Sample Dungeon Builder

 So, for a while I wanted to build a simple little dungeon generator to create the foundations of a dungeon. One element I wanted was that the generator could be used for solo or group play. After purchasing and downloading Matt Jackson's Dungeon Deck and playing a bit of solo stuff using Mere Anarchy, I came up with this.

While this is only a single component of the Mere Anarchy Dungeons booklet (there are additional elements that allow for discovering the theme of the dungeon and objects within, encounter difficulties, etc.), it serves as a starting point for building a basic dungeon and determining things like shape, size, room elements, doors, traps, and secrets. All in a quarter page with a d6. 

I want to keep Mere Anarchy simple and light and fast. I also want to include more visual references and avoid blocks of text - if avoidable. It's a skill I plan on practicing, this conversion of rules text into imagery. I find it damn fun.

You can pick up the sampler pdf in our downloads section.

Dirk

Mere Anarchy Arcane Secrets and Monsters 2e

A few days ago I uploaded Mere Anarchy Arcane Secrets, a little magic book that contains...

• Wizard name generator using prefixes and suffixes
• Magic user titles
• Two word spell generator that uses a descriptor and an effect
• How to integrate spells into the game
• Critical spell failure chart
• Spellbook name generator 
• Magic item generator and implementation guidelines
• Magic symbols, colors, and orders generator
• How to connect PCs and magic

Lots of little fiddly things to play with in the book. One of my design goals for Mere Anarchy is to avoid big lists of monsters and spells so that everything continuously feels new and unexplored. I love the idea of interpreting two words to determine the effects if a spell. I have that same love for randomly generated monsters - some of which may make little sense. While I also really enjoy reading a bestiary, I find that in game, players often become familiar with spells and monsters and use their own knowledge (as players) to manipulate the game. When everything is new and foreign, the players are in the same place as the PCs. Of course this has it pros and cons but I am going for a procedural generation feel to the game and the content.

With this being said, I have uploaded a 2nd edition to the Mere Anarchy Monsters Book. This isn't a true second edition but more of a revised version that expands some of the charts and provides a much broader scope of the type of monsters that can be created. I feel like having completed it I already have ideas for a 3rd version. Ugh.

Anyway. Next up I am hoping to release the Kingdom Builder rules but I have some organizational elements I am dealing with there. Hopefully in the next two weeks!

Dirk

Mere Anarchy: Design Goals & Upcoming Projects

So, I have a lot of content that remains from my 100 page game that was shrunk into Mere Anarchy. The goal was always to create an elegant and concise set of rules around a page in length. And having accomplished that I feel like it's a shame to leave the rest of the written work sitting in the confines of forgotten folder on my hard drive (goodbye elegance). So, I have begin releasing supplemental pieces for the game, each a page (front and back) in length. This feels nice to me and my design approach to this is provide players with content in separated forms so they can pick and choose what they want and don't want in their games. With each additional rule added the game becomes more complex so I am not interested in expanding the rules so much as I am to provide randomness that generates content within the confines of the rules.

For example, the Monster Book which provides random generators for making monsters does not add additional monster rules but rather the guidelines to easily build procedurally generated monsters with a few dice rolls. I actually think this could even be more elegant in its design and further simplified (and eventually that might happen as Mere Anarchy is a work in progress). 

While I have no intent in changing the core rules of the game as I think they are sound and accomplish what I want them to accomplish (fast, loose, descriptive play that allows for quick pick up games, convention play, low bar of entry for new gamers), I do plan to release content in the form of mini games directly connected to Mere Anarchy.

For example, the World Builder is its own, self-contained mini game that allows players to work together to build a history with people and things set within a map, all at the macro level, all narratively created by the players through a series of dice rolls and conversations. While none of these things are reinventing the wheel, that was never my purpose in the first place. I really wanted a fun, quick little fantasy game full of randomness and little systems that allowed for various types of play, whether that means going on an adventure or building a world or fleshing out a kingdom and watching it collapse. 

So, with all of this rambling, what is on the horizon for this system? First will be the release of a magic book, The Book of Arcane secrets that has a spell generator using descriptors and effects, and a bunch of other charts centered around magic (caster titles, symbols, critical failure results, etc.). As it is a standalone booklet, players and GMs can take the pieces from that book and add to their game or leave it at the side and stick to the core rules. 

Following the The Book of Arcane Secrets will be the Kingdom Builder which allows players to create a narrative around the rise and collapse of a kingdom in their world. This simple little game is very similar in tone and scope to the World Builder.

After these two I plan to release solo rules with oracles (a small deck of print and play oracle cards for Mere Anarchy), The Book of Violence which provides players and GMs with some guidance on how to narratively make combat more interesting (and violent). Then a small booklet of hex maps. 

This is where things stand for now. I feel energetic and I am enjoying the community that has been engaging with Mere Anarchy. After coming off he writing of Far Away Land: Adventures in the Materiosphere, I need something light and simple. Mere Anarchy is a sort of palette cleanser. 

- Dirk

Mere Anarchy World Builder

Greetings!

I uploaded the Mere Anarchy World Builder rules this afternoon. It's available on the downloads page as a 1-page front and back or in a mobile version. The mobile version is bookmarked.

The World Builder consists of a history generator that is inspired by Tolkien's Middle Earth in the sense that history is divided into ages with broad events that shape the world.  d66 charts are provided. There is also a historical figures and historical things generator to add details and information. Again, d66 charts are provided. The goal is to provide players with some easy to use charts to randomly generate ideas in order to create a group narrative where they build a world's history - at least the broad strokes...

The second half of the World Builder is a Map Making exercise for creating simple maps with minimal effort. Again, random charts are provided to help focus map making activities. 

Both of these systems were offered in the the Far Away Land Tome of Awesome but for Mere Anarchy I wanted a more guided, streamlined system with easy to use charts and faster, more directed play. In play I think the system does what it sets out to do. My experience with a group of a couple imaginative people has been really fun and we have created some cool little stories. 

Dirk

 

Dicember 2021! Everyone's a Winner

So, we held the first annual Mere Anarchy Dicember this year. The whole point was to submit pictures of your dice in order to win a Mere Anarchy Core Rulebook. As this was the first time for Dicember, I decided that all entries should get a book. It felt fair. Let's look at the submission below...

Our first entry was from Craig D. Craig D brought the multicolored goodness and stuck to same size d6s. He gets a million points for standardizing that font he created with the dice. Also, he got the name of the game right.

Second entry was from Dwight F. Dwight used a nice array of different sized dice and even had a smiley face. Dwight gets a million points because he wasn't sure if this was a Far Away Land or Mere Anarchy contest. 

Next up is the entry from Gothridge Manor. Gothridge decided to go metal af and include a narrative about how his dice literally kill his enemies. One million points for posting a picture of a die featuring skulls, a ribcage and blood. 

Last but not least, Lore Forge Meister coming in with an entry near the wire featuring some polyhedrals that are completely foreign to Mere Anarchy. But, the lone pink d6 managed to get him a million points.

Well done to you folks and thank you for taking the time to show off your sources of victory and defeat.