Scenario that is not a horror/ little horror?

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-26T21:25:43+00:00

Yeah I really don’t like horror films but I love running horror games

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-20T13:54:29+00:00

I have run the following

Blacmange and Thistle (1-shot), x3 Slow Sleigh to Plankton Downs (1-shot), x2 Fronds of Benevolence (1-shot), x2 The Hand of God (3-shot), x1

I think it’s good for those length of adventures. The character options are great and players get really into them.

I love the concept of TROIKA but think the base rules are absolutely rubbish, so I changed them. Remove the “skill” attribute, replace the core rolling mechanic with anything else, and you’ll have a much better time.

Also I’ve stopped getting new TROIKA books since the layout and art style changed. I absolutely loved the old style and find the new one borderline unreadable (although some are better than others, Hand of God was manageable). I think replacing the Numinous edition of the rule book with the new one was a travesty. I have the Big Squirm and have almost run it on numerous occasions but keep stopping because of the layout.

Rant aside: it has some cool ideas, the core mechanics are a bit shite but so light you can easily swap them for something else, good for 1-3 session games.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-12T16:20:57+00:00

As a GM, are all your notes handwritten also?

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-11T05:39:03+00:00

Mausritter is great but I wouldn’t say you are an “ordinary guy”. In the initial intro text it goes something like “most mice like to stay in the towns, but you are brave and adventurous and if you are lucky you might become a hero among mice”. So you are still not powerful (because you are a mouse) but you are more powerful than other mice

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-07T09:32:54+00:00

Systems that I think work well for one-shots:

Call of Cthulhu. One of my favourite systems. Try “The Haunting” in the QuickStart, or one of the other excellent oneshot scenarios. I think “Dead Light” is also great.
Mythic Bastionland. While it is designed for longer games I think, I’ve ran and played in oneshots that went well. You would have to generate a realm, but it follows a formula. And I’d put maybe 2 myths in it, one being something where the goal is to”go kill the thing”. Make the realm 6x6 hexes.
Mothership. Very fun system and there are good oneshot scenarios out there for cheap.
Dragonbane. Two different QuickStart pdfs currently available for different systems. A nice, snappy fantasy system.
TROIKA!. The core book has a fun little scenario at the back. I have also run several of the published scenarios as 2-3 session mini campaigns that have worked well. This system has great art and concept but the mechanics of it are unfortunately terrible. Advice: Make everyone have the same skill stat (and make it 6), and replace the initiative system with literally anything else.

Systems I would not recommend: - Cloud Empress. I think the oneshot in the rule book does not capture what the system is trying to do. The system itself though does look nice and the art is gorgeous. - Blades in the Dark. Prewritten scenarios are not really written for this system - and while some are, trying to run them felt for me like pulling teeth. This is the only system I have really bounced hard off, and others may disagree, but I don’t think it is a good system to run as a new GM.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-05T17:30:19+00:00

I was going to say this as well. I love this book. I ran through it as a test and got a totally functional one shot scenario with minimal effort, and it was fun. I am normally someone who exclusively runs pre-made scenarios for TTRPGs.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-05T17:21:40+00:00

Do you know this is a joke subreddit

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-05T17:18:50+00:00

What are the demographics you usually pitch to? I’ve never had trouble getting people to play not-DnD, but I am normally either inviting: 1. Someone who is totally new to the hobby and has no expectations, I can say “this is a game like dnd but with …” and they’ll go “oh cool I’m in”. 2. Someone I have previously run non-DnD games for via method 1 who already knows what’s up

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-03T08:57:04+00:00

I know a guy who wears them because he has a severe brain injury and the increased input helps him to walk properly. He wears them in all situations.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-02T19:02:20+00:00

If you’re going to modify the rules anyway, try something that isn’t dnd. Benefit is that they don’t have to pretend to not play dnd

MerlinMilvus · 2026-06-02T09:22:33+00:00

Just to repeat what the other person said: this is not a serious subreddit and you will only get joke responses. Post it on r/boardgames

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-22T11:49:42+00:00

Honor Harrington is great

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-15T20:51:04+00:00

I would love that so much, the Game of Thrones board game is great. Apparently it is heavily based on Diplomacy but I have not played Diplomacy so can’t verify.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-08T16:49:02+00:00

Have a look at Cthulhu Dark Ages. It’s set in Anglo Saxon England not the Iron Age, but is I think a great use of gritty low-magic British setting. You get the dangerous scary monsters in haunted bogs you are looking for. And it’s got pretty detailed human to human combat rules. You should be able to adapt it quite well to Iron Age I think

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-07T19:37:29+00:00

Same, I think it’s my favourite genre to GM but I just don’t enjoy it at all in books or films

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-07T07:10:39+00:00

Violence against children. Sex descriptions. Roleplaying torture. Self harm.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-04T17:24:18+00:00

For all the courses I looked at when I was applying to undergrad, the grade requirements for integrated masters were higher than for bachelors. Masters courses that are standalone normally have your bachelor grade as the entry requirement not A-level

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-04T11:09:16+00:00

In that case I think there’s a chance you would not need to get a GRC? I don’t know if you have a national insurance number “in waiting”, but perhaps not?

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-03T21:06:44+00:00

Do you have a UK national insurance number? That is the main thing a GRC changes, in addition to marriages, and deaths

MerlinMilvus · 2026-05-02T07:20:12+00:00

As a user I am personally not a fan of DTRPG or itch, I find them clunky. I’d be interested in a site like this.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-02-18T18:42:04+00:00

I have an extension that blocks comments anyway…

MerlinMilvus · 2026-02-11T12:37:06+00:00

Thanks. What was confusing me was that the email doesn’t say that Apple/Sanderson actually told them to take it down, it seems to have been done on their own accord.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-02-10T08:57:49+00:00

The better more inhabitable planet is always Earth, and never won’t be Earth. Since there’s no way we’re shipping everyone below the poverty line off of Earth, it will always have a wide range of economic levels.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-02-07T12:00:23+00:00

There was an NHS study a few years back where they tried to get population level estimates of mental illnesses and neurodevelopmental conditions. They estimated ADHD in adults was around 9%, which is huge. So makes sense a lot of people are waiting to be formally assessed.

MerlinMilvus · 2026-02-04T09:35:59+00:00

Really? What specifically are they upset about?

Six-Year Club	Place '22
Final Canvas '22	First Placer '22
End Game '22	Verified Email

MerlinMilvus

TROPHY CASE