Every year on the RPG.net gaming forums members of the RPG community participate in a gift exchange called the “Secret Satan” (a play on Secret Santa). I’ve had the opportunity to participate in this gift exchange in the past where I was gifted Mutant Crawl Classics, two Ravenloft books, Teenagers from Outer Space and Fantasy Age 2nd Edition. Not only have I used these in past Character Creation Challenges, but I’ve also ran TfOS at a past SaltCON. I’ve sent my gifts off to my victim, and my gift just arrived yesterday. So many thanks to my Secret Satan for sending me The Well Roleplaying Game. I love the surprise that happens when I open the package.
This book is softbound with 122 pages. The Well was written by Peter Schaefer. The cover art was created by Chris Walton and the interior art was created by Kurt Komoda. No AI was used in the creation of this game. The ISBN number for this publication is 978-1-7364018-0-4. There is a single page character sheet and a character worksheet to assist in making a character. I will be using this game in the upcoming Character Creation Challenge.
The game setup for this game world is that decades ago, humanity has retreated underground in what’s called “The Well” which is 100 meters in diameter and capped at the top. Why? Well there are several options given in the GMs section, but none are set in stone to give the game master some freedom. At the bottom of this well is the last known city called “The Bastion”. The upper layers of the well above the city contain various crypts of the ancestors that, again for reasons unknown, the dead have started coming back to life. The city is under siege and could be overrun if the answer is not found. The characters, called Gravediggers, attempt to find unlooted crypts and sealed tombs to find loot, and hopefully some answers.
The system uses a D6 to reach a target number to achieve a task. Skills and equipment can added to the results of the roll. Additional dice can be added to the pool by teamwork, playing a gambit (taking on a possible complication) and others. The dice explode on a roll of a six, or you can save it in a pool for a future use. I wonder how it plays at the table.
So once again thank you to the members of the RPG.net community. A special thank you to Kid Twist for organizing this festive event. You’ve all helped make this hectic December a better one. I hope that my contribution gives as much joy as I’ve received.
Have you had a chance to play The Well? Do you have any questions about this RPG? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.