New to Legacy

Welcome!

For those already experienced with physical roleplaying games, feel free to skip below to some unique qualities about the Legacy universe.

For everyone else, Legacy is, at its core, joint storytelling. Participants cooperate to weave a unique and personal tale. Understanding stats, dice, character progression—these details come later.

For now, gather a few interested friends, family, or whomever you wish join you on this journey of your own making. Find a place you can talk freely and just be yourselves—or rather, more than yourselves.

 

Set Up

Get comfortable with some friends. Pick someone comfortable with describing action effects who can speak for the non-Player characters. This person is the Arbiter.

Character sheets are not necessary for a first session. The Free Sample has a few character concepts to mix and match. Each Player decides what combination to play.

While Players think about their names, Arbiter should breeze over the scenario options. Some considerations to outline a mission:

• What is the "win" condition, or objective, for Players?
• What central conflict challenges the Players to achieve this objective?
• Who else is around? Imagine and name at least 1 specific person.

Once everyone has finished, Players should take turns introducing themselves. End with Arbiter, who introduces the scenario with an official transition to in-game control.

 

What Do You Do?

You talk! At its core, Legacy Players simply alternate moving the story forward.

• Players: From the perspective of your character, using "I," what do you do?
• Use the first person, "I."
• How do you do it? Carefully? Quickly? Be descriptive.
• Cool Points: Act out any significant gestures or poses.
• Arbiter: When Players take action, what happens? Give feedback.
• Use the third person, unless speaking for a character.
• Does the action have any side effects on the Player?
• How does the environment respond? Do people care? Does an avalanche start?
• Cool Points: Use different voices to differentiate characters.

If any action or reaction is unclear, feel free to discuss how it could work, or what may need to change to make it work. The more the same group plays together, the less these conversations happen. When just starting, discuss away!

• Don't think, "That can't happen."
• Do think, "How could it happen?"

 

. . .Is That It?

Of course not! But groups can fail if they cannot work together.

• Establish clear roles.
• Respect each other.
• Everyone, including Arbiter, is on the same team: fun adventure!

Learning to bounce a conversation from person to person in a group will serve you well in many settings. A "Lead" Player or Arbiter especially can solve debates and keep everyone involved. Note: While Arbiter may end up speaking the most, it should be to provide feedback for Players, who own the initiative, not lengthy monologues.

 

So, what unique qualities does Legacy feature?

 

Who Can You Be?

• 11 unique species, plus Humans
• Your choice of racial variants and backgrounds
• Constrained but limitless aesthetic variation
• Unique, whether born in rags or with a silver spoon

How Can You Grow?

• 12 archetypes of progressively powerful talents
• Rank up to learn feats from the superhuman to the supernatural
• Flex creative muscles with generous scopes that synergize with each other
• Roleplay your preferred mix of combat, diplomacy, and exploration

What Can You Get?

• Wield fantastical swords and supercharged, futuristic weaponry
• Augment your playstyle with jetpacks, drone companions, and cybernetics
• Craft your own with a category system that allows pretty much anything
• Ride a dragon or drive a tank—or know someone who does

Where Can You Go?

• 5 exotic planets of dramatic variation
• Wilderness ranging from idyllic forests to the hazards of space 
• Arenas, temples, armorers, and other city destinations
• Anywhere in the solar system, really, even if your Arbiter would rather not

What Else?

• Narrative-first option to focus on roleplay, instead of numbers
• Free reactions, shared turns, and a loose initiative for rapid-fire engagement
• Pair universal Aspects to leverage advanced Techniques
• Risk Desperate gambles as Damage Stresses and Danger mounts

 

...and more! Once you feel prepared to Rank up, consider the full PDF here.