A Merry Christmas Roleplaying Game!

We at NUELOW Games hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. We're presenting a brand-new mini-RPG to spread joy on this Christmas Day!

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS: 

A Festive RPG

SETUP

Players: 2-5 | Time: 30-60 minutes | Materials: 2d6, paper, pencil

You are Santa's emergency backup team. Santa's sick with the flu--not even Mrs. Claus's loving ministrations has made him feel better--and Christmas Eve is HERE. Can you deliver presents to five special children before dawn?

CHARACTER CREATION

Choose a character role and write down your special ability:

THE ELF - Reroll any failed Crafting check once per game
THE REINDEER - Reroll any failed Flying check once per game
THE SNOWMAN - Reroll any failed Sneaking check once per game
THE GINGERBREAD GUARDIAN - Reroll any failed Courage check once per game
BRIGID THE RED, CHRISTMAS DRAGON - Reroll any failed check once per game (any type)

Each character starts with 3 CHRISTMAS SPIRIT points.

HOW TO PLAY

The Game Master (GM) describes situations. When you attempt something risky, roll 2d6:

• 7+ = Success!

• 6 or less = Failure (lose 1 Christmas Spirit)

• If you reach 0 Christmas Spirit, you're too discouraged to continue

Check Types: Flying, Crafting, Sneaking, Courage

THE MISSION

You must visit five houses and deliver the right presents. The GM describes each house and its challenges.

THE PRESENTS

This year's special deliveries:

• May: A gleaming silver telescope to explore the night sky

• Tommy: A classic wooden model train set with intricate details

• Sophia: A professional art supply kit with watercolors and brushes

• Jamal: A regulation-size basketball for shooting hoops

• Emma: A leather-bound collection of adventure stories from around the world

HOUSE 1: THE APARTMENT

Little May lives on the 12th floor. No chimney—just a locked balcony door.
Challenge: Sneaking check to pick the lock quietly

HOUSE 2: THE FARMHOUSE

Tommy's house has a chimney, but his protective dog Brutus guards the living room.
Challenge: Courage check to befriend or distract Brutus

HOUSE 3: THE MANSION

Sophia's family has a high-tech security system with motion sensors.
Challenge: Crafting check to disable sensors without triggering alarms

HOUSE 4: THE COTTAGE

Jamal's chimney is blocked by a bird's nest. You'll need another way in.
Challenge: Flying check to safely enter through the attic window

HOUSE 5: THE LIGHTHOUSE
Emma lives in a lighthouse on a cliff. A snowstorm is raging around it.

Challenge: Flying check to navigate the dangerous weather

THE CLOCK IS TICKING!

You have only 20 rolls to complete all five deliveries before dawn breaks! Every check you make counts toward this limit—whether you succeed or fail. If you reach 20 rolls before delivering all the presents, Christmas morning arrives and some children wake to empty stockings.

Roll Counter: Track each roll below (cross off one box per roll)

[ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]

TEAMWORK: If two players work together on a challenge, they both roll. If either succeeds, the team succeeds. If both fail, each player loses 1 Christmas Spirit.

CHRISTMAS MAGIC: Spend 1 Christmas Spirit to automatically succeed on any check.

GIFT MIX-UP: Whenever someone rolls doubles (same number on both dice), a gift mix-up happens! Make a Crafting check to fix it quickly.

HOUSE COMPLETE: When you successfully deliver a present, each player recovers 1 Christmas Spirit (max 3).

GM TIPS

• Add festive descriptions: twinkling lights, cookie smells, sleeping families

• Let players suggest creative solutions

• Award bonus Christmas Spirit for exceptional roleplay

• Make it magical and heartwarming!

• Pacing is key! With 20 total rolls for 5 houses, aim for about 3-4 rolls per house. This gives you room for creative challenges while keeping the story moving. If a player fails a check, consider turning it into a fun narrative moment—maybe they need a second approach to overcome the obstacle. For example, a failed Sneaking check might mean they need a clever Crafting solution to distract a watchful pet, or a Courage check to boldly solve the problem. These follow-up challenges add excitement and give players more chances to be heroic!

Merry Christmas, and good luck!

It's the First Day of Summer AND Free RPG Day!

To celebrate the first day of summer and Free RPG Day, we're offering three of our roleplaying games for free!

Until Midnight when June 21st turns into June 22nd, you can download Fists of Foolishness, which contains The Violent Worlds of Robert E. Howard RPG and a dozen short stories to get you the proper mood to run adventures with it; You vs. Me, a  crazy two-player, GM-less RPG by L.L. Hundal;; and Dyvil: First Edition by the legendary game designer and author Jeff Grubb, free of charge!

