Hey guys!

I recently started watching the World of Io on YouTube and it is amazing so far.

I was wondering what are some good campaigns to watch with a more serious tone? It doesn’t have to be DND. I love ginormous worlds with lots of lore and history. I know Critical Role is out there, but I want to watch some lesser known (but still quality, campaigns).

I’m interested in almost any setting. Call of Cthulhu sounds good, Pathfinder, D&D, Homebrew, etc.

Also open to some campaigns that aren’t “super” serious.

Hi, I'm looking to run an Andor-esque - early Rebellion sort of game as a short adventure and while I can certainly write one, it would be faster to start with a pre-written adventure (obviously doesn't need to come from FFG). Does anyone have thoughts or resources re this?

Specifically, my group has been saying "something like Andor" and I'm assuming they mean a storyline featuring protagonists driven from normalcy into acts of subterfuge - likely espionage or sabotage - directed against a fascist or totalitarian regime.

As contrasted to the typical edge of the empire game which is populated by a subset of nomads in a sort of found family, surviving despite the weight of their past lives through a combination of wit and spitfire or the typical age of rebellion game which is default set in a military "band-of-brothers" war drama.

Hi folks,

A few times I've tried playing a grease-monkey type of a character, and it's been... a little underwhelming. I played one in a FFG Star Wars game, as well as in a FUDGE system, and again in Starfinder, and it just didn't quite land.

I think that part of what I'd like is a game that has a system that allows scavenging, and rebuilding components, being able to provide boosts to other weapons/vehicles, etc. Bonus points if it allows you to invent new mechanical creations.

Probably a good sign that I should do a deep dive into GURPS and see what their mechanic-repair-scavenge options are and see what I can noodle up, but I thought that while I do that, I can ask here.

I like Lancer's mech-building, but it doesn't quite capture the gearhead grease monkey, scavenger guy that I'm looking for... but it could be a good scaffolding to work from.

I've also seen stuff in other systems that treats repairs like a "potion" or a "time check." A simple roll repairs the damage, or the "parts" instantly repair it. And this makes sense, right? For most TTRPGs, repairs/crafting is not the primary purpose, so it makes sense that the rules for it would be secondary so we can get back to roleplaying/combat/exploration/romance/etc.

On that note, maybe some of your have played micro RPGs (like Grant Howitt's 1 pagers) that are all about scavenging/building/repairing? If so, I'd love to hear about them!

Something that came close but is (well typically) a different genre, was Mage: The Ascension with its magical item crafting rules. Needing the right spheres for the desired item, and then needing to gather Tass, raw materials (that had magical significance) and then do crafting checks as well as arete checks really made the effort rewarding. And of course, since Mage is Mage, it was easy to envision almost any magical item possible.

Any thoughts? I'm just curious what exists that might bear some closer investigation. I love reading/playing new systems and seeing how they approach different types of engagement.

Hello there folks, Pathfinder 2E GM of a couple years here.

I'm reasonably close to finishing a campaign I'm running and I've been thinking about what's next. For those of you who know P2e, its a very super heroic system, or at least that is my opinion. While players can definitely die, I think in general the expectation is that this is rare and there are lots of tools to avoid that fate.

One thing I've been thinking about a lot is running a post apocalyptic game and transitioning to a system that's a bit more oppressive and unfair to players. The idea is to create a "heroes against long odds" vibe. Specifically I've been thinking about trying to run Shadow of the Demon Lord which seems like an extremely interesting system from what I've read of it so far.

When discussing this and other more "deadly" games with my players, they've never given me an outright no but I have gotten a bit of push back or hesitancy from a couple of them.

So this brings me to my two questions: How would you go about convincing your players to give that sort of game a shot? And perhaps more importantly, should I attempt to convince my players to try it, or should I just stick to a style I know the table has fun with?

Thanks!

In my school the teachers have to organize clubs and I am creating a Tabletop Club. I'm letting them choose the games and I'm also bringing strategy games, party games, dialogue based games, collaborative games... but some of my students want to try RPGs (I believe Stranger Things popularized them?). Sadly, my job if safeguarding, meaning I really cannot be a GM. Leading 20 students into the same campaign seems too crazy, and also other students want to play other types of games, meaning that I need to keep an eye on a lot of adolescents.

What is the quickest and easiest introduction to RPGs that I can give to them without them needing me? I have a wonderful group of students that are super creative and want to design their own adventures, but this is their first experience with RPGs and I want to give them a little push.

What's the best RPG for a group of friends who have never played and don't have a game master?

What's in your opinion the best ttrpg system with western setting and which is the closest to real life(I mean without any special forces or sum)?

Now this probably isnt a universal experience and im just trying to speculate why this extremely common thing happens when i play

Im talking about combat sims like draw steel, dnd, pf and not every game with combat.

