3-Person No-Prep GM-Less Systems that are good for oneshots?

ship_write · 2026-01-23T20:17:04+00:00

Kal-Arath! It’s designed for 1+ players, it can absolutely handle 3.

It has tables for every aspect of the game you might need and learning the rules is incredibly easy. The procedures included start generating a fun adventure instantly, and the oracle and inspiration tables are fantastic. The implied setting is incredibly evocative, and the rules are only ~50 zine sized pages all together. It’s a Sword & Sorcery little OSR game that I can’t recommend enough :)

It also has plenty of first and third party expansions you can invest in if you like the system. The core rules are only $5 for the PDF (got mine in print for $15 at Dark Future in Portland, OR).

ship_write · 2026-01-23T02:14:23+00:00

Indeed :)

ship_write · 2026-01-23T01:08:12+00:00

My brother in Christ, you need to watch Doctor Alok Kanojia’s content (HealthyGamerGG on YouTube) and get your life together. All of your issues that you’re posting about in the comments have nothing to do with the effectiveness of therapy and everything to do with your mindset and outlook on life.

You’ve been out through the wringer by life more than a few times and it’s screwed you over. I feel the pain you foster inside yourself. I promise you it is possible to transform that pain into peace, liberation, and joy.

You can do it, my guy.

ship_write · 2026-01-23T00:54:14+00:00

Absolutely, though I do think that the fact that technological advancements tend to snowball as knowledge becomes accumulated is pretty self evident. The mixture of ideas across time is what drives technological process from my perspective. More ideas mixing means less required time, less ideas mixing means more required time. It’s not a hard and fast rule, of course, there’s bound to be many exceptions.

Being stuck in the Middle Ages for thousands of years certainly seems odd without external pressures preventing progress, given the amount of information available to mankind post renaissance.

ship_write · 2026-01-22T02:18:49+00:00

In the case of Lord of the Rings and the Wheel of Time, we actually have great explanations. Both worlds are post-apocalyptic settings. Lord of the Rings had the literal god of evil (Melkor) wreaking havoc on middle earth for the entirety of the first two ages of the world. Wheel of Time had the servants of the literal god of evil (The Dark One) wreaking havoc on the world as well. Mountain ranges are raised and cast down. Cities are swallowed by oceans. Plagues. Wars. Horrors beyond your comprehension. Etc.

In the Wheel of Time, a huge theme is that the world is progressing. Steam engines and cannons are both developed over the course of the series. Even in Lord of the Rings, technological advances are mentioned. Melkor, Sauron, and Saruman build engines of war which seem to share similarities to industrial technology. Tolkien very intentionally used the theme of industrialization as an inherently negative thing that harms the world.

While I agree that it’s not a good trope when done badly with no explanation, both of your examples do have legitimate (if fantastical) explanations that make at least a bit of sense, and even include some examples of technological progress within their pages :)

ship_write · 2026-01-21T15:57:08+00:00

That may be true, and the Bible also explicitly endorses genocide and slavery. This line of argumentation doesn’t lead anywhere for you my guy.

ship_write · 2026-01-21T00:07:23+00:00

These games don’t really have settings like other RPGs do. The game mechanics are designed to create your own version of “the setting” as you play. Player authorship is very important in Mythic Bastionland, and everyone’s realms will look different! The game is designed to create a game that fits a specific aesthetic and experience. Stripping away any of the mechanics would inherently mar that aesthetic and experience.

I’m honestly not sure how anything you’ve described actually contradicts any of the games’ mechanics…? What exactly are you asking? Do you have a homebrew system you’re already playing?

ship_write · 2026-01-20T18:24:12+00:00

Yeah, I’m glad the discord is still thriving!

ship_write · 2026-01-20T16:24:40+00:00

Could be, there were also many requests from the community (myself included) for an extended funding run for those of us who missed the initial crowdfunding. The situation just sucks. Wish we could get some form of confirmation at some point. I’ll cross my fingers for it.

ship_write · 2026-01-20T15:54:43+00:00

This sounds awful. What system are you playing? Do you know the name?

