My Top Ten TTRPGs

Happy 2026. Dusting off the old blog and dropping one that a lot of Dungeon Tubers are doing. In spite of being a Caucasian Male TTRPG player over the age of 50, I have yet to set up a Dungeon Tube of my own, so I'm dropping it here. For my dozen or so I hope you are all doing well. I can't believe I had over a hundred views on the last Astroprisma one. I haven't played it in a while now, but it remains a fun game that I enjoyed and it makes the list.

10. Deadlands (Pinnacle Entertainment Group): This one is weird west setting and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I didn't play it enough for it to go any further up the chain. I remember a few characters I ran--"Stone Cold" Ken Masters who was me doing a piss-poor Steve Austin getting blown away by a rifleman is very memorable and there was a gambler I played at a convention one time when I lived out in the UAE--for me the best mechanic was using the poker cards. I never tried the D20 or Savage Worlds version, so I can't speak to those but the original was fun.

09. Vampire: The Masquerade (White Wolf): For a time there in the 90's, this was the go to. My group played in a lot of the old World of Darkness and the various supplements. Dice pool system, but it felt like an easy one compared to some of the things I've encountered today. I still have the first edition of the core rule book and may revisit it someday. 08. Heroes Unlimited (Palladium): It's a super hero game with the Palladium engine. I also had plenty of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the various supplements. I remember reading the books like crazy and playing a few games in high school and as a recent graduate, but not enough to place it any higher on the list. Nowadays when I want rules light and just can't keep up with what characters can do even in 5th edition, I just don't think Palladium books can make the cut. 07.Marvel Super Heroes (TSR): You know and love FASERIP. This is the main supers game we played at a time in my life when Marvel was doing now wrong. I recently re-acquired them and hope to play again soon. My Mandela Effect affected brain doesn't remember if I started with this or with some half-hearted attempt at D&D, but as I remember it today, this is what started me on the journey. 06. Ryuutama:Natural Fantasy RPG (Kotodama Heavy Industries): For quite some time this was the number one RPG in Japan. It was billed as "Miyazaki meets The Oregon Trail" and that pretty much covers it. Two unique elements to this game: 1. Travel is the focus 2. The GM has his own character--a dragon called a Ryuujin. It grows along along with the players and tries to help them succeed. It's very rules light and a lot of fun. (I put two newer games on my list which may prove to be usurpers as time goes on. I used to proselytize for Ryuutama all the time. It's a really light-hearted fun game worth a shot. I'm sure it would be a great one to solo) 05.Cyberpunk 2020 (R. Talsorian Games) I don't want to separate things by edition too much, but RED--the current edition--could be up here in about the same spot. RED is a little easier to learn as I understand, but I really haven't played or run it, so 2020 it is. A lot of fun to be had here and I have both played and run online. The setting is what makes this game for me. Everyone should watch Edgerunners if they haven't. 04.Astroprisma (Crescent Chimera) another new one which is kind of a sister game to Shadow Dark in my mind. It has a similar creation backstory and creator--another young woman who jumped on the shoulders of giants and surpassed them streamlining some of the tedium of games that came before. It was a successful Kickstarter...it just didn't quite break the bank like Shadow Dark did. This is Sci-Fi space exploration geared for solo play with later expansion for groups to play together. Build a ship, explore a sector and get into trouble with various factions in the dystopian future. 03. The Roleplaying Game of the Planet of the Apes (Magnetic Press/West End): I love the ruleset, the supplements and the setting. This is a new one and I haven't been able to run one for the group. This is a variant of the D6 West End games like Star Wars. It looks so good and I'm working on my campaign/one shot planning now. The little solo part in the book was more like a Choose Your Own Adventure, but a more complex Solo expansion is on the way. 02. Shadow Dark (Arcane Library): I've run this a few times. I haven't quite gotten a continuous campaign out of it, but it's fun to read, has interesting art, and is supported by a growing community. Everyone in the Dungeon Tube audience has to know about it unless they've been living under a rock. 01. D&D 5E (WOTC 2014): Unpopular opinion in these circles, but for better or for worse, I've played it more than anything else. The mechanics are solid and easy enough for anyone to play who has an interest. I prefer Shadow Dark. I honestly had more fun with 4E and I grew up with 2E and played in a cool OSRIC campaign just before Wuhan Flu, but at the end of the day, I've played more 5E with more people in person and online than I've ever played in any of the other games over the previous 40-ish years of playing. It comes down to who is running the game and who you're playing with as far as the cringy/woke bits are concerned and the 2024 update is a bridge too far, but this version has been the most popular for a reason.

Take care...hopefully, I won't make it a complete ghost town in here in 2026..Also, Happy Year of the Horse...CNY is on the way you know!

RPG A Day 2022--Day 27--How Has Your Character Changed?

This will be the shortest one yet. We're still talking about Navi Brightheart, the Green Ryuujin from the TTRPG Ryuutama. Navi has maxed out, so she has a lot more powers, artifacts, life points and spell slots. Note that I have put her into my 5E smash-up campaign and though I haven't had to tweak much of what she can do, some of her powers aren't prudent to the 5E mechanics. The best thing I can say is that when the characters were low-level, she had to help out a lot. Now that the characters are higher level, her powers aren't nearly as impressive as they once were. That's the way it should be as the PCs are the stars. 

RPG A Day 2022: Day 26--Why Does Your Character Do What They Do?

