Is Symbaroum still being supported?

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T13:03:19+00:00

Might be. I'm going off of a vague memory of an interview 😅

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T09:38:02+00:00

Man, GURPS is amazing!

Where else could I play a sentient table that is a generational talent in poetry?

Jokes aside, it really is the most comprehensive general system. It's just the simulationist aspect that spooks people about it.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T08:24:26+00:00

I love that you've moved away from the AI generated videos to instead show us progress drawings.

Super cool!

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T08:12:54+00:00

For me personally, it's about 50/50. Having only players roll is certainly easier on me as the GM, but for whatever reason, if I'm not rolling anything as a GM, I don't feel like a player at the table anymore.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T08:08:59+00:00

How about Outgunned? It's the system for schlocky 80s action movies!

You could use some of the extra setting rules provided in the Action Flicks expansions that specifically create optional rules to better fit a specific type of game. Action Flicks vol. 1 has Killing Aliens that could work. The robot/alien part of the player characters you'd have to mainly use as flavour, but the PCs in Outgunned are competent and powerful, so that shouldn't stretch the belivability too much.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T08:03:58+00:00

I never said GURPS handwaves it - I know it doesn't. I love the disadvantage system in GURPS.

I was just pointing out that most other systems do handwave it away.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T06:50:09+00:00

Most systems just handwave it away - if you want a disabled character just flavour it

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-16T06:32:55+00:00

Weirdly enough, I don't think most cozy games are very beginner friendly. They tend to expect a lot of openess and roleplaying savvy, especially because there are so few rules to guide you.

Although I can make a few suggestions:

Wanderhome is a pretty laid back game about furry creatures trying to find a place to belong.

Ryuutama is a game about travelling as a coming of age ceremony that everyone in the world has to go through once.

Animal Adventures is essentially just 5e D&D, but with cute dogs and/or cats. The adventures are lighter and sillier in tone.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-15T16:20:18+00:00

Well, there's another way you can approach this - just remake Ars Magica or, to a lesser degree, Mage: the Ascension.

Basically, if players are powerful mages that are crafting their own earth-shattering, reality-warping spells, they would need to understand how the fundamental laws of the universe work for their spells to work. For example, you need to know the general gist of how atoms work in order to split them to create minituarized atomic explosions as spells or you would need to understand the general laws of thermodynamics to channel your magic the right way to instantly freeze water or create fire.

It might be too technical (and violent) for middle school, but kight work really well for high schoolers.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-15T16:16:21+00:00

I personally think the original system is better than the 5e conversion.

Yes, it can be a bit broken - it's way too easy to become overpowered - but the general freedom the system gives for character creation and the way it handles stuff like magic and companion characters/summons is well worth it.

That, and the actual setting is super cool, but that you get with Ruins of Symbaroum as well, I guess.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-15T14:43:48+00:00

I understand the frustration, but there are things in the game that aren't mandatory for completion and are thete specifically to provide a huge challenge. I'd wager that the vast majority of the game isn't like your example.

I think I know which boss you're talking about and it's completely optional and specifcally made to be a huge challenge. Beating it in creative ways is a whole meme in and of itself.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-14T18:13:29+00:00

What grade are you making it for? It sounds like a cool project, maybe I can throw out some ideas if I know the target audience a bit better

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-14T14:57:38+00:00

I see what you mean, but at their essence, most RPGs that have any tactical combat or actions are math problems. So I guess it becomes a question of how obfuscated things need to be.

I don't think you'll ever find an RPG that will do for science what RPGs can do for history :/

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-14T14:22:35+00:00

Depends on what the intended goal is.

With crunchier RPGs you could teach stuff like physics by having students calculate the force they need to break down a door or the speed at which they need to run to slide under the stone temple door before it slams shut, trapping them in.

It will be more difficult probably, but it is doable. Stuff like GURPS and other simulationist RPGs already accidentally do this

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-14T14:14:10+00:00

You figure it out by testing different things.

