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

my character dies? cool! i cant wait to play a new one! this npc dies horribly? woah that was a brutal death. im not fcked up about it. thats just the way i play. i LIKE characters, but they're just fun little pawns to see get into trouble, not realtable people i project myself onto.

oftentimes trouble can start at the table because the DM wants me to "invest more" or my coplayers are upset i don't care abt the lives of random npcs or dont care abt putting my character in danger. it gets annoying and feels like they want me to play like them and not like me.

if get it if i was being intentionally obnoxious or destructive, but im not! i roleplay, i strategise! but im here for the game more than the story, and i just wish that playstyle was more respected by my friends.

im not gona leave the group cuz its not that big of a problem, but i just wanna know im not crazy. anyone relate?

We're a little more than half way through 2026. What games have you been playing, as a player or GM? What has been your favorites this year so far? How are your games going in general?

I got to start my Dragonbane hexcrawl at the beginning of this year and its been a blast. We all love the system so much this might be our main fantasy rpg from now on

I got to finish an Orbital Blues campaign, about 12 sessions and it was super fun, but didn't feel like it would be good for any longer campaigns. But overall really enjoyed the troubles and blues system.

Both were played with me as a GM

Hello, I'm a tabletop enjoyer of 4.5 years. It's been my main hobby as of 4 years. I tend to gravitate towards systems that are complex and have lots of depth. I also find myself preferring games influenced by D&D 4e. (13th Age, Trespasser, Icon, Beacon, Pf2e, Draw Steel)

A while back I picked up a Pathfinder 2e hack called Pathwarden. https://ghost-spark.itch.io/pathwarden I then got news of the creator's Genre-Agnostic d20 RPG, Warden. https://ghost-spark.itch.io/warden . I really like them both, despite them not being the kind of game I'd normally run or play. This has got me curious about genre-agnostic systems. So I want to ask some questions:

1. What is it that makes systems like Warden and other genre-less games (Cypher, Cortex, Fate, Gurps, Genesys, Strike!, Questworlds) shine? Is it different for each system?
2. I've read some previous posts discussing the importance of these types of systems being "toolkits." Do mechanics matter more, or less for these systems?
3. What makes you like one genre-agnostic system over another?
4. How do you use them differently than games with set genre expectations?

See title. I've recently been running a B/X-derived Commando game for some friends. My buddy mentioned playing Recon as a kid, but I understand that's Vietnam-based? Have you ever played a campaign like this? How did it go?

I'm also interested in 'Weird-War' games as well. I'm aware of Eat the Reich, but haven't played it; my impression is that people maybe liked the aesthetic more than the mechanics.

pretty much what it says. a true detective/disco elysium style inspired campaign. styley, surreal, and supernatural.

Your pal the Man from the East has written an exhaustive list of hooks for that fit nearly ever flavor of Western. All are based on gilded age / old west history, folklore, and mythology. Wishing to share these with the broader TTRPG community.

1. Frontier Wisdom - A vagrant is causing a commotion, he has his own brand of preaching which he calls Frontier Wisdom. He speaks of an incoming apocalypse which he's calling the "closing of the frontier." (Based on Dr. Taylor Ealy)

2. Barricade - A hotel is taken over by someone incredibly drunk, they hold a hostage inside. The towns people have surrounded the building but have made no move. Only a local rancher volunteers to accompany the party but on one condition. He wishes for the drunk to be taken alive. The drunk can turn into a thin shiny vapor. (Based on Davy Crockett III's standoff at the St. James hotel)

3. Poxmarked - A sick person is requesting to be taken to a pox ward run by a family. Rumours say the family practices dark magic and rituals to prevent themselves from contracting pox. Upon arrival the family claims they contracted pox over a decade ago and are thus immune. (Based on the story of Ellen Casey's pox ward)

4. B Major - A person is "attempting to civilize the west through music," they ask the party to help transport piano. (Based on Alexander McSween's transportation of a piano, and Archbishop Lamy)

5. Bare Bones - A large flood has uncovered a bone pit. The bones are odd and larger than anything ever seen. The rancher who discovered them claims the bones must be important. He requests help transporting them to a intellectual. (Based on bone collector, archaelogist, and rancher George McJunkin)

