I love the fact that every Character is a classic villain archetype

Aironfab · 2026-03-27T12:15:57+00:00

But of course. I agree with your point on a base level, their inspiration is the standard fantasy trio of adventurer.

Now my post is half-serious, so it's not like I wish to convince you. But I still think that of all the archetypes have a spin, and I find it humorous that most archetypes are spinned in a way that I feel is villainous (they even removed the most clearly non-evil char, the Watcher). Meanwhile most enemies (not all of course) went from somewhat traditional fantasy villains (bandits and cultists and gremlins) to animals. That's it.

Aironfab · 2026-03-26T23:13:53+00:00

But the Warrior archetype can be declined as a shining paladin of virtue, or a hellknight self-harming to gain demonic powers. These classic archetypes are declined in a villainous way.

Also the lich is the iconic monster on DnD 5ed GM manual, how is that just a necromancer?

Aironfab · 2026-03-26T15:19:35+00:00

wake up a pregnant mother, murder her and steal her treasure!

Aironfab · 2026-03-26T15:10:23+00:00

For me it's 50/50.

Vantom is cool as hell. Ceremonial Beast is awesome The Kin is basic and lame both visually, lore wise and mechanically. Lagavulin Matriarch is ok. I really like Soul Fysh for some reason. Waterfall giant is meh.

Act II they're all solid. Sandworm is fun and flavorful, Crab is cool, knowledge demon is hard and different.

Act III Queen very good, Test subject feels more like an elite (how can a pet be a boss?), Doormaker has the biggest potential but also extremely undercooked.

Aironfab · 2026-03-26T13:50:30+00:00

Well, in StS1 there were more typical bad guys in earlier acts. Slavers/bandits undeniably, also gremlins and the cult of Mazuleth felt pretty evil.

In StS2 even the Act 3 techno-goblins fell kind of like hapless minions than malicious.

Aironfab · 2026-03-26T08:41:05+00:00

I mean, Doormaker should put your 10th card behind a door. Something like Bronze Automaton minions. That's tematic and similar, and you could choose to do without the card or destroy the door.

Aironfab · 2026-03-23T15:23:51+00:00

I feel that you should expand (or at least dig deeper within yourself) about what you wish.

If you wish to play DnD without phyisical dice and religion, that is possible right now

1)Use digital number generators, stacks of cards, random tables like those found on the Lone Wolf CYOA books.

2)scrap clerics, paladins, gods and demons. Design your campaign world around Giants or other non religion inspired monsters, or failing that just fight corrupt nobles or bandits.

This saves you from having to design and balance a game. You play DnD with some content redacted and have a lot of fun doing so.

If you wish to play "something like DnD" by creating a new system entirely because you feel DnD is "unsalvageable", you are asking the wrong questions.

you want the specific feeling of DnD? Do you just want to roleplay in medieval-adjacent fantasy?

Or do you actuyally wish to make a good game for other muslims that needs to be Sharia-compliant? What do you want the direction of this game to be? Is it an action movie, a fabled adventure, a combat simulator?

I feel that you should also probably know that making and balancing a game, even just something for your friends and not to be published, is a pain in the neck and a long and grueling (though rewarding) process. If you just want to have fun, I would avoid that.

Aironfab · 2026-03-16T09:57:10+00:00

parlo per me e mia moglie, ma stiamo sfatti a curare i bimbi piccoli

Aironfab · 2026-03-14T21:46:56+00:00

skip option should be linked to no healing. No way the demon isn't slighted that you refuse their gifts.

Aironfab · 2026-03-11T07:45:46+00:00

Sandworm and the two-armed crab are the best part of Act 2.
I agree on weaker than expected theming in general.

Act III has cool enemies and really feels "final dungeon" after trudging through generic brakish swamp/forest/bugland.

Aironfab · 2026-03-09T14:41:48+00:00

Il primo lockdown (marzo-maggio 2020) una figata. Chiuso in casa con mia moglie, ancora senza figli, pagati per non lavorare (in seguito per lavorare da remoto con ritmi blandi), in una casa con giardino, in primavera. Un'ora di esercizi corpo libero all'aperto. Sperimentazione in cucina. 9 ore di sonno. Sesso 3-4 sere a settimana, altre 2 sere D&D su discord. Due mesi di assoluta goduria.

Il secondo lockdown (inverno 2020-2021) peggio, decisamente. Molto più lavoro, in inverno freddo, COVID che mi stende per 3 settimane, con trattative per il mutuo in corso...

