Lionhearted (preview)

Lionhearted is a character- and world-driven RPG of romantic, fabulist and social fantasy featuring brave characters who make lasting connections and fight for their values.

This is Lionhearted's demo: features that are absent but will be available in the full release include full layout and art, GM rules, as well as additional detail, examples and explanations. However, if you're comfortable playing GMed games, this document provides rules and character creation to use with published adventures or otherwise traditional GMing (with a slant towards sandbox-style play).

When the design is finished, I'll release a version of the playtest document with full layout and public domain art; the game will then undergo itchfunding to include new illustrations as well as additional editing and content. When the illustrated and edited version is funded and finished, the basic rules of the game will be free.

Features

• Low-power characters defined by their attributes, traits, burdens and relationships,
• Modern design influenced by old-school sensibilities,
• Component- and keyword-based spellcasting that always comes with a cost,
  
• Evocative and thoughtful character creation random tables, and
• The replacement of HP with diegetic, flexible and expressive conditions.

Inspirations

Mechanically it is inspired by games like

• Mausritter and Knave,
• Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined, 
• Ironsworn and
• Masks: A New Generation,

while thematically it is inspired by stories like

• A Wizard Of Earthsea,
• Princess Mononoke,
• Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind,
• Laputa: Castle In The Sky,
• Spirited Away,
• Disney's Tangled, Frozen and Moana,
• Avatar: The Last Airbender, and
• The Unicorn Chronicles.