We're still talking about Navi Brightheart--the green Ryuujin from Ryuutma. In my current campaign, Navi is trying to help the people of Haven by raising up a group of heroes to help rescue the long missing Silver Princess. Again, this is my take on the infamous classic module 'Palace of the Silver Princess'. There is a vague mention of 'Protectors' in at least one of the versions of this module. These Protectors are largely powerless to help the PC's but they do get the party together and help them to bypass a curse that has kept most other people out of the Silver Palace. I just made my Ryuujin to be one of the Protectors. She's more powerful and proactive than the Protectors in the module--and probably more than most Ryuujin. I let her take the party to the fey world of Nonestica--of which the land of Oz is a part. Most Ryuujin are content to gather stories of the party they are a part of which they in turn record and tell to larger 'Seasonal Dragons'. Once the Ryuujin has maxed out her level, the 'Seasonal Dragon' will have grown up and left the nest. The Ryuujin can then leave her charges, find a new group, or stay with her party and and maybe raise a new 'Seasonal Dragon'. Navi maxed out a long time ago, but she still wants to see the people of Haven get their fairytale princess back, so she'll try to stick with them until she sees it through. 

RPG A Day 2022--Day 25--Where has that Character Been?

 Still talking about the Ryuujin, Navi Brightheart. She's been to the past, she's been to Haven--the home setting for 'Palace of the Silver Princess, which is the module I'm allegedly running, but you wouldn't recognize it--and back to her homeland of Nonestica--the world of Oz. 

We could just end it right there, but the most interesting place this character has actually been is inside the minds and bodies of missing PCs. When in Haven, Navi takes possession of a marionette that serves as her avatar. This puppet is her first form as a Ryuujin and--at earlier levels--the only means of interacting with the PCs physically. When a player was absent from a game, I had the puppet sit with the missing character and "strings" would come from the marionette and enter them. Navi could then control the character but it moved in a perky-jerky fashion like when Freddy controlled the puppet kid. That character couldn't talk and could only perform basic actions. This worked well in Haven, but now that I have missing players when the characters are in Nonestica/Oz with the pixie version of Navi beside them, it doesn't make any narrative sense. I usually just say the character with the missing player now has Flutterbudgets and is too nervous and freaked out to say anything or move. So here and there characters are going in and out of a catatonic state. Oh, well. 

RPG A Day 2022: Day 24--When Did You Start Playing This Character?

We're still talking about Navi Brightheart, my Ryuujin GM character taken out of the Ryuutama TTRPG to my current campaign. I started playing as Navi back in November. That said, I played a similar Green Ryuujin named Kira Kira in an actual Ryuutama campaign some years ago.  The Ryuujin themselves are a gimmick. Like any character the way I play the personality is up to me, but the mechanics are the same. If I wanted to play a blue, red or black Ryuujin instead, there would be a bit of a difference in mechanics and supposedly tone of the campaign that it is a part of, but for me the green ones were more appealing. Also, on this subject, those in the know say the average campaign only lasts for like six sessions these days. My campaign be 30 sessions deep this Sunday. 

I used this one as Kira Kira's human form. She may be a famous anime character, but I didn't recognize her.

RPG A Day 2023--Day 23--What Situation is Your Character Currently In?

Navi Brightheart--the Ryuujin I've brought over from Ryuutam and wrote about yesterday--is currently leading a party of five adventurers through her home world of Nonestica. Nonestica is one of the Feylands. The most famous location within this world is the land of Oz. The PCs with Navi at their side are investigating strange plague that causes the victim to lose its shadow. The end result is this shadowless victim fades into non-existence. Possibly worse yet is that some victims have their shadows taken over by demonic beings. These shadow beings control the bodies they have taken over and make their hosts do many wicked things. The party is making it's way toward the Yellow Brick Road and has just met TikTok the clockwork soldier--one of many Oz characters that can be used as NPCs  or pre-made characters. 

This setting is from a KS project I backed. The physical books are on the way and possibly already available at the FLGS or online. 

https://www.doublecritical.com/games/adventures-in-oz-5e-rpg

RPG A Day 2022: Day 22--Who is Your Current Character?

 I run more than I play, but as I mentioned yesterday, Ryuutama does offer the special Ryuujin character and mine's name is Navi Brightheart. I make her like her namesake from The Legend of Zelda and have her say, "Hey, Listhen" every chance I get and she does retain an extra fondness for elves. The Ryuujin has  three main forms that interact with the PCs. There is a small form that hangs around with them that could be anything that keeps turning up. Navi is a small marionette in this form. The second form is her real self. For Navi that is the green pixie from 5E. Finally, there is the dragon form which for Navi is a green dragon. The Ryuujin is like a permanent NPC, but once one is maxed out, their usefulness to the party vs. the usefulness of the high-level PCs tends to fade--which is probably as it should be. Navi is no "Mary Sue" saving PCs all the time--in fact, NPCs are technically, mechanically better than her at this point in my campaign, but she can still help out here and there, and I like playing her. 

RPG A Day 2022--Day 21: Setting Sunday: Share an Intriguing Detail From a Game Setting You Enjoy

How much shorter can the answers get? A couple from the "setting" for Ryuutama. The Ryuujin--a DM/GM character in the system--has several meta powers once they are full-level. If someone rolls a natural 1 a bucket of water falls from the sky and lands on their head. It causes light damage, but the character gets to keep the bucket. Also, once per game, if a player is talking aloud and speculates on something like--With our luck the gold's probably fake--it will actually happen. It makes the players be careful about what they're saying. The Ryuujin decides when it happens, so usually that means only the bad stuff. 

