I am interested in what RPGs the people here are playing. Tell me about the cool systems you are trying out or about your campaigns.
I’m planning on two solo campaigns, one with EDGE Studio (originally Fantasy Flight Games) Star Wars RPG. A mix of both Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion, and Force and Destiny further down the road. But I plan on running it during the Old Republic era. I quite enjoy playing the SWRPG/Genesys system. I know the narrative dice is hard to get behind for some people but I prefer it. It feels a bit more transparent what you’ll get, plus it’s fun to roll a lot of dice so there’s that tactile aspect to it too 😁
The second campaign is with Ironsworn: Starforged. I actually want to use this solo game as a basis for my web serial that I want to write in the near future. The system is built with solo play in mind, but it can be played co-op or guided by a GM. IIRC, the original basis of the system was PbtA, heavily modified. Ironsworn was what introduced me to the concept of playing a TTRPG solo! Which was awesome, considering my previous experiences playing a TTRPG with a group keep falling apart for one reason or another…
I also want to try City Without Numbers, the cyberpunk variant of World Without Numbers and Stars Without Numbers. I backed it on Kickstarter and sorta waiting for a slightly more complete version before I dive in. Again, it’s something I plan on running solo as well…
I am considering a play-by-post game, likely with the Ironsworn: Starforged system. Largely because of the nature of PbtA games, which tends to give and encourage more agency to players. Plus the support for running it co-op means ideally, no one is relied on as the GM, constantly having to respond to a player’s inquiry or action before anyone else can move forward.
Your solo games sound very fun! Genesys and Star wars is very cool. I have the Genesys book on my shelf but never got to run it, maybe some day. I only played the Star wars system with the similar narrative dice on a convention a long time ago. It worked pretty well, I thought it was pretty clear with all the symbols, just had to get used to it. Only downside is having to buy the dice or printing stickers. The dice symbols and colors are very satisfying though. I very briefly read through Ironsworn, with the intention to play it as a group GMless game, but did not really understand how the group is supposed to make the decisions about what happens next. Maybe it is because, like you said, it originated as a solo game.
FFG made their Genesys dice app free a while ago, IIRC. It’s not nearly as satisfying as rolling the physical dice, but it’s an option! Unfortunately, their Star Wars one is still a paid app. There’s one other app, on Android, that also included Star Wars dice, simply called Dice. There’s also RPG Sessions, which is a whole toolset, and integrated with Discord if you want to play online.
As for Ironsworn co-op, one of the actual plays I watched had it so that the player speaking at the moment decided on what happens in the world. Kind of a round-robin GM’ing situation. Another idea would be to get everyone’s vote, or encourage them to speak up if they have a different idea and vote on that. I used to participate in forum RP, or as I like to call it, “collaborative writing,” so both approaches I’m familiar with. IIRC (it’s been a few years since I’ve been in a forum RP), we would write OOC notes if we want to make our intentions clearer, or have questions and thoughts we want input on.
But IIRC, the whole thing around PbtA game is that you’re having a conversation with the players at the table…unless that’s from another system 😅 regardless, I think it could be a helpful way of approaching a co-op TTRPG!
Ooh i did not remember about the app, and I might have heard about RPG sessions, but never used it, thanks, it might come in handy :D
The solutions for coop GMing sound very useful as well, I can see it would work with Ironsworn too. I am quite new to Gmless games, I have tried some, but those that i tried were pretty “crunchy” about who and at what point decides which plot points.
I’m glad I could help!
Running co-op can be rather tricky, especially if the table is used to the traditional GM + players setup. It’s a different paradigm. Perhaps one way to ease people into it is to have a hands-off GM that encourages the players to come up with things. Another thing is to really leverage those oracle tables in the book. If no one at the table can come up with anything, but have questions, then Ask the Oracle or roll off of the Action/Theme table.
I also have a few Gamemaster Apprentice decks. This is the base deck. There’s an online version as well! They look complicated but it does come with instructions on how to use them. This could be a way of breaking past any creative block or disagreements.
Not sure if your group tried this already when y’all set out to run a co-op game, but a session zero where everyone talks about how they envision a co-op game runs like (among other meta-discussions) could help get everyone on the same page about how to move the story forward. Might help to codify some of it if your players are more comfortable with clear-cut boundaries and restrictions?
I hope you don’t feel like I’m pressuring you into trying co-op again with all these solutions I’m posting. It’s just stuff I’ve thought about due to my interest in running one myself! But if your group does plan on running one again, I hope you find success 😁
Edit: one more thing! I’ve seen it suggested that co-op games should be of a smaller group size, no more than 3-4. 3 is the optimal, IIRC. It’s easier to come to an agreement when the group is smaller.
