While many big names are trying to vie for the dragon’s hoard, Loot by Gila RPGs has found its own unique way to evoke that classic D&D experience. When most people think of Dungeons & Dragons they think of two things: rolling dice and going on epic adventures. The three pillars of D&D — exploration, social interaction, and combat — are often said to be the cornerstone of an adventure. A lesser acknowledged (but equally true) drive for adventurers is loot. Magical items, powerful weapons, and cool armor drive explorers to venture into dangerous dungeons and face off against powerful dragons. Loot shows that you can have all of that, without ever rolling a single die.
Spencer Campbell of Gila RPGs is known for making games inspired by video games (like his games Rune and REAP, crunchy soulslike solo TTRPGs). His most recent game, Loot is set in a city that has just toppled its former lich overlord — and his vast supply of wealth is now free for the taking. But the people have been left to fend off the creatures and factions who’ve come to fill the power vacuum and claim the city as their own.
Players act as freelancers, adventurers who’ve come to the city on the promise that they will fend off these combating factions in exchange for unimaginable loot. There are two main phases of play: exploration and combat. During exploration, players venture through forests, city streets, and of course dungeons. During combat, the game master breaks out a 6×6 grid for turn-based combat.
It all sounds pretty standard (though still compelling) fare for a D&D campaign, but instead of relying on skills and dice, players have resources they have to manage (Approaches) that offer them three ways to solve problems: Force, Flow, and Focus. Every player starts off with one available slot for each approach, increasing depending on the loot they have equipped. Each time a player confronts a challenge or an obstacle — in or out of combat — the GM will ask the PC to use and mark off a corresponding Approach point.
There is no option for failure here, which some players may find odd, rather the consequences for resource management reflect how severe the complications are that will arise from the challenge. As Campbell writes in the quickstart guide, “the PCs are assumed to be capable adventurers, with their limits represented by their willingness to push through obstacles, or adapt their approaches to fit a challenge.”While print copies of the game will be available at the end of January, a pdf of the game is available now for $20 on the GilaRPG itch.io store.
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