What are y'all up to these days?

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6 feet by 26 feet? Sounds awesome, but I wouldn't have a room long enough to accommodate it. my 3 feet by 7 feet table takes up most of my dining room. Edit: dining room/ gaming room. Actually more gaming room/ dining room.
If I had the space for such a table, it wouldn't be used for gaming. Wait, no it might actually be used for gaming... If I had a 6'x26' table and the space for it, I'd permanently set up my Lego Castle World. And then with that set up permanently, I'd get serious about using it to run an RPG campaign. The problem is that I'm not sure it would be big enough... I think my current plans might need 5'x30'. Lego displays tend to prefer multiples of 5' since the standard 32x32 baseplate is pretty close to 10"x10". Now if I really was using it for gaming, I'd consider having a 5'x25' Lego display on that 6'x26' table, with a 6" "border" around it for character sheets, dice, pencils, drinks, and snacks. Or I could go with 7 baseplates across instead of 6 and have just a bit more depth of the display.
 
24 or 28 by four is about the same as four club gaming tables banged up end to end. Ive played lots of 40K mega battles on tables that size. Tons of fun. I dont recall if we ever stacked all 8 tables 6 foot wide by 24 long though.
 
A father posted a few questions in a Tabletop Games group on FB. He wants to run a game for his son (they're living in Strasbourg obviously and he's got a language barrier to joining an ongoing group).
He ended up getting Kids on Bikes. OK, so far, so good.
Then he posted what sounded to me like a call for help, roughly "how do I run the session".
Cue me writing him an explanation that easily hit the maximum number of characters for a FB reply. At least I managed to fit it into two replies. (So, less than 16k symbols). For a game I haven't read...but I read a free adventure, so that counts, right? How hard is it to explain how to run a monster hunt:grin:?


Edited to add: and I have to decide what to run this week for the small crew that is forming around me. Decisions, decisions.
Legends of the 3 Cosmic Fists sounds like a likely candidate, actually... but overall, I haven't even settled on a genre. Pulp? Noir? Mystery (yes, I am going to know the name of the killer in advance)? Sci-fi? Horror? Wuxia? Talislanta? (Yes, Talislanta isn't a genre, but if I run fantasy at all, it's going to be Talislanta).

On top of it, there's an RPG Day coming in a local LFGS which is, for a change, both friendly, local, and heavily game-oriented. I am probably going to run something just to make sure that there's more non-D&D games represented.
The question remains, though: "what to run":thumbsup:? And well, see above!

Also, that Hero Pulp bundle looks cool as an ice-enhanced blowjob. I'm not likely to learn Hero just to run those, but I have Two-Fisted Tales 2e if I don't want to deal with the original rules. And I love pulp!
 
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I had my first 2e Pathfinder game last night. We spent 3 hours killing a single rust slime. We're playing the Outlaws of Alkenstar, so seizing on the Western theme I made a Dwarf Investigator named Old Pete, basically an Old Prospector.
 
That musta been some slime there pardner. Fenris-77 spits through his teeth and chews on a stick of hay...
The main problem was that it wasn't hurt very much (or at all) by metal. And what is everyone armed with? Metal. Lucky it was a junkyard so there was plenty of improvised wooden sticks lying around to hit it with. It didn't help that everyone's characters are 1st level.
 
I am not running a game this week. I did offer, but everyone was busy. What are the odds of it being related to a M:tG pre-release day, I wonder...:tongue:

OTOH, next week one of our LFGS is running a "mini-con", a.k.a. 2 days of RPG play at the store. There are going to be multiple tables.
I'm running Legend of the 3 Cosmic Fists on the first day and On That Other World RPG the second. The author E Emlcrstf is going to be in my group, too:smile:.
Actually, that's not the first time I'm running a game for the creator...we've got a small RPG, and I've been a part of it for decades:wink:.

