#gming — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #gming, aggregated by home.social.
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No plan survives first contact
As some of you already know, the bulk of my gaming is with an online group that first formed when most of us met in college. As we graduated, grew up, and figured out life, we all ended up in different places in terms of geography, careers, and general arrangement. Some are married, some are not; some have kids, some don’t. One of our most steadfast regulars is an officer in the Navy and last week he got called on a temporary assignment, heading overseas for nearly six months. Incidentally, […]https://newwonkmedia.com/2026/06/15/no-plan-survives-first-contact/
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No plan survives first contact
As some of you already know, the bulk of my gaming is with an online group that first formed when most of us met in college. As we graduated, grew up, and figured out life, we all ended up in different places in terms of geography, careers, and general arrangement. Some are married, some are not; some have kids, some don’t. One of our most steadfast regulars is an officer in the Navy and last week he got called on a temporary assignment, heading overseas for nearly six months. Incidentally, […]https://newwonkmedia.com/2026/06/15/no-plan-survives-first-contact/
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System Hack: Making a Useful Character Questionnaire
Character questionnaires aren’t new tech by any means; even before they started to be ingrained into character creation and session zero procedures, lists of key questions have been used extensively in TTRPGs to give players a starting point from where they could figure out who they wanted their character to be outside of mechanical determinants. In recent years, though, the character questionnaire has developed into a procedure all its own, with some interesting tech for making the process more specific to both TTRPGs in general and the given TTRPG a questionnaire was packaged with. One character questionnaire I’ve used recently, the persona generation questionnaire from the DIE RPG, is both powerful enough and generalizable enough that I want to break down what it does in an attempt to make writing a character questionnaire for your own session zero easier. […]https://cannibalhalflinggaming.com/2026/06/10/system-hack-making-a-useful-character-questionnaire/
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System Hack: Making a Useful Character Questionnaire
Character questionnaires aren’t new tech by any means; even before they started to be ingrained into character creation and session zero procedures, lists of key questions have been used extensively in TTRPGs to give players a starting point from where they could figure out who they wanted their character to be outside of mechanical determinants. In recent years, though, the character questionnaire has developed into a procedure all its own, with some interesting tech for making the process more specific to both TTRPGs in general and the given TTRPG a questionnaire was packaged with. One character questionnaire I’ve used recently, the persona generation questionnaire from the DIE RPG, is both powerful enough and generalizable enough that I want to break down what it does in an attempt to make writing a character questionnaire for your own session zero easier. […]https://cannibalhalflinggaming.com/2026/06/10/system-hack-making-a-useful-character-questionnaire/
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Today on my #RPG #podcast I discuss Daggerheart’s GM Best Practices. These will help you be a better GM, no matter what game you’re playing or which system you’re using.
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#TTRPG #GMing #advice #facilitator #GMless
Stop being the "dancing monkey" for your RPG group and discover how GM-less systems and decentralized play can turn a burnt-out Forever GM into a lifelong Player of Games.
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#TTRPG #GMing #advice #facilitator #GMless
Stop being the "dancing monkey" for your RPG group and discover how GM-less systems and decentralized play can turn a burnt-out Forever GM into a lifelong Player of Games.
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Gamemastering a tabletop roleplaying campaign is a lot like being a TV showrunner, I suspect - or at least, GMing the kind of campaigns that I run. I find myself recognizing plot arcs and twists in shows, and coming up with alternative or better options as I watch.
It comes from years of handling long-term story arcs and overlapping shorter-term stories with continuing characters. After a while finding new plot twists and arcs becomes second nature. I've been doing it so long that I do it in my dreams!
It's a little frustrating, because I have the skill...but I'll never have the option to make use of it outside of a roleplaying campaign.
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Gamemastering a tabletop roleplaying campaign is a lot like being a TV showrunner, I suspect - or at least, GMing the kind of campaigns that I run. I find myself recognizing plot arcs and twists in shows, and coming up with alternative or better options as I watch.
It comes from years of handling long-term story arcs and overlapping shorter-term stories with continuing characters. After a while finding new plot twists and arcs becomes second nature. I've been doing it so long that I do it in my dreams!
It's a little frustrating, because I have the skill...but I'll never have the option to make use of it outside of a roleplaying campaign.
