RPG

Guten Abend, meine Frau hat beim Crowdfounding von Littel Wizards mitgemacht und seither haben wir es noch nicht bespielt.

Ich habe mir jetzt überlegt zum 31.10.23 für unsere Tischrunde ein Halloween Horror Special anzubieten und habe auch schon eine Idee.

Da ich jetzt erst anfange, das Werk zu lesen, könnte mir von euch ein wenig Input helfen. Ich habe mir überlegt das es auf einem Jahrmarkt geht, mit entsprechenden Schaustellenden.

Viele Besuchende haben sich zum Feldfrüchtedankestag verkleidet um auch im Nächsten Jahresabschnitt die Bösen Geister fernzuhalten.

Am ersten Tag wo die Spielenden dort hin kommen ist noch alles normal so wie es soll. Am nächsten Tag allerdings wenn sie sich dem Fest nähern hängt ein schauriger Nebel über dem Jahrmarkt und der näheren umgebung.

Falls die Abenteurer aufmersam sind in der Nacht zuvor, können sie vom Himmel ein herabfallendes Objekt beobachten und ggf. das es irgendwo in der nähe des Jahrmarktes herunter gefallen sein muss.

Was es ist und wie es aufzuhalten sein wird, das weiß ich noch nicht, aber um seine macht zu schwächen müssen die Helden 4 - 5 aufgaben bewältigen.

Die Besuchenden die noch auf dem Jahrmarkt waren, wurden zu dem verwandelt, wozu Sie sich verkleidet haben und benehmen sich auch so.

Bevor die erste aufgebe gelöst wurde Interessieren Sie sich noch nicht für die Abenteurer.

Nachdem die erste Aufgabe erfolgreich gelöst wurde werden die Monster sich ihrer Bewusst.

Nachdem die zweite Aufgabe gelöst wurde, werden die Abenteurer angefeindet und Beäugt.

Nachdem die dritte Aufgabe gelöst wurde finden erste Angriffe statt. Einige fangen aber auch an ihr Wahres bewusstsein wieder zu entdecken.

Nach der vierten Aufgabe ist der ganze Markt hinter ihnen her, also müssen sie sich schon gut verstecken, allerdings erwachen einige und wollen den Abenteurer Helfen.

Ich habe allerdings keine Ideen zu den Konflikten, soll schon was mit Feldfrüchtedankestag und Halloween zu tun haben.

Eine Aufgabe könnte sein, DIE richtige Jacko Laterne zu bekommen um genug zu sehen in dem dichten Nebel.

Eine könnte sein, in einem Maislabyrinth zu gehen um dort an einem Artefakt zu gelangen was ihnen den richtigen weg zu dem Finalen Konflickt zu leiten. Aber woher sollten die Abenterer das wissen und warum ausgerechnet ins Maislabyrint gehen.

Ach und, sobald sie eine Aufgabe angehen werden die Charaktere in eine andere Domäne gezogen, bei Jacko Lantern kann es ein Kürbesfeld sein wo die richtige Lampe gefunden werden muss. Sollten sie eine Falsche nehmen versucht der Kürbis sie für sich ein zu nehmen um somit laufen zu können.

Nehmen die Charaktere die richtige entseht direkt ein Konflikt mit Jacko Lantern und er wird sie nicht angreifen oder sowas sondern er wird versuchen diese übers Ohr zu hauen. Aber dafür habe ich auch noch keine Idee.

Und hier kommt ihr ins Spiel wenn ihr mögt gebt mir doch Infos, ihr dürft euch auch dieser Idee selsbt annehmen und ein Abenteur draus stricken.

Zu den anderen beiden Aufgaben und dem Finalen Konflikt habe ich noch keine Idee. Achja, es darf ruhig dunkel und düster sein, es spielen keine Kinder mit. Nur Erwachsene, ab 36 Jahren aufwärts. :)

I played Forbidden Lands and loved everything, except that it uses dice pool.

It had the perfect level of crunch and lethality in combat. I loved the critical injury system.

So im basically looking for Forbidden Lands but not dice pool.
And Dragonbane seems kiiinda similar?
But deathsaves and larger hp pools kinda bums me out.

So, need advice on DB:

Do you think the game supports a mature and dark story?
How lethal is the combat?
Can you easily modify the system to be like I want it, without breaking it, or is it better to stay with Forbidden Lands?

cross-posted from: https://kbin.social/m/13thFloor/t/371761

A list of over 200 gaming systems available in various free formats, classified as follows:

• Open Source
• Free
• Retroclones
• Quickstarts
• System Reference Documents
• Card Games

I really dislike the modern look of RPG sprites. They all have a blended look of cartoon and cutsie. A double-sized head with gigantic pie-sliced eyes and crazy stupid weird colored hair. I really can't stand it. I could go on for hours about how I dislike them. Suffice to say I'm seeking alternatives.