RPG A Day 2022: Day 7 System Sunday--Describe a Cool Part of a System that You Love.

 I don't think a year has gone by in my participation with the RPG a Day experiment that I haven't talked a little about Ryuutama. This system is a traditional rules lite fantasy TTRPG coming out of Japan. It is whimsical in tone and described as Miyazaki meets Oregon Trail due to its focus on travel. The feature that I'm going to talk about is the GM character called the Ryuujin. 

The Ryuujin are small, lesser Dragons in this setting that are raising what are called Seasonal Dragons. These powerful Seasonal Dragons grow by hearing the Ryuujin tell stories about the adventures of the party. The Ryuujin come in four colors: Green, Azure, Crimson, and Black. Each color has its own features and also gives a hint to the tone of the campaign. Greens are general, Azures are love/family, Crimsons are action, and Blacks are sorrow/death. 

Many TTRPG commentators will tell you that the DM/GM should never have his own character as a part of the party. I can see that--especially when it comes to leveling up a DM/GM character alongside the other PCs--as these types of characters potentially steal the spotlight from the players. What's more the GM/DM character knows all the secrets if GM/DM wants him to. The Ryuujin is a bit different and works to put the spotlight on the PCs. I would say they are about as helpful as 'Dungeon Master' in the old D&D cartoon except they do level up--on their own scale--and the powers that they have can help or hinder the party...whatever makes for a more interesting story. 

I've taken to using the gimmick in every campaign I run. Having a Ryuujin in a fantasy setting fits seamlessly, but even in a setting like Cyberpunk, having a similarly powered permanent NPC embedded in the group gives the GM/DM a voice within the narrative that is distinct from his role as arbiter and lessens the burden of coming up with a parade of NPCs that just happen to be there right in time when the players need them. 

RPG A Day. 2022: Day 6--How Would You Get More People Playing RPGs?

I think the interest is there, but as "big" as RPGs have become--specifically D&D in the States and Call of Cthulhu internationally--they are still niche and small potatoes. Generally speaking, people have neither the time nor the desire to read books that are over 200 pages long. If they have a life with responsibilities, they probably can't play any more than three hours a week--if they're lucky--whether they desire to do so or not. For all the 80's and beyond 'Satanic Panic' and today's Culture Wars that show supposed evils in the hobby, the one constant and true "evil" is that our hobby is a time sink. It can be a money sink too, but that's up to the individual. There are enough options these days to play for free and legally. It's the time and lack thereof that is the biggest deterrent to regular, sustained play. What should we do?

1. Explain the rules in a simplified way: You should be able to explain the rules as if you were giving an elevator pitch in a movie. As I mentioned yesterday, if you don't have time for a session zero, that one shot  can take a good ten to fifteen minutes to get the rules and general concept communicated to newbs, and they'll get lost no matter what you say, so it's better to get right on it. Say something like:  "It's like playing cowboys and indigenous peoples, but we roll dice when the outcome of an action is in doubt"

2. Choose a rules light system: Several games I've played lately could be considered 'rules light', but they're not 'kiddie' strictly speaking. In fact, I've found a few "kiddie" games in searching for an easier entry-level game for my young daughter that had more "crunch" and high-concept rules than she would ever be able to play with.  The stories and settings may be kid friendly, but the rules sure weren't. I choose games like ICRPG, Tiny Dungeon, Ryuutama and the Deathbringer supplement are all easy to get into. Any system that is D6 based like 'Tiny Dungeon' is going to infinitely easier to the beginner just because we're all familiar with the D6 dice. I haven't played Deathbringer, but I understand it is only pamphlet sized.

3. Choose basic race/roles/class: If I want more people playing--and staying at the table--I have to follow K.I.S.S. procedure. Letting an inexperienced user play some crazy race, advanced role or class--Magic User (fantasy) or Netrunner (cyberpunk)--won't be good for the players or the DM. There was a reason why D&D had basic and advanced versions way back when. In the case like the Netrunner in cyberpunk, it would be better to regulate that to NPC only no matter how interested the player may be in running one. You don't want any gimmicky race or class slowing down the game for the others at the table while you deal with them.

4. Keep the sessions shorter:Err on the shorter side for the session and leave the players wanting more. YMMV but for me and wanting more people to play means making the session shorter. I normally play at three hours max and we have managed to have a weekly game for the most part since last November. Once in a great while we may run over, but my goal is to always finish under. It's hard to clear out even three hours for the Average Joe on a consistent basis nowadays. Those 8 hour marathons from our youth are out of the question--consistently. If you want to play regularly, it has to be a short session. The creator who's able to create a system that can provide satisfying results after one hour of play could make a mint.

I'll end it here to practice what I preach, but in summary, if we can simplify the rules and run quicker games, more people are likely to get into playing and keep playing.   

RPGaDAY2021:Day 20--Ally

 #RPGaDAY2021 Rolled a '4' and got Ally for today.

That's definitely a buzzword that I could rant about, but I have vowed to be positive until the end of the month, so I'll let it go.