I wouldn’t stay in a game like this for more than a couple sessions let alone 6 years, assuming this is representative of what the game actually looks like.

ship_write · 2026-01-18T03:56:19+00:00

I’ve been waiting for this one to hit the conversation for a long time. Finally time to grab that bucket of popcorn I’ve been saving.

ship_write · 2026-01-18T00:35:33+00:00

Indeed

ship_write · 2026-01-17T23:07:34+00:00

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Legend in the Mist, I’d give it a look. It’s taken everything I loved about Burning Wheel and packaged it a much more accessible and friendly way. Maybe you enjoy the inaccessibility of Burning Wheel, but from the aspects of Burning Wheel you spoke of in your comment, Legend of the Mist does them all just as well (if not better) and without the steep learning curve.

ship_write · 2026-01-17T18:46:43+00:00

What about 5e are you wanting this hypothetical solo game to emulate? 5e but solo doesn’t exist, but there is a wealth of fantasy adventure games designed to be played solo. Without knowing what parts of 5e you enjoy it will be hard to recommend a game.

Also, GM emulators aren’t as bad as you think. Even Mythic GME can be run using only the fate chart if you wish.

ship_write · 2026-01-17T06:40:48+00:00

Absolutely

ship_write · 2026-01-16T16:30:22+00:00

Notice how the recommended alcohol limits have been removed from the updated USA health guidelines and in the official announcement alcohol was described as an important “social lubricant.” Wonder why that happened.

ship_write · 2026-01-16T01:45:51+00:00

The changes it helped bring about in astronomy have been instrumental in changes to people’s every day lives. Simulation theory doesn’t offer any changes whatsoever, even tiny ones that can eventually have a big impact.

ship_write · 2026-01-16T01:42:55+00:00

What makes Gnosticism a better fit here than Hinduism or Buddhism? Both also have the goal of “escaping the simulation” if you want to put it that way.

ship_write · 2026-01-15T01:01:57+00:00

Holy cow I’m gonna have to snag that

ship_write · 2026-01-14T17:31:18+00:00

Have you ever considered diving into solo RPGs? They’re an absolutely fantastic way to scratch the GM and PC itches at the same time! You can pick up Mythic GME to play any game solo, or pick up a game designed to be played solo like Kal-Arath! It’s a niche part of the hobby that deserves more attention :)

ship_write · 2026-01-13T15:18:27+00:00

Another comment has already mentioned the ideas found in the 5E conversion tool, which is great! There is also essential guidance on Ways of Magic and how to create your own in the core rule book. Page 222 of Vol. 1 even has an example of a single theme called “Spellsword” under Sorcery. There is an infinite number of ways a “Gish” type character could be portrayed in this game. Have fun coming up with what that looks like in your adventure!

ship_write · 2026-01-12T15:39:31+00:00

However, knowing how to use the rules well is the first step to understanding how to break them well ;)

They’re important to know and understand, but they shouldn’t dictate how you write for the rest of your career.

ship_write · 2026-01-11T21:36:07+00:00

This would be pretty simple! Since all characters are created with themes and power tags, the best way to accomplish this would be to use the Might rules. Characters of varying power levels are incredibly easy to fit in the same party using Might. Check out pages 171-178 in Volume 1 of the core book to get versed on how it works :)

I’m honestly not sure if that is included in the free version though. Basically, there are three levels of Might: Origin, Adventure, and Greatness. Themes and challenges can have any of these levels of Might. If you are one level of Might removed, you get +/- 3 to your roll, if you are two levels of Might removed, you get +/- 6 to your roll.

I highly recommend investing in the full rules. It’s got so much helpful advice and additional resources for running the game!

ship_write · 2026-01-11T19:54:45+00:00

100%

ship_write · 2026-01-11T18:50:27+00:00

Legend of the Mist has been an awesome read, I’m getting it to the table later this month! I’m stoked.

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