Friday 9 April 2021

Some Mosaic Strict Sets Appear!

Forty eight days ago, I wrote up Mosaic Strict, a somewhat light-hearted set of compliance rules for making modular parts of RPGs. It asked, what if there were no mechanical interconnections between various parts of a game at all?

Since then, several folks have actually made Mosaic Strict rule sets!

EDIT: Since this post was published, more have appeared. I'll track them in a spreadsheet.

A Lovemaking

The first was Paul Czege, who wrote A Lovemaking, rules for how characters negotiate whether to get it on. Released March 1, 2021.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things in the Dungeon

Next was Alfred Valley, with what must be the shortest Mosaic rule set so far, a two-sided business card on how to decide whether to hang up the spurs and leave the dungeon. Released March 4, 2021.

Turn Up Your Nose

Third was Dan Maruschak with a one-pager on how to empathize with the snobbish upper classes when they're forced to deal with people 'beneath them'. I imagine this could be played inverted to good effect. Released March 9, 2021.


Matthias of Liche's Libram wrote this rule set about how to interpret the significance of characters' dreams. Released March 14, 2021.

Cook Off

Matt Bohnhoff's first rule set is about cooking under pressure! Whose dish will win the day? Released March 15, 2021.

The Magic of Names

I missed this one on Twitter when it was first announced, but there's now an Ursula K LeGuin-inspired freform magic system! By Thomas Manuel, March 30, 2021.

Quick Combat

Last on my list is this quick-play combat system, also by Matthias of Liche's Libram. Lose an eye in no time! Released March 31, 2011.

Fishing Trip

Matt Bohnhoff then made this chill mini-game about stepping aside from the adventure to catch some fish. Released April 1, 2021.


I'm aware of a few more cooking.. but to my knowledge they aren't released yet. Did I miss any?

11 comments:

  1. I've been playing around with Mosaic Strict to see if I could make a traditional rpg while technically staying within the rules. I won't say that I am succeeding in any meaningful manner, but people might still find some interesting stuff in there.
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_uxOC3Wh57Qk8Gs8GANrH3J3KpPOCfYcCzIRkJAEUg4/edit?usp=sharing

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been reading quite a lot of MOSAIC Strict stuff - not so much because I'm interested in creating this type of content, but because I'm very interested in playing it.

    I like unusual game formats, and the idea of drawing three MOSAIC modules out of a pile, prepping for 20 minutes, and then having some weird one-shot sounds like a lot of fun.

    Also, I've found one module you've missed - this super-simple wilderness travel system: https://lichkitsch.itch.io/wanderlust-sanctuary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luther, thanks for pointing that out, I'll add it to my tracking spreadsheet!

      Delete
  3. So convenient to have a central place for these. Thanks both for the original idea and for the hard work collating them!

    Some additional brews:
    mass combat https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/04/mass-combat-chess-based-mosaic-strict.html
    necromancy and turning undead https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/04/necromancy-exorcism-undead.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. goofspiel-based dueling https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-system-for-duels.html
      blackjack-based carousing https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-system-for-carousing.html

      Delete
    2. Hey, cool stuff Matthias, I've added them to the sheet.

      Delete
    3. more shovelware to gunk up your sheet

      character creation https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-character-creation-system-for-fkr-and.html
      a resolution mechanic for when danger and success can vary independently https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-flexible-resolution-mechanic.html

      Delete
  4. Mosaic Strict needs a neat logo or picture.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wrote a blog post about MOSAIC Strict and some resolution rules a little while back. It's such an interesting and exciting project, thanks for setting the theory!
    https://wp.me/p4ovTC-Y

    ReplyDelete