6. Beatified - A group of nuns are requesting transport. They wish to build the first school in the area. They will also request help building the school. (Based on the nuns of Loretto Chapel)

7. Nitro - A mining community is paying a high reward for a simple task. Driving carts of unstable explosives up a large steep mountain pass, the journey will take several days. (Based on the film wages of fear and inspired by teamster and mining foreman J. B. Fergusson)

8. Starvin' - The players are waylaid by a single bandit. The bandit wears a scarf around his face and wields a double barrel shotgun. The bandit says his family is hungry and he regrets his actions. The bandit's weapon is unloaded and he carries no ammunition. (Based on Charles Boles AKA Black Bart)

9. Wrong Steps - The players have been ambushed by a single bandit. He's rigged a canyon with nitroglycerine. He asks the party to turn over their pockets and part with their posessions. (Inspired by the Oswald Gang and their methods)

10. Live Oak - A man stumbles into a saloon announcing that he robbed a stagecoach and was betrayed by his companions. He claims a shootout happened and he's the only survivor. Before he goes unconcious he says the treasure is buried at the base of a twisted oak tree. There is no treasure and this is a ruse to lead people into a trap. (Based on the robbery of John Chisum at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona)

11. The Hawk - If wanted, the party is ambushed by a bounty hunter who scouts with a hawk. The hunter is high on a cliff and has the sun to his back. (Inspired by sharpshooters Lucio Montoya, and Fernando Herra)

12. Silk Gloves - If wanted, a bounty hunter attempts a ride-by shooting off horseback. The hunter will open with a shotgun then switch to revolvers. The hunter will attempt to flee after his ride-by. (Based on assassin Joel Fowler)

13. The Collector - A note will show up if the party has a astronomical bounty and sleeps indoors (example a hotel). The owner will hand the note to the party and claim a man who smelled of wet animals gave it to him. The note will politely ask the party to turn themselves over to the local authorities. If ignored a second note will appear, found close by after sleeping. Maybe on a nightstand, or next to them at a campsite. The second note will explicitly be signed, and a hazy shadow can be occasionally seen on the horizon. If the party camps at night after the second note, The Collector will ambush the party. The party is illuminated by their campfire, and The Collector uses a long range rifle. After the ambush, the Collector will occasionally sabotage the party, attempting to force a negotiation. (Based on the methods used by assassin Tom Horn)

14. Evans - A one armed lawman attempts to arrest a drifter for assaulting patrons in a saloon. The lawman is doused with alcohol then shot at close range, being lit on fire. The following day a bounty is issued for "Evans." (Based on Jesse Evans' slaying of one armed lawyer Huston Chapman)

15. The Siegemaster - A man asks for help, he's been shot in the gut and asks to be taken to a doctor. The man is a wanted. He's a rustler who operates by sieging ranches then stealing their cattle once they're holed up. (Based on Jesse Evans' sheep raid near Tularosa where his partner Tom Hill was slain. Also inspired by the Beckwith Ranch sieges).

16. Lonely Tavern - The party has come across a roadside tavern / inn, the people show great hospitality offering free food and drinks. If the party joins this feast, they're served food tainted by Death Camas. If they eat they become sick and a trapdoor falls and locks them inside. (Based on the crimes of serial killers Charles Kennedy, the Bender family, and Kelly Fanily).

17. Well Man's Ale - If the party are ever in a large span of desert with little civilization, a house with a large adobe wall is found. Resembling a small fortress. The owner employs half a dozen men to protect his house. It's the only water around for dozens of miles, and is claimed to be supplied by a 200 foot well he dug himself. The surrounding area has many attempted wells dug in the area, but none ever reached water. These well sites are referred to as "The Follies." Lawmen, outlaws, bounty hunters, and civilians respect the Well Man's law and authority within his domain. (Based on the city of Aleman, and well digger Jack Martin).

