Titmouse's Debut Board Game Began as a Alcoholic Gag
The renowned animation company may be most recognized for producing popular Critical Role animated series such as The Legend of Vox Machina and Mighty Nein, however after a wildly successful fundraising campaign in the previous year, the company's premiere board game arrives on Nov. 28.
Drunkards, Druggies, & Delinquents is marketed as a “consciousness-shifting fantasy role-drinking game” for players of every skill level and sobriety levels. Imagine a simplified edition of D&D where instead of HP, you forfeit “sips” or “puffs” every time you take damage. (Though the developers have said players are invited to use any substitute from exercises to spicy food or sweets as a replacement — anything that induces you to undergo some kind of largely harmless physical “injury.”)
The most amusing aspect about this rowdy new game, though, is that it initially emerged as a prank.
“Every year we do a unusual business offering, a distinctive piece that we distribute to every partner,” Titmouse founder and CEO Chris Prynoski shared during a digital conference. “Several years back, I desired to make a game master screen.”
Located in Oakland creator SKINNER, who focuses on “psychedelic nightmare paintings,” created the vibrant artwork for the display. Yet the founder said they required the inside of the screen to include content. So he enlisted Titmouse Creative Director Alexei Bochenek to throw together text intended to read “highly detailed and technical” as if Gary Gygax had written a drinking game in the fashion of the classic RPG.
“I never really expected anyone to play it,” Prynoski admitted. “I simply believed it would be a amusing novelty item. However a bunch of people tested it and recommended we should create this.”
The founder said it was Gary Gygax's son, Gary Gygax’s son, who eventually convinced the Titmouse team to back a more developed iteration of the game.
After launching on Backerkit in November, the game was totally financed in just two hours, eventually smashing through stretch goals to collect a sum of $over 100k. (Unfortunately, that meant it was $17k short of activating the Vintner character.) This title has a dozen classes based on beer, liquor, or weed — such as the Beerbarian, Booze Mage, Druid of the Flower. Besides standard skills, the majority have common features you find in alcohol-based games. The Pontificator must constantly deliver a monologue narrative throughout the game in minute particulars, and if they pause, they are required to consume.
The game includes pre-generated hero profiles participants can use detailing how each hero has fundamental scores, dual actions (a blend of close combat and spells), a Distinct Power, and a Unique Trait. But you can additionally mix and match with these elements to build a completely personalized character. Expendable gear and equipment further modify various playstyles, for example the Bongwater Staff that makes any enemies it affects to take increased injury for a single turn.
“This isn't designed for the heavy narrative,” Prynoski said. “The battle mechanics is fundamentally a chaotic clash, so it’s designed for player interaction and battle.”
The entire mechanics is built around using a single d12 included with all versions of the game (which can additionally be employed on a series of tables to set the narrative scene). Per round, the active Drunken Master uses that die. According to the role, they pick a creature card from a few options (multiple enemies in total) to put on the game board. Could it be the mischievous Weed Monarch that returns enchantment strikes? Or the monstrous Flesh Golem that forces all opponents roll an extra d12 for strikes?
Every creature assaults as commanded by the present GM, then every participant.
“The biggest difference among this title and classic roleplaying games is that there isn't a single game master,” the founder said, explaining that like a typical game, the role shifts around the table with each leader managing the monsters for the turn. According to him, this is a key aspect that render it accessible to TTRPG newcomers.
Assault checks are evaluated versus a participant or creature's protection: Should the Mummy launches a strike and rolls an 11 with the dice roll, it won’t cause harm on a Beerbarian’s 12 protection. Yet if it makes the identical strike against a Booze Mage with six protection, the {player|gamer|participant
