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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player Pay What You Want
Average Rating:4.4 / 5
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by Jim L. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/14/2024 09:29:52

Quill: A Letter-Writing Role-Playing Game is a gem that really surprised me. It's fun, but more importantly, it is an amazing tool for academic writing purposes, perfect for weaker writers and students with dyslexia. By itself, it's not perfect, but it's a genuine trove of ideas that mean well and work well. Plus, it's PWYW. Easily 5 stars from me.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by John P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/03/2022 21:39:54

The game portion is kind of weak. However, using Quill as a creative writing exercise is beautiful and effervescent. For those that like to write, I highly recommend it.

Here's what I wrote: "To the Archduke Godfrey,

I have heard the news of your sister, Mary of Linchester. Her needless passing has affected those far and wide. I’m unable to convey my feelings of sorrow and loss with her removal from our plane. Mary was like another sister to me. Her kindness warmed every room. Her laughter filled the halls with joy and mirth. It seems I am unable to escape those memories as of recent. I keep coming back to our times together, the good times filling my heart to bursting. I hope your memories treat you more kindly than mine Godfrey. I know you spent even more time with her growing up. When we were children we got an education together led by Lady Gness. The lady was always trying to impart math and writing upon us. Mary and I were more interested in quickly climbing trees away from the schoolhouse. We sat by the lake and ran through the hills. We once raced frogs on the fence line. When “Lady Hop” was in the lead I got frustrated and tried to push “Knight Ribbit” to the front. The frog lept up right into my hair. I screamed and flailed and Mary cried laughing. I suppose that is the universe’s response to cheaters. You remember as well as I that stern educators were disapproving of her choices. She shrugged off academia. Even as a young adult the most esteemed scholars wrote her off as a bad apple. I know your parents tried their best to encourage school. Mary just wasn’t of their kind. I’m sure you remember that she spent time tending to small flower patches she found by the brook. She took care of that litter of kittens when their mother was not to be found. Then a young bobcat tried to take one of the litter in the night. I’ve never seen Mary more ferocious. She scared your parents ever so greatly with that stunt. Fortunately the bobcat expected a mother bear and decided not to risk it. Actually a mother bear perfectly sums up the woman: strong, passionate, one with nature. I know she’s the one who started pristine Heather Fields. I know she agreed to a subpar arranged marriage in exchange for that sanctuary. I worried being taken away would break Mary. I didn’t think she could survive without our land. She did though. Excitement filled her when describing the animals so far South. She had her garden here during the summer, and the garden at Ensinbrook during the winter. She treated it like a dream, asked me to pinch her once. Instead I plucked a flower petal and held it to her face. It was sweet on the wind. “Real enough for you?” I know she is currently laying in the Cathedral of Light. I saw her yesterday. It took a few tries before I could look upon her. She was beautiful. The carved marble and gold-fringed coffin are ornate. The rouge and paint bring an unseen lightness to her face. It...didn’t feel right though. Usually her hands were flecked with dirt. Her skin was always red from toiling in the sun. Have you considered where you want her to rest? I may be too late to make a suggestion, but your family tomb isn’t where Mary would want to go. I don’t mean any offense to you. I say this only for Mary: Bury her in Heather Fields. Put her in the middle of a flowerbed, or between the roots of a gnarled oak tree. She would have wanted to be back in nature. A mausoleum is an alien world. I don’t think she would rest as well between those stone walls.

Either way, I defer to you as her brother, and to the will of your estate. I just can feel her, even so far away. She imprinted on me all those years we spent together. I bet you feel it as well.

I hope you find a brighter tomorrow, Bron Trensingtale"



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by Peter G. A. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/25/2022 09:36:39

Hello! I hope I can write this as constructive that I can. Here it goes!

Now, the overall game for me was good. I only played it once but I think I'll find myself wanting to play this again. And maybe using the other genres of this game as well.

As I played through it, I think that the game is quite hard. Or maybe I just picked the wrong, or rather, a quite hard character-skill-scenario combo.

All in all though, I found it fun. I wrote a letter, lost the game, but I still enjoyed the experience.

My only gripe would be that it is quite hard to win in this game, and the result at the end doesn't really do much for me. I would've rather have just played it even without the result at the end, but I guess it is needed because without it the points wouldn't have mattered.

Well, this is my opinion on the matter. Thank you for the game!



