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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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Hello! So, quick context. I live in an extremely small, extremely rural, extremely conservative Appalachian town. But recently at an event I ran a demo one shot (5e) and had a lot of people want me to run a monthly game. Which I am more than happy to do. Two of those people are trans, and young. Early 20s. I'm 42 for context.

Now, i want to make sure they feel safe and accepted and welcome at my table. But I also don't want them to feel singled out. So I figured I would ask here first, to make sure I do a good job making them feel safe.

Thanks in advance. Oh and if you have something shitty to say about trans people, fuck right off.

Hello folks! As the title suggests, what exactly is the appeal of Actual Plays? Why do people watch them?

​I’ve been running TTRPGs for more than 15 years, but I’ve never been able to finish a single episode of an Actual Play. It's so bizarre for me.I’m trying to understand the mindset and culture behind them so i can create meaningfull gm-player relationship with new players.

​I know there are a lot of new players who started gaming because of this kind of content. I've even seen people who haven't read or watched classics like Lord of the Rings, yet they know specific character moments from famous Actual Play shows by heart. What am I missing?

Hi all I wanted to do a short little campaign of OSE for some of my friends but recently due to scheduling issues we haven't been able to play in 3 weeks. The first week was due to work. The second week I was really sick. Then today one of them has work and the other just isn't responding.

We only played two sessions but me and my players had fun I think. But otherwise I feel kinda burnt out on this setting and system and want to move on. How can I approach my players and let them know?

And we're back with episode 3 of our Chuubos Exocolonist actual play:

Episode 3 - (YT, Podbean) - our Exocolonist go on expeditions and find a forbidden pond.

Previous post

Both settings are hugely detailed and available for multiple systems. What are the key differences between the two as far as flavor, plotlines, published adventures, and overall good, bad, & ugly? What other massive city supplements for fantasy campaigns are there that you recommend? I don't care about the rules system, as I probably already have it!

I'm a fan of your Calls of Cthulhu and Deltas Green (heh) but the one thing that vaguely bugs me having played/consumed these for a long time now is the reduction of mental illness to "sanity," and the lack of, say, finesse around depictions of "madness."

The issue is not even mainly that there is no such thing (medically) as "sanity" or "madness," it's that once a player goes "insane," they do... what?

I know that some games have more detailed rules/suggestions/tables/etc about exactly what this entails, but in practice—at least in my own experience—this tends to be acted out as some kind of psychosis, which in turn almost always draws from movie depictions of "people going crazy."

So I'm very curious to hear about games—if any—that go beyond this into more scientifically-grounded rules and mechanics. Is this is a thing?

Like, if I tell a player they 'experience a bout of madness,' it can certainly throw an interesting wrench into the works but it kind of depends on players to have some sophistication with their knowledge of and attitude towards mental illness.

But even regardless of that: if it doesn't just take a PC out of the game, then what exactly are the ramifications, both short-term and long-term? I really like DG's bonds as an answer to this, but I'd love to find out about any other attempts or approaches.

Thanks!!

Hi.

I'm looking to up one of my fantasy games and thus looking for inspiration on two things. Specifically, I'm looking for mechanics on it, as my group is a sucker for mechanics or goals to roleplay from, instead of freeforming the entire roleplay.

1) The first gimmick is players receive parts of the representations of a fallen deity and they have to "uphold" that representation to progress individually in powers, while they also try to progress in the overall purpose to stop the BigBadVillain. Players pre-plan for their aspect of interest in session zero. It has some Stormlight Archive-esque inspiration, but I'm looking for what games have already established something like this (besides Cosmere RPG).

2) Reversely, the second gimmick from the BigBadVillain is eldritchy and mentally effects that give the players one mental condition (Paranoia, Apathy, Insecurity) and they have to work on it through the campaign and possibly by progressing directly in relation to their aspect in the first explained gimmick. I'm thinking either keep it strictly roleplay-related, but I was curious for inspiration on games that have mechanics on this. I know some games use "Sanity", but that's often too abstract. I'm looking for things more specific, e.g. "Because of Paranoia, you have a penalty to interactions with strangers" and such. Preferably some games or other inspiration that talks about negating or otherwise working on becoming better.

Hey everyone,

We’re organizing Roleplay Ukraine 2026, an online English-speaking TTRPG festival taking place on May 1–3.

The idea is simple: bring people together to play great games and raise money for a real cause.

🎲 What’s happening Online games with Ukrainian GMs Live streams, talks, and actual plays Charity giveaway & auction

🎮 Games
We’ll have a mix of well-known systems and some unique Ukrainian projects: Ukrainian games: Wild Steppe, Archeterica, Marevo Also running: Cyberpunk RED, Fate Condensed, Heart: The City Beneath, Honey Heist, Kids on Brooms, Pathfinder 2e, World of Darkness

📺 Streams Actual play of Ukrainian game Wild Steppe (Wildsea hack) with star guests. Presentations of new Ukrainian TTRPG projects A conversation with the developers of the Cosmere RPG

❤️‍🩹 Charity We’re fundraising for Ukraine’s Frontline Hospitals, supporting medical evacuation vehicles that operate near the frontlines.

