hello, I love your game and have played it with my students at the after-school DnD club. Many of them said it was the most fun they had - since they had more choice and got to be a bit of the GM without all of the pressure on them alone.
I was wondering if there was a sort of community or more localized place that people who play your games or create their own are gathered? Discord, reddit, etc?
Hello! Thank you so much for the report, that warms my heart!
Unfortunately, I haven't had the bandwidth to admin a community until now. I've considered it multiple times, but as of yet, I haven't found an alternative that wouldn't require too much maintenance, you know? I'm still looking, though!
First of all, I have to say I love Push! I've already played solo and with friends and the system is simple, fun and flexible!
I also have a question: would it be okay to use the system as a tool for my writing process? I'm thinking about writing a book one day and I have some ideas about the plot and characters, but I think Push could really bring a lot to the table and help me come up with those unexpected twists and turns!
Longuefeuille and I have created our fourth template for the push srd , inspired by all these 80's TV shows like Magnum P.I , The A-Team , Hart to Hart , and many others ...
Just stumbled upon PUSH, and I'm strongly considering using it for my game about fighting giant monsters.
With that said, I had an idea that I would like your input on: Do you think adding a tier of success that's even better than Strong Hit above the 7+ threshold could work? I was thinking:
=< 4: Weak Hit
5-6: Strong Hit
7-9: Miss
10+: Super Hit
With a "Super Hit" adding some kind of bonus.
Do you think that would be a good idea? It would certainly incentivize rerolling more.
It might work! I'd assume that if you roll 7-9 you cannot choose to roll another dice, correct?
What I'd keep in mind is the kind of story I am trying to emulate. What does it represent in the narrative when I roll a Strong Hit and go for the Super Hit? Am I tapping into a source of unstable power that, if I am able to get past its chaotic nature (7-9), I am able to perform incredible feats (10+)? If so, the new tier makes sense, you know?
Yeah, the idea is that you can keep rerolling as long as your total is below 7. You could even tier it further, like:
=< 4: Weak Hit
5-6: Strong Hit
7-9: Miss
10-12: Super Hit
13-15: Fumble
16-18: Mega Hit
19-21: Failure
22+: Ultra Hit
The idea was, like... imagine a superhero game, and you're in a situation where you're about to unleash a powerful attack against the villain, but if you're not careful, you could destroy the city. Or you're a wizard using a powerful spell, but lose focus, and you rip a hole into reality.
It's supposed to simulate this idea of unleashing awesome power that you can hardly contain.
Storywise, the group might agree that the current threat is too powerful, a Strong Hit would only hurt it, but an Ultra Hit might remove it in one fell swoop. But are you willing to take that risk?
Another, slightly more crunchy idea was to different matrices, or even just lists, good and bad ones. A Weak Hit means you do it, but you also roll on the Bad List for a consequence. A Strong Hit means you do it without consulting a list. A Miss means you roll on the Bad List once, a Fumble makes you roll twice, and a Failure thrice. Same for Super Hit, Mega Hit and Ultra Hit and the Good List.
You can also combine this with using traits: If you don't utilize a trait, the best you can do is a Strong Hit. Use 1 trait, you could reach a Super Hit, but 7-9 would still be a Miss, and nything higher than 12 would be a Fumble. And so on.
Update to my previous comment here: STRONG HIT 9-12, 7-12 if using a skill/ability/special item/proficiency/whatever. This was suggested in a free kriegspiel game I saw a while back, found that it fits perfectly!
Hi all, I love the mechanics of Push but while playing it I encountered an issue and I would like your opinion, how do you handle fantasy fights, which are usually longer and more granular? With a 2 in 3 chance of receiving a setback for each roll, three or four rounds of actions, attacks and parries turn the heroes knocked down, disarmed, blinded, broken. It seems to me that a classic roll to attack and then roll to defend is very difficult to manage, how do you do it? I understand that the ideal would be a single roll, do I kill the goblins? Strong hit yes, like a fury you defeat the bad guys, weak hit yes you beat them but some run away ready to come back angrier or you were injured in the fight etc. But what if you want a little more action?
I myself actually prefer more action as well. I usually roll multiple times during combat scenes too, I like it to be more intense and dramatic.
What I do is I play with the complications. You see, "knocked down, disarmed, blinded, broken" are quite harsh setbacks that would make more sense if it were for a single roll resolution. You may want to try to "dilute" the severity of the complications when you roll more often.