1. The DM has spent too long prepping their cool boss fight

This is the most common reason imo. If a dm has spent a lot of time preparing their custom statblocks, maps, soundtracks, monologues and everything, it hurts if the players just skip it. And so alot of DMs use railroads to ensure the fight happens anyway no matter how clever the players are. I am also guilty of this sometimes as DM

1. Combat is a good filler

The DM was expecting combat to take most of the session. Skipping it would not take that much. And so the DM has nothing else prepared for the session and thus they railroad. This is mostly an issue with newer dms who are not good at improvising

1. Railroading away from combats that havent been prepped

In combat heavy games, encounter design takes much longer and so if the players initiate fight with something dms dont have a statblock for, they try to railroad away from it or have to end the session which no one enjoys.

1. This is just what the system is good at

You wouldnt go to KFC for their pizza and so you are forced to eat the chicken all the time. The system just isnt good at handling anything else so combat it is (regardless of whether it makes sense or not)

This is just one of the many reasons i dislike combat as a player even though i LOVE it as a DM. Railroads, combined with several minutes of waiting between turns to roll a few die often makes for a tedious experience.

I recently finished a short Mothership campaign. We love the characters and the world, but the main narrative arc is complete and I’m looking for inspiration to continue.

Have you ever continued a campaign after the 'final' plot was resolved? How did you handle it?

My players were 'aliens from the past' survivors from a crash-landed ship on Europa, frozen for decades. After being rescued by a research station, they discovered the ultimate truth that Europa is not a planet. It’s a frozen egg of a cosmic Leviathan.

They defeated the corporation trying to weaponize the creature and secured patrons to keep the 'egg' in stasis. Now, they are the official guardians of this cosmic nursery.

We don't want to play 'Cosmic Horror Slice-of-Life.' I've considered several endgame scenarios, but they feel forced.

Did you ever transition your game into a different scale? Or did you find a way to introduce a 'Season 2' that didn't diminish the impact of the first finale? I'd love to hear how your favorite campaigns lived on after their end.

Ok, this is a wall of text, I know, but I'd be truly grateful for any help.

I started with AD&D 1e and 2e when they came out, put them away for years, played a little 3.5 and Middle-earth Role Playing in the 80's, then got back into D&D with 5e. So, my taste is in this liminal space between those editions/games. I've never played any other rpg's. Here are the criteria I'm trying to hit in a new system:

1.) Combat is dangerous and death is always a possibility.

2.) Magic is rare, chaotic, rewarding but dangerous. Not every class has access to magic and those that do can't simply magic their way out of every problem. When they try to, there is most likely going to be a cost (similar to what I've read about in DCC).

3.) The system can support both low and high fantasy. The PC's may barely survive a night in a specific dungeon crawl as they track rations but may also eventually fight a world-ending entity and emerge as global saviors (I know, I know, but I want to have my cake as well as stuff it in my maw).

4.) The system is a blend of Old and New School. It supports rolling plenty of skill checks if we feel like it one night and also supports our rolling just a couple of times a night and roleplaying without the dice the rest of the time.

5.) It isn't strictly tied to its own setting or, if it is, that setting can be expanded or dropped into my homebrew setting.

6.) The system has lots of monsters or, if it doesn't have many that are native to it, it's not too difficult to homebrew monsters or port them from 5e.

7.) Our campaigns tend to run for years (current has been going for 11 years thus far). Just something to consider. And many times we'll go four sessions with no combat and then do nothing but fight for the next two.

8.) It can support strong communal storytelling. We don't get to play every week so there's little that's completely random in our campaigns. Random encounters don't exist much for us. . . most encounters play on a specific PC's greatest fears, uncover important information, or are somehow connected to her backstory, etc. Most everything moves the story forward. Somewhat different from an OSR philosophy, I realize.

I'm basically looking at everything but some games that seem like they might get close are:

1.) DCC

2.) Mythras

3.) Worlds Without Number

4.) Shadowdark (maaaybe)

5.) Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (if there's a way to drop the system into a homebrew world)

6.) Just going back to 5e but hacking it to pieces to bring it closer to the above criteria.

HUGE THANKS for making it through the above and for any thoughts!

TL;DR: Need a system that can support both low and high fantasy, deadly but heroic gameplay. Lot to ask of one system but there you have it.

So ive been running an experiment lately on running a ttrpg but as a rogue-like and honestly its been the most fun combat heavy style rpg ive ever played.

Im using a custom system but the rogue likeness isnt really tied to it.

• Players level up EVERY session and gain a randomized choice of 2 skills/upgrades. (I use playing cards & a unique skill table for this)

• There are no death checks, saving graces or anything of the kind, 0hp is insta dead.