I love these narrative dice games!
I have played and GM’d a lot of sessions with the Star Wars RPG and plsyed a little bit of Genesys.
Check out the YouTube channel Tabletop Empire. He does a great job introducing players to the Star Wars RPG. There’s also and older Podcast called The Order 66 Podcast that’s chock full of good stuff.
My group recently switched from D&D 5e to Pathfinder 2e. We are playing through the Beginner box, and after that I’m planning on running Abomination Vaults for them (Shoutout to the TableTop Gold podcast for turning me onto that awesome AP)
I’m currently DM-ing for an Avatar Legends group. It’s a Powered by the Apocalypse system and honestly it’s great! We love it and it allows us to make great character driven stories!
Each playbook (think class but shifted towards character archetype instead of mechanical archetype) has an inner struggle represented by unique principles, such as Restraint vs Results or Excellence vs Community. During play, the characters shift between their principles in accordance with their actions, but the point of it is to achieve balance: if a character falls out of balance by moving too far towards a principle, they suffer consequences.
The system also has a horizontal progression system, a tight and unique combat ruleset and mechanics geared towards encouraging rp, such as a character marking the “angry” condition making them be less likely to successfully comfort someone. To remove that condition, the character has to either break something important or to vent their anger on one of their friends, or another player might comfort them to help them work through that anger.
I absolutely love it, but then again, I always preferred narrative based games, which might not be for groups into crunching numbers or fighting everything.
Cool! It sounds like the system takes some inspiration from Masks? If yes I should try it, cause I recently GMed a campaign in Masks and it really was great.
Yes, it does! I haven’t played Masks yet, but some of my players have and they say the games are pretty similar in some ways and different in others
They’re both great games that share the same heritage.
http://apocalypse-world.com/pbta/games/find
PbtA games are my current addiction. Cartel, Monster of the Week, Blades in the Dark, Ironsworn, Root, Legacy… I need to stop buying books.
I’m both playing in and GMing Abomination Vaults for Pathfinder2e. Decisions were made, and my timing wasn’t great, so now the party I run is only slightly behind the party I’m in 🙄. The result is it’s hard to avoid spoilers for myself. Still, fun is being had by all on both sides, and that’s what’s important.
I came over from 5e during the OGL debacle. Had previously played PF1e and it felt like coming home. The APs are so much more fleshed out, and the work they’ve done integrating with Foundry has made life so much easier.
Mind if I ask a bit about P2E? I just haven’t played a TTRPG in a few years now but I want to get back into it. I’ve DMed a ton of games in D&D 5e before. My question being, what kinds of resources were helpful for you and your players to transition over to Pathfinder? Most of my players have only ever done D&D and usually just 5e.
Not the original commenter, but I can give you a little info. For resources, the main source is https://2e.aonprd.com/ it’s the official SRD, for free. All non-AP materials are released there, so for character creation and running your own campaign it’ll have almost everything you need. I haven’t had the chance to play myself yet, my group is at the end stages of a 5e campaign, so I can’t offer much from a players perspective for switching systems, but I hope that link helps you!
Thanks for the resource!
Definitely feel free to ask away. Like @dylan said, everything is free online from Paizo except the APs and artwork basically. So all the rules are readily available on https://2e.aonprd.com and elsewhere. Pathbuilder is a great resource for building your characters, though it saves locally so back up or you’ll lose it when you close your browser.
Additionally, I highly recommend the beginner box. It’s only level 1-2 and can be played in 2-3 sessions, so not much of a commitment. But it does introduce you and the player’s slowly to the rules and whatnot, while still being a challenge. Most people then transition to the Abomination Vaults (what we did) because it’s located in the same town, so there’s already familiarity. But even if you decide to homebrew or do a different path, I’d still recommend starting with the Beginner’s Box.
Another tip, especially coming from 5e is don’t go changing rules that seem like they don’t make sense to you. At least without playing for a while. It’s a common thing to do with a 5e mindset, but while they’re similar, they’re different enough that you should get used to the game before tinkering.
Sadly, Reddit was a good place to find info, but well…
Thanks for the advice! I think the beginner box sounds like my speed. My intro to TTRPGs was a 5th level adventure in 5e so actually easing into the system sounds wonderful!
Wow playing and GMing the same module souds wild :D But i bet it might be interesting to compare how it goes in different groups :D
Yeah, I should have waited longer to start GMing it, but my group needed to start something and I was impatient 😅
It has been helpful to see how we did it and then I know what to expect when they try it. They’re still new-ish so we often have different ways of approaching it. They’re finally learning that crowding it and just attacking three times isn’t the best course of action.
