I Have the High Ground

Update: I Have the High Ground is now available on my itch.io and on Indie Press Revolution!

Let’s face it: dueling is sexy. But do you know what’s sexier than dueling? That slower, higher tension duel that occurs before any damage is done—before any blow is even struck. The duel of word and wit, of casual motion and threatening maneuvers.

I Have the High Ground is a short collaborative tabletop roleplaying and storytelling game for 2 players about that kind of duel. Players are also encouraged to think expansively about what constitutes a duel. It's wonderful if you are knights, fencers, or Jedi with your blades crossed for sport or mortal combat. But what if you were hackers, trying to speedily exploit your way into control of a contested server? What if you were a murderer and the aggrieved loved one avenging their victim? What if you’re assassins and ex-girlfriends, or you’re in a boxing match, or a bar fight, or even just a school talent show? Pick your weapons, push the limits, and whenever justifiable: flourish your capes.

Testimonials

"I don't know the last time I've played a game as ELECTRIC as I Have the High Ground. Every roll, every turn, every action came dripping with drama, panache, excitement and energy. It was thrilling, beginning to end. I can't wait to play again."

- Jeff Stormer, of the Party of One Actual Play Podcast

"We had a ton of fun [playtesting]! The major thing we got from the game was that it is EXTREMELY romantic."

- Kathleen Hyslop, of the Chicks with Dice Podcast

The Zine

Through this crowdfunder, we hope to make a print run of I Have the High Ground with Diskette Press, a risograph small press that focuses on showcasing up-and-coming queer and trans creators. We intend to produce a 26-page 5.5"x8.5" zine featuring art by Ezra Rose and layout design by Vin Tanner. While the visual and printing details are subject to change, you can see Ezra's beautiful cover art alongside here.

To pay for the necessary supplies and compensation for all contributors, we need to raise $3500 USD—and we could use your help! This project will only collect funds if we reach the minimum to cover our flat costs.

I Have the High Ground is mechanically light. The rulebook totals to 24 half-letter pages. It is GM-less and intended for one-shot play. It can be played in any genre, and even adapted to use characters from an existing campaign—it's a greatway to zoom in on a tense, pre-battle scene from a game in another system.

Mechanics

The mechanics of I Have the High Ground are inspired by the rules of modern competitive fencing. Each turn players choose—in secret—one of four moves: thrust, feint, parry, or a penalty move. Players reveal their moves, the winning player scores a point, and narration and dialogue are shaped by which move the winning player chose. The standard moves form a rock-paper-scissors triangle inspired by real fencing moves: thrust beats feint, feint beats parry, and parry beats thrust. Ties are broken by priority, a reintrepretation version of fencing's priority rules—priority is simply exchanged back and forth each turn.

• Thrust wins represent an offensive move. This could be a cunning insult, or a firm step inward to which the loser flinches, or a story about the victor’s prowess which the loser fails to match.
• Feint wins indicate the victor offered bait that the loser took. The victor might raise an issue from the loser’s past to provoke them or fake a reach for their weapon to make the loser overreact.
• Parry wins indicate that the loser offered an thrust, which the victor struck aside for a powerful counterattack. This might indicate that the loser stepped in to tower over the victor, but the victor simply stepped into the loser’s guard, causing the loser to falter and step back, or that the loser made a jab about one of the victor’s failures on the battlefield, allowing the victor retell how the loser’s actions lost the war.
• Once per game players may use a penalty move, where their character disrespectfully disarms themselves or turns their back on their opponent to leave. That player rolls 2 six-sided die and serious consequences occur based on whether they roll above, below, or exactly their score!

Storytelling

The mechanical victory provides inspiration and structure for the narration that follows, shaping the story players tell about the exchange. The rules establish who gets the narrative "last word" and how players negotiate their actions so that the loser gives the victor a satisfying chance to demonstrate their victory. In the end, I Have the High Ground is a collaborative game. Players are expected to help each other tell the stories they want to tell, treating losses as an opportunity to show their characters weaknesses and demonstrate their opponent's strengths.

Play continues until one player reaches competitive fencing's 9-point victory threshold, at which point the losing player must strike the first blow and begin the battle that follows—though the winner retains the right to block or dodge that blow! Whether in impatience, frustration, or any other whatever motivation, it's the loser who can no longer tolerate the duel of posture and must strike!

Character and Setting Creation

Play begins with concise character and setting creation. Players agree upon genre, stakes, the history their characters have together, the duel's environment, the exposition, and descriptor words—one shared by both characters, one set of opposites, and two describing their individual character. I Have the High Ground provides options for each of these categories, though players are invited to choose from outside those options.

Players also alternate choosing advantages which provide initial inspiration for how their character might achieve victory. Players choose their clothing, accessories, weapon, and mostly importantly: whether they are wearing a cape. In the vitally important cape mechanic, players consult a cape-related rubric and the player with the best cape chooses whether they want either first pick from the advantage list or priority on the first turn.

I Have the High Ground is written to tell a concise narrative of the tense moments that precede a fight, giving players the opportunity to flaunt their characters' strengths and expose their vulnerabilities. Including character creation, play usually takes about 2-3 hours, and feedback from playtesters about I Have the High Ground has been overwhelmingly positive!

