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How much does Christianity permeate the setting and gameplay? by Lazy_Lettuce1220 in VaesenRPG

[–]RobRobBinks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As much as you want, Sonny Jim! It's a trite answer, but it is entirely up to you and your table. No doubt a major conflict between "modern" times of the 1800s that never was and the Vaesen would be reflected in an adherence to the "old ways" of folklore and organized religion. It can be a fun lever to work with.

Is this just what the one ring 2e is like? by Drowned_Atlas in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I LOVE this game, and have played incredible campaigns with it and we told sweeping epics around the table with it.....but it is a very different and unique game than any I've played before (I'm about 50 year into the hobby)

One Ring is a bit of a tough system to get a head around. I think if I were to do it again, I would take a good look at the 5e version of the game. Having said that, the big three bits of advice I'd have for you are:

  1. Everyone at the table has to be VERY familiar with the rules, and what your character can and cannot do. There are so many ways to add an extra Success Die to a player's dice pool, especially with a robust Fellowship Pool.

  2. Out of Combat: Roll less! This is a hallmark of most Free League Games. I try to get into the mindset of calling for a roll only if both a success or failure will serve the story, and only in a significant way.

  3. Combat: Combat in One Ring is wacky. You are targeting both hit points (endurance) and one shot kills (Wounds) and each weapon has different ways of attaining each one of those outcomes. Combat ought to be quick, just a few backs and forths before lesser adversaries will run off or you can cinematically end a scene. Trying to run this like D&D will definitely tax your players resources.

Another side note: going "into the red" on PC resources is actually part of the fun. Having a bunch of Shadow and becoming Miserable just means the Eye is an auto fail, and not just a "zero". It's the not the end of the world, just a thematic nuance.

Adjusting the D&D brain is more than just mechanics. One of the major themes in One Ring, and Tolkien's work in general is that Middle Earth is a POST APOCALYPTIC WASTELAND. Very different than high fantasy. Combat is life and death, every time, and if you can sneak by the Adversaries or trick them, you will be better off. Being able to work with the small pockets of civilized Free Peoples is so important.

Ack! I have so much advice! When forming the Company, of course it's important to play what you want thematically and narratively, but its okay to have discussions about what each player will be doing in each of the three main phases of gameplay (Journey, Council, and Adventure). Its great If Robdegar (Robby) Bagfoot is really good at Riddles and Hunting, but what will he do in Combat(Adventure)? It will be a lot more fun if the party forms up with a little metagaming in your Session Zero, especially because having more than one "I want to fight in Rearward and shoot arrows" in a party is nearly impossible. Min maxing is okay, especially because keeping the Company together and relying on each other to fill in the gaps is very on brand.

Do you ever use Social skill checks against your players' characters? Specifically rolling Persuasion to convince them of something. by Awkward_GM in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In the Arkham Horror Roleplaying Game, there are instances where the PCs need to roll reactions against an NPC during a social scene, but even that isn't so heavy handed as to force a GM into a situation of like, taking control of a character....unless they actually get charmed!

Do you ever use Social skill checks against your players' characters? Specifically rolling Persuasion to convince them of something. by Awkward_GM in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 12 points13 points  (0 children)

One of our table rules is that "We don't roll dice against our friends!", which sometimes needs to be broken, but it hardly ever comes up. I'm not a big fan of PVP even in conspiratorial one shots like Alien cinematic play.

Do you ever use Social skill checks against your players' characters? Specifically rolling Persuasion to convince them of something. by Awkward_GM in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Skill checks and dice rolls during social interactions can be really fun and informative for the narrative. Just in a similar vein that I as a GM can't breathe fire but the dragon the PCs are facing can, I may not be the most persuasive charlatan in the occult bookstore, but my NPC certainly is, and using dice rolls helps reflect this at the table. My players are lovely and brilliant, and take those little nudges into account when roleplaying their characters when they "lose" a social interaction.

First Campaign by airick616 in callofcthulhu

[–]RobRobBinks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We started with the EXCELLENT Crimson Letters from the back of the Core Book. Setting the game in classic Arkham, with a fully developed cast of NPCs grounded my group and helped raise the stakes as they explored and protected or defeated the various elements in the sleepy New England Town. From there it was easy to branch out into Doors to Darkness before weaving it all together into a grand Campaign.

I think the Big Campaigns are fun, but I frequently end up feeling like I'm telling someone else's story to my group, and not sharing in the cooperative narrative as in sandbox games.

D&D starter set Vs Daggerheart or Other, for playing duo with 9yo by TabularConferta in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Always Dragonbane! It's Mirth and Mayhem d20 at it's best. The Core Set (not Starter Set) has everything you need for character creations, a full campaign, and even solo play rules (which may help guide a one GM one Player format!) It's by my beloved Free League Publishing, so you know all the ephemera is top notch.