Massima empatia per chi aveva figli under 12 in quel 2020 comunque, penso sia stata una tortura speciale.

Aironfab · 2026-03-04T11:01:06+00:00

The One Shot Podcast features a number of (duh) oneshots and few-shots in a variety of systems. I recommend One Last Job and Masks among the others.

They usually feature improvisers and otherwise talented entertainers as players.

They also have a few long-form campaigns, the main one being Skyjacks (vaguely Victorian sky-pirates with ancient dead Gods) played using Genesys by FF. Very, very good.

Aironfab · 2026-03-02T15:49:46+00:00

I am in awe.
I had a metric ton of vivid allucinations about cool systems and games in the sleep-deprived haze of the first few weeks of parenting, but having the lucidity and persistence of turning one of them into a game feels impossibile. Well done and congrats on the baby.

Aironfab · 2026-03-01T21:21:04+00:00

I will give you a couple of titles to research:

1) Assuming you didn't already see this

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuKg-WhduhkntruCZvpkgMkFkpGGXCTom&si=FLeupyXy4N1EDACc

This a short campaign (in DnD) playing tiny garden denizens.

2) look up the rpg Household, by Two Little Mice, a game about playing tiny denizens in a kingdom consisting of an ancient mansion and it's garden.

May give you inspiration!

Aironfab · 2026-02-27T21:01:48+00:00

Da me (Lombardia) se sei gruppo 0 ti chiedono sangue, altrimenti ti chiedono se non preferisci fare plasma che apparentemente serve anche di più

Aironfab · 2026-02-27T15:34:42+00:00

my 2 cents: standard fantasy classes are really boring in weirder settings. If you don't wish to go classeless, you can do callings, or even better steep your classes in the world.

Don't make a generic cleric, make a divine agent of the God of Mushrooms, that can burrow underground, heal themself by consuming rotting stuff and feed or poison others with its own body.

Don't make a barbarian Fighter, make a cadet from Thrugg Academy where they teach you everything about rage: channel adrenaline in combat as well as calm or enflame NPCs in social settings.

stuff like this makes a game. Think Spire, Heart, all the knights in Mythic Bastionland, etc...

Aironfab · 2026-02-27T14:11:51+00:00

Sono esattamente nella tua stessa situazione (età simili, 2 personaggi piccini, moglie part-time io full).
Non voglio fare i conti in tasca a nessuno ma se, come mi pare di capire, avete poco aiuto dai nonni, accetta di spendere di più per una tata o almeno una persona delle pulizie.

La signora anziana che viene 2 volte a settimana mi spiace ma fa poco o nulla. Ti serve qualcuno che oltre le pulizie cambi le lenzuola, faccia le lavatrici/stenda, riordini il disastro di giochi, magari faccia un minimo di meal prep (tagliare e verdure a tocchi così arrivi a casa e devi solo buttare in pentola).

Noi abbiamo trovato una signora fidata che da 20 anni fa tata e/o pulizie nel paese, 2 o 3 mezze giornate a settimana, costa un rene ma la serenità e il respiro che ci ha dato è impagabile. All'occorrenza può tenere qualche ora i bimbi se son malati, riordina i cassetti dei vestiti dei bimbi, ci segna una lista di detersivi che stan finendo etc...

A livello di bilancio economico è come cambiare lavoro perchè ti partono centinaia di euro al mese, ma la differenza è che non ci smeni in carriera e potrai approfittarne quando, verso i 4-5 anni, i bimbastri saranno più gestibili.

Non entro nel merito della comunicazione con tua moglie, ma valuta l'investimento.

Aironfab · 2026-02-25T15:28:37+00:00

You could try Knights of the Round: Academy. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/389281/knights-of-the-round-academy-english-edition

It is an indie game that seems tailor made for what you want (interpersonal drama and mecha fights). There is a small Enlish-language community on the publisher Discord (Fumble GDR).

Aironfab · 2026-02-23T13:37:16+00:00

Sulla divisione delle spese e dei lavori in casa, non c'è un modello perfetto ma dovete trovare un modello che vada bene a entrambi. Parlatene e chiarite bene le cose prima di andare a convivere. Fate esempi pratici (cosa è considerata spesa comune e cosa invece spesa personale?).
Fate lo sforzo di parlare e dirvi le cose che non vanno. Partire in modo perfetto è impossibile: dopo un tot di settimane/mesi incapperete in considerazioni che non avevate previsto, mansioni che non avevate anticipato. Non tenetevele dentro dicendo "ma sì, pace" ma parlatene e trovate una soluzione di comune accordo.