When I think about allies within the game I'm usually thinking of permanent NPC's that help the players out. It happened that I just talked about Ryuutama yesterday, but I'll mention it again as it is one of the few TTRPGs that I'm aware of wherein the DM/GM has his own character which is a dragon called a Ryujin they level up and everything right alongside the players. The color of this Ryujin also gives the players a hint about what kind of themes should be present in that particular campaign. It is an ally to the PCs with it's own special moves and goals. With any luck this character doesn't overshadow the PCs as one of it's goals is to record a good story about heroes.

After having a good time playing this character, I tried to create similar when using different systems. I had a media character I played in a Cyberpunk 2020 campaign named CoCo Lopez--as I represented her by some unkonwn cosplayer. She ended up being one of my favorite characters to play even though she was what some people call a DMPC. She really changed my mind about having a DMPC. If you keep them from turning into "Mary/Gary Sues" and let the PCs remain the focus, they can really be an additional voice and ally to the player without having to hit the them over the head over and over again with clues and whatnot using your DM authority.

RPGaDAY2021: Day 19--Style

#RPGaDAY2021 we're at day 19 and my vacation is ticking away. Today I rolled up 'style'.

Keeping these things extra short especially this deep into the month.

My favorite style of game is going to be rules light. Apart from 5E which I definitely think fits the description, I have fun with Ryuutama and ICRPG--and its spin-offs--because they are relatively easy. Most people have neither the time nor the desire to read through the rules. It turns them off right away. During play nowadays I have to look at a 3-hr max. I can go shorter...I might even go slightly longer...but the days of the epic session are long behind me. I don't play with the 'wild teen' tangent, but I do teach and I just don't think most of them have the attention spans to hang past a 3hr session even if they have the time.

RPG A Day 2020: Day 15--Frame

 RPG A Day 2020: Day 15—Frame

We’re suddenly just about at the half-way point for this year’s RPG A Day experiment. ‘Frame’ is another tough prompt for me to come up with anything of alleged import to say. When I give prompts to students—prompts will usually be more than one word BTW a topic that’s too open and you never know what you’re gonna get, but in most cases it’ll be a lot of blank stares—I usually tell a struggler to use the dictionary or thesaurus to look up other words and meanings that might inspire them to come up with something more than a blank page. I did this for ‘frame’ and found one of the definitions for the word when used as a verb: “to shape or adapt to a particular purpose: to frame a reading list for ninth graders…” I’m going to run with that and frame a short list of RPGs that I think are appropriate for beginners:

1. Pathfinder Beginners Box—I haven’t messed around with 2E if there is a BB for it yet, I don’t know. I really like the 1E one because it essentially offers up all one needs to know in one easy to use box with a map and paper-minis. It is rule light in a sense, but you could play this BB and shift over to just about any other D20 system. It also has those props and visually stimulating character sheets and artwork that really helps you to “sell” the hobby.

2. Index Card Roleplaying Game—mentioned it already this go, but I think it’s good because it’s self-contained and it strips down RPGs—primarily D&D 5E— to it’s most essential and intuitive form. I actually like ICRPG best of all in some ways but the PF:BB gives you props whereas ICRPG has you create your own…which can also be fun, but we don’t want to overwhelm anyone just starting out.

Any of the Runehammer Games are good to go for beginners. If you want some cyberpunk style action try ‘Altered State’ which I haven’t been able to play yet, but which I have read through. It is so much easier than Cyberpunk:2020, but I envision putting the CP:2020 lore—along with upcoming RED and CP:2077—in the background but using these AS mechanics.

3. Faery's Tale Deluxe—another good one, particularly for kids just starting out. The suggested age range begins at 6. The subject matter is more kid friendly fantasy, but I think there are quite a few adults that like it too.

4. Ryuutama—I’m an early Western convert to this Japanese TTRPG and never miss a chance for proselytizing. This game is about traveling and is often described as Myazaki meets The Oregon Trail. The subject matter is definitely kid and beginner friendly and even comes with built-in mechanics for a GM controlled character that sticks with and helps the PCs and some simple town and world building elements that PCs can join in with. The combat system is very much simplified like an old NES JRPG, but the magic system can be deceptively complex for a kid or beginner as magic tends to be in all systems.

5. Dungeons and Dragons 5E Starter/Essential Set—The starter set for 5th isn’t bad at all for beginners, comes with a dice set, and one of the best starting adventures. It’s bare bones when it comes to other swag though. The PF:BB gave more bells and whistles. I understand the essential set is a little better, but also costs a little more. I don’t think you could go wrong with either. I would say one of the better ones for beginner adults. It’s not necessarily little kid friendly and yes, the magic system is out there at times, but kind of fun altering and figuring out. It probably won’t be too long before 6th edition starts being heard of in the distance, but worth leaning the 5E way and lore behind it because it’s most likely what you’ll end up playing.

Honorable mention:

MÖRK BORG a new and highly-stylized—if you can get the print copy—rules light dystopian fantasy setting that purposefully tries to be all the bad things RPGs were accused—framed if you will—of being back in the 80’s. Doesn’t make the cut because it might scare away the ones that don’t realize how tongue-in-cheek it is especially kids and their parents.

My Little Pony: Tails Equestria—I can’t include it because I haven’t been able to play or read through the system. I’d love to do it though. Essentially light D&D set in the MLP:FiM universe. Appealing to kids of all ages.

