Hammercalled Core Principle

The core principle for the Hammercalled Roleplaying Game is to provide an experience that is simple and flexible enough that it allows novices and experienced roleplayers to enjoy any setting.

This is done through a series of decisions, such as using a single core mechanic for all character actions (as opposed to adding in systems like Vancian spellcasting or other random events), mechanical generation of content, and end-user customization being encouraged and simplified.

Everything in Hammercalled is designed to be transparent and user-tuned. If you want to convert it to a d20 instead of a d100, you should be able to do that without too many issues, for instance.

We aim for one-roll resolution of all events, with only rare occasions where someone will get to roll in response to another roll. Players handle all the mechanics of the game individually, which is important because they have access to individual reference material.

The GM still has to maintain the same level of awareness of the player characters as a GM of any other game would, but the Hammercalled GM is liberated by the ability to run more strictly narrative NPCs and challenges that can be defined simply by difficulty rating and resource pools.

The end-goal of this is to let storytelling preside over mechanics, rather than the other way around. Mechanics exist as a fall-back when events are uncertain, or to introduce suspense and risk into stories where doing so in narrative could lead to confrontation.

Every user of Hammercalled will have a unique experience based on their intent when approaching the game, and the game is designed to give the most possible options for players. Storytellers have the ability to create characters that are based on statements of narrative agency, rather than choosing from lists and tables. Mechanics-focused players have opportunities for numerical optimization and finding interesting interactions without overshadowing less number-oriented players. This philosophy is seen across a variety of mechanics: Destiny, Gear, and Specializations being three of the most influential spheres in which it is illustrated. A player who wants to make a character based on a mental image ("I want to be like those fire-guitar guys from Mad Max!") should be able to make that character. A player who wants to make a character to fulfill a mechanical goal ("I want to be able to soak up a lot of hurt.") should be able to do that too.

The whole game is designed around allowing people to play regardless of skill, and encouraging them to develop both as storytellers and as gamers. There is an emphasis on proficiency in characters to encourage mechanical growth objectives over the course of a game, but also a focus on fluidity in storytelling and promoting unexpected and uncommon solutions. We build the game around the notion of telling stories, not of pursuing mechanical balance.

At the same time, the desire to let everyone tell stories means that all characters have the best kind of agency: narrative agency. They can change the world as their players want them to, and step out of the spotlight when it is not their time to shine without being relegated to obscurity.