Think of it as a movie scene. Consequences don't need to take your character out of the scene. I hit them, but... they punch me back. And I just get back and hit again. I hit them, but... they grab me and throw me. I drop something. The sun is now against their back. A crack on the floor widens. They reveal a secret weapon. A minion appears. Our swords clash and we stare at each other, exchanging insults. Think Thorin vs Azog kind of deal.
Don't be afraid to get creative (and permissive) with complications. That way, you can have a long and colorful battle scene without punishing your character too much.
Thanks for your kind reply! In fact you made me think that setbacks could be used as third party actions, for example a floor collapsing or a rope bridge fraying one strand at a time, not necessarily negative but equal parts neutral and adverse to all parties. Or you can switch to the action of the next enemy instead of a setback, for example you kill the first zombie but with a weak hit the other is on you, will you be able to dodge it? I watched the latest Indiana Jones last night and there is a masterful use of complications. I think this is the spirit to bring into the scene, the problem and that when we say complication we mainly think of something directly negative for the character, instead it should be understood as the environment or the enemies do this action (not necessarily directly negative). They shoot the character on the rope bridge, I dodge with a 3 on the die, the bullet passes close to me but cuts one of the ropes, the bridge tilts for everyone, on the next weak hit the last rope starts to fray etc... Thanks again for your games Mr. Cezar, I find push and Kismet just brilliant.
If you are a potential game designer, I suggest giving this SRD a shot. Super duper simple to learn, and could be applied to just about anything! I myself am using it to develop a journaling RPG about professional wrestling!
Cezar, is there a support email by which I might reach you to discuss an issue? I looked for one in out and around this page and was not able to see one. I apologize if I missed the obvious; I am a currently exhausted middle school teacher that may be browsing at disadvantage my fault (this will play into the issue I want to comment on :-)
Is there a Fillable PDF 2-page template in English? The only one I'm seeing is the PT-BR version.
My friends and I are LOVING Push. We've been playing the In Alleys Dark setting from the One Night Worlds Kickstarter. We've liked it so much that we want to do a design jam together for our own setting!
Inclusive uma que de pra mudar o nome das coisas tipo dom, origem, experiência e etc pra outras coisas? Isso que eu estava procurando não consegui achar infelizmente
Hi, there! Sorry for the late reply, got busy with the holiday season :)
Thank you so much for your kind words! Unfortunately, there’s no Discord server as of yet. I still don’t have the bandwidth to manage a community at this point :)
Thanks for the information :) if at some point a discord community is created can you post the link here on the page? Would love to talk with other people about the game :D
That’s an interesting shift on the feeling of the roll, if you keep the same tiers. 50% chance of a weak hit, 25% of a strong hit and 25% of a miss on the first roll! That is cool!
The second roll becomes way riskier, though. Even if you roll a 1, you still have 37.5% chance of a miss on a reroll, so I believe the mechanics should address it somehow.
I thought of upping the ranges a bit, like 1-5 weak hit, 6-8 strong hit, 9+ miss. I would like to go for a d8 both to break a bit from traditional dice as well as allow slightly bigger random tables without adding dice together.
I found out about PUSH from Jetset RPG, which is what I'll be using for my solo Traveller/Cepheus campaign.
This is the sort of product that's worth spending money on. Though I bought the Premium Kit solely for the means to get a POD copy (didn't see a link to do so at full cost otherwise, and not interested in a fantasy supplement), I still think the $25 all told is money well-spent.
This SRD makes it easy to put together a small game suitable for pick-up-and play and gm-less scenarios. The SRD provides a game template and plenty of direction on how to use the rules to craft a compelling game.
Congratulations on the start of your Push Jam. I really like the system, and can 't wait to see what is created. I have included an overview of the SRD on my Solo RPG Blog https://rpgsologames.com/push-srd/ and will add reviews for some of the games submitted to the Jam.
I like Push a lot, but I would want to make traits a bit more mechanically relevant. Rolling when a trait applies should make the chances of success higher -- that way, characters also grow in their power when they acquire more (or more powerful) traits. It's been 30 years since I studied probabilities with any complexity, so please verify my math as I go along.
In a normal Push game, the chance of a great success is 2/6 with a single die roll. If you choose to roll another die to add to it, then the chance of getting what you need is, again 2/6. If your original roll was a 4, then you get your great success on a 1 or 2, if you rolled 3 then you need a 2 or 3, etc. So when using up to two dice, the change of a great success is 2/6 + (4/6 * 2/6), which is just under 56%.
