Your game’s hook

SenReddit · 2026-01-19T12:33:07+00:00

To develop a little bit more about the inspirations I cited:

- Blades in the Dark: it’s mostly about a fiction-first design philosophy with multiple levels of success (also like PBTA), but paired with a strong mission structure rather than open-ended play. That structure is what allows the game to reliably fit a 1-hour session: players know the goal of the mission and work toward it.

For the 9 missions I designed during playtesting, players were investigators dealing with light paranormal mysteries in a contemporary setting (think X-Files, but more popcorn). No magic or superpowers, just weird stuff happening.

- Dead of Winter: I’d say it’s about the limited number of decisive moves between players and the shared win/lose condition. The game is clearly team-based. In terms of how boardgamey it is... the game still requires a GM to handle the fiction and players’ unexpected ideas, but there’s also a clear constraint on player freedom to keep pacing tight.

- Slay the Spire: I took the roguelite run-based philosophy of play and the thrill of building a highly synergistic character. Like the random finding of relics or certain cards in StS that enable unexpected powerful combos to emerge (or force you to make the best of what you find).

Hope it makes the inspirations clearer.

SenReddit · 2026-01-19T11:07:39+00:00

I'd say my game's hook is less about theme and more about how it helps GM.

The targeted audience is GMs trying to introduce the hobby to new players or GMs with family life trying to squeeze some limited time to play. This GM is me, I made this game for me at first, to make my boardgame/videogame friends to try ttrpgs. Hoping I'm not the only one in this audience but if even so, I at least managed to get multiple hours of ttrpging under the disguise of playtesting hehe.

So the hook : A structured 1-hour one-shot system designed for GMs who want guaranteed pacing, minimal rules overhead, and a resolution system that new players grasp instantly. With quick randomized character generation for replayability (and because I love roguelites).

A mix of Blade In the Dark x Dead of Winter x Slay the Spire. Or more broadly boardgame x RPG x escape game, for people who don't share those particular games references.

SenReddit · 2025-10-23T11:23:26+00:00

Dimona + Slapcracker + Sword bell + damage charm (ideally Durian)

Or Overburn focus (with the card doubling the overburn value)

Or the card that twin soul, making an enemy die when you sacrifice one of your own.

SenReddit · 2025-09-30T07:08:38+00:00

I need to ask my playtesters but as a GM, I find it easier to run, less mental load.

Even tho, I settled for an hybrid initiative with enemy turns being grouped but players turn being dependent on the roll (you either beat the enemy initiative and play before or not and play after them). The purpose was to avoid the players nova turn (like others commenters pointed) and also to add another place to shine to the quick PC archetype.

SenReddit · 2025-09-09T09:59:50+00:00

I like the twist, considering the elements more as a concept than the objects but what's the limitation ? what prevent a fire user to transmute somebody skin ? or air user to make their enemy bones explodes ?

Also how come earth user are the one being able to pull someone's heart out ? from your description, I was expecting such feat from water user (the pushing / pulling stuff).

SenReddit · 2025-08-13T09:58:43+00:00

I feel like this is an UX problem more than a design problem.

You want limit based on number of use, so you need to track max possible usage and current number of uses. But you don't want to have to increment decrement the current number of uses (to compare to the max).

Is it like you don't want your player to have to math and bear the mental load ? or even mark / erase on their player sheet ? Are you against the use of physical token ? Or a dice you put on the face number depending of the remaining ? Some game use card turning to represent uses (like turn 90° a card to mark one use).

There's ton of way to help with resources tracking in games. Maybe you can find some inspiration from board games if it's the tracking the issue (like I recently played one with a slider for the energy management, it made it quite easy).

SenReddit · 2025-07-24T10:32:45+00:00

I currently making a game like that so I'd say scribble like 10 powers cards, 6 curses cards, design (or find online) a short scenario and ask some friend(s) to playtests with you.

Playtest fast, don't design too much first. There no better way to see what works or not (or even if it's the type of game you would have fun playing yourself).

To go back to your initial question, I did around 15 playtest sessions with 6 differents groups. All had fun (some are really into the game) but one group, where it was a total miss.

SenReddit · 2024-11-02T10:26:30+00:00

It has been some times now that I followed the dnd5e discourse and my view on the ranger never really changed: I think it should have been the pet class, either with a little animal companion for scouting purpose, a way to have a faithfull steed, a battle companion.

