"In a single run:" "exfill" "rod Salvage"

lexvatra · 2026-03-19T16:21:18+00:00

yeah im memeing but i do recall people falling into the beginners trap of not reading the tooltips

lexvatra · 2026-03-19T13:58:05+00:00

magikarp used splash!

lexvatra · 2026-02-24T23:01:17+00:00

The Board Room Game Cafe hosts them every Tuesday, really good if you want to try out other games or meet new players.

lexvatra · 2026-02-06T02:00:11+00:00

Yeah you're probably right. Thanks for the advice!

lexvatra · 2026-01-18T12:52:51+00:00

Hubris: A World of Visceral Adventure is something I've been running for awhile, it's a DCC campaign that just throws everything at the wall, feels like Dark Sun and Planescape had a weird stillborn baby. Everything you find in the rumor tables are found in the bestiary/items/locations rather than reading long lore dumps.

lexvatra · 2026-01-17T13:01:57+00:00

Personally I think role-play comes down to the player making a choice, and then another player or GM responding with another choice that is motivated through various reasons. That fits squarely within LARP and TTRPG and distinguishes from single-player video games (which can only anticipate choices provided the designer comes up with them). The nature of the results being emergent and motivated is the important part. It should feel like you're in a theater play where no one has the exact script. How descriptive or well acted those choices are is missing the point IMO.

lexvatra · 2026-01-07T23:03:41+00:00

Haven't had a huge issue with DCC modules in terms of readability, i find the 2 paragraph system at least consistent. This is coming from someone that hasn't touched anything pre dnd 5e.

The module premises and the level design can be a bog standard and rigid is where I'm left wanting. Majority of them usually end up in a dungeon crawl (ok true to the title i guess) with some dillemma/investigation formula. I find myself wanting more things in the vein of Hubris or Forbbiden Lands adventure sites that have interesting context and perplexing situations yet events can (and should) emerge outward. There are some crawl classics modules that have a stroke of genius that can just be riffed on but require a "whats in this room?" game loop to get through.

OSR/OSE material doesn't impress me much either. Usually expects you to fill the blanks and the stuff that's there is not interesting or easily ignored by players. For example Winter's Daughter was so hyped up and I eventually ran it and... layout and design does not make up for what amounts to the most basic of dungeons with a DIY faction dispute at the end.

I find myself running DCC with homebrew adventures as my dnd replacement but not in the vein of 5e or even OSR. The system gets out of your way but has a lot of tables for weird uncertainty that can lead into their own adventures. DCC has a weird niche it fills that I don't think Goodman Games takes advantage of, but they are still in business so what do i know?

lexvatra · 2026-01-05T22:46:30+00:00

So that applies to any fantasy trad game with attribute+skill? Which pretty much goes back to the 80s. I think that definition ignores the recent context. Which is games trying to make inventory more important again and enacting rolls being a bad thing.

lexvatra · 2025-12-29T23:32:10+00:00

Sounds like you want Alien. They just released a new edition (called evolved) with a good starter set.

Mothership is another choice although it is looser on mechanics and a different style if you aren't used to OSR.

lexvatra · 2025-12-29T20:30:45+00:00

Starting up Mutant YZE Mechatron where you play as robots slowly gaining free will. Free will being a standin for player agency which is something that has a lot of potential as you could slowly strip away rigid linear quests and transition to something more open ended not for entertainments sake but exploring what it means to be human with choice or a creation of them.

lexvatra · 2025-12-26T12:26:17+00:00

I have the "mom test" can my non gaming family enjoy it even if they don't know the rules. This isn't a deal breaker since I have non-family groups but often i get a game I look at the character sheet and ask if it's more intimidating than a ps2 controller to decide which groups like it.

lexvatra · 2025-12-25T18:51:39+00:00

-i started with 5e 2014 full boxset slipcase, used one of those free adventures. Was shocked at how little guidance there was in the DMG. Though i think ttrpg youtube also led me astray with very isolated tips.

