A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement TSRPG (Travel-Sized RPG)

TSRPG (Travel-Sized RPG) is a role playing game supplement published by Skirmisher Publishing and is a complete system.

The supplement is available as a 20-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $2.99 but was purchased at a reduced price thanks to a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three the front matter and one an ad.

Basic Rules is a single page explaining how the system works. The game is very narrative based, though characters have five points to distribute between the two stats, Physical and Mental, as well a piece of equipment that may grant +1 to a stat. Challenges require the player trying to guess the Challenge number, and if the number, is within the range of the guessed number, plus or minus the relevant stat, they succeed. There is a table of Challenge difficulties by character experience.

Optional Rules include the use of randomisers, such as dice or playing cards, critical successes, traits, which are special talents and some advanced equipment rules.

Special & Assumed Equipment explains that characters normally start with one piece of Special equipment that provides Narrative benefits and/or a +1 bonus to appropriate Challenges, or a consumable item that provides Narrative benefits and/or a +2 bonus to two Challenges. How characters can obtain Special items is looked at, as is the fact that they are assumed to have many normal items, or can easily lay their hands on them in the appropriate locations.

Effects of Equipment looks at how these work. The bonuses are easily understood; the possible Narrative benefits are detailed on the equipment. A Potion of Flying, for example, provides the Narrative benefit of flying. As TSRPG is more narrative based, a player might come up with uses for these that the GM can allow or not.

Mundane, Masterwork & Magical Equipment details the different benefits of these; masterwork items provide greater benefits than mundane, and magical greater than masterwork. Using both doses of a consumable can give a greater benefit, though not doubled, and some consumables can only be used once.

Sacrificing Equipment explains there are times when a Special item could be sacrificed for more benefits, but at the loss of the item. This doesn’t apply to consumables, as they are always used up.

Equipment Limits explains that if characters gain too many Special items, the GM should consider placing limits on the number they can have.

Combat Challenges looks at running these.

Educational Edition looks at using the game in an educational context.

Non-player Characters looks at running NPCs.

Character Rewards & Advancement looks at how characters can be improved if playing a campaign.

Sample Scenario: “Into the Shadows of Nyx” is an included adventure, which set in the Swords of Kos setting.

Examples of Gameplay shows how Physical and Mental Challenges are run.

There is a page of pre-generated characters for use with the adventure.

The final page of content has the basic rules printed into four quadrants so that it can easily be folded up.

There is also a zip of supplementary files. There are eight png character and monster tokens, five jpg character and monster avatars, four identical jpg character sheets and a jpg map, all for use with the included adventure, jpg and PDF versions of the character sheet and a one-page PDF of the basic rules duplicating the foldable page from the main PDF.

TSRPG (Travel-Sized RPG) in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. Navigation is decent. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a number of black and white and colour illustrations, up to full page in size, some stock, some custom. Presentation is decent.

The aim of this game appears to be to create a game that doesn’t require much to run, not even dice., with the entire rules fitting on a single piece of paper. However, it also has plenty of options to expand it, many provided in this supplement. At its core, this is a very light narrative-driven game, though it can be made more complex. TSRPG (Travel-Sized RPG) can be found by clicking here.