BZR is an indie TTRPG about magical realism in everyday life. Your creativity is key: any trait can become your strange power. Hardships will leave permanent marks on you, and you will struggle. But you can persevere, with the help of those you love.
“Why do bizarre phenomena exist?” For a long time, I kept returning to this question, picking away at it to no avail. Because a faulty research question will not yield any meaningful results.
The paranatural, the bizarre, it’s only a word – a social construct. What we define as strange depends on our frame of reference. During the Bronze Age, the industrial revolution was completely unthinkable, unbelievable – bizarre. One spouting about machinery and steam would be branded a lunatic.
What if our potential as individuals and a society is defined, and held back, by what we do and don’t think is possible? - A. Saaremäe, Encounters With The Bizarre: A History of the Paranatural, 2016
BZR
– pronounced /bɪˈzɑːr/ –
the roleplaying game for the mundane and occasionally bizarre.
Who are you?
Your experiences and your identity affect how you interact with the world. In BZR, this is reflected through your aspects – the core of both the game and your character.
You might be a Fast Reader, or Not Bothered By Cold. You may be Shy, or perhaps you Play Guitar.
You can use the aspects you possess to interact with the world more effectively than others.
Your character and your creativity are key.
Curie Marie Chou's aspect Violinist represents her skill with the violin. She can use it to play violin, or to bond with other musicians and violinists.
When mundane turns Bizarre
When strengthened enough, all aspects turn Bizarre. Your knowledge and comprehension is so vast that the border between mundane and paranatural is completely blurred.
You can accomplish extraordinary things through this aspect, and complete tasks that seem impossible.
A mundane Likes to Knit aspect which turns Bizarre might allow you to speak to knitwear, never run out of yarn, or always know the stock of yarn shops.
The Bizarre aspect Dark Horse allows its user to identify improbable and unbelievable solutions to the problems they are facing.
It left an Impression
Everyday life and society often challenges us, because of who we are and what we have gone through. In BZR, these challenges are defined through our impressions, that life has left upon us.
Every character has at least one impression.
If you're a People Pleaser, you have to exert yourself to say "no" to others, or you might be Depressed, which means you act after others in conflict. Complete Paraplegia leaves you unable to use your legs, while Ludopathy will make you roll your dice even if the odds are against you.
Life will change you
As you experience traumatic events or survive devastating conflicts, they leave new impressions on you.
James Lawrence is prone to Anger Outbursts, which force him to take out his aggressions on those nearby as his resolve and mental fortitude decline.
Fund our book
We are looking for funds to complete, edit, print and publish our base rulebook "BZR – You are Strange".
If you need something to play or want to talk to us, join our Discord. We share early playtest material from our modules there: BZR's Discord The base rule PDF of BZR will always be free, and we encourage you to write and publish your own pen-and-paper add-ons or modules to the game.
Who are we?
L. Rusk – T. Leno – K. Laukkanen – M. Tikka – B. Gripenberg
L. Rusk is the creator of BZR.
T. Leno is BZR's main illustrator, art director and a co-writer on the module Death of the Auteur. They are the creator and player of Amos Saaremäe and Frank Koski.
K. Laukkanen is BZR's graphic designer. They are the creator and player of Mona Lahti.
M. Tikka does BZR's print layout, and co-writes the module Beneath The Fractal Sea.
B. Gripenberg is a co-writer on the module Death of the Auteur. He's the creator and player of the characters James and Jackie Lawrence.
