We all enjoy playing roleplaying games, that's why we're here.

But there are plenty of other reasons to enjoy a roleplaying game, besides actually playing it.

Worldbuilding, art, stories, dissecting mechanics.

What are your favourite games, if you don't account for actually playing the game? Doesn't mean you DON'T enjoy playing the game, just that you enjoy it for other reasons aswell.

11 years ago my crew and I sat down and used Dawn of Worlds to collaboratively make a campaign world. Then we played in it over three campaigns and over 100 sessions.

By making the world together including the species, cultures, factions, monsters, heroes of old, and more, everyone was invested.

People made characters with the species they created. They fell in love with each other’s monsters and wanted to fight them or harvest them. When I showed a monster, the creator would say, “Oh s%#*!” because they knew how tough they made it. And when one campaign ended and we advanced the world timeline by 40 years they knew intimately how to pick up the pieces.

Well, the world may have run its course. I can of course pick Dawn of Worlds up again. But I’m curious if people have other cooperative world/setting creation games you’d recommend.

Me and my wife are fans of classic horror and slasher films, so for Halloween season we invited a couple of friends over to our house for a game of Shiver (https://www.parablegames.co.uk/pages/shiver), with myself as the Director (GM). I bought the Slasher starter set a year ago but only just got around to running a game with it. I have to say it has a lot of potential in its premise but I was very disappointed. I really did want to enjoy it but for a roleplaying game based on surviving a slasher film, the stakes were very low for the characters and combat was very boring when it did happen. The mechanics themselves did not seem to live up to the theme of the game. And running the included one-shot was difficult with errors in the text and on the character sheets, and very little room for improvising the story based on PCs actions and choices.

Has anyone else tried it? Was there anything you did to improve the game?

Granted I bought this some time ago and I know a Cryptid module has just been released so I do not know if there are any changes in the game to improve the aspects I found to be not enjoyable.

In future if I want to run a horror film themed game I will probably just homebrew something in Call of Cthulhu which is my go-to TTRPG.

Hey all, I am for all intents and purposes a total newbie, and have been drafted by my family into GMing RPGs. Exciting? Maybe, trying to learn a lot quickly in preparation.

My personal preference is higher-lethality/higher-consequences systems, but I am looking for some concrete examples of GMs killing off PCs and dealing with the consequences (roll a new character? OK, but how is she integrated into the game in progress? how do you handle the psychology at the table?).

I've looked, but haven't found an actual play podcast where the GM actually lets a PC die. Not in countless Mörk Borg APs, not in Cairn APs. Can anyone provide some tips, or some links, to study materials?

It feels like Deadlands is the D&D of the Weird West genre. It dominates the space so completely that it's hard for other games to gain oxygen. I'm trying to get a vibe check on whether people would still be interested in a different Western setting TTRPG. As players and GMs, do you feel like there's still a hunger for indie alternatives in this specific subgenre, or do games like Weird Frontiers or Fistful of Darkness already fill the gaps for people wanting a different system? If you were to back a new Western/supernatural Kickstarter, what would it have to bring to the table to differentiate itself?

I'm thinking of hunting down old Cyberpunk 2020 manuals, and I noticed that DriveThruRPG offers print-on-demand editions of the catalogue.

How do they compare to the original books? I don't plan on collecting everything, so I'm wondering whether it's better to hunt for second-hand copies or order the titles I'm interested in from DriveThruRPG. I'd especially appreciate feedback from anyone who's seen both versions in person, particularly regarding paper quality.

I'm looking for a TTRPG system or setting with specific characteristics:

1. It should be mecha or military sci-fi (or something adjacent) with a focus on warfare.
2. The player characters belong to a larger organization or military hierarchy that may have ulterior motives towards the player characters.
3. (Bonus) Not a hard requirement, but it would be nice if the system has explicit rules for relationships and bonds between player characters and NPCs or other player characters.

Basically, I'm looking for a TTRPG that can model the intrigue and dramatic elements associated with mecha or military sci-fi fiction.

I've been thinking about what actually frustrates me when a GM railroads an adventure, and I think it has little to do with player agency.

