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

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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!

[Guest]

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

[Guest]

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?

[Guest]

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

[Guest]

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