Prismatic Princesses

A Distortion Dice game targeted at kids. The 3 stats are Might, Magic, and Manners. Aspects will be what kind of princess you are, Assets will be your mount (dragon, horse, unicorn, griffon, etc) and what you wield (staff, scepter, sword, axe, etc).

This is a game about magical princesses (or princes, or dukes, or whatever title you prefer) who face challenges and must save the day. It is intended to have a fantasy setting that you can build with your players, and it’s inspired by Perils & Princesses, Princess World, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Sailor Moon, Miraculous and many other works of fiction about magical girls, or princesses in challenging situations.

There is a Google Sheets Character Keeper available if you would like to keep track of your characters digitally

As a distortion dice game, this is based on the same system used in Distorted Domains. Please look at Distorted Domains if there are any questions on how the system works or how to run the game

Prismatic Princesses is a game about powerful princesses overcoming problems. Each princess will have a magic of some kind, usually defined by a theme related to their color. These things can be elemental, a fundamental aspect of the universe, or perhaps a more subtle kind of magic, such as dance or feats of strength. The game has no defined setting, aside from featuring a number of Princesses who have been gifted with magical power, and a responsibility to protect others, and lead them through darkness into the light. Each Princess wields their magic, as well as a powerful artifact, and has the help of a companion that enhances or compliments their own abilities. While there is an included science fantasy setting, there is also a guide to creating your own setting as a group.

Characters

The player characters in Prismatic Princesses are refered to as Princesses. However, they do not specifically have to be a princess. Princesses in this game are more of an idea than a gendered term, or a title of royalty. A Princess is someone blessed with a magical power related to a specific color. A Princess is someone who fights for good, who protects others, who believes in compassion, and wants to make the world a better place. The actual title of your Princess could be Princess, another royal title like Duchess or Prince, Something made up like Light Bringers, or maybe each Princess has a super-hero like name.

Each Princess wields a notable magical artifact of some kind that helps them channel their power. They also have a companion in the form of a mount, familiar, or spiritual being.

Stats

Roll or choose your stats

D12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Might Courage d4 d6 d4 d6 d10 d10 d8 d6 d6 d8 d8 d4
Magic Clever d6 d4 d10 d10 d6 d4 d6 d8 d6 d8 d4 d8
Manners Care d10 d10 d6 d4 d4 d6 d6 d6 d8 d4 d8 d8

New Stats: Courage, Clever, Care. Harm: Afraid, Addled, Alone

Courage is used to be brave in the face of danger, Clever is used to figure out complex problems and see patterns, Caring is used to connect to others. All three can be used in a variety of situations, you might inspire an ally with your courage, you might figure out someone is lying to you with your Clever, you might stop someone’s rampage with Caring. These stats aren’t just what your character is capable of, they’re also the motivation and approach behind the action.

There is no stat for magic because every character has magic of some kind. It’s more important how and why they’re using their magic.

Aspects:

I am the [adjective], [adjective] prince(ss) of [thing] For Example:

  • I am the Strong, Tall Princess of Sand
  • I am the Smart, Beatiful Prince of Frogs
  • I am the Fast, Flexible Empress of Ice
  • I am the Small, Tricky Duke of chefs

Set your Aspects all to d6, or to d4, d6, and d8

  • I am the [Title] of [Color], who wields the power of [Theme]
  • Before becoming a princess I was a [Job] in [Location]
  • People see me as [Physical Attribute] and [Personality]

Assets:

My Companion is a [adjective] [object/noun] of [thing]

For Example:

  • My companion is a tiny dragon of ice
  • My companion is a fierce griffon of wind
  • My companion is a strong salamander of fire
  • My companion is a cunning unicorn of darkness
  • My companion is a wise ghost of the woods
  • My companion is a swift raven of perception
  • My companion is a sturdy tortoise of forging
  • My companion is a spirit cat of shapeshifting

I wield the [adjective] [item] of [thing]

For Example:

  • I wield the flaming sword of the stars
  • I wield the mechanical gloves of laser blasting
  • I wield the elegant hammer of flight
  • I wield the shining staff of the moon
  • I wield the cast iron skillet of justice
  • I wield the golden microphone of truth
  • I wield the glowing perfume bottle of protection
  • I wield the bedazzled baton of twirling

Set either your companion or item to a d8, and the other to a d6

Struggle:

I sometimes struggle with [thing]. You get 2 Struggles

For Example:

  • I sometimes struggle with math
  • I sometimes struggle with not being the center of attention
  • I sometimes struggle with my hands shaking
  • I sometimes struggle with hurting people in pursuit of my goals
  • I sometimes struggle with my magic backfiring on me
  • I sometimes struggle with a greed for gemstones
  • I sometimes struggle with pushing myself too hard to please others
  • I sometimes struggle with staying motivated when something goes wrong

Set both of your struggles to d6

Playing the Game

First, select the die for the stat that you want to use for your action. Then add the dice for any assets or aspects that can be used. Roll them and keep only the highest die. The Narrator will select the harm die that matches your stat (if you use Might they will use the Might harm die). Then the narrator will add your struggle die it it makes sense, and finally the narrator will add a die for the challenge you are up against. The narrator rolls and also takes the highest die. If your die is higher than the narrators, you succeed, if your die is 5 or more, you get a success with a bonus, if you tie, you get a partial success, and if your die is lower, you get a failure.

Setting

Iridesia

The included setting of Prismatic Princesses is the world of Iridesia. A land once occupied by a powerful people who abandoned this planet known as the Lost Ones. They left behind advanced technology that few can even begin to understand. Iridesia is comprised of many lands of varying colors, and is currently suffering from a corruption of Null Shards. These shards absorb the color out of things near them, corrupting them, and throwing off the harmony of the world. This creates violence and chaos near where the shards have landed. The source of the shards is unknown, but many think it may be related to the Lost Ones.

There is a princess for each color, the number of colors and which colors are included depends on your table. Each color will be a different nation with different customs, including how they choose their princess, and what that princess’s title is.

In the center where all of the colors meet is the Rainbow City. The Rainbow City is home to the Princess Academy, where princess candidates are sent to train in the ways of being a princess. How these candidates are selected will vary by color, with some of them being appointed by leadership, some voted in, and some having to compete in some sort of trial.

Occasionally there are legacy princesses, with the title being carried by a family through the generations. Potential princesses from these families still have to go through the regular candidate and training process, though they are generally seen as favored to become a princess, which can come with its own challenges.

Prismatic Princesses can tell a variety of different magical girl stories. Such as fighting off the effects of the Null Shards, and the people who wish to use the power of them. Or maybe dealing with the pressures of trying to become a princess and attending the Princess Academy. Sometimes it might be just helping a village put on a festival or rebuild after it was damaged through the effects of a Null shard. Other times it could be complications from Lost Ones technology being awakened.

Collaborating Setting Creation

The setting for Plucky Princesses is implied to be whimsical and magical, but ultimately the details are up to you. Maybe all the characters are talking animals, maybe you can explore a candy cane forest, perhaps there’s a snowy mountain where it always storms.

Here are some questions to help you figure it out.

  • Where are the player characters from?
  • What does that place look like?
  • Who are some friends of the princesses?
  • Who doesnt like the princesses?
  • What are some are some areas nearby?
  • What are some things to do for fun?
  • What dangers lurk here?
  • What rumors have you heard?

Other Potential Settings:

  • Snackland
    • Candy people
    • ice cream sundae mountain
    • Cotton Candy forest
    • Hot fudge pits
  • Pet Palace
    • Cat, dog, and other pet characters
    • Buildings that are cat trees and terrariums
    • Many different biomes right next to each other
  • Arcane Academy
    • Magical School setting
    • Fantasy race students and teachers, such as elves, lizardpeople, faeries, etc.
    • Familiars
    • Cauldrons, Candles, and Crystals everywhere