18. Poor Will - If the players ever do a cattle drive they're met by 3 cowboys who show them the ropes. Isaac, a completely green cowboy. James, an experienced soldier and cowboy of a few seasons. William, a wise old timer with over half a century on the frontier. William is among the first easterns to head west. At some point the party is attacked by a seemingly endless number of attackers. The friendly cowboys flee the scene, recommending the players to follow. At some point William will lag behind. Will the party stand by Poor Will? (Based on politician James Hinkle's early cattledrives).

19. Rye Whiskey - A posse is forming to capture a bootlegger. The bootlegger was originally wanted for smuggling but now is charged with murder. A lawman was slain. The bootlegger claims the lawman was slain by his own posse. The previous posse claims the bootlegger fired upon the sheriff during negotiations. The posse will eventually attempt to burn out the bootlegger with torches. (Based on the death of lawman James Bermuda Carlyle).

20. Valley of Apples - A festival is held in a river community. A local old timer claims their family planted many of the original fruit trees over 40 years ago with help from a local folk hero and outlaw. The festival concludes with a potato sack race along the river. The race is two teams, one on each side of the river. (Based on George Coe's account of planting trees with Billy the Kid).

21. Chicken Thief - A community keeps having their chickens stolen by an unknown thief. The thief is taunting the townsfolk with anonymous statements in a local paper. Eventually the town will employ guard dogs which are also stolen, leading to more taunts. (Based on a 1880's news article where a thief tormented a saloon owner named Montague).

22. The Counterfeiter - The party has acquired a number of fake coins during a trade. They can turn over these coins to local authorities or investigate the matter themselves. The Counterfeiter clips coins then uses the clipped material to plate handmade coins with electrolysis. His sons exchange these coins at a low rate with an outlaw gang for legitimate currency. The outlaws then buy and traffic stolen horses and goods from region to region, effectively laundering them for real coins, goods, and animals. (Based on the life and methods of counterfeiter William E. Brockway).

23. Leper War - Stigma prevents lepers from interacting with much of society. A community attempted to evict a group of lepers from their nearby commune due to fear of leprosy spreading by "bad air." A member was slain and the community has issued a bounty on the Leper colony. The Lepers have united under someone going by the Leper King. Despite the Leper King's current condition he is a deadly marksman and uses a long range rifle. (Based on the Leper Wars, and Koolau the Leper).

24. Cost of a Drink - Two local villages are in dispute of a river. One is high in the mountains and the other is in a low valley. The mountain village has dammed the river and the valley village is organizing a posse. Their last posse was severely outnumbered and annihilated. The current posse members are of dubious character, morals, and motivations, but they're people willing to fight. The valley village's posse is technically illegal as their constable was slain in the last confrontation. (Inspired by the Tularosa Ditch War)

25. Ghost Ranch - Rumour says a canyon nearby is haunted or inhabited by witches. The canyon is filled with graves and crosses. A man wishing to be left alone lives in the canyon. He claims he pays bar patrons to spread the rumours, and the graves are fake and hold no bodies. (Inspired by Greathouse Station, and the Abiquiu Ghost Ranch).

26. Inferno - A explosion in a mine has triggered a fire. A survivor manages to climb through a ventilation tunnel. The survivor says a large number of miners are now trapped within. (Based on the Dawson Mine tragedies).

27. Star Routes - The mail service is hiring private couriers to take letters from post offices in cities to small rural communities. These are known as star routes, as the letters are marked with blue stars. (Inspired by real life counterpart Star Routes).

28. The Prizefighter - A prizefight is held between a large farmer and a travelling boxer. Upon further inspection the boxer is otherworldly skilled. The players can challenge him to a match for money or attempt to expose his secret. (Inspired by Robert Fitzsimmons fights against James Jefferies).

29. Greatest Showman - A Carnival rolls into town showcasing a number of exotic beasts including tigers and elephants. The animals are revealed to be people using glamour and animal skins. The townsfolk are a mix between and anger and laughter. (Inspired by P. T Barnum).

30. Long Lost John - A lone man is seen at a campfire. He waves the party over, asking if they'd like to eat a meal. The camper will say he's a soldier on a long march to "the fort." If the players sleep at the camp, upon waking up the camper is gone and no footprints can be seen. Left behind is a small stack of edible supplies scavenged from the area. (Inspired by the folklore song Lost John).

