What was the RPG Pipeline

The RPG Pipeline was a posting board to keep track of upcoming tabletop rpgs from 2015 to 2021 (this Blogger version began in 2019). It covered new English language ttrpgs and ttrpgs going into crowdfunding.

Thursday 25 February 2021

Year Zero Mini / $2.00

Year Zero Mini / $2.00: Publisher: 3 Skulls Pub

There is a free version here which contains everything you need to run the game. To support this game and future development, this non-free version includes the free version of the game plus two Phone PDFs (one themed dark and one light). Thanks!


Like other rules-light games, Year Zero Mini (YZM) is designed to provide a light framework to allow you to quickly jump into your favourite setting. Where other rules-light games might emphasise action or heroics, YZM is a little more down to earth - telling stories of a more gritty and relatable nature.

Using the Year Zero Engine (covered by an OGL from Free League Publishing), this game uses pools of standard six-sided dice, and success is measured by any 6s showing up in a roll. You won't find target numbers, complicated mechanics, or funky dice here. We want this game to be accessible to a wide range of people!

While YZM is best experienced in one-shots, convention games, or short campaigns (around a dozen sessions), it's also perfectly suitable for longer-term play.

INFLUENCES: YZM is inspired by a whole host of games. Whilst its core is based on the award-winning Tales From the Loop, it is also sprinkled with a little bit of Burning Wheel, Conan 2d20, Maze Rats, FATE Core, and Alas for the Awful Sea (an awesome PBTA game). This heady mix is then smoothed out to create an extremely light & story-driven framework.

CONTENTS: Condensed down to only a half-dozen A4 pages (plus title page, character sheet, and OGL), YZM is a quick read, designed to help you hit the ground running! It is likewise free from large pieces of art and backgrounds, intended to be printed out. Inside you'll find:

• Page 1 covering character creation.
• Page 2 containing the core rules.
• Page 3 with rules on conflict & chases.
• Page 4 with GM advice for running YZM.
• Page 5 with adventure sparks.
• Page 6 with advice on preparing your setting.

In addition to the 6 page PDF, two Phone PDFs are included, designed for seemless vertical scrolling on phones. One version is light and one dark. The PDF previews show the dark version.

SETTINGS: While short, two page (ish) settings are planned for YZM, there are already a number of settings available:

Fiends & Furrows by Odd Bard Games
Riptide by Odd Bard Games
Atlantis by Rodrigo Peralta (available at the website)

JOIN THE COMMUNITY: There are community groups for YZM on Discord, Facebook, MeWe, and Reddit. You can find links for them on the title page of this documents, plus a link to the website where you can find additional materials and a newsletter signup.

Year Zero MiniPrice: $2.00

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