My proposed modification is to allow the player to change the outcome of the second die by one step up or down when the character possesses a trait that would help in that situation. The reasoning is that you are really applying yourself to the task (you're pushing yourself) and your experience/background helps. Of course, the chance of a great success on the first roll stays 2/6. But on the second roll, your range is much higher. If you rolled a 4 first, you now can get away with a 1, 2 or 3. If you rolled a 3 first, you now can get away with a 1, 2, 3, or 4! If you rolled a 2 first, your range is 2, 3, 4, 5. If you rolled a 1 first, your range is 3, 4, 5 and 6. The math then comes down to 2/6 + (1/6 * 3/6) + (3/6 * 4/6), which is exactly 75%. Is that a big increase? Probably not, but big enough to make an impact, I think.
If you allow a 'starred' trait to change the result of the second die by up to two steps, then the chance of a great success after the second die comes to a whopping 91%!
I did offer similar alternatives in the tweaks session of the SRD, and I do encourage you to experiment with them.
The core system does not include them based on the game design philosophy, but if it serves better the purpose of your game, I say go for it! And share the results, I'm interested in learning about them :)
Push is one of the most exciting rpgs I've read in a good while. Its simple mechanics and focus on playing the world give the feeling of a fate-esque fkr game by way of pbta design, while its text clearly illustrates how to use the rules as a baseline for future projects.
The SRD itself reads beautifully with clear and concise language, functional layout, designer commentary, and an example at every point you might need one.
Push games are driven by the same sparks of setting and world development in tables and character generation that you see in indie darlings like Apocalypse World and Wanderhome. The system itself jumps right out of the way, leaning into the playspace only when it is wanted and doing so with a fantastic player-facing risk/reward mechanic that's simple enough not to take you out of the moment but mechanical enough to boost your excitement.
The game is GM-less, too, meaning it plays with 0 prep time and can be picked up by anybody enjoying the current boom of solo rpgs. The system knows what it's doing here, giving more than enough guidance to make sure players aren't left in a complex, fictional world without a map: there are multiple levels of goals and guidelines baked into the game on every level to elegantly fill the space that "moves" occupy in pbta design - making sure players are never at a loss for contributions to the story.
Sounds great? Well then you're in luck because this SRD takes your hand and walks you through the process of designing your own Push game as you read it. By the time you reach the minimalist character sheet at the back, you'll be buzzing with ideas for how to use this system to design games around all those ideas you've had but never put to paper and you'll be bursting with the confidence to put it into practice.
This game is something special and I'll be keeping a close eye on the way it grows and changes within the indie rpg community.
Thank you for putting such a brilliant and accessible work out into the world.
Dang, I think I'm going to go design a push game now.
I'm glad! It's clear how much hard work has gone into this and I think it's really paid off. I'd never posted a review before on here but I know I always read the comments before I download and I really wanted other people to know this game is worth it.
I'll definitely be upgrading to the paid download when payday rolls around!
Hello, this is a nice work. But I'm a little confused about the Quest and Mission sections.
It seems like there is only one setup to a mission from what I understand. I'm also not sure what to write in the mission section in the template. Apologies for poor English, not a native speaker.
Indeed, on the 2-page template, there’s room for only a single mission. The full SRD offers ways for you to provide more missions after that to the players.
The mission section is what players are supposed to do. There’s a problem that requires immediate action. That’s where you describe it.
I think the best way to understand it is to look at a finished game! Check out this game for example (it’s free and great!)
I’d say anything between 1 to 2 hours, depending on how much players are invested in the mission? Since it’s up to them to determine when it ends, it can vary greatly.
I've just watched someone playing it solo on YouTube and he used three or four prompts and got almost an hour of gameplay. So a single matrix probably has enough material for a short campaign!
I’ve noticed that the PUSH SRD is published under the terms of the Creative Commons BY License. AND THAT’S SUPER-COOL!
So, that means that anyone could make derivatives of it, as long as they give attribution to the original work.
Making a derivative work would include translating the SRD into other languages.
In order to make the translation workload a lot easier, I think it’d be great to have access to a “text-only” version of the SRD in English (in any raw format, Markdown or eventually an RTF document).
Could you please provide this document(s) on this space?
J’ai démarré la traduction du SRD en mode texte… je n’ai hélas pas assez de compétence en design pour en faire une version agréable à regarder.
Mais j’espère que ma petite contribution sera le premier pas vers la version PDF dans toute sa splendeur !
I like to read role-playing game SRDs, not only because I like to discover new game systems, but also because it's always interesting to see what a game looks like when it's reduced to its most basic principles. And as I also love Cezar Capacle games, this SRD could not but intrigue me! As it happens, it reminds me of Cthulhu Dark's design: the rules and principles of the Push system are clear and efficient (basically, you have to roll well, but not too muhighch) and if the document is 40 pages long, it's because it contains a lot of examples and tips to apply all this to a proper game. I find the document very well done, a model of the kind everyone should follow for their own SRDs!