I've played adventures with extremely restrictive premises and thoroughly enjoyed them. I don't mind starting a scenario already aboard a ship heading somewhere dangerous. I don't even particularly mind a GM saying, "Sorry, you can't kill this NPC. He's essential to the rest of the campaign, so he gets to survive." It's mildly disappointing, but mostly because it breaks immersion. But I can live with it.

On the other hand, two experiences have stayed with me for years.

In one, we were trying to stop some cultists from reaching a ritual site. I knew they would have to pass through a gate on their own property, so I closed it, secured it with concealed ropes, and prepared an ambush. My plan was simply to force them to stop and get out of their car then do a Godfather on them.

Instead, they drove straight through their own gate at full speed.

I wasn't particularly attached to my plan. I didn't care whether the confrontation happened at the gate or during the ritual. I certainly didn't need to win. But why on earth would someone ram their own gate, at night, with no reason to suspect an ambush? As it turns out, there was no plausible pretext. The GM simply wanted the confrontation to happened as he had planned it.

In another game, I created an idealistic young man searching for the love of his life. During our first session, he approached some young women traveling with our caravan. The GM immediately introduced a beautiful, kind, funny woman who fell madly in love with him in seconds. Problem solved. Back to the adventure.

The two situations are almost opposites. In one, the GM defeated my plan. In the other, he immediately fulfilled my character's desire. Yet both felt equally artificial.

I think what bothered me was that the NPCs weren't behaving like people inhabiting a fictional world. They were behaving like instruments for protecting the GM's intended plot.

And that raises a question about the concept of player agency.

I don't necessarily need to determine the course of the story. I don't need my character to succeed. I can enjoy discovering that certain things are impossible within the fiction. I even like replaying a scenario or adventure I played before, knowing how the plot will go, as long as I get to react in character to what is happening.

But I need to trust that the world will respond to my character's actions according to its own circumstances, rather than constantly adjusting itself to keep the adventure on track.

I would call this fictional world integrity, and I suspect I find it a more fundamental concern than player agency.

What do you think? Have you ever enjoyed a highly restrictive adventure, or found a seemingly open-ended one frustrating because the world kept bending around the GM's plans?

That doesn't boil down to just rolling a akill check now and then + resource management.

It should ideally provide actual non-trivial dilemmas for the Players.

Hey Bois
I'm looking for suggestions on systems where firearms (modern ones, preferably) are the core of the game's combat, anyone got any leads?

Some that I already know are Twilight 2000 and Cyberpunk

I'd like to see other options since I'm making a system of my own, but the current version is way too slow if you don't use a tool to calculate DCs, I'd like to try and develop alternatives.

Reading I Hate Fairyland, Big Insane Happy, and playing Cult of The Lamb has lead me to realizing that “Grimdark Cuteness” is like my favorite vibe. Any TTRPGs that fit this niche?

I recently read Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at Utmost North, and I am interested in bringing it to the table.

While researching online, I found that the game has a passionate following, and people have even adapted it for one-shots (this or this seem relevant, refer to this for the details, thank you u/benrobbins for the link).

The atmosphere and the suggested experience of the game seem very cool and I am eager to play it at the table, but at the same time while reading I felt part of the presentation and the way the game flows showed their age: I really like the rituals involved in the game, and the adversarial/cooperative roles of the four players at the table, but I felt the "free play", i.e. the part before and after the ritual exchange between the roles, was almost too free for my taste! :D A game which attempts to do something similar is Under the Autumn Strangely, but somehow Polaris achieved to strike a more intimate cord with me.

Probably in the last 20-ish years since the first edition the sensibility and the discussion around GM-less games has evolved and changed, so I wonder if there are more recent games which can capture the feeling or the game loop of this very nice game, but more streamlined or simplified.

I appreciate any suggestion of different games or suggestions on how to run Polaris itself!

Hey all, I have been trying to find a good system to use for my first foray into being both a player and a GM. all my players are totally new as well.

I HAVE all these systems so i wanted to get a read on how they play from people who have used them, and how well they help a brand new GM.

