A Minimal TTRPG inspired by the "Remedial Chaos Theory" episode of Community.
Ripple-Effect is a humorous, competitive (but whimsical) roleplaying game about a group of timeline-shifting "Travelers", each out of their own timeline, working desperately to shift reality back to their "Prime" timeline.
If you'd like to play test the game and provide feedback, I've created some feedback forms on LimeSurvey:
- GM Play Test Survey - https://etuckeriv.limesurvey.net/937237?lang=en
- Player Play Test Survey - https://etuckeriv.limesurvey.net/284394?lang=en
If you play and provide feedback, thank you - I appreciate your help in making the game more fun and enjoyable for everyone!
All that is required to play Ripple-Effect:
- 3 or more friends (at least 1 GM and 2 Travelers) though Ripple Effect works best with 1 GM and 3-4 Travelers
- At least one D6 (though it's probably easier if everyone has one or two)
- Pen/Pencil & paper (or some other method) for creating a character sheet and tracking points
The flow of the game:
- Session Start & Character Generation > Beginning > Core Gameplay & Action Loop > Session End
The GM:
- The GM plays simple role in this game: Provide the Base Timeline, the starting scenario, and guide the narrative as the game unfolds. Although the Travelers primarily build the world and tell the story, the GM has agency to throw in descriptions, "quirks", or "conditions" to liven up game play at their discretion.
- GM Resources:
- Don't think too hard about the Base Timeline. It can be the normal everyday timeline we live in, or feel free to generate one with the Prime Timeline Generator
- GM Conditions Table to help you come up with fun quirks/conditions on roll failures!
- GM Encounter Table to help generate encounters to keep things moving and hurtling towards absurdity & chaos!
- Advantage/Disadvantage. If you aren't familiar with this concept, here's how it works:
- 2+ D6: For advantage, roll 2 D6 and take the higher number. For disadvantage, roll 2 D6 and take the lower number.
- Only 1 D6: For advantage, roll the D6 and +1 to the number. For disadvantage, roll the D6 and -1 from the number.
At the start of the session, Players will individually generate their Traveler's Character Sheet.
Each player is a "Traveler" - a normal person who has the ability to traverse timelines, but they don't really understand how or why. They are defined by a simple character sheet:
- Who/what are they? This is intentionally vague :-)
- A Totem: an ordinary object from their home timeline that somehow crosses with them and acts as an anchorpoint.
- Travelers have figured out that when they use their totem in a novel or creative way, it can shift reality back to their home timeline.
- If you're a new player or would like some help (or examples) for coming up with a Totem, check out the Totem Generator
- A Prime Timeline: A ridiculous/absurd twist on the base timeline that distinguishes it as their "Prime" timeline. The more absurd and/or chaotic, the better! (HINT: Think Rick and Morty Interdimensional Cable style absurdity)
- If you're a new player or would like some help (or examples) for coming up with a Prime Timeline, check out the Prime Timeline Generator
The session begins with the GM describing the scene that the Travelers currently find themselves in (based on the Base Timeline), and then asks "What do you notice that makes you feel like something is 'off'?".
The group then narrates the indicators that they aren't in their Prime Timeline anymore, the GM presents an initial encounter and then simply asks the first player "What do you do?"
Points: To win the game, Travelers must earn "Ripple Points" and "Prime Points".
- 8 Ripple Points = 1 Prime Point
- 4 Prime Points wins the session
Travelers are responsible for tracking their own points.
NOTE: Feel free to use something as simple as tally marks to track points, or get fancy and utilize "Progress Clocks" as a fun way to track them as well!
Timeline Stability: Timeline Stability will make more sense later, but for now here is how it affects the Travelers:
- A Traveler's actions within their Stabilized Prime Timeline receive Advantage
- A Traveler's actions within a DeStabilized Foreign Timeline receive Advantage
- A Traveler's actions within a Stabilized Foreign Timeline receive Disadvantage
Note: "Prime" Timeline = The Traveler's home timeline, "Foreign" Timeline = Any other timeline.
Traveler Actions:
- Totem Actions: Timelines will shift often throughout the session, and given the active timeline twist and current scenario it's up to the Travelers to think up ways they will use their Totem to shift the timeline to their own. This is known as the "Totem Action".
- Stabilize Actions: After a Traveler has successfully shifted reality to their Prime Timeline, they can spend Ripple Points to attempt a "Stabilize Action" in an effort to Stabilize their timeline. Travelers should consider the current context and think creatively about what actions might stabilize thier timeline.
- Ripple Actions: After a Traveler has successfully Stabilized their Prime Timeline, they can spend Ripple Points to attempt a "Ripple Action" in an effort to earn additional Ripple Points. Travelers should think about "Butterfly Effect" type actions that will cause ripples or slight changes across timelines.
Each Traveler, in turn, takes actions in an attempt to shift reality to their timeline, to Stabilize it, or to earn more Ripple Points:
- On the Traveler's turn, they narrate the action that they're going to take
- Then they roll a D6:
- 6 = Critical Success. The Traveler narrates how they succeed
- Totem Action: Reality shifts to their Prime Timeline, they automatically earn +1 Prime Point and +3 Ripple Points
- Stabilize Action: Their Prime Timeline is Stabilized, they earn +3 Ripple Points
- Ripple Action: They earn +3 Ripple Points
- 5 = Success. The Traveler narrates how they succeed
- Totem Action: Reality shifts to their Prime timeline, They earn +2 Ripple Points
- Stabilize Action: Their Prime timeline is Stabilized, they earn +2 Ripple Points
- Ripple Action: They earn +2 Ripple points
- 3-4 = Setback. The other Travelers narrate the setback
- Totem Action: Reality shifts to their Prime timeline, no points earned
- Stabilize Action: Timeline is NOT Stabilized, no points earned
- Ripple Action: They earn +1 Ripple Point
- 1-2 = Failure. The GM narrates how they fail + adds a complication/condition, turn ends immediately
- Totem Action: Reality shifts to the BASE Timeline, -1 Prime Point
- Stabilize Action: Timeline becomes UNSTABLE, -2 Ripple Points
- Ripple Action: They lose -2 Ripple Point
- 6 = Critical Success. The Traveler narrates how they succeed
- Travellers may continue attempting Stabilize or Ripple actions as long as they have Ripple Points to spend (or until a failur ends their turn).
- When the Traveler's turn has ended, the GM helps narrate a transition and challenge for the next Traveler.
This continues throughout the game until one Traveler has earned enough Prime Points to end the game.
The session ends when one Traveler earns 4 Prime Points, successfully shifting everyone's reality to their Prime Timeline. The winning Traveler is the GM for the next session, using their "Prime Timeline" as the session's starting "base timeline".
"Ripple Effect" © 2025 Eddie Tucker
Reality Rights: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Copy, remix, and loop this timeline freely — just remember where you got it
