The Cairn RPG: Introducing Yochai and Fanch

Host Cal welcomes everyone to OCAST. Joining him tonight is guest host Fanch, the translator of the Cairn RPG Gaelic Translation. Fanch is joined by the game's creator, Yochai. Yochai is the writer behind the popular tabletop game. He immediately shares his pleasure at hearing his name pronounced correctly. Cal then passes the hosting duties to Fanch.

Simplicity, OSR, and Design Philosophy

Fanch, a Cairn fan himself, immediately dives into the game's origin. He asks Yochai about the Old School Revival (OSR) movement. Cairn is a prime example of this movement. Yochai explains that OSR games deliberately strip away complex rules. This, therefore, allows the focus to shift. Specifically, the focus moves from character statistics to player agency and creativity. Cairn’s design philosophy aims for clarity and simplicity. This simplicity contrasts sharply with rules-heavy systems like later editions of Dungeons & Dragons. Furthermore, this minimal ruleset makes it an ideal introduction to the hobby.

Linguistic Challenges and Cultural Impact

The discussion moves to the unique Cairn RPG Gaelic Translation. Fanch shares that translating the game involved complex linguistic decisions. He could not rely on existing fantasy jargon. Instead, he had to invent or reclaim specific Gaelic terms for modern gaming concepts. This was a challenging but rewarding process. The final product was a hit. The translated Cairn RPG was sold at Ocon. Indeed, it quickly proved the high demand for TTRPGs in minority languages. This showed that the language could support high-level creative endeavors.

The Role of Language and Culture

Yochai and Fanch share a discussion about language. They consider whether different languages are truly separate or merely varieties of a common root. They discuss the difference between a language and a dialect. In fact, Fanch draws a parallel to the famous Yiddish joke about the difference between a language and a dialect being "an army". Yochai, who lives in St. Andrews, notes the fascinating variety of Scottish accents. He even admits the Shetland accent sounds Norwegian to him. Finally, the group concludes the Cairn RPG Gaelic Translation project has been a great success. They hope it helps more people explore TTRPGs in Gaelic and other minority languages.

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