As I have written in the past, I struggled with the right dice to use in the game. I was tempted to use a d10 for quite some time, and I flirted with the normalization afforded by a bell curve of some kind. The Twenty Sider In the end, I decided to go with my old…

Here’s how you play Numenera. The player tells the GM what she wants to do. The GM determines if that action is routine (and thus just works) or if there’s a chance of failure. So far, I’ve just described pretty much every tabletop rpg, ever (almost). In Numenera, specifically, what happens next is that the…

Since I keep calling Numenera a post-apocalyptic game, it’s probably worth talking about the effect that has on gameplay. Specifically, the fact that there are all these amazing technological remnants fill the world around the PCs. Now, obviously, it helps define the setting, but it also affects the mechanics. From the point of view of the people…

In my last post, I wrote a little bit about experience points (xp) as a narrative tool for GMs. The method of awarding xp that I described is the “in-game” award of points. But there’s also a more standard, “between sessions” method. And no, it has nothing to do with killing monsters. I know, that’s…

Most roleplaying games have some kind of “experience points” or “xp.” They might call it something else, but there’s often some way to measure character advancement, improvement, or just doing a good job. In Numenera, experience points (xp) are a tool for both the GM and the player, but used in very different ways. For the…

Whether they’re called ability scores, stats, or something else, most games have some numerical value to rate the basic inherent ability of a character. Most games also have some kind of mechanic that reflects training (ability gained through practice). Numenera has both of these concepts too, but they work differently than many games. Stats There…

With the Kickstarter reaching it’s early stretch goals, the book has grown to be around 400 pages. The book will be a full-color hardcover. Here’s my rough vision for what the Numenera corebook will be like: 1. There will be about 100 pages of rules material, perhaps less. And the vast majority of that will be character…

Just thought I’d give you a brief peek at what character creation in Numenera looks like, at least at this stage (which I’m calling the alpha test stage). Creating characters in Numenera is meant to be quick and easy (with options and customizable detail for those who like to tinker). It’s built, in fact, like…

A lot of people have been speculating, wondering, or asking what the name “Numenera” means. The answer is complex. To start with, “Numen” is one of my favorite somewhat obscure words. I also like the closely-related “numinous.” It has many different meanings, and all of them play into the game really well. Numen means “an influence…

In my initial descriptions of the Ninth World, the setting for Numenera, I describe it as a “billion years in the future.” For most people, I figured that statement would merely be evocative, and would get across the point that this is far, FAR in the future. But for people in the know, I figured…