Sorry, I do have a bit of critique though, I feel the oracle push shouldn't be there. "Did I find something cool?" and if the oracle says "Likely" then theres no reason to push to move to unlikely, but if it says "unlikely" then I don't have the ability to push it. It is quite odd to me, I feel like the oracle should just be an oracle.
I hear you! I debated with it for long hours myself and almost scratched it. I finally decided to leave it because it could provide some more opportunities for pushing your luck. But understanding its oddness, I also offered the quick oracle as an alternative. Good feedback, though.
The oracle does not answer "Likely" or "Unlikely"; you choose one answer as likely and the other one as unlikely. Example: "Did I find a magic item?", "Yes" being unlikely, and "No" being likely. Thus, if you get a "No", you have reason to push, but risk, for instance, getting a cursed item.
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Hi Cezar
your french team ( Longuefeuille and I ) have produced our fifth template for the push Srd . The theme is horror in all eras and it is available at :
https://digitrooper.itch.io/pushed-into-darkness
standard template , advanced rules , and lots of stuff....
So , when you have a moment, can you add it to your Push powered game collection ?
And , i'm happy to see that some of your other game have been ( at last ) translated in french . you really deserve it !!!
This is extremely cool! Added to the collection, fantastic job as always!
And yeah, I am excited too! So much fun to see some of my other creations reaching the francophone community ^^
hello, I love your game and have played it with my students at the after-school DnD club. Many of them said it was the most fun they had - since they had more choice and got to be a bit of the GM without all of the pressure on them alone.
I was wondering if there was a sort of community or more localized place that people who play your games or create their own are gathered? Discord, reddit, etc?
Hello! Thank you so much for the report, that warms my heart!
Unfortunately, I haven't had the bandwidth to admin a community until now. I've considered it multiple times, but as of yet, I haven't found an alternative that wouldn't require too much maintenance, you know? I'm still looking, though!
I made this for the One Page Jam using Push!
https://victorpaiam.itch.io/6-bullets
This is super cool! I added it to the Push Games Collection. Thanks for sharing!
Hi there!
First of all, I have to say I love Push! I've already played solo and with friends and the system is simple, fun and flexible!
I also have a question: would it be okay to use the system as a tool for my writing process? I'm thinking about writing a book one day and I have some ideas about the plot and characters, but I think Push could really bring a lot to the table and help me come up with those unexpected twists and turns!
Hey there!
Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad it has been offering you a cool system to play.
And absolutely, I'd be thrilled if you used it as a writing tool! ^^
Hi Cezar !!!
Longuefeuille and I have created our fourth template for the push srd , inspired by all these 80's TV shows like Magnum P.I , The A-Team , Hart to Hart , and many others ...
Can you consider adding it to your collection ?
It is available at :
https://digitrooper.itch.io/pour-le-plaisir-du-risque
Thanks ( for that and , on behalf of the French community , for creating the PUSH SRD !!! )
Avec plaisir ! Just added, it looks really cool!
And thank you for your kind words! ^^
glad to see that you begin to speak french !!! Obrigado por tudo !!!
Hello!
Just stumbled upon PUSH, and I'm strongly considering using it for my game about fighting giant monsters.
With that said, I had an idea that I would like your input on: Do you think adding a tier of success that's even better than Strong Hit above the 7+ threshold could work? I was thinking:
=< 4: Weak Hit
5-6: Strong Hit
7-9: Miss
10+: Super Hit
With a "Super Hit" adding some kind of bonus.
Do you think that would be a good idea? It would certainly incentivize rerolling more.
Hello! Thanks for getting in touch!
It might work! I'd assume that if you roll 7-9 you cannot choose to roll another dice, correct?
What I'd keep in mind is the kind of story I am trying to emulate. What does it represent in the narrative when I roll a Strong Hit and go for the Super Hit? Am I tapping into a source of unstable power that, if I am able to get past its chaotic nature (7-9), I am able to perform incredible feats (10+)? If so, the new tier makes sense, you know?
Mathematically, looks solid!
Yeah, the idea is that you can keep rerolling as long as your total is below 7. You could even tier it further, like:
=< 4: Weak Hit
5-6: Strong Hit
7-9: Miss
10-12: Super Hit
13-15: Fumble
16-18: Mega Hit
19-21: Failure
22+: Ultra Hit
The idea was, like... imagine a superhero game, and you're in a situation where you're about to unleash a powerful attack against the villain, but if you're not careful, you could destroy the city. Or you're a wizard using a powerful spell, but lose focus, and you rip a hole into reality.
