What are y'all up to these days?

[AsenRG]

Today, I'm running the the adventure me and Moracai sent to the Pub - using Mythras Classic Fantasy of course. I skipped on a couple hours of sleep to make pre-gens, but once you've joined a group dance, you dance or die...

However, I'm ALSO going to use this as a way for people that weren't in on the first adventure to join my Orb campaign-in-progress.

So it's all going to happen in the same reality and timeline as the original adventure. How, you might ask?

Their (various) gods are going to send them a dream. In it, they shall see themselves facing the same peril. And at the end, they'd get a warning: you didn't really [censored to avoid spoilers], those guys did, think about joining forces with them!

Hey, it serves my OOC goals: playtesting, getting new people exposed to the system painlessly, and possibly getting them interested to join. I find that to be a rather good idea, even if I say so myself!


You might almost say the times when I was running narrative games - hard to imagine for many of you, I know - haven't passed without a trace...

I actually ran that twice, for two groups. I'm still waiting on who would want to be mentioned as a playtester, though...so far, I only got 2 people, one of which is fine with it, and another doesn't want to be mentioned.

Either way, I think I'm done with the playtest, on my side. It did serve to kickstart my Orb campaign, but fitting more sessions of the same event in would be too hard.

Amusingly, even though it's a linear adventure, not a single one of those groups stuck to the expected turn of events.

Fun fact, 2 out of 3 groups appreciated the combat system of Mythras, and wanted more of it. They're all going to have their chance, of course...

OTOH, for one of the "pro" groups and for the one "contra", I suspect that this was simply what the most vocal members of those groups said, and that there was some silent opposition among the rest of them... probably about a 50:50 split, actually!

But in both cases, the silent ones didn't want to contradict the vocal ones - I happen to know know both groups were basically pre-existing, I know they're in other games together. So it only makes sense, if it's their usual dynamic.

No surprise. I don't like it, but it's a given that getting people to actually respond honestly is fucking hard unless you interview them separately!

Whatever the case, I'm going to play with those I can get, and wish the rest of them good luck trying to find other games.
Too bad that the most original character we ended up having* was one of those that we're not likely to see again!
Alas, she was played by a player who was part of one of the "contra" groups. Actually, I'm quite sure she was part of the "silent opposition" - she was visibly amused while removing heads and limbs and grasped the concept of Special Effects on the fly - but as stated above, she didn't want to rock the boat (and who could blame her?)...so we're unlikely to see her.

OTOH, I think I can salvage at least part of this. I'm not going to NPC the character, but I can have her popping up

*A renegade ninja who deserted the Evil Ninja Clan, and went to serve... Rosheval, the god of the Paladins. Now, keep in mind that ninja from the Way of the Scorpion are necessarily followers of Nemesis, the Supreme Principle of Evil. So she would have been in danger if she'd stayed in the same religion!
However, none of the above was part of my write-up. I only said "renegade ninja of the Evil Ninja Clan, you tell me whether she's left their faith in Nemesis and who's your new god or goddess".
"She's going to overcompensate after leaving the clan, I believe, tell me which gods are about acting good and proper?"
And that's how she was created at the table. BTW, Rosheval told her he's all for giving people a chance, even if she's his most unexpected follower, given her methods...and if she succeeds, she gets to be accepted as a follower of his!
Yes, he kept his word after they two-shotted the BBEG. So now there IS a ninja serving the god of Paladins, on my version of Orb. Oh, and Rosheval has gained an artefact from Nemesis: the whole adventure became, in this version, part of the gods betting on a kind of VR game, so he won his bet!

 

[Raleel]

I was thinking about running a game last night and today and I cringed physically. The burn out is real. Literally nothing excites me. I think I'm ok with that for a good while.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I was thinking about running a game last night and today and I cringed physically. The burn out is real. Literally nothing excites me. I think I'm ok with that for a good while.

What about playing? Could you be a player in a game? And would you want to be?

 

[Raleel]

What about playing? Could you be a player in a game? And would you want to be?

I have an online game I'm in. It's pretty sporadic and I'm ok with that. Local one? Yea, probably. I'm probably not going to be a high energy player though.

 

[bleys21]

I was thinking about running a game last night and today and I cringed physically. The burn out is real. Literally nothing excites me. I think I'm ok with that for a good while.

Yep, best to just let it take its course. I've been playing board games with the kids for a while, and just doing other stuff. Now, after a couple years, the kids want me to run a game, so I'll do that for them. Not sure what to run, though...they want fantasy, but I can't stomach doing 5e. Maybe Forbidden Lands or DCC?

