[Review] Swyvers - Bloody Good Writing
Plus how to generate (lore-friendly) talking dogs!
I'm not a massive fan of most TTRPG reviews. I don't think they can always capture the essence of a system, how individual players would engage with it in a specific session, under the specific conditions it is run in, and with any given individual's specific GMing "style".
I am, however, a massive fan of Swyvers. I also think you, yes you dear reader, should give it a go. I did, and my players have been loving it since; I'll share some banger play reports one day I promise!
So, instead of trying to articulate what I find so great about the rules themselves, I'd like to focus on another aspect - just how brilliantly the rules are written...
Here is a sampling of my favourite phrases.
"If literate, explain how:"
"Fish hook: up a fish, or under a nail."
"Nasty tip — put a bottle in a sack, smash it up with a hammer. Throw powdered glass at people chasing you."
"Mint Lawyer: like other lawyers but not shit."
"Useless in a fight. Nobles love them, everyone else despises them. Tiny useless rat-dog."
"Investments - Church. Dunno if donation is gonna be enough to sort us out, but might be worth a punt?"
"Sexual fluids become alcoholic. After two months of this, -3 con per day."
"Carousing - You’ve got a ring on your finger and a spouse by your side. Shit."
"No secret – as honest as they come (in this business)."
"Prudence Garland, bride-in-hiding."
(All from the Swyvers preview 4 PDF)
Too often when writing rules systems writers don't focus on writing. How you articulate the rules, and present an implied setting, is just as important as what rules you do create. Put some voice into your rule-books, even if it's just subtle!
As a result of Gearing's use of this voice, the Swyvers bestiary is a treat. Not just because there are some unique, beautifully grungy, creatures contained within - but because each foe and danger has a nickname or codeword given by locals. You really get the sense that hushed tales of "Blinking Larrys" and "the Green Grocers" swirl over whatever piss-ale they serve in the flea-bitten inns of The Smoke; and it builds up these creatures to a semi-legendary status.
So yeah, I really recommend Swyvers. The Kickstarter has less than a week left (!!!) and I'm sad it hasn't raked in more cash; but I guess that's just the nature of TTRPGs right now. The world very much needs more games like Swyvers, designed as passion projects by people who love creating games foremost, and it is sobering to watch sharted out film tie-in games and soul-less 5e modules get more attention and money.
Heck, you can even (at time of writing) get the Swyvers rules for $1 on DriveThru and for FREE on Itch - but Melsonia know how to make nice physical books (Every Troika edition is a real gem) so you should go with dead-tree if you can afford it!
But yes, please back it if this interested you - I think it's really good.
Thank you for reading.
Sincerly,
A 'Umble Cheesethief
P.S. In Swyvers "every 1 in 10000 dogs can talk”. To calculate if an NPC dog can talk, roll 5d10. If they all come up the same, your dog is loquacious. Lucky you.
