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Welcome to Narrative Adventures Made Easy (NAME), a simple, diceless "pencil and paper" storytelling game for two people with a sample setting that blends fairy tale, steampunk, and Wuxia themes. The rules and setting are both designed to encourage fun and memorable adventures involving only a single protagonist.
Playing NAME requires these rules, paper and pencil, and two people eager for stories of adventure and humor. The rules and setting could be a kid-friendly introduction to role-playing games or enjoyed equally well by adults who are experienced gamers.
The two people playing NAME have different roles. One acts as narrator and the other is in charge of the protagonist. The narrator describes the setting and controls everything in the story except the main character. The other person makes all of the choices for the main character.
For historical reasons, this type of cooperative storytelling game is called a role-playing game or RPG, the narrator is called the Game Master or GM, and the other participants in charge of the protagonists are called Players. It is very easy to replace the NAME sample setting with one of the GM's creation: only the four skills that describe how characters interact with technology might need changing.
Consider a short example:
Wilpan Clankwell Explores as a Mouse
GM: The footprints lead around the house, to a set of old bulkhead cellar doors against the back wall. What does your character do?
Player: Are the doors locked? Can the lock be used from inside? Wilpan wonders if the kidnapper could be inside.
GM: The doors are locked, and lock is a fancy one, beyond Wilpan's ability to pick or break. The lock and handle are new, in contrast with the doors, which are so old the edges are weathered and the paint is peeling. It's not a padlock on a latch, but a locking handle more appropriate for the front door of a wealthy manor house.
Player: Interesting. It's time to be sneaky and see what is inside. Surely the yard has a big bush or some other good place for Wilpan to hide things? Are the doors worn out enough for a mouse to slip inside?
GM: There are plenty of hiding places, for it is very dark. None of the district's street lamps reach here. As for entering as a mouse, yes, but it will be a tight squeeze.
Player: So Wilpan does his usual change routine. He hides his stuff, drinks a slow-acting healing potion and a quickness potion, and then pets Mister Mouse, taking his shape.
GM: Wilpan is tired after changing but feels the healing potion restoring his energy. Mister Mouse sniffs a farewell from inside his little cage, on top of your hidden belongings.
Player: In mouse form, Wilpan squeezes through the bulkhead doors. Once inside he will stop and try to listen carefully, and then if possible dash to a hiding place from which he can see the cellar.
The final two standard RPG acronyms used in this document are calling the main characters are called Player Characters or PCs, as opposed to the characters controlled by the GM who are called Non-Player Characters or NPCs.
Because NAME does not use dice it can be played anywhere. No need to gather a big group of game-playing friends: you and your best friend or spouse should be able to play it when on a walk, relaxing in the spa, or wrestling with giant snakes while exploring lost ruins. Alternate rules that use dice are provided because some players (especially young ones) really enjoy how dice contribute to suspense and the thrill of victory, and because colorful sets of polyhedral dice are nifty.
The game is still being developed and experiences frequent additions and occasional revisions.
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Inspiration to try diceless role-playing came from Amber Diceless by Erick Wujcik.
Playtesting thanks go to my wife, to Nathan Brown, and to Andy Crawford. Thanks for other helpful feedback go to D.J. Mckenna.
This work is not public domain, but I will almost certainly grant permission to other game developers wanting to steal from my ideas if they promise to give credit (to this and their other sources). That is how good RPG design works, and what I have endeavored to do!