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The No-Prep Gamemaster. a good book for GMs, an even better book for *non* GMs.
if you're in doubt whether you can run a game — this book is for you.
while the author claims the middle section is the core of the book, i actually think the extended preamble about what being a GM means is the true gem this book offers.
if you're debating GMing but think you aren't ready: read this book. you won't regret it.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/524180/the-no-prep-gamemaster-train-your-brain-to-run-tabletop-roleplaying-games -
The No-Prep Gamemaster. a good book for GMs, an even better book for *non* GMs.
if you're in doubt whether you can run a game — this book is for you.
while the author claims the middle section is the core of the book, i actually think the extended preamble about what being a GM means is the true gem this book offers.
if you're debating GMing but think you aren't ready: read this book. you won't regret it.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/524180/the-no-prep-gamemaster-train-your-brain-to-run-tabletop-roleplaying-games -
@tabcreations.com Heh, this reminds me of the ski resort murder mystery I ran once...
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@tabcreations.com Heh, this reminds me of the ski resort murder mystery I ran once...
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David and I have talked about this before, but it's funny how - in real-world games - I always sketch out my battle maps. I rarely use canned ones, or maps I created in Inkarnate.
But online? I feel ... obligated? compelled? ... to have nicer battle maps. #GMing #MapMaking #RPGProps
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Got to run a shop game tonight for an entire table of RPG newbies and I'm on that heady post-newbie-session buzz. So nice. 🥰
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Got to run a shop game tonight for an entire table of RPG newbies and I'm on that heady post-newbie-session buzz. So nice. 🥰
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The Ultimate Guide To Tabletop RPGS, Worldbuilding, and Folklore - Book Bundle
A very interesting mix of system agnostic RPG and mythology books.
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I've missed my vampire, what can I say? 🦇
#GamingSetup #GamingCommunity #Gming #Gamer #BG3 #Astarion #AstarionAncunin #BaldursGate3
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I've missed my vampire, what can I say? 🦇
#GamingSetup #GamingCommunity #Gming #Gamer #BG3 #Astarion #AstarionAncunin #BaldursGate3
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Can you believe that some people charge $1,500 for a workshop on how new GMs should run their games? Harmony Ginger has some pretty decent advice that fits into a single tweet. I'm not quite so short-winded. I have a few words.
https://grimtokens.garden/Thoughts/Just+Play+the+Game+-+A+New+GM+Workshop+For+Free
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Can you believe that some people charge $1,500 for a workshop on how new GMs should run their games? Harmony Ginger has some pretty decent advice that fits into a single tweet. I'm not quite so short-winded. I have a few words.
https://grimtokens.garden/Thoughts/Just+Play+the+Game+-+A+New+GM+Workshop+For+Free
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Free Your Game—Run Cypher System
One of my favorite systems to run is Monte Cook Games’ Cypher System. Cypher powers two of my current campaigns, Numenera and Super Heroes. Today I want to share some of the reasons I love running the game, as well as one aspect of the system which I think could be a roadblock for new players. And, while I did receive a small grant to product some content for Monte Cook’s realm over on Moonbeam, I have received nothing from the company to write this post. I just like the system.
What I Love
There is a lot to love about GMing a Cypher System game. And these three are my favorite.
The Levels
Everything in Cypher System has a level, and I mean everything. These range from 0-10 in most cases, and the d20 target number for any check is the level multiplied by three. Astute mathematicians have already figured out the problem with this set up, because levels 7-10 are actually impossible to roll on a d20. How’s this work, then?
It works because before the roll is made the player is able to manipulate the level. If the character has an applicable skill, they can reduce the level by one or two. If they are using a beneficial tool they may lower the level by one, it’s called an asset. If they are attacking with a light weapon they can lower the level by one since they aren’t as difficult to maneuver. If they decide they want to try extra hard at the task they can spend some ability points to put effort into an attempt. Each level of effort applied lowers the level by one, and the amount of effort you may apply is capped by the character’s tier. A character may assist in an action, even if that’s only to hold their flashlight up while someone picks a lock or reads a book, and that’s another asset which lowers the level by one. And characters can use terrain to their advantage to lower the level by grabbing the high ground or taking cover. By manipulating the level in these ways the target number can be dropped into a possible, or even likely, success.
This may sound complicated, but I’ve not found it to be so. Any time I’ve run Cypher System things have worked fast. And they only accelerate the more comfortable people get with the game.
Intrusions
In Cypher System games the GM makes no rolls, which can be a bummer. On the other hand, a game master is able to alter the world by intruding on the narrative. These intrusions can occur out of the blue, or than can be a direct consequence of player actions (characters who throw their muscle around a settlement may encounter a patrol of guards who didn’t exist before that moment, for example). GM intrusions aren’t always by GM fiat, however, any roll that comes up a 1 triggers a GM intrusion which function much like a fumble in other system. When the GM does introduce an intrusion on their own, however, there is a reward to soften the blow. When triggering an intrusion the GM gives out an experience point to the player whose character will be impacted by it, and that player awards a second experience point to another player at the table.
