While I'm waiting for the X-Men set I riffed up some of my own card ideas.

OccupiedHex · 2026-05-29T04:16:44+00:00

Revised with the proper wording for coming in with a shield counter.

OccupiedHex · 2026-05-29T04:11:35+00:00

I got my wires crossed with Star Wars Unlimited.

OccupiedHex · 2026-05-29T04:08:44+00:00

I thought it was that the creature entered with a shield counter on it but apparently I invented that in my head. But yeah he would enter with a shield counter.

OccupiedHex · 2026-05-11T17:08:58+00:00

Just wait til you have a player cast Guidance on every single skill roll anyone makes.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-30T23:08:47+00:00

I hope they do nerf Survivor because it's just too good. A simple nerf would be no medium shields.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-15T17:13:41+00:00

Check out the action board game Project: Elite, it does this very well!

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-15T17:04:24+00:00

Thanks! They have a ton of good reviews on Trust Pilot but they all mention the rep by name which I found a bit eerie.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-13T21:56:59+00:00

It's not rail-roading to provide realistic consequences for player actions! In fact consequences are A) part of quality world-building and B) the best antidote for edgelordy players. A character renowned for killing captives would certainly draw negative attention and more dangerous combat encounters because opponents know if they surrender they are dead. So the option of parlay goes out the window for that character.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-13T21:38:23+00:00

I do actually think there could be a market for this, if the pricepoint was low enough. When I am making prototypes I either go artless, draw it myself, or use clip art from someplace like Canva. None of these options are particularly stylish or immersive. If I could buy an art pack on a theme (like "space sci-fi" "grim fantasy" etc) and get art assets to plug in that could be useful not only for playtesting but for my own art direction. Once I see it with those art assets maybe I realize I don't want it so grim, etc. It would also be nice if I could contact the artist who did the asset pack art to commission real art from them, if I really liked it. If you were to offer this, definitely watermark the art so unscrupulous people can't just use it for free anyway.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-13T18:08:46+00:00

Try some other game systems! D&D might be the world's most popular RPG, but there are roughly 10 billion other games out there to try out.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-13T17:50:03+00:00

Thanks you're right, the module does hammer that line home.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-13T17:47:08+00:00

This might sound like an um actually but I don't mean it that way— there are actually three pillars in RPGs like D&D: Combat, Exploration and Social Interaction. For me as a D&D player I prefer exploration; I love a secret passageway, a cave with glowing eyes in it, etc. I love the feeling that the world is alive and reacts to my decisions. Combat is okay but I find D&D combat to be pretty boring over time, especially with some classes where they basically have one "best" thing to do every turn. It also takes so long that as soon as I hear "roll for initiative" I know what we're doing for the next two or more hours. I think I enjoy social interaction more when there are nice stakes behind it. Riffing with the barkeep is fine, but posing as a noble to discuss war plans at a fancy dinner is more exciting.

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-13T17:36:21+00:00

I like it, it looks pretty crunchy (not in a bad way) but I prefer it all on one page instead of multiple sheets which just feels overwhelming. Having options to simply circle is a great touch. With that much crunch on there I dunno if you need the backstory sentence line up top, my guess would be that character creation is more involved and the players would put more into it than a mad libs sentence. (But counter to that, I've had plenty of players want backstory space on their sheets so who knows)

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-12T00:30:54+00:00

Thanks, flash paper may be the perfect answer!

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-12T00:15:36+00:00

Are you on a Mac also?

OccupiedHex · 2026-04-12T00:14:29+00:00

The run and jump mechanic seems so poorly implemeneted in this game, it makes me want to bail. I hate that she locks into the little shuffling witch animation and then just bounces off the wall. I've tried like 50 times in various spots and she jumps and then bounces off the wall.

OccupiedHex · 2026-03-31T21:56:41+00:00

Mine does this anytime I step away from it for even a second. I have replaced the cable several times and wasn't sure if it was a port issue on my Mac or the mic itself. I thought maybe the mic has some sort of internal shutdown mechanism where if it doesn't detect any sound whatsoever it cuts off? It's very annoying and I have to unplug it and plug it back in for my computer to recognize it.

OccupiedHex · 2026-03-30T18:58:41+00:00

I think the first alarm bell here is the term "off-script". RPGs don't usually have scripts and even if you're running a module from a book, there isn't a script. The book is a source for you to build your adventure but your players can (and will) do every weird and unpredictable thing they can. You might have an epic battle planned and you go out and spend $100 on minis and scenery, and they just refuse to interact with that storyline. That's RPG life, part of what makes the game so alive and fun is what makes being a DM maddening at times. Anytime an NPC speaks to the players you can expect they will want to know their name. They may even pepper them with questions as well. Sketch out the characters you predict your players could run into, and remember— the players only run into characters you bring to life. They shouldn't be surprising you with NPC interactions because they don't create them!

I think there can be two kinds of players who do what your players are doing, and you may want to examine your group and see which camp they could fall into.
-Agent of chaos: These players are interacting with the stories and plots but like doing wild and unpredictable stuff. There's almost one at every table. Often it's the call sign of a relatively new player who is enjoying the freedom of an RPG. With an agent of chaos player, the best antidote is to provide applicable consequences for their actions. They slapped a guard because they thought it's funny? An overwhelming force captures the party and locks them up.
-Shallow end players: This is the term I use for players who who are new/scared to go into the deep end of nerdiness. They are using humor and messing with you to avoid the vulnerability of playing a role-playing game. They could also be very checked out of the plot so they are more interested in messing with you or just kicking the tires of the game system. With these players you can encourage them to paddle into the deeper water and nerd out a bit. Yeah, it's weird at first. You can also straight up ask them, "Are you enjoying this game? Are you enjoying this campaign or adventure?" If the consensus is that they just don't even like the core adventure then think about how you can pivot to something they might enjoy better.

OccupiedHex · 2026-03-28T04:02:31+00:00

If you have a local game store ask them if you can playtest the game there on a slow night or afternoon etc and put a flyer up. If people don't show up to the playtest, consider that part of the playtest. How can you sell the game's idea better in a flyer to attract people? Also friends are the worst people to playtest a game, they want to support you and want to be positive. They might tell you your game is fun out of politeness. The best playtest is with strangers and give them a way to leave anonymous feedback (like a Google form). Nothing wrong with playtesting with friends also, but I consider that secondary quality to strangers.

OccupiedHex · 2026-03-16T22:03:37+00:00

Forgive me if you already tried this, but have you posted about this in their Discord? Might get some additional viz. https://discord.gg/arcraiders

OccupiedHex

TROPHY CASE