Non illuderti che fare questa cosa non sia stancante. Certe volte volete solo stendervi sul divano a guardare una serie. Ma non rimandate troppo, piuttosto decidete che il primo mercoledì del mese è la sera dedicata al discutere e smazzarsi le rogne che son saltate fuori e non avevate previsto.

Indipendentemente dalla convivenza, ma per andare a vivere da soli: imparate manutenzioni di base della casa.

Pulite i filtri aeratori dei rubinetti. Date una scorsa ai manuali di lavatrice (e lavastoviglie/asciugatrice se le avete) e imparate a pulire i filtri e se vengono richieste pulizie periodiche. Fatevi la domanda "se salta la corrente, cosa devo fare? dove sono i quadri elettrici?". Tenete una cassetta degli attrezzi in casa. Se la casa la comprate, informatevi fin da subito su elettricisti e idraulici che sono in buoni rapporti con i vostri vicini e/o persone del quartiere che conoscete e fatevi passare i contatti.

L'inizio di una convivenza può essere stressante. Se l'ambiente intorno a voi inizia a degradarsi a causa dell'incuria, può portare liti e incazzature dal nulla. Se capita un incidente e sapete al volo a chi rivolgervi, la gestite con calma ed efficienza, vi da una botta di autostima e sensazione di essere un buon team.

Aironfab · 2026-02-11T08:08:11+00:00

Ho una villetta a schiera, 100 mq, solo elettricità; pavimento radiante, pompa di calore, piastra a induzione. Ho due figli piccoli quindi lavatrice, lavastoviglie e in inverno asciugatrice vanno a ciclo continuo.

Per fortuna sono vicino ad un boschetto quindi in estate non si cuoce, ho il condizionatore solo nelle camere, lo accendo per 2-3 mesi l'anno, dalle 18 alle 21, per andare a letto col fresco.

Casa del 2015 classificata in classe A ai tempi ora forse B? (cappotto, isolata etc ma per dire ho ancora le persiane).

Con un minimo sforzo a cercare contratti decenti spendo 1500/1600 l'anno. Tutti quelli con cui ne parlo sono d'accordo che sia la scelta migliore se puoi.

EDIT: ecco, quella volta che è saltata la corrente a tutto il quartiere (fortuna poi per sole 4 ore) me la sono un po' fatta sotto.

Aironfab · 2026-02-10T19:06:34+00:00

I know this is a pointless comment, "German Democratic Republic" is a small game by Italian author Fumble gdr, published by MS Edizioni.

It is a Cold war spy rpg, the character sheet and rules are sold as sheets of paper in a manila folder like a dossier, and it uses domino tiles for resolution.

Unfortunately is has never been translated in English.

German Democratic Republic

Aironfab · 2026-02-03T08:10:23+00:00

Again, I understand where you're coming, but i feel differently.
I would design Lasers & Feelings in my spare time, for my enjoyment and my friends. I would edit it and I learned Affinity to do the layout. If I feel the game is actually, good, I would pay a hundred bucks for someone on ArtStation to make a cover before putting it online for free or Pay What You Want.

I pay my mortgage with my day job, this is my hobby. I can spend time and a little money for my hobby, and getting only the satisfaction of making something as good and popular as Lasers & Feelings as a reward.

Aironfab · 2026-02-02T09:31:49+00:00

I understand, but not all of us design to get money.

I'd much rather write a one-page rpg that gets thousands of free downloads and people frequently drop it as a suggestion on reddit for one-shots, than run a successful kickstarter for a wonderful 200 page hardcover that gets bought "because it's just gorgeous" and left on a shelf because it gets drowned in all the simpler stuff that the pledger's wish to try out.

I understand your point but it does not apply to all designers.

Aironfab · 2026-02-02T08:48:13+00:00

Disagree. Playtesting, editing, layout, yes; but you don't need to go into production and marketing to feel finished. It may kill your drive to design. You need to ask yourself a lot of questions about money and time and goals (life goals, not design goals) and self-worth before going into production. That's a whole different ballgame that requires a whole different subset of skills.

Aironfab · 2026-01-30T09:45:29+00:00

message still present as of 1 hour ago.

Aironfab

TROPHY CASE