My 9yo asked to play a prompt-driven RPG like Thousand Year Old Vampire, but without the "creepy theme", and a user on rpggeek.com pointed this out. Printed it last night and hoping to help her play it soon. Thanks!
I love this! Let me know if you have any questions. The rules are a little intense especially during character creation, but I hope you all enjoy it once you get going!
I would love to play this! Sorry to ask, but how often are community copies added? I really need something lighthearted and cozy like this in my life right now, haha
Hi! I don’t think there’s a way to be notified and they’re added every few days, but they go FAST. I’m adding a few extras now, if you don’t get one email themagicalyearofateenagewitch at gmail and I’ll hook you up!
Hi, thank you for the kind words! Glad you’re enjoying the game.
And thank you for sharing this project, I hadn’t heard of it yet! So when I made this game years ago, I was surprised there weren’t already more games like it. I see the similarities, but I also see how we arrive at similar places with similar inspiration.
I don’t know if the designer is aware of my little game or not, but even if they do take inspiration from Magical Year, I’m flattered. Magical Year only exists because Tim Hutchings was kind enough to allow me to use his TYOV system. Koriko looks great, I wish it success, and will look forward to getting my hands on a copy!
(And maybe it’s inspired me to do a physical release of Magical Year 2.0 down the line, we’ll seeeeee)
I’m obsessed with Thousand Year Old Vampire and now I’m obsessed with this. Such a refreshing take, I very much enjoyed it! Looking forward to playing again and again. Do you have any plans to make other games using this system?
I remain fascinated by Thousand Year Old Vampire, a single-player role-playing game in which you play the vampire of the title, roughly from awakening to extinction, by responding in writing to a number of (otherwise beautifully laid out) narrative prompts. The Magical Year of a Teenage Witch works on exactly the same principle, swapping the gloomy vampire for the lively young witch who fills her notebook with spells inspired by an unusual year. There are a lot of nice ideas in there, and the two games, while using the same skeleton, end up being quite distinct, letting me see a whole family of possible hacks of the same kind...
The Magical Year Of A Teenage Witch is a journaling or conventional group ttrpg of heartwarming witchcraft.
The PDF is 66 pages, with great custom art and a clean, readable layout with warm colors.
The central premise is a bit Kiki's Delivery Service, a bit So You Want To Be A Wizard, and a bit A Hat Full Of Sky.
You are a teenage witch. Witches are especially strong when they're teenagers, and typically strike out on their own, going somewhere new to tend to its problems.
Mechanically, Magical Year is similar to Thousand Year Old Vampire. The goal is to grow your character over time, in response to prompts, and to tell a satisfying personal story.
You *can* multiplay this, and the book supports it, but a little more work is required.
Because the core of the game centers around character growth, character creation and advancement are built to be flavorful and satisfying. Characters consist of different types of Memories (Fire Memories involving passion and confrontation, Earth Memories involving growth and stability, etc,) and the aftermath of each of the game's Prompts usually slots into a particular Memory.
Characters also have Skills, Locations and Characters they connect with, Resources they value, and Powers. Powers are your supernatural talents, and notably your first Power sets the expectations for what supernatural abilities can do in the setting. If you have "quell a fever with a touch," you're likely going to be telling a different kind of story than if your power is "backflip slow-mo through the air while throwing thousands of knives."
As that variety of Powers should indicate, most of the elements of your character are things you come up with for yourself. There isn't a strict premade list of Powers, Skills, Locations, etc. You generally improvise them, based on what fits the story.
The game's Prompts *do* come in premade sets, and this is handled in a neat way. Each Prompt can be explored more than once, with every encounter being a different event, allowing the game to essentially weave together a plot out of dozens of substories. There's even unlockable Bonus Prompts, which double down on this really cool vibe.
I should probably mention here that the writing throughout the book is strong and coherent, and the game has a very clear voice. You can deviate from that voice and run something spooky or high-octane, but you'll have to fight the Prompts a little bit to do it.
As far as tools and resources for players, this game has a *lot.* Everything is explained clearly and in multiple places, building on previous knowledge and keeping all of the gameplay elements tightly connected together. There's also lots of small sections on how to tailor the game to a particular playstyle, with lots of examples given. There's a full writeup of an example of play, and just in general Magical Year does a great job of teaching you how to play it. There's also random tables, in case you get stuck.
