I spoke with the creator of SpellBooks- here are her answers to my questions:
Q: Please describe your trading card game!
A: SpellBooks™ is a game in which 2-6 players take on the personas of powerful magicians engaged in dangerous battles! Players do this by collecting cards and organizing them into pages of spells to create their own unique spellbook. The game is played in a series of rounds, with each player casting spells in order to reduce their opponents' Health to 0. Players begin with 25 Health and the last player with Health remaining is the winner.
Q: What inspired you to create a TCG?
A: Card games were a huge part of my childhood and were my first passion. While a lot of kids were playing sports - I was playing Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon.
Eventually I got into DnD and other RPGs as well, becoming a “forever game master” or someone who spends their time building the world for others to play in and running the games.
For a long time I wanted to merge these two passions, and have tried a few different ideas over the years. Eventually, on a long car ride with my then-girlfriend-now-wife, Natalee, we came up with the initial idea for spellbooks.
Q: What TCGs did you grow up playing as a kid?
A: I started playing tcgs around age 6. As a kid I mostly played Y-Gi-Oh, but also some Pokémon. Once I got to about 8th grade Magic the Gathering entered the mix.
Q: What sets SpellBooks apart from other TCGs?
A: Spellbooks is a one-of-a-kind tcg that creates an immersive rpg-like experience while providing tcg style streamlined gameplay. Three main mechanics work together to achieve this.
First, our modular card system. Most SpellBooks cards can be used with most other SpellBooks cards. There are no factions or archetypes. In fact, most cards only represent PART of a spell. Each turn players play groups of cards that together form a coherent effect and advance gameplay. This design philosophy is what allows the other two main mechanics to function smoothly.
Second, our book style play system. Instead of building a deck, players organize their cards into a 2x2 card binder called a spellbook. These have 4 and 8 card pages that consist of preselected spells a player may choose from between each round. Putting together a simple spellbook is quick and easy enough for new players to do with little preparation but modifying it into a powerful tome is the SpellBooks main test of skill. “Writing” these pages of spells in a personal “book” adds a level of rpg-like immersion that isn’t really found in other tcgs.
Lastly, our dice system that determines resources and turn order. Spellbooks is played in a series of rounds, during which each player takes a turn. At the start of each round players roll a set of polyhedral dice that determine two things. First: the amount of magic available to each player to cast spells from their chosen pages and second: the order each player will take their turn and play their spell. This is what contributes to the luck factor - replacing the “luck of the draw” with a “roll of the dice”.
Together these three factors create a unique game with a varied and dynamic gameplay that offers endless possibilities.
Q: How long have you been working on the game?
A: My spouse and I first began discussing and sketching out spellbooks in July 2019, so a little over 3 years.
Q: How did you come up with the name SpellBooks?
A: We wanted to highlight the book-building aspect of the game. Taking on the role of a mage writing their book of spells is the central theme of SpellBooks.
Q: What is the illustration/design process like?
A: At this point I do almost all of it. Currently I will usually come up with an idea for a card or group of cards and an idea of what they do - at that point I assign attributes, a rough version of their text, and cost.
Then I start drawing. Most of the art is done drawing in photoshop. I start with a sketch or under-painting and slowly build it up to a finished graphic novel-esque style.
Once the images are done, I revise the cards name, effect, cost, and combine all the info into a spreadsheet. Once a set of cards is done, I run that through photoshop as a data set, do final touch ups on individual cards, and… they’re done! Ready to be uploaded and sent off for publishing in the next release.
Q: What are your future plans for SpellBooks?
A: At this point: just keep working on it!
As of now, I am a one woman show - handling everything from game design and illustration/graphic design to social media. My plan is to keep creating, putting out as much content as I can and hopefully growing SpellBooks into something large enough that I can bring on some help.
I am currently wrapping up illustrations for 40 new cards for our second set: intro to conjure! The 40 new cards, as well as 32 reprints from Spellcasting 101 will make up the available cards in the new set.
The best way to stay up to date with SpellBooks upcoming releases is to subscribe to our YouTube, Instagram, and Patron pages.
Q: Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own TCG?
A: First- Just do it! If you have an idea you should build it, even if it’s just for you.
Second- I recommend starting with a theme and then building basic mechanics around that theme, at least one of which is unique. Once you know how your game should be played, coming up with useful cards is a lot easier.
Third- don’t be afraid to start over! SpellBooks was completely written and rewritten 5 or so times before my playtesters and I finally landed on the formula we came up with now. However, when you start over keep in mind what NEEDS to stay the same to keep to the central theme; if those things don’t exist in the new version you have a different game.
And lastly, of course, have fun. We’re making games after all.
For more, check out:
https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/spellbooks:-spellcasting-101-grimoire-base-set-
instagram: @graymagus.games
patreon: @SpellBooksGame
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/
Really loving all of these interviews
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