Anyone know of any artists that make and sell a different look? I don't mind dropping a few bucks for art if it's worthwhile. Its very frustrating that everything I find has gigantic heads with more @$#%^ eyes. It doesn't need to be lifelike but I would want it to be better proportioned.

Anyone know of any good software for making the animated spreadsheets yourself via posing a 3D model? I tried Easy Pose last month with low success, though it was my first attempt and arguably there's a learning curve here. There is a disconnect between the style of the clothed sprite and the style of my other tiles (world, furniture, etc) so I must redo them. I'm considering using them as a base underlay to create my own from scratch. It's going to be a butt-load of work and am unsure how it will turn out. Would hate to do all that with low success only to find out later there is a better way.

Also monsters/enemies would be something additional, though I don't mind the RPGMaker enemies anywhere near as much as the horridly awful actor/character sprites. I would not like to see a huge difference in style between monsters and characters.

As for my specifics, I'm kind of looking to end up with a 96x192 top down rpg sprite with idle and animated walking. Side view battle would be nice but not necessary. Other animations are a bonus but can live without. I intend to strive towards a a base model character that I can swap out layers on to create numerous permutations of featured characters.

I'm using the RPG Maker Unite engine which is similar to other RPGMaker products in their design style for the sprites. I can do a fair amount of pixel art myself so even like a base model body that I can expound upon would be something to consider. My base tile size is 96x96.

As a note, I am also a 3D cadd designer by trade. Working in Blender or other cadd software isn't too much of a problem for me, though I run AutoCAD and Inventor mostly and am still largely new to Blender. I often know what I want to do, but have to research how I get the software to comply. As such, I am usually just exporting out of AutoCAD to an intermediary format and importing that into Blender. I do all my own touch ups in paint dotnet, and am pretty proficient with it as well.

Just looking for recommendations from someone who may have been there before. I'm no worse off if I get no replies. It's also notable to mention that I'm just a hobbyist doing this for fun. I certainly lack a lot of knowledge that a true video game designer would have. I can use tips if you've been there and got em.

Wrote a new blog today on two different topics. 1st my inability to finish a project vs my desire to start 20,000 more projects. 2nd about saying yes to players.

Making a storytelling first game, taught me to bend over backwards to say yes to my players. Really excited to take this philosophy with me into other running other games. The line behind enforcing the rules and giving players what they want can be hard to navigate in some systems, it's not even always easy in my super squishy system. I have never gotten so much narrative collaboration from players though. Letting them invent their own answers, being flexible, and rolling with player ideas.

Curious about any stories experiences with saying yes, especially to something you never thought of before they uttered it. I think collaboration is something ttrpg excel at and is underused in lots of game styles. I want to hear about it. Anybody have anything they put into their own designs to encourage collaboration?

Welcome back to Advent's Amazing Advice! The series where I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc. and fully prep them for both New and Busy DMs. This prep includes fully fleshed-out notes, music, ambiance, encounter sheets, handouts, battle maps, tweaks, and more so you can run the best sessions possible with the least stress possible!

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk stems from The Lost Mine of Phandelver a classic and beloved starter set that many new DMs run. Even with this being the most recent release it still has an issue, the same as with many others...it doesn't describe the best way to transform the book's contents into an actual session. The Book-to-session conversion can be difficult between figuring out when things should happen, understanding motivations, and even organizing encounters.

Well, fortunately for you, 99% of that work is done! Only a few things are really left:

• Read the book, I know surprising, but It can be extremely confusing when you don't know where everything leads to.
• Consider the needs of your group. As you've heard or are about to hear a million times, every table is different. If you plan on combining this with a campaign, you'll have to make tweaks here and there.
• These notes aren't meant to be the end-all-be-all. Tweak to your heart's content, and don't consider any of what's written to be set in stone. For me having notes like this helps give me the confidence to go off the rails and follow along with what my players want. It helps me understand where things were meant to go and why. Having that understanding allows me to guide the players and create other new and interesting stories. These are all things that will come with experience, though, so don't freak out and enjoy the journey!

Advent's Notes: I was surprised with how few changes were made in the book considering how long this adventure has been around and all the wonderful things the community has come up with, I was even more surprised when they started adding more monsters to Cragmaw Cave. It's already pretty rough in there and with the additional creatures, it's almost assured there's going to be a TPK. I've kept most of the fights the way they were with only a few minor adjustments, the most important changes are just subtle nods to the Psi Goblins that will be encountered later on.