Experience points in Cypher System are a valuable meta-currency which have uses beyond advancing the character. An XP may be spent to refuse a GM intrusion. Experience may also be spent to trigger a re-roll on any roll except a 1. Finally, an experience point can be spent to introduce a player intrusion into the world which offers the party a benefit. This last is up to GM discretion, and can be refused if the proposed intrusion is overpowered or doesn’t make sense, but the option is fun because it makes the players part of the world building.
In one game I ran I had a player action start a fire in an apartment building, which they needed to address. This led to some amazing antics. In another session two of the PCs stood near a standing stone I’d already described as being targeted by lightning. The two players made a poor assumption that the lightning had struck because the group had been messing with something and when I asked a player, “So, who do you want to give an experience point to?” He responded with, “Oops” just before seeing his character launched twenty yards as the next bolt hit.
My players have used intrusions on me, as well. During the fire I mentioned above one player created an “aqueduct” (it was in the lowest part of the city so it was actually grey water management) to help put out the fire. In one of the few fantasy sessions I’ve run using Cypher System one player used an intrusion to establish a prior relationship between their character and a goblin who was trying to get them to pay a toll.
Intrusions take the in-game narrative in all sorts of interesting directions. The guard the group was sneaking past can turn at just the right moment to discover a sneak and sound the alarm. A character can remember a contact they had in a settlement who might be able to provide information. Or a trap might be sprung on an over-cautious party. That’s only the start. Intrusions are a blast.
Reduced Prep Time
Running Cypher System doesn’t require a great deal of time copying out stat blocks or jotting down damage from traps. A dangerous area, or a dungeon crawl, can be as simple as mapping out the general locations out and then populating it with obstacles of specific levels. Level 2 kobolds, for example, may block the entrance to their settlement with level 5 traps.
Dealing with the traps is straightforward. If the players want to detect or disable the trap they will have default target number of 15 before any pre-roll modifications to the level. Since the trap is level 5, it does a base 5 points of damage.
Dealing with the kobolds doesn’t require much more work, and a GM never even needs to look at a stat block. They’ve been given level, so the target number to hit the creatures is 6. They also, by default, have 6 points of health since that’s their target number. They are smaller creatures and probably use their claws or light weapons, which means their attacks are faster, so defending against them is a level 3 check. Light weapons do two points of damage. At that point the kobolds in the crawl are basically done but, because they are communal beings, they tend to attack in packs when their traps fail. So four of the creatures may be combined as a single entity for combat. This gives them a base level of 3, or level 4 when attacking, and their combined attacks do medium weapon damage—4 points. They’ll also get health bonus based of their combined level, yielding 9 health. This is cool because a if a GM decides to throw 20 kobolds at the party, which could become cumbersome, they only show up as 5 distinct groups in the combat. Encounters can feel massive, while remaining mechanically simple.
Once a GM gets used to assigning levels to NPCs, and inventing creatures on the fly, session prep for Cypher System is reduced to creating a compelling hook and a specific goal. More can be built in advance, but it isn’t needed if a GM is comitted to riffing off the player’s actions. Now, I love using pre-existing adversaries for both stock Cypher System and Numenera because they’re designed well and the artwork is terrific, but not using them doesn’t slow me down even a little bit.
Potential Roadblock
As much as I love running Cypher System, and Numenera in particular, the game’s biggest roadblock is positioned at its on-ramp.
Character Creation
Cypher System characters are formed from a sentence, “I am an [adjective] [noun] who [verbs].”
The noun, or “type,” is the simplest of the three aspects—because there are only a few from which to choose. Numenera, which is a separate game powered by the system, has six types when using the two books from the box set, while stock Cypher System has four. These types cover typical archetypes like a mighty warrior, sneaky scout, enigmatic wizard, or charismatic bard. It’s straightforward, but then come the options.
There are fifty adjectives, or “descriptors,” in the Cypher System rulebook. These reveal a bit about the character’s background, and grant a character some one-time benefits. These can boosts to stat pools, skills, or a combination of the two—and sometimes the benefits are offset by personality quirks and hinderances. Numenera has nearly as many descriptors, but they are split over two books, so searching through them to fit an envisioned character takes a bit of work.