Additionally, the NUELOW Games Summer Special is still on sale at a reduced price. In addition to half a dozen summer-themed comics, it features a scenario compatible with both The Violent Worlds of Robert E. Howard and You vs. Me.

Check out the free games and summer deals before they are gone!

Y is for You vs. Me: The Rollplaying Game

As the second-to-last post in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, we represent a ROLF! variant by L.L. Hundal.

YOU vs. ME: A ROLLPLAYING GAME POWERED BY ROLF!

Designed by L.L. Hundal * Edited by Steve Miller

Copyright Steve Miller 2013. All Rights Reserved.

About This Game

You vs. Me is a quick-playing game for two players. They each make a character based on the other player, trade them with each other, and then have the characters beat each other up until one is dead. If you have a friend you don't mind losing, try playing this game with them when you have nothing better to do.

What You Need to Play

You need a friend, four six-sided dice, two sheets of paper, and something to write with. At the very least, you  will also need a copy of ROLF!: Old Skool (which can be downloaded free of charge by clicking here). 

How to Play

First you create characters, then you trade the characters with each other, and then you fight the characters. Just like I mentioned above. 

Create Characters

Consider the friend sitting across the table from you. Then consider what he or she would be like as a ROLF! character. Then start creating.

   Each character has three Attributes, like any other ROLF! character--Brawn, Body, and Brains. The basic function of these Attributes are described in the ROLF! rules, but they are generated differently in the You vs. Me variant.

   1. Assign Attribute  Ratings: Rate your friend's Brawn score between 6 and 30; the Body score between 4 and 20, and the Brains between 2 and 10. You do not need to maximize the Attribute. Unspent points are not used for anything but instead go the way of a European or African country's national debt--they just vanish.

   2. Pick Traits: Characters have a number of Traits equal to half their Brains Attribute score. Traits are listed in the ROLF! rule books and supplements; you may use any Trait that has been introduced into the game or you can create new ones. If you create new Traits, make sure you send it to us, so we have something to post on the blog. Remember that you are picking Traits that you think your friend possesses.

   3. Pick Battle Maneuvers. Battle Maneuvers  are listed in the ROLF! rule books and supplements; you may use any Battle Maneuver that has been introduced into the game. You can also make up new ones if you don't think any that exist accurately capture the talents of your friend if he or she were to become a violent brute, but keep in mind that the existing Battle Maneuvers were created by professional game designers and carefully play-tested and balanced against the rest of the ROLF! game. If you're not careful, you may unbalance the intricate--oh, who am I kidding? Just make up Battle Maneuvers that you think are fun, funny, or capture the essence of your friend--that's what I do. And, sure, I play-test.... most of the time.. Designing for ROLF! isn't rocket-science... but you do have to be mindful of the dice mechanics and how modifiers work in the system.

   4. Create Equipment: Each character has two items that can be used as weapons, You should pick things you associate with your friend. One item deals 2 points of damage and the other deals 4 points of damage.Both are melee weapons. There are no ranged weapons in You vs. Me.

Trade Characters

Pass the character you've created to your friend and let him or her absorb the impression you have of them while you do the same with the character your friend created based on their perception of you. Consult the ROLF! rules if there are Traits and Battle Maneuvers you are not familiar with.. or make your friend explain them to you.

Fight

By "fight" I mean the characters fight. If you or your friend are offended by the character that was created, one or both of you need to get over yourselves and realize that this is all for fun... or maybe consider making some changes in your lives. That might mean getting other friends, although more likely it means doing a little soul-searching and self-evaluating to understand why your friend views your the way he or she does.

   The fights in You vs. Me continue until one character is defeated. Combat and damage work just like they do in the standard ROLF! game. Each player has their own pair of six-sided dice to roll Attribute Checks and Combat Maneuvers with.

Afterword

The idea for You vs. Me has its genesis in Steve Miller and I making each other as ROLF! characters for Apocalypse Not (The Final Final Battle), together with a bizarre little Battle Scenario. We both agreed that we captured one another quite well, and there were no hurt feelings. Then again, we are both comfortable with the fact that we are dorky jerks.

   The rules here were play-tested with my long-suffering girlfriend. We are still living together.

   I hope you have fun with this ROLF! variant. Please send us any new Traits or Battle Maneuvers you may come up with. We need content for the blog.

Available again: 'Doublecross' and 'Vector'!

The excellent (and free) GM-less mini-RPGs by Neal Stidham are once again available for download from NUELOW Games via RPGNow. Round up two of your friends and have yourselves some off-beat roleplaying fun!

Click here to download Doublecross for free!

Click here to download Vector for free!

If you have a game you would like to bring to the public, please get in touch! We'd be happy to distribute it for you--even edit, do light development, or layout for you.  There are strength in numbers--regular releases under the same banner help increase everyone's sales!