E Emlcrstf is running a game on the other day, but I winked and it was full. So I'm not playing.
Ah well, I am going to run instead, and hey, I am contributing to us having more non-D&D games in the running!
For that matter: so far there are exactly two games of D&D announced, and a game of Blades in the Dark. So...basically, On That Other World equals D&D for now. In fact, BitD and Lot3CF together equal D&D:grin:!
So...not a bad thing for the diversity of the hobby:thumbsup:!

I might start a thread to ask you all for advice on the scenario I plan to run them through. So far, "go to the city which grew out of a dungeon on a fetch quest" and "fight the fantasy Russian Mafia" are the two options for the PCs. I should really add a Chthulhu-related option as well, but that is harder given the magic system of OTOW:shade:!


Edited to add: Oh crap, I just got a message from the store that there's no free tables on Saturday, so one of those needs to go. Now I have to decide which one to cancel...and whether to actually cancel the other one, or to run it in another FLGS on Saturday. Decisions, decisions!
 
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Last night was the last session of my Friday night D&D game I could join for a while. Tomorrow is the last session of my Sunday D&D game that I can join for a while AND the first session of my 3rd D&D game that I'm DMing.
Tuesday's are now dedicated to Pathfinder 2E.
The dream is that one day I'll get a better work schedule that will allow me to have 4 ttrpg games a week.
 
I am not running a game this week. I did offer, but everyone was busy. What are the odds of it being related to a M:tG pre-release day, I wonder...:tongue:

OTOH, next week one of our LFGS is running a "mini-con", a.k.a. 2 days of RPG play at the store. There are going to be multiple tables.
I'm running Legend of the 3 Cosmic Fists on the first day and On That Other World RPG the second. The author E Emlcrstf is going to be in my group, too:smile:.
Actually, that's not the first time I'm running a game for the creator...we've got a small RPG, and I've been a part of it for decades:wink:.

E Emlcrstf is running a game on the other day, but I winked and it was full. So I'm not playing.
Ah well, I am going to run instead, and hey, I am contributing to us having more non-D&D games in the running!
For that matter: so far there are exactly two games of D&D announced, and a game of Blades in the Dark. So...basically, On That Other World equals D&D for now. In fact, BitD and Lot3CF together equal D&D:grin:!
So...not a bad thing for the diversity of the hobby:thumbsup:!

I might start a thread to ask you all for advice on the scenario I plan to run them through. So far, "go to the city which grew out of a dungeon on a fetch quest" and "fight the fantasy Russian Mafia" are the two options for the PCs. I should really add a Chthulhu-related option as well, but that is harder given the magic system of OTOW:shade:!



Edited to add: Oh crap, I just got a message from the store that there's no free tables on Saturday, so one of those needs to go. Now I have to decide which one to cancel...and whether to actually cancel the other one, or to run it in another FLGS on Saturday. Decisions, decisions!
That post quickly became a mess!

So I am going to run Legend of the 3 Cosmic Fists on the event, and re-schedulling On That Other World (O-TOW) for the next week. Expect me to start at least one thread while preparing for it...:grin:
Possibly a Where I Read thread, too. We shall see, but I can definitely see the Pub liking a system where all magic exists only (or mostly) for the characters, and only after they break mentally or consume some kinds of shrooms:shade:!
 
Last night my face to face group finished our campaign of The 13th Fleet. It was a fun campaign, and by far the longest one I’ve ever run of like a light-hearted, silly kind of game. It was a nice change of pace, but I’m happy to finish it up and move onto something more serious in tone.

I proposed Mothership, the DIE RPG, or Stonetop to the group. Mothership was ruled out because 13th Fleet was sci-fi and everyone thought we should change it up more. So it’ll be either DIE or Stonetop. The players are gonna look over the PDFs and the playbooks and let me know prior to our next session.

I’m pretty excited for either game.
 
Fun fact: I just found one of my old players...or he found me on the Discord of a FLGS, at least. Seems like he credits me with him having being able to find a regular group that actually fits his gaming interests, after playing in a couple of campaigns:angel:!
For the record, I have no idea what I've got to do with it, and no, I already made it clear that I don't take credit for it. But I'm glad it worked out for him!

