First impressions are everything. Admit it, you usually make a decision about someone or something before you really even know what it is. It's human nature. So, let's get the first impressions over with. This is my blog, which is about a brand new role playing game (RPG) called Untold. Untold is a card based role playing game (referred to as a CBRPG) which was released by Wandering Men Studios this year (we'll call them WMS for short). I know, it's a lot to keep up with. But don't worry, you'll get used to it. I'm Ben, a certified Untold Game Master (GM), which isn't as glorious as it sounds. I'm going to be discussing the various aspects of Untold as we go a long, talking about everything from game mechanics, to story development, to the Untold community. I guess I'm kind of serving as an unofficial Untold chronicler, providing a record of what Untold was like in it's fledgling years. Anyways, so without further ado, let's jump right in to this.
I've already said that Untold is a CBRPG, but even the most experienced RPGers might scratch their heads at this title. Yes, the entire Untold system, from rules to abilities, are on cards. It's a pretty unique approach. It's card based for two primary reasons. The first is Mobility. RPGs are notorious for the amount of books required to play a game. Bits of information are gathered from countless books in order to build characters or adventures. Even with the advent of the internet and other forms of info-sharing technology, the players still can't get away from the books. And the books are pretty pricy; and gamers, like other addicts, are usually pretty poor. The other main reason for basing an RPG on cards is the ability to quickly construct a character, even an epic level one. It takes a matter of minutes for a player to build themselves a character in Untold. There is no more digging through dozens of books to find the right spells or abilites. Simply look through a stack of cards.
Well, you may be thinking that is all well and good, but why should I pick up this RPG? Well, first off, it's pretty affordable. In a rough economy that has been hard on gamers, Untold offers a very affordable product. A Starter Set, which has enough cards for 6 players and a GM is around $30.00, which is equal to or cheaper than most RPG books. However, you can buy a single character deck for $4.95. Take it out the box and play. Another great aspect of Untold, and one to which I can personally attest to, is the ability to have your character or idea turned into a card. I have the prestigious honor of being one of the first players who had their character idea turned into a character card. But we'll go into more about that later on.
So, there's the first impression. Untold is taking a lot of the old traditions and habits and tossing them out the window. Untold is trying to take a new approach to building an RPG game. One that is player centered, affordable, fast and fun. If you hang around for the next installation, you'll hear more about how the game is actually played. Until then, thanks for reading and have fun!
