Post

Unlike other fantasy settings, the Snarl -- our upcoming weird fantasy RPG -- is not awash with murderous tomb robbers. 🧵↓

When we set out to design the world of The Snarl, we specifically avoided certain fantasy tropes. Specifically, we steered away from the faux-feudalistic politics and economies that are the default for most games.

Despite its unusual environs, The Snarl was once (and still largely is!) a place of abundance. Food and the resources needed to survive are readily available to small-scale groups.

The vertical environment of skyscraper-sized trees makes farming and agriculture challenging, which puts constraints on the number and sizes of large settlements.

So how does this work within an RPG, where PCs are normally incentivized to kill monsters and take their treasure? In The Snarl, people do not adventure for gold and wealth — they are driven by other motivations: protection, exploration, archeology, socio-political conflicts, etc.

Rest assured, there is still loot — of a sort. First, there are goods, which are tangible items that have value to the Weald’s communities: rare foods, artisanal goods, tools, art, and other staples.

These are largely handled in the abstract but can be defined by the GM for flavor (or via a random table). Goods are used to trade with strangers for gear and supplies the party needs for their kits.