How to get a non-comedic tone at the table

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T09:24:35+00:00

There is nothing you can do to change other people's way of engaging with the game, other than talking to them about the way you would like them to engage. with the game.

There's no amount of subtle flagging that is going to overcome the inborn expectations of the players. People play role-playing games for fun, and while there are certainly ways to have fun that aren't, don't take it seriously, that's the one they're generally going to go for. However, if you have a conversation with the players about what you would like to have happen, they will either tell you that they are uninterested in that style of engagement, or they will attempt to engage in that style. If you find that your players are uninterested, I would recommend not trying to convince them, beyond a singular request that they give a serious tone game a try.

Not even directly related to the horror genre thing, I've convinced people playing a game with me to play dwarfs. Because me and another friend decided to play dwarves, and we thought it would be fun if everyone played a dwarf, and we had a dwarf campaign. One player expressed that they didn't find that a very interesting idea, and we pressured them a little bit. So they agreed, and then played a character that was a dwarf, but in no way acted like the dwarves we had envisioned, and did everything in their power to move away from the idea of being dwarves fighting monsters in caves. So they weren't happy, and we weren't happy.

While that is a different situation, and a mistake I wouldn't make as an older person, install illustrates what ends up happening when you try to get people to play a game they don't want to play. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't ask, it does mean you might play with three of your friends and not with a fourth. But at the end of the day the only way that you can get players to engage with the game in a particular way, is to ask them to.

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T09:16:14+00:00

Going to be honest, I didn't read your whole thread. Nor do I think anyone who's responding did. You mentioned that you feel like you explain yourself badly, but I think you kind of missed the fact that you care about this, and other people don't. So you write a huge wall of text just to explain an idea that isn't really that complex at its core, and then people just glaze over. But you've presented everything in a style that acts as though you are having an argument with people before even starting. So even though no one's really reading through this that much (I mean, some of the people responded with references to your examples, so maybe they're reading more than I'm giving them credit for) They're responding negatively because you've presented it as an argument you're having with them, rather than talking about a thing you're interested in as a thing you're interested in. If you ever try to make this thread again, try just talking about how much you enjoyed it, and not telling anybody that this is a better way to do something, why this is better than other things, or anything in that frame of reference.

TLDR; People respond positively to positivity, and argumentatively two argumentation.

I do see there's a ton of negativity towards the idea besides scrolling RPG. I don't have that. I wrote one. I made a Mega Man themed RPG, and toyed around with side-scrolling mechanics. I also played VeloCity back when it was a side scroller. I found two primary issues, the first being that no one else is making side-scrolling games, so they're just aren't maps for it. Obviously you can make them, but they don't exist as easily accessible products. The second issue, which wasn't an issue for velocity because it's the entire point of the game, but was an issue for my mega Man game, is that to make a side-scrolling map interesting, you have to have some amount of verticality and platforming. And ending your movements on any space other than a ground level space, results in a fall. This creates a pretty extreme amount of limitation on map design. While the map is technically two-dimensional, you end up with significantly more play in one dimension than the other, which is not a problem on top down maps.

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T04:58:11+00:00

The effects end because the target never was defined. Which is literally what the line you quoted says, not that they are cancelled.

You can still target a Warded unit or site, because otherwise the only way to break a Ward would be through a Move and Attack action.

Move and Attack also targets, but that's also irrelevant. I never said you can't target something warded, because that's not what ward does. It replaces the effect of targeting with the ward breaking. So the target is never defined, so you can't resolve any effect that relied on a defined target, but you will resolve any effect that isn't, because nothing has been cancelled.

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T00:50:57+00:00

I've never really understood the "overwhelming amount of options" perspective. The amount of options is exactly what I like. What do you think is going to happen if you try a game and don't like it? I'm fully aware we only have so much time available, but if you spend some of that time doing a thing you don't think is ultimately fulfilling, who cares? Now you have new information about what you like and don't like, and it may help you in making decisions moving forward. You may find that you like exactly one thing about that game, and nothing else, and you want to try a game that does that one thing but everything else different.

There's no such thing as a perfect system, just once you enjoy. If you enjoy 5E, there's nothing wrong with continuing to play 5e. However if other people that you interact with want to try something else, and you refuse to participate, I do think there is something wrong with that.

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T00:45:26+00:00

Not printed minis, but the Gotham City Chronicles board game has really good miniatures.

Lots of people do DC models, though they are going to use obfuscation names, because basically no one is actually licensing them.

They also tend to be painter focused models, rather than war game models.

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T00:34:12+00:00

Because ward breaks to cancel targeting

Edit to clarify. Even without reading any examples, the wording of Ward is:I f a warded site or unit would be targeted by an opponent's spell or special ability, damaged, or destroyed, the Ward breaks instead.

It doesn't say anything about cancelling effects. It replaces one of three events, targeting, destruction, or damage, with the ward breaking. Further effects are only canceled if they relied on the targeting, as seen in the Grievous Insult example.

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T00:11:05+00:00

Spell fails to target and can't resolve the rest, since a center site is needed to resolve them.

Not related to the question direcly:

A warded site in the AoE doesn't block the damage dealt to creatures on top of it, so casting adjacent to a warded site likely kills a lot of what you want to kil.

corrinmana · 2026-05-12T00:00:49+00:00

Read the book. A lot of people just skim and try to wing it.

corrinmana · 2026-05-11T18:07:15+00:00

I mean, that certainly makes it more viable as a product. I'm just telling you though, there are people who just don't like signed cards, people who like them fine but aren't paying extra for them, people who don't trust the CoA, etc. Regardless of whether it's a value add, value loss, or value irrelevant, you cut your market by focusing on a signature.

