The Suspicion Engine: An Introduction
Coming Soon
The Suspicion Engine: An Introduction gives you a taste of the system, allowing you to investigative how it works and what it's about before committing to the full experience. We’re planning a full lineup of complete modern games utilizing the same system and compatible settings. Accompanying each game will a series of system-neutral essays and articles. These examine the deeper traits of roleplaying, offering insights, tips, and creative prompts to enhance your experiences and roleplaying sessions
The Suspicion Engine is a roleplaying game system tailored for modern settings, drawing its inspiration from the pervasive themes of distrust, skepticism, and wariness found in genres like crime, espionage, horror, mystery, and romance. Our focus on realistic roleplaying grounds players, leaving behind fantastic elements for a more relatable approach found in novels, film, and television.
Here, the spotlight shines on investigation and interaction, guiding players through the process of unraveling mysteries and navigating intricate relationships. Whether scrutinizing a tense crime scene, seeking out classified government information, or untangling the threads of a conspiracy, The Suspicion Engine keeps players engrossed in the intrigue.
One of the standout features of The Suspicion Engine is its adaptable mechanics. Whether rolling dice or shuffling cards is your preference, the system offers the freedom to choose what best suits your style, ensuring every player feels comfortable and engaged.
Our inclusion of a journaling game for solo play and adventure design opens up possibilities for exploration on your terms. Whether crafting your own adventure or embarking on a self-guided adventure, The Suspicion Engine invites you to uncover secrets at your own pace.
The straightforward rules ensure that new players can seamlessly dive into the action, while offering experienced roleplayers ample room for customization. Whether adjusting mechanics to fit personal preferences or adding layers of complexity for a deeper experience, our system accommodates varied styles of play with ease. So whether you're a novice or a veteran, The Suspicion Engine promises an accessible yet endlessly customizable roleplaying experience.
So what are you waiting for? Take the first step into a world of mystery, suspense, and endless possibilities with The Suspicion Engine. Whether you're a veteran gamer or just starting out, there's something here for everyone. Uncover the truth, solve the case, and immerse yourself in the thrilling worlds of modern roleplaying. Your next adventure awaits!
Lightspress is committed to simplifying roleplaying, prioritizing substance over style. We understand that the true essence of roleplaying unfolds around the table, where creativity and collaboration flourish, not within the pages of a rulebook. We're passionate about crafting games that unite people and honor their individuality. Through a focus on cooperation, interaction, and investigation, our games offer experiences where players explore compelling adventures and forge meaningful connections. By releasing these games, we aspire to cultivate inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive and where every story can shine. We invite you to join us on this journey as we light the way toward creativity.
The Introduction Book Includes
System Overview: Dive deep into the intricate workings of The Suspicion Engine, where every cog and gear plays a vital role in crafting your adventure experience. From the foundational principles to the intricate nuances, this guide equips you with everything necessary to begin your roleplaying journey. Learn how to wield the engine's mechanics to shape suspense, intrigue, and drama, transforming mere concepts into immersive adventures that captivate both players and gamemasters alike.
Journaling Game: Begin a solitary quest through your imagination with the crafted journaling game. Whether you seek solace in solo play or aim to craft epic sagas for your tabletop group, these mechanics is the cornerstone of creativity. Examine the depths of character development, plot twists, and immersive worldbuilding, allowing your pen to weave tales of wonder and intrigue across the blank canvas of your journal pages.
Character Types: Explore a broad array of modern archetypes and traits, each a vibrant brushstroke in the canvas of roleplaying. From the enigmatic detective to the tech-savvy hacker, these characters breathe life into your adventures, infusing them with depth and complexity. Embrace the opportunity to diversify your cast, enhancing your settings with a myriad of personalities and perspectives that resonate with gamemasters and players alike.
Beat Charts: Arm yourself with practical tools designed to orchestrate the symphony of your stories, ensuring a harmonious balance of tension, resolution, and momentum. With beat charts at your disposal, you wield the power to sculpt adventures with precision, guiding players through a labyrinth of challenges and revelations. Strike the perfect chord of pacing, managing difficulty levels, and orchestrating climactic moments that leave both players and gamemasters on the edge of their seats.
Supporting Characters: Breathe life into your stories with a cast of supporting characters drawn from the wellspring of common archetypes. From the wise mentor to the lovable sidekick, these familiar faces add depth and familiarity to your roleplaying experiences, enhancing interactions and forging emotional connections. Immerse yourself in a world teeming with vibrant personalities, where every encounter unfolds like a chapter in a beloved novel, leaving an indelible mark on your adventure.
Antagonists: Unleash the forces of conflict and adversity with a rogues' gallery of rivals and adversaries, each poised to test the mettle of your player characters. From cunning masterminds to relentless pursuers, these antagonists inject your stories with a potent dose of tension and excitement, driving the adventure forward with relentless momentum. Embrace the challenge of outwitting your foes, navigating treacherous waters where victory hangs in the balance, waiting to be seized by those bold enough to grasp it.