 

[Mankcam]

I was thinking about running a game last night and today and I cringed physically. The burn out is real. Literally nothing excites me. I think I'm ok with that for a good while.

Mental exhaustion can also be transference from stressors in other parts of our lives.
Gaming could just as easily be the victim, rather than a culprit.
Just sayin'

In any case it sounds like it's pushing a cart uphill at present just thinking out about gaming, so thats a mental burden you don't need.

I reckon that you take a breather for a bit from being the main GM.
Sounds like you are already doing this.

A change is as good as a holiday they say

Try and hang in there as a player if possible - even if only sporadically.
Perhaps only sporadically is best for a while.
Having social connections like a gaming group is important, just in case you want to return to the GM role at some stage.

You may also need to consider what may float your boat now could be a bit different from when you were high sailing before.

I have no doubt you'll return to being a GM down the track

When you do, I reckon avoid running campaigns for a while. That level of mental investure will not be ideal.
Go for different one-shots in different settings with entirely different characters each time. Different systems as well.
You could run these story arcs over several sessions for each adventure, but aim to wrap them up by three or four sessions.

There is something to be said about not being shackled to a campaign as a GM - especially for those of us in our mid-years who have gathered several other life obligations by now.

This is not to say that you don't return to those characters at a later date for subsequent adventures or linked adventures. Keep everything free and easy

You'll be okay, the gaming mojo will return, just free yourself from its mental obligations for a while

 

[Sharrow]

Yep, best to just let it take its course. I've been playing board games with the kids for a while, and just doing other stuff. Now, after a couple years, the kids want me to run a game, so I'll do that for them. Not sure what to run, though...they want fantasy, but I can't stomach doing 5e. Maybe Forbidden Lands or DCC?

Rolemaster. With all the tables. Especially the gory criticals.

 

[lategamer]

Not sure what to run, though...they want fantasy, but I can't stomach doing 5e. Maybe Forbidden Lands or DCC?

FbL is a little harsh IMO. Dragonbane is meant to be kinder to beginners.

 

[Fenris-77]

This was posted on the RR&D Discord and I thought it was an interesting commentary on how some people outside the forum space think about RPGs:

 

[Mankcam]

Dragonbane is meant to be kinder to beginners.

Perfect choice

 

[lategamer]

This was posted on the RR&D Discord and I thought it was an interesting commentary on how some people outside the forum space think about RPGs:

That's some echo chamber.

 

[Fenris-77]

That's some echo chamber.

Perhaps. It might also be someone who really doesn't post online much at all but whose friends all play Blades.

 

[Moracai]

FbL is a little harsh IMO. Dragonbane is meant to be kinder to beginners.

The basic mechanics of FbL (MY0) dicepool system are just fine for kids, IME. It's all the extra baggage of class features, glued-on extra systems and such that may make it seem harsh.

 

[sharps54]

The basic mechanics of FbL (MY0) dicepool system are just fine for kids, IME. It's all the extra baggage of class features, glued-on extra systems and such that may make it seem harsh.

I don’t know, I think rolling five or six d6s and not getting a 6 seems harsh to kids. Not so much if you grew up with Ameritrash war games for others the probability seems wonky, “how many do I need to roll to have a good chance of success?!”

 

[Fenris-77]

I don’t know, I think rolling five or six d6s and not getting a 6 seems harsh to kids. Not so much if you grew up with Ameritrash war games for others the probability seems wonky, “how many do I need to roll to have a good chance of success?!”

Grade 9 math would suggest 3 or 4. Even 2 dice is 1 in 3, which isn't terrible.

 

[sharps54]

Grade 9 math would suggest 3 or 4. Even 2 dice is 1 in 3, which isn't terrible.

So how come people fail so often rolling 5 or 6?

 

[Fenris-77]

So how come people fail so often rolling 5 or 6?

Probability? Rolling 4 is about 50%, rolling 5 is about 60% and so on. So those rolls over time shouldn't more often than they succeed. Thoughts to the contrary are probably the result of recency bias and small sample size.

 

[lategamer]

I don’t know, I think rolling five or six d6s and not getting a 6 seems harsh to kids. Not so much if you grew up with Ameritrash war games for others the probability seems wonky, “how many do I need to roll to have a good chance of success?!”

Worse, rolling 6+ d6 and getting only 1x Success which means you do no damage because your weapon only does 2 damage and the enemy has armour...

FbL isn't heroic fantasy. Dragonbane is aimed more that way.

