen on combat, character optimisation and moving miniatures on a board, this probably isn’t the right RPG for you. However, if you like solving mysteries, enacting ridiculous outcomes and spending more time with the Discworld, you’ll probably feel right at home.
Having said that, I probably fit in both camps. But having spent most of my time with the relatively number-crunchy mechanics of systems like D&D and the Cosmere RPG, the Discworld RPG feels like the perfect palette cleanser for a mind stuffed with the rules of a multitude of systems.
What’s in the books?
The core rulebook has everything you need to play the Discworld RPG. You’ve got the rules, lore of the Discworld, important locations and NPCs. There’s also 3 short adventures packaged into the 220 page rulebook.
If you backed the Kickstarter for more than just the rulebook, you’ve got things like the GM’s Toolkit (a short booklet with GM advice), Tales from the Big Wahoonie (a book of 8 adventures you can run), The Night Before Hogswatch (a Christmas themed adventure) and The Lesser Known Streets of Ankh Morpork (a setting guide of less common parts of Ankh Morpork not featured in the Core Rulebook). It’s a pretty decent haul for the £40 digital copies and good value for the £100 physical bundle too. This review will focus on the rules side of things, but at some point, I’ll also cover the adventures too.
How do you play the Discworld RPG?
Because of the rules-lite nature of the Discworld RPG, it’s actually very easy to play. Most of what you do comes down to the aforementioned roleplaying. Any activity that might affect the narrative in a substantial way is then determined in success by the roll of some dice.
Running tests
Unlike the d20 systems most players will be familiar (most famously, the system used in D&D), the Discworld RPG has contested dice rolls. The GM will roll a d8 which establishes the roll the player must equal or exceed to succeed. The player then rolls a die that’s determined by how good that character is perceived to be at the activity required. A D4 is reserved for characters that have little chance of being successful (like an Unseen University wizard attempting to rugby tackle the troll escaping the scene of a crime). A D12 is used if the character is viewed as an expert at that action (like a troll that’s actually a rugby player). You also have a d6 and a d10 for varying levels of capability.
Traits loosely determine what you’re good at
Determining whether a character is good at an activity is a loose, but appropriately chaotic approach of players justifying how good they are based on a handful of traits on their character sheet (there are no modifiers, ability scores or anything similar in sight). These traits might include your species (I’m a gargoyle so I’m really good at observing people so would be likely to notice anyone acting oddly), your organisation (I’m a member of the Thieves’ guild so would be trained at climbing buildings) as well as some personal traits like “I’m such a coward, but it’s kept me alive so far” might mean you’re good at getting away when a situation turns sour.
Players are encouraged to twist these loosely defined traits into ways that they’re both intended and not intended to work in. And it really is for players to suggest why they should (or should not) be good at a test. Of course, the GM is the one to determine exactly how good and what die should be used.
The good news is that it’s an easy to pick up and play system. No number crunching, no stats modifiers, but plenty of justifying and negotiating. And it definitely feels like an intriguing way to approach tests.
One in a million chances are the ultimate vibes mechanic
There is a specific rule that states that if a plan has about a one in a million chances of happening, that the GM can simply rule that it works (because sometimes the one in a million chances are the ones that work best). If you want a little bit of randomness, you can roll a d10 and give a 1 in 10 chance that this crackpot idea doesn’t work.
This mechanic never works if the players ask for it, and GMs shouldn’t overuse it. But I love the idea that the one idea that borders on genius and madness actually has a great chance of working in this RPG. It’s a great vibes mechanic in a system built primarily on vibes.
What about combat?
The Discworld is not a combat heavy place. Yes, Detritus does wield a siege weapon and axes, sword and truncheons do exist and there is danger, death and maiming. But usually, these are not resolved by grand conflicts, but through moments of daring (or cowardice), phenomenal luck (or misfortune) and harebrained schemes aplenty.
The Discworld RPG is no different. Combat is usually resolved with a single test (say stabbing someone silently while they sleep or thumping them in the face). This should resolve most combat encounters but some may require a few additional tests. Perhaps your attack starts a group brawl or your attack misses and your opponent fights back. In these instances, a few tests might be required. GMs should push these towards different traits where possible, but again, combat should never be a lengthy affair. Minutes should be sufficient rather than the hour-long affairs of some systems.
Even then, combat is encouraged to be a rare-occurrence, and most encounters should be resolved without it.
Luck lets you influence outcomes
If an especially important test turns sour, you’re not entirely at the mercy of the dice, you can invoke the gods of luck through a luck point which another player can use to attempt the test themself (if appropriate).
Everyone starts with 4 luck points which is also your maximum. GMs can reward inventive or fortunate players with replenished luck to help fuel this more. I’d say this is probably encouraged, but as with many things in the Discworld RPG, the mechanics are loosely defined.
Magic is a wholly unpredictable affair
If you want to use magic, then you can, sort of. It must be justifiable that you know magic. For instance, you might be a part of a magical organisation (like the Unseen University) or you might possess a spell scrawled on the back of a napkin by an eminent wizard that visited your home and was subsequently thrown in the bin (and fished back out again).
