TTRPG Structural Audits

TTRPG Structural Audits

Many RPGs ship with rules that technically work but fail at the table: GMs get stuck, campaigns collapse, or the game rewards the opposite of what it promises. I audit RPG products before publication to identify these failures in advance: what’s missing, what’s assumed, and where the design doesn’t deliver on its claims. Measurable, evidence-based analysis—not subjective opinion.

See a Sample Structural Audit
A public example showing the Executive Verdict and Unified Synthesis from a full audit of Shadowrun, Fourth Edition.

What Structural Analysis Identifies

  • Incentive misalignment: “Text promises ‘professional stealth gameplay,’ but mechanics allocate 32 pages to combat vs. 5 pages to social interaction. Design rewards confrontation, not subtlety”
  • Onboarding barriers: “GM must absorb 250 pages across 4 fragmented chapters before running first session”
  • Hidden market advantages:  “Provides best-in-class security system simulation, a unique competitive position not advertised on the cover”
  • Campaign viability limits:  “The system sweet spot is 0-5000 XP; dice pool math breaks down beyond that threshold”
  • Design identity clarity: “Tactical combat simulator dressed in a heist coat; mechanical depth serves a different playstyle than thematic pitch”

Findings are grounded in page counts, mechanical interactions, and documented procedures.

Ready to identify structural gaps before publication?
Request an audit →

How It Works

Choose the audit level that matches your needs:

  • Diagnostic Audit: Answers one specific structural question ($250-300 | 2-3 days)
  • Targeted Audit: Complete analysis of one section or subsystem ($600-800 | 5-7 days)
  • Full Audit: Comprehensive product evaluation with market positioning verdict ($1,400-3,800 | 5-7 days)

All audits use the same 10-criterion framework. View full methodology

What You Receive

  • Cross-validated findings: Structural patterns verified from multiple analytical perspectives, distinguishing high-confidence findings from interpretation-dependent observations
  • Quantified metrics: Page counts, numeric breakpoints, time estimates, and resource allocations that make gaps measurable
  • Documented evidence: Each finding marked with ✓ / ⚠ / ✗ / ? status and specific page citations
  • Integrated analysis: How findings interact within subsystems (targeted audits) or across the full product (full audits)
  • Market positioning verdict: Tier placement with confidence level (full audits only)

Who This Is For

  • Designers who want to catch structural gaps before publication—not after reviews mention them
  • Publishers evaluating whether a manuscript is structurally ready for production
  • GMs deciding if a system’s design actually supports what the pitch promises

Logistics & Pricing

Delivery & Capacity

  • 5-7 business day turnaround for most audits
  • 2-3 audit slots available monthly

Beta Pricing (6 slots remaining through April 2026)

50% discount for beta participants who provide testimonials and allow anonymized
case study quotes.

  • Diagnostic Audit: $250-300 (standard: $500-600)
  • Targeted Audit: $600-800 (standard: $1,200-1,600)
  • Full Audit (64-96pp): $1,400-1,800 (standard: $2,800-3,600)
  • Full Audit (128-200pp): $2,200-3,000 (standard: $4,500-6,000)
  • Full Audit (200-280pp): $2,800-3,800 (standard: $6,000-8,000)
  • Full Audit (280+pp): Custom quote from $3,500 (standard: $6,500+)

Guarantees & Add-Ons

  • Quality guarantee: 50% refund if no actionable gaps identified
  • Confidentiality: All materials confidential unless you specify otherwise
  • Comparative analysis add-on: Market positioning within broader RPG landscape (+$800-1,200)

Scope Clarifications

What structural audits don’t include:

  • Playtesting, balance analysis, or number-crunching
  • Feedback on story, theme, or setting quality
  • Art, layout, or editorial review
  • Ongoing design work, rewrites, or iterative consulting

How is this different from editing or playtesting?

  • Developmental editors ($2,000-4,000) catch prose and pacing, not mechanical integrity or incentive structures
  • Playtesters ($500-2,000) catch balance issues, not systematic subsystem gaps or onboarding friction
  • Structural audits provide cross-validated findings with quantified metrics that make gaps measurable

Request an Audit

Email jjchastain@protonmail.com with:

  • Product title and approximate page count
  • Audit type (diagnostic, targeted, or full)
  • Any specific structural concerns

I respond within 1-2 business days with pricing, availability, and next steps.
First-time clients: I’m happy to answer questions before you commit.