Meddling Kids—Been around for a while now and is good for kids 7 and up. I have read through this one, but haven’t been able to play. It is simplified and has a mechanic similar to Ryuutama wherein a GM controlled ‘wild card’—think Scooby or Captain Caveman—helps the PCs. For me it seemed a little too easy and not close enough to the kind of play that I’ve encountered at least. I’m also not sure how many kids are into the Hannah-Barbara Saturday morning type shows nowadays.

Alright, that does it for today and the half-way point. We’ll try to do it again tomorrow.

RPG A Day 2019--August 10th--Focus

What can I say about focus? Much like yesterday's entry the focus should be on the fun--for everybody in the group; those running the game and those playing. That aside, I've played quite a few games over the years and while combat is almost always going to ultimately be the focus of every game, there are a few that tried a slightly different focus. I'm going to talk about two of them.

1. Ryuutama--I am always proselytizing for this game any chance I get. The focus is on traveling--battling the elements, managing resources, and setting up camp--throughout a long journey. The game has its origins in Japan and has often been called "Miyazaki's Oregon Trail" because you get the whimsical feels of a Miyazaki film and the deadly travel of the old Oregon Trail computer game. Another unique aspect of the game is the Ryuujin character for the GM to run. I am a voice in the wilderness but I can't say enough good things about this game.

2. Seventh Sea--I backed the KickStarter for 2nd edition and at one point it was the most successfully funded table top game. The company is having a little trouble right now, but they are ironing out the problems. Several books were produced for the for the project and are readily available now. The focus for this game is player agency and over the top swashbuckling action. It definitely has a different feel than the average game of D&D.

I was actually planning to talk about a few other games with non-combat focus--but I haven't played too many of them. World of Darkness--old and new as far as I can gather--always focused more on the storytelling. It was sort of their selling point back in the old days. I want to play the "Dread" RPG which uses a Jenga tower for its resolutions--I'm sure tension is the focus there--but I've never had the opportunity. I still use the tower to play regular Jenga from time to time though.

What's next? Examine. That implies a close look at something...I'll have to think about it. 

RPG A Day 2019--August 8--Obscure

Today I wanted to talk about a fun game that I picked up this last year that is becoming less and less obscure all the time. This game is Index Card Role Playing Game--ICRPG from Runehammer Games. I'll post the link to Drive Thru, but since you are the converted you probably already know.

Essentially, ICRPG is D&D 5E stripped down and refined into just the real essentials. It's somehow not dumbed down by any means and fans of the system and the author himself continuously add to it..yet, it's elegantly simple.

I won't spoil everything, but there are gimmicks like: timers, loot, difficulty settings, and milestones that simplify everything. Players are always in initiative. Action is always happening. Even measurements have been refined by using a bannana. Aside from making notes about some of the wild loot you can get and possibly your magic spells, you really don't have to look up anything, and you can easily convert any D&D5E character or monster in a few minutes.

What makes it even better is the it helps out other systems as well. Aside from D&D, I've modded Ryuutama and Cyberpunk as well with varying degrees of success by using the gimmicks. If I wanted to teach a new player about RPGs and they've never played before, I'm going with ICRPG over any starter set or "kids" game that's out today.  I plan to give CP2020 another go this year using even more of the ICRPG material--if Roll*20 works in China that is. There is also a wrestling game that I converted that I'm all set for, but haven't tried out yet. You'd be surprised at what you might get into using the GM's Tool Kit...and the book is actually pretty small.

Speaking of using the tools, conversions are not as time consuming as you might think, and it's actually fun for me. The ICRPG book has helped me to understand game design better than I ever have before and I've been playing for 30+years. Even if its popularity does grow--and I hope it does--it will still be obscure in my mind as one of the few games that has really taught me something. Again, that's ICRPG found here:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/212262/INDEX-CARD-RPG-Core-2E

...among other places. You can even get a free quick start without resorting to piracy.

Tomorrow's word is Critical...

RPG A Day 2018: Day 24...Which RPG do you think deserves more recognition?

You know I'll say Ryuutama because I want everyone to play it, but I talk about it a lot, so I'll talk about something different today.

13th Age which I talked about for its dice mechanic is one of the best and most unique RPGs around, but it has always been overshadowed by D&D and Pathfinder when it comes to the fantasy RPG systems. Aside from the escalation die mechanic I mentioned earlier, the characters also have what is called 'One Unique Thing' which is just what it says it is. The player picks one thing that their character can do that no other character in the entire world can. I thought it was a lot of fun when I played it, but it's definitely fallen off my radar over the years, and I assume that holds true for most people.

Check out their site and give them a shot...

http://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/category/products/13th-age/

RPG A Day 2018: Day 15...Describe a tricky RPG experience that you've enjoyed.

I am spoiled for choice today as almost every RPG experience has been both tricky and enjoyable in some way.

I went into great detail about my Roll*20 GM experiences yesterday, but in case you didn't guess, running a text chat based game is very, very tricky...not as bad as you might think, but everything you want to do has to be typed. I don't do it very often, but I have the advantage as I can type out a lot of responses and description and then just copy and paste into the chat as needed. The players have to give their responses and descriptions in real time. It's also tricky when all seven regulars show up--it's really too many especially in combat situations, but I have to overload the roster to compensate for the inevitable absences I encounter each week..this is also tricky as I try to come up with excuses as to why character X is really quiet and/or missing this week. It really challenges my brain by trying to keep up with what everybody is doing and by the end of the night I usually want a cigarette although I don't and never have smoked.

