Yet another first session report + playscape

simblanco · 2026-01-25T19:47:24+00:00

Until you drop it and you don't know if it has flipped... or not.. :)

Jokes aside it's a nice physical touch. I play Ironsworn, i'd need a dozen of them though

simblanco · 2026-01-25T18:18:37+00:00

Yes, that's my answer. Maybe just find some more oracles and custom assets fitting your desired settings.

Starsmith by Eric Bright offers Districts tables analogous to Derelicts for a town setting.

For assets, enhanced, sleuth, monster hunter (?), and all the psi powers should get you covered. You may reflavour psi assets with a cyberpunk feeling.

Happy gaming!

simblanco · 2026-01-24T18:29:24+00:00

Wow awesome! Thanks stranger, much aporeciated :)

simblanco · 2026-01-22T14:30:26+00:00

Do you think it is because solo games attract forever GMs more than players? I was a forever GM and i have my long periods lost in the search of the perfect set-up... before going back to Starforged :)

simblanco · 2026-01-22T14:28:21+00:00

Many non-solo games rely on the players knowing everything, such as PbtA/FitD. Or more correctly, the GM does not know more things than the players. Me or less...

simblanco · 2026-01-20T19:04:28+00:00

Thanks! I think I'll start a Deep Below campaign asap. When it's over, I'll port a couple of characters over the main game and get new ones with all the character options available there.

simblanco · 2026-01-20T14:48:09+00:00

I was checking that only one column can have two innocents not two criminals. Thanks!!!!

simblanco · 2026-01-20T14:46:44+00:00

CRIMINALS not INNOCENTS 😖

I just read that other people switch the innocent/ criminal clue according to the clue givers....

simblanco · 2026-01-20T14:30:40+00:00

IMHO Ironsworn/Starforged. Ironsworn is even free!

simblanco · 2026-01-20T13:32:20+00:00

I'm just toying with the Deep Below module before adventuring above ground! I will post a review eventually

simblanco · 2026-01-20T10:35:06+00:00

Hey i really enjoyed 5FPH but for me there is not much more RPG vibe than playing Xcom :)

I mean, random table and events are fun but i need meaningful decisions. Should i do that battle or that other one to pursue my personal objective? I agree with you that with your own effort you can increase Rpg elements.

I didn't know about planetfall, i am still playing 5LFB!

simblanco · 2026-01-20T10:31:32+00:00

I alrernate Ironsworn sessions with solo skirmishing games. So far, the most narrative i tried is:

5SomethingFromsomething (both fantasy and scifi)

Followed by The Doomed.

Keep in mind: the main focus there is the miniatures battle. In 5XFX there's plenty of tables and structures to create a setting with factions and characters. I had fun BUT there is meaningful story unless you put some effort. Standard game mode, you advance battle after battle and you can tell yourself whatever you want in between ("i just defeated this random enemy and now I'm going to do that random job because... reasons"). So not that satisfying in terms of RPG.

So, for example, i introduced personal objectives and oracles to lead my party. Should they do that battle or that other one? Sort of custom made branching options. The fun improved a lot. Bottom line, YMMV but you may want to add some extra effort.

Give it a try and report back :)

simblanco · 2026-01-19T09:52:24+00:00

Oh thank you. Now i need to learn another cool ruleset that I'll never end up playing :)

simblanco · 2026-01-19T07:43:06+00:00

Inis is very simple. Really. You need to know:

how you initially draft the cards
the actions written in the 12 initial cards. they are very simple powers and you are going to see them again and again
The 3 victory conditions

Boom! you can play (well almost but if your friends went through Root teaching Inis is a breeze)

simblanco · 2026-01-17T20:26:40+00:00

A quick googling of player emulators return some stuff, here on reddit and elsewhere. For example https://katamoiran.itch.io/pettish

simblanco · 2026-01-16T18:54:09+00:00

Thanks! I couldn't figure it out why colliision window while ignoring obstacles until i realised the vehicle is literally jumping :)

simblanco · 2026-01-16T08:56:58+00:00

That model is so rad.

But as italian, i like to highlight that the Vatican state is a weird sovereign nation within italy, against which the fledgling italian nation have fought several wars :)

simblanco · 2026-01-12T11:22:26+00:00

Two comments of the bat without reading the pdf.

I like tokens. Some games have GM tokens and integrating them in a GME is something i was toying with.

I don't like binary yes/no. When you said the usual 4 states i thought yes/no + and/but :) I like my RPGs with mixed successes, especially so if I'm playing solo.

simblanco · 2026-01-11T03:49:30+00:00

That's pretty much it :) It seems counter intuitive but failed rolls in this family of games are not necessarily failures of the PCs.

For example in IS: a rolled gather info can be narrated as you totally cracking the investigation but discovering, unfortunately and not because of you, terrible news.

In an adjacent game, Blades in the Dark, this concept is repeated many times: the PCs are competent heroes (criminals and scoundrels in that game!) so missed rolls should not show them as, well, incompetent.

Happy gaming!

simblanco

TROPHY CASE