#ttrpgquestionoftheday — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #ttrpgquestionoftheday, aggregated by home.social.
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Is there anything keeping you from becoming a Game Master? Any fears or concerns that keep you from stepping behind the screen? Need any advice or to talk to anyone about setting up a game and running it?
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Do you have a preferred method for outcome resolution? Do you like rolling a single D20 like D&D, 3 six sided dice and roll under, like GURPS, or one of the many die poll systems like WEG, Shadowrun, or World of Darkness, diceless mechanics, or something else entirely?
What about that system do you like and is there anything you don't like about it?
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What kinds of things do you like to see in your sessions, what is your ideal session?
Are you a big fan of intricate puzzles or do you hate puzzles with a passion?
Do you like detailed, crunchy combat, do you prefer light and fast, or do you avoid combat at all costs in favor of other strategies or talking?
Do you like deep dives into characters and lots of role play, or does that stuff just get in the way of throwing dice and slaying monsters?
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Is there a setting or settings that really excites you and you'd love to play in or run a game in? What really gets your creative juices flowing?
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GMs, do you ever give your players a peek behind the screen, let them know about the mechanics of a scene or explain the motives of an NPC or details they'll never find out otherwise, or do you keep everything secret?
Players, do you like knowing more about the details of the games you play or do you prefer not to know to stay more in the moment?
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Players, do you use traditional paper character sheets or do you use digital sheets? Do you use any other digital tools while playing?
GMs, do you allow players to use computers or other devices at the table or do you insist on only analog tools?
Online players, how do you handle dice rolls? Does your VTT handle that for you or do use some kind of dice rolling bot or does your GM allow you to make rolls and trust you to be honest?
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For those players out there who have never been a GM, have you ever thought about stepping behind the screen and running your own game?
Is there anything in particular that's stopping you?
Is there anything us GMs could help you with?
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Do yoir groups tend to use character names or player names more during sessions?
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When I run, I try to use more character names to help my players stay in character and in the game world. It's not a hard and fast rule, just something I've been doing more lately.
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For the GMs out there, are there any campaigns you've wanted to run but haven't because you weren't sure you'd do a setting or genre justice? What would you like to try to run? What would you need to feel comfortable enough to try?
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I don't know many gamers who don't enjoy talking about their sessions.
What are some of the most memorable moments that happened at your table? Did you instigate it or were you a horrified bystander? Did they have any lasting impact on your campaign?
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One of the few comic books I still get and read is Knights of the Diner Table. I find that reading the strips really gets me in the mood to play, especially older OSR style games.
So players and GMs, is there anything that really hits you such a way that it really stirs your desire to play?
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GMs, how do you feel about using random charts in your sessions? Do you enjoy using them for pulling up random encounters or spend time making your own customized lists, or do you avoid using them unless absolutely necessary?
Players, do you enjoy putting fate into random encounter rolls or finding random bits of treasure or do you prefer a more customized experience?
Or do you have any thoughts on them at all, one way or the other?
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Random character generation vs. point buy, which do you prefer when it comes to character generation? Does it depend on the game?
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What are your gaming setups like? Do you all sit around the same table, each at your own computer desks at home, or spread around a room with your own spaces?
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Most of our gaming takes place in our living room now. The GM typically has a space, next to the TV. For Pathfinder, I pull out a large folding table for maps and books. Other games that require less resources get a TV tray. Everyone else gets their own tray or the coffee table.
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Hey GMs, do you use a GM screen or do you let it all hang out?
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Do you have any interesting gaming traditions?
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I run a semi regular comedic Christmas-themed one shot adventure. I've even done Halloween and St. Valentine's Day (Bachelorhood Emancipation Day in Discworld).
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GMs, how comfortable are you with making rulings on the fly without consulting the rules? Do you enjoy the freedom, do you not like breaking the flow of the game, or is it something else?
Players, how do you feel about GMs who make rulings over consulting the rules? Does it bother you when things aren't strictly by the book, or are you cool with a bit of house ruling? Is it easier to accept when it's brought up early, during character creation or in session zero?
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How do you go about deciding what kind of character you are going to make for your tabletop games? Do you have any kind of process for deciding class or just go with whatever feels right at the moment? Do you plan characters out level by level (if you play those kinds of games) or do you let them develop organically or maybe something in between?
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If it's a game like D&D, I tend to see what everyone else is playing and fill in the missing gaps. It keeps me on my toes. Then I'll develop a rough idea of who this new person is. The personality usually changes some when the game starts.