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes Part 1 Cragmaw Hideout: DM Notes
• Link to: Intro + Cragmaw Hideout Playlist
• List of changes in Phandelver and Below: Change List
• Link to: The AAA Collection

Included in The AAA Collection are:

• A Word document with all my notes, including links to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• Special PDFs for all the encounters. This includes all the enemies' stat blocks organized neatly, along with an initiative tracker and a spot to mark HP.
• An additional PDF with Sildars stats should he join the party as an ally
• Custom maps of Cragmaw Hideout. I enlarged and printed this out for my players as a battle map!

Index:

Other One Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns:

• Dragons of Stormwreck Isle - Click Here
• The Wild Sheep Chase - Click Here
• We Be Goblins - Click Here
• The Egg of Estyr - Click Here
• Into Ivy Mansion - Click Here
• Wolves of Welton - Click Here
• To the End of Time - Click Here
• A Most Potent Brew - Click Here
• Moon over Graymoor - Click Here
• The Drunken Treasure - Click Here
• Curse of Strahd - Click Here (W.I.P)
• A Grimdark Adventure - Click Here
• A Wild West One-Shot - Click Here
• The Wizards Treehouse - Click Here
• D&D vs Rick and Morty - Click Here
• A Prison Break One-Shot - Click Here
• The Barber of Silverymoon - Click Here
• The Tavern at Death's Door - Click Here
• The Night Before Wintermas - Click Here
• L'Arsène's Ludicrous Larceny - Click Here
• Shadow of the Broodmother - Click Here
• The Secret of Skyhorn Lighthouse - Click Here

As always, If you see something you think I can improve, add, change, etc. please let me know. I want this to be an amazing resource for all DMs and plan to keep it constantly updated! If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,

Advent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl0z5Z8bvro

In this video Seth talks about quantum orges, or what I call Schrodinger plot point. He had a mostly positive view. So do I, in fact I wa blinded sided that some people see this thing in a bad way.

What is everyone's view on this?

Hankerin Ferinale simplifies Burning Wheel down to three steps:

• Map Relationships with Intent
• Reinforce Relationships Again and Again
• Build Massive, Compound Stakes on Dice Rolls

Has anybody else ever had people show up to your convention games expecting to be playing a completely different game based on a sloppy reading of the description?

I had a group expecting Apocalypse World because I used the word Apocalypse in the scenario name even though the game description was clearly something else.

I had someone expecting 5 Torches Deep come to a game of Torchbearer.

There was another time that GURPS Transhuman Space got mixed up with Eclipse Phase.

These sessions were by far the worst convention games I've ever been in. The players quickly disengaged, dicked about, fell asleep or left the game when it wasn't what they thought it was.

How can a GM stop this from happening? Or if it does what can you do if this is clearly happening at your table?

Cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/7742150

Apologies if cross-posting isn't appreciated, the RPG community is splintered enough over here that I'm never sure where to post things.

I wrote this as part of the CBR+PNK Jam, and if people aren't familiar CBR+PNK is a super condensed Forged in the Dark one shot system where you play a group of cyberpunk operatives on their last run.

Cloud Crawl was sort of an experiment to see if I could capture the sort of procedural generation depth crawl games (as epitomized in Stygian Library) in a small sized single pamphlet package. I'm pretty pleased with how it turns out, and I'm also pretty sure no one has ever done a depth crawl in a binary tree before (happy to be proven wrong here if someone can find an example!).

The game is half off this weekend for its launch, but I'm also keeping it fully stocked up with community copies for the time being so feel free to grab one for free if you want to take a look!

Like a lot of us, I'm pretty excited (shocked?) Far West is finally here. So, for those who have been following this project, what is the Far West sales pitch? Why are you buying it? (or not)

(NB this is aside from the ethical concerns of Far West, such as late fulfilment, etc.)

Have you gotten with Astarion or maybe you were blown up by Gale for the hundredth time? Are your adventures as wild as you had hoped...have you even gotten out of character creation!? Well if you're one of the legendary few who have, why don't you take a step into the real world of D&D so you can go back into an imaginary one!

I get it, DMing for the first time can be scary, you might not even know where to start. The prep alone can seem like a mountain to climb. You find a cool-looking One-Shot open the PDF or book and just think to yourself, how in the heck do I turn this into an actual session?

Well, I've got you covered! I want as many people out there as possible to experience the Amazing world of D&D and most importantly DMing! I've taken the following One-Shots and Mini-Campaigns and fully prepped them so you can run an unforgettable session with ease! The best part, all of it's free for you to use!

