I've finally published my TTRPG, ARCS: A Roleplaying Cinematic System!
Greetings and salutations! For the past year or so, I've been working on designing my very first TTRPG, a passion project built to embody all the things I've grown to love about this medium. Now, at this point of development and playtesting, I'm happy to finally share a version I consider “complete” as a fully playable core experience. Without further ado, allow me to introduce ARCS: A Roleplaying Cinematic System!
ARCS: A Roleplaying Cinematic System is a tabletop roleplaying game driven by the creation, exploration, and resolution of structured narrative “Arcs.” Gameplay revolves around the unique personal directions defined by the table, including the individual Character Arcs of each Protagonist, the shared Story Arcs told across every session, and the collaborative World Arcs that shape the setting. Players are rewarded for making the journey matter through roleplaying and engaging with the narrative, which advances them forward whether or not they succeed or fail to accomplish their goals in the end.
In ARCS, narrative and mechanics are closely intertwined to produce an experience unique to what roleplaying games can create. Its design strives to uphold a cohesive balance between a traditionally challenging and a story focused game, where the pursuit of narrative elements are what empower Protagonists to overcome the detailed, cinematic conflict the system centers around. Mastery of the game means mastering compelling, collaborative storytelling.
The ruleset for ARCS provides a framework that is deep, dramatic, and adaptable at every level, built around an intuitive core expanded by support for a variety of genres, playstyles, and options. For anyone interested in immersing themselves into their stories and characters through gameplay, ARCS is a modern TTRPG with plenty to offer.
The game can be found on itch.io as PWYW (effectively free, though if you'd like to donate anything to show support to an aspiring developer, it'd mean so much), though you can also check it out directly from this Google Link (also on the itch.io download). Its semi-automated character sheet and custom tabletop can also be copied from these links, if you're curious about making a Protagonist or setting up a table yourself. There's also the ARCS Discord Server, though it's currently a bit sparse since the main focus has been on development.
Now that the system is in a relatively finished state, I'll be organizing the second playtest campaign using the Delta Green setting / modules. For anyone interested in trying out the game, be on the lookout for recruitment forms in the coming days! Otherwise, the immediate plan for the future is to create playable Season Primers for starting games in different settings (currently SPIRALS for Delta Green, DEATH WISH for Deadlands), though these will take some time to release.
To anyone who decides to take a look at this game, thank you. I hope you'll enjoy reading the system as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