The verb, or “focus,” is even more overwhelming. A focus is a guide to what type of actions a character is driven toward, and they grant new benefits each time a character increases their tier. By my hand count there are just over 90 foci in the Cypher System rulebook. GMs are encouraged to whittle down the number of available foci to those which best fit their campaign, but even still the sheer amount of information is a lot. By contrast Numenera has only fifty-eight but, again, these are split between two hefty books.
It’s a lot of data, and as players try to figure out what options they’d like to consider they will find themselves flipping back and forth between many pages. The potential to be paralyzed by the sheer number of options, or become lost while flipping between chapters, is significant. That’s not to say the character creation process is difficult, it is not, it’s just a lot.
Having said all that there is a huge but coming up.
First, Monte Cook Games has addressed the character creation data flood with an excellent character creation tool on their web site. The tool is not a starter option, nor is it pay-walled. It is everything that’s in the core rulebook plus all the options which are added through their “white spine” genre books. And Monte Cook Games does this because the entirety of their game and genre supplements is in the system reference document they make available for free. Creating characters using the creation tool is fast, fun, and clear. There is no page turning and GMs can ensure characters fit their campaign by inviting players to a group and limiting the options which can be used during the build process. But it gets better. After a character is built, players may use the flexible web interface as their character-sheet. Or they can export out their created characters to a PDF. Or they can be exported as a JSON file and imported into FoundryVTT. It’s well-done.
At present you cannot build characters for other Monte Cook Games which use their IP, such as Numenera. Sort of. There is, after all, a great deal of overlap between the types, descriptors, and foci between Numenera and base Cypher System. If you are careful with the options you select you could probably get to a character who is very close to a Numenera equivalent—any differences can be fixed using the web-ui after the standard process is completed. Monte Cook Games is also hoping to bring their separate IPs to the character builder in the future. The additions will be behind a paywall, but the convenience might be worth it. At any rate, check out the Monte Cook Games’ character creation tool, it’s amazing.
Second, Monte Cook Games has announced that they are revising Cypher System in a way which keeps folks’ current books usable but makes character creation easier. Now, people in the Cypher community are a tad anxious about this announcement because MCG fans tend to buy many MCG books for their shelves. For my part, and I have no inside knowledge regarding the upcoming shift1, I’m kinda of excited. I know how dedicated Monte Cook Games is to their community and screwing over their player base just isn’t their MO.
Third, I have enjoyed the in person experience I’ve had helping my Numenera group build their characters. They loved using the prompts to see how their characters were linked, and the fiction they created during the build process has had a huge impact on how our campaign has evolved. So while the creation process is a lot, it’s also fun. And that’s cool.
Conclusion
Cypher System is my second favorite game to run right now, second only to Dragonbane. And, to be honest, the difference between the two is a coin flip. I love how fast it is to create challenges for players, I think intrusions are fantastic, and the level system is fast and intuitive. If you have not checked out Cypher System or Numenera it’s very much worth a look. You can pick it up over at Monte Cook Game’s website. The books aren’t cheap. The Cypher System Rulebook is $76.99 for a book/pdf combo, and the two-book box set for Numenera is $129.99 for the same. But, Monte Cook’s SRD is available for free, and there are some excellent starter kits for both base Cypher and Numenera which are under $30. Check this one out.
- Since writing this, I was given a very small amount of information from Monte Cook Games, since I cover the system. I can’t go into specifics, beyond what has been revealed by MCG already, but I’m even more excited. ↩︎
#DMing #DnD #dungeonsAndDragons #games #gaming #GMing #MonteCookGames #RolePlayingGame #RPG #TTRPG
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My Favorite Games (2025 Update)
My best-performing video over the past year has been My Favorite Games. Well, I’ve played a number of new games since I posted that video, so I thought it was time for an update.
Introduction
The games included in this list are ones I have played over the past year since my previous “favorite games” video and they have to be available to pick up as physical copies. So, while I have played a session of a game called Nuts, by Skrat from the A Squirrel Plays channel, it’s not eligible. I also haven’t played a session of one of my favorite games over the past year because I’ve been running other things, so Basic Fantasy RPG doesn’t appear on it. Go check out those games, though, folks, they are way fun—and Basic Fantasy RPG has one of the best communities in the hobby.
10. Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme
I was given a review copy of this game by Exalted Funeral, but was so impressed by it I went out and purchased the Head of Light Entertainment Screen for myself. I’ll also be purchasing another set of their odd dice.
