Dinks & Donkeys: A Roll & Write Fishing Game

• Solo TTRPG / Roll & Write.
• 1 die and a pen. Nothing else required.
• Compact, travel sized.
• Easy yet engaging rules.
• Free Print & Play assets for unlimited replayability.

Gone fishin'

Dinks & Donkeys is a solo TTRPG / Roll & Write game about exploring lakes, catching fish and rolling dice. All you need to play is this booklet, a six-sided die and a pen.

Dinks & Donkeys is easy to learn with simple yet effective mechanics involving drawing lines, rolling dice and consulting random tables. It's a game about real world angling, meaning you fish for real species. And most importantly, it's a game about unwinding and in-reeling.

The game focuses primarely on predatory freshwater fish from US, UK and nothern Europe. Perch, bass, pike, musky, trout, catfish, and zander to give a few examples.

Donkeys?

...is just a slang for BIG fish. Dink is slang for tiny ones. So, there are no actual donkeys in this game. Only fishing. Just found the name funny. Also, in short it's D&D. Which is even more confusing. Sorry 'bout that.

What's inside?

The zinecontains all the rules you need. Besides the rules, the zine consists of random tables of fish species, baits/lures, rods, lines, and other gear, and a bunch of pre-made lakes for you to go fishing in. There's also guides on how to create/draw your own lakes for the game.

How to play

You play by choosing a fishing spot on the lake map. Then you decide where you want to cast your lure. Roll your dice to determine your cast distance, and draw a straight line to it. Then you roll again to see if there's any bites. Your rod type gives you modifiers to your casting roll, and your choice of lure and casting spot influences the bite probabilities, and also what kind of fish you're likely to get. When getting a bite, you roll to determine the fish species and size, and then you fight. Depending on how far out in the water your lure was cast, and on the size of the fish, you will have to roll a number of dice to reel it in safely, without getting snagged or breaking your line.

Catching fish gives you XP that you can spend on upgrading or buying new and better fishing gear - all to make your life easier in the pursue of that big ol' donkey.

There will also be some extra mechanics, like TIGHT LINES: These are your "luck points" you can spend to re-roll dice, retrieve lost lures or to avoid breaking your line.

The aim of the game, just like fishing in real life, is to catch big fish. You can chose to journal your fishing trips (if you're into that kinda thing) or just note down your PBs (Personal Bests). You might also want to set your own goals, like catching that specific species, or as many different ones as possible. This is all up to you. This is not about winning or losing, it is a game about relaxing and having fun.

You can also implement these fishing mechanics in any other TTRPG you are playing - in case your players want to go fishing, instead of following your storyline :D 

Replayability

Every game of Dinks & Donkeys will feel fresh. No two fishing trips will be the same. When you have used up all of the pages in the booklet, you'll have access to unlimited print and play maps and templates for free on my website.

There will also be optional tables for time of the day and weather conditions, to add more depth to the game. These are rolled before you start fishing, and will affect what type of bait will work the best, and which species you're more likely to hook. 

The art style

I wanted to create a light-hearted style and tone in this game. I chose to do all the graphics in pixel-art, to bring up some nostalgic feelings, and I really like the calmness of this style. It kinda gives you that cozy "mini-game" feeling, and takes you back to retro-style video games like Zelda and Stardew Valley.

HUMAN MADE ART. NO AI.

Inspiration

Dinks & Donkeys is inspired mostly by my real world fishing trips, but also the fishing minigame in Stardew Valley, the roll & write game Paper Apps™ GOLF, the river creation mechanics from the TTRPG Riverbend, and the videogame River Legends: A Fly Fishing Adventure.