PDQ (Role-playing Game System)
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{{Unsourced, date=April 2023 Atomic Sock Monkey Press (ASMP) is a small press game company that publishes “ beer and pretzels
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
s and board games. The company is run by
Chad Underkoffler Chad Underkoffler is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career Chad Underkoffler had done some work for Atlas Games and Steve Jackson Games in the early 2000s. Underkoffler is known for his PDQ indie role-playing ga ...
, also known for his game columns on
RPG.net RPGnet is a role-playing game website. It includes sections on wargames, tabletop games and video games, as well as columns on gaming topics. RPGnet was founded in 1996 by Emma and Sandy Antunes, Shawn Althouse ( etrigan) and Brian David Phillip ...
and ''Pyramid'', as well as writing contributions to Atlas Games' ''
Unknown Armies ''Unknown Armies'' is an occult-themed roleplaying game by John Scott Tynes and Greg Stolze, published by Atlas Games. The first edition was published in 1998, with the second and third editions being released in 2002 and 2017 respectively. The ...
'' line.


Games

ASMP’s games include: *''Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot, the Roleplaying Game'', a fantasy game wherein characters play archetypal roles based on the character types from the title. ''Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot'' Deluxe, a boardgame that shares the same concept, was a 2003 Origins Award Nominee for Best Abstract Board Game. *'' Dead Inside'', a horror/fantasy RPG based around the concept of characters who have lost or were born without their souls. ''Dead Inside'' won the 2004 People's Choice Award in the Indie RPG Awards. *''
Truth & Justice ''Truth & Justice'' is an "indie" tabletop role-playing game designed to emulate the superhero genre. It was created by Chad Underkoffler and published by Atomic Sock Monkey Press. The game allows players to take the role of superheroes and s ...
'', a superhero-based RPG that allows players to take the role of
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
es and supervillains. ''Truth & Justice'' won the 2005 Indie RPG Award for Best Support, the 2006 Silver ENnie Award for Best Electronic Book, and the 2006 Silver Award for Innovation (an ENnie Judges' Award). *''
The Zorcerer of Zo The Zantabulous Zorcerer of Zo is a fairy tale-themed independently published role-playing game created by Chad Underkoffler and published by Atomic Sock Monkey Press. The game allows players to take the role of fairy tale characters. System ...
'', a fairytale RPG influenced by fairytale worlds like Oz, Narnia, Wonderland, Fantastica, and others. ''Zorcerer of Zo'' won the 2006 Outie Award for Best New RPG. *'' Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies'', a swashbuckling RPG set in a fantasy world.


PDQ System

Most ASMP games share in common the PDQ (''Prose Descriptive Qualities'') system, a rules-light game engine that has three different levels of task resolution for any situation, in order to let players resolve encounters in as much or as little detail as desired. The mechanism is to generate a random number or roll, add a freeform stat or set of stats, and compare to a difficulty number—either a fixed difficulty number or the opponent's roll. In conflicts, the amount which you beat another character's roll by is the amount of damage or failure ranks (see below). Stats are rated in five named ranks: Poor 2 Average 0 Good 2 Expert 4 and Master 6 Conflicts result in the accumulation of either "failure ranks" (which recover at the end of the contest) or "damage ranks" (which may take longer to heal). Each point of either type means that the loser must choose a stat to downgrade by one rank. For example, if a player loses a conflict roll by 3, they must lower three stats each by one rank, or one stat by three ranks (with a minimum of Poor: -2). They can choose any stat to take damage in, such as downgrading a non-combat quality like "Accounting" based on a hit in a fight. When the player cannot lower their stats any more (i.e. a hit when all stats are at Poor 2, they lose the contest.


Licensed Titles

The PDQ game system has been licensed for use in other games, including Silver Branch Games' ''Questers of the Middle Realms'' and aethereal FORGE's Vox and ''
Ninja Burger is a parody website started in late 1999, purporting that a sect of noble ninja have taken to secretly delivering fast food meals, anywhere, anytime, within 30 minutes or less. Failure to deliver within the ascribed time limit results in seppuk ...
'' 2nd edition.


External links


ASMP
home page
PDQ system
download page Indie role-playing games Role-playing game publishing companies