What can you expect in The Programme? You can expect Monty Python. The world is dangerous, the denizens will drive characters loony, and the mechanics are simple. But, the GM will play different personas, which impacts game play, and beshrewments can send the entire table into something completely different. Watch those demerits, and get ready for a good time! You can pick up The Programme at Exalted Funeral for $50, but I recommend also picking up the HoLE screen for $33, as well as a set of their peculiar dice for $25.
9. Land of Eem
The Land of Eem has mechanics which bear a kinship to Powered by the Apocalypse games, with narrative twists and fail forward obstacles so the game is always moving. The world looks like someone combined the Muppets and Lord of the Rings, and it’s as subversive as you’d expect from The Muppets. If you’d like a game that’s light hearted and fast, but still has a good amount of depth, give Land of Eem a try.
There is a free QuickStart guide, but the beautiful Core Rulebook will set you back $40. I’d recommend going for the Deluxe Box Set—which includes a GM screen, a map, a terrific bestiary, and a mind-blowing setting book. That runs for $150.
8. Forbidden Lands
Forbidden Lands has wild lore, robust exploration, fun stronghold building, and a meta-narrative that’s there if a group wants to use it. The game also runs off of Free League’s excellent Year Zero dice pool engine, so game play is fast and dangerous. I ran a crawl of this a few months back because we had an off week and I wanted to toss something from Forbidden Land’s “Book of Beasts” at the group to see what they’d do. One character came out alive, mostly due to poor life-choices, but we had a blast getting to the end. This is a game I have not played enough.
If you want to pick up Forbidden Lands, you can pick up its beautiful box set for about $65. This set comes with a Player’s Handbook, a Gamemaster’s Guide, and a frame-worthy map. I’d have loved to have dice included in the box set but the two A5 books are hardbound stitched binding, have faux leather covers with gold foil imprints, and book ribbons. My only complaint about the game is I want to show off both the box and the books on my shelf.
Check this game out if you enjoy some grit that is challenging and fun. Oh, and it also has a fantastic FoundryVTT system.
7. Tales of Argosa
I just reviewed Low Fantasy Gaming’s successor, Tales of Argosa, on my channel. “Wow.” It carries over the low magic setting of its predecessor, while also incorporating a number of improvements to the system which were made in Pickpocket Press’ second game, Lowlife 20290.
Argosa uses a roll-under check system, which is my favorite way to play a game, but it’s combat system is the same d20 roll high many TTRPG players will find familiar. Despite the familiarity, Tales of Argosa stands out through a phenomenal exploit mechanic that is what 5e bonus actions should have been.
Tales of Argosa is very much an old school game but it’s not a retro-clone. Nor is it simple a distillation of modern mechanics which has old-school potency brought to the fore. It’s familiar, while being its own thing, and I love it. Check out Tales of Argosa if you’re looking for a game that’s fast and dangerous, but where the characters also aren’t overly squishy. You can pick it up at DriveThruRPG, a hard back copy costs about $45.
6. Shadowdark
Shadowdark is, at its core, a distillation of modern mechanics with some twists blended in to give it an old school feel. And the combination is brilliant. Torches run in real-time, so players can’t sit around dithering. Magic is roll-to-cast so a player has to question the wisdom of unleashing a spell in a particular moment. Sheets are spartan, so players need to spend more time interacting with the world instead of paging through their copious abilities. And initiative is always on, so attention seekers have to share the spotlight. I ran a Shadowdark gauntlet of zero-level characters last fall and it was amazing.
Shadowdark is an excellent bridge between old school and new school play. It’s terse presentation is clear and engaging, the artwork is a perfect vibe, and everything you need is in one book. Check this game out if you want to introduce folks who have only ever played Dungeons & Dragons 5e to some old school tropes. You can pick it up from The Arcane Library for $59.00. And if you’re worried about the game being supported, not only is Kelsey Dionne creating additional content, several other creators are following suit. There are new classes, the game’s been shifted to space, and monsters abound. This game is both good and popular. And it’s well deserved. Kelsey Dionne is an amazing person. Had I run Shadowdark more this past year I may have swapped it with the next entry on this list.
5. Into the Odd
When I first read Into the Odd I didn’t get it. It didn’t seem there was enough to it to function as a fun game! But I returned to it later and found I was more ready to comprehend how it’s designed.
