Overview of Core Mechanics

The core mechanics for Relics of the Moon are currently being overhauled to the Dream Team Game System—a new and original TTRPG system developed by Timothy Yuen. This section will be updated with ongoing playtesting.

If you are searching for the Cortex-based version of Relics of the Moon, please contact me.

Relics of the Moon is the first game to use the Dream Team Game System (DTGS). DTGS occupies a space in the ecosystem of tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) that could be described as “Narrative with Crunch”. It is narratively-driven but adds a rich layer of number manipulation that goes beyond most narrative-first TTRPGs. Its standout feature, however, is how it is built from the ground-up as a team experience in a way that is quite different from most TTRPGs. While individual players still play individual characters, their actions contribute to a single and multi-faceted team action which drives the narrative forward.

DTGS is meant to be fast-paced without sacrificing interesting choices for players or GMs. A game is highly collaborative from the beginning to the end of each session, requiring little waiting for other players to take a turn. DTGS is also designed to help GMs to create interesting and flexible challenges on the fly using a single system. Exploration, combat, travel, and social challenges all stand on equal footing and are resolved in similar ways. This means that different types of challenges can be mixed into the same event or converted between each other while the action is unfolding.