The upcoming second edition of Ingenium offers a tabletop role-playing experience unlike any other. That may sound like marketing hyperbole, but I genuinely believe it. Let me tell you why.
Focus on the characters
Most modern tabletop role-playing games focus on the story laid out by the adventure, or on the combat that the system encourages. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it’s not where I wanted Ingenium to go.
Ingenium deliberately gives you just enough narrative hooks in your character to spark your imagination, and then lets you free to explore your character. You might have a Charming Satyr Bard with the Royal Bastard Talent. The game specifies that the game of thrones will complicate your character’s life, but it doesn’t say how. That’s left up to you and your friends.
The game tailors character creation and advancement to this kind of gameplay. Because of that, it puts the focus on the characters, not on the adventure of the day.
Encourage collaborative storytelling
Part of the fun of a role-playing game is telling a story. Whether that story is your character’s, the group’s, or a complex narrative involving dozens of major players, one thing is certain – all the players and the Gamemaster help weave that story. Each of you has a part to play, and the Ingenium system encourages players to riff off of each others’ ideas.
Ingenium makes it easy to build a character that’s really good at one or two areas, with a personality that fits into a group dynamic. While it’s certainly possible to build an antisocial generalist, the system offers far more options for group-minded players.
Make the mundane interesting
In most role-playing games, the rules gloss over the mundane details in favor of high magic or technology. This is because mundane offerings aren’t presented in a way that makes them useful. Specifically speaking of equipment here, the tendency to transition into magic loot quickly is present in almost all fantasy RPGs.
Ingenium presents players with a unique equipment system that lets them create weapons and armor tailored specifically to their play style. It uses materials, types, and classes to make each item unique. A Heavy Steel Sword is a very different beast from a Light Bronze Sword. A Heavy Wyrmbone Full Helm gives you an entirely different defensive style than a Light Leather Half-Helm.
Besides weapons, armor, and spells getting this treatment in Ingenium Second Edition’s core book, we have plans to extend that system out into other areas of gameplay.