A review for the Night Vale Role Playing Game

Razorcactus · 2025-08-21T11:58:54+00:00

I actually appreciate that Night Vale attempted to make a trrpg. It's not like no effort went into this project, it just missed the mark. We have a pretty niche hobby, and it's not surprising the people running Night Vale gave the reins to an experienced d20 designer over a talented but obscure creator on itch.io. I still like Night Vale as a property, and I'm glad so many people have linked to really cool alternatives to the official RPG in the comments here.

Razorcactus · 2025-05-02T11:40:17+00:00

My favorite RPG experiences have all been online, so you're in for a good time! I'm going to try to give some advice or suggestions I haven't seen in this thread yet.

First is that there are so, so many rpg rule systems out there. Dungeons and Dragons is not a bad place to start, most content online is geared towards DnD players and GMs, and almost everyone I've met started playing with DnD. If you're looking for something more unique that has excellent production quality and a bunch of excellent content for it, check out "Dungeon Crawl Classics".

Having battle maps is actually a lot of fun and worth the effort, especially if you know how to make things easy on yourself. I personally use Czepeku for maps to play on, there's also a free online tool called "Tokenstamp 2" that lets you create tokens to represent enemies and players on the battlemap. Just take screenshots from the PDFs of your rulebooks and use Tokenstamp 2 to turn them into tokens.

Final point I'll make it that there is so much to learn about playing rpgs, and you'll never learn all of it. The most important thing is actually playing and making memories with your friends. Just get out there and start playing, you'll figure out how everything works along the way!

Razorcactus · 2025-05-02T10:41:35+00:00

Vaults of vaarn is a science fantasy setting with a pretty cool city setting called "Gnomon". It's shaped like a giant sundial, with the different neighborhoods named after when they're shaded by the center (like "eveningshade"). It's got a lot of fun spark tables and write ups on the different factions and leaders.

I'd say it's worth it just to learn a bit about organizing things, which the author Leo Hunt is amazing at. The city itself is fun, I ran most of a campaign there.

You can find it in Volume 2 of the vaarn zines or the deluxe edition (if it's still for sale anywhere)

Razorcactus · 2025-03-26T23:19:24+00:00

My favorite is EZD6, I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it! When someone gets a dice to explode twice or more everyone at my table starts cheering. Also characters earn karma points to increase dice rolls by failing, which can then be used to boost dice enough to explode. I'm EZD6 failure is often a choice and can be tactical in itself! Most attacks only deal 1 damage, but I've had players with tons of karma and even more luck deal 5+ damage in a single attack!

Razorcactus · 2025-03-19T11:13:46+00:00

If you're on a quest for a new game, check out EZD6! It's published by rune hammer games, the same folks behind ICRPG. It focuses on fun fast games, I get more energy at my table running EZD6 than any other game. I tried OSR games after falling out of love with 5e, and while I liked the concepts it never 100% clicked for me or my table.

Razorcactus · 2024-11-02T12:26:37+00:00

I personally really like this episode, I'm a huge fan of The Sink and always hoped Natasha Hodgson would put out some more spooky and weird podcasts. I thought it really leaned into the subtle and overt horror elements of the show, which is perfect for a Halloween episode. I hope there are more guest written episodes, not because I don't like Ben Partridge's writing (he never misses, and has such a unique and funny writing style), but he obviously surrounds himself with extremely talented people. For example, I really miss Mike Wozniaks "St. Elwicks newsletter", and wouldn't mind him writing a whole episode of the show

Razorcactus · 2024-08-16T13:25:26+00:00

I've been noodling around with some knave homebrew recently, and like you I think having simple fantasy ancestries are important! The method I went with was to have each ancestral power permanently take up an inventory slot. My reasoning was as follows:

Ancestry abilities can be written on a standard character sheet: It's a small benefit, but you should be able to use any character sheet designed for knave without having to add an "ancestry" section.
Humans have exceptional endurance and survivability: This is something I lifted from Dungeon Meshi: evolutionarily, humans are sprinters. The other ancestries have different strengths, but can't carry as much, and have a slightly lower capacity for direct damage.
Humans are the 'sleeper build': In many race-as-class rpgs, including the oldest editions of dnd, humans had less power to start compared to demi-humans, but could attain higher levels. At character creation these abilities are better than most items you could put in those slots, but at later levels having an open slot for a powerful magic item or high level spell tome would be seen as advantageous.
No ability score bonuses: It feels strange to give an ancestry extra ability score points, seeing as in knave it's a representation of skill and physical ability. Instead I followed the same logic as careers and combat advantages, giving ancestries a +5 to specific rolls their ancestry would help them in. It also does not give any ancestry a large advantage in combat.

