**Come here and talk about anything!**

This post will stay stickied for (at least) the week-end. Please enjoy this space where you can talk about anything: your last game, your current project, your patreon, etc. You can even talk about video games, ask for a group, or post a survey or share a new meme you've just found. This is the place for small talk on r/rpg.

The off-topic rules may not apply here, but the other rules still do. This is less the Wild West and more the Mild West. Don't be a jerk.

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There's actually a good bundle for this good game!

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/MotW2026

MotW is really well known, so with a quick search you should find any info about it. I just add that the book Codex of Worlds isn't very known, and it adds a lot of variety, so you can use it to run a medieval monster hunt a-la The Witcher with almost no effort.

I've been running this game with my friends using Cyberpunk 2020's system as I got it from a humble bundle a while back. We haven't been using a specific campaign and I've been largely writing my own story/lore/encounters using the system.

We finished the first arc of our campaign and took a break because we have been having difficulty adapting to the crunchiness of the system. Our group is primarily comfortable with DnD 5e and haven't done much outside of that system. Now that we're at a good spot in the campaign, I was hoping to try and switch to a new system. I've been looking into other systems like The Sprawl, Interface Zero, and RED, but I was wondering if other people have had the same experience transitioning from a common 5e group to a new system. The largest issue we're adapting to is the crunchiness of combat otherwise have been having very little issues.

I will say I'm not looking for a "5e with a cyberpunk skin" just something with an easier transition and would actually hope to work with a new system so it makes newer systems in future campaigns easier with our group.

I'm running a session on October 31 but haven't found a system yet. I've looked a bit into Gumshoe, but it seems there's no core ruleset and all the rulebooks seem a bit too specific (and maybe too complex for a single session). I've only ever played D&D and i'm having a hard time finding a system to use for a light and realistic murder mistery. Hope you can help me

Wasn't sure how to tag this, but I remember a while back seeing a system that was inspired by Kingdom Hearts, but was an entirely original ttrpg system, rather than a conversion of an existing system with a KH skin. As an original system being sold for money it also didn't use any existing IPs or anything, but the idea was kind of the same; the players would be traveling between different worlds and I know that hearts played a big part in the theming of the game. Does anyone know what this might've been? I can't remember it.

Edit: Scratch that gang, I posted this after like an hour of searching with no results and then of course 30 seconds later i find it myself. It's called Interstitial, and it's a pbta thing.

As part of the Sincretismos de Arton project (focused on Brazilian RPG Tormenta 20), we started the Ludic License, to make it easier to create new RPG books, promote artists, and discourage the use of AI.

You can use these images (and many others, which are in this drive) as internal illustrations for your work, as long as you follow three little rules:

• Your work cannot contain internal illustrations or a cover generated by AI;
• All artists must receive credit for each illustration, with a link to their portfolio or contact;
• You must copy the full text of the License (below), which means your work also enters the License, and your internal illustrations also enter the collective collection.

As you can see, the Ludic License collection grows as new works use it. It's an initiative for the community to strengthen itself. At the moment there are 31 images available.

You can also get in touch with us to "donate" images to the License! If you have any questions, ask us or read our FAQ.

Good luck and success! Below, the full text of the Ludic License:

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Ludic License

This work is under the Ludic License!

This means that the illustrations in this work are part of a community pool, and that you may use them, including for commercial purposes, as illustrations in your own work, under the following conditions:

• Your work must not contain illustrations or a cover generated by artificial intelligence.
• Every artist must receive credit for each of their illustrations (for example, in a credits section with attribution by page), with links to their portfolios and/or contact information.
• You must reproduce the full text of this license in your work (meaning your work also joins the Ludic License, and its illustrations become part of the license’s community pool).

Definitions:

• “Illustrations” are the images in the work, excluding the cover, supporting graphic elements (frames, ornaments, textures, typography, icons, etc.), logos, and signatures and photographs of real people (unless they are portraying characters).
• Images generated by artificial intelligence are those created through text prompts, reference images, sketches, generative fill, or any other similar means. Manual edits using digital tools (such as painting, color correction, filters) are not considered AI for the purposes of the Ludic License.
• Your work must be an editorial work (book, magazine, manual, etc.) that can accommodate the full text of the Ludic License and the credits for the authors of the illustrations. If you want to use an illustration in a way not covered by this License, contact the artist directly.

