Q&A with Gallant Knight Game's Alan Bahr
If you’ve ever played an RPG with “Tiny” in the title, there’s a fair chance that Alan Bahr’s name will be in print somewhere nearby too. The co-founder of Gallant Knight Games, Bahr has helped to write, produce, and published close to twenty different game books since the company began operations back in 2016.
Running the gamut from heroic fantasy to space-faring adventure, superheroes, and cosmic horror, Bahr and Gallant Knight Games have games available for nearly every flavor and taste. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say their line of TinyD6 books have, in just a few years, become a pillar of the indie role-playing scene.
Just recently, Bahr and GKG successfully Kickstarted their next title, the animal-themed RPG “Things That Go Squeak in the Night.” Bahr was kind enough to answer a few questions about his history with RPGs, Gallant Knight Games, and more.
Stew Shearer: Gallant Knight Games was founded in 2016. What was your history with RPGs and TTRPG design before that? What was the catalyst for launching GNG?.
Alan Bahr: So, previously, I’d only participated in online competitions, various design challenges, until a friend asked me to design the game for Planet Mercenary, the RPG based on the Schlock Mercenary comic.
I had a great time doing it, and I couldn’t wait to move forward and keep doing it, so GKG was the obvious next step! I felt I had something to offer, and I wanted to keep making games. I’m lucky I’ve been able to turn it into a full-time gig!
SS: Just looking at the releases in the TinyD6 lineup, you have been impressively prolific in the years since Gallant Knight Games first launched. What would say is the "secret" to getting so much work done?
AB: That’s hard to answer. Honestly, it’s a combination of “I have time” and I’m willing to put that time to use making games. My wife and I don’t have kids, I don’t play video games, I don’t go to concerts, etc. When I have free time, I just make games: writing, editing, art directing, playing (yes this is work).
Prior to 2021, if I had spare time, I was working. Get up early, write. Go to bed late doing emails and business tasks. There’s nothing fancy about it, just good old-fashioned, sitting down and putting words on “paper”.
SS: TinyD6 is often described as "minimalist" and, from my experience with your work, your books mostly seem to be in the "rules light" vein. Why would you say you prefer that style?
AB: I guess I’d have to agree a majority of my published work is in that vein, though I certainly have never limited my design to that.
My overriding goal is something that I can play easily at the tabletop, when I need to run a game, and a lot of my design revolves around that concept of accessibility in play. That just happens to present as “rules-light”, though I don’t know if I’d agree with the application. But I’m probably just arguing semantics!
SS: You have successfully crowdfunded a range of different games. What would you say has been the key to your success in that arena? Outside of name recognition, etc?
AB: Clear, open communication.
SS: Your Kickstarter for Things That Go Squeak in the Night just wrapped up, what's next on the docket for Gallant Knight Games?
AB: We’ve got a team up with our friends at Old Skull Publishing for KOSMOSAURS coming soon! After that, 2022 will be an interesting year, as we’re still dealing with the backlog 2020 and 2021 have imposed on us.
SS: Moving on from business questions, do you have any ongoing game campaigns running? What sort of games are you playing right now?
AB: Yeah! I’m running The One Ring 2e, Tiny Supers, D&D 3.5, Pathfinder 2e, and two games under NDA. I’m also playing in a friend’s Cypher System superhero game.
SS: How would you describe your personal "game master" style?
AB: I’m a “bullet-point” GM. I make a list of a few set pieces/events that need to happen, and I leave how they occur/when/where vague so I can drop them in as the story dictates. Think of it as a river, and I know what big boulders I’m going to throw in, it’s just a matter of timing to make the biggest splash.
SS: Any favorite gaming memories from your years in RPGs?
AB: Ooof, so many. Lots of great laughs playing various games. I’m hard-pressed to pick just one. (Also I’m getting old and my memory is going!)
SS: If you had to pick one game out of the entire Gallant Knight Games lineup to recommend? Which one would it be?
AB: I think currently, I’d recommend Swordpoint or Tiny Cthulhu! They show very different sides of GKG, but they’re still lots of fun.