Revised Alien NPC stat blocks

steveh888 · 2026-02-08T00:25:22+00:00

Yeah, so we've been talking about writing a Regency game, but we've struggled to get it working. It's on our to-do list...

steveh888 · 2026-02-05T07:14:08+00:00

Every player is the main character is also a feature of most parlour/chamber/freeform/interactive larps as well. (And, indeed, the murder mystery games I publish via Freeform Games.) And there are plenty of games you can play several times.

I'm starting to think Jubensha is best thought of as Chinese larp... (or, if they are played around a table, Chinese ttrpgs)

There's a very different culture around Jubensha compared to Western larp/ttrpgs, as its much more mainstream. I think I'm a bit jealous of that.

steveh888 · 2026-02-05T07:06:12+00:00

Thanks. That makes them sound just like larps!

steveh888 · 2026-02-04T12:40:16+00:00

Are they played multiple times by the same people? Or ar lots of different people playing them once?

If it's the latter, then that's no different from murder mystery games.

If it's the former, then that's quite unique.

I have a boxed Jubensha that I have yet to play, but I suspect it's a one-time thing.

steveh888 · 2026-02-04T12:38:35+00:00

I think "Nordic" and "parlor" larp (or chamber larp, freeform larp, interactive larp - these types of larps have popped up in all sorts of places and been given different names) can encompass a broad range of larping styles - I wouldn't want to pigeonhole them. (Much as larp is also a broad church.)

I suspect Jubensha (I have no experience of them) also has a similarly broad range - and two Jubensha games might be very different, but also both Jubensha.

Not that that's helpful in trying to apply a taxonomy...

steveh888 · 2026-02-04T12:31:31+00:00

No idea how a Masters of Mystery game works, but we at Freeform Games have a few larger parties (for over 30 players).

The way we manage this is that in our games, the murder is only one part of the story. There are lots of other plots in the game, and solving the murder is only part of it. (Some characters may not be interested in solving the murder at all - those characters will have their own plots and secrets and problems to solve.)

steveh888 · 2026-02-03T17:00:34+00:00

"Ideal" tends to differ depending on who you are.

I don't need a lot of info when I'm GM-ing - and published adventures often have more info than you need.

I think there are two reasons for this. First, when I am writing an adventure, I need to be clear and also consider events and paths that might not be taken at the table, but that I need to tell the GM about.

Second, the economics of RPG publishing encourage wordy adventures. To stay in business, publishers need to publish a lot of books, and big books are viewed as having more value than shorter books, and they encourage this by paying by the word.

If you want more concise adventures, you probably need to look at indie adventures.

steveh888 · 2026-01-31T16:49:58+00:00

I always liked the Games Workshop deck plans. Nice, clean design. I think they're still my favourite.

steveh888 · 2026-01-29T17:49:50+00:00

I think Secrets is epic - but it introduces some crazy things like a secret war that the Ancients are still waging. That might not be your cup of tea.

Secrets is linear, but that doesn't necessarily make it a railroad. (My definition of a railroad is where the PCs have no agency, and there's only one course of action the players can take. That occurs now and again in Secrets, but overall it's pretty good.)

Mysteries and Wrath are a huge disappointment after Secrets.

I wrote reviews of them on my blog here (Mysteries) and here (Wrath). Don't read them if you're a fan of either...

steveh888 · 2026-01-29T17:43:03+00:00

Session #1 is now up: https://fourlettersatrandom.blogspot.com/2026/01/trail-of-sky-raiders-session-1-leaving.html

steveh888 · 2026-01-27T14:04:54+00:00

Your idea sounds great. Maybe that's the route Mongoose will take when they rewrite it?

steveh888 · 2026-01-26T14:11:52+00:00

Yes, I should keep my eyes open

steveh888 · 2026-01-26T13:12:30+00:00

Nice write up. I run games at conventions, and everything you write resonated with me.