Overall, this is a dang good solo game. If you like cozy stuff, character development, and journaling rpgs, this should absolutely be on your list.
I enjoyed this game thoroughly, playing through two and a half times now. So much so that I'm dragging friends in to play the multiplayer mode.
In the rules for multiplayer it mentions apprentices being able to 'choose from the remaining sets'. At the moment there is only the default sets but are there plans in the future for more sets?
I appreciate that so much! Thanks for playing my game!
Yes, there's only the default and mentor sets right now. I'm planning on releasing another two or three sets, including:
A witch who attends school during their Magical Year
A witch who owns/opens an alchemy shop
A witch who travels throughout their Magical Year
I'm actively working on the student witch set, I think I'm mostly through spring and summer . In fact, I could send you an early version of it for you or another player to use...I'd just need to keep up with you and send you autumn and winter before you get there, haha. If you'd like that please DM me @Swashtalk on Twitter or email themagicalyearofateenagewitch at gmail!
I just finished my playthrough of this game and it was so sweet and emotional and made me think about my own teenage years. The prompts are so well-thought out, the mechanics assist the story in a really nice way, and the story I ended up with was just lovely. I HIGHLY recommend this game (and will be playing it many more times in the future)!
Watching Roll for Felicity's streams of this really convinced me to buy the super affordable and wonderful game. I'm not too far yet but loving it! I'm excited to convince my friends to play!
I'm really loving this! It has such an amazing vibe to it, and is exactly the kind of fantasy I've always wanted to RP and write about. If I may ask a question, though--is there an 'optimal' point to convert traits into powers? Or is that all part of the narrative and when it feels right like most things?
I'm glad you're enjoying it! I've been wanting to play a game with this vibe for so long and eventually decided to make one myself. It's so niche I didn't think it'd find much of an audience, so it means a lot whenever it resonates with someone!
The mechanics around converting Powers has always been a bit too loose I think, it's something I hope to tighten up in the next revision of the rules. It probably stems from me wanting to create some constraints but not box players in too much.
For the most flexibility, you can convert Traits into Powers immediately before you need to add or mark a Power. This way you can come up with whatever is optimal for the narrative and the situation you're in (storm raining on a festival? Convert a Fire Memory into a weather ritual to warm things up! Or two marked Skills!). It's not the clearest in the way the rules are currently written, but if a Prompt calls for you to mark a Power, you can convert other things into a new Power and immediately mark it, all in one Prompt response.
Alternatively, converting Powers ahead of time can push your creativity. Sometimes you're forced into this, such as if you need to add an Experience but all your Experience slots are full, and the Prompt you're on doesn't call for you to add or mark a Power. But if you have a cool idea for a spell and want to convert some things ahead of time, you can definitely do that. Converting Powers ahead of time can lead to some fun situations that make you stretch your magic a bit (Storm raining on a festival and you have an unmarked spell that lets you talk to creatures? Maybe you convince some nearby dragons to come light up some bonfires and put on a show!)
If you have any suggestions or more feedback as you play I'd love to hear it! I'm hoping to launch version 1.0 later next month and want to pack as many improvements as I can into it. Happy witching!
Wanted to let you know that while I've only responded to 2 Spring prompts so far I'm very much looking forward to more. I'm forcing myself to take my time.
Also, the included playlist on this page has been *perfect* to say the least. Thanks for including it :)
Ah, thank you! I hope you have a great time playing it. Def go at whatever pace works for you. If you have any questions as you play please let me know.
And I'm glad to hear you like the playlist, I added that on a whim just for something silly and fun, haha.
This game is a balm to my soul. So far I've played through 12 Spring prompts, & I've found them all so sweet & compelling.
This THOROUGHLY captures the vibe of Kiki's Delivery Service, Hilda, blending the mundane, and magical in a way that feels both fantastical & slice of life.
I can't wait to continue playing this game & find out how the rest of Cassidy's year goes!
Ah, thank you so much! You’re right, there’s a lot of Hilda in this game too now that I think about it. I hope you enjoy the rest of your game and if you have any Qs let me know!
