Tags
1960s, 1970s, 20th Century, American folklore, Cold War, Gothic America, Groovy Era, Highway Horror, Historical Gaming, Me Generation, Midwest Horror, modern rpg, OGL, Prairie Horror, Road Crawl, Road Trip, Roadtrip, role playing, role-playing game, sci fi, Science Fiction, science-fiction, Seventies, Sixties, Southern Gothic, Uncanny Highway, Urban Fantasy, Urban Legend, Weird Americana
“The Ready Rules of the Road” is a fast and streamlined set of rules for roadtripping across the United States in the Groovy Era of the 1960s and 1970s. Have your own bizarre adventure across strange America – whether driving, hitchhiking, or riding your band’s tour bus.
The basic system is a simple “roll-under Ability” mechanic similar to that of “Ghastly Affair”. There are no character classes or Levels, however, but a single list of 20 Character Abilities. You can quickly and easily generate a name and groovy character concept using the included random tables. Characters might start the game able to create one of 30 concisely-described Paranormal Effects, with power levels appropriate to a modern setting. Plus, all your character’s essential stats can fit on cards the size of a driver’s license!
In just 22 pages you get:
- a complete character generation and advancement system.
- a comprehensive list of Paranormal Effects.
- simple rules for car chases, car crashes, and automatic weapons.
- stats for 25 types of NPCs.
- 26 different animals and strange creatures.
- 4 tables for generating stretches of highway, and encounters on the road.
Oh, and this Play-test Version is FREE! That’s because we’re getting you tuned-up to drive the full release of The Uncanny Highway book, scheduled for 2023.
I gotta tell ya’ that the Ready Rules of the Road involves Sixties-rific and Seventies-tastic Drive-in movie themes of vigilantes, drug use, imperiled runaways, dangerous psychic powers, hitchhiking hippies, demon-haunted roads, truck-stop prostitutes, reckless gun fights, gratuitous use of CB radio, driving non-electric gas-guzzling muscle cars at high speed, and people wearing plaid polyester leisure suits with absurdly wide collars! If any of those things offend you – or you are too young to watch a movie with them in it – this is probably not the game for you.
Don’t forget to download the Ready Rules of the Road Character Cards as well!
The Ready Rules of the Road
Click to access the_ready_rules_of_the_road_playtest_version_a-2.pdf
The Ready Rules of the Road Character Cards
Click to access ready_rules_of_the_road_character_cards_versiona.pdf
The Engine of Oracles 
This is my kinda game. Please keep us posted!
Thank you! There will be more updates as the “Ready Rules” are fine-tuned, and the text and layout of The Uncanny Highway setting book is finalized for publication.
I’m really looking forward to this as well, Daniel – I know it’s late in the process but is there any way I can help with proofreading or playtesting?
I welcome all feedback. I’d love to hear about people’s experiences with the rules – especially about what doesn’t work well. That’s part of the reason I’ve released the “Ready Rules” in a Play-test Version. I’m working closely with my editor/collaborator Wendy on actual rules development, but all input from the public will be a part of that process. Please keep posting!