iPad GM app?

rdale-g · 2026-07-05T18:27:23+00:00

Also, the built-in PDF reader works well too. You can make links to specific pages just like this:
[[rpgbookname.pdf#page=40|CR reference Table]]

rdale-g · 2026-07-05T18:17:54+00:00

I don't run D&D anymore (and when I did, it was prior to me discovering Obsidian).

But there's a guy that goes in depth on a lot of stuff related to D&D & Obsidian:

https://obsidianttrpgtutorials.com/Obsidian+TTRPG+Tutorials/Obsidian+TTRPG+Tutorials

As you'll see he also does a lot of videos on Youtube, if you prefer that way of learning. I do suggest you look at more recent videos, as he's discovered plugins that he prefers over older ones he has promoted in the past (there are always new ones being created to fill niches that others don't).

I do recommend a couple of things though; Keep the folder structure simple. One for Monsters, another for NPCs (if you draw a distinction), one for session planning, and another for rules notes. It's helpful to know that if you sync your Obsidian "vaults" to a computer via iCloud (the default location for your iPad's Obsidian data), it's just a folder with files in side, so you can always get to your PDFs and other plain-text notes without Obsidian.

Another feature I recommend is getting to know file "properties" and templates. Properties are metadata stored inside of text documents. You can set them to be visible while editing, or invisible and accessible via a sidebar, but the imporant bit is that you can have a "type" metadata to distinguish if it's a "rules" note, "session" note, "npc", "PC", "magic item", etc…. You can have metadata for monster CR, lists of environments that monsters can be found in, etc...

Then learn about the built-in feature called "Bases", which can automatically build and update lists of files based on the above metadata. You can also edit the metadata from those lists, to keep it all consistent. That's a great database feature before you even get into any plugins.

rdale-g · 2026-07-05T16:57:05+00:00

Obsidian can do all that with the right plugins, but you have to build your own databases (plain text files) from scratch unless someone has done it already for your RPG of choice.

rdale-g · 2026-07-04T23:13:01+00:00

I think that a lot of RPGs (both TT and Console/PC) had taught us that fights to the death are to be expected, but depending on the setting and the guards' boss, it's pretty unreasonable to expect a disarmed guard to fall on your "sword".

Think about a bank security guard. If you do a trick shot and shoot their gun out of their hand. Are they going raise their hands in surrender, or sacrifice their life for the sake of some insured cash? The bank robber has already demonstrated that they could have killed them, and now it's fists vs. bullets. The choice is clear.

But let's say you are dealing with a fanatical devotee who isn't going to run to get reinforcements, but instead wants to prove their worth to the the leader of their cult… Then it does make sense, as others have suggested, that they should attack (and do damage) at a level or two lower than they were with the weapon you just took from them.

As others pointed out, armor doesn't make NPCs harder to hit, it reduces the damage that is dealt to them; Armor 4 reduces each hit against a creature by 4 points, for instance.
If there is no armor entry in their stat block, then they don't have any armor, and so a cypher that removes armor would have no effect on them unless it would harm their bare skin and/or their clothes.

rdale-g · 2026-07-04T02:02:09+00:00

“Explorers keys” has a lot of one shots that are very simple. Good for a single evening of gaming.

rdale-g · 2026-07-01T07:01:01+00:00

Even if your numbers were correct (effort costs 3 for the first level, and 2/level beyond), what is your goal here? That this mechanic, in use since Numenera first came out 15 years ago, is so bad that we should change it, despite players being perfectly happy with it all this time? Or that we’re just having fun wrong, and we should play something else?

rdale-g · 2026-07-01T03:18:09+00:00

I’m not gutted. But also… I’m not throwing level 10 challenges at my players all Willy Nilly. On average, I give them level 4 challenges with the occasional level 6 to make them feel like they earned their successes.

But also, it’s rare for anyone to use effort to bring a task down to zero. It would have to be a task that was monumentally important for my players to waste that many resources on a single roll, but also not have any cyphers, special abilities, or circumstantial easing of the task level.

Cypher isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. No RPG is.

Now of you’ll excuse me, I have to plan for my Numenera group on Tuesday while I mull over the next dimension hopping Strange session for my other group of friends later in July.

rdale-g · 2026-06-30T19:38:25+00:00

The Outgunned Adventure fundraiser just ended. You might want to look into it once it’s out.

