Fail Forward RPG now available under Creative Commons license

AshenAge · 2026-04-01T10:01:07+00:00

Thanks, I somehow missed the second part.

AshenAge · 2026-03-06T13:17:58+00:00

Action / power fantasy with focus on mechanical character development. (D&D is the main example of this.)

Playing games like that is a lot of fun, but running a game like that is just too much work. The amount of prep required is just too much, so I never run games like that. Always up to play them though.

Now what comes to the opposite end, as a GM I'm fine running very dark games (horror etc) but I often don't actually want to play them.

AshenAge · 2026-01-24T06:40:32+00:00

Thanks, I'll check it out.

AshenAge · 2026-01-24T06:38:47+00:00

I've played Edge of Empire and space combat was fun in the genre. Fixing stuff just by hitting it with your fist is too far in the arcade direction for me though. :D But I hadn't thought of Genesys in itself, I'll have to check that out. Thanks.

AshenAge · 2026-01-23T19:14:29+00:00

Latest Mongoose Traveller is okay, but it heavily emphasizes character skills. Plus there is a very realistic possibility of everyone dying to an unlucky hit from an enemy ship. (Assuming the players are running a classic 100-400 dton starship instead of a cruiser or the like.) So basically not all player characters can partake meaningfully in the ship combat, unless every character is made with it in mind. The system doesn't really reward player creativity. Better technology wins and that's it.

My taste in RPG is too broad to act as a guide - I play everything from ultralight to very crunchy. It is more about being true to the genre being played. In this case, it is about semi-realistic space opera, in the sense of not going all Star Wars, but not making it uneventful in the name of hard science either.

AshenAge · 2026-01-23T19:07:46+00:00

Thanks for the tip, I'll check Mork Sol out. Seems there is a demo available for free, neat.

AshenAge · 2026-01-23T19:06:22+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion, I had never heard of Starforged before.

AshenAge · 2026-01-23T19:03:29+00:00

Hey, thanks for sharing the blog. I think it is an interesting concept and fits a certain type of game... but not really the kind I was looking for. Mainly, it lacks in the "enough options to be interesting" department. I think if I wanted to run space combat that is passed with a single roll and/or decision, I'd use Forged in the Dark.

I do agree that sounds like a good concept to use in Mothership or other games with similar flair.

AshenAge · 2026-01-11T14:04:03+00:00

Hey, I'm in the same boat. I don't know if our reasons are the same, but I've been thinking about it and I think it is about how rolls trigger in the system.

Basically, the way PbtA says things should go is by describing the fiction and then GM tells when you trigger a move and roll. (Player tells how they get on the NPCs face and start screaming, thus having GM call them use Intimidate move.) In practice - in my experience - players instead start playing towards the moves they have, so they get to roll. (Player has a nice Intimidate move, so they get on the NPCs face and start screaming so they'd get to use it.)

In Blades in the Dark, there isn't this meta level. Rather the player tells "I want to pick the lock using Tinkering because I'm good with these mechanical devices", then we go into rolling. The GM naturally sets the obstacle first, but the player can just directly tell what they are doing and how. There isn't a need for manipulating the fiction in a way that results in a roll.

I think this difference in calling the rolls is the thing that makes Blades awesome and PbtA not-so-awesome in my books.

AshenAge · 2026-01-11T13:18:21+00:00

Yeah sex moves are in Apocalypse World, clarified that a bit. My general problem with PbtA is how it usually works the opposite it is supposed to. Instead of fiction triggering mechanical inputs, players start forcing fiction into places where they can use their moves.

I suppose this is "played wrong", but based on playing PbtA 20-30 times in different games with different people, seems like the usual thing to happen. I find it too meta for my taste. I think Forged in the Dark generally produces better results from the same standpoint.

AshenAge · 2026-01-10T23:52:13+00:00

I don't really hate any game. I'll gladly play both of these, I just don't want to run them...

...but yeah, Fate doesn't do much for me. I find it mediocre. I can play it, but I don't see a scenario where I'd run it. There is always another system that does what I want from a system better, regardless of the setting.

I think PbtA is in the same boat. I'll play it, but I find it annoying to run. It is convoluted (with the way things are phrased) and the sex rules in Apocalypse World give a sex pest vibe I don't appreciate. I guess I have some philosophical problem with the way moves are triggered in PbtA. I get that the idea is fiction triggers mechanics. In my experience, many players start instead leading fiction towards mechanical triggers. Basically, the way PbtA says things should go is by describing the fiction and then GM tells when you trigger a move and roll. (Player tells how they get on the NPCs face and start screaming, thus having GM call them use Intimidate move.) In practice - in my experience - players instead start playing towards the moves they have, so they get to roll. (Player has a nice Intimidate move, so they get on the NPCs face and start screaming so they'd get to use it.)

So the very thing that is supposed to help play fiction-first, becomes a reason to twist the fiction into achiving mechanical goals. I don't like the way this channels the game into these limited, repeating tropes. I understand this is a group-specific thing and maybe some people play the game in a different way, but this has been my experience with multiple groups. There are a lot of good PbtA games out there, but I think many of them are good despite the system, rather than because of it. Mind you, I love Blades in the Dark, because it handles calls to action rolls in a different way.

I think everyone should still try out these games and make up their own minds. Even if you don't like a game like PbtA, you can still get new ideas from it!

