I made my own TTRPG from scratch for my friends. Its a heist with "screw you" mechanics.

I've been wanting to play table top rpgs for years! But I either never had friends to play with, or they were people who didnt know (or wanted to know) how to play them.

When I finally convinced them, they did not want to pre-prep character sheets, but I scheduled them anyway and made a game.

I blended my limited knowledge (the d20 use from Baldurs Gate 3 and the 1-3 "screw you" dice mechanics of Mario Party), decided it would be a Cyberpunk setting (since its easier to explain "its you but with futuristic powers" rather than the concept of tieflings), and I decided it would be a heist (whoever reaches the package and defeats the enemies wins).

I then encountered a few problems:

1. Being the game master without prior experience: I made my game function more like the dungeon master is a "casino dealer" instead of a narrator. The game itself is made in a way where the players themselves cause the drama. (drama is encouraged). The game master "knows what happens next" and nudges, but the players set up the pacing.

2. Endless "screw you" tactics and balance: Since I made this for my friends, I was inclining towards a "pvp but you cant beat the game without helping each other" tension. I implemented a "greed system" (you get an extra d6 but the player of your choosing substracts the result of a d4 in their turn). I made the turn order change every turn (so they can retaliate). I made the downed system a "nuisance system" where downed players continously nag others to help them heal. I made the objective of the game "to fight the boss together and then be the one that steals the data". And I balanced it math wise. During the play testing, my players began civil, then started getting sneaky, then ended the game attacking each other and ignoring the bosses altogether, without my participation. (meaning the game itself did the heavy lifting).

3. Standardization: I made this for my friends, so "how do I make it so anybody can play it"? I designed 5 preset characters. "What if they are strangers and dont want to mess with each other?" I designed a grievances chart. I refined the text, drew plenty of assets (3 maps, over 10 characters, health bars and medical stations).

Once I was happy with the ruleset I ran a few simulations, and after that, I play tested.

I would really love it if you checked it out and gave me some feedback.

You can read it here.