I just purchased this game & I'm super excited to play it. It seems like there's an issue with the 1.2 files, tho. When I download & open the Main Prompt Sheet files, all I see are the game rules again.
I hope I can see the prompts & play the game soon!
I really can't wait to play this sometime. I can see so many ways that this would be fun fun fun with some of my friends! I am so torn between checking out the prompts and just waiting to play a game and be *surprised*
Ah, thank you! I want to hear about what you all get up to when you do get around to playing!
I'm *close* to releasing the dedicated multiplayer mode, the play-by-post rules have been a blast to playtest. It'll only be 2p at release, though, as...adding more players involves me writing up 240 prompts per player, haha. However, I think the "solo" game is fun to play with a group too, all contributing to the story of one witch. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for supporting the game!
Hi! That is all great! Honestly the way I read it, I just figured I could use the prompts for one player for all players? As similar things happen to different people, its just how each character interacts with them that makes them special :)
TYOV was my favorite system for solo roleplay by far, and I've been waiting for someone to make a hack/adaptation of it in a different genre. This is perfect!!! The prompts were cozy and evocative, while being challenging in a fun way. I think the new rules added a really fun way of tracking growth and time passing in a way that really suits the genre and world. I played it all day, and then turned around and taught my fiancée to play and we started a new game together.
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My 9yo asked to play a prompt-driven RPG like Thousand Year Old Vampire, but without the "creepy theme", and a user on rpggeek.com pointed this out. Printed it last night and hoping to help her play it soon. Thanks!
I love this! Let me know if you have any questions. The rules are a little intense especially during character creation, but I hope you all enjoy it once you get going!
I would love to play this! Sorry to ask, but how often are community copies added? I really need something lighthearted and cozy like this in my life right now, haha
Just added some more, go go go! Let me know if you don't get one.
Is there possibly a way to be notified when more community copies become available? Or, around how often do they get added? ty!!
Hi! I don’t think there’s a way to be notified and they’re added every few days, but they go FAST. I’m adding a few extras now, if you don’t get one email themagicalyearofateenagewitch at gmail and I’ll hook you up!
I got one! Tysm <3 !
I've been having total fun with this.
I saw this on kickstarter and it looks loke a freakish copy, have you seen it? I left a comment and got nothing. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0cm8sBfXVBsWBmfLS77iYbv5z9HaNeN...
Hi, thank you for the kind words! Glad you’re enjoying the game.
And thank you for sharing this project, I hadn’t heard of it yet! So when I made this game years ago, I was surprised there weren’t already more games like it. I see the similarities, but I also see how we arrive at similar places with similar inspiration.
I don’t know if the designer is aware of my little game or not, but even if they do take inspiration from Magical Year, I’m flattered. Magical Year only exists because Tim Hutchings was kind enough to allow me to use his TYOV system. Koriko looks great, I wish it success, and will look forward to getting my hands on a copy!
(And maybe it’s inspired me to do a physical release of Magical Year 2.0 down the line, we’ll seeeeee)
You had me at Kiki's Delivery Service! Is there any chance there will be more community copies soon? Thanks in advance for you generosity <3
More added! If you aren’t able to grab what you need, email themagicalyearofateenagewitch@gmail.com and I’ll set you up. Thanks!
No, thank you so much <33 I just got it.
Can I ask for some community copies....?
If you aren’t able to grab what you need, email themagicalyearofateenagewitch@gmail.com and I’ll set you up. Thanks!
I’m obsessed with Thousand Year Old Vampire and now I’m obsessed with this. Such a refreshing take, I very much enjoyed it! Looking forward to playing again and again. Do you have any plans to make other games using this system?
Hi, thanks so much for the kind words! I do not have plans to make other games using this system, but I hope more designers do!
I remain fascinated by Thousand Year Old Vampire, a single-player role-playing game in which you play the vampire of the title, roughly from awakening to extinction, by responding in writing to a number of (otherwise beautifully laid out) narrative prompts. The Magical Year of a Teenage Witch works on exactly the same principle, swapping the gloomy vampire for the lively young witch who fills her notebook with spells inspired by an unusual year. There are a lot of nice ideas in there, and the two games, while using the same skeleton, end up being quite distinct, letting me see a whole family of possible hacks of the same kind...