Let's dive in:

A Most Potent Brew: This One-Shot brings together a group of rookie adventurers on a classic quest; clearing out a cellar from some rats. Things take an unexpected turn though and lead them to their first dungeon! This level-one One-Shot will take your players into the depths of a brewery, that turns out to be connected to an abandoned mage tower basement. Will your players survive their first adventure slaying giant rats, centipedes, and more?

Coming in at approximately 2-3 hours of play, this is the perfect one shot for both new players and DMs to show what D&D is all about, without being an overwhelming 6hr+ session!

(Credits: Winghorn Press)

The Wild Sheep Chase: This One-Shot is on par with some of the craziness that you can experience in Baldur's Gate 3! Your party will be enjoying a relaxing time at a tavern when a sheep suddenly bursts in and grants them a scroll that allows them to speak with each other. Your players will go on an epic chase, face off against polymorphed guards, and even fight a dragon...made out of a bed!? You can't make this stuff up...oh wait!

(Credits: Winghorn Press)

Dragons of Stormwreck Isle: This Mini-Campaign is for when you're ready to step things up and want a more serious Adventure. You'll go from level 1-3 learn of the history of Stormwreack Isle and face off against...you guessed it a dragon!

(Credits: WoTC)

The Lost Mine of Phandelver: This Mini-Campaign spans from levels 1-5, the only thing past this would be a full-blown campaign, but let's not get ahead of ourselves! This one is a classic, the very first starter set that WotC released and it stands the test of time, Heck, they're making an expansion for it coming out later this month! You'll face not 1 but 2 dragons, explore deadly dungeons, save a town, and live out all of your heroic fantasies! When you've done a one-shot or two I couldn't recommend running this more!

(Credits: WoTC)

If none of those tickle your fancy I've got over 2 dozen more sessions fully prepped and ready to go for you, here's a preview of what else I have to offer!

Index:

Other Fully Prepped One-Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns:

• We Be Goblins - Click Here
• Curse of Strahd - Coming Soon
• The Egg of Estyr - Click Here
• Into Ivy Mansion - Click Here
• Wolves of Welton - Click Here
• To the End of Time - Click Here
• Moon over Graymoor - Click Here
• A Wild West One-Shot - Click Here
• The Drunken Treasure - Click Here
• A Grimdark Adventure - Click Here
• D&D vs Rick and Morty - Click Here
• The Wizards Treehouse - Click Here
• A Prison Break One-Shot - Click Here
• The Barber of Silverymoon - Click Here
• The Tavern at Death's Door - Click Here
• Shadow of the Broodmother - Click Here
• L'Arsène's Ludicrous Larceny - Click Here
• The Night Before Wintermas - Click Here
• The Secret of Skyhorn Lighthouse - Click Here

If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,

Advent

I love this concept and think it really has legs as a fantastic RPG idea...

My comment on the original post: It takes the *humanity *out of *alien/foreign/different *races. If done properly, you can easily conceptualise different views of the world. Something like the sort of thing John Scalzi has done with his works - let’s work through how a different viewpoint actually works and then work out where the jagged edges are - all of a sudden, the different races are fighting with each other because they see the world diferently and don’t communicate properly so they assume all of the others think the same way (because they can’t concieve of anythign else without looking that far into it) and boom you’ve got a realistic world with in-built fracture lines…

I currently work on a system that gives every player their own deck of cards. The idea being that rhe player draw instead of roll. Every player gets their own favourite cards and abilities that trigger on specific cards or card types. For example every Ace is a critical success, every club (if that's your color) deals double it's value.

Hey guys, I just released my own TTRPG. Its a fun rules-light system, that uses only a standard deck of cards.....and nothing else. Check out the store page for more information. Enjoy a 25% discount in celebration of the release!

I totally missed that #RPGaDay2003 was a thing until like the 26th! So, inspired by James, I'm going to play catch up for this year all at once, and next August I'll try to get in on the daily game!

First RPG played this year:

Nobilis. Ran a hacked together "3.9 Edition" using Glitch and Chuubo's rules. Worked pretty well, but has already fallen apart due to adult scheduling.

First RPG Gamemaster:

Me! No intro, I dove in using the books and first principles! Then my best friend got in on it and ran a different game for our group! Good times!

First RPG bought this year:

Delta Green, I think.

Most recent game bought:

Also Delta Green, I believe, the Impossible Landscapes scenario book.

Oldest Game Played:

Brown pamphlet D&D, about as old as you can get unless I recreate the legendary Braunstein or Blackmoor games.