I'll also mention running...or at least trying to run...games as a means for teaching English to the ESL students that I teach overseas. I have tried both for students in Taiwan--allegedly an "English Club"which would have been ripe for RPGs--and three times with students in the UAE--these were small classes that may as well be a club although it's actually a second session of regular English class on paper. Every time has been disastrous.

#1 the Taiwan kids had too many students. Allegedly the region is into both Warcraft and Starcraft, so it shouldn't have been a completely foreign concept for them. I had the map of a local mall and tokens to represent the players. I tried to run a zombie attack scenario like 'Dawn of the Dead' with a homebrew that was little more than roll a D6 and whoever gets the higher score wins. I probably should have gone with paper/scissor/rock instead. I gave candy to players who won their combat or made a good choice as a reward. They seemed to enjoy it, but I think they just mostly wanted candy and had no idea what was going on. It was a one-shot that I opted never to repeat.

#2 the UAE students. In a couple of weeks, year number nine starts for me at my current school. Throughout the eight previous years, I've made three non-consecutive attempts to bring RPGs to the unwashed masses that are my students with varying degrees of success/failure. I think I'm a glass is half-empty kind of guy, so each time I've given up on the project due to what I perceive as lack of interest. The first year I tried was maybe the most successful. I ran a few scenarios using 4E. The students were able to create halfway decent characters and backstories--which is part of the justification for playing the game in a school setting--but the game was just too complicated. The second year I tried to run the Castle Ravenloft board game. It too proved to be more difficult and the students were more interested in "roll" playing than "role"playing, and far too many weren't even interested in that aspect. I most recently tried last year with an advanced group of 11th grade students. It was a very small class of six--only five of which showed up regularly. I tried to go with my beloved Ryuutama which is the easiest game in the world if you ask me. It even comes with the GM character to hold the players' hands, but alas...it's just too much for them, and I dropped it very quickly.

In both scenarios we're of course dealing with the language barrier and the fact that neither nation would be considered to have a "reading culture". Reading for pleasure just isn't something that they do, and not everyone "gets" role playing as a concept. It's just a pity that both school curriculums listed "role playing" as a potential "learning outcome". Unfortunately, the students wouldn't buy in, but I still enjoyed it because it killed a lot of time.         

RPG a Day 2018: Day 10...How has gaming changed you?

It's therapy day on RPG a Day for 2018 with the prompt 'How has gaming changed you?'

Before I go into what gaming has done and continues to do for me, I will first give credit to God, my Christian upbringing and my family--mom, dad, and younger brother back in the old days--without which no amount of gaming in the world would have saved me. In spite of the fact that my dad was working all the time, we never a lot of money growing up. He worked all of his life and really never got ahead. However, he did have a successful marriage, and raised two boys who are at least somewhat functioning members of society. Ultimately, Dad was able to retire happily for a few years, before we lost him back in December of 2010. I love him, respect him, and wish that he was still here today, but some of his financial and "career" choices set the family back for years. We made a lot of moves--some lateral and some for the worse--meaning going to different schools in different towns and never getting to form "lifelong friends". Adults from a certain era--my parents were born in the 40's--didn't understand how important it was for a child, especially an introverted one, to develop strong social skills. I'm sure they were more concerned with keeping us in food, water, clothing and shelter, but it didn't make the time any easier. It's hard to go through high school with little or no friends--depending on what year it was. I more or less missed out on everything that an American high school student expects to do aside from the graduation ceremony--and I wouldn't have even done that had my parents not insisted. It doesn't bother me as much now, but I still remember the feeling at age 44 and if I live long enough I'll remember at age 104. So, aren't we supposed to be talking about RPGs...yeah, and here's the abridged version of how they've been around like the "life long friend" I never got to make in Elementary School.

Firstly, lets talk about the preteen years. These were stable times for the most part. I lived in Georgia in the States attending 1st grade all the way to the beginning of grade 7, so as a "kid" kid things weren't so bad really.When I was only nine years old apparently, my interest in Dungeons and Dragons started with the animated series. I was also into the Choose Your Own Adventure books especially a series called Time Machine. I was crazy about the dinosaur one. At some point here my brother and I did buy a D&D book of some kind as I remember it, but since my parents weren't into it and neither were any cousins or anything like that, we had to experiment on our own. I thought it was the AD&D Thieves Screen, but that wouldn't be for another ten years. Damn that Mandella Effect. At any rate if we really had such a thing, we were too young for it. We had He-Man and Visionary toys, but never got any of the D&D ones. Living in the South we did encounter the whole Satanic Panic of the 80's but it wasn't too bad. Mom and Dad were just glad we were reading. CHANGE: You can be a Christian and still be in to fantasy, horror or anything else. It's important that one knows the difference between fantasy and reality. 