The rules are so lite they can be missed with a blink! There are no to hit rolls, HP replenishes in each room, but the strength score drops when any damage taken exceeds HP and that remains. Movement is abstract. Keeping track of time is abstract. Wandering encounters help build an adventure’s fiction. And characters die, a lot. Into the Odd is a game where running and hiding from, tricking, or avoiding danger rewards a party with more dangerous spaces to investigate. Now, it’s not limited to dungeon or wilderness crawling, there are some lite rules for running a business or managing detachments of soldiers, so Into the Odd anticipates a widening experience as play continues. But it starts with crawling. And the lucky ones survive to delve a second time.
Into the Odd has become a favorite one shot game because I can have players roll their characters up at the table and be off and running in minutes. If you’re looking to try out a dungeon crawler, or looking or for some excellent tables to flesh out a world, check this game out. It’s a ton of fun and a nice change of pace. You can pick it up through Free League for around $45.
4. Sentinel Comics RPG
I first picked up Sentinel Comics RPG when it showed up in a Prime Day sale list for a ridiculous price in 2024. Since then it’s been listed for various sale prices, even as low as $9.99. This caused me to fear the system was going to be orphaned, which proved to be true. The game’s publisher, Greater Than Games, was recently shuttered in response to the tariff crisis. This is a shame because the game is phenomenal.
Sentinel comics is the first super hero game I played which felt like a comic book since the old TSR Marvel Game back in the 80s. Everything is narrative. If a player has a teleportation power and wants to use it for an attack they narrate how they do that. They don’t need a feat, there are no power points to spend, and there’s no formulas to tell people how much of an effect they can have. Instead, the player describes how they want to use their teleportation power, connects it to a quality the character has, and then adds in their current status. Each of these elements has a die assigned to them and, if a character does a “basic action” they use the middle value as the result. If they use one of their abilities, which are ways characters may use powers which have a bit of guidance, they use the dice that ability indicates. It really fast.
But what makes Sentinel Comics RPG shine is how barriers to success are dealt with. If a character is faced with any obstacle—a forcefield, a hostage being held, some bystanders standing under a falling building—they must be dealt with through an Overcome action. To deal with the obstacle the collected dice are rolled, and the result is read. But the way the results are designed means players will often have to accept a twist to be successful in the attempted action. A character might teleport through a forcefield, for example, not knowing that it was keyed to their dimensional signature. The character succeeds passing through barrier but it shocks them as they pass through and now they are hindered for a turn or two. The Overcome action is the heart of Sentinel Comics RPG.
If you enjoy Super Hero RPGs pick up Sentinel Comics RGP while you still can! As of this writing it’s on a fire sale for $20 at Greater than Games. Amazon also still has the excellent GM kit on sale for $25. The GM screen alone is worth it.
3. EZD6
EZD6 is a game of gonzo fun, present danger, and ridiculous moments. DM Scotty, who is the brains behind the game, designed it because he wanted a game that didn’t need math. It really is easy, I can have people versed in the rules in a few minutes, and if we forget anything during the briefing we can just tackle it when the situation arises.
For all its simplicity, however, character creation is fun. Different inclinations give the character a leg up in certain situations, hero paths grants some boons and abilities, and character aspects help flesh out their personality. Scotty has also created some additions to the system, including a full post-apocalyptic version, which extends the core ideas while keeping the simplicity intact. He’s currently working on a horror version, which I was able to play in, and it’s awesome.
If you want a game that is “grab and go” and sets the players imaginations free, EZD6 is a game I recommend. I love it. You can pick up a hardback/pdf combo at DriveThruRPG for around $25.
2. Cypher System/Numenera
Imagine a game where all the crunch was done before the roll. Everything in the game has a level, to make the level beatable players apply skills, spend points from their pools to give extra effort, or utilize a tool they have at their disposal. Once the final number is reached, it’s multiplied by 3, and that’s the target on a d20. Oh, and it can be played with any genre and in any setting, with minimal tweaks to the core system.
That’s Cypher System, and it’s amazing. Right now I’m using it to run a lunchtime super hero campaign once a month and have run a couple fantasy-themed one shots as well. I’m also looking forward to testing out more genres using Cypher System in the near future.
The Cypher System Reference Document contains all the mechanical information you need to run the game, and that includes their “white spine” genre books. So you can dive in to Cypher without having to lay down any cash if you want (but the books are beautiful, and look wonderful on a shelf).
Cypher’s publisher, Monte Cook Games, also has some distinct IPs which are not found in the reference document. The best known of these set a billion years in the future in the Ninth World. Numenera is science fantasy at its finest. The world is a weird mix of high technology and mediaeval fantasy. The game is set just as civilization is growing back from whatever caused the last world to collapse, an unknown number of years ago, and there are hints everywhere that the current batch of humans haven’t been around on the planet all that long. My campaign’s been going on for just about two years and I love the weird things the party encounters.