🎁 Giveaway Everyone who donates will be entered into a giveaway with 30+ prizes, including books, subscriptions, gift cards, and PDFs.

👉 Want to play, watch, or support? All links are here: https://linktr.ee/roleplayua

If you’ve been looking for a way to try new systems, meet Ukrainian creators, or just support something meaningful — you’re very welcome.

For those who mainly GM, have you found any TTRPGs that you felt were harder to run than others? And what are your reasons for this?

Sarkash is the creepy Mörk Borg forest that the manual describes as spreading unnaturally fast, and leading wanderers astray. You can adapt this to any haunted fantasy forest, especially in NSR/OSR systems. Assumptions:

• The forest does not like to have the playing characters within it.
• There are ways to communicate with the forest.
• The Shadow King (or other occult entity/cult with followers) has cut some sort of a deal with the forest. And he does not want the playing characters there either.

We keep track of the forest fury (FF), i.e., a score indicating how upset the forest is with the characters. FF will accumulate and lead to a series of more and more dangerous encounters, peaking with a deadly one if the characters don’t leave soon enough. It is designed to cleanse the characters within a week or so.

Note that the sense of increasing danger should be palpable: Players need to know they are FAFOing in Sarkash: Temperature at night will be a factor (more on this later).

What upsets the forest?

• The characters just being there: +1 FF every night (cumulative).
• Fires: +3 FF for setting up a campfire, +1 FF for using a torch, +5 FF for a pyre or bonfire (cumulative).
• Leaving dead stuff unburied: +1 FF For each animal carcass or body abandoned (cumulative.) Shallow graves are ok.

What soothes the forest?

• A proper ritual officiated before entering the forest. -3 FF if the characters office the ritual, once per trip only. If improvising, i.e., not instructed by arcane knowledge, roll Presence DR12. A failure means the forest will be upset (+1 FF).
• Abandon something important at the edge of the forest before properly entering (-1 to -5 FF).
• Burials: -1 to -3 For a sacrifice of a large beast or equally fiery opponent, after the carcass/body is properly buried (not cumulative.)
• Hard liquor: -1 to -3 FF depending on the offer, to be poured in stumps or hollow trunks (not cumulative). Yeah I added this because, c’mon, it’s metal AF and this is Mörk Borg after all.

Learning what upsets and what soothes the forest is knowledge that should be acquired with in-game actions, not knowledge rolls. The Shadow King and his court are the ones who know most.

Pace of the encounters

Roll normally for encounters during the day. (I use Eat, Pray, Kill by Druid & Nohr; and The Monster Overhaul by Skerples.) At night, roll 1d8+FF on the table below. Higher numbers correspond to more dangerous consequences. If you roll an encounter more than once, go with the next. The manual tells us, about Sarkash: Hasn’t it grown warmer in this usually cold place? So the temperature at night indicates how close the final cleansing is.

1. Temperature: As expected; nothing happens.
2. Temperature: As expected; nothing happens.
3. Temperature: As expected; nothing happens.
4. Temperature: As expected; nothing happens.
5. Temperature: As expected; nothing happens.
6. Temperature: Slightly warmer than expected; 1d6 wandering outcasts and their deranged leader bump into the characters’ camp. These people ventured unprepared into the forest a few days ago, while running from pitchforks. Now they are lost, very hungry, and desperate. Each has HP 3, ML 5, and a club or femur (d4). Prowler stats for the leader (MB pg. 71).
7. Temperature: Slightly warmer than expected; the forest changes during the night, and the characters are lost in the morning, so getting to the place they want to go (including going back!) it’s now a challenge.
8. Temperature: Decidedly warmer than expected; rats or equivalent pests come at night to spoil all or most the rations.
9. Temperature: Decidedly warmer than expected; In the morning, characters find their path cut but rushing torrent. It’s large enough to make jumping over it impossible, and deep and strong enough to wash people away. The water is dead cold. It’s strategically located so that characters cannot go towards the direction they chose. If they are going back, or if they scouted the area before, they are sure the torrent was not there.
10. Temperature: As hot as the day; a group of Shadow King’s rangers (1d6+2) and 1 priestess find the camp. They do not want strangers to roam around in the forest. Rangers: HP 6, ML 7, armor leather (-d2), bow (d6), knife (d4). Priest: Morale 9, HP 5, staff (1d6). The priest is here to honor the forest interceding on behalf of the Shadow King. She has deep knowledge of Sarkash holds, such as the rituals described above, but she’s not very keen on revealing them; she has 1d2 scrolls which she won’t hesitate to use.
11. Temperature: As hot as a summer day; A bunch of will-o’-the-wisps float around the camp. Single roll of Presence 12+ to resist their charm: Success grants resistance for 3 rounds, so uncharmed characters must decide if to run or assist the charmed ones with the risk of being charmed. Let the players come up with clever ways to remove the charm. (Remember: We do not care about that right now.) Charmed character will follow the ill-o’-the-wisps into the night towards (1d4, each counting one encounter):
12. A pit with 1d4+2 large snakes! Each with 1 HP, no armor, bite 1d2 damage. If at least one inflicts any damage, roll Toughness 12+ at the end of the round or get 1d6 damage from the poison.
13. Bear cave! 1 large female bear with 1d4 pups.
14. Troll cave! Contains one hungry troll who wants food and of course considers human flesh a delicacy: 12 HP; -d2 thick skin and primitive furs; attacks with 1 large club (1d10); regenerates 3 HP/round unless damaged by fire or acid.
15. Wolf pack! 2d6+2 wolves with 1d6 pups.
16. Temperature: burning hot as a summer day in the desert; the Spirit of Sarkash comes to cleanse the forest from strangers. First, beacons of morbid, spectral light will rise all around the camp (See the figure above). Then, the Spirit will come. If the characters survive, the forest will leave them alone for the rest of the trip.

