by skalchemist

An item RPG: Band-Aids & Bullet Holes has been added to the geeklist Missing Images: RPGs with no logos

by Oddplan

<div>A Chompi-Chompi from the Bestiary</div>

by ACGalaga

A new GeekList has been posted Osaka Game Day: August 2026 Games List

by skalchemist

An item RPG Publisher: Star Anvil Studios has been added to the geeklist BackerKit RPG Projects

by Zolani

An item RPG Item: A Matter of Reputation has been added to the geeklist Good Society Characters And Other Tidbits

by skalchemist

Related Item: The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game

Based on the original manga. I find it intriguing.

by skalchemist

An item RPG: The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game has been added to the geeklist BackerKit RPG Projects

by skalchemist

An item RPG: 5e Game System Product (D&D 5th Edition Compatible) has been added to the geeklist BackerKit RPG Projects

by Dolphinandrew

mic_al wrote:

To me, a TTRPG session is collaborative storytelling. And carefully curating that would probably entail... well... story beats (and charaterization, roleplaying, etc...). And having that story pan out a certain way (e.g. rising tension, pacing, suspense, a climax, a resolution of some arc whether tragic/doomed or heroic/redeeming, etc...) would require some degree of narrative control. Which seems like it would fly in the face of player agency, no?

GMs in trad games have so much control over the game that they can fairly easily do story pacing stuff even while giving full player agency in the traditional way (that is, full control over their characters, and no more). The GM can control the rest of the world, and a lot of these things are achievable through how the world reacts with only a little flexibility from the GM.

For me, when I think of a curated RPG experience, the main example I have in mind are investigative games. The set up that the players need to buy into is that they will be investigating some mystery or something similar. As long as they keep to that, the GM can pretty easily shape the story while letting the players do the investigating however they like. The GM, after all, controls what and where the clues are, how the antagonists react, and so on. As long as the players keep with the goal of investigating (i.e. playing the game) and don't just wander completely off, then all of the pacing and story structure are still pretty much under GM control.

Of course, players might choose to stop investigating and completely wander off, but this is essentially like Frodo choosing to give the ring to the first Ringwraith he comes across. Sure, a GM should allow something like that, but only in the understanding that it's a 'loss' for the game. It'll mess up any planned story structure, but then it will mess up any game at all, unless players are happy to play out that kind of full disaster ending.

The point I guess is that investigative or mystery games need a lot of curation by the GM because, well, otherwise there’s nothing to investigate!

Conversely, this kind of control is more difficult in games where the player have some genuine narrative control, real ways to shape and direct the story themselves. In that case, the GM needs to be willing to give up on a specific story shape, and that part of the storytelling is much more collaborative. But also, investigative stories don't work so well in that set up. Or at least, are different in the sense that the players aren't the ones solving the mystery, since they are partly creating it.

by dom5

That’s brilliant, thanks Richard. I’ll look to pick up a copy if they release it to my FLGS or possibly DrivethruRPG 👍

by Serpentine_C

Maybe I haven't experienced a good curated one shot yet. Even the best, most enjoyable one shots for me haven't stuck with me the way long campaigns do. One shots can be fun and all, but I much prefer the way stories and settings build over time with a longer campaign. Even if (perhaps especially when) it means the GM or the group needs to provide the "beats."

by SteamCraft

This is going beyond what you asked into running an adventure. Adventures designed to be played after school/work by small groups 2-4 people are popular - at least for CoC. Kadakowa has released 36 of these over the past 3 years. Their play length is usually 3 hours to complete.

I cannot say if these are typical of people's preferred play style, but I do think it fits a specific issue people have with trying to get a game together with busy lives and/or not having enough players.