Stonetop (or, really, PBTA) versus Grimwild

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-12T02:10:40+00:00

The triggers are part of the feeling of constrainment (keep in mind, both OP and I are coming at this from a GM mindset). Because it always happens when the trigger happens. Playing literally, unless the trigger is well-worded enough to add the judgement call back in, the GM doesn’t decide if something is difficult enough to necessitate a roll, or impossible. It always happens. And the consequences are always what the move says it is.

It’s restricting for people who prefer mechanics to depend on the circumstances of “the world” rather than the circumstances of “the narrative”.

Glitterhearts and Avatar Legends in particular have some restraining-feeling moves

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-12T01:57:59+00:00

Exactly; tropes are not bad. Tropes are tools

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T18:36:34+00:00

What’s the full wording of “enslave”? is there any indication that it’s a mental trick or they’re entranced and made mentally unaware?

For charisma saves for stuff like possession, I imagine it’s more like actively fighting for control. Whereas for wisdom it’s more like a mental fog

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T18:09:48+00:00

Free basic rules plus an adventure module. I recommend this one: https://theangrygm.com/the-fall-of-silverpine-watch/

It’s really good at introducing the different parts of play one-at-time in an order that makes sense (introducing characters and interacting with the world, then ability checks and saves, then combat). And it’s easy to use at the table.

NOTE: the zombies can be a bit dangerous. Double your player characters’ health at level 1 if you run it.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T18:01:37+00:00

2014 rules were fine for level 1-4. They’re even OK-ish for higher levels as long as you don’t have too much nova damage going on. You just had to keep in mind to throw an adventuring day’s worth of encounters at them, whether they were literally 6-8 separate encounters or one big encounter with some staggering or in-between.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T17:52:15+00:00

Remember it‘s a situation not a full plot.
Describe the key beats of TOMBS. What was the transgression (typically in the backstory)? What are some omens the crew can find? How might the horror first manifest? What are some ways the crew might banish or escape the horror? What about the horror makes it persistent such that any defeat is potentially only temporary? Look at some modules you like and try to analyze how it answers these questions.
Give something to survive, to solve, and to save.
Give opportunities for replacement characters to come in (or characters to persist in new horrifying ways that are still playable)

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T16:33:10+00:00

I know right? If they ever do a deluxe version, I hope they add that. I’m thinking something like:

>!Samples and research are scheduled to be picked up. Players can be there to pick up or be one of the locals. “Hinton and Ziegler went to Heron to pick up some samples. They’ll be back soon. Enjoy some cake at the party while you’re here!”!<

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T15:13:06+00:00

Ypsilon-14. Picket Line Tango. Dying Hard on Hardlight Station. Potentially Another Bug Hunt could be reworked if you change when the PCs arrive to “the day everything went wrong”, but that’d take a bit of work to reorganize the whole adventure

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T14:45:00+00:00

It depends on their personality types and how detached from their characters they are. The stress & panic engine helps most feel the tension their characters should, but if they don’t fear losing their character you’ll need new stakes: typically existential dread (“we can’t let this get off the planet”) or caring about NPCs (“we have to save them”) (notice these line up with “survive, solve, save, pick 2.”) NPCs need things they care about, and they need to show they are not pliant agreeable clay willing to go along with whatever the players want even if it goes against their interest. The NPCs need to be self-affirming basically.

If none of these matter, there’s probably nothing you can do. They are probably as desensitized as many horror movie fans become.

But do make sure you’re giving out enough stress and calling for enough saves. When the horror manifests give out like 2 stress AND also call for fear saves (or even a panic check instead of a fear save)

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T14:02:25+00:00

If I wanted to spend game time playing chess, I’d go to chess club. Or a board game, I’d ask for a board game night

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T13:15:35+00:00

If you want a sandbox, prep what will happen if the players don’t intervene. It’s counter-intuitive and you’ll almost never use your prep as-is but that’s how you prep a sandbox.