Second, these are my early teen years. I was in fact just turning 13 when one of my Dad's bad moves happened. We left the schools we were used to and moved to Alabama. Now, it's nothing that's like a drive of a few hours, but it was horrible as I recall it and the start of a downturn in my life. My brother and I got into the Fighting Fantasy books and the lesser known Wizards, Warriors and You books from my new school library. The town we lived in called Jackson, Alabama was really screwy. Their high school started with 7th grade, so there were guys my age just turning thirteen, going to the same campus as guys who were eighteen or better. It wasn't a great time by any means. My brother and I also came up with a wrestling game for our M.U.S.C.L.E. toys. These were small pink wrestler toys from Japan. They were relatively cheap and we made a rudimentary RPG with them. CHANGE: Seeing my brother as a collaborator and friend...although he'd outgrow almost all of our hobbies including RPGs. The Alabama experiment lasted for a year and we were back in Georgia, but another different town where I knew no one. I did get to make one nerdy friend and his dad had the first edition D&D we tried to play it, but it was too tough for us. Had his dad been available to teach we would have probably gotten into it. CHANGE: You can make friends through gaming. Things were quiet on the RPG front for about two years when my dad decided it was moving time again. At some point during this my brother and I finally hit the big time. We went to the Atlanta comic-book convention known as Dragon Con. This led to me playing and running games of Marvel Superheroes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Strangeness, After the Bomb and finally Heroes Unlimited. This was the time that I also bought my first set of dice. I ran for a couple of years sometimes only for my little brother and other times with him and one of his friends. I remember specifically playing a Marvel Superheroes session with the whole family. Of course, Mom and Dad were just humoring us I'm sure--and Dad's actions with Marvel's 'The Thing' from Fantastic Four would have gotten him banned from all social media if he had pulled it nowadays. CHANGE: Gaming can be fun for all ages.

Third of all, a peek at my late teens and early twenties. As far as switching schools was concerned, I finally had enough and as clearly as I could explain, beg, and threaten, I told the 'rents that I would drop out if we switched again. I just couldn't be the new kid anymore. We did move yet again, but I didn't switch schools. Not that I liked my school. In deed I hated it for the most part. No gaming was to be had in those years unless it was my brother and I only, and if I remember, he'd already started to turn at this point. I got my fix through video games. I really enjoyed the game Wizardry on the old NES and I fell in love with reading the strategy guide. I wish I still had it. I would bring it to school almost everyday and one of my classmates started calling me 'The Wizard'. For the most part I muddled through my high school career and finally graduated. CHANGE: In a pinch you can have fun reading about games and systems even if you never get to play them. Video Games are not the equal to a live table top, but they are a suitable replacement if you have no other choice...they're also pretty fun. So, after graduation I ran into one of the few friends that I had made over the years at  a showing of Batman Returns. We got together and through them my gaming hit at what until that point was an all time high. We played: AD&D,  Vampire the Masquerade, Deadlands, GURPs, and more Heroes Unlimited. In addition we were going nuts with the board games like Blood Bowl and Warhammmer (in all its guises including Quest) CHANGE: You can use games to make friends II and there is a great variety of games, systems and genres available. If you can get people to play games with you, then you can expand to other interests and make lots of friends. This went on for years and years throughout my early twenties, and I remain friends with these guys to this day. We're mostly Facebook friends, but we still keep in touch and once in a while we get a chance to see each other, but those chances are few and far between and they usually don't involve gaming.

Fourth, we'll look at my late 20's up to the 30's. So, we were in gamers' paradise there for a bit, but you'll notice that one thing was lacking...girls. CHANGE: Man cannot live by games alone. If you game too much--even today I might add--you are unlikely to encounter romance. For all the Satanic Panic and witchcraft worries this is the real danger in gaming. You are 'investing' lots of time and possibly lots of money into the hobby. People in my day, and to a certain extent to this day, see RPGs as a weird thing. If you look like a basement dweller odds are against any girls following you home to your basement to play, it's just a fact. Nowadays, with Roll*20, streaming games, and the geek is chic thing going on, you may have better luck than guys of my time had. If so, more power to you. If not, you may have to break away like I did. I pushed hard to get a wife--even then in a geeky way having found her via the web browser on my Sega Dreamcast during the infancy of internet dating. She isn't a gamer as far as RPGs go--she doesn't understand a game with no winner--and she doesn't like cartoons, but at least she'll watch scary movies with me. CHANGE: Gaming can get you so far, but not everybody likes it, and that's okay. So, having now obtained a bride I had to start focusing on things to have a successful, continuous marriage. I went back to university and got my teaching degree. In those four years, all I could do was to fall back on video games, but Roll*20 and a great change was just ahead.

Finally, and I should give milestone level up to whoever reads this far, how are things today? I got back into RPGs while teaching because I remembered how much fun I used to have playing and I thought it would be an interesting way for the students to get into reading...it didn't work. As I had already learned, it's not for everybody. I had to drive a long way, but I managed to find a small group to play with in the UAE, eventually got hooked up with the large Gulf Roleplaying Community--which is still too far away, but I check in from time to time, got into Roll*20 where distance doesn't matter, and helped to start up a small group much closer to home that will be entering it's fourth active year. CHANGE: If you think something is worth doing, find a way to do it. Somewhere along there I managed to obtain a daughter who will soon be four years old. I have every intention of introducing her to the hobby and she's already good at Role Playing without dice.

The biggest change RPGs brought to me was self-confidence. I went from a guy who would barely speak--and who to this day would still prefer to be silent--or even look anyone in the eye to making my living by standing up in front of people day in and day out. I try to play a role in every professional situation that I'm in...sometimes I pull it off better than others, but its a skill that I am fairly good at. In social situations, gaming is a very good icebreaker. Once you've gamed with someone, it opens the doors to talking about all sorts of other subjects and enjoying other activities together. Gaming has helped me to think critically, and imaginatively. This is very useful for spending time with my wife and daughter as we think of new ways to enjoy our time and enrich our lives. Gaming certainly isn't the only thing that's gotten me through this life, but with all the positives it has brought to me, I can't help but to preach it when given the opportunity. 