The four systems are:
Dragonbane box set
Beyond the Wall
Dolmenwood
Shadowdark

I know all four are supposed to be generally light weight, but how do they all compare and contrast in terms of tone and type of game?

Thanks for the help!

What TTRPG system do you think best captures the game feel of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök?

I'm interested in discovering new TTRPG systems, and I'm curious about which ones could best capture the feel of these games.

Not necessarily looking to recreate the games exactly, but rather to capture their atmosphere, sense of scale, and overall experience.

What systems you recommend for something like this? And why?

After watching the Resident Evil movie recently and having played the games I've been thinking about how fun it would be to run a game set in a world like that with my own lore. Specifically the, Survival horror where you're backed into a corner, there are 6 zombies and you have one bullet type of deal. Also the part where there's some big mf chasing you around (Nemesis, Mr X, etc) and solving puzzles to advance and fighting your way through a terrifying environment full of zombies and mutated horrors

I'm wondering what good rpgs there are that capture that vibe. The horror games I know i could potentially make that work in are:

*Call of Cthulhu

*All Flesh Must be Eaten

*Breathless

But I have only played Call of Cthulhu, so I don't know how well All Flesh handles the "big mf that chases you" and the less recognizable'zombie mutant' things because i haven't read the book and don't know how good the system is and if they even have options for that. And Breathless seems to be more narrative than anything so idk if I could make that specific kind of game work.

So idk just lmk what games you'd recommend :P

Is there a ttrpg thats just the classic Elves, Dwarves, and Humans with perhaps some minor magic? Off the top of my head I can think of D&D 0e and perhaps The One Ring. But right now a lot of fantasy ttrpgs just feel like the hero power trips with a bunch of races, planes, and gods.

Hey everyone, just wanted to put out that I now have print on demand options for my little zine full of Gamma World/Fallout inspired post apocalyptic generators. Here's the link to RPGTrader where the POD is and the link to the itch page if you prefer itch (no POD).

I really enjoy the gonzo, yet still grounded Gamma World/Fallout post apocalyptic games and love generators and tables to roll on to flesh out your games. Artwork is public domain and I've got some good ones in the zine.

Hello all ! I am thinking about running a Mythras game I love the system but I always struggled with multiple magic systems to run in a single setting. Its most interesting setting in my opinion is thennla that is very much so high magic where every magical tradition is acounted for.

There are mythic earth series and to be honest these seems to be perfect if you were to strip them for parts in a homebrew setting.

The other option is Monster Island which is actually great for this (only sorcery and animisim) but it's not a fully realized world it's rather a self contained enough sandbox but you'll have to fill the details about the larger world yourself or use an existing setting like thennla.

There's also HârnWorld I'm only aware of it, love everything I keep hearing about it. Not so exited about prices for the Columbia games' products because I'm on a low budget as Columbia games likes to separate a realm's supplement from its smaller holdings' and vassals' related products at least thats how it is in drivetrurpg . So if you are going to suggest HârnWorld can you help me with choosing the cost effective approach 'starting smaller' if you may.

And Thanks in advance!

Edit : also would appreciate it if the settings had their own adventure modules (official, third party etc) not a requirement but I would appreciate it nonetheless

Edit2 : also by low magic I don't mean 'no magic'

Is there a system that gives you the "Diablo 2 Necromancer" fantasy?

D&D only really has the "summon skeletons" of it, and that is just really dumb in D&D due to the action economy and the mechanics of combat.

Not only would I like an option of a streamlined minion fighting class/system, but also options for bone magic, soul magic, that kind of stuff ya know?

Not just "anti healing" and "summon zombies"

Are there any systems that facilitate some/all of those options?

What RPG world would be the absolute worst in which to live? Give us the most dystopic shit you can think of.

I am looking for a system for a high power-high fantasy campaign. I have only played dnd 5e and 5.5e before and I heard that godbound is a good fit for this without being too complex. I am looking to make a sort of homebrew world maybe using the games own world as a baseline and expanding from there. I was thinking of exalted at first but it might be a bit too complex for my liking. Is Godbound a good choice or should I look for something else?

I have a main PF1e game that I DM for but often find we have off weeks where we don't play due to life being life.