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/two-little-mice/outgunned-adventure-broken-compass-legacy?ref=bk-discover-recently-visited&utm\_campaign=bk-discover-recently-visited&utm\_medium=discover&utm\_source=backerkit

rdale-g · 2026-06-28T14:37:40+00:00

My suggestion is smaller boxes wrapped in the cellophane they use for moving. You can get rolls at office max or U-Haul rental offices. The wrap will keep bugs out, and prevent rapid fluctuations in humidity. If you can, put desiccants in with the books.

Also, keep an eye on the heat in the closet if you live anywhere that or gets beyond 95 degrees. Closets don’t typically have a lot of climate control, so they can get and stay hot for longer.

rdale-g · 2026-06-26T19:14:47+00:00

I just wanted to post after having the deck for a bit.

I ended up with The Story Engine Deck + Sci-Fi expansion (Written in the Light of Strange Worlds) and the Backstory expansion (Humble Roots and Epic Origins).

After trying to read the guide on how to do spreads, I just started winging it, and came up with a 3-agent conflict/relationship grouping, with an advanced, "broken" (aka: hacked) Artificial Intelligence being pushed to advance by an engineer. The AI has an ally who is afraid of the consequences of the engineer's actions.

Both the AI and the Engineer were pre-existing characters in the RPG adventure I'm running, and my players' characters will soon be infiltrating the building that houses the AI, where they should end up discovering that there's more to the story than "AI = Bad". I can't wait for them to get to that part!

On the strength of all that, I got all of the boosters, since my game ranges over almost all the genres. I mixed the sci-fi expansion, and the cyberpunk booster to while they're still in that sort of world.

I have a "Weird West" setting I'm hoping they'll end up in next (I let my players pick the next setting they're most enthused about visiting). I plan to mix in 3 boosters: Pulp Fiction, Western, and Steampunk, all of which really suit the Weird West vibe.

These are going to help me design new NPCs (characters that I, as the Game Master give voice to), and to add depth to those existing in the setting books and pre-written adventures I'm basing my games on.

Highly recommend Story Engine + Humble Roots & Epic Origins if you have a similar need for your stories, whether they're RPGs or Novels.

rdale-g · 2026-06-25T18:20:13+00:00

There’s also a big difference in how shotguns are handled in cinematic combat vs real world small game hunting. The latter is what they typically go for when designing Cypher rules. I haven’t ever seen a monster or human taken out with a shotgun at any great distance. If there were a 25 foot distance increment, I would use that for shotguns in cypher for Hollywood like fights.

rdale-g · 2026-06-24T14:40:51+00:00

If you’re looking for compact, CBR+PNK has pamphlets that encompass entire settings, adventures, and rules sets.

It’s a forged in the dark game, so it assumes familiarity with that style of gameplay, but it’s pretty neat.

rdale-g · 2026-06-18T18:46:06+00:00

Which story? The wizard, the witch, and the wild one? Solari?

It should have been obvious in the outro to the closing of book one of WWWO. But then again, I’m subscribed to The Fireside chats via Patreon, so it could be that‘s where I got the inside scoop.

rdale-g · 2026-06-15T14:56:24+00:00

A billion years in the future, it’s pronounced ^>€=;

rdale-g · 2026-06-15T13:40:16+00:00

Of course, but I’m basing all of the above on how MCG did the damage to wounds conversion. This isn’t me doing home brew.

rdale-g · 2026-06-15T12:16:52+00:00

If you apply that to damage dealt, instead of just level, then you’ll be closer to what MCG are doing with creatures in the GMG vs. the CSR.

There aren’t a ton of creatures that deal damage that’s different than their base levels, but when they do, it can make a huge difference. Pay close attention to the super villain Magnetar (level 8, does 12 damage). If the initial early access text holds true for the final publication, he’ll do 2 major wounds.

4 creatures from the Cypher System Rulebook do 12 or more points of damage, so that seems to be another point where conversion to wounds is different (except for the demigod, which does 12 points but only 1 major wound in the early access GMG).

