We have a massive announcement for you today: a brand new developer that joined Stormforge with a brand new game. Everyone, put your hands together for Nick and his new fabulous game Balance, out now in open beta on DrivethruRPG. But enough from me, let’s hear about Balance from the man himself:
Balance is a fast-paced fantasy RPG that puts you in the shoes of an Agent of Twilight, tasked with restoring the natural order and balance of a world that has lost its way. It sports relatively simple mechanics that you can learn in no time and get ready to play incredibly quickly. It’s ideal for groups that want something fast and easy to pick up and get into in order to break up the monotony of a long campaign with something different and fun, as well as for introducing new players to the genre of tabletop roleplaying games. Staying true to its name, the game is made to be perfectly balanced, so every way to play is not just valid, but it’s also the correct strategy for winning, ensuring you can play however YOU want.
It offers you seven distinct and entirely unique classes with which to experience a rich, mystical world. Their vastly different outlooks on life and approaches to problem solving create a dynamic mixture within the party, allowing you to play however is best for your group. The character’s innate differences can help build tension and drama if you let them, but your shared purpose and dedication to your order will always provide a natural way to keep everyone on track. Your character is an agent of the Eternal Council – a secret society that serves the great Twilight to preserve the balance in the world. In ALL the worlds. Everything is connected by the layers of the Twilight, and only those that are taught the ancient ways of your order can enter or navigate it. The realm of shadows will be your home, refuge, and base of operations, as you prepare to execute the mission that lays before you. Each class also has a unique relationship with the Twilight. Exploring what that is and how they draw power will not only reveal deep secrets, but it might just be what you need in order for them to realise their full potential.
What makes Balance unique from the other RPGs you’ve seen? Originally part of a thesis work on the game design principles of balancing mechanisms in tabletop games and meaningful choice progression systems, it’s fully dedicated to the exploration of the concepts. It offers a very simple but open-ended set of mechanics and lots of pre-configured templates with the goal of being easy to get into. I aim for it to be interesting for game designers and players alike, with both interesting mechanics and a very flavourful execution on them. The game is incredibly fast paced and made to be played in one-shot adventures that span a few gaming sessions at most. Another one of its unique aspects is that it’s not just a 2d6 system, it is THE 2d6 system. Due to how the mechanics are set up and the way the game’s balanced, it is governed by incredible consistency – matter what happens, you can be sure that the two dice are all you’re ever going to need, and once you get the hand of it, rolling doesn’t change.
Of course, right now the game is in Beta. The core is there, but it’s far from polished, and many features are missing. The other four classes, adventures to go with it (though watch out, the first one is coming before the end of the week!), not every skill is fully balanced yet, etc. But that’s why this Open Beta is here and why we need YOU! Read, download, playtest, and share any and all feedback you have. Stuff you want to see? Things that you didn’t want to see in there? Let us know on Twitter or Discord. This is only the first step of many, and you can expect a constant supply of updates and content over the coming weeks.
So get your hands on Balance now for free by clicking on the image above, or just by clicking HERE.