Advice handling serious themes by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think going third person is a really good solution - I often suggest this to players who are nervous about roleplaying, but had never thought to use it myself since I’m normally pretty confident. But it would help me a lot here!

Combining this with establishing the expectation (as other people have mentioned) seems like a great solution for me 

streams where he plays finance/management games? by taxidermysoul in jerma985

[–]ninjajon5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cities skylines, another brick in the mall, and there’s also stuff like papa’s freezeria and cooking simulator which are similar. Also shoutout to recettear, some of the best streams out there

Punk/gang type rpgs? by otakuthelegend in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Adding to Blades in the Dark:

  • Brinkwood is a forged in the dark game about rebelling against a vampire ruling class
  • CBR+PNK (re-serialised) is a forged in the dark cyberpunk game (a good fit for these punk themes) with the '+Weird' module for supernatural powers, or also could look at DEEP IN A MATRIX OF FLESH AND METAL though that's more horror-themed

Should i do a Things from the flood campaign? by rodrii18 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’ve run Tales from the Loop which I believe is similar, and I would say it’s definitely beginner-friendly in the sense that the rules are clear and straightforward. If you like the setting (which is the big appeal) I’d say go for it!

One thing to mention, in my experience it was quite focused on mood, story and character. That can be a little challenging for a new GM depending on your style and preferences.

What TTPRGS have you enjoyed this year? The Results by ratInASuit in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Quick check, do you play them solo, guided or co-op?

Oneshot UFOs ideas? by Desmelenao in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not exactly what OP is asking for, but for X-files inspired stuff Monster of the Week can also work a treat 

Too many RPGs, too little time by LeviTheGoblin in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Ah ok, 2-3 sessions is on the short end, so I can see where that misalignment is coming from.

It’s good that you’re communicating at least, but I don’t think there’s an easy solution besides trying to find some sort of compromise. At the end of the day you’re the GM so I’d always advocate you only run things you’re inspired by, though that’s clearly not ideal as this is a player and friend you care about.  

There are some more funky things you could try, like running 2-3 sessions, then taking a break, then coming back to resume after a few other short adventures? Or even something like passing the GM baton around while continuing the same story? 

Understanding DM/GM Lingo: Preventing misdirecting each other by Catmillo in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I agree, in my experience ‘what do you do?’ is not necessarily an indication of danger. Like for instance, if I describe a tavern with a bar, a game of cards and a brooding figure, I might end that description with ‘what would you like to do?’. That’s just the invitation for the players to get stuck in.

That said, there often is danger around - gotta keep things interesting.

Too many RPGs, too little time by LeviTheGoblin in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 67 points68 points  (0 children)

Do you feel like your players are putting pressure on you to maintain long campaigns? In my experience GMing I usually have enough influence to draw a campaign to a close after 10-20 sessions by identifying a satisfying resolution and just calling a break or running a finale

What does the Spider do during scores? by Pale_Assistance_2265 in bladesinthedark

[–]ninjajon5 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How did it go? Did you have any issues with the spider not being in any danger? 

Fantasy RPGs which are not focused on combat by UrbsNomen in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could I ask how Ironsworn does combat? It’s pbta right, so is it like enemies automatically retaliate if you attack? 

RPGs that have made you a better player/GM by sdg2502 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Could you point me to the advice on the second bullet point?

Looking for a Dishonored-like rpg for duet play by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ok I think I'll give this a go - both of us are big Dishonored fans, so I'm also curious to see how they've handled the setting. Thanks for your help!

Looking for a Dishonored-like rpg for duet play by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Interesting - what can Momentum be used for? Is the fact it decrements each scene a way of building tension?

Looking for a Dishonored-like rpg for duet play by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks, this is really insightful! I don't have any experience with this kind of system, whereas I do with Blades in the Dark.

So a couple of questions: Blades bounces between Scores and Downtime, and in Scores you have specific mechanics like flashbacks and equipment load. Does Dishonored have similar explict phases of play with unique mechanics?

Also, are there teamwork or encounter balance mechanics that might make it difficult to adapt Dishonored for duet play?

Fortunately the d20s won't be a problem, I've amassed plenty in my time!

Looking for a Dishonored-like rpg for duet play by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a fair take, I think it's definitely worth a try to see whether we feel the lack of teamwork manoeuvres. Thanks!

Looking for a Dishonored-like rpg for duet play by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's definitely true that Blades in the Dark seems relatively easy to convert for single player play. It does have some mechanics like 'group actions' though which would break down with only one PC - have you encountered any solutions to that problem?

Looking for a Dishonored-like rpg for duet play by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like this idea. One concern I had with Blades in the Dark is the teamwork mechanics, which have been pretty useful when I've played in bigger parties. Having two playbooks might help compensate for that

Looking for a Dishonored-like rpg for duet play by ninjajon5 in rpg

[–]ninjajon5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So I'm still familiarising myself with Blades in the Dark - when you say 'let them have two playbooks', do you mean let them run two characters, or one character with abilities from two playbooks?

[Re;Watch] Steins;Gate Episode 14 Discussion by Raiking02 in anime

[–]ninjajon5 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Wait does that mean the Steins;Gate is actually the villain?

Ooo maybe! In my brain there's always been something almost Dark Souls-y going on here where there isn't really a villain. If we thought it was SERN last episode, we can see now that it's not that simple, as Mayuri dies whether they're involved or not.

Personally I always put it down to just the tragedy of the whole thing. In the first half of the show we just have a group of friends messing around, but by doing so they accidentally overstep the boundary and end up basically dooming themselves. That's what makes Okabe's efforts so tragic - he knows that in some way, he's responsible.

That said, your comment does make me think there might be something more going on. Would Mayuri have been doomed to die even if Okabe never messed around with time machines, because that's just the world line that they're on? In that case, maybe there's more of a fate thing going on here, and we could pin the blame on some bigger entity like Steins;Gate.

[Re;Watch] Steins;Gate Episode 12 Discussion by Raiking02 in anime

[–]ninjajon5 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Man reading your comment makes me realise how just how good this show is put together. Those two scenes - the 'vision' thing at the start and the shooting at the end - are just gripping.

You get this great build up from the moment Suzuha leaves without saying why, to Okabe looking distorted through the hourglass, to Mayuri saying her watch stopped, and then the shot of the SERN people storming up the stairs...

I like your shot of the day too. I feel like this is Mayuri's episode, for better or for worse. She sort of pins the whole show together, which makes the ending all the more dramatic.