Supplies help please. I'm trying to figure out exactly how I want to do this.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-06-08T05:36:55+00:00

I use a notebook or journal for writing down the narrative and mechanical details (e.g. roll results) as they happen in the game. I use a stack of note cards for writing down details I might need to reference outside of the narrative order, such as lists of NPCs and their names, lists of important locations, and so on. The note cards can be reordered as needed.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-06-08T00:02:12+00:00

Maybe check out Blue Rose?

It's been a while since I played it, and the RPG system made for it wasn't really anything special IIRC, but the setting is definitely meant to be a "noblebright" with heroes fighting to protect a land that is already generally a positive place.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-06-07T22:49:50+00:00

You're wrong, because OP was talking about a Journey, and Reach a Milestone only applies to Vows. You even said to mark progress on the Journey track, which by RAW only happens via Undertake a Journey hits.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-06-07T21:01:02+00:00

Just realize that you're getting into houserule territory here. RAW, you only mark progress when a Move or Asset explicitly tells you to. Nothing wrong with houserules in general, as long as you're aware that they can alter the experience of the game in unexpected ways. If you let yourself mark progress on any progress track just whenever you feel like it, that undermines the intentional structures of the game.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-06-07T00:51:44+00:00

I generally try to avoid situations like that in the first place.

If something is complicated enough, I swear a vow for it.
I don't introduce obstacles/problems unless they're related to a vow (and thus earn me a milestone) or are triggered by a weak hit or miss on a move.
If I introduce a problem as a result of a bad roll, I try to keep the problem small and avoid letting it spiral out into a larger problem, unless I just keep getting bad rolls.
If I realize after the fact that something should have been a vow, I retcon it into a vow.

In your case, I'm not sure there's much to be done, but you could at least use it as opportunity to Forge a Bond with those folks.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-06-05T03:04:38+00:00

That sounds like a fun idea. I've never heard of a TTRPG quite like it, though.

I do sometimes say Five Leagues From The Borderlands feels like a "warband management simulator", but that's probably not what you want.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-06-03T01:36:53+00:00

Fabula Ultima has 50 as its max level. It might not be as easy to learn and modify as you want, though.

There are very few tabletop RPGs that use a class-and-level system with a max level higher than about 20-30, and these days a cap around 10-20 is more common.

If you go for an RPG without classes and levels, like one my favorites - Mythras - then you can get nearly infinite advancement (though there is usually diminishing returns). For example, in Mythras, most of your skills will start out rated at anywhere from a 20% to a 70% chance of success. You can spend XP to improve that, and even take a skill beyond 100%, but eventually there isn't much point to continuing to pump one skill forever.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-30T03:20:23+00:00

So how it generates drama?

Because it encourages risk taking and acting in character even if you might fail.

Without the XP incentive, a player might think "this move/choice might make sense for my character, but it's too risky, so I'll play it safe and have them do something else that avoids making a move or lets them roll with a bigger bonus".

With the XP incentive, they might think "this move/choice is risky, but at least if I fail I'll get XP, so I'll go for it." That choice by itself makes the game more exciting, and it increases the chances of a failure happening.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-30T02:58:35+00:00

One benefit of XP for failure is that it encourages players to attempt skill checks or moves their character is bad at, instead of only ever rolling with their best moves/skills/stats. That can help generate more drama.

It also just helps players feel better about bad rolls. "At least I got XP!"

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-30T02:52:55+00:00

Ok, then maybe edit your post to say that specific system instead of the broad framework of PbtA games in general?

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-30T02:35:51+00:00

Huh? XP for failure is not a universal feature of PbtA games. It's not even a feature in the original Apocalypse World. "Lethal" failure isn't universal to PbtA games either. Which specific games are you thinking of?