Favourite game you never get to play:

All of them, but FATE and Unknown Armies specifically. Goddamn, I'd love to run so many UA games!

Smartest RPG you've played:

I think they can all vary, depends on the group, the session, etc. Nobilis is easily the most consistently cerebral game I get into though.

Favourite Character:

I really enjoyed my Lord of Doomscrolling emo-kid Strategist from that recent Nobilis game. Hard to play favs though, I love them all in their times.

Favourite Dice:

FATE dice! I have a cool fire-and-ice set that I enjoy rolling quite a bit!

Favourite tie-in fiction:

I liked Dan Abnett's Inquisitor books (Warhammer 40K) more than I expected. Been meaning to reread them, see how they hold up.

Weirdest game you've played:

Human Occupied Landfill (HOL); or that homebrew Gamma World Gurps session that went some places. Both ages ago.

Oldest Game you still play:

I'd throw down one of the Basic clones I have (S&W, ACKS) in a heart beat for some old school dungeon stomping, but honestly anything I want to run seems to be old now: FATE, UA, Reign. I guess those all have good new editions though!

Most memorable character demise:

I don't recall any funny or heartfelt ones offhand. Character death has never featured heavily for me, and games where it is common you tend to have a chuckle at the 1st level fighter being melted by a slime trap WHILE the the mage accidentally fireballs them, then you roll up a new target dummy and forget about the last one.

Favourite Convention Purchase:

I hardly get to gaming conventions any more. Uhh... I got an awesome signed copy of Loony Labs' Pyramid Arcade at PAX South one year. That's an underappreciated collection of great games and it was tons of fun meeting and playing games with the owners!

Favourite Con Module/One Shot:

Meh, I never get into these. I do own several neat little games that are clearly convention one-off games, but I couldn't pick a fav of them.

Game I wish I owned:

Well, I DO own Nobilis 2nd (the GWB) which would be it if I didn't. I wish I had original books for a lot of classic games: Paranoia, various D&D, the first Vampire maybe, RIFTS, that kind of stuff.

Funniest Game you've played?

I had a good laugh at the Knights of the Dinner Table game, which is a pretty good farce of early D&D. My Nobilis games do tend to be pretty funny too.

Favourite game system?

FATE. I think Aspects are just the best idea ever. They work well with almost any other system, yet can also be the only mechanic if you want. Truly genius.

Favourite published adventure?

No idea, hardly ever us them. Impossible Landscapes does intrigue the shit out of me, as do megadungeons like Rappan Athuk that I've got sitting here. There's something amusing and thoughtful to me about a long,

spoiler

and in the end impossible to win

, scenario that makes me want to explore them with a group.

Will still play in 20 years time?

FATE for sure! I'm a big fan of the One Roll Engine and I'm sure I'll still be breaking that out too!

Favourite licensed RPG?

Weapons of the Gods counts, I guess? Eventually turned into uh... Legends of the Wulin? Not sure what's going on with EOS Sama these days, or those properties. I don't get it licensed stuff much.

Best Secondhand RPG Purchase?

Ooh, a D&D Set 1 Basic Rules (red box) in very good condition that I just found at a thrift store one day!

Coolest Looking RPG product/book?

Uh, I'm just going to brag about owning the absolutely gorgeous Nobilis 2nd edition again! I also have a lot of very cool props and accessories for running D&D that I'm like never going to get to use!

Complex / Simple RPG you play?

For simple it's FATE. Like I said, you could literally have aspects and nothing else and have a very effective system.

For complexity it's Burning Wheel. Just, all of the fucking Burning engine books. I don't understand how Crane and co had time to write these things, let alone play them!

Unplayed RPG You Own?

Far too many of them, sadly. Going to say Delta Green and Unknown Armies are the ones I most want to play right now.

Favourite Character Sheet?

I always design my own and I love them! My Nobilis sheets have been great, but my favorite is for a long abandoned RPG of my own design. It was way too complex and unfun to play, but that character sheet was gorgeous!

Game I'd like a new edition of?

I'm pretty good, haha, got new editions I haven't even gotten to yet! I do wish Weapons of the Gods / Legends of the Wulin had a better publisher and about a dozen more source books by Jenna Morran!

Scariest game I've ever played?

Tremulus, ran a pretty fun and spooky one-off with it for Halloween. But the scariest to come is the DG scenario I've been wanting to run. Got some good, spooky ideas for that one!

Most memorable encounter?

I once talked a kill team of Dragonblood assasins into joining our righteous cause in an Exalted game. That was pretty amazing, and really annoyed the DM since he hadn't planned for them having much personality, since he also hadn't planned on my pacifistic charming character being literally irresistible!

