Tabletop roleplaying games (D&D, FATE, OSR, Pathfinder ...)

[Memory]

Heya,

I noticed we don't yet have a thread for tabletop RPGs which is a travesty!

So, if you play any RPG, feel free to share your favorite system and fun gaming stories from your table, virtual or not!
And perhaps we could even host our own games some time...

My personal favorite system is FATE (Accelerated more than Core). It's a narrative-first system that basically attempts to emulate the kind of storytelling that you'd see in other media like movies, games and books, more than the simulationist approach that other games have, where simulating a mechanics-gated number-based experience is the focus, with stats and math and calculations.

For example, in FATE, you get "FATE points", which is a metacurrency that allows you to invoke one of your "aspects" (think bullet points that describe concepts; like "skilled bowsman" or "notorious liar") for a character moment, like in a movie. This leads to the game mechanically incentivizing the structure of, say, a movie or a TV show, where sometimes character or location traits suddenly become plot relevant. In contrast, there's no big stats or long ability sheets: it's a very free form and collaborative narrative-first game.

[Memory]

Additionally, I am seeking to try out the indie RPG Shadowdark later this week!

It's kind of like a modern re-imagining of old school dungeon crawlers like AD&D, full of the classics like four classes, orks, wizards and dungeon maps, but streamlined with plenty of fun QOL features.

It's gonna be on Kickstarter later this month but there's already a free demo out there that I'll play.

And they even have a zine!!

[tarraxahum]

I'm a big old newb, never DM'd and only played a couple of one-shots on a Dragon Age TTRPG base EXCEPT for the fact that right now my best friend is running our first ever major long DnD 5e campaign. It's slow since, you know, adults and schedules, but I'd say we're doing good.

Naturally, I play a barbarian-based (I mean, she's a barbarian class but not what you'd traditionally call a barbarian backstory-wise) soldier character who's been bravely soaking all the damage in every major fight while rogue and warlock extremely regret that none of us took up any healing or potion-making or ANYTHING to help us not die

As much as they appreciate me being the damage magnet in battle, I feel like my character is going to get an intervention soon... Especially after taking a full boss electric attack to the chest, extremely up close, to shield two friendly NPCs the last session...

And also someone's gonna throw my dice away for getting the most nat 20 out of the team. Hey, at least I carry!

As far as other systems go, I've been drooling all over the Cyberpunk 2020/Red, even kinda thought of trying to run it, but I'm a scaredy cat and it looks complicated    Also as mentioned above gathering together (even on Discord) for one campaign is a struggle, I don't think we can pull off two (and playing with unfamiliar people is too much for my anxious butt). But maybe someday!

[sig]

In theory I like TTRPGs, but in practice I haven't really had a good time with any yet... Mostly because the few times I've played them, it was DnD amateur hour with people doing things in ways I don't-really to really-don't like. I'm also really bad at commitment to a longer campaign, so it's pretty hard for me to get back into it again because I don't want to say 'yes' and then never show my face again  There's a lot of cool tabletop RPGs I've seen around though, so I definitely want to try playing some one-shots again  I'll be keeping an eye on this thread in any case!

[Memory]

Mostly because the few times I've played them, it was DnD amateur hour with people doing things in ways I don't-really to really-don't like.

I'm curious - what were these things?

[appleAlc]

I personally prefer VtM, VtR (and their...many cousins), & Ironclaw as my TTRPGs of choice. I've always been more interested in them for the drama, the acting, than some of the more mechanistic, combat-heavy things that D&D often prioritises. I want to try Call of Cthulhu, but I've not had the chance

[Memory]

I've always been more interested in them for the drama, the acting, than some of the more mechanistic, combat-heavy things that D&D often prioritises.

Have you tried out systems like Fate that encourage much less reliance on mechanism and numbers and more on narrative and cinematic moments?

[Memory]

I'm also really bad at commitment to a longer campaign, so it's pretty hard for me to get back into it again because I don't want to say 'yes' and then never show my face again

This is my main issue as well. I have played Pathfinder and D&D a couple times each, but I couldn't commit to a regular schedule especially when we were meeting in a different city than I lived in. I tried to join in over Skype a couple times, but it wasn't as fun when everyone else was in the same room and I was the odd man out.

