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So recently I (as the forever 3.5e DM) have discovered that much of the play styles and behaviors of my players in dnd stems from old Battletech, which they played first and I can see a lot of similarities now that I have played it with them for the first time.

But I am always looking for new rpgs. Pathfinder 1e being the closest thing of course, but that hardly counts as new. ^^

So I wanted to ask you guys: With the battle heavy focus and strategizing in mind, what other rpgs would you suggest?
I have the feeling that something completely narrative driven or social heavy could work for a one shot but not for a longer game - judging from what they like and enjoy.

1.

What fantasy game would you recommend for a table that has such players? (And actually, I believe the vast majority of players don't read too much of the book).

Are big games like Pathfinder and 5e immediately off the table? Or can they be played with vibes and a quick flip through alone?

So many games feel the need to create a chunky core book. Or they survive on selling splats and expansion books. Is this a disconnect from the real average player?

2.

What about if the GM has bandwidth for only 50 pages?

Good day, fellow RPGers,

I recently took my family on a trip to Vienna, and we visited several museums. It occurred to me that museums are an underrated source of inspiration for RPGs.

My take is based on fantasy RPGs, but I don't think that there is any reason to be confined to them. Going through galleries of 17th century paintings up to modern ones, it occurred to me that when describing landscapes, towns, cities etc, one could just have in mind a specific painting and describe that. Some of them have 'fantastic', surreal or dreamy elements already incorporated into them, which can act as prompts for encounters.

The second museum that impressed me was the Natural History one. Sure, dinosaurs have been used time and again, but what about the mineral collections? When seeing all these types of minerals and crystals, and the way they interacted with light, several ideas for caves, mineral- based creatures etc sprung to mind.

The same happened when going through the rooms of extinct marine and land animals. Seeing the skeletons in actual size got me thinking on how easy it would be to base a creature on what I was seeing, or even describe loot based on archaeological finds from early hominids.

The list goes on (disasters! impacts! methane expulsions!) , but I wanted to share this idea with you, and get your feedback.

Hello, I want to run my own setting that's basically a fantasy world that sprouted after an apocalypse destroyed an advanced civilization on the surface thousands of years ago.

The idea is that a standard adventuring party will gain access to more and more advanced technology as they progress through the campaign, swords are replaced with energy blades, bows with guns and/or automatic ballistas while magic users get tools to help them be more efficient (like a book replaced with holodeck or something of that sort).

I'm planning to do this in GURPS but figured there could be an easier way by just finding a game that does exactly that sort of thing. Class based, skill based or whatever systems are all good, I don't mind learning anything new. Also please no DnD.

Hey, I'm a DM of around 5 years who recently got into spreading into new systems. I'm particularly fond of Classless Systems that aren't restrictive of particular settings. Stuff that comes to mind is GURPS and Savage Worlds. I don't like fighting systems to make them into what I want. I like the ability to customize characters to the brim to be what you want; but also I want the GM side of things to be easier to manage when it comes to combat or generally running the game. Do you have any systems to suggest?

As a DM I like using musical background. But I tend to avoid music-heavy tracks that tend to distract the players (most of us are musicians and we've got finicky ears). I like tracks that have some ambient noise and some not-too-intrusive music on top. But this is very rare, I tend to see either/or.
Anything on Spotify that you can recommend?

Like the ones from itchio or drivethrurpg, and possibly boardgamegeek? im wondering what the cheapest way to print a digital rpg is, if i cant print it at home? I want to get a physical copy of any future games i get.

The only thing i have locally is a staples and a few post offices but there kinda pricey in my area so im wondering if there is anything cheaper or not?

Sorry for posting another post so soon.

I come from dnd 5e, but i would like something i can build a world around while doing quests, tasks or whatever. I want the simplest way to start solo that is cheap or even free that isint dnd as i want to explore more games.

Im not that good at dnd so guess im a newbie, im just tired of waiting for a dnd group and for it just to get canceled.

Im up for whatever as its fun and you believe it would be good for me?

if you have any further questions please leave a comment.

I'm a novice GM running a sandbox campaign, currently using Shadowdark. I prep using Sly Flourish's 8 steps (Return of the Lazy DM) and I'm familiar with Justin Alexander's advice on "prepping situations, not plots" and node-based design.

However, I have a massive roadblock during actual play: I don't know how to consistently generate situations that challenge the players and demand a choice. While this is somewhat easier inside a dungeon because the rooms are already prepped and it's simpler to just present the immediate problem, running the game in a city or in "open" environments is much much harder for me.

Usually, my sessions go like this:

1. I use a "Strong Start" (often combat, though it feels weird because characters in Shadowdark should aim to avoid direct clashes, making it always feel a bit forced).
2. Once the encounter is over, the momentum dies. The players look at me waiting for a prompt, and I don't know what to throw at them.
3. If they decide to explore, I end up just describing the environment. The world feels static and non-interactive. Even when they meet NPCs, my mind goes blank on how the NPC can push the game forward or offer a compelling hook.

It feels like I lack a specific method or procedure to generate tension, obstacles, or actionable situations on the fly. Preparing lore and secrets is useless if I can't translate them into an immediate problem for the characters to solve.

How do you handle this? Is there a specific mental checklist or procedure you use to turn a static room or a random NPC into a situation that requires player agency?

Thanks in advance!

Here's something I'd like- as the title says, a monster of the week game where instead of trying to deal with mysterious killings because a werewolf has moved in, I'm dealing with the local A-league baseball or tennis player becoming seized by the abstract concept of The Sword that now takes up residence in his favorite tool and as a result his confidence and competitiveness have skyrocketed by like 5000% and he's resulting to any means necessary to win; or like the kindly old lady who haunts the local bingo parlor is now slowly but inevitably reorganizing her entire social network to serve her vision, eating away at their individuality in the process in devotion to their Queen Bee. Ideas?

Exactly what it says on the title.