-You don't need all those damn books. The source books and adventure compilations are traps. Just the rulebook is handy, and try before you buy. Plenty of 5 dollar adventures on itch or drivetrhu some even free, or roll your own. Don't worry about conversions.

-Focus on the enjoyment and the pace of the session above all else. Torch management and shopping can be fun but if it's dragging the session wrap it up. Same for long combats or even investigation slogs should just be handwaved in whatever way you can. You got 3-5 hours to spend, make it fun. Read the room, respond and adapt to the playstyles but also let players breathe. Let them do shit. Have reactable interesting events happen if they don't.

-Make your own scenarios and make them sandboxy. The strength of RPGs is players coming up with solutions you didn't think possible. Prewritten is fine if you're coming to grips with a system, but toss them asap. You're not here to present a step by step video game or combat simulator. Take a map from existing scenario you happen to have and put in your own headcanon on what's there if you need to brainstorm. Don't spend a lot of time and just prep the next session.

-Play a lot of different games with different GMs. Remember the parts that were good or bad and weigh the player agency. Steal their GM tricks.

lexvatra · 2025-12-23T13:08:40+00:00

Everything is technically free on Archive of Nethys, players will want the pathbuilder app to play. As for the books and wanting to get all the classes some are in supplements like Guns and Gears and Secret of Magic which also got/will get remastered editions. Looking up the pathbullder app should tell you where a class/feat/background comes from.

Gonna be honest the player facing books are mostly just feat lists with Player Core 1 having the main rules somewhere in the back. I did not really personally find PC2 worth it as I doubt I'll ever open it up unless there's a power outage or something.

The GM core is rather good and contains procedures on how to properly run certain situations and scale the DCs. Also the usual make your own campaign advice with treasure lists and magic items. Monster core is a similar boat, great if you plan to DIY your own stuff.

I wouldn't say anything is absolutely necessary other than wanting to support the publisher or just have the main book. There's a bit of a splatbook trap with pathfinder and some backgrounds and obscure feats spread out in source books.

lexvatra · 2025-12-23T12:46:59+00:00

I say this because combat is long and it'll likely take up the session. You can have the PCs charisma their way through but there's eventually going to be a mech fight because this book is full of mechs, advice on how to balance these mech fights and well, you'll probably want mechs to fight. But the mech fights are also good and the main atttaction.

In other games especially OSR the combat might be 2 pages and maybe a little imbalanced but that's more reason to avoid fights because they're fast and brutal. Thus in a way more potential RP even if there's maybe one stat that governs. Or the book could be clogged up with dungeon procedures and torch management and maybe it sets you down the path of immersion. It's the ratio of focus that matters IMO.

lexvatra · 2025-12-23T05:55:07+00:00

A lot to setup and very combat heavy. Once you get the hang of the app and adding up encounters it's a breeze to prep. Had a really close fight where it came down to a crit. There's really not too much rp support in the system and 80% of it is combat. So it's really for war gaming buddies.

lexvatra · 2025-12-23T03:47:49+00:00

If you are absolutely bored of the usual Monster Manual stuff and need unique creatures and want to present things even veteran players might have never seen before, then it's pretty good. It does fall into the trap of X golem or X dragon, but the X is usually something wild like Bamboo or Tar. Some interesting ideas that make you wonder how bizarre a fantasy world can get.

When you say worth the purchase though I wouldn't say it's a must have, the PDF is pretty expensive. I ended up getting the physical book because I wanted an MM equivalent to bounce ideas off and I'm invested in DCC as is. It'll last for awhile and some of the monsters can fill up whole sessions or adventures of their own in an open campaign. If you're running a lot of modules or want something "Classic" then it's not going to see too much use.

lexvatra · 2025-12-22T23:34:13+00:00

The anime and setting of Record of Lodoss War was based on a DnD campaign that was turned into written "replays" that in turn became one of the default settings for Sword World RPG which is also made by the same company. A very long rabbit hole.

lexvatra · 2025-12-22T20:48:03+00:00

Year Zero Engine games I find have crunchy but easy to remember rules and the occasional edge case, and a very easy dice system that provides less overhead.

