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When I started gaming, in the late 1990's, White Wolf's World of Darkness was hugely popular, practically on-par with D&D. I recall hearing that at one point in 1997 (about the time TSR was on the edge of bankruptcy) that WoD was outselling D&D.

From the late 90's to the mid 2000's, I was pretty dang active in the gaming community. . .and while D&D may normally have been #1, World of Darkness was a close #2. Most people I knew played both, even if they favored one or the other.

Then White Wolf ended the original World of Darkness and released their New World of Darkness reboot. . .which had much better and more refined rules. . .but the settings just felt lackluster and uninspired. I remember people saying they wished they could easily play with the original settings but new rules.

Then, for various personal and professional reasons, I really wasn't involved with the gaming community after 2006, for many years.

Then, in 2023 I'm able to come back to gaming. I go to gaming stores, and find that WoD/NWoD books are almost never on the shelves (one very large gaming store had a few books), I find in talking with gamers that young gamers haven't today even heard of it, or only vaguely have heard of it at best. It went from being the close #2 in the gaming world, to almost a footnote at this point.

I'm left wondering. . .what happened? How did it lose so much popularity? How did it go from something that was a close competitor to D&D and deeply influential on gaming as a whole. . .to being an obscure niche?

Did they make some abysmally bad business decisions that alienated everyone? New material that offended their loyal fans and didn't win new ones? People burned out on all the dark and edgy themes?

I see a lot of folks asking how to get started as a GM here; this popped up on my Bluesky feed just now. (Hope it helps some newbies!)

I have played D&D for 25 years and am just flat out bored of it. No hate, I'm actively in a going on 2 year campaign right now, as a player. However, as a DM (newer DM, I admit), I am completely uninterested in running a d20 system of any kind. My current play group has one player that is completely uninterested in anything non-D&D (sad for her), and it is making it hard to run anything else. I am interested in finding online groups for, at the very least, non-d20 discussions. Having the ability to play online would be cool, but not at the top of my list, as I don't 100% know if I can regularly commit to a campaign due to personal life, but finding discussion groups would be cool. Active VC a plus

Please post an active Discord link if you have one.

I've played a bunch of different RPGs over the past 10 years or so, in lots of different settings, including DnD, Traveller, Mothership, Call of Cthulhu, and others.

While I enjoyed aspects of each of these systems, for one reason or another I stopped playing them. This eventually lead to me trying GURPs.

GURPs changed everything for me. It isn't the easiest RPG to get into (more on that later), but it felt like a breath of fresh air in RPGs. Almost every system feels engaging and well balanced, and the source books are the highest quality Ive ever seen in terms of information. Let me explain below some of my favorite parts.

The Simulation: instead of balancing around some Challenge Rating statistic, GURPs encourages balancing around reality. I find it much easier to write good modules this way; my players don't need to ask if the 10 ton dragon could crush them in one strike, or if there was a specific way to break into the bank. Knowing that things work realistically let's players have more creativity in their solutions, since it works off what they know, real life.

The combat: with some minor tweaking jt is by far the most engaging combat system I've played. Players have loved targeting body parts and feeling smart for tactical choices. Martial characters feel just as complex and nuanced as magic. Playing at different tech levels changes the feel drastically. At low tech levels, combat is close, and all about bypassing the high armor most people have. At higher tech levels, such as westerns, the focus is a lot more on cover and concealment, as offense is a lot stronger than the defensive options in this period.

The Characters: it's true that making a character in GURPs takes a long time, but the depth of the characters is unmatched. One aspect I really love is the disadvantages. Because the disadvantages are actually enforced by gameplay, it makes flawed characters feel so much more engaging. In DnD, that little flaw box on the character sheet was the source of so many hurt feelings between players. In GURPs, someone groaning and saying "sorry guys, I have to roll against alcoholism" feels a lot more fun, and removes a large part of the "it's what my character would do" issue that can pervade tables.

I'd also like to address some common complaints about the system:

"GURPs is too complicated, there is a rule for everything!"