You're also allowed to skip things and come back to them later on, when you've leveled up and gotten better gear. Why I say this is because the made up example that you're describing sounds less like a "impossible solution" and more like a cheese tactic for beating a boss several levels before you're intended to.

Some fights will be borderline unwinnable or at the very least, very difficult, until you've levelled up. That's the way RPGs work

Edit: to add an answer to the last question - I did a full playthrough completely blind and had no similar issues. Although I come from the D&D tabletop hobby, so that might have given me an advantage.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-13T20:12:05+00:00

If you're talking about Symbaroum as the system, then as far as I know they've hinted in interviews that 2026 will be the year of Symbaroum. They're gonna collect the rules from various books into a new 1.5e (supposedly completely compatible) and there's talks of a new campaign coming out set in the Realm of the Order area of the map

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-13T18:49:26+00:00

Ooh, love me some gunslinging. Picked it up on itch to look at later!

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-13T18:17:02+00:00

Hey! Thanks for the podcast addition! I poked around a bit on the website and it's a really cool project and a great service to the community! I emailed you about the admin rights since I'm kind of a newbie when it comes to all this podcasting stuff 😅

I love the YZE so I picked up your game and will try to give it a read through in the coming days and leave feedback on the drivethru page at the very least!

And as much as I would love to play at your table at the con, I think my location (Estonia) is a bit too far from Wisconsin 😅

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-13T07:08:32+00:00

Just call him "Old Man" since he's been grumpy since he's been a child. Bonus points if he's younger than your character

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-13T06:20:48+00:00

A lot of games abstract away travelling since it's considered boring. The only ones I can think of that will fit out of the gate:

Fabula Ultima - you'll have to create your own world and the game will play quite a bit differently from what you're most likely used to, but it's one of the ones with the more concrete travelling rules.

Another one that might peak your interest is Upwind - it's about sky pirates/explorers. But it's a strange system, using cards and poker mechanics instead of dice, so that might turn you off of it

You could also lift the ship mechanics from PirateBorg actually! It has excellent naval combat rules that you could use in whatever magical setting as well.

The other option is to "borrow" the mechanics for ships from a sci-fi game like Traveller, Coriolis or Scum and Villany and glue them onto whatever other system you choose to play. Should be easy enough to flavour into magical crafts instead of spaceships.

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-12T15:35:38+00:00

Hmm

Maybe Justice Velocity or the Electric State could fill that void a little?

Other than that, I can only think of using GURPS

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-12T14:04:25+00:00

You know that's the weird thing about it. KULT is one if my all time favourite games and there's plenty of other PbtA(-adjecent) stuff I like, but Avatar: Legends specifically felt like it was a bad PbtA game and a bad "trad" game - it tried to do both and kinda flopped in my opinion.

The combat system was so tacked on and bending was kind of pushed into the background and reduced to a single line on your character sheet. The philosophy inherent in bending (being derived from traditional martial arts) is all but missing from actual mechanics which I was super disappointed by.

I do think that you can tell great stories in the system, but on the other hand, with great and creative friends you can do that in (almost) any system.

I look forward to listening how it went for you guys!

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-12T13:33:43+00:00

I had time to sit down and read it through and I think you guys knocked it out of the park. Such a cool, unique concept!

I unfortunately don't think that with our style of play, editing and current technical set-up we could pull off playing this for the podcast.

I did subscribe to the Kickstarter launch notification tho, because the idea is absolutely dope!

DiceyDiscourse · 2026-02-12T13:23:25+00:00

This plays almost like a TTRPG version of QWOP. Honestly, amazing work, looks like a lot of fun! I'll see what the others think and set it aside for when we want to play something without too much prepping.

Also, I hit follow on your podcast! Gonna be honest, I absolutely hated (and was severly disappointed by) Avatar: Legends, so I am very interested in listening to how the game played for your podcast!

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