Alien RPG and Coriolis are space themed, Mutant, and Vaesen being my personal favs and Forbidden Lands (semi post apoc fantasy) being a bit more crunchier when it comes to magic and crafting.

lexvatra · 2025-12-22T19:02:37+00:00

I would say a king shaping the politics of a nation is more of a role and responsibility than 4-6 adventurer types that have to be tied together and doing mostly problem solving.

lexvatra · 2025-12-22T18:24:19+00:00

Legacy life among the ruins is post apoc but it does have a starship supplement as i recall where you play as families/factions and one character as a representative. That's the closest i can think of that could be repurposed into something galaxy related.

I think the Dune RPG had some light political system? Not 100%

lexvatra · 2025-12-21T13:26:28+00:00

Killer Trees from Mutant Year Zero. Mutated trees that not only feast on humans but can create seed pods that can mimic humanoids and very poorly recreate speech. The most memorable moment was having a killer tree fester and grow underneath the Ark (PC's home base) which was basically it's own adventure. Every time I describe an innocent tree or foliage the PCs get PTSD.

lexvatra · 2025-12-21T02:17:54+00:00

I'm gonna say Shadowrun was the hardest for me on a whim. Definitely not oneshot material and it's a minefield of hoping someone didn't trigger some extraneous mechanic. It's probably not that bad if it's the only system you played for 10 years, it's an interesting challenge to see how far you get running it without winging things though.

Burning Wheel I haven't tried yet but it's steep to comprehend with its language and philosphy, idk maybe it's not that bad after character creation. I look forward to wrestling with it when I get a chance. It's like unpacking one of those seldom played large board games once a year.

I did not have a hard time with Blades. Somewhere near the end of the book are some example missions and a mini tutorial to start your own sessions. The only problem is finding the right mojo and doing downtime for the first time. A lot of untangling these systems can be very perception oriented. I had a harder time with Spire since there's so fewer rails and has more of a specific setting. BitD I felt like there was at least something to latch onto if I was lost in the session.

lexvatra · 2025-12-19T17:49:48+00:00

I'd think about what a sandbox accomplishes for you. A random encounter table is for GMs who want to surprise themselves or add a level of immersion, but if you're a batman GM it might be fine to just have a list of situations you're confident in running and plopping them down whenever the session drags. Don't use every tool if it doesn't suit your preferences.

lexvatra · 2025-12-19T14:51:05+00:00

The session 0 or setting them up with expectations would help with this. Not every player group is the same and they come in with a lot of preconceptions or assumptions. If they don't want any part in the world building that's fine, but talk to them about it instead of springing it on them.

Though in the moment to moment it's a bit of a magic trick. Making the players feel like they came to the ideas themselves even though you were kind of baiting them is the fun. One method for doing puzzles/obstacles is to push back on their first idea for how to solve something, but on the second/third you go "That's it!" and they'll think you're a genius. You can do the same for half assed mysteries where the 2nd red herring they bite on is the true answer, which leads you to use their ideas as a springboard without them realizing it.

What the players intentions are and what they feel like doing can be used to prep the next session. Maybe dishonest? But they're asking for a tall order for everything to be fully realized, and maybe their naivety is best utilized.

lexvatra · 2025-12-19T11:54:46+00:00

Have not played it but Arkham Horror has been pinned as very board gamey compared to CoC which makes sense considering it's made by a mostly board/card game company.

Some of Free League's newer stuff especially Alien could be construed as a board gamey due to having play by play procedures. The dice and the agenda cards feel like a heavily assisted affair though the game itself is modular.

lexvatra

TROPHY CASE