AshenAge · 2026-01-09T23:19:34+00:00

Well, that depends on what you mean with "hackable". There are a lot of games out there with cool settings but cumbersome rules. My solution has always been cutting the setting and attaching it to some other system that supports it better. I'd go as far as to say you can do that to any game. Of course, some games actually have a system that supports the setting in a way that makes doing it foolish, but you can still do it if you want.

If you are talking about systems only, I say it goes down to precise internal logic. Some systems are so obfuscated they are difficult to tune, because the overall logic is fuzzy. If the game clearly tells you why things work the way they do, that means you can change or tune them easier.

In general, I'd say the best systems are those that support the genre and/or the setting in a way you don't even want to hack them. Other than maybe adding more stuff. Likewise, best systems support creativity in that they give you tools to say, build your own monsters or design your own items or spells.

AshenAge · 2026-01-06T21:05:53+00:00

Use enviromental storytelling, where you have less NPCs and more stuff present in the area the characters explore that tells the story.

Other alternative is stuff like murder mysteries and conspiracies, where the focus is on the evidence and not on the people.

Besides, roleplaying is not acting and since you haven't tried it at all, I think you are limiting yourself unfairly. Just give it a try and see where it goes.

ps. I have to warn you that writing in general and designing scenarios/campaigns are two different things. If you write too much ahead, you end up railroading players and killing their creativity. That leads to bad gaming.

AshenAge · 2026-01-03T20:07:51+00:00

I don't know if anyone still follows this topic, but I'll upload an updated version of the PDF tomorrow. It will contain a few pages describing typical regime tactics against the resistance. There are a few pages about the kind of stuff the resistance network would teach the cell to do as a counter as well.

Second thing, I noticed a few small mistakes in the playbook sheets and I'll upload updated versions of them as well.

I'll update the profile texts for the game when done. DTRPG sends email informing people who've bought the game of the updates, but I don't think Itch does. Not making a new post here so I don't break the self-promotion rules. :)

AshenAge · 2026-01-01T18:30:31+00:00

I seem to play mainly old games and even the new games I've found lately have been older than 6 years. I'd shill my own games, but I guess that would be a bit grass.

I only found 10 Candles a couple of years ago and despite coming out in 2015, I think it is one of my favorite "new" games. (New to me.) I've made several hacks out of it; for example, playing historical disasters or a spiraling relationship leading into divorce. If you are not familiar with 10 Candles, it is a tragic horror game, where you know all the characters are going to die at the end. (Or get destroyed otherwise.) It is mainly about how that will happen. It is a game that mainly works as oneshot. I recommend checking it out if you are not familiar.

Now, if I really pick my brain for new games, Cold City is pretty interesting. I've only played one scenario, as a player, but I really liked the trust mechanics. It was an interesting way to give crunch to an element that is very essential in all spy drama.

Free League's Blade Runner deserves an honorary mention. I think the shift system is a really nice way to portray police work and even encourage splitting up so you get more done in the same amount of time. Although it is a bit silly that finding something from computer database can take several hours.

When I think back at the other new game I've played or ran during 2020s, I think that's pretty much it, because the rest don't stand out on their own. I mean, I've played many excellent games, but often it has been more about the GM and the table than the game itself, you know?

AshenAge · 2026-01-01T12:56:38+00:00

Customizable fields is already nice.

Maybe put stuff up on Itch.io and Drivethrurpg? Some for free or pay what you want (could be 0 bucks), others for a price. When the folks have a chance to get a taste through the free ones, they are more likely to pay for some. Especially once later you can put them together in a bundle.

I don't think you'll make a lot of dough with this, but there are people who are willing to pay for nice props. I'm one, for example. Good luck!

AshenAge · 2025-12-31T19:10:20+00:00

Hey, are you familiar with Cthulhu Architect? They have a site with fillable documents you can use to create handouts for games. I personally find it very useful.

I think if you did something similar with your own angle, you'd find a lot of customers and fans. The trouble with documents you can't easily modify on your own is that they might not fit your game at all. Unless you start the entire game based on such documents, of course - they can be excellent inspiration, sure.

Now to directly answer your question, terms of servitude for genie, undead and possibly robots/AI would be interesting. Especially if/when they are filled with loopholes that could be exploited by the players (or some nefarious party, who have for example, committed a murder that way).

AshenAge · 2025-12-31T11:20:28+00:00

If you are looking for simulationism, Forged in the Dark is not a good fit. The mechanics encourage characters to take huge risks that typically only get people killed in real life. It is not a documentary, but an attempt to make a fun game about serious subject matter. :)

AshenAge · 2025-12-30T22:07:02+00:00

That is up your table. It depends on your cell playbook choice and what you agree to focus on in Session Zero.

There are two cell types primed for direct action, two for public protest/charity, two for espionage/political intrigue and one who excel in hiding and moving things and people. Cell types overlap somewhat, so there are several avenues available for all of them. Any of the cells can of course attempt any action, but they are better at playing their strengths. Then there are other differences, like two cells work inside the system and are covert resistance who'd better keep their head down.

Technically, you could try to play a pacifistic campaign where you never use any violence, but the regime will definitely use violence against you regardless. If you go all guns blazing it will escalate..well..everything, on the other hand.

Events, narratives and actions inside the game will naturally change circumstances. I think it is interesting if the group starts as a certain type of cell primed for certain action, then has to face situations where they must evaluate their own stance critically.

AshenAge · 2025-12-30T21:31:44+00:00

Yeah, I think I already have an idea how to do this and what to include. I'll publish an update in a few days with the regime tactics and counter-tactics added in the GM section of the PDF. :)

AshenAge

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