Basic Rules

Free to Play
Basic Rules

At Will to Power Games, we understand that purchasing a new game is not just a monetary commitment, but a commitment in time and effort as well. To this end, we offer you a Free-to-Use set of Basic Rules. As a Game Master, you can direct your players to navigate to http://willtopowergames.com

Players can register or sign into the new Player's Workshop, free of charge, and create one or more characters to sample the game. As a GM, we'll offer a basic scenario, or you can create your own with the free rules offered on this site. The rules available here are sufficient for skill checks, basic ground combat, and the replenishment of health and power. In theory, those who prefer a rules-light game could go on using our free rules indefinitely, though we can assure the complete rules set is the best ever written.

The Setup

To begin, the Will to Power TTRPG, like most role-playing games, requires a Game Master to run the game. This is considered the most difficult and rewarding role in this type of gaming system. The Game Master, or GM for short, is akin to the director of a film. This film will need actors or Players. One or more players (ideally 3-5) are required to fill out the cast of the campaign. The GM runs the campaign, and the players play in the campaign.

Physical Setup

For purists, in-person play around a table is ideal. For most working adults, this creates scheduling issues, but the payoff is usually worth the trouble. In-person play, the GM will typically sit at the head of a gaming or dining table behind a GM screen from where they will describe and run the series of scenarios in the campaign. The players sitting around the table will equip themselves with pen and paper, or optionally their game device (phone or tablet).

There are basically three popular setups possible in a physical setting: theater-of-the-imagination, tabletop miniatures, or virtual tabletop (VTT) setups. All three setups have a series of advantages and disadvantages. Some setups are difficult to manage, while others may make it difficult for certain players to visualize the game.

The Theater of the Imagination

In this setup, the GM will describe a "scene" and place the characters, both player and NPC, into the scene using little more than descriptive language. A GM might play music or sound effects to better set the scene, but effectively, the players will need their imaginations. Once the scene is set, players will reposition themselves in the scene by vocally describing what their character is going to do, e.g., "My character (I) will walk to the bar and order a drink."

These verbal phrases establish a shared vision of what is happening in the room. While one player is at the bar, another might send their character to the gaming table, while another might go to warm up near the hearth. As the scene is established in people's minds, the GM will begin to run the game, establishing challenges, initiating combat if need be, or providing narratives from other characters (NPCs) in the scene.

Tabletop Miniatures

In this gaming setup, the Game Master will have invested in various maps and figurines to place on the table before the players. By using tabletop miniatures, there is much less ambiguity and second-guessing, such as "I said I was going to the bar, I did not say I was at the bar."

In games where the GM likes to use elaborate traps, for example, the exact placement of a figurine can mean the difference between life and death for a player. There is no room for ambiguity when life is on the line. The greatest upside to the tabletop miniature setup is the feeling of immersion and realism in the game. The downsides to the tabletop miniature setup are many, from the time and resources required to build it to the setup being moot if the party decides to pass by it completely. Hours of painting miniatures can be lost if players simply turn around and walk out of the scene.

Virtual Tabletop

Various VTTs can be quickly adapted to run a Will to Power at this time: Roll20, Foundry VTT, and Owlbear Rodeo, to name a few. Many GMs may already have heavy investments in VTTs for other games, and the assets in those VTTs, maps, monsters, furniture, and player tokens would be easy to leverage for a Will to Power game. Dice rolling can happen within the VTT or in the real world.

Virtual Setup

Playing in person is ideal, but not always possible. Since the pandemic, millions of people have discovered online RPG groups, and they have several advantages over real-life groups. Scheduling is easier, for one, making players less likely to miss a session. In an ongoing campaign, it is considered "ideal" if every player can attend every session for the duration of the campaign. There are methods for running a session with a missing player, but they are rarely satisfying.

Imagination vs. VTT

In a virtual session, the players and GM will congregate on Zoom, Discord, or a similar platform. Depending on their Internet bandwidth, this may include both voice and video, but video is better, although not absolutely necessary. The outstanding variable is whether or not to employ a VTT. Some players find VTTs to steal from the feeling of "immersion," making the game feel more like a video game than TTRPG, while others have serious trouble with spatial awareness and feel lost when monsters and characters move from room to room.

In the decision between Imagination vs. VTT, the GM must "read the room". Clearly, there is no need for a VTT for the rhetorical parts of the game. Visiting a shop to haggle over a potion can be played out without the need for a map or virtual figures. Ultimately, VTT setups are easier for players to follow the flow in combat, but require more setup for the GM.

Note: the paid version of the Will to Power TTRPG will have VTT support for some adventure modules.

Next: Abilities and Ability Checks