INDEPENDENT TTRPG SYSTEM CREATOR: Mark Beren - Armoured games

There are times when we've all dreamed of being armoured knights, riding into battle, charging against the foe, righting wrongs, rescuing people in distress and of course being the one on the battle charger looked upon with envy by everyone else.  So when I heard that Mark Beren had been working on a game around chivalry I had to have a chat with him.  Having previously written some supplements, Knight is his first full system title and will shortly be going to kickstarter which we will let people know about when we can.

Here Mark answers our questions from his home in Brisbane, giving us change to get to know him a little better...

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

Mark Beren:  I think KNIGHT is the one I'm most proud of. I'm proud of it because I've taken great things done by other systems and worked them together to make a game that is fast, fun, and achieves my purpose of creating a legend.

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

MB:  The strong theme combined with campaign play. KNIGHT is designed primarily as a long term, if limited game - it's campaign is designed to create drama, conflict, and then end strongly.

TP:  Why the TTRPG space?

MB:  TTRPGs are my passion. I'm not much of a gamer in other fields, and novels are something different. I like to think of the games I write as being guidelines for making shared stories - shared art, even.

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

 MB:  I only have a handful of things on DM's Guild, so Knight will be my first 'big' product. So at the moment, Knight. 

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

MB:  Currently working on the last touches of layout and art with Knight, getting proofs, making sure the project is going well. I also have another thing I'm doing to assuage my creative spirit called STAR FIGHTER, which is a rules light game where brave pilots fight inevitable burnout while  trying to save humanity against an apparently unstoppable enemy.

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

MB:  I think the people that will love KNIGHT the most are those who love creating little character dramas, or making stories for those characters. My system is designed for there to be space and even to focus on those stories.

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

MB:  In all honesty, I'd like to be putting out a book or so to a small to medium audience of interested fans. My dreams of wild success and live the life of a game designer are rather tempered by reality of needing to pay my mortgage.

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

MB:  Well, my game is (I believe!) pretty unique. But if I could, I'd like to keep doing my STAR FIGHTER game and get it looking really nice.

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

MB:  John Harper from Blades in the Dark fame and Chris McDonnell of Into the Odd are my heroes. Chris for his mastery of the technical writing of RPG design, and John for his mechanical understanding of how theme, setting and pace are linked.

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

MB:  The Adventure Begins Here, a third edition supplement! Ahh, that unicorn that was immune to sleep being put to sleep by goblin arrows...