It's supposed to simulate this idea of unleashing awesome power that you can hardly contain.
Storywise, the group might agree that the current threat is too powerful, a Strong Hit would only hurt it, but an Ultra Hit might remove it in one fell swoop. But are you willing to take that risk?
Another, slightly more crunchy idea was to different matrices, or even just lists, good and bad ones. A Weak Hit means you do it, but you also roll on the Bad List for a consequence. A Strong Hit means you do it without consulting a list. A Miss means you roll on the Bad List once, a Fumble makes you roll twice, and a Failure thrice. Same for Super Hit, Mega Hit and Ultra Hit and the Good List.
You can also combine this with using traits: If you don't utilize a trait, the best you can do is a Strong Hit. Use 1 trait, you could reach a Super Hit, but 7-9 would still be a Miss, and nything higher than 12 would be a Fumble. And so on.
I really like where this is going! I think you have a solid foundation for a hack!
Hello!
That’s great, just drop a link below and I’ll add it to the collection! Thank you very much!
Update to my previous comment here:
STRONG HIT 9-12, 7-12 if using a skill/ability/special item/proficiency/whatever.
This was suggested in a free kriegspiel game I saw a while back, found that it fits perfectly!
It certainly does! A little more "juice" to the tag, I like it
Indeed!
Combined my love of 2d6 systems with PUSH!
(1-8 WEAK HIT) (9-12 STRONG HIT) (MISS on 13+) , STRONG HIT on 8-12 using a "tag" (straight outta Kismet!).
I like that a lot! Very clever, thanks for sharing
You bet!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi all, I love the mechanics of Push but while playing it I encountered an issue and I would like your opinion, how do you handle fantasy fights, which are usually longer and more granular? With a 2 in 3 chance of receiving a setback for each roll, three or four rounds of actions, attacks and parries turn the heroes knocked down, disarmed, blinded, broken. It seems to me that a classic roll to attack and then roll to defend is very difficult to manage, how do you do it? I understand that the ideal would be a single roll, do I kill the goblins? Strong hit yes, like a fury you defeat the bad guys, weak hit yes you beat them but some run away ready to come back angrier or you were injured in the fight etc. But what if you want a little more action?
Hi, there!
Great question!
I myself actually prefer more action as well. I usually roll multiple times during combat scenes too, I like it to be more intense and dramatic.
What I do is I play with the complications. You see, "knocked down, disarmed, blinded, broken" are quite harsh setbacks that would make more sense if it were for a single roll resolution. You may want to try to "dilute" the severity of the complications when you roll more often.
Think of it as a movie scene. Consequences don't need to take your character out of the scene. I hit them, but... they punch me back. And I just get back and hit again. I hit them, but... they grab me and throw me. I drop something. The sun is now against their back. A crack on the floor widens. They reveal a secret weapon. A minion appears. Our swords clash and we stare at each other, exchanging insults. Think Thorin vs Azog kind of deal.
Don't be afraid to get creative (and permissive) with complications. That way, you can have a long and colorful battle scene without punishing your character too much.
Thanks for your kind reply! In fact you made me think that setbacks could be used as third party actions, for example a floor collapsing or a rope bridge fraying one strand at a time, not necessarily negative but equal parts neutral and adverse to all parties. Or you can switch to the action of the next enemy instead of a setback, for example you kill the first zombie but with a weak hit the other is on you, will you be able to dodge it? I watched the latest Indiana Jones last night and there is a masterful use of complications. I think this is the spirit to bring into the scene, the problem and that when we say complication we mainly think of something directly negative for the character, instead it should be understood as the environment or the enemies do this action (not necessarily directly negative). They shoot the character on the rope bridge, I dodge with a 3 on the die, the bullet passes close to me but cuts one of the ropes, the bridge tilts for everyone, on the next weak hit the last rope starts to fray etc... Thanks again for your games Mr. Cezar, I find push and Kismet just brilliant.
That's the spirit, very well put!
And thank you so much for your kind words!
Am I missing something?
"Roll 1 d6" this means to roll one 6-sided die, right?
If so, how can you "• On a 7 or higher, it's a MISS." The math doesn't add up for me.
Hi, there!
The answer is on the WEAK HIT result:
• On a 4 or lower, it's a WEAK HIT, but you can choose to roll +1d6. If you do so, you must add it to your result
I hope that helps!