There are no spell slots, but luck does largely fuel your magic. If the magic you want to use has very little impact on the narrative, then it can be used and assumed it works (like levitating rather than using the ladder that is right there, or lighting candles when you already have a box of matches).
However, if the magic you want to use will impact the narrative, then you must expend luck to do so. How much it affects the narrative determines how much luck you expend. Small impacts might only require 1 luck while a big impact might require 4 luck (or even more, at which point you may need characters to work together to fuel the spell).
As with any other endeavour, players must then roll a test, justifying how good they are at casting that spell to determine the die they roll.
Interestingly, consequences tend to occur when a spell is successful rather than when it’s not (an unsuccessful spell just doesn’t happen, whereas a successful one can have all sorts of unintended consequences). GMs are encouraged to find ways that cause unexpected consequences to the spell, because unlike D&D, magic on the Disc is wildly unpredictable and capable of causing all sorts of unexpected consequences (because of quantum and stuff).
I think the hardest part of the Discworld RPG’s magic system is working out what is a justifiable spell. Some care needs to be given to determine what could be accomplished through magic and what can’t. Some help is given here by providing tables for consequences of the magic performed, but GMs are expected to arbitrate a lot of what is reasonable and unreasonable here and what suddenly does or does not happen. With infinite possibilities, this feels like perhaps the most difficult, and possibly spectacular part of the Discworld RPG.
A possible solution might have been a list of incantations that players could use that could always be a possible spell (with the right traits and justification). These always have a possibility of working (with the associated consequences), but equally, other spells could be used at the GMs discretion.
Near death (and actual death) encounters feel like a great character moment
The Discworld is a dangerous place (if you don’t believe me, why not go visit the Shades). And death is not just an event, he’s a recurring character. Those moments with Death are classic Discworld encounters and many players will enjoy having a few final moments with Death before their character heads off to whatever afterlife has been prepared for them.
The Discworld RPG gives players their moment with Death. If a player dies (and this can be physically, socially or magically) then it’s a mechanical term for being removed from the game. This could mean being imprisoned, magically teleported to another continent or the usual kind; murdered. In these situations, they can either choose to find a way back and have a near-death experience, or they can actually die, having a scene with Death as their final goodbye to the game.
If a near-death experience does happen, they come back with a consequence which is a temporary trait influenced by whatever it is that got them killed, as determined by the GM. This can be a negative trait, but it can also be removed by overcoming whatever problem caused their death in the first place.
Its a neat little mechanic that gives flexibility to a player’s actual death and some agreement between GM and player as to how they want to play things. It is a narrative first approach, which fits the Discworld RPG nicely.
A real sense of Discworldliness
I’ve harped on about mechanics for a while now, but the first thing that the Discworld RPG had to get right was making this feel like the Discworld. On this matter, it’s a huge and unequivocal success! It’s suitably tongue-in-cheek, the portrayal of characters and locales fits the lore and stories of the Discworld and gameplay is even moulded after how stories unfold in the Discworld.
I don’t think a system like D&D would work well for Discworld (and I really like D&D’s system). But that’s OK, they’re different beasts. Instead, the Discworld RPG is tailor-made to create the kinds of stories you could only expect in the Discworld. It’s going to be outlandish, ridiculous and perhaps even hilarious. Things will go wrong, more than normal, but somehow, the heroes* will scrape through.
*Meaning those foolish enough to attempt things far beyond their capabilities.
So yes, the Discworld RPG does feel like the Discworld, and that ooze’s through the pages, descriptions and everything else in the books.
Artwork embodies the Discworld, but often lacks detail
So, I think there’s plenty of good artwork in the books and it does feel like the Discworld we know and love.
Having said that, it rarely feels like it has enough detail to it. Even the cover of the Core Rulebook feels a little bland. Yes, it accurately portrays the physical Discworld from outer space. And it’s not bad artwork. But it’s not incredible looking either. It kind of fulfills it’s function, but not much more.
There’s even a great piece just inside the cover of wizards from the Unseen University, but the entire background is black. The characters are portrayed well, but what about the background? It’s almost like some of the artwork was only 3/4 complete.
I don’t want it to sound like the artwork is bad. Far from it. But it doesn’t feel like the incredibly detailed backdrops and immersion that we get from the Cosmere RPG for instance.
Verdict
For the most part, I really like what’s in the Discworld RPG. Most importantly, it’s a faithful system for playing in the Discworld with all the lore and characters you need to do this appropriately. It’s quick, a little ridiculous and feels fun and easy to learn, unburdened by detailed mechanics.
The looseness of the system is mostly it’s strength, but less experienced GMs may struggle with the inventiveness that comes from taking the wheels off. It requires inventiveness over interpretation of tightly composed mechanics, which I think is harder to master.
If you’re more interested in narrative and solving mysteries than in crunchy combat and optimisation, then the Discworld RPG is a great option. Even if you like a bit of both, you may find the Discworld RPG to be a nice palette cleanser from the many rules likely knocking around in your noggin.
This kind of loose, barely-sensical approach to RPGs likely isn’t for everyone, in the way D&D carers to a myriad tastes. But if you are a big Discworld fan, chances are you’ll be able to have a blast with what the Discworld RPG gives.
4/5
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