I feel the opposite of this. Don't try to run every rule (heck, start out with GURPs Lite). Instead, after a session look up the stuff you had questions about. So, so many times running Mongoose Traveller the lack of specific rules left me puzzled if was running the game right. I can appreciate simplicity in rules light systems, but sometimes it's just nice to have an official answer.

"I tried using this system for superheros/high character point adventures and it felt unsatisfying."

Despite GURPs generic nature, it absolutely has a strong feel out of the box. Grounded, actiony adventures are where it shines the best, such as a noir detective, or a gritty low fantasy setting.

That being said though, I have a group of 6 players loving a high fantasy campaign with player made spells right now. it's definitely possible to play games with crazy superpowers, it just requires more work and system understanding from the DM.

"GURPs is hard to learn and play"

Im not sure where this sentiment comes from, maybe earlier versions? I've taught about 15 people how to play the game, and the only ones who struggled were people coming mostly from DnD. In fact, my players experiences have been so opposite of this, several non-RPG players have told me GURPs is the only system that's ever made sense to them.

I could go on forever, so I'll end this way too long post with a short story:

When I was a younger DM, I wanted to run a post apocalypse campaign. While shopping around for ideas, I saw the often repeated phrase: "Guns are just reskinned bows!"

As someone who loves shooting both guns and bows, I've never liked that sentiment; a gun should absolutely feel different from a bow.

Years later, I played GURPs, and the first time I dropped an M4 rifle into a fantasy game (the players really wanted to see it), I knew I had found my game. Watching the players absolutely dome monsters with fully automatic fire was one of my favorite moments DMing.

Tl;dr

I think GURPs is massively underrated in the RPG landscape. Almost anytime I play another RPG a little bit of my thinks "this would work even better in GURPs."

I don't think this RPG is for everyone, but I'd encourage giving it a fair shot. Anyone looking into trying it should watch Chris Normands videos on YouTube, they are super helpful when starting out.

Obviously there are a lot of factors that go into this that have nothing directly to do with TTRPGs in regards to what the world will be like in 2035 but let's put that all aside here and look at things in a vacuum. Do you think TTRPG's might have grown in cultural relevance or faded? I'm certainly no expert but I see plenty of exciting things happening on here on a daily basis. Granted, this is an incredibly difficult industry to break through in.

Can anyone suggest some good scavenger games that have interesting rules I should look at? (Ideally in a future scifi setting, though Mordheim dice rolls are a big inspiration!)

While I would not call myself a tabletop rpg player, I am a Necromunda player.

I am looking for some basic pointers and suggestions from some more hardcore RPG tabletop players than myself, if anyone has the interest or time.

Haha I imagine most people here know Warhammer 40k, I imagine less know so much about Necromunda. I am working on putting together a set of campaign rules for Necromunda, read more below about that in the link below if interested.

https://www.reddit.com/r/necromunda/comments/1q40yqa/ash_waste_explorators_v01_very_early_days_custom/

The setting is future sci-fi mad max basically, it is set in the Ash Wastes, where the player manages a team of scavengers, their food money and scrap metal supplies, while they build a base, survey and map the local area, and eventually fight an enemy of some kind, either creatures or a gang. The fights and skirmish and basic framework are based on the game Necromunda.

A Necromunda campaign is basically a chain of skirmishes, with RPG elements in-between each skirmish. Your gang members level up, buy new equipment, can perform tasks etc.

I am working on adding more rpg and pleasing dice rolls in a custom campaign set of rules, mostly geared toward single player, to two player, the second being a kind of game master playing the various enemies encountered. Though there are rules for a single player to follow for NPC attacks.

I have added more tasks like different types of scavenging, hunting, outlaw tasks like raiding, hunting, cannibal raids. Also I have added a rumour system, which sort of updates enemy gangs in your local area. Your wasteland settlement base gets attacked by different gangs, sometimes law enforcement. All this is handled through dice rolls, which I enjoy figuring out and trying out in my expanding set of bs.

My question is, what easy (game-master not really required) elements can be added to a tabletop game? Any cool scavenger games you can think of that i can be "inspired" by?