I made a Song Of Ice and Fire into a free Push-Powered fan game!
https://riversidestudios.itch.io/a-song-of-ice-and-fire
Sweet! Thanks for sharing, it looks great!
Thanks!
and thank you for making inclusive systems for solo and co-op players!
If you are a potential game designer, I suggest giving this SRD a shot. Super duper simple to learn, and could be applied to just about anything! I myself am using it to develop a journaling RPG about professional wrestling!
Cesar, you are a mad genius and I salute you!
Thank you, that's very kind!! ^^
If you ever launch the game here on itch, let me know; I'd love to check it out and add it to the Push-powered games collection!
Took awhile to work up the courage but... Here it is!
https://iamthelibrarian.itch.io/the-boys-of-beatdown-valley
Well done!
Cezar, is there a support email by which I might reach you to discuss an issue? I looked for one in out and around this page and was not able to see one. I apologize if I missed the obvious; I am a currently exhausted middle school teacher that may be browsing at disadvantage my fault (this will play into the issue I want to comment on :-)
Vince Arebalo
Hi, Vince!
Thanks for reaching out! Of course, you can write me at capacle (at) gmail
Thank you! I reach out soon....
Is there a Fillable PDF 2-page template in English?
The only one I'm seeing is the PT-BR version.
My friends and I are LOVING Push. We've been playing the In Alleys Dark setting from the One Night Worlds Kickstarter. We've liked it so much that we want to do a design jam together for our own setting!
This is awesome to hear! I'd love to see the final result ^^
Unfortunately, I do not have a fillable PDF template in English. The Portuguese one was fan-made
We do, however, have the Canva template, which is free and completely open to be customized (does not require a Pro account).
Okay, the Canva template should work well. Thank you!
Existe alguma ficha de personagem que possa editar ou os traços de personagem estejam vazios pra poder editar pra um jogo?
Sim! Nos arquivos de download tem links para a ficha editável no Canva. Não precisa ter conta paga para usar, só clicar e fazer uma cópia ^^
Inclusive uma que de pra mudar o nome das coisas tipo dom, origem, experiência e etc pra outras coisas? Isso que eu estava procurando não consegui achar infelizmente
Sim, isso mesmo. Todos os campos são editáveis.
Nos downloads, é só clicar no que chama Push SRD_2-page-Canva-template-PT-BR
Hey cezar - greetings from germany :) enjoy push very, very much <3
is there a discord community for the game?
Hi, there! Sorry for the late reply, got busy with the holiday season :)
Thank you so much for your kind words! Unfortunately, there’s no Discord server as of yet. I still don’t have the bandwidth to manage a community at this point :)
Thanks for the information :) if at some point a discord community is created can you post the link here on the page? Would love to talk with other people about the game :D
and a happy new year :)
Absolutely, will do! :)
Happy New Year!
How well do you think the core roll would work with a d8 instead of a d6?
Pretty well, I believe?
That’s an interesting shift on the feeling of the roll, if you keep the same tiers. 50% chance of a weak hit, 25% of a strong hit and 25% of a miss on the first roll! That is cool!
The second roll becomes way riskier, though. Even if you roll a 1, you still have 37.5% chance of a miss on a reroll, so I believe the mechanics should address it somehow.
I thought of upping the ranges a bit, like 1-5 weak hit, 6-8 strong hit, 9+ miss. I would like to go for a d8 both to break a bit from traditional dice as well as allow slightly bigger random tables without adding dice together.
Oh, I see!
Well, yeah! I think it would work nicely. Would love to see it implemented :)
Been tinkering with my own push mechanic for a couple or years, and love what you have done with this SRD.
Interested in a physical copy. Who does your print on demand?
Thank you so much! For this particular game, PoD is handled by The Game Crafter (had an easier time setting up a coupon with them)
are there any list of all push-system games?
I've been trying to add them all to this collection, but I might have missed one or two :)
“You get what you don’t want” is some monocle-popping levels of elegance right there! Beautiful!
Thank you so much!
I found out about PUSH from Jetset RPG, which is what I'll be using for my solo Traveller/Cepheus campaign.
This is the sort of product that's worth spending money on. Though I bought the Premium Kit solely for the means to get a POD copy (didn't see a link to do so at full cost otherwise, and not interested in a fantasy supplement), I still think the $25 all told is money well-spent.
Thank you for checking it out and for your support!
That's a good point, I'll find a way to include a full cost PoD copy with the free kit!
Do you plan to make the SRD available as PDF or Markdown for free again?
Oh, absolutely! Just replenished the free kit. I hadn’t noticed it had finished. Sorry and thank you!