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by angela q. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/25/2018 15:53:39

Just sit and write :) (and share your text on the G+ community)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by Rafael C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/09/2018 05:49:17

This is an extremelly inovative game. When one hear about "solo RPGs", usually people are jsut talking about "Choose you adventure"-like titles. That's not the case here; Quill is really a solo RPG. I find really enjoyable creating a character with some backstory (usually a single paragraph), and aftwerwards, comming up with how the results of the letter changes this character. I believe that chaining stories while maintainign the same character would be really cool. I'm looking forward to do that soon.

All in all, Qull is a creative writing exercise, mixed with RPG. It's really enjoyable, and I intend to keep on playing it regularly onwards.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by Zachary J. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/03/2016 14:58:20

This game is well written and the rules are exceptionally easy. The first few runs were a bit slow but after playing a few times I got into the groove of it and it went by quickly. It's fun thinking of how the different characters will respond. Over all I really enjoyed this game (and it's supplements). It's a great way to kill a rainy day at home!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/03/2016 13:35:47

Unique idea with light rules. It's great for creative writing. The rules are simple and really don't have a lot to them but that isn't what this game is about. I've added a form of Quill to my other RPGs as a sort of extra credit assignment to my players. If a player is really into their character and the game world, I'll give them a mini game of Quill to play to advance their story.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/24/2016 12:49:50

I haven't played this yet but I'm giving it 4 stars for now because: A) The rules are short and totally unique and consistent. B) The concept is amazingly unique and spin-offs to this have SO much potential C) My completely non-gamer English major girlfriend loves the idea and now wants to play and try out other rpgs!

I'm moving this to 5 stars if I try it out and can see myself creating my own scenarios for this game. If this game seems intriguing to you, just get it! It has the potential to build a real community of intellectuals and gamers behind it.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by John G W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/28/2016 12:08:35

I Have only taken a cursory look at the game But I am very excited by what I have seen I am a Cosplayer / larper and this has such incredible potential to add a new dimension to those experiences and situations hope desperately that more is to come



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/21/2016 10:26:35

I enjoy playing this game, it is unique and constructive, helping build vocabulary and flow for roleplaying. The only improvement I could ask for is that the rules for Language and Heart dice be written more definitely, or that an example be given to dispell uncertainty.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by Michael J. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/15/2016 00:57:27

Definately a new idea. But you will have a hard time getting most graduates of our school system interested.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by Geoffrey R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/11/2016 18:47:08

Looking through this document, I am anxious to play this seemingly simple, though easily complex, based on how one responds to the task, game of scribing. Especially given my penchant for handwriting with any of my numerous fountain pens, I do look forward to it!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by gordon s. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/04/2016 23:13:12

Fun little game, definitely worth kicking the developer some money.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by Tim S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/20/2016 20:32:24

Originally posted at The Savage AfterWorld:

Sometimes in an RPG, your character's ability to swing a sword or pick a lock don't matter. In the world of Quill: A Letter-Writing RPG for a Single Player by Scott Malthouse, it all comes down to your PC's penmanship and eloquence.

In Quill, you take on the persona of a letter-writer who is trying to create the best missive to impress the letter's recipient. Do well, and the letter-reader might be impressed enough to reward you. Perform poorly, and the punishment could be dire. Everything that happens to your character comes down to your ability to write convincingly and with heart. (Although your real-life ability to write well is secondary to the gameplay, which will become clear during this review.)

In this unusually-styled RPG, you have six character classes to choose from that reflect professions with a literate background: Monk, Poet, Aristocrat, Courtier. Knight, and Scholar. Each class has three attributes reflecting their respective competence with the written word: Penmanship (how clean it looks); Heart (how heartfelt it sounds); and Language (how well it reads). Each attribute is rated Poor, Average, and Good, which reflects how many dice you roll when that attribute comes into play (1, 2, or 3 dice, respectively). So the Knight would write heartfelt letters (Heart: Good) but he would use commoner's slang when writing (Language: Poor). The Poet's turn of phrasing would be amazing (Language: Good), but his scribbles would be illegible (Penmanship: Poor). Finally, you can choose one of three skills (Inspiration (Language), Illumination (Penmanship), and Augmentation (Heart)) that reflect a one-time-use extra die roll when writing your letter.

Once you've determined your class, attributes, and personal skill, it's time to sit down and write to your letter which will consist of five paragraphs. To start, grab at least three 6-sided dice and choose one of the four scenarios in the rulebook. Each scenario gives you a profile of the recipient of your letter, and the subject you are writing to them about. For example, one scenario has you writing to the king informing him of your suspicions that someone in his court is a spy. Each scenario also gives you the Rules of Correspondence with special circumstances specific to the scenario that will give you a bonus or penalty if applicable. Finally, each scenario has an Ink Pot, a list of words -- both Superior and Inferior -- that you can use to increase your score. Roll well, and you may use one of the Superior Words in your letter, thus impressing the reader. Roll poorly, and you're stuck with phrasing that's a bit more gauche.

