INDEPENDENT TTRPG MODULE/SYSTEM CREATOR INTERVIEW: Balsamic Moon Games Collective

 TTRPG's are always a magical experience.  whether its creating your character or wandering the world discovering what it has to offer, they always make sure that your escape is a wonderful time.  When we heard about this release from Balsamic Moon Games Collective, we were more than intrigued as not only did Witches of Midnight grab our interest with a unique magical system but also to be accompanied with its own Tarot deck, made this a release that we couldn't help but become more curious about.

We've been lucky enough to grab a word with the creators of this title (which (or witch, lol) will be going live on kickstarter in the future) to learn a little more about them as well as having the opportunity to delve a little deeper...

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator of systems for TTRPG's, what inspired you to write the one you're most proud of?

Balsamic Moon Games Collective:  Witches of Midnight is a Forged in the Dark game that started out as a Blades hack and grew into its own fully formed system.

We were inspired by the simplicity of narrative systems like PbtA and FitD and excited by the consent-based system where players often get to know the potential consequences of their actions ahead of time, and can always say "no" to consequences.

We've made several major additions to FitD we made in Witches of Midnight, I'll detail a couple:

The Wyld Magic system is unique in that it lets you take world-altering actions and at the same time asks you questions about the core of who your character is: where they are at in their journey and what kind of magic they do best.

We took Devil's Bargains and integrated them fully into the game as Bargains (most player characters take Fae Bargains / Pacts / Contracts, others take Cosmic Bargains). Eventually, the creatures giving you the Bargain will come for payment, and we make that time exciting and personal.

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your TTRPG's?

BMGC:  For players who like witches and witch-related media, there aren't a lot of options. The few that exist feel like witches were tacked on as an afterthought. Those that center magic users of any kind force players to stay "in the broom closet". Our witches are out and unapologetic of their craft and their abilities.

We let you tell your own stories using our 22 unique Factions (here are 3 ideas off the top of my head):

If you were inspired by Salem, you can resist The Order and play a dark romantic witch-hunting drama in Midnight.

If you were inspired by The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, you can join Morningstar Academy and play a somewhat silly teen drama with dark and mysterious elements.

If you were inspired by Motherland: Fort Salem, you can join the Legion of the Griffin as new recruits and work your way up within the organization, unraveling deep mysteries.

TP:  Why the TTRPG space?

BMGC:  We're huge fans of the indie TTRPG scene and developers. I've been making TTRPGs since I was 15, before I even knew they existed. My first started as an extension of a video game that my friends and I knew would never get a sequel.

I spent 32 years making game systems for my home group, but when the pandemic hit I started really thinking about what I could release that would (hopefully) make the world a slightly better place.

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why?

BMGC:  We're darn proud of all three of the game's we've made for BalsamicGames. They each hit a very unique niche we felt was missing in the indie TTRPG world. But 2 years of playtesting and streaming of Witches of Midnight correctly imply that it's our favorite product.

It's our favorite because it is unique, inclusive, diverse and fully embraces the changes that the powerful PCs will inevitably make to the game world.

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it?

BMGC:  Witches of Midnight is still in the manuscript phase, but approximately 95% complete. The Tarot Deck we will be offering as part of the Kickstarter is just getting underway, but we love what we've seen! You can see some of our art on our website.

 

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?

BMGC:  We think anyone who gives our games a chance would enjoy them very much. They are highly player-focused and give the Game Master a lot of tools to run our games with little to no prep.

Most of our playtesters, just over half, had either only played one session of another TTRPG or had never played a TTRPG before they joined our playtesting team. They fell in love with the system in the first session.. and 75 sessions later they are all still with us!

TP:  Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years?

BMGC:  I'm hoping that in 5 years we will be writing expansions for Witches of Midnight (new locales or other playable creatures) or at least overseeing their production. I'll be making smaller scale systems as well, single page games and zine games.

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?

BMGC:  I am 1000% doing exactly that right now, with Witches of Midnight. However, if I could instantly get the IP for anything, I would to make a TTRPG about The Boulet Brother's Dragula. Drag Monsters traveling the world solving bloody mysteries, performing disgustingly glamourous shows and destroying bigots.

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why?

BMGC:  We're big fans of a vast array of indie TTRPG devs: Stefan Struck, Kira Magrann, Navi and Shawn Drake, Erik Bernhardt, Tanya Floaker, Graham Gentz, Shawn Tomkin, Alex Reinhart & Jay Dragon, John Harper, Chris McDowall, Stras Acimovic and John Leboeuf-Little.

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?

BMGC:  About a year after making my first TTRPG using the random function TI-86+, we found dice and learned about basic D&D (this was in the pre-internet age) and started immediately hacking it to make a sci-fi fantasy game.