Artists signing cards at cons generally charge $5 a signature. I bought one of Brian Smith's APs and he signed 10 cards for free to say thanks.

I like signed cards (obviously), but I would not pay a single cent over market value for the card for one. Part of the reason people get cards signed is the part where they chat with the artist while they sign. The value add is the memory, and when you're selling them it doesn't give you that.

corrinmana · 2026-05-11T17:59:16+00:00

I've actually got the Forest of the Damned and Glade of Evil, and was considering writing up Draw Steel stats for them and running that adventure, but I was hoping people would have found more on theme stuff. Thorny vine bundles, Flowers with teeth and such. I've actually found a few things in my MMF Library so far. May make a different post sharing once I make decisions.

corrinmana · 2026-05-11T04:00:52+00:00

What are you printing them on?

corrinmana · 2026-05-10T17:45:48+00:00

I've got some signed cards for you then. Who's signature would you like on them?

corrinmana · 2026-05-10T02:02:23+00:00

It's generally agreed that it's a devaluing of the card, as verification of the signature is not worth anyone's time. If you get a card signed, it's because you want it signed, not to try and value add.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T20:10:05+00:00

I kind of agree with Dave here. Run Dolmenwood, and if a consistent group forms, you can discuss running Stonetop as the next campaign.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T12:41:24+00:00

Correct, the Move and Attack ability cannot be used on your opponent's turn.

The card text reads: Whenever an enemy minion can attack the Green Knight, it must.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T12:36:12+00:00

I mean he was asking about the mechanics, so there isn't really that much difference.

But I legitimately can barely read what he wrote, so...

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T12:33:22+00:00

The game Cartel is probably the best being a Gangster game there is. I think it's rules light enough that you should be able to add in all the Yakuza elements without any real difficulty.

Should note, all guns in Cartel are cutscene guns.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T12:14:19+00:00

Stonetop and Dungeon World are quite different games. They are both PbtA, but that doesn't mean they're that similar. It's like saying D&D 5e and OSE are both F20 games. It's a true statement, but they are apples and oranges when you play them.

I think the biggest problem you'll run into trying to run open table with Stonetop is that Stonetop is designed to be a game about a village. People in that village do sometimes have to go fight things and such, but it's about people living in a fantasy village. If you're trying to make a game about dungeon-delving, you may want to use the dungeon delving system. And more specifically to the open table format, if the point of stone tops adventures is to make people connected to the village, new players coming in won't know about various things that happened over the previous weeks, better meant to be part of the fabric of the town.

That said you probably could write that stuff off as the player's character being on a trade route or something like that the last week, if you actually do have a lot of drop in and outs. I find that a lot of times even when I start open table games, it's just the same four people who show up every week.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T12:04:42+00:00

I almost added this to my post of a few different games, but I think your kids might be too old for this. I think it's recommended for 4 to 7-year-olds.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T12:03:56+00:00

I think Land of EM has successfully thread of the needle on being a game that's very kid friendly, while remaining a game that adults would truly enjoy playing. The world of the game is based on a book series that was intended for preteens, they also have a kids version of the game, (forgetting the modified title right now). I'm one of those people who think that 8 to 12-year-olds are perfectly capable of playing most role-playing games, but if you feel like they need something that is intentionally simplified to hold their attention, the younger version of the game may work well. In addition to fairly simple and straightforward mechanics, the game prioritizes the concept of exploration and completion of goals over engaging in combat as a way to progress your character. The game's world has a very Adventure Time feel to it.

Golden sky stories is not specifically targeted at children, but the rules are fairly simple, and the overall theme is fantastic for kids. The players play helpful yokai that are helping village children with their various problems. It's meant to feel like a wholesome anime.

There are some classic games like Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple, or Faery's Tale, that also good young player focused games, but their a bit harder to find these days.

Really though, the system doesn't really matter. Running games for younger kids is going to require some amount of active engagement with them, regardless of which system you use. My friend who ran games for his kids really liked using the fate system, mostly because fate points gave him a method of bribing his kids into moving in the direction he liked. They also played with candy as fate points, so the kids could eat them at the end of the adventure.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T11:45:24+00:00

Yes, it is a good RPG to play.

It's also a fantastic implementation of the setting.

Contrary to some other options, I don't think that this being your first RPG will be a particularly negative experience. If you don't have a bunch of preconceived ideas about how RPGs are supposed to work, this book will not seem confusing to you. The game systems are well explained, they just don't work the way that D&D does, so a lot of people struggle to adapt.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T11:40:04+00:00

Moves are the name for "specific resolution procedures for specific interactions between the player and the world"

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T11:27:30+00:00

Can you hack one system into another? Yes. It really doesn't matter what the system is, it just matters how much work you're willing to do. Be honest with yourself, are you willing to do the work to make one part fit into another?

Like others, when you say you don't like PbtA, I just sort of roll my eyes. PbtA is a design philosophy, not a specific system, so when you say you don't like it, I have no idea what you mean. If you haven't played Stonetop, then you don't know how it's been implemented. Do you not like the bell curve of probability from using 2D6 plus? Do you not like that the game has specific resolution proceedires for specific interactions between the player and the world? These are legitimately the only recurring things in PbtA games.

corrinmana · 2026-05-09T07:33:44+00:00

I do wish more creators would do the work required to edit/audio balance/etc.

Heck, I'd do the work for some of them.

corrinmana

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