That said, I absolutely loved playing the few times I was able to, but I think that it really depends on who you're playing with. I was always with a group of friends who didn't take things too seriously, so we wasted a lot of time joking around but nobody minded.

In both instances I ended up playing as a bard. My Pathfinder character was named Hans Olo and could summon instruments out of thin air. We didn't realize it was limited to handheld instruments, though, so for combat encounters I would summon a piano over the enemies' heads.

For D&D my character was named Jazz Saxman, who physically resembled Israel Kamakawiwoʻole because I love that guy (RIP). The DM let me start with a custom Battle Sax weapon, which was basically a saxophone with an axe blade on the bell. I died in the first combat encounter :P

These days I mostly watch D&D actual plays on YouTube. My favourites are Oxventure and Dimension 20's The Unsleeping City.

Oxventure and Dicebreaker also played a couple rounds of Lasers and Feelings, which is a really simplified RPG that I want to introduce to my friends and family.

I also want to try out One More Multiverse. It looks like a great way to play TTRPGs online in a style that mimics digital RPGs.

[sig]

I'm curious - what were these things?

Some games that were mildly fun but went nowhere because nobody really knew how to play, some plain boring games with people I didn't really like, but the cherry on the pie was the time where We Started In A Tavern and one guy started rules-lawyering first turn. Like from the bat started arguing with the DM. And started to fight the rest of the party when we tried to stop him from doing weird shit in the game. I was there for like two hours maybe and I left before my turn came up: apparently they never even made it out of the tavern, so good call on my end...

The kicker is that they later found out that the One Guy's character's background/motivation said 'has a good heart, always helps those in need' which is the richest joke I've ever heard lmao

[Memory]

I have just been entered into a game of Fate Core this Saturday! Woo

[_ghost_]

Powered by the Apocalypse systems have been what have really inspired me to get deeper into ttrpgs as a hobby and to be more confident in running games, and also are the kind of games I've played the most of, so I think I'll always have to recommend them. For those unfamiliar, PbtA is a category of games that take significant inspiration from the game Apocalypse World; what counts as "significant inspiration" can vary wildly, but these days PbtA has come to be recognized as typically using 2d6 and for having a format centered around playbooks and moves rather than classes and skill checks. A good chunk of them are very light mechanically and end up just being hacks and reflavorings of the more popular games (often Monster of the Week, in particular), but a lot of them do really interesting things with the concepts established in Apocalypse World; they're more geared towards looking at a game as a collaborative story rather than a mechanically driven challenge, quest, or dungeon crawl.

Not every PbtA game is good, but when they're good, they're really good. I highly recommend Monsterhearts, and while I haven't played Blades in the Dark yet, it looks fantastic (Blades also inspired its own off-shoot of Powered by the Apocalypse called Forged in the Dark, which takes a lot of the same principles but adds some more moving parts).

I also have a love for some quirky one-page games. Honey Heist is a classic in the one-page world for a reason.

[GhostGrrl]

A good chunk of them are very light mechanically and end up just being hacks and reflavorings of the more popular games (often Monster of the Week, in particular) /font]

I somehow didn't know that Monster of the Week is pbta.

I haven't played Blades in the Dark yet, it looks fantastic (Blades also inspired its own off-shoot of Powered by the Apocalypse called Forged in the Dark, which takes a lot of the same principles but adds some more moving parts).

  I have owned Blades in the Dark for a while but I still haven't gotten a chance to play it. I struggle with running games I haven't played in already (._.).

This thread reminded me that I have to do game prep. I have been running the Magnus Archive Rpg for some friends for a while now. It's kind of been a struggle, as I mentioned earlier I have trouble running systems I haven't played in before. I know that my players are having fun but I feel like I have trouble with stakes and putting the pcs in real danger. For the first time in my life I feel like I need a system with more rules. I'm still working on getting the rules down for the game and hopefully the campaign keeps getting better as I get the hang of the system.