Can anyone think of any games with good systems that manage relationships with enemy factions through dice rolls and modifiers? I am looking to add a bit of life into the wastes. Anyone able to think of a game with cool rolls that dictate whether some random faction attacks you or not?

Any ideas, suggestions, or pointers would be aprpeciated!

I have recently taken an interest in the Hero System Sixth Edition. At first I was attracted to GURPS because, unlike Pathfinder RPG (which was my favorite system before) it allows me to create any race or character without being confined by a class system! But turns out GURPS is so old and so tiring. So I tried to find an alternative and learned about the Hero System.

I have several questions about the Hero System:

1. In Pathfinder, settlement stat blocks provide an overview of a settlement (village, town, city, metropolis, etc.) at a glance. Is there a similar system in the Hero System Sixth Edition?

2. In Pathfinder, deities have mechanical information for clerics and worshippers, including their name, areas of concern, domains, edicts, anathemas, and favored weapons. Is there a similar system in the Hero System Sixth Edition?

3. Which book should I read to understand the magic system of the Hero System Sixth Edition?

4. GURPS is famous for allowing you to create almost any world and any character from games or animation. Can the Hero System do the same?

5. In D&D and Pathfinder, combat maps use a square grid where each square represents five feet. Does the Hero System use a square grid map as well?

6. In GURPS Fourth Edition, the core rulebooks are setting-neutral. Does the Hero System Sixth Edition's core rulebook assume a superhero setting? If so, which book should I read for standard medieval fantasy or steampunk settings?

7. I found out that the latest Hero System edition, Sixth Edition, was published in 2009, which makes it pretty old—though not as old as GURPS :). Are there any plans or news for a new edition? Does Sixth Edition need a revision, or is it considered good enough as it is?

8. Has there been any CRPG based on the Hero System? Is Hero Games interested in making a CRPG based on the Hero System?

9. According to the link below, the most recent Hero System book was published in 2017. Has Hero Games given up this system altogether?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hero_System_products

Looking for a system that feels very oppressive, very "darkness lurking behind every tree." A system with the vibes of, like, "we stay in our small pitiful settlements and the wild/nature is ready to take us at a moment's notice." Not necessarily specifically horror, though. Just, overwhelming nature.

In one hand, me and my friends still loves playing 5e: its less dangerous, heavily combat focused, middle of the road between complex and rules light and have lots of content only to pick and modify the game as we prefer.

On the other, we also like trying out new systems, even if for only a single oneshot.

At the moment, we mostly tried Brazilian RPGs, since its our homeland (Tormenta20, 3DeT Victory, Skyfall RPG and Ordem Paranormal being the main ones). We also tried out Pathfinder 2e & Kids on Bikes 1e.

For the future, we plan on trying out Daggerheart, Fabula Ultima, Girls by Moonlight, Call of Cthulhu and Vampire: The Masquerade (or another from this universe).

I’ve been inspired by the time clock systems I’ve seen in a few games and want to make use of them and add a little tension to the campaign, but I also want the players to still feel like they have freedom to explore and take a breather.

I’m mainly taking inspiration from Metaphor Refantazio, due to its fantasy setting and it actually featuring exploration and travel.

The idea is to have every major dungeon have a time limit, and eventually when things get intense near the end of the campaign the players will have an overall time limit to prepare before they can confront the villain.

How would you guys go about designing a campaign like this without overly stressing players and accidentally railroading them?

A friend and I are devolping a adjustable flight stand for our final year of Gymnasium (high school). When we played ttrpgs together we discovered how compersom it was to track and visualise flight. This gave us the idea to try and devolp a adjustable flightstand.

Here are some Media for the Prototype

It uses a screw design which allows you to adjust the height by twisting the top part. Due to how it is built there are several "stops", where the stand will rest and allow pressure without falling down again.

We have finished making the protoryp and only need some feedback to see how well the design is recieved and what might be needed or wanted of it, so we can improve on it.

Here is a short survey if you are intrested in giving your feedback:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUE1cje9WYHPe3-d5sedxqGwPWjrrpvpdyQw64G2iTQ5G5TQ/viewform?usp=header