Why Game On Tabletop?

Like many indie TTRPG designers, Kickstarter's blockchain announcement meant I suddenly needed a new home for my project. After finding Game on Tabletop, I was immediately attracted by their focus on supporting games creators. From there, the shipping tools, page customization, and responsive support sold me! Now is the time to show up for game creators choosing to take on risk in order to make a statement that environmentally destructive blockchain technologies are not acceptable and that Kickstarter does not have a monopoly on TTRPG development. Please consider supporting this project in making that statement and supporting Game On Tabletop in providing a more ethical platform for games crowdfunding!

Community Copies

All reward tiers above the PDF offer one or more Community Copies, which are free PDFs of the final rulebook which will be made available on my itch.io page once zines start shipping. These are intended to make the game available to people who can't afford to spend money on the PDF. Please consider backing at higher levels to make these available, or adding them as an add-on!

The Rewards

$5 - PDF

All reward tiers include a PDF download of the final I Have the High Ground rulebook.

$10 - Print Zine

The $10 tier, and all tiers listing a print zine, include a copy of the 26-page 5.5"x8.5" I Have the High Ground rulebook zine printed by Diskette Press, alongside the PDF download and one Community Copy. Note: the exact art, layout, and paper used for the cover are subject to change.

$30 - Premium Set

The $30 tier includes a premium set of I Have the High Ground, which in addition to the print zine of the rulebook, includes two custom I Have the High Ground themed six-sided dice for penalty moves, nine 1.25" double-sided laser-etched wooden tokens with art by Ezra Rose that can be used track priority and to hide in players' fists to indicate move choices, all in a burlap bag that holds the dice, tokens, and zine. This is the best way to experience I Have the High Ground and I highly encourage you to invest in a premium set for the best play experience!

The dice will be printed by Chessex and feature crossed rapiers in place of sixes on a beige and white marbled surface to match the zine cover. An example of the die can be seen here. The wooden tokens will be printed by thelaserartstudio and feature art by Ezra Rose. You can see samples of the tokens to the right and below! This tier also provides a PDF and one one Community Copy.

$35 - Premium Set - Second Run

Wow, you all bought my out of premium sets! I've created a new tier to fund a second component order for more sets. This new tier comes with everything in the premium set tier above, but costs $5 more to cover the expenses of another component order, and it will ship a few weeks later than the other sets. In exchange, I've included the Early-Access PDF and an extra community copy in this tier for no additional cost!

$30 & $80 - Retail Tiers

The $30 and $80 tiers provide 5 copies of the print zine or premium set, respectively. Individuals may purchase this for personal use or gifting. Retail stores are encouraged to purchase this tier for resale at a 40-45% markup over the single-unit tier price. If any retail store would like to purchase in greater bulk for additional discount, they are encourage message this page to discuss the possibility. This tier also provides ten Community Copies. By default retail tiers are US-only, but international retailers can contract this page to inquire about large retail orders.

NEW - $90 - Character Art & Premium Set

The $90 tier includes a premium set and digital art of your characters from a game of I Have the High Ground! The illustration will be a flat color drawing from artist Sarida Pratuangtham, and will be delivered within two months of you submitting a description of the scene from your I Have the High Ground game that you would like illustrated. The exact details of the commission are up to the approval of the artist, with the general guidelines that the commission shouldn't exceed a simple background and a maximum of two characters—dynamic pose and action descriptions are welcome! Below you can find an example flat color commission from Sarida of a character from an I Have the High Ground playtest, and an example two-character flat color illustration.

This tier also bundles in the early access PDF (if you want to play and get your commission sooner!) and written dedication add-ons for free, and provides ten Community Copies.

$250 $180 - Play a Game with Jess

The $180 tier includes a premium set, early access PDF, and the opportunity to play a game of I Have the High Ground with Jess Levine, the creator of the game! This tier also bundles in the early access PDF and written dedication add-ons for free, and provides twenty five Community Copies.

Add-ons

$3 - Early Access PDF

For an extra $3, shortly after the successful completion of the crowdfunder, backers will receive a download of the existing rulebook used by playtesters, prior to final editing, layout design, and internal art, for immediate play, and to give playtesting feedback if you desire!

$2 - Community Copy

See the Community Copy section above. This add-on provides one Community Copy per $2!

$2 - Premium Set Dedication

For $2, anyone ordering a premium set can have a dedication made out to the name(s) of their choice handwritten onto their zine including a signature from Jess, the creator of I Have the High Ground! Backers may specify the written message (pending approval) or leave it up to me for a surprise!

Shipping

Click here for a higher resolution version of the graphic below.

Contributors

Jess Levine

Jess (she/her) is the creator & designer of I Have the High Ground, and organizer of the crowdfunding campaign. She is an author, musician, kindergarten teacher, and communist organizer. She also wrote the TTRPG going rogue. She resides in Philadelphia, on the occupied land of the Lenni Lenape people. Find all her work at jessfrom.online.

