Preface

A Message from the Creator

First, I would like to say thank you for playing my game. I never expected to make something that meant so much to me, and I hope it reflects in my work. I hope you have as much fun playing it as I had in making it.

My top tip for reading this book would be to treat it as a reference guide any time you need to refer to it while playing Quantum State, along with its companion book Quantum State: Adventure Guide. This book is here to guide you in your efforts to create and maintain a Character to play in your Docent’s world.

Quantum State was created carefully to stand apart from most Tabletop Roleplaying Games. Quantum State is meant to be inclusive and progressive, focusing on how different ideologies can have drastic impacts on our world views, each other, and the environment; and how all of these things interact to create widespread systemic imbalances and conflicts. I intentionally made Quantum State without the concept of “race.” Much of what makes your Character’s background is directly tied to the environment, their beliefs, and the values they grew up under, rather than any genetic influence. After all, when some Characters can alter their genetic information and presentations on the fly, frequently to an inhuman degree, it makes the concept of racial or gender differences pointless.

You can look like anything or anyone. It is where you came from and what you have experienced thus far that shape who you are, and that is a core value to keep in mind when trying to immerse yourself into your Character's role.

When selecting your Birthrite or Class, consider the path a Character took to become who they are at the story's start. Where do they hold biases and prejudices? How have their upbringing and their homeland's dominant culture affected their life and views? These ideas are what sets Quantum State apart: an in-depth world with a Character Creation System ties you to its lore and tethers you to the environment.

That being said, while the game was designed around a specific Lore (that if I can praise my own system, is pretty radical!), I also want to encourage players to explore their worlds, write their own home-brewed content, and create their own unique experiences. That is what I did, and that is how I got here—writing down the things I liked and sharing them with my friends. You should do that too. If Quantum State is a jumping-off point for you to make something that makes you happy, that makes me happy, too.

~J.C. Kohl 2020