Defy the world, embrace your fate, and let your true self shine brightly in the night.
What’s the heartbeat of Girl by Moonlight’s setting? What are the exciting key mechanics for newbies?
The setting for Girl by Moonlight is built out by the players, so you get to dive into whatever themes and ideas you want as a group. There are prompts and guidance, but ultimately it’s up to the players to interpret them, and put their own twist on what the game offers up.
For new players, I would say the game offers new players a structured cycle of play, so you always know what you’re meant to be doing, and what’s coming up next. I’ve tried to distribute responsibility a bit more evenly than more traditional games with a GM role, so ideally everyone gets to have some say in where the story goes, and also no one player is overloaded.
There is also a set of single-session play kits that work as good starting points for new players. You can use them to learn the game, and then set them aside and make your own thing, or keep playing with the setting and characters the kit provides.
Could you give us a sneak peek? Which Roll20 feature in Girl by Moonlight do you think is most exciting for players?
We made some very lovely character sheets for use in Roll20. They are set up to keep all the info you need close at hand, and keep the mechanical side of the game as smooth as possible.
The Roll20 and DriveThruRPG Girl by Moonlight release is gorgeous. What is it about Girl by Moonlight’s approach to art that sets it apart?
I was really excited about having a vibrant and colourful book. We tried to use colour to help show where you are in the text, to theme each playset, and put colour into everything we could.
What game(s) were inspirational for you during the creation of Girl by Moonlight?
I leaned very heavily on Monsterhearts by Avery Alder, and Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Darkest Self from Monsterhearts is a wonderful design that lets you lean into all the worst elements of your character, and provides a release valve for various tensions that build up in the story over time. Eclipse in GBM is working towards those same goals, presenting an inversion of a protagonist’s heroic identity, that pushes players to connect and have revelatory moments of characterization in play.
What made you gravitate to Forged in the Dark for your system?
The way that system handles consequences of player action is perfect for Girl by Moonlight. I wanted the game to create high stakes stories, in which the protagonists have to dig deep to overcome their adversaries. The way that consequences compound on one another in Forged games to wear the characters down felt like a good way to create that feeling.
Fans can play with four unique playsets. Can you tell us about each and which is your favorite?
The four series playsets are: At the Brink of the Abyss, Beneath a Rotting Sky, On a Sea of Stars, and In a Maze of Dreams.
At the Brink of the Abyss is about heroic magical girls reclaiming a corrupted world. It’s the most optimistic and uplifting playset, and is an ideal starting point for folks who are playing GbM for the first time.
Beneath a Rotting Sky is about tragic magical girls doomed to an inevitable fate. This playset is for players who enjoy dramatic irony and grim circumstances. If you love tragedy and betrayal, this playset is for you.
On a Sea of Stars is about mecha pilots struggling against extinction at the hands of the Leviathans. The protagonists of this series find themselves caught between the monsters annihilating humanity and the terrible institutions humanity has made to fend off extinction. If you want a high stakes space opera, choose this one.
In a Maze of Dreams is about dream travellers seeking the truth of a magical conspiracy. You play to find out who in your list of suspects is involved in the conspiracy, and why. You explore the landscapes of the suspects’ inner worlds, and sometimes confront them demanding answers. This playset is geared towards experienced GbM players who want to get weird with it.
In designing these four versions of the game, I did my best to keep each one distinct in its themes and content. I really can’t pick a favourite, I sort of understand them as parts of a whole that make up the game. Girl by Moonlight is this multifaceted modular thing, and you need to play all four playsets to have experienced the game in its entirety.
Tease us a bit! What’s next on the horizon for Girl by Moonlight that will excite fans?
The game just got released to the public at large, so really it’s all new and exciting in that sense. I’m eager to hear about people’s experiences with the game, and about the stories they make. TTRPG books aren’t the final product, that happens through the act of play, so now is when the game truly comes alive.
Any final thoughts for those looking to check out this great new game?
I’m so excited for people to play my game, and I’d love to hear about your experiences with it!
Grab Girl by Moonlight in Digital PDF + Print on DriveThruRPG or get the package and play immediately with Roll20!