Excellent, thank you! I was thinking about this system for the One Page Jam.
Oh, nice! I hope it works for your project!
This SRD makes it easy to put together a small game suitable for pick-up-and play and gm-less scenarios. The SRD provides a game template and plenty of direction on how to use the rules to craft a compelling game.
Thank you for your kind review!
Published “The Fires of Chaterra” for the jam: https://instadeath.itch.io/chaterra
I’ve got several other ideas for Push Games, now I just need to find the time.
What a GREAT rule system!
Simple in a way that helps you run it and have fun of it without waste of time. The template is SO good that teaches a LOT of the system by itself!
Congrats Cezar!
Thank you so much!
Congratulations on the start of your Push Jam. I really like the system, and can 't wait to see what is created. I have included an overview of the SRD on my Solo RPG Blog https://rpgsologames.com/push-srd/ and will add reviews for some of the games submitted to the Jam.
Wow, thank you so much! A very thoughtful review! Mind if I link to it on the game page?
You are most welcome. It is a great system. A link would be great.
I like Push a lot, but I would want to make traits a bit more mechanically relevant. Rolling when a trait applies should make the chances of success higher -- that way, characters also grow in their power when they acquire more (or more powerful) traits. It's been 30 years since I studied probabilities with any complexity, so please verify my math as I go along.
In a normal Push game, the chance of a great success is 2/6 with a single die roll. If you choose to roll another die to add to it, then the chance of getting what you need is, again 2/6. If your original roll was a 4, then you get your great success on a 1 or 2, if you rolled 3 then you need a 2 or 3, etc.
So when using up to two dice, the change of a great success is 2/6 + (4/6 * 2/6), which is just under 56%.
My proposed modification is to allow the player to change the outcome of the second die by one step up or down when the character possesses a trait that would help in that situation. The reasoning is that you are really applying yourself to the task (you're pushing yourself) and your experience/background helps.
Of course, the chance of a great success on the first roll stays 2/6. But on the second roll, your range is much higher. If you rolled a 4 first, you now can get away with a 1, 2 or 3. If you rolled a 3 first, you now can get away with a 1, 2, 3, or 4! If you rolled a 2 first, your range is 2, 3, 4, 5. If you rolled a 1 first, your range is 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The math then comes down to 2/6 + (1/6 * 3/6) + (3/6 * 4/6), which is exactly 75%. Is that a big increase? Probably not, but big enough to make an impact, I think.
If you allow a 'starred' trait to change the result of the second die by up to two steps, then the chance of a great success after the second die comes to a whopping 91%!
What do you think?
It makes sense, the math looks solid!
I did offer similar alternatives in the tweaks session of the SRD, and I do encourage you to experiment with them.
The core system does not include them based on the game design philosophy, but if it serves better the purpose of your game, I say go for it! And share the results, I'm interested in learning about them :)
This book is gorgeous and awesome
Thank you so much!
Has there been any update with regards to a jam for this system? If none yet, what's the best way to stay updated?
There hasn’t been any as of yet, but it’s going to happen on the second half of March!
I will send an email via itch for everyone who got the SRD when it’s live!
Have you ever designed your own game?
Want to?
Push is one of the most exciting rpgs I've read in a good while. Its simple mechanics and focus on playing the world give the feeling of a fate-esque fkr game by way of pbta design, while its text clearly illustrates how to use the rules as a baseline for future projects.
The SRD itself reads beautifully with clear and concise language, functional layout, designer commentary, and an example at every point you might need one.
Push games are driven by the same sparks of setting and world development in tables and character generation that you see in indie darlings like Apocalypse World and Wanderhome. The system itself jumps right out of the way, leaning into the playspace only when it is wanted and doing so with a fantastic player-facing risk/reward mechanic that's simple enough not to take you out of the moment but mechanical enough to boost your excitement.
The game is GM-less, too, meaning it plays with 0 prep time and can be picked up by anybody enjoying the current boom of solo rpgs. The system knows what it's doing here, giving more than enough guidance to make sure players aren't left in a complex, fictional world without a map: there are multiple levels of goals and guidelines baked into the game on every level to elegantly fill the space that "moves" occupy in pbta design - making sure players are never at a loss for contributions to the story.
Sounds great? Well then you're in luck because this SRD takes your hand and walks you through the process of designing your own Push game as you read it. By the time you reach the minimalist character sheet at the back, you'll be buzzing with ideas for how to use this system to design games around all those ideas you've had but never put to paper and you'll be bursting with the confidence to put it into practice.
This game is something special and I'll be keeping a close eye on the way it grows and changes within the indie rpg community.
