INDEPENDENT TTRPG MODULE/SYSTEM CREATOR: Pierrick Simon

Whilst a lot of people tend to associate TTRPG's with more of a hack and slash type of game, they can actually be quite deep, especially when independent module creator's are set loose.  Pierrick Simon, is one such person who has tackled a lot of different idea's within the D&D setting, from his Monk class through to his Vault of the Thinker were puzzle have the players on edge as they fight against time to achieve their goal.

Throwing Pierrick into our own question adventure, we couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with for his answers...

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

Pierrick Simon:  The module I am most proud of is called « Vault of the Thinker », a dungeon for D&D 5e. It is inspired by my love of heists and by my passion for academic philosophy. Only one of which I practice in real life. In it, you raid a vault filled with puzzles. A time constraint heightens the stakes, and gives it a real turn-by-turn dungeon-delve feel that I am also a fan of.

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

PS:  The best selling point for my products is a very simple design philosophy : if I create something for Dungeon Masters, I consider it to be my responsability to come up with something that actually saves time for them to use. In other words, I need to be the one doing the heavy lifting in this relationship, and not just inspire ideas in them (which is also nice, admittedly). The only way that I know how to do that is to put a lot of care into making sure that the themes I invoke and the gameplay I outline are mutually reinforcing. And so I always keep an eye on design questions that people usually need help thinking about, because they can be a bit abstract.

TP:  Why the TTRPG space?

PS:  I’m hooked !

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

PS:  For D&D 5e, I produce Action-Oriented Monsters (inspired by Matt Colville’s design), which are special monster stat blocks that make sure that the bad guys get to shine during combat. It’s a very interesting exercise, and I think it is very needed for this system.

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

PS:  I have finished a D&D campaign where we waged war against the Xanathar of Waterdeep. I have many war stories to tell, DM notes to share, and homebrew to polish and publish. My aim is literally to talk about my campaign, while sharing all the best re-usable bits. It would be the perfect mix of self-indulgence and aid.

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

PS:  People who can fall in love with a singular idea or archetype. For instance, if you can fall in love with the idea of ghosts, and think to yourself, « that is freaking cool ! » you might like my stuff about specters. If you can fall inlove with the idea of maledictions, i have something for you too, etc. I present a series of things that I find cool. If you regularly find things cool, you might enjoy my style of presentation.

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

PS:  Who knows !

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

PS:  I have become fascinated recently by a type of D&D product which is a hybrid between a « choose your own adventure » type book and an adventure module. It is something that you can play by yourself, even when you do not have a D&D group. You read along and you play along. I think I would love to create one of those, and perhaps the gameplay system that comes with it.

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

PS:  That would be Matt Colville. I am not sure if this counts as who you are thinking of when you ask about indie TTRPG writers. But what I do know is that anything that I know about TTRPG game design in general, not just D&D, I know it because of Matt Colville. I recommend his Youtube series and Twitch Streams to learn how to think like a game designer, without fealty to any brand.

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

PS:  One day, I was given a « Choose your own adventure » type book. I think this is when I got hooked. It was a perfect match for me. As if my brain was made for it. And then my character died in the book. I put it away, disappointed, and I didn’t think about it for years. Not sure why. Until one day I saw TTRPG actual play streams on youtube and something that had been laying dormant in me went « it’s back ! It’s that feeling of adventure, like in that one book where you got killed by giant crabs ! ». And I was back in the game.