The Magical Year Of A Teenage Witch is a journaling or conventional group ttrpg of heartwarming witchcraft.
The PDF is 66 pages, with great custom art and a clean, readable layout with warm colors.
The central premise is a bit Kiki's Delivery Service, a bit So You Want To Be A Wizard, and a bit A Hat Full Of Sky.
You are a teenage witch. Witches are especially strong when they're teenagers, and typically strike out on their own, going somewhere new to tend to its problems.
Mechanically, Magical Year is similar to Thousand Year Old Vampire. The goal is to grow your character over time, in response to prompts, and to tell a satisfying personal story.
You *can* multiplay this, and the book supports it, but a little more work is required.
Because the core of the game centers around character growth, character creation and advancement are built to be flavorful and satisfying. Characters consist of different types of Memories (Fire Memories involving passion and confrontation, Earth Memories involving growth and stability, etc,) and the aftermath of each of the game's Prompts usually slots into a particular Memory.
Characters also have Skills, Locations and Characters they connect with, Resources they value, and Powers. Powers are your supernatural talents, and notably your first Power sets the expectations for what supernatural abilities can do in the setting. If you have "quell a fever with a touch," you're likely going to be telling a different kind of story than if your power is "backflip slow-mo through the air while throwing thousands of knives."
As that variety of Powers should indicate, most of the elements of your character are things you come up with for yourself. There isn't a strict premade list of Powers, Skills, Locations, etc. You generally improvise them, based on what fits the story.
The game's Prompts *do* come in premade sets, and this is handled in a neat way. Each Prompt can be explored more than once, with every encounter being a different event, allowing the game to essentially weave together a plot out of dozens of substories. There's even unlockable Bonus Prompts, which double down on this really cool vibe.
I should probably mention here that the writing throughout the book is strong and coherent, and the game has a very clear voice. You can deviate from that voice and run something spooky or high-octane, but you'll have to fight the Prompts a little bit to do it.
As far as tools and resources for players, this game has a *lot.* Everything is explained clearly and in multiple places, building on previous knowledge and keeping all of the gameplay elements tightly connected together. There's also lots of small sections on how to tailor the game to a particular playstyle, with lots of examples given. There's a full writeup of an example of play, and just in general Magical Year does a great job of teaching you how to play it. There's also random tables, in case you get stuck.
Overall, this is a dang good solo game. If you like cozy stuff, character development, and journaling rpgs, this should absolutely be on your list.
This game looks so cute! Will there be any more community copies added?
Thanks! I had a few sales this week and added them in. If you miss getting one let me know and I’ll get one to you another way.
Thank you so much! I got one now, super excited to play!
I enjoyed this game thoroughly, playing through two and a half times now. So much so that I'm dragging friends in to play the multiplayer mode.
In the rules for multiplayer it mentions apprentices being able to 'choose from the remaining sets'. At the moment there is only the default sets but are there plans in the future for more sets?
I appreciate that so much! Thanks for playing my game!
Yes, there's only the default and mentor sets right now. I'm planning on releasing another two or three sets, including:
I'm actively working on the student witch set, I think I'm mostly through spring and summer . In fact, I could send you an early version of it for you or another player to use...I'd just need to keep up with you and send you autumn and winter before you get there, haha. If you'd like that please DM me @Swashtalk on Twitter or email themagicalyearofateenagewitch at gmail!
I just finished my playthrough of this game and it was so sweet and emotional and made me think about my own teenage years. The prompts are so well-thought out, the mechanics assist the story in a really nice way, and the story I ended up with was just lovely. I HIGHLY recommend this game (and will be playing it many more times in the future)!
One of the best games I've played all year!
Thanks so much, you don't know how much that means to me. <3
Watching Roll for Felicity's streams of this really convinced me to buy the super affordable and wonderful game. I'm not too far yet but loving it! I'm excited to convince my friends to play!
I'm really loving this! It has such an amazing vibe to it, and is exactly the kind of fantasy I've always wanted to RP and write about. If I may ask a question, though--is there an 'optimal' point to convert traits into powers? Or is that all part of the narrative and when it feels right like most things?