Story wise a few sessions ago my players spent a good 20 minutes debating on whether or not to go down a trap door into a cellar. There wasn't anything in the cellar.  It is super funny to see my friends make up threats that aren't there.     

[_ghost_]

I have been running the Magnus Archive Rpg for some friends for a while now. It's kind of been a struggle, as I mentioned earlier I have trouble running systems I haven't played in before.

I also struggle running new systems, which is why I like lighter systems; PbtA games in particular are less intimidating a lot of the time due to the similarities. Once you've played Monster of the Week, a lot of the games that come after feel familiar.

Is the Magnus rpg good? I don't own it but I've been intrigued by it. I've been a fan of the podcast for years and like the idea of using that lore in a game, but I was curious what the mechanics look like. All of the art I've seen from it is really cool, but I've never heard anything about how it plays.

[Rosaria Delacroix]

Something mentioned in the original post is the possibility of hosting a game with fellow forum members: this is something I'd be really excited about! I'd be happy to provide a copy of the gamebooks that I prefer to use to group members (Tangled Blessings, and Butterfly Court, both of which are indie gamebooks: which are built on the Anamnesis engine and the No Dice No Masters system (based on the Belonging Outside Belonging group of games.)

I love writing play-by-post TTRPGs, and keep logs of my writing on my personal website on their own little rabbit warren's worth of pages (that give a sense of my writing style). At the moment, I mostly just write with some friends 1v1 over on Discord, since that's easiest. I have pretty extensive experience in playing the Game Master/Dungeon Master role for groups, (primarily 3-6 players) though I prefer GM/DM-less systems. If other adults are interested, this would be cool to talk about sometime.

[haumeaGeth]

I'm a huuuge TTRPG nut. I get a lot of joy out of trying out different systems. So far I've played D&D 5e, Call of Cthulu, MÖRK BORG, and a game called This Discord Has Ghosts in It (I think it counts as a TTRPG?? It's an RPG at least-), as well as a ton of solo games. I've also dabbled with GURPS and an indie game called HEXFALL, both of which I'm dying to revisit. I've got an absurd amount of indie games downloaded and some others on a list on my computer - at the top of which is Mausritter. I haven't even started the campaign I just finished prepping and I already have the core concept down in my head. You get to play! A tiny little mouse! With your tiny little acorn shield in your tiny little Resident Evil-styled inventory slots!!

Back when I played D&D, I just played characters, but I feel like I really hit my stride as a DM. I've been hounding my players for feedback, but they've yet to think of any to give me and I don't know if I should be afraid or proud. It's such a satisfying creative outlet though. Let's just hope I manage to avoid spoiling any of the plot for my first full campaign...

My personal favorite system is FATE

I've been super into roleplay-heavy games recently; this one sounds super awesome! The aim to make it movie-esque sounds like something my players would eat right up. Adding it to my list!

Powered by the Apocalypse systems have been what have really inspired me to get deeper into ttrpgs as a hobby and to be more confident in running games

I'm just about to start a full-length Glitter Hearts campaign, the magical girl PbtA system.
This is my first time playing a PbtA system actually! Did a little beta test the other night to get a sense for how it played, and it's looking real nice so far. Also homebrewed a special move for one player to fit their character's race and it was surprisingly easy to balance in a way that also felt satisfying for them to play. Very very stoked for the first session.

Butterfly Court

Yooo I got Butterfly Court in an itch.io bundle a bit ago! I haven't played it yet, but everything else from the bundle has been an absolute blast. Very cool to see someone else appreciating indie TTRPGs like that

I'd also be super interested in play-by-post TTRPGs. I used to do freeform forum RPs when I was a teenager, and even though I was interested, I was too scared to try an actual TTRPG like that at the time. How does it work exactly? I find there's a lot of OOC discussion that happens during the game - double checking rules, confirming whether or not someone understands where something is spatially, asking for minor details; is stuff like that just handled in a separate OOC thread? I still write freeform RPs with my husband and some friends in Discord and that's how we usually handle it, but I wasn't exactly a decent writer back when I was on RP forums, so I don't know how others handled this aspect xD