Inspire: The Path to Storied Beliefs in a Trick-Taking RPG
Tell the stories at the beginning to develop beliefs in a pantheon and the interplay between unique spirits with Inspire.
Not every roleplaying game will be easy to turn into a solo experience, and I went into Inspire fully aware that it would probably only shine in a multiplayer environment. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by the premise! Playing as spirits and telling their stories to see how they might become part of a belief system was very different. Onto the storytelling!
Game Overview
Game Name: Inspire
Publication Year: 2020
Designer: Tyler Omichinski
Artist: Maud Croal
Publisher: Broken Things
Solo Mode: None (Solo RPG Oracle & Changes Required)
This is a trick-taking RPG about overcoming challenges to become remembered by a group. Early history or even a post-apocalyptic world are some possible settings. The idea of crafting a pantheon in this way focuses on the tales we tell and the power of those words through history.
Oagi, the Wind Spirit
I figured I would create a trio of spirits to craft tales, and I got started with developing my first concept right away!
Once Upon a Time: The Storytelling Card Game continues to be my favorite way to generate ideas. Here we go…
Oagi, pronounced [O-ag-ee], was a spirit of the wind… Only he seemed very tied to water. So I thought of him as the air bubbles beneath the surface, deadly but powerful.
This wasn’t a particularly kind sort of character concept, yet I was still very interested to see what he might be involved with. Aside from drowning, of course!
Zyphin, the Fire Spirit
To counter the rather serious tone of the first spirit, Zyphin, pronounced [zie-FIN], was a prankster of a pixie, leading others on a bit of a journey to nowhere.
I loved how these cards led me to think of the little glowing lights seen in the forest at night, or the twinkles deep underwater. Never quite within our grasp, but there!
It was interesting to pull a couple of cards that were so strongly tied to water, even without any water spirits.
Indeed, Zyphin was a fire spirit that might not have been all about burning flames, but he was in his element!
Galena, the Earth Spirit
Finally, the last spirit in this starting trio was Galena, pronounced [ga-LEE-na]. If I enjoyed the first few ideas, she had to be the coolest thing I came up with yet!
As an earth spirit, she was behind the moss and dust that covers abandoned things, as well as the forces that slowly break everything down over time. Loved this idea!
I don’t always incorporate every card, but this is the method I use to develop some really excellent ideas.
These cards won’t work for everyone, yet when you find a tool you love, you know what it’s like to see it in action!
Challenges & Events
Each chapter is defined as a generation with a unique sort of challenge to overcome. A spirit provides a solution that matches the element of the suit on a played card.
Although there is a table of challenges provided, I found that a lot of these were quite particular and didn’t exactly follow the setting I was using. Not bad, but not great.
I still used some of these for inspiration because the generations dragged on a little bit, as I’ll get into.
Suffice to say that the trick-taking elements were nice without being suited to solo play. I still managed to play!
An Abbreviated History of an Early Clan
Lots happened during this storytelling session, and if I spent more time recording all of the details, this could even be the basis for a full pantheon to utilize in another RPG! Definitely a unique sort of system, and I can fondly look back at some of the main highlights throughout this clan’s history and the ensuing downfall of their own doing:
- Generation 1: Zyphin helps frighten neighboring clans by encouraging enormous fires to be built on the cliffs.
- Generation 2: Zyphin stops calamity inside the caves by sharing ideas and plans to wall them up for good.
- Generation 2 Wrinkle: However, with less shelter for crafts, family homes must be expanded and re-built.
- Generation 3: Oagi draws the clan from frivilous creativity by encouraging cooking, increasing demand for food.
- Generation 4: Zyphin teaches a new language from the movements of his glows, allowing shared communication.
- Generation 5: Dangerous predators take residence along the cliffs, which no one is able to prevent or stop.
- Generation 6: Galena stops infighting by spreading wood rot so the clan will work together to re-build.
- Generation 6 Wrinkle: The fallen timber is highly flammable and prone to bursting into fire at the hint of a spark.
- Generation 7: Oagi leads a group of newcomers to the cliffs, where they are able to bait and hunt the predators.
- Generation 7 Wrinkle: The newcomers claim the camp as their village, posing an uncomfortably close threat.
- Generation 8: Neighboring clans band together with the encampment to attack and take over the existing village.
I played out the rest of the story in a quicker manner with less notes, but it felt like the spirits then had to shift their attention to remaining relevant to the newcomers. Zyphin and Oagi played important roles, and so it was that they were at least remembered… While Galena struggled to manifest her power, and faded away into the background.
Mapping a Story
I was excited about tracking the ongoing stories with an ever-changing map, but unfortunately, this was sort of a secondary element that never had its chance to shine.
But look at those artistic skills of mine! Ha ha! I liked this grid and still had fun adding in some elements that brought the full story to life. Lots of neat little tidbits.
The waterfall was a central feature, and I still wonder if the underwater caves and dungeon were connected…
Everything shown tied into the overarching story, all the way through the downfall of the original village.
Trick-Taking Scores
Each generation, I drew cards to see who would come out ahead. Wrinkles were harder to implement, although a couple of them appeared to add new twists to the story!
Zyphin jumped out ahead with the best solutions early on, with his glows strongly tied to the village’s history.
Oagi and Galena weren’t far behind, though, and they gained influence with some of the greatest ideas.
But it felt like it dragged on a bit, mostly due to the difficult nature of managing solo trick-taking. I don’t blame the game! Still loved some of the stories I got to tell.
An Epilogue for All
It was Zyphin who become a deity, although the main clan was destroyed. Yet it was he who helped create a system to communicate generations ago that helped the victors.
Oagi also played a pivotal role, although he was mostly forgotten as Zyphin’s influence spread.
In a thematic ending, Galena disappeared with time, much like her ageless dust. Perhaps she’s still out there, buried beneath layers of moss, waiting to be remembered…
This was an interesting one! Maybe not something I would play again solo, but certainly a very unique experience!
Continue the Conversation
Have you ever played Inspire? Are there other tabletop RPGs you’ve tried alone, despite it not being easy to play them solo? I had to adapt this system a lot, and hope it’s clear that it’s not the game’s fault for not being solo-friendly! There is a lot to enjoy here in the setting and the rather unique way of bringing trick-taking into roleplaying. Glad I played it!
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