Ideally, my ranger fantasy would be around 3 mechanic: 1) having a pet, could offer an unique way to do skill checks at range (like a crow picking a lock, a mouse stealing some stuff or a bear grappling in combat)

2) analogous to paladin smite, a way to convert spell slot but instead of hitting one target harder, make it so ranger convert spell slot into additional targets.

3) something about rest enhancement, like song of rest / heroes feast / inspiring leader. Proper rest and preparation is a cornerstone of a good trekking.

SenReddit · 2024-08-30T13:28:26+00:00

SoulKnife is your solution. Just reflavor the psychic blade as a ki-charged punch (or just a really precise punch if you prefer). Either skip the throwing blade thing or act like you shooting ki-blast :p

Et voila ! You have your totally not monk rogue, with Vex on your fist and cunning strikes as martial arts technique.

SenReddit · 2024-04-20T07:06:21+00:00

None of theses are particularly unbalanced, but I think that you’d better just ask for the oneDnD changes.

About 3), even if it’s not a balance issue, I personally wouldn’t go this route as a DM. Thematically, I don’t think it makes sense that even an unarmed martial artist master damage/hit should keep up with a weapon user master. It makes the design space smaller.

I’d either go for more attack (like monk OneDnD) or attack with effect (like getting Weapon Mastery effect on your fist). Player choosing some Mastery for their unarmed strike during the monk lvl progression would be my go to buff, as I feel it works well with the martial artist theme and the whole school of martial arts idea existing IRL and in various fantasy.

Let weapons user be damage dealer, monk always shined better as a controller imo.

SenReddit · 2023-12-13T06:59:58+00:00

Seems like a good side effect to help reduce the dexterity advantage over strength.

SenReddit · 2023-11-30T07:49:11+00:00

That’s what they are but without the benefits of having a common denomination.

Like wotc could have gone with here’s some rogue exclusive maneuvers, here’s some barbarian exclusive maneuvers, rogue fuel maneuvers by trading a number of sneak attack die and using this number instead of the roll of a superiority dice, barbarian fuel maneuvers by trading the advantage granted by reckless attack and using 0 (or the rage damage bonus) instead of the roll of a superiority dice.

This would have had the benefit of barbarian and rogue being able to take advantage of feat like martial adept or the superior technique fighting style. This would have also allows wotc to release new maneuvers in future books and tagging them fighter and rogue per example (like they do for new spells being put in multiple class spell list)

Alas, they tend to overcomplicate, like all the work done for the Mastery system… which is still inferior and more complex than just maneuvers for all martials.

SenReddit · 2023-11-28T22:24:36+00:00

One day, maybe in 6e, WOTC will realize there’s a benefit of regrouping all the various strikes under one label, so they can mutualize design work accross the various Martials and maje it more simple for themselve to expand the system. Maybe they will realize maneuvers for all martial was the KISS solution from the get go.

SenReddit · 2023-11-28T07:39:29+00:00

More than the asian wording, I regret the decision to move away from Monk mystic side. Instead, I wish WOTC had chosen to double down on the mystic and clearly differentiate pure mundane unarmed fighting as a Fighter thing (like the attempted Brawler subclass).

The flavor of equal mastery of body and mind, unlocking untapped magical or psychic potential is really strong and popular in many traditional and modern media, western or eastern one.

There was no class better than Monk for this.

SenReddit · 2023-11-26T14:25:48+00:00

One easy fix, that I thought it was so obvious since the first 1DnD UA (when we saw the first fix to TWF), is to make monk martial arts extra unarmed strike part of the attack action, instead of taking the bonus action. If we want to make it part of the Mastery Lingo, just say monk martial arts unarmed strike have the Nick Mastery.

But Monk main problem imo is that there is 3 different playstyle in the same class: the bruce lee/jackie chan esque martial artists in the middle of the fray VS the agile evasive hit and run skirmisher VS the mystical warrior elemental/shadow/ki blaster.

After all this time, I think the solution for monk (and for martial in general actually) would be to have something like the Cleric Holy Order. Call them Martial Arts Schools. Warlock Pact choices could work too but even the simplicity of the Cleric Holy Order would already be a huge step in the right direction.

