#ttrpgdiscussion — Public Fediverse posts

Let's try another #TTRPGDiscussion, it's been a while since the last one.

I'm writing an article about how to organically build a #TTRPG #Sandbox using a method I call Hexes and Triagles Prep (#HATPrep). For that, I need six important aspects of sandboxes that one can iterate over and add to. So far I have these aspects:

1. Starting location
2. Situations (read: adventure)
3. NPCs & Factions
4. Locations
5. Items
6. Lore

Do you agree with these categories, or do you have other suggestions?

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: How do you make your #TTRPG world feel alive?

When I play #DND or #PathFinder, I want the world to feel alive - not as a static movie set in which you have your adventures. Even though my PC may be a hero to some extent, I still want to feel like I'm just one of many adventurers / citizens in this world. But how do you, as a GM, achieve that?

How does one make the world feel alive and dynamic? What are your best tips related to this?

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: Have you ever seen mechanics for deities in a #TTRPG?

What I mean by that is a system for generating actions of a deity or set of deities, in the same way we have weather generators. Perhaps something that keeps track of how much "power" each deity has (connected to how many worshippers they have), and which "miracles" (similar to spells, but on a grander scale) they can bestow on their followers as a result. @hexedpress, you've made lots of videos, any videos on this?

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: Is there a #TTRPG which replaces the traditional support role with a leadership role?

In my experience, in games such as #DND, "support" roles such as bards aren't very popular. I wonder if you designed #TTRPGs where this was replaced with a (perhaps more appealing-sounding?) "leadership" role instead - would that be more popular? A leader would still support other characters, but flavored differently. What do you think?
https://fantasycollective.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/367053.jpg
#PathFinder #OSR

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: Have you used ChatGPT for a #TTRPG?

ChatGPT is a new AI tool which you can chat with. It sometimes gives you incorrect answers to questions, but it can also be used to help you come up with ideas. For example, if you're a GM, you can ask it to help you come up with plot lines based on prompts you give it. Check out this result when I asked it to help me come up with ideas just now. I don't know about you, but I'm impressed.

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: How does one make weather an interesting factor in a #TTRPG?

Should weather have mechanical effects, making travel or ranged combat more complicated? Should it reduce visibility in some way, and what effect would that have on the game?

Or should it be purely cosmetic, something that the GM only mentions to increase versimilitude and immersion?

Do you have any good or bad examples you want to share?

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: Have you ever come across a museum in a #TTRPG?

I'm building a homebrew city in a homebrew world for my game, and I realized that a museum could be a good way to showcase features of the world to players who actively seek it out instead of doing the infamous GM lore dump on them. There will be exhibits about the history of the world and the city, and there will be stuffed monsters the PCs can examine and learn about.

#WorldBuilding

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: Have you ever played a #TTRPG set in your own home town?

I normally prefer fantasy, but I've realized that with a game like #GURPS - the Generic Universal RolePlaying System - my friends and I could make fictional versions of ourselves and play in our own home town as it is invaded by aliens, ghosts, or a weird cult! Forget world building, you can expose the conspiracy, thwart the spies, or defeat the invaders, all in the familiar setting of where you grew up!

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

Am I the only one who finds himself (almost?) prefering #SoloRPG - playing by yourself - over group games when it comes to your #TTRPG needs?

When you're playing on your own, you get to have EXACTLY the kinds of plots you want without any compromises. No group drama. No "Let's execute the prisoner", "ARE YOU MAN? We're supposed to be the good guys!" discussions.

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: How do you make a #GURPS campaign not feel generic?

As a GM, I'm intrigued by the thought of running a #GURPS campaign in my own fantasy setting. But I'm worried that without character classes and specific unique abilities they get, it truly will be Generic, as the GURPS name suggests. I suppose that's on me as a GM to make it not feel generic. But I'm not sure exactly how.
#TTRPG

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: Does your #TTRPG lean towards Sport or Performance?

This was a very interesting question that I hadn't thought of before, posed by @hexedpress in a recent video.

A game that leans towards sport tends to follow the rules more closely (like a sport does), while a game which is more like performance focuses on the narrative, and producing a good story. If the rules are a hindrance to that, then skimp on them, etc.

What do you do at your table?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcZG0GLwCbk

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

What's your opinion on #Pathfinder2e compared to #DND #5E?

For the last two years, I've been playing DND 5E with my friends, but now we're considering switching to Pathfinder 2E instead.

From what I understand, Pathfinder is more complex - good! To some extent, I feel we've outgrown 5E. Also, I've heard that Pathfinder has more tactical combat which focuses more on teamwork, which also appeals to me.