⚔

Ezra Rose

Ezra Rose (they/them) is the artist for I Have the High Ground. They are an illustrator, zinester & multi-disciplinary creator living on a small farm in Western Massachusetts with queer chosen family. Their art explores monsters, magic, queer/trans identity and Jewish culture, celebrating the marginal and connecting to the symbols and stories of both past and present. Ezra's work has appeared in tabletop games, comics anthologies, and other small/indie press. Find them at ezra-rose.com and @sheydgarden.

Vin Tanner

Vin Tanner is the layout designer for I Have The High Ground. They're an artist and a writer—with a fondness for science fiction—and have been involved in several projects including: the album art for "Light Play" by (is), and their own game Galactic 2e: The Droid Expansion. You can find them, their work, and business contact info at @hologramvin on twitter, hologramvin.itch.io, and linktr.ee/hologramvin.

satah

satah consulted on the game design for I Have the High Ground. In particular, they are responsible for the unique ideas behind the Descriptor and Circumstances mechanics used during the character creation process. They are also the editor for I Have the High Ground's actual play Level Ups. They are the host and producer of the podcast Music for Molehills, and make music as people you meet outside of bars and piloting the animal.

Diskette Press

Diskette Press is the printer for I Have the High Ground's zine. Diskette Press specializes in Risograph printing interesting work by emergent queer talent. They are based in Detroit, Michigan.

Will Jobst

Will Jobst (they/them) is the editor for I Have the High Ground's editing Level Up. They are an award-winning tabletop game designer and editor, with games like TORQ, this discord has ghosts in it, Black Mass, and Campfire. Will’s games are available at willjobst.itch.io, and is very online at @will_jobst.

Bridget Renoux

Bridget Renoux is a player in one of I Have the High Ground's actual play Level Ups. She is a game designer and frequent guest and GM on the Roleplaying Public Radio Podcast. You can find her games on her Patreon and find her on Twitter as @unsatisfiedkitt.

Fae

Fae is a player in one of I Have the High Ground's actual play Level Ups. You can find her other actual plays on the Roleplaying Public Radio Podcast.

Rhiannon Naomi Daly

Rhiannon Naomi Daly is the transcriber for I Have the High Ground's actual play Level Ups. She is a writer, musician, and game designer.

riley rethal

riley rethal is a player in one of I Have the High Ground's actual play Level Ups. she is a pharmacy student and tabletop roleplaying game designer who likes writing games about community, disillusionment, and introspection. you may know her from her work on doikayt: a jewish ttrpg anthology, venture & dungeon, and galactic 2e. you can find all her games at metagame.itch.io and her twitter @rileyrethaI.

NEW: Sarida Pratuangtham

Sarida Pratuangtham is the illustrator for the $150 I Have the High Ground crowdfunder reward tier which includes art of the characters from your game of I Have the High Ground! Sarida is a graduate student who does digital art in their free time and loves RPGs dearly. You can find their work on Twitter as @ophrysian.

Member of Zine Month #ZIMO

Special Shipping & FAQ

Click options below to expand:

• Full Funding unlocks at $ 3,500

  At $3500 we will have enough to cover the flat costs of labor and make a print run of I Have the High Ground!

  
• Editing by Will Jobst unlocks at $ 4,000

  At $4000, we will have enough to hire Will Jobst, editor and game designer of TORQ, this discord has ghosts in it, Black Mass, and Campfire, to edit the I Have the High Ground rulebook. Will's work is incredible, and it would be fantastic to get to polish this game with their keen eye for editing!

  
• Raises for Contributors #1 unlocks at $ 4,500

  All our contributors are putting a lot of work into I Have the High Ground, and it would be fantastic to get to pay them more. Please help us do that!

  
• Additional Interior Art unlocks at $ 5,000

  With $5000, we will have enough to pay our artist, Ezra Rose, for additional illustrations to decorate the zine!

  
• Exclusive Actual Play with Bridget Renoux and Fae unlocks at $ 6,000

  At $6000, we will have enough to fund an I Have the High Ground actuay play with regular Roleplaying Public Radio guests Bridget Renoux and Fae! This will be a crowdfunder exclusive, available only to backers! This is a fantastic way to learn how to play I Have the High Ground, and an enjoyable piece of media from two talented roleplayers. The podcast will be edited by satah of host and producer of Music for Molehills, with transcription by Rhiannon Naomi Daily.

  
• Raises for Contributors #2 unlocks at $ 7,000

  All our contributors are putting a lot of work into I Have the High Ground, and it would be fantastic to get to pay them more. Please help us do that, a second time!

  
• Exclusive Actual Play with Riley Rethal and Jess Levine unlocks at $ 8,000

  At $8000, we will have enough to fund an I Have the High Ground actuay play with doikayt: a jewish ttrpg anthology, venture & dungeon, and galactic 2e creator riley rethal and going rogue and I Have the High Ground itself, Jess Levine! This will be a crowdfunder exclusive, available only to backers! This is a fantastic way to learn how to play I Have the High Ground, and an enjoyable piece of media from two talented roleplayers. The podcast will be edited by satah of host and producer of Music for Molehills, with transcription by Rhiannon Naomi Daily