by PandoraCaitiff

Incredibly rarely.

Everyone at the table has to be on board, the system needs to support it, and there needs to be a strong interesting concept for what we're playing. I'm not interested in "chaotic stupid" or "my eight year old brother borrowing my GTA account".

I'm more likely to be interested if it's a one-shot. And even more interested if there's gonna be karma. Or something like Fiasco where if the good fall, and some absolute scumbag gets away unscathed, it's hilarious.

by OldPhartWargamer

An item RPG Item: Sidebar #11: Drilled Teamwork Feat has been added to the geeklist Cheat Your Own Adventure: Conundrum at the Louvre

by sdonohue

It's kind of a weird situation. I played some evil campaigns and characters when I was younger (and so was my group). They almost always devolved into "he said, she said" and then eventually player-vs-player with one or two survivors.

I think now we could handle nuanced evil better, but I don't think anyone is interested in playing it.

I can only remember one campaign where there were evil PCs and it worked out. The game was set in a large city and the players were parts of different factions; some where evil and some weren't. The GM did a good job of keeping the PCs from direct conflict for a long time and the players cooperated by doing terrible (or just) things to minions and associates without confronting the other PCs. It was an interesting game, but it relied heavily on what we call the PC Shield, which means you put up with behaviors from other PCs that would get an NPC killed or at least kicked out of the party in minutes.

by Moonlight_Fox

An item RPG Item: Briar & Bramble has been added to the geeklist 2026 RPGG Challenge: Play Five RPGs You Have Never Played Before (Each At Least Once)

by Elida

Thanks for a great month, King!

by UrBigFatFriend

Woohoo; no weird drawing tool shenanigans for me this month!

by Moonlight_Fox

An item RPG Item: Captain's Log (Solo RPG) has been added to the geeklist 2026 RPG Challenge: Run 5 RPGs New to You in 2026

by SeaofStars

Many of my Shadowrun characters are running because it is the only option open to them. Most are looking for a way out and will grab it when it appears. Being a shadowrunner has terrible long-term prospects. I have characters who have dropped from the running game to run corporations, large and small, retired to further their DJ career ("put your hands in the air"), start a dojo . . . all sorts of things. If you are in the runner game, your eyes should always be on getting out of it.

For other games, sometimes, they have goals and dreams, and if things fall int place . . . I had an elf ranger who had lost his community but later found a wife and a community to be part of. So, he just stopped adventuring. It was very much an "I'm sorry, but I have a home now. You all go and have fun." Luckily, it was not hard to integrate a new character into that group.

My hobbits are almost all working toward gathering enough money to establish themselves and retire. The Sugarfoot Clan members usually buying a bakery and maybe some transport, the Grapestompers looking for farms and vinards.

Also, a shout out to Stewpot, where the game begins with the characters having just retired.

by callidusx3

DBendit wrote:

I'll toss in a another request for a look at the new L&C stuff. A buddy has Inferno: Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-1261 sitting on his shelf, and one of your reviews would be solid motivator him to getting it to the table.

Also I'm curious about the whole series and where to jump into it personally.

I'll echo everyone's call for L&C coverage. I've invested heavily into the series and have played a few games of Nevsky. Thanks, Dan.

by The Innocent

Elyklord wrote:

Very excited about all of this! I was very surprised that you hadn't tackled Cross-Bronx yet, that one seems like your bread and butter. And curious how Generation is compared to British Way - I've got the new BW on my P500 list but might drop it in favor of Guerilla if it's an improvement on the 2 player multipack format

I've played Cross-Bronx a couple times. I just haven't felt ready to write about it yet. The game itself isn't that complicated, but the topic is rather hefty!