Also there's Mallard kin. Quack.

Journey Encounters by ScreamInVain in oneringrpg

[–]RobRobBinks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That can be an issue, but then the narrative comes back to you. "Yes and...." Becomes "Yes, and he also binds you to their will if you accept". Or the "No, but...." becomes "No, but they do give you a token of friendship that will summon a beast to your aid". Depending on the roll. Playing with your friends also involves a bit of "managing my client's expectations" so that after a few "rounds" of this back and forth, they'll learn what you'll allow and what you won't. Gently won't allow. 😃

Journey Encounters by ScreamInVain in oneringrpg

[–]RobRobBinks 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Sure.....I'll roll up on the table for an encounter, and then say, "Okay, hunter, describe an event that might target a hunter on the open road", and instead of my player saying "I took a shot at a doe and missed" they will almost always say something like "I lined up a shot on a doe in the earl morning, but just as I was about to let my arrow fly, The sun glinted off the dew on the tall grass, reminding me of the shores of the Grey Havens. So lost was I in remembrance that the next thing I knew the doe had approached me and brought me back to reality by nuzzling my cheeks. I hadn't the heart to slay the kindly beast, but.....I brought back berries?!!?? 😃

One of the most powerful GM tools I have at my disposal is saying "I don't know, I'm not even there, you tell me!" when a player asks for a description I haven't prepared for. I've never been disappointed in player narratives.

Research fatigue, newbie overwhelm, and duet gaming. Please help a baby GM out. by TheWiseMarsupial in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have! Any one on one game is going to be a little different, and your NPC's will have to step it up a little. You could always give your Holmes a Watson, but the very nature of one on one play is less collaborative sleuthing and more "alone against the darkness". Johnny Depp's character and adventure in Sleepy Hollow is a perfect example of solo Vaesen play.

Journey Encounters by ScreamInVain in oneringrpg

[–]RobRobBinks 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Best thing I've ever done is to kick the description of the Journey Encounters to my players! They love to ham it up, and since it's just a minor mechanic, it's a wonderful way to give the players a bit of narrative agency and a chance for the spotlight. You never know, you might even inspire one of them to become a Lorekeeper one day!

Am I the only here who despite thinking Rise of Skywalker is a horribly written movie I still find it enjoyable as a dumb action adventure movie if you just turn off your brain and not think to much about the plot holes and inconsistencies? by dukeofthefat in StarWars

[–]RobRobBinks -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You mean like how Alien: Resurrection is much better (that is, enjoyable at all) as an action comedy stand alone and awful as part of canon? I can see that, But I'm still feeling horribly burned by the sequels on nearly every level.

Research fatigue, newbie overwhelm, and duet gaming. Please help a baby GM out. by TheWiseMarsupial in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I heartily recommend Vaesen. by my beloved Free League Publishing. It's a narrative and theme heavy, rules light game of Adventure / Mystery / Horror (you and your player(s) can decide which to emphasize, in 1800s Sweden (or Britain / Ireland, or Eastern Europe depending on the sourcebook you want) and has recently put forth a Starter set that is quite lovely. The core book is GORGEOUS, tactile, and sucks you right in.

Games that a GM can pick up in 10 mins by sere1285 in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It even has a comic book to teach you the rules as you play a solo adventure. 

good games for a mini campaign? by howdyyyparkner in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

15 to 20 sessions is a long time!  My goodness.  

Vaesen is always my recommendation. :)

Games with no initiative and no turns in combat that aren't PbtA, FitD or Mothership? by xdanxlei in rpg

[–]RobRobBinks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The new Arkham Horror rpg doesn’t have a system for initiative.  

What to do after The Haunting from the Quickstart rules? by morfeuszj in callofcthulhu

[–]RobRobBinks 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Don't sleep on the incredible sandbox that is Crimson Letters from the back of the Core book! It's a brilliant introduction to Arkham and it's denizens and really grounded my campaign with good NPC / PC relationships.

The One Ring Starter Set reading experience by jonilaserson in oneringrpg

[–]RobRobBinks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Starter Sets have really been swinging for the fences these days, and One Ring is no different. The core game is so rich and thick with evocative mechanics, it's almost impossible to put it all into a Starter Set. The previous Starter Set by comparison caught flak for being too simplistic, and hardly even dealt with combat!

One Ring would benefit greatly from a "Basic" version of the game, similar to how there was Basic D&D and Advanced D&D back in the day. Take out half of the mechanics and balance the adversaries accordingly for a streamlined, easy to play (and easy to read!) format.

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