So, my wife and I are talking the other day and she says, “I feel like I want to be someone else.” I say okay, and let it slide, because that’s kind of weird, but later she comes to me and says she’s figured out what that means. She wants to play an RPG. She’s played with me before, so that’s not unusual, and she hasn’t gotten to play since we moved eight months ago. She then goes spiraling out of control and, in collusion with one of her friends, decides that I’m going to be running this game. That’s fine, I’ve GMed for her and our friends before.
So, now I’ve got a few players who want to play unconventional D&D type characters (a Gnome medical student and a half-orc/half-ogre to start, I’m not sure what the third player is going to want to do) and a setting that popped into my head involving industrial steam-age technology (trains, dirigibles, radio) as well as magic. My question for you good people is what system do I run this in?
I’m comfortable running in D&D, Fate, DW, other PBTA games, and will try pretty much anything. I know that my wife prefers system-lite systems. Any thoughts?
Fate Accelerated is likely one of the better ones for a setting gathering from multiple directions involving unconventional characters.
Fate Accelerated is likely one of the better ones for a setting gathering from multiple directions involving unconventional characters.
I always use Fate for situations where the players want to really shape the kind of story being told because it is so easy to mod for any kind of conflict. Dance off, Fate can handle it. Chthonic sanity drain, Fate can handle it. Guild based trade wars, Fate can do that too. I don’t always find Fate satisfying for long term play but I do find it flexible and easy to mod new things.
I always use Fate for situations where the players want to really shape the kind of story being told because it is so easy to mod for any kind of conflict. Dance off, Fate can handle it. Chthonic sanity drain, Fate can handle it. Guild based trade wars, Fate can do that too. I don’t always find Fate satisfying for long term play but I do find it flexible and easy to mod new things.
I tend to use DW for everything anymore. I can make up custom moves that work well enough for my own table and I am constantly making new Compendium Classes for situations that arise during my campaigns.
I tend to use DW for everything anymore. I can make up custom moves that work well enough for my own table and I am constantly making new Compendium Classes for situations that arise during my campaigns.
Nothing wrong with D&D. 1st edition is very easy to mod. Gadgets can follow spell casting rules. We played Swords & Wizardry with a unicorn princess, a dragonman and a squirrel man in the party with no more hacking needed than changing the labels of the classes.
Nothing wrong with D&D. 1st edition is very easy to mod. Gadgets can follow spell casting rules. We played Swords & Wizardry with a unicorn princess, a dragonman and a squirrel man in the party with no more hacking needed than changing the labels of the classes.
I would go with Dave Black’s The Black Hack ($2) it mimics 1st editions D&D with a few 5e tricks and a few new tricks.
Its very “lite” and most rulings are dependent on rolling under your attribute scores. I use it with a group of 6-8 new players to D&D and they took to it very quick after feeling bogged down by 5e.
Here is a free version of the rules if you want to check it out: http://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps.net/english/
I also wrote The Eight of Wands which expands the class selection in The Black Hack. I have a Poisoner class that can make potions, powders, and tinctures out of monster parts. Perfect for a “med-student”.
I would go with Dave Black’s The Black Hack ($2) it mimics 1st editions D&D with a few 5e tricks and a few new tricks.
Its very “lite” and most rulings are dependent on rolling under your attribute scores. I use it with a group of 6-8 new players to D&D and they took to it very quick after feeling bogged down by 5e.
Here is a free version of the rules if you want to check it out: http://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps.net/english/
I also wrote The Eight of Wands which expands the class selection in The Black Hack. I have a Poisoner class that can make potions, powders, and tinctures out of monster parts. Perfect for a “med-student”.
Check out Warrior, Rouge and Mage
Its classless and raceless. Instead the stats are, as you may have guessed, Warrior Rouge and Mage.
Its a d6 based system and very lite.
They’re a couple bonus books out as well, and its all FREE
Check out Warrior, Rouge and Mage
Its classless and raceless. Instead the stats are, as you may have guessed, Warrior Rouge and Mage.
Its a d6 based system and very lite.
They’re a couple bonus books out as well, and its all FREE
My issue is that my wife finds D&D in any of its iterations to be too crunchy. I need something easy that doesn’t get in the way of the play. I’m thinking Fate at this time, since we both know it.
My issue is that my wife finds D&D in any of its iterations to be too crunchy. I need something easy that doesn’t get in the way of the play. I’m thinking Fate at this time, since we both know it.
Fate was my first reaction, probably FAE. It’s more general than D&D and PbtA. Sure, you could use DW and then slap some other stuff on it; but part of the Fate experience is for the Aspects to drive the setting; and the Aspects are set by the GM and the players early on (session 0 usually).
Fate was my first reaction, probably FAE. It’s more general than D&D and PbtA. Sure, you could use DW and then slap some other stuff on it; but part of the Fate experience is for the Aspects to drive the setting; and the Aspects are set by the GM and the players early on (session 0 usually).
Fate Accelerated is pretty adaptable, but I’m just getting into The Black Hack and finding a lot of flexibility there as well. If you’re familiar with Lady Blackbird, that should be easily adaptable too.
Fate Accelerated is pretty adaptable, but I’m just getting into The Black Hack and finding a lot of flexibility there as well. If you’re familiar with Lady Blackbird, that should be easily adaptable too.
Edward Hickcox The Black Hack and a lot of other retro-clones that mimic Basic, B/X, or 1e aren’t that crunchy. Again TBH, has all the rolls revolving around the 6 stats you generate in the beginning.
Edward Hickcox The Black Hack and a lot of other retro-clones that mimic Basic, B/X, or 1e aren’t that crunchy. Again TBH, has all the rolls revolving around the 6 stats you generate in the beginning.
Anima Prime is just the right amount of crunch (not much, but some), handles unusual characters very well and is massively adaptable. It’s also free: http://www.animaprimerpg.com/
Anima Prime is just the right amount of crunch (not much, but some), handles unusual characters very well and is massively adaptable. It’s also free: http://www.animaprimerpg.com/
For ‘steam age’… Have you looked at Into the Odd? Free version here: http://soogagames.blogspot.com/
Just three ability scores, everything’s a save on a d20. Character generation is super quick, and combat always hits.
If you want a Fantasy setting, there’s a great re-skinning of ItO called Maze Rats: http://questingblog.com/maze-rats/
I’m very much a newbie GM, and I was able to run a game for 6 friends without feeling like the system got in the way of the players having fun.
For ‘steam age’… Have you looked at Into the Odd? Free version here: http://soogagames.blogspot.com/
Just three ability scores, everything’s a save on a d20. Character generation is super quick, and combat always hits.
If you want a Fantasy setting, there’s a great re-skinning of ItO called Maze Rats: http://questingblog.com/maze-rats/
I’m very much a newbie GM, and I was able to run a game for 6 friends without feeling like the system got in the way of the players having fun.
Another ‘steam age’ RPG: A Society of Unlikely Gentlemen http://livresdelours.blogspot.ie/2016/08/a-society-of-unlikely-gentlemen.html
Another ‘steam age’ RPG: A Society of Unlikely Gentlemen http://livresdelours.blogspot.ie/2016/08/a-society-of-unlikely-gentlemen.html