 

[lategamer]

Grade 9 math would suggest 3 or 4. Even 2 dice is 1 in 3, which isn't terrible.

Quality of success matters too. And the fact that you've got a great chance of nobbling yourself.

e.g. Character with 3 STR and 2 Skill.

Roll 5 dice. Get 1 success. Hit but no damage. You need those extra successes.
Push. Rolls 4 dice, gets 3x 1s and a 4.
So, success doing no damage but falls unconscious immediately.

And yeah, I've seen this with characters with 5 STR and 5 Skill knocking themselves on their ass while doing no damage at all to the enemy. FbL is a game of attrition - you make sure everyone is focused on the enemy and think hard about whether you give it armour.

 

[Moracai]

I don’t know, I think rolling five or six d6s and not getting a 6 seems harsh to kids. Not so much if you grew up with Ameritrash war games for others the probability seems wonky, “how many do I need to roll to have a good chance of success?!”

Moar dice is guud, less dice is badder.

 

[Fenris-77]

Quality of success matters too. And the fact that you've got a great chance of nobbling yourself.

e.g. Character with 3 STR and 2 Skill.

Roll 5 dice. Get 1 success. Hit but no damage. You need those extra successes.
Push. Rolls 4 dice, gets 3x 1s and a 4.
So, success doing no damage but falls unconscious immediately.

And yeah, I've seen this with characters with 5 STR and 5 Skill knocking themselves on their ass while doing no damage at all to the enemy. FbL is a game of attrition - you make sure everyone is focused on the enemy and think hard about whether you give it armour.

In fairness I pretty obviously wasn't talking about pushed rolls, but your point is well taken. I've found YZE play occasionally frustrating when I've gone through a cold snap on the dice. This happens in every die system though. I will freely admit that a lot of people probably don't bother to figure out the basic math behind the die pool though and the resulting ignorance probably adds to frustration levels.

 

[lategamer]

. I will freely admit that a lot of people probably don't bother to figure out the basic math behind the die pool though and the resulting ignorance probably adds to frustration levels.

People forget that you're just as likely to get a 1 as a 6. So, when you're Pushing, you're really risking everything.

One of the reasons I like the Step Dice version is that then chance of getting a 1 decreases with skill level. Something FreeLeague don't mention.
e.g. when you have d6, the chance of getting a 1 is the same as a 6 (success) but when you have a d12, the chance of a 1 is much smaller than getting a 6+

 

[AsenRG]

I was thinking about running a game last night and today and I cringed physically. The burn out is real. Literally nothing excites me. I think I'm ok with that for a good while.

Yeah, it does sound like burn out. I've had that twice.

Since the last time, my usual advice to fellow lifers is: take a week off of RPGs (not necessarily from the forum). "Exercise, read, watch movies, whatever - then you can restart when an RPG book attracts your attention"!

Oh, and you can visit the forum, but try not to think about your campaigns, just discuss other people's...

It worked for me!

To quote myself...

And yes, the advice is still good. That said, gaming is often the victim, not the source of the burnout...but switching still helped me. Beats me why, but then I'm offering my experience about what works, not an explanation.

Yep, best to just let it take its course. I've been playing board games with the kids for a while, and just doing other stuff. Now, after a couple years, the kids want me to run a game, so I'll do that for them. Not sure what to run, though...they want fantasy, but I can't stomach doing 5e. Maybe Forbidden Lands or DCC?

How big are your kids and what do they like fiction-wise? First Daughter asked me recently to run "D&D" for her, but luckily it turned out she means "as in the D&D movie", not anything related to the mechanics.
And since D&D itself would be a terrible system for the movie, IMO, that's how I finally read Mythras Classic Fantasy (which I've had for ages because Mythras, but I hadn't bothered reading).

This Saturday should be our...4th or 6th session? Depends on whether I count the latest one-shot playtests which did happen in the same setting, but it's unclear whether any of the characters in them is going to join the crew any time soon...

I mean, I was asked recently why I don't send First Daughter to find a D&D group of kids her age. Well, first reason is that such groups are few and far between here, most RPG players start at 16+ AFAICT. (It might have something to do with the fact that you do need to already have a second language...)
The second reason was: why would I inflict D&D on her at a young and impressionable age? The more I speak to roleplayers, the less I like the idea.

So that was the long way to say: stick to your guns! Forbidden lands is great, though Dragonbane might be even better.
And yes, DCC>D&D, too.
Bottom line: remember that you should have fun as well, because no player is going to enjoy a game the GM is running out of obligation. Even if those are your kids, you should still find something that interests both you and them!

