In June 2022 we presented the all-new Pip System Quick Deal featuring the genre-bending introductory Pip System from Third Eye Games.
Whereas many of the roleplaying hobby’s introductory games are designed for young players, the Pip System’s specialty is its suitability for groups of all ages. Everyone can enjoy a Pip game, regardless of age or RPG experience. As designer Eloy Lasanta (The Ninja Crusade, Part-Time Gods) wrote, “We’ve had groups who have played very serious-toned games with the Pip System, full of blood and guts and battles, at the same cons where other groups used the Pip System for more family-styled games, like mermaids, bugs, or magical campers. The core mechanics that make up the Pip System Corebook are easily adaptable, customizable, and more complex than they might appear on the surface.”
The Pip System resolves Tasks using a pool of white dice, determined by the character’s Skill Ranks, and a number of black dice, representing the Task’s Challenge Rating as decided by the Game Guide. The player takes all the dice and makes the roll. A 4, 5, or 6 on a die is a success. Whichever dice pool succeeds the most, white or black, wins the roll. Players can spend Fortune points for die bonuses. A character’s Weapon and Armor Ratings, Gear, Hindrances, and special abilities may change the dice.
On this basic framework you can build any kind of RPG. The quarterly Pip System Primer magazine has presented resources that support Pip fantasy, noir, animal adventures, dystopian worlds, time jumpers, ghost hunting, and urban fantasy, among other genres. This Pip System Quick Deal included the complete Pip System Corebook (plus the free Quickstart); three Pip System Primers for the years 2018 through 2020 — Pip System Primer Annual 1, Annual 2, Annual 3; and the Status Effect Cards.