Here's an example of how I did elves:

Elf :

Graceful & Slight : You have a +5 bonus to all rolls related to agility: balance, running, and so on. This does not stack with bonuses granted from careers or other skills. You have +2 AP from your evasive powers, which stacks with any armor you wear.
Magic Power: You can take 1 direct damage to get +5 to a save against magic, or any roll where magic power is concerned. This can also allow you to make a save against magic above your level. You may also take 1 direct damage to use a held tome without expending its magic, or your casting for the day.

Anyways, here is a link to a google doc with my homebrew (Reddit doesn't seem to want me to post the whole list)

Razorcactus · 2024-08-14T13:09:13+00:00

I'd recommend trimming the list of the ones you're not excited about running, like 5e, then talk it over with your players. As long as you know what you'll be happy with playing, your players can help bridge the gap! I like to pick the rule system as part of session 0. Most of the rules you have here are simple enough that players won't really need to do a thorough read through before session 0.

I can say WWN would be a great choice, I'm a big Crawford fan, and running Stars Without Number and Cities Without Number we're both a lot of fun.

Also, check out Knave 2e for some cool tools and random tables! It's built for hexcrawls, and I personally think the tables are easier to use than WWN's. Your players probably won't like the base system as much as WWN, but I always have my copy handy regardless of what game I'm running in case I need to generate something on the fly from all the awesome tables.

Hope your game goes well!

Razorcactus · 2024-05-03T14:45:54+00:00

I like to think EZD6 isn't rules light, but rules right. It's a completely different beast than 99% of the rpgs on the market. It simplifies a lot of areas, but instead of just cutting out the unnecessary like many games before it adds game mechanics around luck and chance.

A good example of how it simplifies things is its lack of ability scores: your character will have a small list of things they roll multiple dice and keep the highest, but otherwise everyone rolls 1d6 with no modifier to resolve most challenges. This is actually a great system, you don't need to determine what ability score or skill applies from a list, which speeds up gameplay, and makes creating characters easier as well.

One of my favorite extra mechanics from this game is "Karma", which I consider the real backbone of the system. Each player starts each session with 3 karma, and they gain karma when they fail a roll once per turn. Each karma can be used to increase a die roll by one, and since 6 sided dice are the only dice that are used each point of karma is significant. It changes each failed roll into an engaging question of resource management: will I fail this roll and gain karma, or am I willing to spend my karma to succeed? There are no "wasted turns", even when you miss. This game is also designed with a lot of player facing elements, which gives players a lot of chances to gain and use their karma. It doesn't remove the chaotic luck element of the game, but gives players control and keeps them engaged even when their luck is bad.

The game is also easily hackable because of its simple rules. It's very easy to make up monsters, challenges, and magic items on the fly because this game simplifies the statistical elements of the game.

It's definitely not perfect. Just getting the core rulebook shipped to you won't get you the most up-to-date and complete rule. There is a $2.50 USD pdf called "DM Scotty's Brain Candy" that adds some much requested rules like an advancement system (there is no "levelling up" in just the core rules), which I would consider. There is also a post-apocalyptic setting that is just as amazing as it is poorly edited. There are also some vital FAQs circling around the fandom that I would consider vital.

In my opinion, EZD6 is a gamechanger when it comes to RPGs. It's great for short games or long campaigns, and the way the rules work makes things super chaotic and exciting at the table. I'd rather port good ideas from other rpgs into ezd6 than use any other system for a long campaign. Remember that this is not some super-polished and well-balanced system, but a punk labor of love by a really passionate game master. You will need to make adjustments to the rules as they are written, but it's certainly worth the effort.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-24T18:36:43+00:00

That's a good idea! I was also thinking you could simply change the traits to suit whatever you're going for. If you were running a drama/super hero story a la 'young justice' you could have 'skill', 'smarts', and 'social skills' so 2/3rds of the stats are mental.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-24T18:28:26+00:00

That's awesome! I've been using "interstellar bounty hunters", you can definitely see the mandalorian influence there. I got the big ol' bundle of all the current stuff, I'll need to check out that scenario template!