Most obscure RPG that you've played?

My own homebrews, surely. HOL, as mentioned, and a few other weird RPGs from that era like Feng Shui.

Favourite RPG of all time?

The most successful campaign I've run was with Diaspora, which is basically Traveller run with FATE. I really loved that game, and would run another session any time. Greg Stolze's Reign is way up there too.

I think Unknown Armies is my favorite to just read and think about.

Compare your answers with those from the first #RPGaDay.

First time posting! I'll look forward to looking back next year though!

Thanks for reading and happy gaming!

Okay, so I didn't do one answer a day, I did all these answers in the last few days. But what the hell, it's done now. #RPGaDay2023

First RPG played this year:

None. I haven't played an RPG this year.

First RPG Gamemaster:

My dad, for about an hour. I think in 1977. I rolled a character—an elf, as I recall. He invented a dungeon, using the light blue dungeon geomorphs.

I entered the first room, through an entrance which looked like a huge, monstrous mouth. When I entered, it snapped shut, trapping me inside the dungeon with its metal teeth.

I said that was unfair and refused to play any more.

Little did I know, I was hooked! I never played with my dad again—something which I hugely regret.

First RPG bought this year:

None. I haven't bought an RPG this year.

Most recent game bought:

Barbarians of Lemuria, Mythic Edition.

Oldest Game Played:

D&D Basic. Diplomacy. Metamorphosis Alpha. Traveller Edition 1.

Favourite game you never get to play:

Barbarians of Lemuria, Homebrew Edition.

Smartest RPG you've played:

I can't answer this question. They're all smart, or they're all stupid, depending on how you play them. But as to the smartest RPG mechanism in a game, it probably is the Traveller 2d6 plus/minus modifiers to get 8 for success system. It's so simple, and so well balanced, to accommodate modifiers of ±0-3 or at an extreme, ±0-5. Barbarians of Lemuria's core mechanic is similarly elegant.

Favourite Character:

Daryl Dyte, the Thief with a Black Country accent. I played him weekly for years. It must have driven my fellow players crazy!

Favourite Dice:

D6s. Yeah, I know that there are all these other cool dice types, but, practically, D6s simply work best. Rectilinear, make nice bell curves, can generate wide ranges of numbers. If I get to choose one other type, It's D10s. With D6s and D10s you can do everything that every other dice type can do.

Favourite tie-in fiction:

No thanks. I don't like tie-in fiction. I like every game-master's world to be their own thing, for the players to discover. I can't stand debates about canon—the point about a game-master's world is that it should be undiscovered, unique and surprising, not conformant to some other vision.

Probably the only fiction that I've read that fits in with a game is HP Lovecraft.

Weirdest game you've played:

Maybe Numerera? I've only played it once. Maybe Call of Cthulhu—weird in a way that the question probably doesn't mean!

Oldest Game you still play:

I'm up for playing any game, however old. However, I'm starting to think that the key to good gaming is simplicity. Some early game systems (AD&D I'm looking at you!) are needlessly complex. Were I to go for a D&Dalike, it'd probably be a BX retroclone.

Most memorable character demise:

Not mine, but a friend's. The party surrounded an iron golem and started bashing the hell out of it with magic weapons. It quickly succumbed, after bashing various party members down to a low number of hit points. The DM ruled, "The giant, iron figure starts to collapse, but which way does it fall? 1, North, 2, Northeast, and so on." My friend's character was West of the golem, and started chanting, "Not seven! Not seven! Not seven!" The DM rolled a D8, and inevitably, it came up seven. Failing a saving throw to dodge, the character, who was wearing plate armour, became known, in death, as "Mr. Toothpaste".

Favourite Convention Purchase:

Absolutely no idea. You're assuming I've been to a game convention less than 30 years ago, aren't you?

Favourite Con Module/One Shot:

Again, barely qualified to answer. I guess Tomb of Horrors.

Game I wish I owned:

The original Empire of the Petal Throne?

The Yellow King RPG? Maybe Tales from The Odd? The thing is, when I buy a game I'm almost always disappointed. I like to play, but I don't have a hankering to constantly buy new games.

I also have an issue with artwork—if it's too specific, too detailed, has the wrong vibe, or just reacts awkwardly with the pictures of the game world I originate in my imagination, then it can block my ability to imagine the world of the game in the way I want to.

Funniest Game you've played?

Paranoia

Favourite game system?

I like WHFRP's career system. I like Traveller's resolution system. I like Barbarians of Lemuria's core mechanic. I like the simplicity of Dragon Warriors. I like the creeping terror of Call of Cthulu.

