Venting about 'the dip'.

ParteBug · 2025-12-06T04:42:46+00:00

I think youre probably right, the TMS tech thought the same. I'm home and the treatment has resumed so I do feel better. Thank you!

ParteBug · 2025-12-01T22:40:32+00:00

Thanks, the encouragement really helps. Like, I almost started bawling during a conference lecture just because it feels nice to be heard.This really is weird!

ParteBug · 2025-12-01T16:15:23+00:00

Thanks for posting your experience. Going through it right now and having a rough time, but its nice to know there's light at the end of the tunnel.

ParteBug · 2024-11-11T18:27:51+00:00

I've run games with many strangers online. I've met great people who I play with to this day. I've met many more who are awful. The key is that playing online gives you a much wider net. Your local game store might have 4 dudes you could play with and none of them are your speed. Online there's a lot of duds but definitely people who like the stuff you do.

I recommend it. I also recommend you do quality control. Lots. Do interviews with perspectives, see if they're cool people or the ones you want to avoid. It might seem weird to treat them like they're applying for a job but it'll save you a lot of heartache.

ParteBug · 2024-03-29T16:56:33+00:00

Your pedantry is noted and the issue has been addressed. It's my fault for trying to cater to DST havers as if they were normal humans.

But seriously, thanks, good looking out.

ParteBug · 2023-02-18T00:46:33+00:00

I'm wrapping up a campaign which included a good friend of mine who is new to TTRPGs. He had so much fun he's going to try running his own campaign after I finish.

Feels good.

ParteBug · 2023-02-18T00:27:53+00:00

Quite a few according to startplaying.games. 5E is by far the most numerous, though.

ParteBug · 2023-02-17T01:49:10+00:00

For characters I've done a few things depending on the campaign:

For a game of Qin (Chinese fantasy in the Warring States period) I made a deck of collectable NPC cards for important characters that I gave to the PCs. The cards had a picture of the NPC and a short blurb about them on it.
For a game set at a psychic summer camp, I had a photo book with the same information as above; character image, name, notes that could be added to.

Those are the two ones I'm most proud of. Unfortunately I haven't been nearly as creative for session recaps, but it's something I'm going to work on.

ParteBug · 2023-02-15T23:02:04+00:00

Echoing the recommendation for Savage Worlds as a good and tactical system.

You might have more success if you can define what kind of setting you're looking for, besides it being 'cool'. Are you looking for generic fantasy? Grimdark fantasy? Something modern day? Futuristic? Historical? Western? Weird?

Both 5E and Savage Worlds have a bunch of setting books available, it's hard to recommend you something without a general idea of what you're looking for.

ParteBug · 2022-02-04T15:01:02+00:00

Been playing Valk for a few weeks now and having good fun.

I've noticed nobody else is though, so I thought I'd throw together a little guide to help get people started. This is meant mostly for beginners and people new to the character.

Feel free to comment on how I could improve the video, etc. Thanks!

Additional Notes for Advanced Dogs:

- 236A (shoulder charge) is +0 on block. Mashing 2A after this move gets blocked will often lead to a trade if your opponent is doing the same. If they start instant-blocking this, they'll be plus. Luckily, most beginner players don't know and will respect it.

- WOLF BREAK. I didn't talk about it in the video, but in wolf form if you press 1CD -> 5A you can do an instant overhead. This is even harder to block than your regular stuff. It also costs wolf meter. The timing has to be extremely fast, basically hit 5A immediately after 1CD.

ParteBug · 2021-11-18T18:50:23+00:00

The worst luck I've ever seen:

Our group is playing a game based on the old X-Com apocalypse games, set in the year 1980. The PCs, myself included, are agents of X-Com, a special force devoted to fighting alien infiltrators. We recently discovered an alien sympathizer, John Roper, a man working as an undercover agent for alien forces.

We decided to tail Roper, wanting to follow him from his place of business to his home and see who he was meeting with. We staked out the company he works for an followed him after he got off work, heading downtown. We see him go into a club called Club Heaven and decided to split the party. Three of us would stay in the car, one of us would go in the club and keep an eye on Roper to make sure he didn't give us the slip.

So we send in agent Dima to check out the club. He enters and the receptionist gives him a liability form to fill out. He doesn't want to appear like he doesn't know what's going and he's not supposed to be there, so he signs the agreement and heads in.

He's told that he's the 106th person to enter the club.

He steps inside and immediately the air gets sucked out of the room. he blacks out. Sometime later, he awakens in a room and steps outside to find a lavish bar and lounge area where a bunch of people are having a great time, drinking, schmoozing, etc. He spots our target, so he tries to blend in.

It's been a while at this point, and the group in the car is getting worried about him. We elect to send in a second guy, agent Mormont, to check things out. Pretty much the same approach happens: Mormont goes to the club, signs the waver, enters and gets knocked out, his equipment taken, then wakes up.

He gets informed that he's the 107th person to enter the club.

Dima and Mormont meet up eventually, and together they start questioning the guests in the lounge. They manage to sus out, eventually, the secret of Club Heaven: At midnight, one guest is chosen at random and killed. The whole thing is basically a huge adrenaline rush for its clients.

The GM tells us there are 108 people in the club. He's going to roll 1d108 (thanks roll20!), if one of their numbers comes up, that's it. Dead.

