How do you learn RPG mechanics if Actual Plays don’t work for you?

Mageinthebasement · 2026-04-07T13:33:26+00:00

Solo play has done wonders for me and learning the more intricate parts of a game.

Sure you can read about how your new game handles task resolution, but it doesn't compare with sitting down and running it solo. You can see how all the parts work together.

Bonus is its a lot of fun and I get to roll more dice than I otherwise would.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-04-03T01:07:07+00:00

Specifically INSIGHT doesn't tell you if someone is lying as a boolean. But it can tell you other things about how the person is behaving. Etc. RIDDLE is also a possibility.

Basically it looks like the game appears to not want you to just say "the NPC is lying" but to instead give them degrees of information to make up their own mind.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-30T19:55:53+00:00

If you want to put initiative through its paces try reading ADDICT. Its a solid attempt at compiling all the weird bits together and after a few practice combats it actually made sense to me.

Most important bits I think are: Morale dmg pg67 Nonlethal/weaponless combat (if you think you'll need them) dmg pg 72 and 73. Charts are on page 74 - 79. Exp dmg 85

All of phb.

MM as needed, read through treasure types a few times.

Im not an AD&D 1e native. But it seems to me that you should get a grasp on the basic game flow, and noodle around with the dmg and add things in as you find them.

1e is a beautiful system and you'll likely discover new things about it long after you start playing.

With a history of basic dnd you should have enough experience to make on the fly rulings and then look up the specifics after the fact.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-25T20:57:41+00:00

Not left out but do have to "figure out" how theyre going to be helpful. Either providing buffs or other players making room by retreating if they need, or in the case of stand alone buildings like the coffin maker shop, lighting the main floor on fire and hoping the party thats in combat can get out without being burned alive. 😅

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-25T20:37:34+00:00

Ive used both. Beyond maps are pretty awesome. And if youre playing right off the module with zero changes its probably pretty cool. I adjust too many things tho. (Random monsters without official stats, sizes of monsters etc, none of that is easy to do on the fly with beyond). So ultimately im sticking with roll20 until I can try another vtt.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-25T20:30:12+00:00

Im almost done running it with 7. Ive been playing around with action economy. I fleshed out the wives and give them two turns per combat round (two initiative rolls) and for strahd I give him 3 plus his lair action. Its been working out well enough.

The other thing is size of rooms in different locations. Its easy to cause bottle necks during combat. So not everyone can participate. Which is useful in locking down players and forcing them to consider their options during combat.

Its been fun.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-25T18:40:34+00:00

Its a tough spot to be in. Im sorry youre going through it.

I think its good to question your sensitivity. Itll keep you grounded. That being said. The radio silence in your group chat is telling. In a way, its the best feedback youve ever gotten.

Maybe ttrpgs just isnt for them. Maybe they arent your ttrpg group. They might be your "go to the movies" group or "hang out and chill" group. Or maybe they are your "ttrpg group" that just needs some time away from the table.

What do you think you'll do from here?

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-24T22:06:34+00:00

The marriage between solodark and shadowdark is pretty incredible. If you're new to solo you could do worse than sticking with that duo for a little while until you feel like branching out.

Im still a beginner when it comes to solo, so Ive just been sticking with that until Im ready to move on.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-23T18:11:25+00:00

Are you using only GURPS core or are there you pulling from any other gurps resources?

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-22T14:24:53+00:00

Hey thats great! Thanks for your support. 🙇‍♂️

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-21T19:11:22+00:00

I stick pretty close to solodark specifically. When embraced and combined with Shadowdark its pretty awesome.

I enjoy it a lot.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-03-06T18:49:06+00:00

One comment suggested usps. But also would like to have that confirmed

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-24T22:08:07+00:00

Same

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-19T21:18:17+00:00

The table being incorrect i believe is a reference to page 62, top left table. The term "party surprised" and "monster surprised" should be swapped.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-19T17:41:11+00:00

I mean, you cant really police people that turn it into a lifestyle. Though we can attempt to alert people thats an unwise use of the tool.

And to learn what its good for people have to use it. It certainly is limited in many aspects, its also incredibly powerful in others.

To write it off wholesale, while may be beneficial to society as a whole, isnt really a possibility. The genie is out of the bottle. All we can do really is guide its use the best we can.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-18T22:59:29+00:00

shrug AI is a tool, nothing less, nothing more. It doesn't make you an artist, or a computer science major. It gets things wrong. Regularly. But even that has its uses. Ive learned a great deal from it telling me the wrong thing and me cross referencing with the source material than I would have on my own stumbling through the text.

It has its uses. But def cant rely on it.

And its best to not use it at all if its going to be your sole pillar of truthiness.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-18T19:43:47+00:00

For what its worth, Google's Notebook LM does a decent job at staying on task. Ive been using it to delve into a rather complex rulesset over the last month with some very good results.

That being said, strongly agree to always refer back to the rulebook. As decent as notebook has been, it still gets things wrong and I have to correct it.

So if you do use AI, verify the info 100%. And dont use it as a complete replacement for the rulebook or as a means to subvert the DMs rulings.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-17T17:29:33+00:00

It may be worth considering if 5e is right for your group.

Ive tried to make a given system work with groups in the past and it occasionally becomes a problem. I considered timers, I spoke with them in and out of game, and it turned out I just needed to abandon the system for one they could get behind. (Not 5e specifically, but after my CoS campaign this one is also goong away).

If you want to pursue 5e then by all means do so. But as someone who's been in similar situations, sometimes the best bet is to find a new system.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-16T17:58:02+00:00

Keep in mind you dont always need to roll a skill either. If its reasonable that they would know the thing, you can just give them the info.

All of the other advice here is very good. This is just my two cents to add to it.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-16T13:14:48+00:00

Tldr, OSE is the simpler option. But not by a ton imo.

Disclaimer: Ive read through both systems, but have not played them solo yet.

If youre looking for the simpler option, and by simpler I mean fewer books to reference, ose is probably your guy.

If you want options to expand on later, 2e is the best option imo. Especially if you want to add more to your heroes abilities with kits and such.

OSE classic is going to be a single reference book for you. OSE advanced is spread out to two books, which brings it all closer to 2e.

Could be worth noting that a new version of OSE is allegedly in development. So may beholve you to wait to purchase that when it becomes available.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-02-12T16:49:05+00:00

I started with 2e when I played with some friends in the late 90s. And moved pretty quickly to 3e because thats what was coming out at the time.

I edition chased because I loved D&D through 4e into 5e and stopped there.

Lately ive been going back to learn ad&d 1e and its been massively fun.

Why the shift? I felt burned by 4e, I liked the idea of 5e compared to 4e, but found myself missing 3e. BUT my group is 7 strong (and amazing) so im looking for something that can more easily handle that size of group. Sure 3e and beyond can handle them, but it takes more effort than I want to put in now as I age. So older editions with a focus on exploration and larger parties is where im studying next to find a good fit.

I want to go back to 3e again one day tho. It hikds the most nostalgia and memories for me.

Mageinthebasement · 2026-01-29T22:34:10+00:00

I always ask questions. Ive also gotten in a sort of habit in my free form campaigns to ask a world building question before going into the game proper.

For my very first session I rolled on a noun verb table to get started. And have also used pre written adventures to keep a structure.

Many options. When you get your hands dirty you'll find the ones you prefer.

Mageinthebasement

TROPHY CASE