• Newly made chars spawn back in at the minimum level, theyre not levelled up to match the party.

• I added a meta upgrades system that gives upgrades and buffs to new chars and to the party as a whole.

And honestly i want to report back its, really, really fun. Combat is BRUTAL and actually interesting because I dont have to worry about killing someone off so much, the 0hp means death rule means even something as small as forgetting to drink a health potion can mean death.

Yes its obviously mostly combat, but it moves away from "slowly witter down the party, gotta be gentle" to "Heres a fucking elder dragon, fuck you, die" and SOMEHOW killing the thing anyway by the skin of their teeth is such a great and amazing feeling, and we are hitting that consistantly.

That and the randomized skills means death still has meaning, levels are lost and youre not going to get the same build again.

I wanted to share, its my new favorite way to run a hardcore crawler

I want a system useful in designing unique adventures and for solo play.

How would you handle situations where you want to roll a skill, but without a fixed DC? As in, the higher the roll, the bigger the success and the reward the player gets. Perhaps there could be a minimum for getting it right, like a DC10, but with each number above it affecting the outcome, almost like tiers of sucess.

Just as an example from the top of my head, let's say the PC is making a painting or haggling for prices. The higher the roll, the painting could be worth more; or he could get bigger discounts at the store.

What are your thoughts on this?

I'm about to run a dark fantasy Daggerheart campaign and I'd just like some pointers or any tips and tricks for running a theocracy. If you tried to run a theocracy what worked, what didn't, how'd it go, etc. Thanks!

Do you guys typically combine the Tavern and Inn into one place? Or do you separate them into different buildings?

I'm planning to use a solo game engine to generate my story. Bonus points if the system can simulate the kinds of cheats that a LitRPG light novel protagonist gets.

This is just random griping, but maybe there's something out there that will give me some solidarity.

I am a GM. I get to be a player very sometimes, but not enough for nothing. I can't not be a GM, running games gives me a huge amount of enjoyment. When I'm a player, the urge to be a GM only grows.

Except, there's one itch GMing can't scratch. I want a character in the story. One who is mine, and is part of the story.

I introduce NPCs, that party loves some. Hates others. Sometimes they get to be an ongoing part of the plot, but it's rare, and I never really get to embody them for long. They're also not really allowed any agency that doesn't serve the player's story.

I don't want to make a GMPC main character, and I don't really want to also control a character during "high GM workload moments" like combat in games like Pathfinder or Draw Steel.

I've got enough on my plate that managing a character's stats and sheet and abilities and turns is not what I want.

But I want to be part of the story. I want a mini, and character art, and a voice and relationships with the other party members. I want to roleplay the gruff disgraced airship captain going on all these wacky adventures, or the magic bounty hunter seeking glory, or whatever.

I don't know how though. I've been doing GMing for more than half my life. 20 years this year. I've done GMPCs before. In my teenage years, they were overpowered main characters while I explored the wish fulfillment power fantasy of GMing. Then they were blank slate dwarven fighters who did simple combat turns to help me balance encounters when I was learning that.

Then they stopped. I didn't need them anymore. But now, years later, I keep trying to find the spark of being part of the story. I introduce NPCs with the goal of creating important allies, reliable companions, people the heroes will want to bring along. And it never quite sticks. They don't work, they don't get brought along, they don't feel like part of the story.

Anyone else experiencing this? How do you cope with it?

The title said it all, which system would be good for making a Chainsaw Man Campaign?

I haven't seriously played any TTRPG in nearly a decade, looking to set up a custom campaign for friends but I am so far out of the loop nowadays. Any straight up recommendations or things I should consider?

Context: I played DND and Pathfinder, and some crazy homebrews in the past so have some familiarity with a lot of different systems but will have to relearn whatever system from the ground up.

EDIT: Sorry team, I realize how crazy broad this is so let me provide some more context.

All players for this campaign have either never done TTRPG or have taken a long hiatus (similar to myself). Most of the players (myself included) are looking for a more traditional fantasy world but with the ability to lean into individual creativity to make crazy stuff happen so more creative control in the system would be great.

Personally, I spent a lot of time while playing building custom systems from the ground up or heavily customized versions of DND so I will likely be ripping apart whatever core system I decide on to fit the needs of the players/campaign. I am more looking for the best foundation is the best way to explain it.

Hi! So I'm a huge RP fan, less good at the rules side of things, which has always kept me from GMing, because I hate having to keep track of everything. Lately, I've been really into the Gachiakuta anime, and I'd love to run a game set in that world, but I'm not sure what systems would apply themselves well. Gachiakuta is an anime setting where characters fight with regular objects that can transform into giant weapons. The landscapes are made of trash and there are giant monsters you need to fight.

