We were lucky to catch up with Craig Stewart recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Craig, thanks for joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

The project has been both a fulfilling endeavour and cruel mistress at once. While it is not my first attempt at designing a TTRPG (Table Top Role Playing Game), it has been the most challenging in both scope and goals. During the development, I would keep asking the playtesting group what they felt was missing, what needed to be covered. Even with their input, I still felt that something was missing.

One night, on the edge of sleep, it hit me. “If you have never played any TTRPGs before, what don’t you know?” This is the most difficult topic to cover, because its so difficult to remember what you didn’t know, way back when. Thus came a whole new chapter of the book – The Basics.

The Basics covers just that, the basics of playing. It falls right after the first chapter, Character Creation. I took the character sheet and described every section in detail – what it’s for, how you use it, when to level it up.

It had been preying on my waking mind (excuse the hyperbolic phrase) for months – something is missing, but what? And I think for any gaming rule set, its something often neglected. What do you tell the new player? Does the person running the game have the tools at hand to actually run the game?

It’s a major weight off my mind, knowing that someone who picks up the book with zero prior TTRPG experience will be able to get a group together and have the confidence that they can run a game and tell a great story.

Craig, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My first experience with the TTRPG (Table Top Role Playing Game) genre was with the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. From them, moved on to “Fighting Fantasy” books and then to my first gaming group, playing AD&D (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons). And that experience made me feel that I could do better. So I created my first TTRPG “2987:Cyborworld”, a post apocalyptic scifi RPG. From that, I moved on to “Magic!” based on the same system I had devised, but taking the fantasy route. Both great systems that have been played over the years in both short and long campaigns. I started on a third, again based on the same system I had devised, but set in the Lovecraft universe. Then, late night inspiration. Why not make something simpler, something accessible by the broadest range of experience?

Thus began L5. L5 is a TTRPG set on a massive space station in L5 orbit. A character can be created in as little as five minutes. The ruleset is designed to put the rules in the background so that players can focus on playing the game, on roleplay. The core ruleset, due out later this year, provides the reader with everything needed to create characters, understand how to play, maps of the station and scenarios to get started with.

L5 focuses on inclusivity. Height, weight, sex/gender, are all up to the player. An L5 character sheet focuses on the abilities of the character, not individual physical traits, leaving it open to the player. In L5, its up to you to find your voice. You don’t need years of experience to play. Just grab a sheet and some dice and join in!

Aside from the usual personal interactions and combat, L5 provides MagDisc, a sports simulation and ZipRider, a racing simulation, both of which take place on the station. Whenever possible, rather than just rolling a die, there are mini-games that can be salted into the campaign to give the players a greater sense of accomplishment than just rolling dice.

To coincide with the launch, our website will feature new scenarios, previews of upcoming new species, and more information to help deepen your roleplaying experience. Each month, an L5 newsletter will come out, featuring at least one “odd job”, one NPC (Non Player Character) and ideas for new scenarios. The newsletter and much of the other content will be free to download.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

L5 is a game, so the most rewarding thing has to be seeing players enjoy themselves. The entire world and everything in it springs from my imagination. Being able to create a ruleset, do the layout, find businesses to publish and get it onto the hands of potential players is a driving force in the process. It’s the “my people” feeling. Someone gets into a game and falls in love with the world and their place in it. L5 is a place where you can be who you want, create your own “zero to hero” story with friends in a fictional place that feels real.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Often, when telling people about the project, I hear “Oh, I could never do that.” It’s such a depressing thought. You could do it. We’re just told differently for far too long in life. It just takes one idea. Then you do a bit more. Then a bit more. Eventually, you’ve got a thing, you did that. It’s yours. And maybe that’s as far as it goes. Or you talk to the right person and it goes farther. But none of it happens if you keep telling yourself that you can’t do it. You can. And when you get stuck, reach out. Someone out there is just waiting for the ask, waiting for someone to want their help. So try. Creating art is a personal thing. Try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://l5rpgonline.wixsite.com/l5-ttrpg
• Other: Others are coming, once the release date for the core ruleset is finalized.

Image Credits

Craig Stewart

Otávio Augustto (Aliens Image)