Crabs and Caverns is a Free and Open Source Tabletop Roleplaying Game System (FOSTTRPGS?) designed to be played by a group of 4-6 adventurers and one Game Master. It's meant to play like a Tabletop Roleplaying Game, but it's designed from the start for use in our modern digital world.
Crabs and Caverns is based on the d100 dice system. In this system, any time a roll is required, two d10 are rolled; one die is the 10s place, the other die is the 1s place.
A major issue that plagues online tabletop games are the perils of PDF's; using game systems designed for the pen-and-paper age on a computer requires the players to jump and dive between a number of semi-related PDFs that may or may not have the information they are searching for. In fact, this was the main motivator for C&C.
We wanted to set out to prove that the 'puter was mightier than the pen. No more saying, "Oh, I don't think it's in this book," or, "That book looks cool, but it's on back order."
Instead, C&C aims to be as close to an up-to-date file as possible. As the game matures, new editions of the system will have new editions of the User's Encyclopedia and Game Master's Encyclopedia released. This allows for major edition releases that incorporate community feedback while still allowing for a fluid update cycle. If someone finds a heinous typo (Carbs instead of Crabs, for example), you can report it and suggest a fix directly.
A quick point, regarding the name; Crabs and Caverns was a temporary title to help denote that this was a game of "things" and "places," and how they interact. As we all know, temporary fixes tend to last the longest.
Crabs and Caverns content can be divided into two separate sections:
- This includes the User's Encyclopedia, the Game Masters' Encyclopedia, and First-Party Modules released directly from the Crabs and Caverns team such as Trouble at Cobalt Atoll.
- This includes Third-Party Modules, like community-made story modules, equipment expansions, and other reference modules submitted by people like you.
Official Material is made of a baseline of material originating from the Crabs and Caverns team. That being said, Community Material that has overwhelming support by the community can and will be adopted into Official Material.
For example, a homebrew rule for grappling that a majority of players like more than the official interpretation can and will be adopted into the Official Material if the community believes that it should be adopted.
In addition to adding items, the community can vote to remove aspects of the system. If players don't like a rule, or if a weapon simply doesn't make sense, then there's no reason to keep it. Crabs and Caverns is an ever-changing, community driven project.
This section serves to lay a foundation for the Crabs and Caverns game system's governing policies. We also require that Community Material creators follow the same behavior. Those who do not conform to these really, really easy requirements will be removed from the community. Please don't ruin a good thing.
- Be easy to use, easy to teach, easy to learn, and easy to build.
- Listen and implement community feedback, and maintain our integrity.
- Help creators make and adapt fun and engaging stories for all to play.
- Use the metric system in both Official and Community Material.
- Support the community of creators who want to bring their stories to life.
- Require payment for the base game system and any additional Official Material.
- Work for every setting and story.1
- Allow content creators to hold game content ransom in exchange for payment. 2
- Attempt to steer the project down a path the community doesn't want to follow.
- Be perfect. Nothing's perfect the first time; if you have a good homebrew rule, write it down and publish it as Community Material! Hate something? Write it down and tell us!
Highlighting Point 8: Crabs and Caverns module creators are forbidden from charging money in exchange for game content. If you make content for anyone, you make content for everyone. Paywalling content goes directly against the spirit of this game.
That being said, people are free to donate to module creators; if you feel like someone has made something worth paying for, you can donate as much as you please.
If we make a bad decision regarding the soul of the project, call us out. You, the reader, are a part of the checks and balances that keeps Crabs and Caverns in line. Don't you ever forget that.
Crabs and Caverns is designed for, shaped by, and possible because of people like you.
Originally, this project was going to be made available through Obisidan; there would be one mega-file where all of the information was stored, and users would simply ctrl+f to find what they wanted.
Instead, now being hosted on Github, sections will be broken down into individual markdown files. Check out the Character Creation file, or the Game Master file for examples of this new method. You can still ctrl+f around these new files, but it should be easier than the original plan.
Nothing. Did you skip all of the stuff I wrote?
Crabs and Caverns doesn't cost anything other than your time. It never has and it never will. The biggest motivator for that particular aspect of C&C is that it's made primarily by a bunch of broke college students; nothing sucks more than being unable to buy a new expansion that just came out because the people who made it charge $100 for a crappy book with AI art on the cover.
Last I checked, games are supposed to be fun.
If you really have the urge to spend some money, go make a donation to your preferred cause, charity, or organization.
I haven't linked any particular ones here because C&C is for everyone, and picking one group to donate to will inevitably anger someone. Go put some time, money, and effort into whatever cause you think is worth it. I don't know, dude. Just go be a good person.
Why are you reading this? Go click on one of the files up top and get crabbin'.
Footnotes
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This was an early goal that simply wasn't feasible. Baseline Crabs and Caverns is designed for a high-fantasy world, similar to other fantasy game systems. I'd have loved for it to be something that applied to every world, but that simply is too broad of a brush to paint with imo. ↩
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As stated above, you are ABSOLUTELY allowed to donate money to someone's Patreon or OnlyFans or whatever. Content Creators, however, are not allowed to hold content from people in exchange for money. If you make something (a new rule for grappling, a new subclass, or a setting you'd like to share) for someone, you make something for everyone. ↩