I did, however, ask nicely to join one of his campaigns, if possible. Running something for him and his group is an option as well...or playing an NPC or two:grin:! (He's certainly played a few NPCs in those campaigns. That's one of my tricks when the party splits...in some cases I had 3 mini-groups playing at the same time, two of them interacting with an NPC...of course, that was simply necessary with 8-9 players - and at some points I had more than that, in those years).

Also, he is now running M:tA, Exalted, Fate Core and Eclipse Phase, and seems he only complains about being stuck as Forever GM:thumbsup:!
 
I managed two games this week. Played in Cold Fire Within with some Aussies on Wednesday morning. Bit ambivalent about this dampaign as it's a very slow burn.
Ran The Malvern Mystery (GUMSHOE) with TDM's Casting the Runes on Saturday evening. Not the first Jamesian scenario I've run but full of interesting features. Had an issue with a couple of bits. Referring to coins supposedly from the 4th c AD as Republican Roman threw me but later on they are actually better descibed and are actually Republican denarii. There's section that can result in a Stability loss of 4 due to psychic 'shoock' but I couldn't fathom the reasoning behind that.
Still a fun time was had by all.
 
Last night's session wasn't the best thing I've run by any means. Been in a bit of a funk for a few days now and that carried over a bit into the game.

Fortunately, I have good players, and the setup allows them to pick up the ball and run with it when needed.
 
I had session 0 of my new D&D5E game. It's my first time DMing and there's a couple of new players, 1 player that's had a couple games under their belt and 1 veteran player. Normally I like freeform sandbox games, but because there are some new players and I'm a new DM I'm keeping the campaign fairly constrained. You can see the Dungeon/City I've been designing for it in this thread here: https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/giganotosaurus-map-thread.7609/#post-390085
 
I'm rebranding all of my... pre-stuff stuff in preparation for concentrating on it more. I put in an order for all-new trade-dress, I've ordered new brand-name domains, and I'm building my fiction author and RPG designer websites. I'm giddy about showing it off soon.

So, pretty soon I'll have Octal Heart Games and VK Farfalle to brag about, in lieu of actual products.
 
Still no bites for my Legend of the 3 Cosmic Fists game. I'm almost starting to worry...:grin:

Almost:tongue:.

If it falls through, I'll just start my own solo campaign until I find a group to join as a player. And if anyone wants me to run games, I'm open to negotiating a payment, in money or in kind, which seems to be becoming a trend on the local scene anyway:thumbsup:!
 
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Looking for Dr. Smith
An adventure in the Pulp Solar System for three to five characters
Demos Station and Phobos station are in something of an uproar. Dr. Winslow Smith has vanished in the Asteroid Belt. He and his bride left the Phobos Base three months ago and was last heard from by radio six days ago. His work on Venusian microorganisms has saved many lives among both Venusian species and his recent work on Martian diseases looked promising.
Anyone player interested in playtesting The Pulp Solar System on Facebook video messenger let me know and we will try for a consensus as to date and time. Premade characters will be available but I will help players create their own characters if they wish.
Participants will get complimentary copies of setting book (when it is finished) and the core rules for Glory Road Roleplay, which is the system used in the setting.
Available character peoples: Venusian Sky Folk, Venus Dragons, Loonies (mutated humans) Selenites (somewhat less mutated humans) Earth-normal human, High Martians. Most of the characters have just finished a shake-down cruise on the small drive-capable patrol ship “Dog Soldier,” owned by Phobos Station and they are assigned to search a sector of the Belt 7 hours away
The characters will be the pilot/captain, a Drive officer. The Observer, relief pilot, a Drive Officer. An Engeneer, a Drive Officer, wo gunners, Junior Drive Officers. An Intern, does all the work.
Premade character sheets will be available but any player can contact me and we can work up a character for them.
 
