A RPG Book is a book where you decide the storyline. The book has many pages, and each decision you make will direct you to a specific page to continue your story. The decisions you make might influence the outcome of the story and how your character will develop by playing as the character in the book.
How To Start?
1. Characters
To start making characters, you need to think what your character's race is. Think about age, clothing, hobbies, class and so on to build your own character. Make a detailed biodata of the character, as well as sketch him/her out.
2. Plot
You need to make a thorough story that consists of lots of action and adventure that players would like to go through and make decisions themselves. Draw the setting, the places they go and the situations. Put in a box for them to make decisions to guide themselves through the plot.
3. Battle System & Events
Some RPG Books include a battle system where you can roll a dice to determine how you would fight an enemy. Create your own battle systems by including a dice and counters to keep track of hit points and damage. You can also use dices for random events.
How to Create?
1. Get a book or lots of paper.
Estimate an amount of pages you need to use for your RPG Book. Your book should have lots of pages for the many and random decisions that players might choose. The longer your story is, the better.
2. Character Selection
Make a page where the player can select a character. Include a short description and direct them to a page where they would start after selection. If your story has only one character, then you can let the player discover who he/she actually is while progressing through the story.
3. Decision Making Storyline
Tell your story through illustrations and writing and then let the player decide what to do next. Make a box at the bottom of the page and include a few choices that lead to different pages.
4. More than one ending.
After a series of battles and decision making, the player would finally come to the end of the story. It wouldn't be good if no matter what decision the player make, the ending would still be the same. So, make lots of endings including good and bad endings that are based on the player's decisions.
Additional Tips & Examples
1. Influence System
As seen in certain RPGs, Influence System is one of the things they use to determine what kind of outcome there will be in certain situations. This is also similar to Karma System or others. With this system, if the character chooses to help or side towards a clan or belief, they will gain more influence in that particular part. This is also similar to Star Wars' Light or Darkside.
Example:
While walking in the Acacia Forest, you saw an elf struggling within the binded magic of a skeletal necromancer.
Decisions:
1. Attack the necromancer to free the elf.
2. You understand the intentions of the necromancer in harnessing the power of the elves. Help the necromancer by drawing out the energies of the elf for him.
3. Ignore and move on.
Outcomes:
1. Elven Influence +10
2. Undead Influence +5
3. Nothing
2. Dice Battle System or Dice Event System
The dice can be used to either determine the damage, or determine the future. By rolling the dice, you can give each dice side (1-6) an event, which is actually random depending on the player's luck. This will determine the outcome of the battle, so players don't always win all the time. Sometimes these dice events will make players go through even more exciting situations.
Example:
You are fighting Arun the Necromancer.
Dice Chance Outcomes:
1 - The Necromancer conjured a suffocating spell. Roll the dice again. If outcome is 1, 2 or 3, then you have failed to defeat the Necromancer and must proceed to page 103. Else, you are able to free yourself and continue this battle again.
2 - You are able to find an opening as the Necromancer tried to attack you. You went to his back and stabbed him with your sword. The Necromancer was defeated and you freed the elf. Proceed to page 105.
3 - Roll the dice again.
4 - The Necromancer casted a time distortion spell, go back to page 84.
5 - The Necromancer was far more powerful than you had imagined. He brought the aura of death to send you to the Underworld. If you have already been there previously, then this battle continues. Else, proceed to the Underworld at page 40.
6 - You can choose a spell from your spellbook and try your luck on the Necromancer.
3. Hit Points System
Using counters, you can make a hit points system for your character or enemy. Simply make a page with your character's stats and spells that you can keep track of their hit points by using counters like these.
Example:
Celestine Salvgador - 50HP
Make each counter a 10HP hit. Therefore, if there are 5 counters here, means your character is dead. When a character is dead, you can ask the player to proceed to a certain page to revive themselves or something of the sort.
You can also create your own counters by cutting out round cardboard pieces and write numbers on it.
Have fun making your own RPG Book! RPG Books are always fun and adventurous and is suitable for all ages. There are many more systems you can think of and make. Use your own imagination to make your book more enjoyable!
Love,
Nicholas.
