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Complicated Reality

In the Temple at the End of Time, all knowledge and lore is stored in a vast memory crystal. The Monks of Meaning, having failed to find their enlightenment in this archive, now spend the final eon of the fading universe making and playing Plotboxes. Each box combines settings, heroes, and challenges from across the archives, testing their favorite avatars against increasingly heroic adventures.

Plotbox is a 60-minute TTRPG system

Designed for people who want to roleplay, but can't commit to long campaigns. Plotbox distills an adventure down to just a few pivotal scenes and gives players 60 real-time minutes to complete the objective.

Let your spark shine!

Every character has a spark, something that distinguishes them from everyone else. Be a fire mage, a gadgeteer, a speedster, or anything else you can come up with. Make up your own skills, special moves, spells and techniques on the spot, thanks to the flexibility of sparks.

Why play Plotbox?

Creative Roleplay
The flexible spark system replaces tedious spell compendiums and convoluted skill trees with a fluid, dynamic set of powers, unique to each character. If you can dream it, you can probably do it in Plotbox.

Elegant Mechanics
With an emphasis on collaborative storytelling, the mechanics of dice and numbers are carefully restrained to enable quick, responsive play without any time-consuming spell lists, complicated stat blocks, or lengthy source books.

Boardgame-length Adventures
Plotbox is designed for one-shot adventures that resolve in about an hour. Perfect for people who still love to roleplay but can’t beat the first boss of every long campaign: scheduling.

Low Cost
All that’s needed to play are these rules, some character sheets, some pencils, and three dice you probably already own. (d20, d12, d8)

Setting Agnostic
No settings are out of place in a Plotbox. The system handles sword and sorcery fantasy, high tech cyberpunk, zany cartoon worlds, and anything else you can come up with.

Players: 2-5

Length: 60-80min

Ages 12+

Download the Printable character sheet template

Download

PDF

Now it's Your Turn

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Complicated Reality © 2025
Art, Writing and Design by Yamen O'Donnell
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