Adventurers' Song exists so people can gather, play, imagine, struggle, laugh, remember, and create stories.
Principles 1-2
You begin by imagining the hero you want to play. You make choices for your hero, and your friends make choices for theirs. The results become an actual story that everyone at the table creates and shares. Adventurers' Song records what happened so the table can produce a permanent record of that story to enjoy long after the campaign is complete.
A hero does not just learn a Skill, gain a power, suffer a wound, or earn a reward. There is always a reason. There is always a why. Training, experience, choices, and consequences shape the character. The rules support imaginative play while ensuring that the events of the game make sense.
Principles 3-6
Describe what your hero knows or can do in ordinary words. Choose from the Skills already defined, propose a new one, or combine several Skills when an action has several meaningful parts. The GM uses a simple process to decide whether your proposal makes sense. If it does, you roll it.
Players can build very different heroes and attempt creative actions. The game balances those actions when they are resolved. The roll accounts for the hero's Skills, the difficulty, and any opposition. The GM can approve unusual character concepts without constantly telling the player "no." Players keep their agency, and the GM has a clear way to resolve each attempt.
A new player can get started simply by describing the hero they want to play and rolling a d20 when the GM asks. Players learn additional rules as they need them.
They soon combine Skills into Skill Chains and begin using Tactics and Reactions. Skill Masteries let them customize their Skills, frequently taking them far beyond the scope of the original Core Skill. Heroes may belong to or join schools and organizations that teach new Skills, Masteries, Tactics, and Reactions. They may also learn multiple Energy paths and combine Skills from each.
Each layer creates more choices and more combinations to master.
Adventurers' Song gives players creative freedom within a coherent rules structure. Skills, powers, progression, opposition, and resolution follow consistent rules. These boundaries keep unusual character ideas and clever combinations from taking control of the game or undermining everyone else's fun.
Fantasy is the first supported genre. The Core System is designed to expand into western, gothic, steampunk, spacefaring science fiction, superhero, historical, modern, and other settings. A campaign can be grounded, gritty, heroic, or extraordinary; it can be high fantasy, low fantasy, or anything in between.
Principles 7-9
Adventurers' Song is designed to make the GM's work easier. Its core rules use simple, consistent procedures for character actions, NPCs, damage, growth, and consequences. The GM can adjudicate each quickly and on the fly. You can run the game with character sheets, pencils, dice, and conversation.
StoryEngine is being designed to help with character creation, story arcs, encounters, campaign memory, and table management. Each table will decide how much help it wants, and the GM will be able to use different amounts of help at different times. Like to do it all yourself? Great. Do it. Having a tough day? Let StoryEngine do the work this time. It's up to you.
People at the same table often have very different amounts of money to spend. Adventurers' Song will provide a permanent free path into play, including use of StoryEngine, so anyone can create a hero and begin playing without paying. Additional books, StoryEngine features, and creative services will be available for those who want them.
Purchased StoryEngine credits can be given to another player or GM or contributed to a shared table pool. A player can give credits to a friend. A group can help its GM prepare the next adventure. One person's generosity can benefit everyone at the table.
Adventurers' Song is designed to support family play, younger players, educational goals, and meaningful ethical choices. Its modular structure can adapt the game for different ages, learning environments, communities, and table needs. An educational module will help parents turn completed lessons, quiz results, and other learning achievements into bonuses, tokens, and other resources their children can use during an adventure.
Families, schools, homeschool groups, secular tables, and religious tables can each shape the game around their own needs and values. Adventurers' Song welcomes people with different beliefs and backgrounds. The goal is simple: include everybody.
There is a place for you at this table.