RPG a Day 2018: Day 4...Most Memorable NPC

For Day 4 this year we're talking about the most memorable NPC. I never miss the chance to sing the praises of Ryuutama, and I'm not letting this one pass me by. This game--described as Miyazaki's Oregon Trail--is all about the journey and making it from point A to point B..you know the stuff we usually skip over in modern D&D. It originated in Japan where it is very popular--as is Tunnels and Trolls if you haven't heard--but that's not why you called. An indy group KickStarted English translation released a very sturdy and pleasing to look at core book with a couple of free online supplements. There is said to be another hard cover supplement to come--not group funded--but it seems to have slowed, and I'm not sure of the current status, but I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for any update I can get.

One of the most unique features of Ryuutama is that the GM has a character called a Ryuujin. This character has its own character sheet, abilities, and experience chart. Being an older guy, the Ryuujin reminded me a lot of the "Dungeon Master" character in the old D&D cartoon except depending on how you handle her, she can be more proactive. My Ryuujin was a female green dragon named KiraKira which was the Japanese word for Glitter--again if you're old, you may remember Glitter was the name of the pixie in the 80's cartoon, Kidd Video.

So, these Ryuujin can take many different forms. Their true form is a dragon. I made KiraKira to be a green dragon which is the most 'classic adventures' of the lot. You could choose Red, Blue, or Black who have their own unique focus. The Ryuujin have at least two other forms--the first can be anything mundane that the PCs interact with. KiraKira was an articulate pixie marionette with blue green hair. The second form is a horned-humanoid with wings--Kirakira was a girl with blue green eyes and hair. Her hair was long enough to cover the horns and she kept her wings as hidden as she could. The final form is a dragon of over ten meters long. As the Ryuujin continues to grow one of her powers is either to appear as a brand new character with no memory who joins the party or to possess and control a different NPC. KiraKira possessed a young archaeologist named Akiko who also had blue green hair.

In theory, I actually have never liked having a GM player character, but in fact, due to being short of players, I've had to run one or more several times. Ryuutama is the first game I've ever played that had one built into the rules. KiraKira was most memorable because I played as her from October 2016 up until May of 2017. She grew with the party and I was able to do session recaps, teach the players, and somewhat railroad them without railroading them as to how to continue the plot all through her eyes. She helped the party through the difficult journey portion of the game--which really is a lot like Oregon Trail and far more dangerous than the actual enemies--and eventually, once she possessed Akiko she was able to give more physical help. I ran with her up until the max level where even more abilities opened up. The party really seemed to like her. After what ended up being the most epic battle we would have in the campaign, I had her disappear to be replaced with a new Red Ryuujin, but that was around the time my players had problems making the sessions. I lost the plot, let KiraKira come back for one more blow-out dungeon crawl and then put the campaign on hiatus where it has since remained. She'll always be a memorable NPC for me.

P.S. In the Japanese rules I could always bring KiraKira back to lead a new party of adventurers but I should have a paper signed by all my players to confirm how many sessions we played. Now is that just cute or what? You can learn more about Ryuutama here:  http://kotohi.com/ryuutama/

 

I don't know which anime these drawings really come from, but they were all re-purposed to be KiraKira...and the last one is Akiko.


    

RPG A Day 2018: Day 2...What do you look for in an RPG?

What Do I Look For In An RPG?

From yesterday, what I love most about playing RPGs is the different interactions I have with people and the new friends I get to make through the games, so what am I looking for in an RPG? I want to find the ones that are likely to attract the most people. The more widely available a game is or the easier it is to explain to someone the more opportunities I have for actual play. A few recent examples of game choices I have made:

D&D 5E:   It's a fact that the granddaddy of them all is the most well-known RPG. D&D is synonymous with RPGs. Everyone knows about it. 5E happens to be a good system with enough materials to play with for free available legally online. For most this is a good starting point and it's easy to teach this version. I play in a weekly live table game scheduled with rotating DMs that has been going on for three plus years now. 

Cyberpunk 2020: I've been running this on Roll*20 since May of this year. Due to a pending video game, this classic system has had a recent surge in popularity. I thought I'd be able to find interested players, and I wasn't disappointed. It's not as easy to teach as 5E and tweaking is a bit of a necessity due to the oldskool brutality, but there are so many people chomping at the bit to play Cyberpunk. It's a good time for an experienced GM to meet and play with lots of people. 

Ryuutama: I ran this from October 2017 to May 2018 on Roll*20. Described as Miyazaki's Oregon Trail, its wholesome artwork in that style appealed to me right away. I looked for groups on Roll*20 and saw many potential players, but no active games. This one was hit and miss as a campaign. I had tons of people sign up to play, but very few actually showed up. I went for a "west marches" style in the beginning, but eventually let that go for the more traditional weekly game. In any case, my theory was strong with all those players, but the majority never came around.

7th Sea 2E: Up until recently, this was the most successful KickStarter campaign for an RPG in its history. I knew there would be lots of players and since it was a new game we'd all be starting at the same level. I ran a bit at my regular live table, but the most success came from my first Roll*20 campaign which ran from October 2016 to May 2017.

No matter how good a game may be, it's of no use if you can't find players. Choosing the most popular games will usually result in the greatest pool of players to choose from for your campaign.