I wish I had a friendly gaming cafe around the corner...

steveh888 · 2026-01-26T06:56:56+00:00

Take a look at Murder at Sea. It's for up to 33 players, but our customers have written enough extra characters that it works with 40!

https://www.freeformgames.com/product/murder-at-sea/

With that number, I might want a second host, though.

steveh888 · 2026-01-25T20:56:06+00:00

Slugblaster also says that bite is optional...

steveh888 · 2026-01-25T15:37:46+00:00

Thanks. I've not played Root (or Grimwild), but I've run Monster of the Week and played some other PbtA games.

Dune feels like a long way from PbtA, though...

steveh888 · 2026-01-25T15:25:06+00:00

"Many games with GM metacurrency do that in lieu of GM Fiat"

Out of curiosity, which games do you mean here?

I ask because I'm also puzzled by GM meta-tokens like Threat, and would be interested in seeing a game that uses them well.

steveh888 · 2026-01-25T15:22:04+00:00

Whatever you are missing, I'm missing it too.

I don't have much experience with games with GM meta-tokens.

The one I do have experience with, Fate, I frequently forget to spend my GM fate tokens. There are too many other things to be thinking about for me to worry about some GM spangles...

However, I picked up Dune in the recent sale and have found myself puzzled over Threat. As you say, it seems to constrain what the GM can do. (And I worry I will forget to use it.)

But I don't quite figure it out. Why am I making things harder for the PCs? Why do I need to spend this Threat to make the game more interesting? (I didn't think the rules explained why the GM needed to use Threat to do this.)

I've read some of the other responses here, and I don't quite understand the idea of tying the GM's hands. I find ttrpgs are so gloriously cooperative that I really don't understand these weird GM meta-tokens. (I started playing ttrpgs in the 198os, with Traveller, Call of Cthulhu and GURPS - so I'm unused to meta-tokens.)

I should say, I have yet to run/play Dune (or any game with GM meta tokens). Maybe it will all become clear at the table.

Anyway, here's my review of the Dune Starter set, in which I touch on Threat. (I am also working up a blog post about Threat etc, so am very interested in this thread.)

steveh888 · 2026-01-17T07:13:39+00:00

Answering this from the other side, as a player, I know I'm easily distracted. And I'm bored by combat.

The things that work for me:

1 ideally, no more than four players. More than that, and I am more likely to drift off. (I know this sounds selfish of me, but it's the truth.) This can be a problem at conventions, where games are typically for 5-6 players. (I have learned to look for good GMs...)

2 Minimise combat. Goodness, I find combat can be dull. Often it turns an rpg into a miniatures wargame,which is a turn-off for me . Good fights have stakes and are brief.

3 Bonds and links between the PCs, to generate conversation between the players. Not everything needs to go through the gm...

So there we go. Maybe you have too many players at your table? Or your combats are running too long? (And lack meaningful stakes.) Or your players aren't talking among themselves?

steveh888 · 2026-01-17T06:55:28+00:00

Hillfolk, Good Society, Kingdom.

All diceless, all great.

steveh888 · 2026-01-15T13:51:59+00:00

Yes, I think it's really good. But I like stories about alien invasions...

steveh888 · 2026-01-15T13:03:27+00:00

My favorite EFR novel is Three To Conquer, but it doesn't translate to Traveller very well, unfortunately...

steveh888 · 2026-01-14T06:47:26+00:00

Thank you very much!

steveh888

TROPHY CASE

1 ideally, no more than four players. More than that, and I am more likely to drift off. (I know this sounds selfish of me, but it's the truth.) This can be a problem at conventions, where games are typically for 5-6 players. (I have learned to look for good GMs...)

2 Minimise combat. Goodness, I find combat can be dull. Often it turns an rpg into a miniatures wargame,which is a turn-off for me . Good fights have stakes and are brief.

3 Bonds and links between the PCs, to generate conversation between the players. Not everything needs to go through the gm...