I'm glad you're enjoying it! I've been wanting to play a game with this vibe for so long and eventually decided to make one myself. It's so niche I didn't think it'd find much of an audience, so it means a lot whenever it resonates with someone!
The mechanics around converting Powers has always been a bit too loose I think, it's something I hope to tighten up in the next revision of the rules. It probably stems from me wanting to create some constraints but not box players in too much.
For the most flexibility, you can convert Traits into Powers immediately before you need to add or mark a Power. This way you can come up with whatever is optimal for the narrative and the situation you're in (storm raining on a festival? Convert a Fire Memory into a weather ritual to warm things up! Or two marked Skills!). It's not the clearest in the way the rules are currently written, but if a Prompt calls for you to mark a Power, you can convert other things into a new Power and immediately mark it, all in one Prompt response.
Alternatively, converting Powers ahead of time can push your creativity. Sometimes you're forced into this, such as if you need to add an Experience but all your Experience slots are full, and the Prompt you're on doesn't call for you to add or mark a Power. But if you have a cool idea for a spell and want to convert some things ahead of time, you can definitely do that. Converting Powers ahead of time can lead to some fun situations that make you stretch your magic a bit (Storm raining on a festival and you have an unmarked spell that lets you talk to creatures? Maybe you convince some nearby dragons to come light up some bonfires and put on a show!)
If you have any suggestions or more feedback as you play I'd love to hear it! I'm hoping to launch version 1.0 later next month and want to pack as many improvements as I can into it. Happy witching!
Wanted to let you know that while I've only responded to 2 Spring prompts so far I'm very much looking forward to more. I'm forcing myself to take my time.
Also, the included playlist on this page has been *perfect* to say the least. Thanks for including it :)
Ah, thank you! I hope you have a great time playing it. Def go at whatever pace works for you. If you have any questions as you play please let me know.
And I'm glad to hear you like the playlist, I added that on a whim just for something silly and fun, haha.
This game is a balm to my soul.
So far I've played through 12 Spring prompts, & I've found them all so sweet & compelling.
This THOROUGHLY captures the vibe of Kiki's Delivery Service, Hilda, blending the mundane, and magical in a way that feels both fantastical & slice of life.
I can't wait to continue playing this game & find out how the rest of Cassidy's year goes!
Ah, thank you so much! You’re right, there’s a lot of Hilda in this game too now that I think about it. I hope you enjoy the rest of your game and if you have any Qs let me know!
I just purchased this game & I'm super excited to play it. It seems like there's an issue with the 1.2 files, tho. When I download & open the Main Prompt Sheet files, all I see are the game rules again.
I hope I can see the prompts & play the game soon!
Oh no! I am so sorry, I got things mixed up while launching the update earlier today. It should be fixed now! I really appreciate you letting me know!
Your apology is 100% accepted.
I've made similar mistakes PLENTY of times!
I'm glad it was an easy fix, & I'm REALLY EXCITED to play!
I really can't wait to play this sometime. I can see so many ways that this would be fun fun fun with some of my friends! I am so torn between checking out the prompts and just waiting to play a game and be *surprised*
Ah, thank you! I want to hear about what you all get up to when you do get around to playing!
I'm *close* to releasing the dedicated multiplayer mode, the play-by-post rules have been a blast to playtest. It'll only be 2p at release, though, as...adding more players involves me writing up 240 prompts per player, haha. However, I think the "solo" game is fun to play with a group too, all contributing to the story of one witch. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for supporting the game!
Hi! That is all great! Honestly the way I read it, I just figured I could use the prompts for one player for all players? As similar things happen to different people, its just how each character interacts with them that makes them special :)
TYOV was my favorite system for solo roleplay by far, and I've been waiting for someone to make a hack/adaptation of it in a different genre. This is perfect!!! The prompts were cozy and evocative, while being challenging in a fun way. I think the new rules added a really fun way of tracking growth and time passing in a way that really suits the genre and world. I played it all day, and then turned around and taught my fiancée to play and we started a new game together.
V excited for the expanded content!!!
Thanks so much, levoneh! I can't tell you how much your enjoyment of the game means to me.