I'm going to be busy this Saturday! Running a public one-shot of The Black Hack at the library from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm, then running my home Savage Worlds campaign for my friends from 6:00 pm until whenever we feel like ending for the night. I've GM'd on back-to-back days before, but this is the first time I've ever doubled up on the same day. Wasn't really deliberate- just how scheduling worked out. Anyway, should be an interesting day.
 
I'm learning some new publishing tools with an eye on branching out from making PDFs to print-on-demand. I was worried it would be impenetrably difficult but so far it's just things like keyboard shortcuts that I'm fumbling with.

What tool are you working with?
 
I'm learning some new publishing tools with an eye on branching out from making PDFs to print-on-demand. I was worried it would be impenetrably difficult but so far it's just things like keyboard shortcuts that I'm fumbling with.
I'm image heavy, so I have a lot more messing about changing from rbg to cmyk.
 
What tool are you working with?
I'm comparison shopping InDesign and Affinity. So far, both are a lot easier than PDFLaTeX and a lot more powerful than LibreOffice.

I'm image heavy, so I have a lot more messing about changing from rbg to cmyk.
My initial plan had been to try to use the new Dev version of Gimp for this, but the CMYK support doesn't seem as thorough or intuitive as I'd hoped. That's what got me down this rabbit hole.
 
I'm comparison shopping InDesign and Affinity. So far, both are a lot easier than PDFLaTeX and a lot more powerful than LibreOffice.


My initial plan had been to try to use the new Dev version of Gimp for this, but the CMYK support doesn't seem as thorough or intuitive as I'd hoped. That's what got me down this rabbit hole.
I'm using affinity. Photo can do it too, and changing the whole doc at output to pdf does a lot. Though a lot depends on what you are doing, like full color, vs standard, or going for a semi-gloss paper. Web stuff just pops, its great, except it also means that even with the layout the same, the work for each pdf, such as putting in bookmarks and hyperlinks, or converting everything to cmykn is still a decent amount.
 
I'm using affinity. Photo can do it too, and changing the whole doc at output to pdf does a lot. Though a lot depends on what you are doing, like full color, vs standard, or going for a semi-gloss paper. Web stuff just pops, its great, except it also means that even with the layout the same, the work for each pdf, such as putting in bookmarks and hyperlinks, or converting everything to cmykn is still a decent amount.
For content that's intended for both web and print, how late in the process (if at all) do you split it off into two files?
 
For content that's intended for both web and print, how late in the process (if at all) do you split it off into two files?
I go through dtrpg right now, and they have a bunch of templates, so I will write in like a docx word file, and do layout in the file built off the template, which is letter size, that is a two page spread set up for print. I'll get to the end of that, and split it into single page, then for web add covers, bookmarks, and links. For print, I'll do the images, change to cmyk, and often lighten some.
 
I have to be more precise with the timing in my public games than my home games, which I've struggled with a little, but I totally nailed it today. Had until 4:15 pm and wrapped up at 4:12 pm.

Question: are these games typically a lot of newbie players? Or a mix? Just curious as to how many new converts you're accumulating with killer game sessions :-)
 
Still no bites for my Legend of the 3 Cosmic Fists game. I'm almost starting to worry...:grin:

Almost:tongue:.

If it falls through, I'll just start my own solo campaign until I find a group to join as a player. And if anyone wants me to run games, I'm open to negotiating a payment, in money or in kind, which seems to be becoming a trend on the local scene anyway:thumbsup:!
In other news, nobody showed up...:shade:
So I joined a CoC session instead, playing a 17 yo girl in 1983 Kansas, because when you randomize pre-gens, such things happen. But for a one-shot, I was the one who decided to pick the pregen by d12 roll.
My highest skills were Charm 60 and Persuade 70, with Spot Hidden being a paltry 40...not even optimized for CoC:tongue:!
But I gave her a no-numbers advantage, deciding that she was a DM who followed Dragon and planned to upgrade to Runequest:angel:!
As a consequence, we killed the monster in less than 2,5 hours of real time. The pizza wasn't even delivered yet.
So I got to keep the whole of it, given that I'd paid for it with my card:grin:!
 
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