The Necromancer's Tale: Why One-Job RPGs are the Cure for Your FOMO, Mate
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Rock Paper Shotgun highlighted *The Necromancer's Tale* as a shining example of a single-job RPG that brilliantly eliminates FOMO by letting you dive deep into the art of raising the dead (and plotting in the shadows). Forget multi-classing, embrace the gibbet-diving!
Right, so Rock Paper Shotgun's Edwin Evans-Thirlwell has stumbled upon something brilliant, and it's got nothing to do with needing 12 different character builds to feel complete. See, in these sprawling RPGs where you can be anything from a gnome with a lute to a dragon-slaying accountant, we often end up paralyzed by choice. Three hours into playing a druid and suddenly that rogue is looking mighty fine? Sound familiar?
Evans-Thirlwell points to *The Necromancer's Tale* as a prime example of a one-job RPG done right. Forget sprawling skill trees and endless character customization; you're a necromancer, end of story. But here's the twist: even within that single, glorious profession, there's wiggle room. Are you a burly dockworker raising the dead down by the docks, or a spindly academic poring over ancient tomes? Your stats dictate your flavor of necromancy, and that’s where the magic happens (pun intended, naturally).
The game plunges you into a fictional town near Venice during the age of Isaac Newton. Your dad’s untimely demise kicks off a supernatural investigation that quickly spirals into dark arts, rivalries, and a whole heap of raising the dead. Instead of feeling limited, this focus allows the developers (Psychic Software, bless 'em) to really sink their teeth into the nitty-gritty details of being a proper gibbet-diver.
Imagine needing to track down a specific cipher for your dad's spellbook, or sourcing grave soil and deadly nightshade. You're interacting with townsfolk, each with their own agendas and trust levels. It’s not as simple as waltzing into the tavern and asking, "Lads, who's keen for a tomb raid?" You’ve got to be sneaky, building trust with the right factions while avoiding that dreaded torch-wielding mob. It’s all about weaving a web, climbing the ladder, and embracing the shadows.
And that, my friends, is where the lack of FOMO truly shines. You're not gazing longingly at the fighter's flashy moves or the mage's explosive spells. You're a necromancer, and your job is to scheme, manipulate, and raise an unholy army. As Evans-Thirlwell rightly points out, the writing is top-notch, fleshing out a town full of alchemists, priests, oafs, and busybodies. Sure, the world itself might be a little...static (lifeless even, one might say), and the combat is a bit hex-and-turn-based, but who cares when you're busy raising the dead and charming your way through a morally ambiguous society?
Evans-Thirlwell even suggests an RPG dedicated to the clerical professions, where you’re either a pacifist or utterly useless in a fight. He pitched the idea to Larian's Swen Vincke, who apparently looked at him like he'd suggested something truly horrifying. But hey, I'm with Evans-Thirlwell on this one. Give me a Healer's Tale, Psychic Software! Let's embrace the drawbacks of these familiar RPG classes and weave stories around them. Because sometimes, the best way to fight FOMO is to dive headfirst into a single, gloriously specific role.
Tags: RPG, Indie Games, Necromancer, FOMO, Character Creation
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun