Mythic Fantasy; Mythology and Folklore; Dark; Narrative-Driven; GM-less / Cooperative; Character Customization; Exploration-Driven

Mythic Role Playing is a unique tabletop RPG designed to facilitate GM-less or solo play, but also adaptable for traditional group settings. Its core strength lies in its improvisational nature, using a Fate Chart and random events to generate dynamic narratives. The game can be played as a standalone system or as a supplement to other RPGs, offering flexibility for various playstyles and preferences. Mythic distinguishes itself by encouraging collaborative storytelling and minimizing preparation time, catering to players who enjoy emergent narratives and character-driven experiences.

Theme and Setting

Mythic doesn't prescribe a specific setting, making it adaptable to various genres, including fantasy, mythology, and dark, narrative-driven themes. The system emphasizes improvisation and collaborative storytelling, allowing players to create their world and story as they play. This flexibility makes Mythic suitable for diverse settings, from classic fantasy adventures to modern-day mysteries. The game encourages players to define the setting through their actions and decisions, leading to unique and personalized experiences. The core book does not focus on a single genre, allowing for the use of supplementary materials like Mythic Variations to tailor the game towards specific styles of play.

Core Mechanics and Rules

The core mechanic of Mythic revolves around a Fate Chart, used to resolve uncertainties and drive the narrative forward. Players ask yes/no questions, consulting the chart based on relevant character skills and difficulty levels to determine the outcome. A Random Event mechanic introduces unexpected twists and turns, keeping the story dynamic and unpredictable. The Chaos Factor represents the level of unpredictability in the game, influencing the frequency and impact of random events. The system utilizes percentile dice (2d10) to determine the outcome based on the Fate Chart. Mythic's rules are designed to be lightweight and flexible, allowing players to focus on storytelling rather than complex calculations. The system employs resolution tables to provide a structured way to resolve different situations.

What Makes It Unique

Mythic's uniqueness stems from its GM-less or solo play capability. It provides tools for generating adventures, managing NPCs, and resolving conflicts without a traditional Game Master. This empowers players to create their own stories and experience the game at their own pace. The emphasis on improvisation and collaborative storytelling sets it apart from more structured RPGs. The ability to use Mythic as a supplement to other RPGs further enhances its versatility. The game's reliance on random events and the Chaos Factor ensures that each playthrough is unique and unpredictable. Mythic Variations provides further customization options for players seeking to tailor the game to specific genres or playstyles.

Target Audience and Player Experience

Mythic is targeted toward players who enjoy narrative-driven, exploration-driven, and character-driven experiences. It appeals to those who prefer improvisation and collaborative storytelling over pre-planned adventures. The game is suitable for both solo players and groups seeking a GM-less alternative. The player experience is characterized by a sense of discovery and creativity, as they actively shape the world and story through their choices. Players can customize their characters with abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Mythic offers a flexible and rewarding experience for players who enjoy emergent narratives and shared storytelling. The game is suitable for those seeking to engage in tabletop roleplaying without the constraints of a pre-defined storyline or a dedicated Game Master.

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What do players think?

Mythic Role Playing is generally appreciated for its inspiring content, simple D100 system, and interesting mechanics. It is particularly valued as a creative writing tool and for its GM Emulator system, which allows for solo play without a DM. However, some users found the GM emulation difficult to understand despite multiple readings and video tutorials. A common criticism is the "pinup" style illustrations featuring large-breasted women in impractical clothing, which some users found gross, inappropriate, and distracting. Users also found the Mythic RPG to be too generic, lacking concrete mechanics to support individual fantasies. Some users suggested buying the standalone GM emulation rules instead of the full rules, as the latter can be confusing with rules spread throughout the book and intermixed with the RPG rules. Despite these criticisms, users still recommend Mythic for its GM Emulator and as a generic system.

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Related TTRPG Games

Compare Mythic with other great ttrpg games.

Monster of the Week

Monster of the Week and Mythic both explore narrative-driven storytelling and supernatural themes, but they differ significantly in gameplay mechanics and structure. Whereas Monster of the Week leverages the Powered by the Apocalypse system to foster collaborative, character-driven adventures with defined roles and team dynamics, Mythic emphasizes solo or group play with a focus on improvisational storytelling and randomized events using a keyword-based approach to drive the narrative without a designated game master. For example, in Monster of the Week, players take on specific hunter archetypes with unique abilities, while in Mythic, players create open-ended narratives without predefined character roles, allowing for greater flexibility in storytelling.

Dungeon World

Dungeon World and Mythic share a focus on narrative-driven gameplay and collaborative storytelling, with both allowing players to shape the story through their actions and decisions. However, they differ in mechanics: Dungeon World utilizes a class-based system with structured moves from the Powered by the Apocalypse framework, emphasizing character abilities and relationships, while Mythic employs a more freeform, GM-less structure that relies heavily on random event generation and scene framing. For example, in Dungeon World, players define their characters through specific classes with unique abilities, whereas in Mythic, the players create scenarios dynamically that can involve any character traits or actions based on random outcomes.

Blades in the Dark

Blades in the Dark and Mythic both emphasize narrative-driven gameplay, allowing players to collaboratively build stories, but they differ significantly in play style and mechanics: while Blades in the Dark utilizes structured team-based missions within a dark fantasy setting focused on heists and character progression, Mythic offers a more open-ended, solo or cooperative experience that relies heavily on dynamic scene creation and a rules-light approach to storytelling. For example, Blades in the Dark features a defined setting and character roles with unique abilities, whereas Mythic encourages players to improvise and develop plot outcomes based on random event tables without a predetermined narrative framework.

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