Mental exhaustion can also be transference from stressors in other parts of our lives.
Gaming could just as easily be the victim, rather than a culprit.
Just sayin'

In any case it sounds like it's pushing a cart uphill at present just thinking out about gaming, so thats a mental burden you don't need.

Totally true, IME.

This was posted on the RR&D Discord and I thought it was an interesting commentary on how some people outside the forum space think about RPGs:

View attachment 79710

What is this I don't even...

Perhaps. It might also be someone who really doesn't post online much at all but whose friends all play Blades.

Oh. That might explain it, yes!

Worse, rolling 6+ d6 and getting only 1x Success which means you do no damage because your weapon only does 2 damage and the enemy has armour...

FbL isn't heroic fantasy. Dragonbane is aimed more that way.

People forget that you're just as likely to get a 1 as a 6. So, when you're Pushing, you're really risking everything.

One of the reasons I like the Step Dice version is that then chance of getting a 1 decreases with skill level. Something FreeLeague don't mention.
e.g. when you have d6, the chance of getting a 1 is the same as a 6 (success) but when you have a d12, the chance of a 1 is much smaller than getting a 6+

...now THAT is a great argument in favour of the dice step version!

And yes, higher skill should work this way...

OTOH, I'm now wondering how hard it would be to switch FL to dice step mechanics!

 

[lategamer]

...now THAT is a great argument in favour of the dice step version!
And yes, higher skill should work this way...
OTOH, I'm now wondering how hard it would be to switch FL to dice step mechanics!

It's not difficult to switch. Generate the character normally.

5 dice = d12
4 dice = d10
3 dice = d8
2 dice = d6
1 dice = go home. You ain't surviving anyway.

Then I recommend using the combat system we just built for The 23rd Letter.

Magic? Willpower. Let's have a chat about that. Create a new thread

 

[AsenRG]

It's not difficult to switch. Generate the character normally.

5 dice = d12
4 dice = d10
3 dice = d8
2 dice = d6

So far, so good...

1 dice = go home. You ain't surviving anyway.

Nah, that part, while amusing, makes no sense.
I'd rather use d6-d8-d10-d12-d12+d6

Then I recommend using the combat system we just built for The 23rd Letter.

Magic? Willpower. Let's have a chat about that. Create a new thread

Nah, it's a theoretical exercise for me at the moment. If I decide to run FL, I might start a thread, though.

But then, if I decide on running anything from Fria Ligan, I'm pretty sure my players are going to pressure me into using Aliens or Blade Runner, and probably running a general SF game with that...

 

[lategamer]

So far, so good...


Nah, that part, while amusing, makes no sense.
I'd rather use d6-d8-d10-d12-d12+d6

Seriously. someone with 1d6 in anything in FbL is just a liability. Worth less than the sum of their parts.

 

[AsenRG]

Seriously. someone with 1d6 in anything in FbL is just a liability. Worth less than the sum of their parts.

Sure, I'm not claiming such a character would be useful in an adventuring party! I can do the math how likely you're to succeed at anything worth mentioning, ever...

Makes you think about how this PC would fare in a "death in chargen allowed" Traveller game, doesn't it?

I'm just allergic to not being able to represent the stats of a related system. That's all.
Also, I think that a slight boost for the levels 2-5 isn't that much, and level-6 can be extra special with two dice!

 

[chuckdee]

Perhaps. It might also be someone who really doesn't post online much at all but whose friends all play Blades.

It might also be that not everyone views the RPG space through the same lens. If you were introduced to something first, and that's the only thing you knew, then anecdotally you might think that. It wouldn't necessarily make the space an echo chamber, just a focused environment.

 

[lategamer]

It might also be that not everyone views the RPG space through the same lens. If you were introduced to something first, and that's the only thing you knew, then anecdotally you might think that. It wouldn't necessarily make the space an echo chamber, just a focused environment.

I think there’s a lot of splitting hairs. It doesn’t matter whether you know about other games or not. If you’re in an environment and the only thing being said is the stuff you’re doing then it’s an echo chamber. But I grasp that it might sound pejorative - I didn’t mean it that way.

But someone who thinks PBTA is anywhere near as popular as D&D … yeah, they’re in an echo chamber.

 

[Fenris-77]

I think there’s a lot of splitting hairs. It doesn’t matter whether you know about other games or not. If you’re in an environment and the only thing being said is the stuff you’re doing then it’s an echo chamber. But I grasp that it might sound pejorative - I didn’t mean it that way.