All Attributes and Skill checks allow you to roll as many dice as their value allows. If you roll a 5 or 6 on any of the dice, the check is successful. And that's the basis of the game.

To play, you begin writing your letter keeping in mind the information you're trying to impart as well as the profile of the eventual reader. Within each of the five graphs, you'll want to try to insert one of the Superior Words. When you reach that turn of phrase, you'll make a Language skill check. Succeed, gain a point and use one of the Superior Words in the Ink Pot. Fail the check, and blunder your way with one of the crummier words. Further checks are required anytime you want to try to impress the reader with Flourishes (fancy adjectives/adverbs scattered throughout) or by your Penmanship (make a check at the end of each paragraph to see if you're able to maintain your legibility). As you build your letter, you'll make checks versus your Heart, Language, and Penmanship scores, gaining points as you high the high points of your missive, and suffering penalties as you fumble your way through the low points. At the end of the letter, you'll total up your total score, then refer to the scenario's "Consequences" section to see how the reader reacted to your letter.

So how does it play? Admittedly, most of the game is an exercise in narrative prompt writing with a scoring system tacked on. Whether you do well or poorly comes down to a roll of the dice rather than any real ability of the player to write well. (However, most RPG results comes down to a roll of the dice anyway even if the player can't swing a sword or pick a lock, so it's not a fair comparison.) Overall, I really like the concept of the game as it's a different kind of role-playing. As I sat down as a Monk tasked to inform a close family friend of the death of his son, I found myself pondering the best way to approach the subject. I mulled over the most tactful and somber way to let him know...when it struck me that none of this was real. It was a role-playing exercise that had drawn me in and THAT is the mark of a good game.

That said, I think I'd like to find some time to noodle around with the mechanics and add some new challenges to the game. For example, having to deliver some unpleasant bit of information in your letter may start the player off with a starting negative score that must be overcome during play. Or perhaps a scenario could come with some hidden background text that, if mentioned in the letter, would add to or remove from the player's score. For example, after the game ends and the letter is written, the player would turn to another page with more background info on the letter reader. Perhaps any mention of the letter reader's parents at any point -- whom he hadn't spoken to in years due to a bitter fight -- might give a penalty to the letter's effectiveness. Or mentioning gold or riches to a reader who is secretly a covetous miser would give the writer a bonus.

I would also like to see the game expanded to have some scenarios that are a bit more fantastical in a future supplement. Perhaps there could be a scenario where a knight is about to embark on a rescue quest who needs to secure a powerful magical talisman from a cranky magic-user. Can he sway the arch-mage to surrender his cherished magic item? Or perhaps a monk could try to convince a known rogue to join his crusade against a tyrannical overlord. Heck, how about a series of letters to 4 different recipients where the player is trying to recruit the various members of a dungeon-exploration party? The success of each letter would bring a new member into the party, resulting in a more successful quest. And if everyone turns you down due to your lousy written missives, the player could end up dying alone in the depths of an arch-lich's catacombs!

In summary, I found Quill to be an unusually effective role-playing exercise as I found myself immersed in the scenarios I played, even if I found the mechanics of resolution a bit too random and not contingent upon the letter being written. I think the game could be tightened up a bit with some minor tweaks and additions to the gameplay, but that's just some personal preference sneaking in. I can see myself cobbling together a few scenarios of my own to share with the Quill-playing public in the future!

Quill: A Letter-Writing RPG for a Single Player is available as a Pay What You Want item (so you can try before you buy, if you wish), and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Sniderman says "Grab your Quill and begin writing."



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player
Publisher: Trollish Delver Games
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/18/2016 21:28:20

An excellent, innovative and unusual little game for the solo player. The rules are easy to learn and the scenario structure provides a useful 'game' framework while still leaving ample room for creative expression on the player's part. One could conceivably write any number of entertaining letters, referencing any number of imagined situations, within the parameters of the scenarios provided in the book.

I look forward to further extension of these rules and additional scenarios created both by the original author and by fans. Even though the game is 'Pay What You Want,' you should drop a few dollars on this product. It's worth the money.

For an account of my first attempted letter, see: https://scarletdays.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/quill-the-archduke/



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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