I am planning a Monster of the week campaign soon. I really love how versatile PBtA games are, and all the different pbta systems help with specific genre emulation.
That’s a fun one. I love how the MC moves can almost force new backstory on to the characters.
I have been playing Pathfinder 2e for the last few years. We just finished a Starfinder campaign, and are starting up a Lancer game in it’s place. I’ve wanted to try Lancer for years, so I’m pretty excited for it! :D
Are you playing APs for 2e or something homebrew? I’m a long time 1e veteran who’s tables have moved to 2e and we’re loving the system so far. I will be GMing Quest for the Frozen Flame for one table but my other hasn’t decided on what they want.
I’m GMing Quest for the Frozen Flame currently. It’s a super fun AP so far. We’re in the last third of the first book.
Oh man… PLEASE go for Frozen Flame. I ran the first half of book 2 of that campaign while my group was in between games. It’s perhaps one of the most coveted experiences I’ve had yet. I absolutely adore what we did in book 2, and from what I’ve read, book 1 is just as great. The AP is dripping with flavor, and really embraces its setting. I look forward to the day that I get to experience the whole thing!
I’ve done a whole bunch of 2e stuff. I’ve run a couple one shots, I’ve been running Age of Ashes for 2 groups for about 3 years, I’ve done some off-the-rails homebrew as a result of player choices in those games, and I’m playing in a 2e conversion of Strange Aeons at the moment.
If you’re looking to start a new 2e game, I very much recommend getting all of your players at the table together for session 0 to discuss group buy in and rough character themes. Once you have character themes, only THEN dive into mechanics. Unlike 1e, it’s much more difficult to build an objectively garbage character in 2e, which means the system is FAR MORE welcoming to building out an idea. 1e (in all of its glory) was so wrought with pitfalls, that if you tried to build from an idea, you had about a 80% chance you’d end that journey with a garbage character. 2e doesn’t do that. It’s lovely!
Ive been running 2e since around new year’s and playing it since 2020. I mostly have run society scenarios and a conversion of a 5e module. I’ve got two tables, my PFS table has already chosen quest for the frozen flame. My other table is undecided on what they want to do (they are the furthest from finishing current campaign, so there’s time). I have two players that are at both tables, so I don’t want to run the same thing for both since they will start the new stuff at different times.
I’m doing ABP and free archetype for Quest of the frozen flame so they can get more flavorful with their characters. We always do a session zero, more so to make sure all the ability/skills are covered and to allow people to have shared back stories if they want it.
I also did abp and free archetype for frozen flame. Worked out very well! Everyone liked it. :)
Lancer is on my list to try. I read the rulebook and I appreciate how they pull from a lot of different Mecha sources so it can feel however you like mech stuff best.
I’m hoping to run more Play by Post and VTT Lancer in the near future, if by any chance you’d end up interested in that!
Sign me up for the VTT. My ADHD is too bad for PbP lol
I’m keen on some VTT Lancer as well, if you ever get that going!
Since there’s just the two of us right now, my wife and I are playing a co-op Ironsworn. It’s been pretty fun but a bit tough at times since you have to think up your own story. The oracles help, but sometimes we get stuck.
We’re pretty new to it all so we just chalk it up to inexperience. I’m sure it’ll get better.
I’m currently running a Worlds Without Number game for my group which has been delightful, mostly because they’ve finally started to embrace the idea that they can just, like, try to do things without worrying if there are specific rules for them… Mostly because I can just bootstrap in mechanics if I really want to have them.
There’s also the 5e game I’m in, but that one’s just standard D&D with the twist being we’re basically a traveling band of gourmets.
I have not tried Worlds Without Number yet, it sounds very cool! Having players relax and just roleplay and experiment with their actions can be a very freeing experience. A travelling band of gourmets sounds like a recipe for a lot of humour :D
Oh, the D&D game’s been an absolute side-splitter! :D
I’m the party’s Cleric, so I’ve basically become the group’s straight-man/responsibility compass so that everyone else can just make repeated questionable choices. Like our middle-aged poison specialist who keeps trying to find flavors that are both delicious and might kill her, or our plasmoid who has to be reminded that they are not allowed to eat people we take as prisoners, or our dynamic duo of a warlock and paladin that keep finding new and exciting ways to get in trouble with the local authorities. All while we do things like discover a lost civilization while trying to catch a rare giant scorpion for its meat or thwart pirates while trying to make it to a diplomatic conference we’re cooking the meals for.