I'm looking for a system where if someone cancels last minute, I could shuffle to it instead. I don't mind if it has some initial building, they'll likely be playing characters in the alt game that will come up again in this alt game.

I'm happy to look into any recommendations. I'd prefer something lite but still offers some initial character building and choice.

Thank you!

Edit: I didn't have this in the original post! But thought it best to add that I have a player who prefers stuff not meatgrindy or too dark (like Call of Cthulhu!) so would like to avoid games with those themes.

There is another post about this but as it's three years old figured I can ask the same question they asked.

Currently looking at MythCraft. Any Genre.

And I mean AP as it's traditionally used for movement and actions, not like how say, Fallout 2d20 uses it(Metacurrincies are a whole different discussion)

Hello everyone!

I am releasing a free trifold module every week in October for my mystery horror RPG, Strange Times! Everything I make is free up on my website, rules and all. Hope you check it out!

The weeks module is Black Blood: a modern investigation into nautical horror featuring strange deaths, an abandoned oil rig, and fish-human hybrids.

Free Download: www.StrangeTimesRPG.com
(Scroll down to Trifold Modules)

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Plot Hook:

Shortly after the forming of the Burau of Investigation in 1908, proof of the paranormal was discovered. To avoid mass panic, the evidence was kept secret, and a subsect of the Burau was created to maintain the conspiracy: CARBON. The characters are CARBON field agents charged with investigating the ritualistic suicide of a deep sea diver, but with every clue giving more questions than answers, the characters will need to venture deep into the water to discover the truth.

Spoilers:

Blue Pelican Oil is a multi-billion dollar energy company. Recently, they announced the construction of the deepest oil rig in history. Three months ago, a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) was sent out to establish the pipe and get everything set up. As of yesterday, they announced that they have deemed the well unstable and would no longer be moving forward with their plan.

At first, there were no problems. The MODU was able to establish a pipe connection, construction went smoothly, and everything was on schedule. However, when the MODU attempted to pull oil up for testing, they were instead greeted by a strange crimson sludge.

A dive team was assembled to look for causes of contamination. It was here they learned the truth: the drilling unit was not pumping up oil; they were pumping up blood. Blood from an enormous creature laying on top of the seabed.

While this was happening, the crew of the MODU were doing their own research. The scientists on board reported that, not only is the blood an energy source, it is 10 times as efficient as oil and requires no processing to be used in engines. However, the workers made an entirely different discovery: whoever touched the blood would mutate and become more like the life living under the waves.

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Previous Modules this Month:
Astro-Slash: a campy sci-fi slasher
Eternal Sunset: a witchy western horror
The Consuming Darkness: a Norse myth turned horror mystery
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What Is Strange Times?

Strange Times is a flexible mystery horror RPG that emphasizes player agency and maintaining tension. It is light weight, easy to run, and completely free.

What Makes Strange Times Worth Playing?

Character Health is a Resource: Characters have 3 saves which function as health pools, but they are allowed to spend from these pools to turn failures into successes. For example, if someone was lying to a police officer about the alien they have in the trunk and failed the empathy roll by 8, they could lose 8 from their Spirit Save to succeed instead.

Progressive Consequences: As player’s saves get lower, the worse their possible injuries become. This means that health is more than just a separation from death; it is an active measurement of how much danger the character is in.

Flexible Condition System: When players fail a Save, they might receive a Condition. Most Conditions are simply negative skills that can lower target numbers, but they can also represent unique horrors like an infection ticking down to zombification, or a hypnotic trance that affects what the character sees and experiences.

No Combat: There is no initiative, no action point system, no health bars. When the characters are in a room with a monster, that monster is a problem to be solved rather than an amount of health points to be depleted. Every moment matters so characters will need to think quickly if they are to survive.

Easy to Hack: The systems are extremely flexible so that creating things is fun and effortless. There is minimal resistance from you having an idea to adding it to the game. 

Free Demo: The complete rules for Strange Times are available for free on the Strange Times Website. In addition to the 10 trifold modules available, 3 full horror mysteries can be found in the demo.