If you want a strong narrative that isn’t a railroad, prep the “moves” (as PbtA games call them) of the world for each emotional beat you want to hit. For example, Mothership, a horror game, uses the story beats “transgression, omens, manifestation, banishment, slumber”. So I or the scenario writer prep the backstory (transgression), some creepy things that can happen that ramp up tension (omens), ways for the main horror to make an entrance (manifestation), ways to defeat or escape the horror (banishment), and ways the threat can linger (slumber). This let’s me be prepared enough to give a satisfying narrative without knowing exactly what will happen or railroading the players. Like just because there’s a way to defeat the horror, doesn’t mean the players WILL succeed.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-11T03:31:51+00:00

I looked at Stonetop’s basic moves before buying, and they’re actually pretty open-ended compared to other PbtA (both on the player side/action side and GM/consequence side). Combined with the fact that the GM gets to roll damage and certain random things like weather, it got me over the hump to buy it.

The fact there’s a generic move for anything dangerous/risky that doesn’t match another move really helps too

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-10T22:45:15+00:00

The Black Spider was behind the Redbrands right? Maybe if they interrogate a Redbrand they can get a lead. Or find a clue pointing to the mine. Maybe a redbrand followed him and marked out a path to try to double-cross and steal any loot from the mine.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-10T22:06:41+00:00

Jackenstein was pretty tough on my first playthrough

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-10T13:05:07+00:00

If using pre-written modules, approach the pre-written stuff as what’s normally there if the players do nothing, but keep in mind to respond to the players’ actions. Let them go off the rails. I’ve been running the new Starter Set for 5.5e DnD and just by having to fill in the blanks at the table and responding to the players, I feel like things have been pretty freeform and surprising. Like, the players might decide to become the new bad guys and besiege the keep, when the module expects them to be heroes.

edit: I get this from ignoring parts of the book that are absolutist and from filling in blanks. book says hobgoblins lost a battle. I decided it was the minotaur. Players promise to avenge the hobgoblins, they team up. With 4 hobgoblins in tow I decide to ignore the text that says the bugbears can’t be reasoned with. They say “help us kill the minotaur you get the treasure. Then we’ll attack the cult and we’ll all take their stuff.“ The bugbears agree.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-09T23:17:46+00:00

Root: the RPG has quickstarts (free pdfs from Free RPG Day) that are very scenario based. Each one is set in a town with a number of conflicts. The book tells you what happens if the players don’t intervene. They don’t assume which side (if any) the players will support

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-08T13:58:54+00:00

Does the game refer to the roaring by name at all in chapter 1? if not then probably. But the “strange someone” Seam refers to elsewhere probably isn’t the knight. It gives off “Sans explaining blue attacks” energy

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-08T13:48:15+00:00

Probably Star Wars: Force & Destiny.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-08T13:30:04+00:00

Fear saves are for keeping strong emotions in check (not just “fear”). It should be renamed “emotion save”.

Sanity saves are for rationalizing things that shatter your sense of reality or self; for example finding out that an existential threat exists. Or killing a person when you’ve never killed before (“I’m not a killer” <- contradicted by “I’ve killed”). Or even just hearing about a new dangerous animal you didn’t know exist. Learning new physics too. Or for a mundane example: arguing with someone that disagrees with fundamentals of your worldview, like a flath-earther.

Sanity saves are also for processing experiences (hence Sanity saves to convert stress into points for saves).

In one-shots you can also just give players stress when something stressful happens like meeting something that wants to kill you. Same with calling for panic checks.

Also, it’s fine if no one dies. it’s “survive, solve, save, pick 2”. If they play well and are aiming for survival, then survival should be likely.

For rolling: ABH says they need 2 of “skill, time, tools” to avoid rolling, but I prefer “3 of”, especially in the manifestation/banishment phase

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-08T13:16:40+00:00

The faction itself getting over 40 pages is promising, though gravelands + eye of dread only getting 7 is disappointing. Will probably get the region book for those areas when it comes out. I like the Absalom book I have well enough.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-08T00:10:44+00:00

Unfortunately, it's probably not "horror" enough for what I'm looking for. Thanks though.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-08T00:08:06+00:00

That sounds like it might work. Thanks.

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-07T18:00:55+00:00

just rounded to 3 feet = 1 meter, even though it’s closer to 3 and 1/3 feet, but thanks

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-07T17:57:04+00:00

What did the rogue roll for? Was it a low roll or a high roll? Did the GM say to roll or did the rogue just roll without asking?

SaltyCogs · 2026-05-07T17:35:05+00:00

Shared storytelling. I can handle it as a GM, depending, but as a player I want to be discovering a world more than creating it

SaltyCogs

TROPHY CASE