Favourite published adventure?

Ravenloft. Masks of Nyarlathotep.

Will still play in 20 years time?

Liberally homebrewed derivatives of Barbarians of Lemuria.

Favourite licensed RPG?

West End Games's Star Wars RPG.

Best Secondhand RPG Purchase?

I don't think I've bought an RPG second hand. Hah! Actually that's not true! I bought copies of books 5 and 6 of Dragon Warriors on Ebay, to make my set complete. Book 6 was appallingly expensive—around £60 (it should have been under £10!) but I had to have it. I went on to run a 2 year campaign, weekly, in the 2010s.

Coolest Looking RPG product/book?

It's cheating to say Art and Arcana, isn't it? I really like anything featuring the work of Erol Otus. It's good because it's evocative, gonzo, fantastical, gritty, heroic, scary, bizarre, but also kind of primitive, almost cartoonish, like tatoos. So Dungeon Crawl Classics, The Arduin Grimoire, and AD&D's Deities and Demigods. (I have the early version which includes the Cthulhu Mythos!)

Complex / Simple RPG you play?

Simple is the way to go. Barbarians of Lemuria. I like the sound of Into The Odd. I haven't got time for complex, but, for the record, I have GM'ed Aftermath—so complex your character's movement rate may change as you expend ammunition. Each bullet fired makes you less encumbered!

Unplayed RPG You Own?

Dungeonworld—I thought I'd find it really inspiring, but I don't. In particular, it attempts to conjure up exactly the tropes I don't like about D&D.

Noir—The Film Noir RPG

Favourite Character Sheet?

Homemade AD&D Character Sheets, made by me in the 1980s with a typewriter.

Game I'd like a new edition of?

No thanks. Really, I don't hanker after new editions—I play with what I've got.

Scariest game I've ever played?

Call of Cthulhu. A homebrewed D&D adventure by one of my friends, called "The Tomb" in which two thieves, in pitch darkness, were trying to escape from catacombs that proved to be much more extensive and more hazardous than they expected.

Most memorable encounter?

When playing: our characters interacted with an NPC—a powerful wizard, and took him through our reasoning as to why literally the only person in the city we were absolutely sure hadn't done the series of gruesome murders was him. Later it transpired it was him, of course!

When GMing: The evil cult had assigned their most expendible member—a young hybrid snakeman—as a guide for the party, who would, unwittingly, lead them (and himself) to their doom.

As the characters debate whether or not to do away with this grim abomination, I described him using his claws to play a flicking game with a collection of buttons. All of a sudden, they stopped seeing him as a monster, and started seeing him as a child—after which they hadn't the heart to execute him. He ended up becoming a PC's henchman—the perfect sidekick for a mysterious, and somewhat frightening, wizard.

Most obscure RPG that you've played?

Published game, probably Chivalry & Sorcery. Even more obscure is the unpublished Persyl—my own, teenage attempt at a "Rulings not Rules" D&D derivative.

Favourite RPG of all time?

They're all great, and they're all flawed. In terms of game most played, it has to be Traveller. In the 80s I ran an Edition 1 campaign which lasted, in weekly sessions, for more than 4 years. It was vastly expansive.

Now, though, I can't do science fiction. Technology has changed the world so much since the 80s that I seriously doubt that the notion of humans with discrete, individual identities and will even exist in successful future societies.

Call of Cthulhu is great for one-shots and short adventures. I haven't kept up with the latest editions, though.

Barbarians of Lemuria is my current preoccupation—it may yet become my all-time favourite, if I'm able, successfully, to work out how magic works in my world.

Compare your answers with those from the first #RPGaDay.

They exist! I didn't do the first #RPGaDay.

First, please bear with some initial context:

I am creating a MUD engine from the ground up. I am nearing the point in development, where I will have to carve out a player/combat system, however I admittedly have zero experience playing TTRPGs. The only understanding I have is of being a player of existing MUDs and RPG computer games.

My understanding is the majority of MUDs are based upon D&D rulesets, occasionally modified to varying degrees. I would personally like a bit of an edge, and model my system after something else.

The engine is geared towards worlds that:

• Encourage solo exploration and survival.
• Have distant sci-fi, cyberpunk, and dystopian themes.
• In addition to equipment, implant, and class bonuses, will incorporate gunplay.

It would be ideal to base off a ruleset that isn't [[[extremely]]] complex, but also allows for customization and flexibility.

Any suggestions are appreciated, and if there are any further questions, please ask.

Thanks!