Exceptions:

• Illustrations in the public domain or made available to the public under other permissions for the creation of derivative works (e.g., CC‑BY, CC‑BY‑SA, CC0, or equivalent authorizations from the artist) keep their original terms, including regarding attribution, and do not enter the community pool. The condition regarding non-use of AI-generated images still applies to them.

Notices:

• If your work fails to meet the conditions of the Ludic License, the artists’ permission to use the illustrations is considered revoked.
• If an illustration enters the Ludic License through your work, ensuring the artist’s permission is your responsibility.
• This work and its illustrations may not be used for artificial intelligence training.
• The Portuguese version of the Ludic License, the Licença Lúdica, is the same license for all purposes.

Hi!

I’m looking to collect some advice on good online platforms for TTRPGs that are not D&D. One-Shots, personalizable systems, systems based on other IP, etc.

I’m looking for platforms they support games that use dice and ones that may use other randomizers, like playing cards, flipping coins, etc

I know Roll20 has some variety of options, but I’ve struggled with getting it to work. Any tips on tutorials or ways to get comfortable are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Hey there!

Just a quick question out of curiosity:

Are there RPGs out there that feature a skill tree like system of evolving classes?
The idea is to start as one of three archetypes:

1. Thug
   
2. Apprentice
   
3. Outcast

Then you lvl up to lvl 5 for example and get to specialise the first time:

1. Thug either Brawler or Soldier or Rogue
   
2. Apprentice either Novice Mage or Novice Priest or Novice Druid
   
3. Outcast either Loreseeker or Novice Warlock

And so on and so forth until they reach some sort of legendary class if they make it to max lvl.

This is an often discussed topic in RPG circles, and it's an ever enduring one as many GMs come face to face with the topic. The imbalance of engagement of players versus gamemasters, where the gamemaster must put in great effort while the players just have to show up.

I have some experience with this. When trying to expose new players to a new system (GURPS, in the Cyberpunk setting -- I don't like RED!), the sheer amount of passive resistance to engaging with the game part is noticeable. We play bi-weekly, so there should be plenty of time to read over the basic rules and perform in-between tasks (like shopping, character progression, etc.), but it feels like this is simply too much to ask!

I play via VTT, and it feels exhausting to put in effort in designing the handouts, enhancing the presentation, and simplifying the automation, while my players all but refuse outright to familiarize themselves with the rules at even a passing level.

I've mentioned upfront that it would be a good idea to read over the basics (I provided a pdf of the basic rules, with only 4 or 5 pages of actual rules and the rest being extra detail), but it feels foolish to expect the players to do it on their own. Additionally, the campaign is intended on being more roleplay heavy, so specifying where they live and what those conditions are is a part of grounding their characters in the fiction by giving them control over a little worldbuilding.

The players are great when we're actually playing. They are involved and engaged, asking questions and getting into character; however, it feels like all that engagement vanishes immediately after the session ends, making it difficult to optimize our playtime by offloading book-keeping to between sessions, or ensuring the players are familiar with the rules of whatever decisions they make.

Does anyone else currently deal with this problem? Any tips for dealing with it?

Friends,

A question for the GMs out there. Part curiosity, part wanting to grow from an evening that didn’t go well.

This past weekend, I ran a Legends in the Mist / Sleepy Hollow one-shot for a mixed group of new and intermediate players. Everyone was new to the system, which may have mattered more than I initially thought.

During the game, I found myself steering the players from location to location. I don’t love railroading, but they weren’t doing much with the scenes, setups, and clues I provided. They would discuss the situations at length, out of character and very matter-of-factly, but rarely turn those conversations into action.

Later in the evening, they seemed to be boring themselves. I reminded them of their characters’ personal motivations and the objective of the adventure, but unless I made the way forward evident—or downright blatant—they didn’t move.

Here’s where things took a turn.

In the final act, they followed the advice of an ensorcelled child and all drank a hallucinogen. This brought them into a confrontation with the main enemy while intoxicated and compromised. From my side of the screen, it looked like they were walking into certain doom. I nudged them away from it. They did it anyway.