I don't enjoy planning character powers and levels way out in advance. I'm more reactive, letting things be more organic.
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What is your favorite gaming supplement?
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Mine is GURPS Illuminati. There's a lot of advice on secret societies and how to really ratchet up paranoia in your TTRPG sessions.
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Historical gaming, who's into it? Any favorite eras to play/run games in? Any you'd like to try but haven't yet?
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My issue is that I'm afraid I don't have the knowledge to do some of these settings justice. I'd have to do a lot of shortcuts and hand waving, which isn't really much different than normal.
I'd like to run games in the American Wild West, 1920's for some noir/pulp fun, and during WWII. I don't know how many of my regular players would be into that. I think a few would.
I'd obviously have to gloss over or ignore some cultural issues with past mindsets that don't necessarily jive with things now. Some of the casual -isms of the time don't have room at my table.
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Do you have any house rules in your games?
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At my table, for games where we role HP each level, players get full HP on the first level. Every other level, they can roll a second time, but they have to keep the second roll, no matter what. It adds a little gambling element to things and players get excited when they get a lot better on the second roll.
For OSR-style games where this isn't already a rule, players get their level in HP after a night of resting, to help keep momentum up and keep some level of realistic expectations.
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By and large, the majority of role playing games require both players and game masters. I've never played a solo game myself, but I'm assuming that players are a bit of both there? Or perhaps the rules take the place of the GM?
At any rate, where do you tend to find yourself at the table? Do you tend to only be a player or a GM or do you do a bit of both?
I know I've asked this more or less before, but I thought opening it up to a multiple choice question like this might get a few more responses.
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Most of us have had multiple characters that we've run over the years, either as a PC or a GM. Which character is your favorite and why? Did you get to play them as long as you wanted, or did you only get to play them a short time?
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I think my personal favorite may be my amoral thief character/cultist from a very short-term campaign of The Sprawl.
He was deaf and used his hearing implants sparingly because they caused him physical pain to use. He did have a wrist device that could translate his signing into a synthetic voice and detect sound, so he'd know when someone was talking to him.
In our first adventure, he avoided a fight with a nasty henchmen with a bag full of drugs. His second outing had him lose an eye while battling a huge robot Coca-Cola polar bear at a TV station dedicated to holiday movies.
I've considered developing the character into a series of short stories or maybe even a novel to really flesh him out.
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Are there any games out there that you've tried, but, for whatever reason, just didn't click with you? What didn't you care for? Would you ever try it again? Please don't just bash a game. I believe we can talk about games with respect, even if we don't care for them.
For me, it was Savage Worlds. A friend had us make up characters and run us through an introductory session with a combat. I wanted to make a bit of a generalist character with moderate stats.
First round I was hit, death spiraled myself right out of the session within a few rounds.
Would I try it again? Maybe, given some assurances that I wouldn't be down and out. But that one session has largely colored my feelings towards the game. Still, it's seems to have some popularity and I'm a little curious to see if there was something off about that initial encounter or if I just don't gel with that game.
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Do you have any games sitting in your collection that you haven't gotten to play yet but you're dying to break out at some point?
I collected several of the #LastUnicornGames #StarTrek games. I'd love to give them a shot at some point.
There's a copy of #OperationWhitebox, an #OSR #WWII game I've been wanting to finally get to play or run.
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Some interesting results. And I can't believe we got 60 responses! #GoTeamTabletop!
I'm surprised to see so many VTT users out there, but I'm a bit biased, having a local group playing at our house.
Nice to see representation from the Theater of the Mind folks!
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Let's try something new today.
How do you tend to play/run your #TTRPG sessions?
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Do you have a favorite monster, creature, or enemy in your tabletop games, either to fight or to send against your players? Why is it your favorite?
I'm quite fond of kobolds in D&D. I like that they're clever yet malicious and perhaps a bit cowardly. I'm usually not one for traps, but they can be fun to pit against players and I enjoy clever tactics.
I also have a soft spot in my tarry, hardened GM's heart for low level monsters that new players are likely to face.
I also really like Draconians, since my first dive into Dungeons & Dragons (other than the animated series) was reading through the War of the Lance novels.
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Do you have any odd or interesting ideas for campaigns that you'd like to play in or run?
I've got an idea for a #Vampire game set in the American old west. I've thought about calling it Undeadlands or Undeadwood.
I'd either have to use the Werewolf old west setting, find a book for #NWOD or pull it together using #GURPS. Pretty easy with the #VampireTheMasquerade, GURPS Western, and maybe GURPS #Deadlands books.