This Monty Python-esque comedy RPG lets you improv as a band of incompetent and dangerously powerful wizards
Hello wizard, yes I do have a problem.
Hello Wizard I Have a Problem is a new tabletop roleplaying game that allows players to become powerful and incompetent spellcasters.
The upcoming roleplaying game sees any number of players collaborating together to tell a story about a band of chaotic wizards. Similarly to the likes of absurdist, fantastical comedy such as the works of iconic British group Monty Python, alongside the likes of The Mighty Boosh and What We Do in the Shadows, Hello Wizard I have a Problem is all about rapid scenes infused by the strange and unexpected.
Unlike many other tabletop RPGs, Hello Wizard sees its players taking turns to take on the roles of player character and games master. Each scene in Hello Wizard has a single player take the spotlight as their spellcaster, with the goal of impressing their fellow sorcerers with their magic. The active player describes what spells their wizard casts, with the other players acting collectively as a GM and deciding how these spells can go wrong.
Players will use a Problem Generator included in the fantasy RPG’s rulebook as inspiration for what could go wrong with the wizards’ spells, with the book capable of making over “200,000” prompts for possible disastrous outcomes. Once every player has had the opportunity to step into the spellcasting spotlight at least a few times, the game ends and players tally up their ‘points’ - which are decided by a loose improv system - and determine who is the most impressive wizard.
The rules system for Hello Wizard is very straightforward and intended to be easy for players to learn. Setup for the tabletop RPG is also designed to be quick and easy, with players expected to start in little time. The rulebook for the game will contain advice and optional rules players can use to augment their playthroughs too.
Hello Wizard I have a Problem was created by Sam Armstrong, a tabletop RPG designer who has previously made titles such as All Bastard - a fantasy TRPG in which players take the roles of either a band of bragging heroes or the bastards they defeated - and horror roleplaying game Slasher. The artwork for the game was created by illustrator Evlyn Moreau, who has previously worked on RPGs like Liminal High School.
The crowdfunding campaign for Hello Wizard I Have a Problem is on Kickstarter until later this afternoon, with the title potentially being made available on Armstrong’s Itch.io page. A pledge of £8 ($10) will get backers a physical copy of the game in June, alternatively a PDF version is available for £4 ($5).