A look at what's inside Chimera Basic

Chimera Basic is on schedule for release this weekend. I'll post an announcement to blog and newsletter subscribers, and of course, there will be a bright and shiny banner on this site's home page. A beacon for all to see, as it were.

But this has been a hectic couple of months. Much writing, a crazy Real Life schedule, and--for a solid six weeks in a row--the worst sinus headaches I've experienced during my stay on this planet. So, excuses aside, it occurs to me that there may be some questions about Chimera Basic. Ever helpful, here are some answers.

Chimera Basic Is...

A distilled version of the Chimera Roleplaying Game rules. Long story short, version 3.0 started out with some major mechanical revisions (e.g., ditching attributes), and in the process of revising, I decided to create a Basic version of the game. Why, you ask?

Two reasons: (1) I wanted to create a stand-alone version of the game, bigger than the Quick Start but smaller than the Core Rules, and (2) I wanted to see how the new mechanics worked in the wild before devoting a lot of time and energy to writing a big Core Rules volume.

Chimera Basic Will Cost You...

Nothing, for now. When it's released, you can download Chimera Basic for FREE, but only for a limited time. How long is that limited time? Well, that depends--I'm conducting a little experiment, and you all are the subjects. Once I've gathered enough data to reach a conclusion, the experiment will be over, and Chimera Basic will no longer be free. That could be a month, 9 months, two weeks, or a year.

What's the experiment, and how do you participate? Download Chimera Basic when it's released and find out.

Chimera Basic Contains...

Enough material for you to create your own campaign, in whatever genre or setting you want. In fact, weighing in at about 44 pages, there's enough to actually keep the campaign going, and to build things that aren't included, like new classes, new powers, new perks, new whatever. The idea behind Chimera Basic is to provide a solid (like, mad solid as the kids say) foundation for you to build on--whatever you're building.

Here's a peek at the Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
   1. Chimera: the Nutshell
   2. What You Need to Play
   3. How To Get Started
2. Core Concepts
   1. Abilities
   2. Action Rolls
   3. Character Classes
   4. Experience Level
   5. Tech Levels
3. Characters
   1. Character Generation
   2. Character Races
   3. Character Classes
   4. Boons and Baggage (optional)
   5. Character Advancement
4. Abilities
   1. Ability Descriptions
5. Perks
   1. Perk Descriptions
6. Flaws
   1. Flaw Descriptions
   2. Overcoming Flaws
7. Powers
   1. Using Powers
   2. Resisting Powers
   3. Power Descriptions
8. Equipment
   1. Weapons
   2. Armour
   3. Gear
   4. Equipment Quality
   5. Equipment Damage and Loss
9. Adventuring
   1. Action Rolls
   2. Breaking Objects
   3. Clutch Situations
   4. Combat
   5. Ending Combat
   6. Fatigue
   7. Fighting Manoeuvres
   8. Healing
   9. Movement
   10. Resistance Rolls
   11. Special Hazards
10. Non-Player Characters
    1. Character Types
    2. Creating NPCs
11. Monsters
    1. Adaptations
    2. Creating Monsters
    3. Monster Descriptions
    4. Customising Monsters
12. Campaign Creation
    1. Select Genre & Setting
    2. Consider Technology Level and Powers
    3. Define Campaign Hook
    4. Describe Cultures
    5. Map the Setting
    6. Create Points of Interest
    7. Create Organisations
    8. Describe High-level Conflicts
    9. Create NPCs
    10. Devise Adventure Hooks
13. Creating Adventures
    1. Choose a Hook
    2. Invent the Backstory
    3. Define the End Goal
    4. Define Rewards
    5. Create Encounters
    6. Draw Map
    7. Write the Epilogue
14. Being the Game Master
    1. Game Master Responsibilities
    2. Game Master Tips
15. Next Steps
16. Forms & Templates
    1. Character Sheet
    2. Adventure Template
    3. Regional Hex Template
    4. Local Hex Template
    5. Blast Templates

Final Words

Chimera Basic provides a solid framework for any game. Looking to start a new fantasy/sci-fi/sword-and-planet/WWII commando campaign, but don't know what system to use? Try Chimera. Looking for a rules-lite alternative? Try Chimera. Looking for a system that provides a good base for your own mechanical tweaks? Try Chimera.

I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but I'm confident that Chimera Basic will give rise to more genre-specific rule options and settings. But for now, Chimera Basic is only a few days away.