But someone who thinks PBTA is anywhere near as popular as D&D … yeah, they’re in an echo chamber.

I don't think a simple lack of exposure to a larger group of people and opinions has to count as an echo chamber. Ignorance maybe.

 

[sharps54]

I don't think a simple lack of exposure to a larger group of people and opinions has to count as an echo chamber. Ignorance maybe.

Echo chamber is a loaded term because we assume it is bad, for example not being exposed to the ramblings of serial killers or pedophiles is the kind of echo chamber I want to be in but that isn’t how we use the term.

 

[AsenRG]

I've finally cut my toxic player out. Her being family didn't outweigh her being the biggest drag on my gaming life, in the end...

It is liberating, and I can't help but think I should have done so earlier.

TBH, I might have been unable to take the decision, except she insisted on helping me out, so now she's (semi-officially) excluded from joining any games that I run...

I mean, why else would she make a scene when she learned I'm going to arrange a session for First Daughter on a day when she's unable to join (because FD wasn't able to join on any other day)?

She ought to have known whose interests are my priority, so it has to have been her trying to help me out, I say!

Echo chamber is a loaded term because we assume it is bad, for example not being exposed to the ramblings of serial killers or pedophiles is the kind of echo chamber I want to be in but that isn’t how we use the term.

I've read some of the ramblings of a couple serial killers, does that count as not being in an echo chamber?

 

[bleys21]

Yeah, so I forgot to mention that I'm old, and my "kids" are 28, 24 and 21 years old lol. This game would include the 28 and 21 year olds, with the wife along for the ride...

I do have some concerns about Forbidden Lands due to how punishing it can be. The game world is so wonderful though :-) My son (the 21 year old) thinks I should just do the old school DCC and start with a funnel. Which is an interesting take, as he is a recent gaming convert, and is cutting his teeth on 5e with his friends. Cool part is watching him figure out how to run games, write stories and game worlds, draw maps without his old man telling him "how we did it in the old days..." So, for him to point to DCC as something that he thinks would be fun, well, might have to do that :-)

 

[AsenRG]

Yeah, so I forgot to mention that I'm old, and my "kids" are 28, 24 and 21 years old lol. This game would include the 28 and 21 year olds, with the wife along for the ride...

You should totally name them First Kid, Second Kid and Third Kid, then!

I do have some concerns about Forbidden Lands due to how punishing it can be. The game world is so wonderful though :-)

That much I think nobody disputed...

My son (the 21 year old) thinks I should just do the old school DCC and start with a funnel. Which is an interesting take, as he is a recent gaming convert, and is cutting his teeth on 5e with his friends.

Any chance he might want a chance to brag about losing 10+ PCs in a single session?

It might make some 5e players' eyes go round...

Cool part is watching him figure out how to run games, write stories and game worlds, draw maps without his old man telling him "how we did it in the old days..."

...why wouldn't you offer him some fatherly advice?!?

So, for him to point to DCC as something that he thinks would be fun, well, might have to do that :-)

It might be a good idea, indeed...though OTOH, if he wants a funnel, show him Forbidden Lands and Dragonbane instead? He might like the punishing nature of FL, frex.

And again, don't underestimate your own preferences, a happy Referee makes for happier players, too...

 

[lategamer]

I do have some concerns about Forbidden Lands due to how punishing it can be. The game world is so wonderful though :-)

It doesn’t have to be deadly because the system is so swingy, one moment you’re a fearsome warrior on the top of your game and, due to an unfortunate push, you’re now a dribbling cretin waiting to be rescued by the bard.

The only thing I don’t like in FbL is the big bad father-daughter gestalt thing. Just seems meh. Like someone was trying to offend.

 

[AsenRG]

The only thing I don’t like in FbL is the big bad father-daughter gestalt thing. Just seems meh. Like someone was trying to offend.

...the WTF?!?

 

[lategamer]

...the WTF?!?

Zytera

Father-Daughter-Spider amalgam. Creepy and not in the fun way.

 

[AsenRG]

Zytera

Father-Daughter-Spider amalgam. Creepy and not in the fun way.

I simply don't remember it. No, I don't need a spoiler, I might get to play FL later this year!

 

[Moracai]

My idea for a Scion/FASERIP campaign got green light. It'll kick off next Tuesday.

 

[AsenRG]

I set up my 4th live event for GMs for this evening...

I'm looking for a way to add subtitles in English for you all, because I insist you can share the pain I'm causing to our local players!