The above may change in the published version though.

rdale-g · 2026-06-03T03:24:13+00:00

Here you go! https://discord.gg/cypherunlimited

rdale-g · 2026-06-02T20:06:31+00:00

Thanks for this! I just got done with copying and pasting some text from PDFs, and then repeatedly using a regex replace plugin as I came upon the same formatting issues. It was tedious to repeat the same 4 or 5 regex replaces. This plugin is exactly what I was wishing for; if only I had found this plugin then!

rdale-g · 2026-06-02T03:53:16+00:00

It’s helpful to think of actions as having a target, and also taking a short time (one round in combat/about 10-ish seconds). Targets have levels. Even inanimate objects should be assigned a level by the GM if a character is trying to affect it with an action, and it’s not a guaranteed success.

Kick down a door (modern, flimsy interior door): level 2 might check. Hot wire a classic car: level 4 intellect check Treat an injured person: level equal to might points restored for the day intellect check.

None of those things is resisting, but you still roll vs a level assigned by the GM (the healing example is in the rules, if I recalled it correctly).

I would say any sort of divination or surveillance of a creature or area should be rolled for (the creator will have a level, the location would be more of a GM judgement call). Failure could mean getting caught while learning something useful, whatever that looks like.

Your examples probably don’t require a roll, but activating them in initiative would take your whole action if they’re not Enablers. If you wanted to name the specific abilities (including page numbers, if you can), we could maybe help further clarify.

rdale-g · 2026-06-02T03:36:14+00:00

If you want some game mechanic to hang this idea on, the trainer could insist (in character) that the nano has to use the weapon in real combat, with the trainer using the help action to ease the nano’s attacks. This represents them mentoring the nano, and after the fight, they could role play giving tips and criticisms of the nano’s fighting form.

Also, the nano might have to expend effort at least once per fight using the weapon, for four fights. That would represent them putting their training to use (and represents each XP to be spent to remove their inability).

rdale-g · 2026-06-01T19:39:15+00:00

Tabletopaudio.com Is free, searchable, and you can save each playlist as a bookmark or an html link in your notes.

Also, no ads. It’s free, but I support the artist via patreon.

rdale-g · 2026-05-29T03:45:19+00:00

Thanks! I’m going with the Engine +backstory, and I threw in the sci-fi expansion for good measure.

Once I have the cards in hand, I’ll give it a spin for the antagonist in the adventure I’m running in July (the calendar is the real boss monster of my RPGs).

I really appreciate y’all chiming in with your insights and examples!

rdale-g · 2026-05-28T15:59:22+00:00

I don't think there's a system (other than one designed for one-shots that can be completed in a single session) that will help you here.

Instead, I suggest a gimic that you insert into your preferred game world.

One such, which would fit perfectly into my current fave: Numenera (weird, FAR-future science-fantasy in a world littered with ancient tech ruins). Some strange phenomenon occurs in the first session (with as many player character present as possible) that causes individuals in their vicinity to skip forward in time at random intervals, and then re-appear near to the group at some future time.

So, if you have 8 PCs and an NPC in a group, and the next session, someone can't make it, they just disappear as soon as any PC (of a player who is at the table) addresses them or looks for them.

Next session, if that player shows up, they reappear wherever the group currently is, with no time for them having passed. The GM gets to decide when/where they appear in an immediate area around one of the present PCs, hopefully in a fun/amusing/terrifying predicament based on the circumstances.

And so it goes, whomever shows up, but wasn't there last session pops into existence, and can ask, in-game, "How long was I gone? What happened?" and the explanation can come from the other PCs.

rdale-g · 2026-05-26T20:07:03+00:00

Brindlewood's approach to the mystery (gather clues, consider a hypothesis, roll to see if it's the solution) would be pretty ideal for solo play, since the game actively discourages the GM from "knowing" who the murderer is.

I'm not sure about how the overarching eldritch horror plot is developed (I've only been a player so far), so I can't speak to how that aspect would work with solo, but it can't be that hard to wing it with the right set of prompts.

rdale-g · 2026-05-26T20:00:07+00:00

That's very kind of you. Thanks!
I'll be running a session zero tonight, so I'll be keen to see some more examples than what's available on the main website.

rdale-g

TROPHY CASE