Hippogryph Issue Three

in this issue:

• The Necessity of Kindness - Rather than write about horror as originally planned, I decided to focus on being pleasant to one another instead. There is no tabletop roleplaying without people. Play nice.
• Paladins Revisited - We think of paladins as holy warriors, but what if we came at them from a more romantic perspective? Rather than devotion to gods, what if they focused on love for a person?
• Worldbuilding Through Relationships - Love and friendship can change the world – or build one. A look at setting design centered on what people are willing to do to protect and defend one another.
• Adventures in Love and Friendship - Friends and lovers want to be together, but there will always be obstacles. No matter what type of relationship it is, drama and conflict can be the basis for a great adventure.
• Amulet Rings - Two or more people must wear these enchanted rings for them to work. Their powers are increased when characters cooperate and work together for a common cause.

A hippogryph is the poster child for two things that, by all logic, should not go together. Yet somehow, they merge into a new entity that not only works, but elevates both components. It’s a strange hybrid creature, combining elements of a giant eagle with a horse. Various cultures over time have used the hippogryph as a symbol for everything from the perplexing nature of religious belief to the immeasurable power of romantic love. For me, it represents how the whole can be more than the mere sum of its parts. It’s lofty yet grounded, poetic yet practical.

I named this project Hippogryph because it’s full of such dichotomies. The hobby at its core is the melding of wargaming and storytelling. My strongest influences are both heavier legacy games like Dungeons & Dragons, and lighter, free-form systems like Fate Accelerated. My goal is to leverage the strengths of each element, use them to compensate for their collective flaws and drawbacks, and create something singular, entertaining, and useful.