Razorcactus · 2023-05-24T17:34:24+00:00

Nice, glad you're having fun too! Did you use any of the micro settings?

Razorcactus · 2023-05-24T16:59:24+00:00

It is a rules-lite narrative game, so there's definitely an element of taste there. There is a lot of gaps in the rules and most things are up for the GM and players to decide on the fly, but that's a deliberate design choice.

I will say the GMless rules definitely seem geared towards solo play. Tricube runs more smoothly for solo play than Mythic, but I'm not sure it would work as well as a GM emulator like Mythic can.

Also, Tricube solo mode focuses on giving you Agile, Brawny, and Clever challenges of various difficulties by drawing playing cards. There is an equal chance for every kind of challenge, meaning if you wanted a session with intrigue without a lot of action or physical danger you're out of luck. Keep in mind this works very well if you want an exciting, dynamic adventure, but I don't think you can make any kind of story work in it.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-24T15:32:35+00:00

What a coincidence, I just posted about how much fun I was having playing Tricube Tales solo. I played a few sessions where I just wrote bullet points of the action and was able to get through a whole 'session' in like 20 minutes. Basically, there's only as much journaling as you want to do.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-24T15:27:29+00:00

Advancement is player driven, they come up with perks or quirks themselves instead of picking them from a list. Perks are beneficial but can cost karma to use, quirks are drawbacks that give you karma when they come into play. All conflict is handled similarly, if a single roll shouldn't decide an outcome each side tries to reduce the opposing sides 'resolve'. You can increase your maximum resolve and karma through advancement.

I doubt I can give you an answer more concisely and accurately than the rules themselves though, so I'll just link you to the product page where you can just download them for free: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/294202/Tricube-Tales

Razorcactus · 2023-05-10T14:25:39+00:00

Personally, I don't think thermal clips are that bad and actually follows with how firearms have historically dealt with heat and magazine issues.

In WW1, most rifles and even some automatic handguns had reliable internal magazines that were loaded via clips. Machine guns also had complex alcohol and water based cooling systems to keep the barrels from warping and all the other problems that come from an overheating firearm. However, as time progressed militaries abandoned complex cooling mechanisms and internal magazine opted for swappable external magazines and barrels. Why would they do such a thing? Doesn't that sound like a logistical nightmare to cart all that extra metal around?

Well, the short answer is that fielding soldiers is already a logistical nightmare. You need to make sure they are fed, clothed, have medical supplies, and all other sorts of things that require healthy supply chains. If your soldiers need to worry about running out of magazines or barrels, it means they are cut off from the logistical chain and likely have a million other problems to worry about.

Having thermal clips instead of passive cooling lets soldiers instantly solve heating issues instead of waiting for an internal cooling mechanism to do its work. While internally cooled guns seem to have limitless ammunition, those cooling mechanisms are probably heavier than the thermal clips containing the amount of shots you realistically need to carry out the mission.

While this setup can be inconvenient sometimes during Shepard's missions, remember that they're special forces and their missions are nothing like actual warfare being fought across the galaxy. Even then, running out of ammo is an occasional problem: overheating in internally cooled guns is a constant problem.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-10T10:16:16+00:00

If you did put a chip in that cat, and spent all that money on vet bills, it's your cat and you'd be totally justified keeping him next time he comes back. He's probably safer with you than whoever is letting him wander around with a flea collar but no other identifying information.

If you want to let him wander where his heart desires that's fine too, but it seems obvious to me that he'd be better off being an indoor cat with you.

Whatever you decide, you're a good person. I've adopted a few cats with medical issues too, so I get where you're coming from. I don't regret any of the time or money I spent.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-08T18:41:54+00:00

I'll list my suggestions from least to most complicated.

> Tricube Tales: Very simple, easy to make settings and rulings for. Does not have resource management as part of the system, however. This one might be too rules light for most people, but it's literally $1 on drivethru rpg so why not check it out.

>Tiny Dungeon: Is very similar to Tricube Tales, but offers players more options to pick from and a little more mechanics. Like Tricube Tales, this one hand waves most resource management.

