Treasure RPG Graphic RPGS

Graphic RPGs

Images and Icons

Players can use written records if they wish to but they can also choose to display everything from skills to events using images/ icons. Every skill, item, action and encounter found in Treasure is matched to easily drawn images. As a result, adventurers, the places they explore, the creatures they encounter and the actions they take, can all be shown and recorded as a series of images.

Each icon has a descriptive Title and a linked Icon Title. For example, the first two icons shown above represent Defence/ Shield and Healing/ Cross. The third icon, Halo, has the same Title and Icon Title; and represents a Halo Spell.

Marking

Icons can be added and removed from designs to show when a particular skill or item is present. Icons can also be marked in a variety of ways to show when a skill, item or action is currently available and/ or in use. There is no need to use marking on players' designs but it can be a quick way of keeping track of what is going on.

The markings shown above indicate that a unit's Defence has taken damage, that a unit's Heal Spell cannot be cast and that a Halo Spell is in use.

Quick Marking

Marking icons with cuts and gashes looks good and works well with certain media. However, marking 'onto' instead of 'into' icons and designs can be quicker. It can also be faster to use numbers for marking the few icons that change frequently, e.g. Defences.

Each of the Defences shown above has five edges, indicating a basic Defence of 50. The marking on each Defence shows that they have all taken six Damage. It is pretty clear what is recorded in each case, so players are as well choosing the style that they prefer.

Designs

The icons that combine to represent an adventurer, a monster or a location are easily arranged into designs. These can range from straightforward heraldic designs or the use of a simple background setting such as a banner, to more elaborate approaches that change the look and feel of the basic images or incorporate them into complex backgrounds or settings. For instance, some players may prefer to combine everything connected with an adventurer together on a single page. Alternatively, it can be easier to group icons that are marked frequently during play separately from those that generally remain unaltered. This can be achieved through spreading design elements over a series of panels or 'windows'.

This simple heraldic panel records a unit's defence, 'experience' and primary weapon/ s. It could easily be converted into a full design by adding banners on either side of the shield.

Design Media and Styles of Play

Designs can be presented through a range of design media, (including cards, figures, paper and pencil and computer graphics), which take account of any need to mark designs and players' preferred style of play, (e.g. cards, boardgame, desktop roleplaying game and play-by-mail). Paper and pencil has the advantage of making marking more straightforward and easily recreates the atmosphere of classic tabletop or desktop roleplaying. Playing with cards, where each icon is often presented on a separate card/ panel, generally speeds up play and there is always the option of using/ 'opening-up' a shared panel or 'Adventure Log' to keep track of on-going events.

Players can chose their own colours freely but may want to take account of how they are going to record or mark changes when deciding when and where to use colour.

Panels/ Windows and Layers

Arranging icons into designs featuring a series of windows or panels works just a well when designing dungeon complexes, as sets of images and designs are easily combined to represent encounters. Marking can be applied in exactly the same manner to record changes in the status of player's opponents and the areas that they occupy. Following from that, it is also possible to think of the rules in terms of panels and layers. By agreement, and in keeping with conditions aimed at creating a level playing field, the rules can be marked to indicate when parts of the rules have been switched off or modified.

Dead Man's Hand: it is not necessary to show every possible icon within a unit's design, as some icons combine the skills or effects of several others. For example, the design for this powerful Lich shows that it can cast any spell. The icons within the design also show that the Lich has the skills of a Bard, an Assassin and a Monk. The Lich seems to have plenty of 'experience' and can resist magic; but it does not have the strongest of physical defenses.