Dinks & Donkeys

A Roll & Write Fishing Game

• Solo or Multiplayer Roll & Write game.
• 1 die and a pen. Nothing else required.
• Compact, travel sized.
• Easy yet engaging rules.
• 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.

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.

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.

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