EDIT: If anyone is curious about or wants to follow development, here is the github repo.

I have seen a few videos about it but did any one here get a change to see it or play it?

Sometimes you just don't want to prep. Sometimes you get a last-minute call to run a session. Maybe it's your first time DMing and you don't know where to start.

Whatever the reason, prep may seem like a mountain to climb. Well, allow me to help you! I remember when I was first trying to figure everything out and I stumbled across The Wild Sheep Chase. It's a fantastic One-Shot by Richard Jansen-Parkes that you can get for free over on the DMsguild. The only issue at times can be how do I convert this pdf into an actual session?

Some DMs have a gift, they can read it once and go from there, some are masters at improv, storytelling, and off-the-cuff humor. Well, I unfortunately don't fit that boat and I'm sure many others out there are just like me. I need a ton of notes; because once I've got things organized, then I feel comfortable taking things in new directions.

So welcome to Advent's Amazing Advice! The series where I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc. and fully prep them for both New and Busy DMs. This prep includes fleshed-out notes, music, ambiance, encounter sheets, handouts, battle maps, tweaks, and more so you can run the best sessions possible with the least stress possible! Onboarding new DMs should be easy and I hope with this I can help grease the wheels!

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for The Wild Sheep Chase: DM Notes
• Link to: The Wild Sheep Chase Playlist
• Link to: The Complete Collection

Included in The Complete Collection are:

• A Word document with all my notes including a link to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• Special PDFs for all the encounters. This includes all the enemies' stat blocks organized neatly along with an initiative tracker and a spot to mark HP.
  • A complete spell list for Noke which gives full details so you're not bouncing around for info.
• A map of Shinebrights tower. I use this as a reference when drawing out the map for my players
• A handout for The Scroll of Speak with Animals

Index:

Other Fully Prepped One-Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns:

• The Wild Sheep Chase - Click Here
• A Most Potent Brew - Click Here
• Curse of Strahd - Click Here
• Death House - Click Here
• We Be Goblins - Click Here
• The Egg of Estyr - Click Here
• Wolves of Welton - Click Here
• To the End of Time - Click Here
• Moon over Graymoor - Click Here
• A Wild West One-Shot - Click Here
• The Drunken Treasure - Click Here
• A Grimdark Adventure - Click Here
• D&D vs Rick and Morty - Click Here
• The Wizards Treehouse - Click Here
• A Prison Break One-Shot - Click Here
• The Barber of Silverymoon - Click Here
• The Tavern at Death's Door - Click Here
• Dragons of Stormwreck Isle - Click Here
• Shadow of the Broodmother - Click Here
• L'Arsène's Ludicrous Larceny - Click Here
• The Night Before Wintermas - Click Here
• The Lost Mine of Phandelver - Click Here
• The Secret of Skyhorn Lighthouse - Click Here

As always, If you see something you think I can improve, add, change, etc. please let me know. I want this to be an amazing resource for all DMs and plan to keep it constantly updated! If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,

Advent

Greetings, fellow adventurers! We, TTRPG Rising Tide (I, Domille, am the founder of Rising Tide), are thrilled to present our crowdfunding campaign aimed at championing creativity and providing opportunities for aspiring creators by offering captivating TTRPG resources.

As fans of the genre, we understand the profound impact that immersive and visually stunning game elements can have on the gaming experience. That's why we have curated a collection of awe-inspiring battle maps, art packs, and soundtracks meticulously crafted to transport players to fantastical realms teeming with adventure.

Join us on a quest to raise funds for the Storytelling Collective scholarships that will ignite the imaginations of talented individuals yearning to make their mark in the realms of game design, storytelling, and worldbuilding. 100% of the funds raised will go toward the scholarships (we are not keeping anything for ourselves).

The project is already fully funded, and reached 3 stretch goals, with 4th on the cusp!

Wrote a new blog today about how much setting should go in a rulebook. It's different for every game, but I feel a lot of games put too much lore in with the rules.

I know it's really hip to have your setting lean on your mechanics and vice versa, so neither works great without another, but I am more of a fan of rules that support tone and play patterns that reinforce genre more than specific settings. Probably mostly because I am not big on learning a lot about a setting before I feel good about running a game.

I also like to have lots of room to improv and make a setting my own. I know you can do that with any setting, but I just feel more confident doing that with less definition in the setting.

I could probably drop a little something more into my rulebook as a stinger to get people excited about what kind of fiction the game presents. I guess that could be interpreted as setting, or at least adjacent.

Curious about what other think about this topic.

https://infantofatocha.itch.io/chronomutants/devlog/572397/whats-a-paradox-war-anyway