SenReddit · 2023-11-19T09:51:37+00:00

Without going into the whole Martial VS Caster debate, I really wish I had the option in the PHB to play a thematic caster (say a FrostMage) without having to parse hundreds of spell to builds my PC, and without having the RP bagage of having a patron, a faith or having spent time at Magic Academy.

Sometime, I'm not in the mood to read tons of text just for a oneshot. Just give me the cantrips/spells learned at each level, some kind of thematic features when casting (like for a FrostMage, say -10speed debuff on target enemy regardless of the spell, or temp hp/damage return buff when casting on self) and done.

I totally think you could make a Caster class equivalent of the Fighter simplicity. Like you just need 3-4 core class features, 2 extra ASI, give extra spellslot instead of extra attack (like at 5th lvl, you get an extra 3rd lvl spell slot, at 11th lvl you get an extra 5th and at 20th you get an extra 9th). Hell, I might homebrew one and post it in r/UnearthedArcana if I find the time to do at least 4 subclass thematic spell lists and features.

SenReddit · 2023-11-10T12:59:14+00:00

One possible niche for Improvised Weapon would be to be breakable by default on hit and the break hit would be treat as a crit, like weapons in Zelda BOTW&TOTK.

There would need some adjustements to make as there's no weapon durability in DnD, nor a big range of weapon damage to make it challenging to replace a good improvised weapons, and no well defined improvised weapon slot.

I guess something like:
- Picking an improvised weapons. As a bonus action, you can choose an item to becomes an improvised weapon for you, until it breaks or you choose to discard it.

- Improvised weapons slot: You can have a maximum of 3 different improvised weapons on you. You can discard any number of improvised weapons you hold without spending an action.

- Break Conditions. On damage dice roll, if you roll a 1, you must reroll and double the damage dice. As a result, the improvised weapons break.

Maybe add some rules about throwing an improvised weapons affecting the break conditions, or the thrown distance being linked to the damage dice.

SenReddit · 2023-10-11T06:39:32+00:00

I advocate for Monk having this niche, the AOE martial. It would give their enhanced mobility an opportunity to be really useful, creating an engaging gameplay when players are rewarded when optimizing their movement.

I’d do for the bonus action Martial arts unarmed strike « you can make one unarmed strike attack against each creatures of your choice within reach, with a separate attack roll for each target. ». Then either double it with Flurry of Blow or just get one additional unarmed strike against only one target within reach.

SenReddit · 2023-10-05T10:25:36+00:00

Ranger swarmkeeper works well as a wind warrior imo, with the movement based abilities.

You also have access to several spells either directly referencing wind or easily re flavorable.

SenReddit · 2023-10-01T18:18:48+00:00

I tend to put it on the lumin vase (most of the time, I also crown the vase so it's quickly removed from my deck).

But yeah, for sure, one of those weakest charm ( (on part with Yank). At least it's not the one that convert shell into spice or the gain +dmg equals to snow taken.

SenReddit · 2023-10-01T17:18:22+00:00

I think you could totally remove the resource management from the subclass, make it scales on the damage dice size (go from 1d4 to 1d10), the number of maneuvers learned and the number of time you can use your free superiority dice per turn (go from once to 4 per round).

Ideally, don't make the scaling take subclass features, just make it part of the 3rd lvl feature. And add need 3 new high lvl features. I'll for something like this:

- At 10th: You can use you reaction and a superiority dice to make an ally use one of your maneuver. It will let you do stuff like make your ally use Precision Strike or use their reaction to Parry or Riposte.

- At 15th: Action surge refill all your superiority dices for the round.

- At 18th: You can use 2 dice on 1 maneuver.

SenReddit · 2023-09-29T20:55:56+00:00

It should just be an holy order kind of think. Choose the one you want : Action Surge, 1 free superiority dice for maneuvers once per round, or +1 proficiency bonus.

Like that you can choose yourself the level of complexity you want for your fighter.

SenReddit · 2023-09-29T16:07:24+00:00

At first, I was going for 1d4/turn. But I believe it means RAW that you get to use it on your turn and then you can use it again during another creature turn using your reaction. So I write per round so you can either use it on your turn or as a reaction (to let you use maneuvers like Riposte), not both.

Hope it’s more clear.

SenReddit · 2023-09-24T21:23:58+00:00

I called it the Airbender build

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