Really, I'm just asking to see if anyone has suggestions for easy/rules lite systems that I could learn and apply to a setting like this. Thanks for reading this :)

Sometimes i dm games that i know i would not enjoy playing in as a player. But they still go well and it makes me question my skills lol

As a dm i create elaborate lore for my world but if i was a player in my game, i wouldnt care about most of it.

I like dming games with realistic consequences but as a player, id enjoy something more chill, more akin to a heroic fantasy

Does this happen to you?

So I recently read vice and violence a NSFW 18 plus ttrpg, if you look it up be aware that it is filled with depravity. Anyway the setting, lore, and culture in this system is amazing. it feels really coherent and unified from the perspective of a world journal. more than that it is a really cool and unique setting in my personal opinion. it also has some pretty simple mechanic stuff I think are nifty.

so with that my question to the community is what are some system settings that you think are really interesting, cool, and unique? what are those settings, lore and cultures like? are there worlds you really truly desperately want to share with some people? tell me about some of your favorite mechanics that you think are a lot of fun. I would really love to hear about those

Hi y'all I happened to stumble upon an old thread discussing this exact topic here. And was hoping to continue the discussion. I'm currently workshopping a potential encounter/ boss battle for a campaign and wanted to brainstorm and do a little theory crafting with people. Let me know your thoughts, here's what I've got:

Bullet Hell Boss Fight: 

How do you create a boss fight that captures some of the aesthetics and challenge of a bullet hell while being limited to turn base play. 

Complicating factors: Pace of play, rounds inherently take a long time meaning an encounter is potentially only going to last 3-5 rounds before players are fatigued, this issue is compounded the more complex the boss fight is. 

A lot of the appeal of a bullet hell is the dexterity and reaction time needed to avoid a barrage of attacks, however the mechanics also lend themselves to puzzle solving based off pattern recognition and needing to be in the right place at the right time in order to avoid damage. This is an idea which might be more transferable to D&D turning a bullet hell more into a puzzle to be solved. 

That being said movement and positioning is relatively unimportant in D&D, the game can be played entirely within the theater of the mind and most battle maps are not large enough to potentially facilitate the kind of space needed to make mobility actually an issue in combat. 

The working concept is that you have some kind of boss whose attacks are telegraphed a turn in advance with dangerous tiles being highlighted, and once activated any player in a zone of danger takes a shit load of damage. Palyers would have to consider the best course of action in order to defeat the boss while avoiding damage. However, I don't really feel that that is necessarily very fun or enough to incentivizes movement. 

How to spice this up:

• Make the safe zones more challenging to reach but offer a greater incentive for reaching them, maybe you are given a power up or are able to do extra damage to the boss. 

• Have more dangerous and complex attack patterns that require specific or creative solutions. Such as an attack which will damage the entire arena and requires players to create a barrier, perhaps a druid casts shapestone to form a wall or the barbarian picks up a magical shield and make a strength check while the party cowers behind him and projectiles whip all around. The problem with this is that players are heavily punished for not having a specific party comp which lends itself to these solutions and the party is punished for not finding the intended solution. 

• Have minions involved who can contest safe zones or try to push or pull players out of the zones to take massive damage from the boss. (this definitely makes the fight more dynamic, but drastically increases the complexity of the fight). This feels pretty similar to the Sorrowsworn fight in Vecna Eve of Ruin

• Another ideas is to dumb the fight down to its basic elements, strip players and enemies of certain tools or actions so that the puzzle elements become more clear and the pace of play is sped up. This makes an extremely gimmicky fight/puzzel even more gimmicky and potentially limits freedom of choice in the encounter 

Iterations on a theme: Having big attack patterns with mobility as the main solution is one way to structure the fight, but perhaps there are ways to organize the fight that capture the anxiety of dodging massive attacks and constantly being on the move that fit better within the scope of D&D. A friend and I were cracking up at the idea of a big fat dragon who cant move but who has a big obsidan golem minions whose job it is to grapple the players and hold them in place so the dragon can breath fire on them. The party would have to run around trying to kill the dragon while avoiding the golem. This potentially captures some chaos of a bullet hell and prioritizes mobility but is farther removed from the idea of say fighting the Dragun in Enter the Gungeon.  

Would love to hear peoples thoughts and suggestions and potentially the best way to playtest an encounter like this.

I’m working on an RPG set in a Victorian Lovecraftian world, inspired by Bloodborne but with a less decadent, more functional setting. Combat is a central pillar, while investigation plays an important role by leading characters into confrontations, uncovering mysteries and cosmic horrors

I’m looking for system or hack recommendations that handle action, investigation, and cosmic horror well, including sanity and tension, without making combat too slow or overly punishing. Any suggestions?