Roleplay as vtubers. We can describe VStream as a dice and pencils game -- or as a rules-light tabletop roleplaying about vtuber lore, identity, and shenanigans. Roleplay in either seiso or lewd modes.
It's a game about lore. I've observed a lot of crossover between vtubers, their fans, and the gamers of roleplaying games. All of them craft detailed characters, often with imaginative backstories and entire worlds of lore. The lore of vtubers is sometimes simple and sometimes elaborate but always fascinating. There isn't really a good way to explore that lore and interact with it though. That's where dice and pencils come in.
It's also a game about identity and community. Player-characters in VStream RPG do not take on the role of streamers sitting in front of a webcam and pretend to be vtuber characters. The player-characters are the vtuber characters, be they mermaids or dinosaurs. They are just mermaids or dinosaurs who sometimes also sit in front of webcams and stream. For some, vtuber can be an opportunity to express their creative selves. The interactions between vtubers and their audiences are a useful mechanic in the game, recharging the most potent powers of the player-characters.
The campaign! Of course, it's possible to simply write the game and release it for free. In fact, I'll be doing that anyway. A seventy page long manuscript with cover art has already been developed. The purpose of the crowdfunding campaign is to make the game better. Funds will expand to game by hiring artists, game designers, and perhaps even a musician to contribute. I insist on paying creators for their efforts. Furthermore, the funds will go towards an initial print run of physical copies which can be sold at near-cost to spread availability of the game.
The System VStream is being built off of a community-forged rules system named C.O.R.E. Version 2. That name stands for Chupa Open Roleplay System. Version 1 was originally engineered by Chuck and Lonnie of the famed Dragon's Landing podcast, while Version 2 was refined by the show's community to an even more flexible and exciting ruleset. It's a clever rules-light system designed with three primary goals:
Legal Freedom --By releasing the game system with a Creative Commons license, they pushed a trend of freedom for game developers which was eventually adopted by larger publishers like Wizards of the Coast, replacing more restrictive and unclear licenses.
Wide Character Flexibility -- The mechanics of C.O.R.E. remain constant across campaigns, but the specific attributes and skills which define those campaign change. Thus, a player-character can be adventurer in a dungeon with a Trap Disarming Skill, an entire city with a Population Attribute. or (in our game) in this case a monster-girl with the Talent of Streamer's Luck.
Flexibility of Complexity -- The games must be able to scale to desired levels of rules granularity. Some groups will prefer a system as very simple and fast action, especially when learning the game. Other gamers desire systems with more depth of strategy and challenge that results from increased rules granularity, especially after they have mastered the basics. C.O.R.E. offers multiple options for increased and rewarding complexity. With a variety of abilities that work in different ways mechanically, no two characters should ever feel the same.
Different Ways to Win
To the degree than anyone ever wins a roleplaying game (which is not really), there are different ways to get there. Every character in VStream has the same four attributes: Body, Mind, Persona, and Mojo.
Body: the measure of general health, toughness, and athletic talent
Mind: mental power including intelligence and psychological resilience
Persona: social influence and reputation
Mojo: supernatural abilities
Different Ways to Lose
These attributes are each quantified and may be applied to various dice rolls, as one would expect. The other purpose they serve is that each also functions as a pool of hit points. Players gamble with these points and lose them as their characters take damage. Any of the four pools may be targeted, so social combat or wizard duels are every bit as viable as strategies as are purely physical attacks. Yes, you can disable your enemy by making cry. Characters are thus incentivized to lean into whatever form of problem solving that they prefer.
All physical books will be printed and distributed through the Amazon Kindle Store, United States. Standard shipping rates within the U.S.A. typically start at $3.99. Shipping to other countries is feasible at increased cost. For example, shipping to Australia starts at $4.99, to Japan starting at $6.99, and to Europe at $9.99 and up. All of these examples are in United States dollars.
The backing pledges made to not include shipping costs which will also need to be collected in the post campaign survey.
There is no shipping cost for purely digital content.
The development timeline will vary greatly depending on how much money the campaign collects. The more money that comes in, the more can be added to the game, and the longer it will take to create and collect all of the new features.
As a very rough estimate, we expect at least two months from the end of the campaign before products will arrive. That means expecting finished products should ship no sooner than October 1st, 2025.
If the campaign achieves $200, this will barely cover expenses but will result in polished a playtested game with a very limited print run.
$400 Razzle Dazzle: Additional interior artwork and professional proofreading by a second editor for extra polish. We hope to hire a number of artists for different perspectives.
$700 Extra Sample Adventure: written by a professional gamermaster and vtuber. This new adventure will be custom designed for the game and in addition to the three sample adventures already in the rulebook.
$800 The Clipper: a new character archetype with unique abilities, joining the vutbers
$900 Second Sample Adventure: written by an entirely different pro GM and vtuber.
$1300 Custom Music: a custom music track to accompany the digital version of the game.
$1500+ Print Run: a large print run makes it possible to sell extra copies of the game in the future at greater discounts.
All money amounts listed here are in United States dollars.