Animals: Enhance your adventures with a menagerie of diverse creatures that roam the modern wilderness, adding a touch of authenticity and vitality to your settings. From loyal companions to formidable adversaries, these animals lend an air of realism to your adventures, serving as integral components of the ecosystems you bring to life. Whether as companions, obstacles, or symbols of the natural world, these creatures infuse your stories with a sense of wonder and adventure that transcends the bounds of imagination.
Equipment: Equip your characters with the essential tools and common items they need to navigate the perils of your world with confidence and realism. From high-tech gadgets to everyday essentials, this catalog ensures that no detail is overlooked in your pursuit of immersive roleplaying. Arm your characters with the gear they need to face whatever challenges lie ahead, from mundane tasks to epic confrontations, enhancing their capabilities and the authenticity of your setting.
Inspirations: My creative journey unfolded amidst a myriad of inspirations, each thread weaving together to birth this system. I draw from several sources, remixing and reimagining roleplaying tropes into a system that caters to my roles as player, gamemaster, and designer. From cherished classics to avant-garde innovations, every influence finds its place in shaping this adventure landscape.
Design Principles & Choices: Guided by clear goals and unwavering intentions, I began this project with a vision deeply rooted in my philosophy of game design. This system is not merely a creation but a manifestation of my aspirations for Lightspress, aligning seamlessly with my overarching vision. It are a beacon illuminating the path toward fulfilling my ambitions both now and in the future.
Learnings: The journey of crafting this game has been one of profound discovery and growth. Through the act of creation, I have gained invaluable insights that have crystallized my understanding of the potential of roleplaying. These lessons inform not only my future projects but also the evolving identity of Lightspress as a publisher. Each revelation expanded the possibilities, fueling the start of an ongoing cycle of innovation and refinement.
Frequently Asked Questions: Throughout the development process, I've encountered inquiries that reflect the curiosity and anticipation surrounding this system. Addressing these questions addresses its implications for existing game lines, the operational landscape of Lightspress, and the opportunities it offers to players and gamemasters alike.
What's NOT Included
As an introduction to The Suspicion Engine, certain sections found in full games powered by the system are absent here.
Setting Material: Begin a journey through intricately crafted worlds, each offering a unique tapestry of history, culture, and geography to immerse players in a richly detailed setting. From the bustling metropolises to quaint small towns, creepy mansions to romantic hideaways, these settings are the canvas upon which epic tales unfold, inviting exploration, discovery, and adventure at every turn.
More Character Types: Expand the horizons of character creation with a broad array of custom character types tailored to each setting's unique flavor and themes. From criminals to romantic leads, secret agents to amateur sleuths, these additional character options open up a world of possibilities, empowering players to embody roles that resonate with each setting's atmosphere and adventure arcs.
Traits: Examine an extensive selection of traits, sorted by type for both ready-to-use character enhancements and wells of inspiration for original creations. Whether seeking to bolster a character's strengths or add layers of complexity to their personalities, these traits provide a toolkit for customization, enabling players to tailor their creations to fit seamlessly into the setting.
Character Creation: Unravel the complete character creation process, from the initial spark of inspiration to the final flourish of character development, laid out within the pages of each full game. With rules and guidelines tailored to suit the unique needs of each setting, players are empowered to craft characters as diverse and multifaceted as the worlds they inhabit, ensuring a truly immersive roleplaying experience from the very outset.
Gamemastery: Master the art of roleplaying with a chapter dedicated to running the game, adapted to suit the tone, style, and themes of each setting and genre. Whether guiding players through epic mysteries or orchestrating heart-pounding encounters, this invaluable resource equips gamemasters with the tools and techniques they need to breathe life into their worlds and captivate the imaginations of their players.
Additional Beat Charts: Unlock a collection of beat charts specific to each setting, offering roleplaying possibilities and infinite variations for crafting compelling adventures. From pulse-pounding confrontations to poignant character moments, these additional beat charts are indispensable tools for shaping the ebb and flow of your stories, ensuring a dynamic and engaging roleplaying experience with every session.
Custom Supporting Characters: Enhance your stories with a cast of setting-specific archetypes, each crafted to add depth and familiarity to your roleplaying experience. From colorful locals to enigmatic allies, these custom supporting characters breathe life into your adventures, forging connections and driving the plot forward with their unique personalities and motivations.
Specific Antagonists: Confront your player characters with a rogues' gallery of genre-appropriate rivals and adversaries, each poised to challenge their mettle and test their resolve. From cunning villains to relentless monsters, these specific antagonists inject tension and excitement into your stories, ensuring that every encounter is fraught with peril and ripe with opportunity for heroic deeds and epic confrontations.
Suitable Animals: Enliven your stories with a broad array of creatures perfectly suited to the unique demands of each setting, adding a touch of authenticity and vibrancy to your adventures. From beloved pets to dangerous wildlife, these animals are integral components of the ecosystems you bring to life, enhancing your adventures with a sense of wonder and exploration that transcends the boundaries of imagination.
Genre-Appropriate Equipment: Equip your characters with the tools and gear they need to navigate the challenges of their respective settings with style and flair. From futuristic gadgets to ancient artifacts, each piece of genre-appropriate equipment enhances the realism and immersion of your adventures, empowering characters to face whatever obstacles lie in their path with confidence and ingenuity.