If you want a flexible system with fast mechanics that’s designed to be narrative forward, check out Cypher System. The core rulebook is about $77 for the hardback and PDF. For Numenera I recommend the two book box set, which costs about $130 for the book/PDF combo. There are also some starter sets for both systems, which can be found on Monte Cook Games’ web site. These cost around $30.
1. Dragonbane
Dragonbane is one of the first products Free League sent me as a review copy, but that’s not why it’s on the top spot of this list. It’s in the top spot because Dragonbane is amazing. In fact, I love this game so much I’ve picked up a copy of the box set to give to one my friends.
Sometimes people will call the Dragonbane box set a “starter set,” because that’s what most box sets are these days, but that’s a misnomer. The Dragonbane box set is the entire game. It includes the full rulebook, blank character sheets, creature and character standees, some pre-generated characters so a group can dive right in, a full adventure book, a reversible battle map on which terrain can be placed (but it is paper, don’t draw on it), and a set of lovely emerald-green translucent dice. And how much does this cornucopia of TTRPG goodness cost? The core set can be purchased for about $56!
Why do I love Dragonbane? Well, it’s a skill based system with roll-under mechanics. Magic is rare, but powerful, and combat is fast and dangerous. The game is fair, but it’s unforgiving if players don’t learn to make good choices. Also, monsters are both unpredictable and deadly. All this combines to create a game where negotiation needs to be on the table whenever possible, and retreat needs to be an option. That might not sound fun to folks who are used to a “clear the room” mentality, but I have so much fun seeing what my group gets into. They’ve befriended a troll, gotten swept up into an ancient conflict, and have forgotten that they are just a bunch of armed people and have no actual authority to do any of the things they do.
They’re even beginning to learn how to keep their party alive, well…most of them.
If you want to try something that scratches a fantasy itch, has players roll the familiar d20, but which also breaks away from concepts like armor class or hit point bloat Dragonbane is a terrific go to. My group has been playing it ever since our Basic Fantasy RPG campaign wrapped up and it’s a ton of fun.
#DMing #DnD #DungeonsDragons #dungeonsAndDragons #fantasy #gaming #GMing #Review #RolePlayingGame #RPG #TTRPG
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We Play Different Games
This is random TTRPG Thoughts #80
Written July 3, 2025I am three days away from Sabbatical, tomorrow is July 4th, and Senator Murkowski of Alaska voted for a bill she knows will hurt Americans across the country but because she got some treats for Alaska its fine if the rest of the country burns. I’ve got a headache and the “stop shoving your politics down my throat” folks are already complaining. But I’ve got coffee and my brain is sparking into gear. These are random TTRPG thoughts.
- Reading The Elusive Shift is becoming more and more fascinating. It also makes me even less interested in all the arguments about dice fudging, theater kid slurs, grognard insults, and the “proper way” a campaign should be run. Why? Because it seems like no one has said anything new about any of these topics since the 70s. I’ll still end up participating in this endless cycle of pontification, I’m sure. I’m human and that’s apparently what we do. But I’ll only end up boring myself.
- Cypher System is going to have a revision that will be released in the middle of next year. I’m rather interested in what will be revised, and they have promised current books will still be usable, but a lot of folks in the cypher community are biting their metaphorical nails. I empathize with them. I mean, I’ve been back in the hobby only since 2020 and haven’t had to deal with an edition change (I don’t run 5e so the 2025 edition isn’t something with which I have experience). I don’t think the new Cypher System book will be an entire new edition, but past scars are difficult to forget. I mean, I’m a Philly sports fan, I get that.
- I was able to interview Land of Eem’s Ben Costa and James Parks the other week and it was a wonderful conversation. Ben and James are great guys, and they have a new crowd funding campaign under way which touts a simplified version of the game for kids and the game’s first expansion! Check it out!
- I try to not be binary about the vast majority of existence, but there are two types of people in the world. Those who understand that building a concentration camp in a swamp makes you the bad guys, and those who are wrong.
- Free League’s Summer sale has started! Go check it out because they put out some amazing stuff and their discounts are steep.