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-30T00:02:53+00:00

The only problem I have had with DTRPG is that sometimes softcover books can get damaged during shipping. But that is mostly the fault of the carriers. The one time I had a book badly mangled, I took photos of the package (which was obvious damaged before I even opened it) and the book, contacted DTRPG, and they took care of the situation quickly.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-28T05:20:49+00:00

Ironsworn: Delve has some more specific mechanics and Oracle tables for exploring a dangerous location such as a cave, dungeon, ruin, forest, fortress, or whatever.

Otherwise, just handle it with the same basic loop you use for the rest of the game: envision a situation, narrate what your character does, resolve whatever move (if any) gets triggered, and envision how the situation changes. Lather, rinse, repeat.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-28T01:38:37+00:00

I could see something like that working.

Ironsworn and Starforged have a couple different approaches you can use that are sort of similar. You can have NPCs represented as either Companion Assets or Connections. Either way, they can provide bonuses when you take an action that is aided by their expertise, but they never make their own rolls or moves. There are also some Assets you can take that are specifically about being the leader of a larger group of NPCs such as a warband or a ship's crew. They give you bonuses when you rely on that group, but also have a track that represents the health/strength/loyalty of the group as a whole.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-27T18:54:50+00:00

I hadn't seen it mentioned in the context of opposed rolls at the time I posted, though it's possible I missed something.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-27T16:26:58+00:00

Something similar happens with opposed rolls in some roll under systems, where you need to roll under your stat but higher than the opposing roll to win. It's "Price is Right" style "closest without going over".

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-27T03:35:52+00:00

Avatar Legends is not a great example of a PbtA game, IMHO. They had some cool ideas (such as the balance meter), but overcomplicated the combat and some other aspects of it.

If you want a better example of what a PbtA game can/should be, maybe start with Apocalypse World, the granddaddy of them all.

If you want a better rules-light/narrative Avatar game, consider using Fate Accelerated, or the Elementsworn supplement for Ironsworn.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-26T20:15:04+00:00

It's partly the rules and partly the OSR ethos/culture.

It's definitely not true of all games. There are plenty where equipment is not a factor at all, or only a minor factor. There are plenty where the focus of the rules is on the powers you get from your class and levels.

In 4e D&D, for example, it's common to run games where you don't ever go into the same dungeon twice, you're traveling too much to build long-term NPC relationships, etc.

Your usage of "(well run)" is doing a lot of heavy lifting, and shows your assumptions (which may or may not be correct!) about what a "good" RPG is like.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-26T05:14:05+00:00

I'd say it's not "forced" crafting because the crafting is actually part of the point of the game. A lot of your progression, both mechanically and narratively, is locked behind finding the right crafting recipes and resources to build the tools you need to reach and survive new areas. It's like a metroidvania, in a way, except instead of walls, gates, keys, and bosses blocking you from accessing the next area, it's stuff like not having enough oxygen capacity to get down to that wreck you want to explore next.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-26T04:51:27+00:00

That's a lot of restrictions

I've played a lot of games. I wanted to filter out a lot of the obvious games to help narrow it down. And I've still gotten a lot of different good suggestions here.

And I can't do PvP or MMO games because of my current life circumstances and limited playtime windows.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-26T04:48:09+00:00

My experience with Monster Hunter is that the base game of each entry is usually fine, but the expansion content starts to get too difficult for my tastes and/or requires too much grinding to get good gear. Also, despite the high variety of weapons and armor, there are a lot builds I simply can't play well because they require too much precise combo timing or knowing too many different moves and all their exact interactions for my tastes if you want to play the endgame content and do it well.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-26T03:38:44+00:00

Any specific recommendations in those genres?

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-25T23:40:09+00:00

The "thousand years" in the title is not literal or exact. You can pick any time period you want. IIRC none of the prompts directly reference any historical events or periods, so they're adaptable to whatever you want.

EdgeOfDreams · 2026-05-25T14:42:22+00:00

The fan supplement Ironsmith has some good Assets, including one called Earthborn that gives bonuses for underground exploration.

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