DIE Designer Grant Howitt Details Mechanics and Philosophy Behind Kickstarter TTRPG
In a world saturated with combat-oriented board game and RPG Kickstarter campaigns, designer Grant Howitt aims to bring something different to the table. Based on Kieron Gillen's award-winning comic by the same name, DIE: The Roleplaying Game offers a metafictional experience oriented around exploring, confronting, and conquering psychological trauma. Players adopt the roles of people who are swept into a harrowing fantasy world, akin to Jumanji, Narnia, and Isekai anime. As of this writing, the game's Kickstarter has already met its funding goal, and is open until June 10.
Game Rant spoke with Howitt to discuss the RPG's core systems, themes, and approach to combat. Even those tired of Kickstarter campaigns should be interested to know that this rules-lite, flavor-heavy RPG system promises creative, original, and challenging experiences that will appeal to tabletop newcomers and role-playing veterans alike.
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There is a common tabletop gaming misconception that a title's depth is equivalent to its mechanical complexity. By Howitt's own admission, DIE's core book is light on hard rules. There are no massive tables or charts to navigate, and no complex formulas to calculate skill success or damage outcomes. Instead, DIE demands improvisation and imagination in exchange for narrative flexibility and a focus on pathos.
«It's all very freeform, and it has to be, because a lot of the play focuses around the GM mashing up elements from your real-world lives and your fantasy obsessions. So we don't have a rule that says, 'If the dragon has the face of your abusive boss, you must pass a Will save or become Distressed for D6 rounds,' and instead rely on the GM to apply
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