All the deatiils here: https://open.substack.com/pub/kindofold/p/when-the-forest-of-sarkash-wants

So there's a new DC RPG coming out, called the JLURPG (that's gonna be fun to say at parties) and there is a free download of the quickplay over at drivethrurpg.com with an upcoming crowd-funded campaign for the full game. If this subject matter interests you, you may want to give the quickplay a read as it's a 56 page pdf.

I'm writing something up on it based by a quick read through so I could easily be wrong or missing something. I know it's unfortunate as no one likes to point out mistakes on Reddit, alas.

It is written by a team of 3, to include one legendary comic writer by the name of Mark Waid but also two other designers with solid pedigrees but the Kingdom Come writer will probably the first that draws your eye.

It also bills itself as a "d20" game system but this isn't strictly the d20 system of D&D fame - rather it is more of a variation that felt familiar and different to me. You have 4 (5) dice total: d20, d12, d8, d6, and sometimes need a d3 for which I will roll a d12 to create as I enjoy annoying my tablemates.

Like other game systems, especially Super-hero systems, it sorts the campaign "power levels" into tiers - in this case it uses the ubiquitous ascending E-S levels to step from Ordinary to Cosmic. Nothing really new here but in my opinion, it works and I'd rather not see wheel-reinvention this early.

You have 6 core attributes (as seen in a host of other games), as well as something called Resolve which is basically a physical/mental hit point pool as well as being an action "gas tank". One of the contributing factors for how much you have is your characters tier - so already you can see that Tiers matter and may help to differentiate higher and lower-level characters by how much they can do/take in an encounter.

Conditions are according to a post I read by one of the designers intended to be the real hit pool as when you exhaust your Resolve pool, you get a condition. (Tired, Scratched, Injured, Wounded, Defeated) - this operates much like other games that use an Exhaustion type mechanic where you start on an effectiveness spiral as you progress through the Condition levels.

Fate/Hero/Plot points are present as well as something the Editor (read: GM) can use that reminds me very much of how they are used in M&M. From reading, it's sort of a don't fix what isn't broke kind of thing. One thing to note is that there is a mechanic that if Plot Points are used, you increasingly risk something wild and wacky happening (there's a 20 item random chart). Really not sure about this at all. No I'm sure I'm not a fan.

Character creation involves defining the character tier, picking an origin and then archetype, then distributing your attribute points (with the tier determining your attribute limit and total character points that are spent on attributes, powers, etc. - See M&M's Power Points).

Powers are a lot of the quickplay and if you're interested in them, I'd just go download it. As you can imagine in addition to the effects, they also have power levels and origin types as well as a category of effect. There are some DCU specific twists that are in play though, such as the Speed Force power being distinct from Superhuman Speed. While I didn't see it mentioned, I can see how a Green Lantern could slot into the game relatively easily.

Traits, as in the Fate/ICONS/Narrative game sense are also a thing with some pretty concrete examples that seem to be useful for players new to the concept.

Advantage/Disadvantage (or Bonus/Penalty) is here in a pretty familiar form. Difficulty Levels are here as are (critical)success/failures and a breakout of actions that is more PF2e than 5e I think especially because it appears they adopted the (to me better) PF2E 3 action economy. There are also Statuses that operate like other games conditions to cover something like Immobilized.

Movement and Distances use the "ring method" of adjacent/close/far/distant with a certain number of move actions being required to change rings.

The quickplay also has a list of sample heroes and villains that can help you get a feel for the system, including recognizable villains.

I honestly don't know how I feel yet - I'm not totally opposed to a d20esque Supers game as I've been an M&M player and KS'd 4E although these days I'd rather run ICONS. On the other hand there is enough deviation from 5E for me to immediately dismiss it as D&D in Tights.