And, yeah, Worlds Without Number is a blast. There’s even a free edition if you wanna give it a peek sometime. The entire xWN line is basically my system of choice (since the games themselves are generally mechanically compatible even if they’re fit for different genres).
Haha that sounds fun :D Questionable choices are the best ones sometimes :D
Ooh the free edition looks great, will check it out!
Definitely do! And feel free to ping me if you have any thoughts to share. I’m never gonna complain about talking shop when it comes to that system. :P
I’m huge into Pathfinder, both because I have a podcast playing it and because they have amazing pre-written adventures. Those are great for me since I don’t have any time to homebrew.
Their prewritten adventures (and the amount of work they’ve put into making it work seamlessly with Foundry) helped me make the switch from 5e. I also didn’t have the time to fill in all the gaps that WotC left.
My D&D group has been playing 5e Dungeon of the Mad Mage since 2018, probably averaging a session once a month.
More recently I picked up the Cortex Prime Handbook and have been having fun putting together hacks. We’re just about ready to try out a light-weight Harry Potter inspired one. I’m also playing around with a Pokemon hack and a more complex hack for a home-brew SciFi setting.
I’m running a Cyberpunk flavoured 5e oneshot which has so far turned into a three shot (yes I know I’m sorry I should have used cyberpunk to play cyberpunk but my group already knows 5e and we needed a game quick while our normal DM took a break)
I’m also running Wild Beyond the Witchlight and playing Curse of Strahd and 2 5e campaigns in homebrew worlds.
It sounds like a lot but we don’t get to play any of those very frequently! Usually one or two games every couple of months.
I’m going to be running Pathfinder for the first time next weekend, for my step-son’s birthday. Got the Beginner’s Box and have bee slowly flipping through it in preparation.
Good luck! It’s a lot of fun for a simple introduction. It’ll only take you a few sessions to complete and get you to level 2. Do you have plans for after that?
I had been building custom setting in 5e for the fam, so if this goes well I’ll probably just continue on to Troubles in Otari and graft the entire Otari region onto my setting.
That’s a good plan. I think Abomination Vaults is the only other one set in Otari, but that might be too much depending on your step-son’s age/maturity level.
Paizo has so much lore out there already, especially for Absalom, the mega-NYC next door to Otari. Plenty to incorporate into your world should you choose to do so.
Yeah, I’ll probably be stealing stuff no matter what happens next. I tried to do an entirely custom campaign, but I haven’t been able to design towns and dungeons quickly enough to keep up with play. So…
I’m running See You Space Cowboy tomorrow and then playing in a fantasy hack of it on Thursday. sure is easy keeping track of mechanics that way! i’ve also got a copy of Blueholme (holmes basic dnd retroclone) i’m dying to run eventually
Currently running Age of Ashes for PF2e. It’s been great so far. PF2e is my preferred system to GM in as it has rules for everything you can think of, which from a GM’s pov is great as I can consistently rule the same in each session or in each campaign we play.
Also play DnD5e pbp on a community discord server and I live play Delta Green (Call of Cthulhu).
There are plenty of systems out there to try and I would suggest trying a few of them. DnD is obviously the most popular, but may not fit the type of world / game you prefer.
How far along are you with AoA? I’m just about to finish book 4 with my crew. I really haven’t been drinking the kool-aid with this AP. Book 5 looks decent, and 6 looks fantastic, but MAN it feels like they just forgot to tell the PCs what the actual plot is, throughout like… the entire story.
We’re still in book 2. I know what you mean though, Ive added some stuff and changed a few things to make it a little more interesting. I don’t think I’d run it again tbh, but I want to see it through even if it kills me lol
2e has quickly become my favorite system to GM. Soooo much easier. I’m running some PFS scenarios and converted curse of Stradh. Will be starting quest for the frozen flame soon.
I GMed a game in 5e from level 1 to 7, fully homebrew. It burnt me out. I never knew if an encounter was going to be easy or deadly, things swing so much if you’re not willing to do the math and think ten steps ahead.
I did some GMing for Pathfinder 1e. That’s a system I prefer to play in, not GM. Ran curse of the Crimson Throne and the player power creep was making it super easy for my players. I had to modify a bunch to not make it a cakewalk for my little power gamers. Ended up essentially re-writing the last book. So pleased at how much easier 2e is.
I’ve never GMed another system tbh. But from what I’ve seen playing DnD5e, I’d never gm that.
I may try GMing CoC at some point for a change
Just supported the second edition of Knave (an OSR RPG) on Kickstarter, looking forward to playing that with a group when it gets delivered. Also planning on potentially starting an Electric Bastionland campaign to tide over until then.