Thank you for putting such a brilliant and accessible work out into the world.
Dang, I think I'm going to go design a push game now.
Oh, wow, what a very thoughtful review! Thanks so much for taking the time to write it, it really warms my heart!
I'm glad! It's clear how much hard work has gone into this and I think it's really paid off. I'd never posted a review before on here but I know I always read the comments before I download and I really wanted other people to know this game is worth it.
I'll definitely be upgrading to the paid download when payday rolls around!
I deeply appreciate your support!
Hello, this is a nice work. But I'm a little confused about the Quest and Mission sections.
It seems like there is only one setup to a mission from what I understand. I'm also not sure what to write in the mission section in the template. Apologies for poor English, not a native speaker.
Hi, there!
Indeed, on the 2-page template, there’s room for only a single mission. The full SRD offers ways for you to provide more missions after that to the players.
The mission section is what players are supposed to do. There’s a problem that requires immediate action. That’s where you describe it.
I think the best way to understand it is to look at a finished game! Check out this game for example (it’s free and great!)
So it really only have one mission. I got another question, how long a regular session is?
I’d say anything between 1 to 2 hours, depending on how much players are invested in the mission? Since it’s up to them to determine when it ends, it can vary greatly.
I've just watched someone playing it solo on YouTube and he used three or four prompts and got almost an hour of gameplay. So a single matrix probably has enough material for a short campaign!
Would love to watch that if you don't mind linking it...
Here it is (although it is in Portuguese)
Hi, I can do the template in italian if you are interested
Hi, there! Yes, I am super interested, thank you!
done, how do I share with you in Canva?
moreover I found a typo in the english template
in the Theme chapter:
"chose" should be "choose", i suppose
Awesome! You could add my email
And thanks, I'll fix the typo right now
Hello,
I’ve noticed that the PUSH SRD is published under the terms of the Creative Commons BY License. AND THAT’S SUPER-COOL!
So, that means that anyone could make derivatives of it, as long as they give attribution to the original work.
Making a derivative work would include translating the SRD into other languages.
In order to make the translation workload a lot easier, I think it’d be great to have access to a “text-only” version of the SRD in English (in any raw format, Markdown or eventually an RTF document).
Could you please provide this document(s) on this space?
Hi, Bruno! I'm glad you liked it!
Indeed, I will provide the .md file here. You should get an update in a few hours!
That’s awesome! Thanks a million, Cezar!
Yes, good point !
Bruno, tu as prévu de traduire l'ensemble ? J'ai déjà commencé à traduire le template canva. :)
Hello!
J’ai démarré la traduction du SRD en mode texte… je n’ai hélas pas assez de compétence en design pour en faire une version agréable à regarder. Mais j’espère que ma petite contribution sera le premier pas vers la version PDF dans toute sa splendeur !
I like to read role-playing game SRDs, not only because I like to discover new game systems, but also because it's always interesting to see what a game looks like when it's reduced to its most basic principles. And as I also love Cezar Capacle games, this SRD could not but intrigue me! As it happens, it reminds me of Cthulhu Dark's design: the rules and principles of the Push system are clear and efficient (basically, you have to roll well, but not too muhighch) and if the document is 40 pages long, it's because it contains a lot of examples and tips to apply all this to a proper game. I find the document very well done, a model of the kind everyone should follow for their own SRDs!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I really hope this reaches its goal! It seems so cool!
Thank you so much!
Sorry, I do have a bit of critique though, I feel the oracle push shouldn't be there. "Did I find something cool?" and if the oracle says "Likely" then theres no reason to push to move to unlikely, but if it says "unlikely" then I don't have the ability to push it. It is quite odd to me, I feel like the oracle should just be an oracle.
I hear you! I debated with it for long hours myself and almost scratched it. I finally decided to leave it because it could provide some more opportunities for pushing your luck. But understanding its oddness, I also offered the quick oracle as an alternative. Good feedback, though.
The oracle does not answer "Likely" or "Unlikely"; you choose one answer as likely and the other one as unlikely. Example: "Did I find a magic item?", "Yes" being unlikely, and "No" being likely. Thus, if you get a "No", you have reason to push, but risk, for instance, getting a cursed item.
I'd love to see a jam on this. I have every intention of creating a game for this system.
Oh, that’s great! I’m considering it, let’s see how the reception goes!
Congrats on getting this published, Cezar. Looks tight! Do you have a Discord for discussing the SRD (or really any and all of your games?)
Thank you! I do not at the moment, but I’m considering it! Gotta think of a way I could actually do it in a manageable way