What is a Tabletop Role Playing Game? No more than a set of rules and numbers to let us tell a story together without worrying about unfairness or lack of direction. They can spark our imaginations to get us started or they can shape the type of world you want to inhabit entirely. A TTRPG system is as valuable to the storyteller, the Game Master, as they want it to be.
But the story you tell can change with the system you’re in. Rules can restrict as much as they build; more definition can pull the focus of a game towards certain types of play while squashing creativity, while too few can make a Game Master unable to “yes and” appropriately.
It’s the delicate balance that makes a system feel like itself.
If the game you play at your table is like a story then the ruleset you choose is like a language, and some poetry just doesn’t translate well.
So, why this one? What does Axes & Axees do that other games don’t?
There are a lot of small answers that are listed below for you to read as you like, the but the most important one that remained the guiding principle of the design process is simple; to make a game that is both flexible but not bland, and deep but not unwieldy. While that might seem an impossible ask, that is precisely the reason why it was so important to do it.
The key? Modularity. The system can work in any setting, but instead of making every world feel like the game, the game can adapt to the world. When you play with the parts you need and ignore the rest, you get to design the game.
Below are the key elements that help the game achieve this idea.
Focuses
We don’t need a Cleric. Your Focus allows you tight control over exactly what kind of game you want to be playing. There are no pre-built classes to restrain you, or complicated flowcharts of skill-points to optimize. Every choice is valid and different, and every party can have the exact balance that they want to achieve.
Gifts
Yes, you can outsmart the door. With Gifts, You never have to compromise your vision of your character just to make sure you can engage in the style of gameplay you want. Fight intelligently, woo crowds with your muscles and learn to learn to trust your heart when sailing a ship. Choose who you are at every step of the way.
Wagered Rolls
You can uncertainly try. With the Dice Match rolling system, you choose how important a roll is. Skilled, knowledgeable and attentive players can be rewarded for being judicious with their rolls, while GMs have more interesting ways to give more challenging encounters. Every player has more choices to make and more control over their destinies.
Stamina
Who needs a short rest? The Stamina system makes every roll matter. Well, mostly. The system universalizes all of your innate resources and record keeping into a single value that affects almost everything you do. Play smart to feel powerful or let the tension of a misplaced roll eat at your nerves; either way, the adventure only deepens.
Resolve
How close are you to dread? Resolve makes every part of the adventure count. By primarily measuring mettle and not life, you can make sure that either failure or danger lurks around every corner of the adventure. So whether you are fighting a dragon, baking a cake or seducing a dragon with a cake, you can ensure that no part is overlooked or unimportant, and that success is all the more legendary.
Layers
Always split the party. The Layers system allow you to play as complex or as simple a game as you like. Moreover, your choice does not affect others, nor is it universal across all Focuses. Play with simple Combat and complex Talents while a friend does the opposite; all while maintaining balance and core themes.
Wedges
Yes, we’re using encumbering variance. While optional rules are nothing new to the hobby, the Patches have been designed in Axes & Axees to interact with every level of play. From rolls to rules, a Wedge is an all inclusive thematic shift to the game. And yet, each is also designed to operate separately from each other, so that any combination (or none) are completely viable.
Subtle Giants Games 