Atomic Sock Monkey Press


Atomic Sock Monkey Press is a small press game company that publishes “beer and pretzels” role-playing games and board games. The company is run by Chad Underkoffler, also known for his game columns on RPG.net and Pyramid magazine, as well as writing contributions to Atlas Games' Unknown Armies line.

Games

ASMP’s games include:
Most ASMP games share in common the PDQ system, a rules-light game engine that has three different levels of task resolution for any situation, in order to let players resolve encounters in as much or as little detail as desired.
The mechanism is to generate a random number or roll, add a freeform stat or set of stats, and compare to a difficulty number—either a fixed difficulty number or the opponent's roll. In conflicts, the amount which you beat another character's roll by is the amount of damage or failure ranks. Stats are rated in five named ranks: Poor , Average , Good , Expert , and Master .
Conflicts result in the accumulation of either "failure ranks" or "damage ranks". Each point of either type means that the loser must choose a stat to downgrade by one rank. So if you lose a conflict roll by 3, you must lower three stats each by one rank, or one stat by three ranks. You can choose any stat to take your damage in—i.e. you can downgrade your "Accounting" quality based on a hit in a fight. When you can't lower your stats any lower, then you have lost the contest.

Licensed Titles

The PDQ game system has been licensed for use in other games, including Silver Branch Games' Questers of the Middle Realms and aethereal FORGE's Vox and Ninja Burger 2nd edition.