While I suppose there are shades of Mnemonic that can be detected in Alternacy, it is a significantly different type of roleplaying game. It's basically my attempt to create the fastest, lightest rules I possibly could while still retaining a useful, not-too-grainy system. Very little rules awareness is required of players; while there's a system present, it strives for transparency. It’s an odd goal, but I also wanted to create a game that could be played while one was on a road trip. I don’t really take that many road trips anymore, but that’s still the benchmark that got stuck in my mind and wouldn’t leave. I believe I succeeded.
There are three fundamental points about Mnemonic that should help you decide if it’s the type of game for you:
It’s Simple. Mnemonic falls into the “minimalist” rpg camp. It’s built to provide basic ratings of character traits, a means for referees to determine the difficulty and outcome of attempted actions, and a very general system for tracking health and vitality. That’s about it. This means the rules don’t get in the way of play, but they also can’t provide much detail or ambience.
It’s Portable. Mnemonic is designed to be playable while traveling, sitting at lunch, or even stranded on the proverbial desert island. It can be played with little or no equipment while still retaining the random element of diced gaming. I'm hoping this will also make it highly suitable for online gaming.
It Can Be Memorized. The rules contain mnemonic devices that allow players and refs to memorize everything necessary for play. Once you learn them you’ll have a complete (though simple) roleplaying game in your head.
Like Alternacy, Mnemonic is a universal system. You can use it for play in any type of setting, and suggestions are included for handling everything from warships to dragons with the same rules.
Mnemonic is divided into two separate booklets, one for players and one for referees (refs should still read the player’s guide, as it provides the basics that the ref’s guide builds on). In the interest of faster load times, each booklet in the online viewing is further divided into two parts:
Terms of Use/Copyright: Alternacy and Mnemonic, along with all other A-ZG material, are copyrighted works. Permission is granted to download and print the games for personal use. You're also free to spread them around your local gaming scene, at a game store or convention for example, though I would really appreciate it if you'd send me an email letting me know how that goes. Just make sure the copyright info and Alpha-Zulu Games web address are included with the text. If you're considering providing the games in an electronic format or as part of a printed product please contact me first for approval. Do not try to distribute them for profit; give them away, but don't sell them. And remember to share your feedback, via email to or at the Forum. These are free games, so that's the only payment I get!
Mnemonic comes in a zipped folder that contains both .doc and .txt files. The .doc files include much nicer formatting, with the .txt versions present to make sure that pretty much anyone will have something compatible with whatever system and software they possess. You can save the file to your own computer by right-clicking on the link below. The Mnemonic folder includes both the Ref's and Player's Guides.
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