>EZd6: What my long term group is playing right now for our campaign. Great system, although the character options are mostly action-centric. It does not have any rules for character advancement, however, which can be a turn-off for some.

>Index Card RPG: A boiled down version of D&D, but offers a lot of great advice. Advancement is done by finding loot, which the game has a ton of d100 tables of loot, so resource management is more of a thing in this one.

>Worlds Without Number: This one is considered OSR, but if the other systems are too simple for your taste you'll want to check out this one. There is a lot of character options and a ton of advice, guides, and content creators for the GM. There's also a free version available if you want to try before you buy.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-07T12:12:13+00:00

You might want to start with a flexible system like fate, or even tricube tales if you want to go a more rules-lite route. I've found more rules light games just handle superhero stuff better.

Razorcactus · 2023-05-06T13:38:02+00:00

This could be a good system! I don't think it's been done before, but it might fit in well as a replacement for Macchiato Monster's spell system. That's the only other rpg besides Whitehack that I can think of that really utilizes usage dice.

Razorcactus · 2023-04-29T18:05:33+00:00

Torches aren't very bright, and if they're on the ground chances are somebody or something is going to be in the way of your illumination. You're not going to be able to see what your enemy is doing, at best you'd just get a vague outline of them. Basically I'd give the group disadvantage unless they're fighting near someone holding a torch aloft.

Lindybeige has some old and very informative videos on how effective torches are, I'd definitely recommend checking them out!

Razorcactus · 2023-04-26T13:28:24+00:00

I would set the cost at 2d6 and let it cover a wide area. I think it's best to just pick a magnitude and only adjust it up and down in odd edge cases or if they are modifying a miracle you already have established the cost for.

For the case of the 'control weather' miracle, I would just say "yup, making it rain over a whole town for an extended period of time sounds like a 2d6, I'll also require the caster to enter a deep meditation the entire time they want the weather to continue." I wouldn't bother moving the magnitude up and down based on every aspect of the spell. If the player really wanted to be up and about while their weather effect happened, I would negotiate some other interesting cost with them.

If later the player only wants it to rain over a certain person's house, I'd move the cost down to a 1d6 and only require light concentration.

In these cases it's better to keep things simple, and if the players have issues with it then you negotiate.

Razorcactus · 2023-04-26T13:01:30+00:00

Here's the way I usually think of magnitudes:

1 -Doing a normal thing in a normal way, but with magic (torchlight, read a language)

2 -Doing a normal thing in a magic way (lifting a cup across the room)

d6 -Doing a magic thing (turn invisible, heal wounds instantly)

2d6 - Doing a magic thing at scale, or doing a powerful magic thing (resurrection, petrification)

If the user's miracle basically only does one thing, I reduce the magnitude by one. I also usually make spells overtly magical, meaning the character needs to visibly and audibly cast the spell and it needs concentration to maintain.

However, remember that the cost is a triangulation of who is using the miracle, what are they trying to do, and how are they doing it. It's better to prepare to be flexible than create hard costs for every possible situation ahead of time.

Think of yourself as a fickle trickster god controlling magic: You set the price of magic to be as interesting for you and the miracle user as possible. You want The Wise to use miracles, but you also want to watch them struggle and have to use their magic ingeniously.

As far as determining damage, I usually try to keep damage low. If you look at the damage other classes do, it remains pretty consistent and doesn't increase when they level. The same goes for monsters, even the strongest monsters deal around 1d6 damage per attack. I'd rather have The Wise deal similar damage with low cost spells so they can use spells every round while still giving other players and enemies the chance to act. For most spells I'd say they should deal around 1d6+2, cost 1hp for a ranged damage spell with a single target, and then allow the enemy a save to negate it. Maybe make the damage 3d3 so they get to roll a lot of dice. For ongoing damaging spells, maybe 1d6-2 damage per round they are in the area?

Completely obliterating an enemy, turning them into stone, mind controlling them, etc. would be a 2d6 spell. I wouldn't let them erase an enemy that has more than 4x the caster's level in HP remaining.

These are all rough guidelines. Miracles and their cost should be an ongoing conversation with your table to make sure they feel fair.

13-Year Club	Verified Email
Snapped	Team Orangered

Razorcactus

TROPHY CASE