- Over the last week I’ve had several folks bring up the idea that role-playing games are “escapist.” They didn’t mean anything bad by it, they were just pointing out that when life seems bleak it’s good to have a space to go and forget about it for a while with friends. And, you know, that is not a bad thing and I both appreciate how needed those spaces are and that TTRPGs can fill it. But I also don’t think RPGs aren’t quite as escapist as some folks think they. Why is that? Well, the game emerges from our own personalities. There’s always a small bit of ourselves in the characters we play (which is true even for GMs and their NPCs)—and that’s true for everyone from story-minded role-players to the most meticulous of min-maxers. We can never escape from ourselves but we can, either by deliberate action or instinct, explore who we are. Just remember, I’m an introvert so I get excited by weird stuff like that.
- As I was reading The Elusive Shift last night a thought emerged in my brain which I’d understood for a while but never articulated. Folks in this hobby do not play the same game, even if we’re using the same system. That’s because the game emerges from the group’s engagement with the world, and what exists in the world is a function of the GMs focus and tendencies. So, we can play a game of Shadowdark, Numenera, EZD6, or Dragonbane—but we never play |Shadowdark|, |Numenera|, |EZD6|, or |Dragonbane|. Now, there’s overlap between our games, it’s why we can play at open tables or conventions and people can have a good time, but we do not play the same games. I find that both liberating and humbling.
- Have you ever had a week where you want to run a game, but you’re kinda fried and can’t even consider running your on-going campaign? That’s where I am this week. I don’t have the energy to prep for my regular Dragonbane campaign so I’m offering to run a simple pick up and play game, instead. I find running new systems invigorates me and helps motivate me to get back to my long-form campaigns.
- The alternative for tonight is to play Dave Ward’s Plaguebound, where I get to play my imp-like character who is not a barbarian, but acts like one. This is also a compelling option because that character is an absolute blast to play. He’s pissed at the titular plague, which destroyed his home, and attacks it with relish. Looking back at my comment about not being able to escape ourselves, this character also makes me go, “hmmmm.”
- I have had some of the most wonderful comments from people on my videos lately. Folks have suggested games, offered kind words, shared their own insights, and have been kind. I do not do DM Tales for validation, because I don’t need that sort of soul-crushing pressure on my life, but experiencing kindness and appreciation from folks is a good thing. I’m also gratified that the majority of folks who pop up on DM Tales are insightful, kind, and share their joy. Because that’s the type of audience I want to attract.
#DMing #DnD #DungeonsDragons #dungeonsAndDragons #fantasy #gaming #GMing #RolePlayingGame #RPG #TTRPG
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Once again, social media inspires a relatively lengthy response. The traditional concepts of the role of DM/GM are referee versus storyteller. But what if I told you, you don't have to pick one of those?
https://grimtokens.garden/Thoughts/GM-as-adjudicator+or+GM-as-storyteller+-+Or+Is+There+a+Third+Way
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In the #TravellerRPG the standard unit of interstellar distance is the parsec - about 3.2 lightyears.
Now Traveller itself does not handle a whole bunch of real astronomical features at all well. For starters the official map of Known Space bears not the slightest resemblance to the actual observed universe.
This is all good and well. It's Just A Game, Relax.
But.
There is a part of me that looks at the Traveller star maps and wonders "Where are the nebulae, where are the open clusters?"
Well, I have an answer for you. One that does not require a single rule change. The maps simply record systems with potentially habitable planets (even if that might require pressurised domes or worse).
There are plenty of other stars out there, and with open clusters - some of which are dozens of parsecs across - it is very unlikely that there will be any potentially habitable planets around them. Typically you've got Hot Gas Giants, which are so close to their stars you'd be mad to try to approach one for refuelling. On the other hand, you've also got dozens of stellar bodies within fractions of a light-year apart, and often remains of the molecular cloud that birthed them. In a pinch you might be able to refuel from those clouds. And who knows what sorts of folks might hide something in such a place?
Then you've got your bright nebulae. Much of what I said about open clusters applies here, except you've also got protostars, and all sorts of junk floating around - sometimes only a few dozen AU apart.
All you need to do is take a highlighter to your subsector (or even sector) maps and draw a splodge in one of the empty areas. Use another colour for the clusters. No-one in their right mind goes to those sorts of places. But a misjump? Or tracking down a hidden pirate base?
Just make sure you've got the fuel to get out again - or you might have to risk wrecking your ship to refuel. And then where would you be?
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My mini-campaign mashing up #Genesys and #BitD came to a close last night. I'd had some grandiose (complicated) plans in the beginning about Blades subsystems I would adapt, but in the end, simplicity won out.
I liked structured downtime for getting everyone a couple vignettes between heists, handling gear on the fly during the heist, and heat hanging over the PCs heads as a motivator. Establishing rival/ally NPCs at the start was also great.
I learned some good #GMing lessons.