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.

----------

This submission is generated automatically each Saturday at 00:00 UTC.

No shade towards WHFRP, it's an awesome system. It's just that a lot of the usual "low fantasy" recommendations (like the new edition of the literal Low Fantasy Gaming) still have high fantasy trappings like dwarves and elves casually walking around. What I'm looking for is something that on the surface looks more like a historical medieval setting. Only upon deeper exploration is the magical nature revealed. ASOIAF is a great example here because there's actually a lot of fantasy elements in the setting, but it's well hidden from your average denizen of Westeros. Another example that I find interesting - although not as low fantasy - is the Gothic video games, with only two sentient races (excluding rare beings like dragons) and magic gated away from commoners. Can anyone recommend a system with a setting like that?

Also, a quick word on what I like in TTRPGs in general - I tend to gravitate towards medium crunch systems. Something that is easier to onboard people onto than modern D&D, but not so minimalistic the players who like to tweak the numbers have nothing to do. That said, I'm not a fan of completely classless systems. I like it when players are guided at least a little towards the roles they could play in a party. In my opinion it makes things easier both for the players and the DM.

Note: Asking this question here, because I haven't run D&D in 10+ years. If I ask this question in r/DnD or whatever, I'll get answers from people who play D&D all the time. I'm asking here because there are more GMs who are more likely to have long stretches of not playing the game.

I'm running a D&D game for my friends' kids; I tried asking if they'd be alright with one of the many non-D&D games I have that are fantasy based, but the kids know D&D is what most people and their parents play so they want that. Like a kid wants to play a board game, but the only game the kid knows about is Candyland.

Stuff that I feel like I do more easily in other systems:

• More Improvisation Friendly - In a lot of games, I've gotten better at sprinkling in fights without
• More Backstory Focused - I tend to play games where PCs start off with 1-3 Backstory NPCs.

Sidebar: I really wish I could run At the Gates, because I am a notorious anti-Fantasy setting guy (except for Dark Sun). And At the Gates has that Final Fantasy/Chrono Trigger vibe I can't seem to replicate in D&D.

Any thoughts? Any advice?

Kiki and Bouba is a tabletop roleplaying game for two players and a GM about things and what they do.

One player is Kiki. One is Bouba. The GM puts an alari in the room. Or maybe a shoom. You don't know what an alari is. You already know what an alari is.

The world contains things.

Things are what they do.

Things have names.

Meanings accrete through use.

Kiki and Bouba – A6, 2 pages – €3 print – €1.50 PDF

I ship worldwide. ^{Except the EU, due to PPWR regulations.}

mesolitgames.com/kab

Join the mailing list if you like this kind of stuff.

They funded the new cypher system and while the main books are out the stretch goal books aren't. Since then, they have kickstarted 4 whole projects for cypher since then, each grabbing less money each time. The last one feels egregious because unlike the other setting books it is a stand alone book, something that alienated some people when the had the Numenera backerkit going. It feels like they are becoming Onyx path with so much promised material stacking up.

My games I'm realizing really start out with crazy ideas and get burnt out pretty quickly. I got 8 sessions into a Curse Of Strahd game, rewrote all of Vallaki, finished like 60-70% of the module, and then just.. couldn't write my game anymore? Likewise I was running Vampire: The Masquerade and outdid myself with an incredible plot arc, but when I admitted I was burnt out and was going to be wrapping up the campaign a player quit and the campaign fell apart.

I've realized my best campaigns are the ones I go into with really low investment, just a silly idea I can build a game around. Does anyone else feel this way?

Ive seen far too many youtubers review games only after reading them and without actually playing. What are some that actually play the games?

I dont want purely DnD channels. I want discussion about specific ttrpg systems rather than general discussions about game designs or history of RPGs or dm advice

I already know about quinns quest

Physical and class based is preferred but not required.

Closest I know is Shadowrun but that’s Cyberpunk fantasy.

As someone who likes to make all his stuff himself, I've been pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the commercial maps I've seen on here and elsewhere. I haven't quite found what I'm looking for, though, so I wanted to see if you had any recommendations.

I'm looking for a relatively large map of a castle for use as a "home base." Ideally, it should be at least somewhat realistic in its construction (not going full high-fantasy here), and have multiple stories, ideally as seperate files I can use with my VTT. In particular, I'm hoping to have, at minimum, a great hall, a throne room, a chapel, and sleeping quarters. And, I may end up using this map for a large-scale battle, so I would prefer to have it as a battle map. Bonus points if it is already rigged up for use in Foundry.

Anyone have any recommendations? I already browsed Tom Cartos's maps, but I didn't see anything that wuite fit my needs...

I'm working on starting a game of Candala Obscura for my group (me as GM, 3 steady players), Only one of my players has read the book and knows about the setting. The other two players do not read long setting documents due to legitimate reason. What would be the best way for me to teach the setting? Players who have issues reading long setting documents, how would you prefer to be taught the setting?

I'm not looking to change groups and do not hold any animosity towards them for not reading dozens of pages of setting material. Just looking for suggestions on how to teach a setting.

Hello everyone

I'm planning a horror campaign in Berlin, October and November 1989, the weeks before the Wall falls. This is a system-agnostic question, mechanic at the table are welcome and flexible.

The monster feeds on fear. It only takes a body when someone is alone and terrified, kills them slowly, and leaves the corpse looking like a nasty Stasi interrogation. The idea is that with the fall of the wall, fear starts to evaporate, and it is replaced by other emotions which will starve the monster.

My problem is the rule itself. If fear makes it stronger, the smart move is to never be afraid and never be alone, and the horror dies right there. (My players are smart. They will work this out pretty quickly)

How would you make fear a cost the players can't simply refuse? Have you run a monster like this, or played under one? What worked, and what killed the tension?

PS: I don't want to lean too heavily into CoC sanity or limit this behind a simple roll, I am trying to find something narrative.

Thanks

My brother, his wife, and I want to do our own campaign between bigger DND sessions. Are there any systems or modules that would work for one DM and two players? We also want to be able to change who is going to be the DM so we can take turns each session while still playing the same campaign.

It can be DND, but doesn't have to be. It can be cyberpunk, VTM, etc. We would love to hear suggestions.