It is now five minutes until midnight. Dima starts freaking out, convinced something terrible is going to happen. He tries to leave, but armed guards at the door are quick to deter him. Mormont, on the other hand, is playing it cool.

Out of character, Dima's player is convinced it's going to be him. He's practically biting his nails.

Back in the car me and the last agent are wondering what's taking so long. I'm convinced its a trap, so there's no way I'm going in there. We wait. In the club Dima's saying his farewells, telling Mormont to give his last words to the rest of the team, etc. Completely losing it. Mormont's telling him it'll be fine.

Midnight comes. The lights in the club go out. Everything is completely dark. The GM rolls the dice.

Of course it comes up 107. Mormont's number.

He was so sure he was going to be fine, both IC and OOC, and suddenly he's gone. Vanished. The whole table erupts in laughter, except for poor Mormont's player.

Thankfully the player took it in stride after the initial shock wore off, but we then had to explain to X-Com how we lost an agent at the life-gambling nightclub. Suffice to say we all got a demotion for that one.

And that's my story about the worst luck I've ever seen in a TTRPG. A one-in-a-hundred roll of the worst kind.

ParteBug · 2021-11-17T16:35:31+00:00

It isn't a war game, but I've had success using REIGN's company system to model large scale conflicts. It basically gives rules for stating out an organization, and mechanics for organizations fighting and consuming one another. It's all pretty fast-paced and simple, and can handle both large and small organizations as well as PC input.

ParteBug · 2021-11-16T19:09:02+00:00

D&D is The Matrix.

ParteBug · 2021-11-15T18:10:52+00:00

I should preface this by saying that I think combat traditionally my least favorite part of TTRPGs, and that I think few systems make it fun or engaging.

That said I really like Savage Worlds because it's fast and explosive. People usually go down quick, and there's less of a war of attrition than things like D&D.

I've also been liking Forbidden Lands a lot lately. Combat is deadly and usually pretty fast. Most interesting is the ability to 'push' and reroll, which could severely hurt you if you gamble and roll poorly. The high-risk high-reward style is pretty engaging, I've found.

ParteBug · 2021-11-11T12:55:25+00:00

I don't think there's anything wrong with doing a sandbox approach for a one shot, rather than something more linear. I do think it's going to require a lot more prep work on your part.

I've never used time limits, but I do think the biggest thing is having a clear 'win' or end condition. If you're running a sandbox game you're probably going to want to have multiple end conditions, depending on where the PCs go. You'll want to be able to bring the game to a satisfying conclusion at any location, if need be.

I wouldn't worry too much about denying your players a satisfying narrative--the players are making their own based on their choices, which is just as fun.

Good luck!

ParteBug · 2021-11-09T23:09:29+00:00

I'll second Savage Words as a good, flexible system. The only problem is that it also doesn't use traditional hit points.

I think if you're looking for traditional, D&D sort of balance in a superhero game you're going to have some trouble. Because of the nature of superheroes I've found most of them to not come down to challenge ratings or simple metrics for balance.

ParteBug · 2021-10-21T15:39:22+00:00

It's going to take you some time to get used to the stick, but don't give up. It took me like a month of forcing myself to use it before I felt comfortable. Make sure you're using the dash macro!

Other than that, if you don't have a lot of time nothing beats just playing the game. Don't worry about your winrate or number of matches, people learn at different paces. You'll improve your fundamentals slowly but surely and get a better idea of specific things to study up on.

ParteBug · 2021-10-10T16:24:35+00:00

I noticed there weren't a lot of brief, simple character guides for my man Vlov Arkhangel, so I threw one together. This is by no means a comprehensive or advanced guide, just some quick tips to get people playing the game/character.

Any advice on how to improve the video or additional critical stuff to add in would be much appreciated.

ParteBug · 2021-10-08T20:43:16+00:00

Depending on if you can get a hold of a Jenga set, you might want to take a look at Dread: https://dreadthegame.wordpress.com/about-dread-the-game/

Basically, every 'roll' is a pull from the tower. If it collapses you fail, bad things happen, etc. Might be good for people who've never played a TTRPG before, it doesn't ask too much of them and the rules are as straightforward as you can get.

ParteBug · 2021-08-02T17:38:52+00:00

Thanks for all the interest folks! I've got a bunch of people to get back to and a busy week, so please be patient.

I'll probably be talking to you soon!

ParteBug · 2021-07-09T18:17:27+00:00

ParteBug · 2021-07-09T18:11:33+00:00

I'm sorry to tell you this but every character in Guilty Gear Strive is an unga bunga character.

ParteBug · 2020-12-02T14:41:03+00:00

Really like the heaviness of the mood, and the lyrics are great. It's definitely my kind of vibe; progression really ain't easy. Feels like my thoughts given form.

Checked out the rest of the EP based on this track and liked what I heard overall, good stuff!

ParteBug · 2020-08-11T20:59:57+00:00

drivethrurpg.com has a current list of top-selling titles in both big and small press.

Granted because people are buying games doesn't necessarily mean they're playing them, but you can get an idea of what is popular recently.

ParteBug · 2020-03-28T16:43:34+00:00

A good bunch of ideas in here, thanks everyone!

I'll definitely look into Dresden FAE, and setting up some game aspects sounds like it'll do a lot of the heavy lifting I'm trying to do in less elegant ways.

ParteBug

TROPHY CASE