One of the major conversations Flannel and I have had around developing Regency was about making the game easy to learn, so people who are not as familiar with RPGs could play. I am sure I am not alone in being a bit overwhelmed when I first started playing tabletop RPGs. With so many rules and mechanics, it can be a lot for someone who is just starting to dip their toe into the world of tabletop gaming.
When I first started getting interested in D&D in college, I really wanted to run a game. A friend told me to get Pathfinder because they were super similar. (Narrator: They were not super similar). So, I grabbed a Pathfinder book and tried to help my friends muddle our way through character creation, so I could run a game.
It sucked. Of course it did. I had no idea what I was doing, there was more math than I was prepared for, and I had no real idea how to create a good game. It fell apart after we tried playing twice. The only thing I remember from that game was that I dropped my iPad and the screen cracked, a crack that still mocks me every time I use it.
I obviously had made a ton of mistakes when just starting out, but there was never a really good railroad for me. I didn’t have a huge interest in running games from sourcebooks (to be fair, at that point, I had no idea even what sourcebooks were) and just wanted to play out a fun story with my friends.
I tried again with D&D (actual D&D this time) and played a game with my two sisters. They were learning how to be players and I was learning how to DM, it was a good match. We honestly had a ton of fun, but I guarantee if there was anyone there who was a rules lawyer, they would have been foaming at the mouth over some of the decisions that were made at that table.
With Regency, we wanted to make a game that would help guide new players and help them in creating their own stories. Flannel has been DMing for hundreds of years now (Narrator: He is 41, it has not been 100s of years), so he has had a hand in helping establish as much content as possible to help new players (especially first time Authors). Depending on our ability to hit stretch goals, we are hoping to include “Inspiration Pages” to help Authors add more flavor to their games. A page that will have short descriptions of city streets to help liven up travel, images of tea sets for Authors to either show their players or describe so the players can practically smell the tea, or even short phrases they could say if an NPC is declaring their love (or hatred). These tools will help the Authors out in the beginning, allowing them to build confidence in themselves.
Furthermore, in the Author sections, we will fully layout how to create their own County, their own NPCs, and develop their own Novel adventures. By giving them guidelines, we’re hoping to make the process easier and give everyone a chance to learn, so they can develop the skill and use it in game after game. Giving them tools to be prepared for the choices their Players may make, and even the ones they may not expect. Helping them learn the best method to create well-rounded NPCs for the Players to love and hate, driving their motivations to move the story forward.
As someone who has not fully flexed her DM muscle, I am extremely glad we have made it a priority to create this book with newcomers in mind. We all start playing somewhere and we want people to feel comfortable learning and growing as they play.
Many-Sided Dice 
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