Balance: Introduction – NEWPROTEST Publishing

Introduction to Balance

Whether you’ve played Table Top Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) for years, or this is your very first experience with one, this section is for you. Balance: The World of Isora invites you into a world shaped by the interplay of creation and destruction, harmony and chaos. Every action, every choice, and every moment in this game ripples through the Sacred Lines that bind the world together. In Balance, you’ll tell stories, solve mysteries, engage in tactical combat, and navigate moral dilemmas—all while building unforgettable adventures with your friends.

At its heart, Balance is a game about collaboration, creativity, and consequences. Below, we’ll introduce the core roles in the game: Players, who create and embody their characters, and the Narrator, who weaves the world and its challenges.

Most of the action in Balance is conducted by a 6-sided dice (d6). There are triggers that may add additional dice to the rolls, but these are the primary rolls for the game.

Note: Balance focuses on the sum of the two dice rolled (higher rolls are generally better), and also whether or not any of the dice match when rolled together.

Players and Characters

As a player, you take on the role of a character within the world of Isora. Your character is like the character in a story within a living, changing and fantastical setting, defined by their strengths, weaknesses, skills, and ideals. The decisions you make for your character shape the story as it unfolds.

What Does a Player Do?

Create Your Character: Begin by building a unique character using Balance’s simple but flexible system. You’ll decide your character’s Core Stats, attributes, and Class, and give them a backstory that ties them to the world. Are they a brave Mercenary fighting for coin, a clever Trickster weaving schemes, or a devoted Practitioner of Balance?
Collaborate with the Group: TTRPGs are group experiences. While your character is your own, their story intertwines with other characters in the world. You can work with your fellow players to solve problems and overcome obstacles, or work in spite of them to help your character meet their own goals.
Roleplay Your Character: You don’t need to speak and act as your character would, but you should consider them as a character in a story. Roleplaying with this in mind adds depth to that story and grounds them to the world, making the adventures much more interesting and memorable.
Roll the Dice: Dice represent chance and uncertainty in Balance. When you attempt something risky or contested, your Narrator will guide you through rolling dice to determine success. Everything from combat to climbing a sheer cliff face can be rolled. Your character might not always succeed, but they can certainly try.

Ultimately, as a player, your job is to contribute to the shared story, engage with the world, and enjoy the experience.

Narrators

The Narrator is the game’s guide and storyteller. If players are the protagonists of the story, the Narrator is everything else. They’re the world itself. They portray non-player characters (NPCs), describe the setting, and create challenges for the players to overcome. Being a Narrator is a creative and rewarding role that allows you to craft entire worlds and bring them to life for your players.

What Does a Narrator Do?

Create the World: The Narrator designs the backdrop for the story. This can range from quiet farming villages to sprawling cities, from forgotten temples to floating islands. The Narrator weaves the Sacred Lines, magic, and philosophical struggles of Isora into the narrative.
Portray NPCs: From humble shopkeepers to imposing villains, the Narrator takes on the role of all the characters not controlled by players. Through them, the Narrator conveys information, reveals plots, and creates emotional stakes.
Guide the Story: While players shape the story through their choices, the Narrator provides the structure. They describe the outcomes of player actions, introduce new challenges, and ensure the game remains balanced and engaging.
Run Encounters: Whether it’s a negotiation with a rival faction or a desperate battle against imbalance-spawned horrors, the Narrator manages encounters. They explain the rules, track initiative, and determine the actions of NPC opponents.
Facilitate Fun: The Narrator ensures everyone at the table is engaged and having a good time. They encourage creativity, support players in understanding the rules, and adapt the story to suit the group’s interests.

Tips for New Narrators

Start Simple: You don’t need to have every detail planned. Focus on the big picture and let the players’ actions fill in the gaps.
Be Fair, Not Adversarial: The Narrator’s role is to challenge the players, not to “win.” A good challenge is one where players feel their choices matter.
Embrace Improvisation: Players will surprise you. Roll with it and weave their actions into the story.
Encourage Roleplay: Help players feel comfortable explaining their actions and their character’s motivations and feelings. Again, they don’t need to act out the role, but they should consider their character’s role in the story.

See the Narrator’s Guide chapter for a much more thorough explanation.

Final Thoughts

In Balance, the line between Narrator and players is blurred by one key concept: collaboration. Together, you create an exciting, meaningful and unique story. Whether you’re dodging an imbalance storm, deciphering ancient texts, or repairing the Sacred Lines, remember that Balance is a shared experience. Your group’s creativity, trust, and teamwork are the most powerful forces in the world of Isora.

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