Skate Wizards is a role playing game in the vein of D&D but extremely simplified and a lot funnier. Our friend MC picked up a copy at Dark Future on Sandy blvd in Portland and brought it to the mini-ramp session last night. No, we didn’t break out into a spontaneous game in the middle of the flat, but we’re defiantly going to give it a… wait for it… roll. I played D&D in my younger years and with my kids, so I was definitely intrigued. I started digging around a little, and the more I saw, the more excited I got.
Skate Wizards is a collaboration between visual artist Michael C. Hsiung and musician Levi Nunez/Loot The Body who share a love of old school fantasy. The core rules were inspired by Ben Milton’s Maze Rats and Nate Treme’s In the Light of a Ghost Star. A steezy role-playing game about radical and arcane shredding of the Gnar. You are a member of the Hermetic Order of the Skate Wizards.
From what I gather, game mechanics are simplified and as with a lot of these types of games, it’s pretty loosey goosey. Marc bought the first edition, which included The 40 page manual and opening campaign as well as a couple character sheets and some stickers. If you buy online you also get code to download the soundtrack for free from Bandcamp. You heard that right, I said soundtrack. You can also purchase a deluxe version that comes with cassette tape of the music to put you in the mood.
In addition to the introductory module, there’s also an expansion campaign titled Skate Wizards II: Domed City. The game is available at select game stores as well as online at Skatewizards on Big Cartel. The online presence is a little loosey goosey too. You have to go to a different store to get the t-shirts, and if you’re in the mood to save a little money, an entirely different one to get the PDF downloads.
Part of the game play involves “Rando” spells that player has to create. Characters have to watch an old VHS skate vid to learn the tricks, and then the player rolls to see if the tape ends up busted afterwards, a deciding factor on if you’ll be able to watch the tape ate cast the spell on another day. There’s an online generator for spell names if you need some help. Make sure you click on the boombox for added ambiance.
Any amount me trying to further explain how funny and cool this is will just blow it. This is my kind of project. It’s hilarious, original, and clever. I recommend checking it out yourself. Here’s a video that should give you a good idea about what you’re getting into.
Like I said, we’re definitely going to try this game out. I may even buy my own copy as I might be the only one in the crew whose experience with D&D is deeper than just seeing it on Stranger Things.
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