What are your experiences with #Pathfinder?

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

What's your experience with holidays and other celebrations in your #TTRPG world?

I've often seen the suggestion that there should be holidays of various kinds during the year in #RPGs, and I agree! But how do you make them interesting? Should there be something the players can participate in, perhaps? Some sort of mini games? I have no idea how I would design something like that - any suggestions?

#dnd #rpg

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion is about #DND:

What are your thoughts on #5E vs #OSR? What would you say are the strengths of each of them?

For those who might not know, OSR is Old School Renaissance/Revival, and is a movement where people play old version (or new clones of old versions) of DnD or similar. It typically has weaker PCs and more procedures such as #HexCrawls and #DungeonCrawl rules.

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

What are your #TTRPG plans for 2023? I know a lot of people are planning to participate in #dungeon23 and similar endeavors such as #hex23 (where you make a hex for a hexcrawl a day). Do you have anything special planned?

Personally, I will try to use @UbiquitousRat's #TinyPrep every day (as well as #dungeon23) to flesh out my game world. For info on Tiny Prep, listen to this episode of the Roleplay Rescue podcast: https://shows.acast.com/roleplayrescue/episodes/tiny-prep
#dnd #osr

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

What are your thoughts on sandbox campaigns vs story-based campaigns in your #TTRPG? Which one do you prefer, and why?

A story-based campaign could be a module you've bought, where there's a pre-planned story with a set end goal.

A sandbox campaign plops down the players in an open world and says "What do you want to do? Where do you want to go?"

#dnd #osr #sandbox

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion: Are you going to try #Dungeon23?

Making a #TTRPG dungeon room is not a very big task. We can all commit to that. But will we be able to stay the course for the full year, to produce our very own 365 room megadungeon?

So, those of you who have chosen to accept this gargantuan task - care to share your plans? What will make YOUR megadungeon unique?

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

What's the most interesting trap you've come across in a #TTRPG?

I like traps that can be disarmed not simply by a roll of the dice, but one which also requires investigation and skill on the side of the player, not just the PC.

I'm thinking of traps that when described by the GM, the player is able to figure out that "if I jam that gear you just mentioned, that should disable that trap!" Then, there could perhaps be a Slight of hand check to see if that succeeds.

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

Do you ever user cyphers in your #TTRPG?

Using handouts with messages encoded using a simple cypher can give players an interesting challenge inbetween sessions. Using logic, they can deduce that single letter words (assuming English) is probably "A" or "I", and three letter words that they see several trimes in the message are probably "and" or "the". That gives them a starting point to try to solve the rest.

My players solved the message I gave them!

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

Do you use Reaction rolls in your #TTRPG?

That is, do you sometimes let the dice decide how NPCs (or monsters/enemies) react to the PCs? Or do you as a GM always decide what the NPCs will do?

I like to use weighted Reaction rolls (using my Oracle table), because it also keeps things interesting and unpredictable for me as a GM. Also, it teaches my players that they can't rely on the GM always being benevolent and getting them out of trouble.

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

What's your favorite #ttrpg genre and why?

Personally, I've always prefered fantasy. The first one I played back in the 80's was a Swedish one, Drakar & Demoner (which is now getting a resurgence under the name Dragonbane). I also tried playing the post-apocalyptic Mutant back then, but it never appealed to me at all. And even though I've always liked #StarWars and #StarTrek (May the Force Live Long and Prosper), scifi has never been my genre for #ttrpgs.

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

Do you ever use random tables (not encounter tables) to generate content on the fly in your #ttrpg?

If the PCs for some reason go off in an unexpected (read: unprepped) direction, you could use random tables to generate content on the fly for them, if the tables are quick enough to use. One thing this could be used for is a small dungeon.

Have you ever tried something like this? What's your experience with it? Please share, I'd love to hear it!
#ttrpgs #dnd #rpg

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

What do you prefer in your #ttrpg: the modern, story-based campaigns, or the retro #OSR (Old School Renaissance) style with #hexcrawls, more random encounters, and less hand-holding from the DM?

In your view, what's the advantage of each style?

Today's #TTRPGDiscussion:

This recent thread on Reddit caught my eye: The Case of Group Initiative: https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/yjb8lm/the_case_for_group_initiative_why_you_should_let/

The idea is that even in #dnd #5e, you should consider having group rather than individual initiative, and when it's the PCs' turn, they get to choose in which order they act. This encourages tactical discussions among the players, and keeps all of them engaged.

"If you move into position first, then I can..."

"If you go up to him first, then I get sneak attack..."