Even in that reduced state, I gave them several opportunities to escape. After a few TERRIBLE rolls, though, I ended up saying:

“You all died here in this room. Historians will find your bodies in a nearby field, and that discovery will become part of the dark stories people tell about the Hollow.”

TPK. Not proud. I hated it.

My first reaction was: wrong players, wrong setting, just not a good fit. But I don’t want to settle on that explanation without examining my own part in it. What seemed obvious or actionable to me may not have been clear to them.

So, for GMs who have reached a similar place: how do you help a group turn discussion into action without effectively making their decisions for them? And when their choices lead toward disaster, how do you judge whether to let the consequences stand or offer more guidance—especially in a one-shot with newer players?

I’ve never had a session unfold quite like this, and I’d like to learn from it. Any respectful, practical perspectives would be appreciated.

ArneCon 4 is complete! The convention held every year in honor of Dave Arneson and the Twin Cities gaming crew (Dave Wesely, Dave Megarry, Greg Svenson, Ross Maker, and more) in Minneapolis by the folks who did the Secrets of Blackmoor documentary. It’s a small convention, around 100-150 people, but very intimate and personal as you get to hang out and talk to these incredible figures from the founding of our hobby and everyone else who loves gaming.

This year was my very first time running games at a convention & I playtested two of my adventures for Empire of the Petal Throne and, to the surprise of no one, they went absolutely nowhere like I expected them to (that’s playtesting for you)! I had a lot of great players that had never played in Tékumel before so I had pleasure of explaining the high points of the system and setting. I had a great time refereeing them and I hope the players had just as much fun playing in them! The event organizers did a great job from the perspective of running games. They use Tabletop.events and it was a breeze to set up and get the times I wanted to run (or my alternative time). I definitely will be running next year.

I played in 4 games, Victor Raymond’s Sable Pirate’s Lair and Fortress of Hrugga, both Empire of the Petal Throne games. Victor did an amazing job at introducing us to the setting of Tékumel, we just couldn’t figure out what the damn Eye did quick enough! Fortress of Hrugga was intended to be a town and dungeon adventure but we just had too much damn fun in the town (sorry, Victor!) If you ever meet an elderly priest in a village who needs his food chewed for him, please tell him our priestess says hello. Grampa Chompers should remember us fondle-y, I mean fondly…

Then I played in Night of the Walking Wet by Jennell Jaquays in Swords & Wizardry which was expertly ran by our referee with a great group and ended with a robot and enlarged fighter duking it out while our ornery sage and I tried to figure out how to control the robot with our tablet controller, another player blasted it to pieces with our newly found raygun, and our newly enlisted goblin Doctor Octopus got squished (RIP Clunky). I really wish I could have played in the second part the next day but my schedule didn’t allow it. A really fun game with a great group.

Finally, I got to play in Dave Weseley’s Banania. As always, Dave Weseley is an absolute master at running these games. We were short on players with only 8, but Weseley gave us multiple factions that were aligned together and the chaos began (as it always does in his games). Unfortunately, there was a scheduling issue and Weseley had to go to a Meet and Greet near the end, but I went and got pizza and we talked out what our factions were up to and how the game would have went from there when Weseley returned.

The vendor booths were awesome, got the Stennard Courier Vol. 1 from Nick Barran and spent way too much money at the Tékumel Foundation booth. I printed my Irradiated Reference Pages zine and sold a couple copies to recoup some of my spendings (thankfully). It was awesome to see the realms of Yolmi prints Matt Tapp has got back in print, a really weird game more folks should be aware of.

All in all a really fun and exhausting weekend. It is a smaller convention and they are still getting their bearings, but I enjoy it every year I’ve been and definitely intend on going next year. I really hope Dave Weseley gets his Braunstein and Banania games released, they are absolutely fantastic and I would love to see other be able to play and run them. Hope to see y’all there next year!

I'm looking for pre-written, ready to run adventures/campaigns that are set in scrapyard/mining town or similar locations. Basically a place where people get by by doing some labor and or finding refuge. I'm looking for something where exploration is the focus of the story (rather than using the location as a backdrop for adventure)

Need not be post apocalyptic. Better not be post apocalyptic.

System agnostic preferably but I can work with anything