31. Point of Rocks - The party comes across a large hidden pool in a granite monolith which stands over 400 feet high. There's petroglyphs and signatures near. The signatures dating several hundred years and the petroglyphs being several thousand. (Inspired by El Moro Monument, and the Point of Rocks paraje)

32. Alkaline - A spring is found if the party is low on water, supplies, or in a large desert. The water is milky and white. Does the party risk drinking? (Based on Apache oral history of settlers drinking "bad water" from alkali sources)

33. Discharged - A person is asked to turn over weapons in a saloon. They oblige by angrily slamming a pistol on the counter. It fires and hits a patron. (Based on a discharge that occured in the 1890's, wounding a sitting judge)

34. Green Sleeves - A person is found rotting in the sun. Their shirt sleeves are ripped off and wrapped around their feet. They have no shoes. (Based on outlaw Johnny Ringo's death)

35. Knuckles - Two skeletons are found. One of a man wrapped to a tree. The other a horse. (Based on the death of trader Bernard Gruber)

36. Lone Praire - A man is found deceased. He's holding an oil rag, a bottle of turpentine, and a revolver. (Inspired by oral history)

37. Walcott - A rancher is pinned under a wagon, he's severely wounded. The rancher is wanted in a nearby community for slaughtering the communities sheep. (Inspired by rancher and criminal A. J. Alcott).

38. Ringing Copper - A eccentric is starting a pilgrimage. He wields a large copper staff that can be heard for miles. (Inspired by the story of Francis Schlatter).

39. The Bodysnatcher - A doctor who usually experiments on those executed by law is seeking other bodies. He requests graverobbing. (Inspired by Burke and Hare).

40. Grey Robes - The party meets a thin monk in discolored robes. He claims he was held in an underground prison. (Inspired by the story of trader Bernard Gruber).

41. Thirty Left Ten Arrived - A caravan claims they were ambushed a few days earlier. They had a thirty person caravan and only ten are left. (Based on a caravan of settler ambushed in Texas during the Texas-Comanche wars).

42. Run for Your Life - This is used only to prevent a total party kill or player death. The players are spared, captured, then relieved of their weapons, money, and any valuables. They're asked one question, how fast can they run? (Inspired by John Colter's and Tom Tobin's famous "runs").

I was a big fan of The Expanse when it was airing but I'm just now getting around to reading the books. Has anyone here played the RPG from Green Ronin? I really like the setting and I'm wondering how the system compares to something like Traveler, Starfinder, Mothership, etc.

...and did it work out as you hoped or flop?

Pretty broad, I'm talking anything that changed the game for a particular effect that you wouldn't add to just any game, and that you probably couldn't use with the same players again.

As an example, I ran a Heart oneshot for newer players where they had to loosely base their PCs on characters from fairytales or folklore, which worked great.

I'm not really talking about premises for a game, it's a pretty blurred distinction though. And it's got to be at least kinda unique/original - not like "all the players were clerics" or whatever.

I'm after game recs that have the tropes you see with Illidan/Demon Hunters in Warcraft, Diablo 3's Demon Hunter, or the early access game Witchfire.

Character advancement should be sourced from defeating edgy dark entities and used to gain new abilities. This might be coupled with a loss of self/humanity.

I'm already aware of Eat the Reich, Apocalypse Keys, and the WoD games that touch on this - what other lesser known games could scratch this itch?

For example, I keep finding myself coming back to the random tables in Ironsworn for things like generating NPCs.

Are there any games that you find yourself coming back to for the GM tools regardless of the game you're actually playing?

I’ve seen people spend a lot of time looking for groups online, but I rarely see people talk about what happens after they actually find one. My group fell apart a few months ago and now I’m curious about other people’s stories.

For those of you who have joined groups with strangers:

• How many groups have you been part of that didn’t last?
• What caused them to fall apart?
• Were there any red flags you wish you’d known before joining?
• What would have helped you decide in advance if the group was a good fit?

I would love to hear people’s experiences and I’d like to find out if the biggest problem is usually scheduling, playstyle differences, personality clashes, expectations, or something else.