As for The Guerrilla Generation, I couldn't be more excited. I think I'll write about it the same way I tackled The British Way, by doing a bit of context/review for each conflict.

by TomTomThePipersSon

Nope. Like me, their retirement plan is to live fast and die young. Also like me, if that doesn't pan out, the revised plan is to live fast and die old. Kind of a Cohen the Barbarian strategy.

by JugglinDan

Last Session: Scene 26 - Arrested
Next Session: -
Character Sheets & Setting: Game Info. Character sheets, game info, supplements, & solo tools.
Mythic Scene Expectation: Still under house arrest, the crew of the Raven's Call arrive on the Palique main world where they are transferred to holding cells. Additionally, once in range of the automated banking systems, the transponder system transfers the next mortgage payment and associated fees for life support costs from the ship's escrow account. However, they are unable to arrange delivery of their freight.
Chaos Factor: 6
Scene Type: Interrupt! NPC Positive, "move group". It's the Raven's passengers. On arrival, they are released from custody. This would just be an alteration, but to make it an interrupt, I need to check something. (1)
Location & time: A military installation on Palique, 086-1105, 9:40 pm.
Ship Credits: 102,217 Cr after the automated transactions.
[hr]Action

Captain Stallard finishes looking over Lt. Keylln's report and puts down one of the documents recovered from the compartment on the Raven's Call.

"Excellent work Lieutenant, these will aid the cause greatly. You are dismissed."

"The cause, sir? You mean bringing traitors to justice, sir?"

"Yes, that's what I meant. The cause of justice for the Imperium, of course. Dismissed!"

Stallard stares at Kellyn's retreating back. The man's sincerity has proven a valuable tool, but tools can outgrow their usefulness.

"Lieutenant, one more thing. Bring Captain Sato here to my office. I have a few administrative matters to clear up before formal proceedings begin in the morning. And release the passengers that were aboard the yacht. As naval personnel, I find it difficult to believe they have anything to do with the matter." And I don't want six trained combatants of uncertain loyalty asking questions. One lieutenant is bad enough. (2)

The Lieutenant salutes and departs without another word.

After their arrival in Palique, the crew of the Raven's Call along with their passengers are bundled under heavy armed guard into prison cells inside a military base. Their naval passengers are split, and three, including ensign Lowray, are placed into the block with Monarch and the others.

Once they are all locked into their cells, the guards retreat and the prisoners are left to themselves. The floodgates open on the conversations until Vertigo says "Stop it, they're listening."

Into the silence, Monarch says "Everyone, calm down. This is all a misunderstanding which we'll sort out in the morning. Ensign Lowray, my apologies that you got caught up in this." As she finishes speaking, Monarch steps to the far side of her cell where only Vertigo can see how much her hands tremble.

The ensign nods in the dim light. "I hope you're right Captain Sato."

Just then, Lt. Keylln arrives with a marine. He orders the release of the Raven's passengers and opens Monarch's cell. As the marine leaves with Lowray and the passengers, Keylln turns to Monarch, saying "Captain Sato, please come with me, Captain Stallard -" (3)

From her position near the door, Ash sees Ensign Lowray's shoulders stiffen at the mention of Stallard. But then the cell block door slams shut and anything else Lt. Keylln might have said is interrupted by the far-off rumble of explosions and the ozone crackle of energy weapons.
[hr]Mechanics

1: Mythic: are these passengers more than just naval personnel on leave, very likely? exceptional yes!

Random Event: new NPC, "harm outside". Wow! Since the last scene, I've worked out some things about the hornets' nest that the crew have stumbled into, but I thought it would be more of a slow burn than this. There are two factions. I've already worked out who they are and what they want, but it's more fun to reveal it slowly, so I'll just call them A and B. I first need to know which faction has taken the Raven's crew into custody. Everything hinges on this! The new NPC will automatically be from the opposing faction, and the exceptional yes result confirmed my suspicions about the passengers. I already know they are in faction A.

Mythic, has faction B taken the Raven crew into custody? yes.

So, faction B didn't realise who the naval passengers are, and release them, hoping to avoid complications. The new NPC is an agent from faction A. They are outside the installation where the Raven crew are being held, causing "harm outside". This scene will quickly reveal much.

2: This is an irregular order. Does Lt. Keylln question it, unlikely? no.

3: Mythic, does the Interrupt + Random Event that are queued up happen before the marines leave with the naval passengers? no
[hr]Mythic Bookkeeping
Hmm, looks like I got carried away on setup, and will have to take a raincheck on the action. Both the Interrupt scene and the random event will carry forward to the next scene which proceeds without a Scene test. It's actually all the one scene, just split into instalments because I chronically overwrite.