Tabletop RPGs in 2017 AD

Yes. FWIW, Apocalypse Engine games are a lot easier to get going (assuming you have players who are willing) because there’s far less crunch to learn and almost zero prep. And there are a lot of great ones in that bundle.

Another neato PBTA game just released (in PDF, at least):

So far it’s hilarious and wonderful and the people I have shared details with who are currently involved in academia say it is absolutely spot on in its portrayal. Not surprising, since the author is an academic himself.

Huh. Immediately makes me think of The Shab-al-hiri Roach, which I grabbed at a game store in Portland a few years back.

"The Shab-al-Hiri Roach is a dark comedy of manners, lampooning academia and asking players to answer a difficult question – are you willing to swallow a soul-eating telepathic insect bent on destroying human civilization?

No?

Even if it will get you tenure?"

I’ll have to look into this.

http://bullypulpitgames.com/games/roach/

One of my favorite quotes, as an option for for the Department of Foresight:

I backed pigsmoke on kickstarter and need to find a chance to play it.

Amusingly, it’s not the only kickstarter games project I’ve backed about academic politics in a college of magic - I also backed Argent: the Consortium.

As I do most of my Roleplaying online now I also came in contact with actual play RPG network RollPlay. There are several shows I like but right now Nebula Jazz is my favourite. They allow me to observe games from the outside and determining what works and what doesn’t for me. I also found they helped me a lot in understanding how rules work at the table, especially PbtA and now Fate, two I had the hardest time grokking. Anyone else watching these?

On the strength of this SUSD review, a buddy and I were sold on the idea of Blades in the Dark, which was briefly mentioned upthread. All they really had to say was “It’s like The Lies of Locke Lamora, and…” I just downloaded the special edition pdf. A few pages in, and they lay this out:

“You’re in a haunted Victorian-era city trapped inside a wall of lightning powered by demon blood.”

and also namedropped The Wire and Thief: The Dark Project and The Grey Mouser and I’m going to keep reading now.

I am boning up on BitD myself, though I backed it on Kickstarter. So far it seems very cool.

woo, a gentleman bastards reference! great series.

Blades in the Dark is great. It has most in common with Dishonored and the designer said as much. You could take it as written with minor setting changes to make it work to play a group of assassins in Dunwall. There is also a RollPlay series if someone wants to see the designer run the game. Quality is so so but gets stronger a bit later in. https://youtu.be/QNzpg-qdZ0g

Rollplay rocks! I am chugging my way through the SwanSong one DMed by Adam Koebel which is just fantastic (aside from JP early on but he gets better).

I think I may pull the rrigger on some online rpg action soon. It really looks a lot of fun and playing Traveller with my son has whet my appetite.

I have two games per week I play online right now. It took me a year to find a good group but now it’s amazingly fun. Online gaming can be hit and miss as any table group can. But if it works it works almost as well as the table. Adam Koebel is a great GM. I watched lots of SwanSong as well. One of the main reasons Stars Without Number is so popular.

Does anyone have any thoughts on Dungeon Crawl Classics?

Only that I’d love to play it but can’t get the free time together to start another RPG. Can barely fit in my bi-monthly D&D.

I’ve read a ton of the modules and they’re all interesting, have a unique tone, and tickle the weirdness funny bone.

I think my only concern is that, after having only really played 5e, the magic chrome in DCC looks like it might add some un-fun overhead.

Over the top, crazy gonzo madness! Weird mix of old and new school with the plain old weird. I’ve only gotten to play once, at GenCon, but it was a blast. Always wanted to run with it, but just haven’t made it happen yet :-(

DCC is fantastic with a unique style that oozes from the rules to the settings. It looks super cumbersome but big parts of the book are art and the pages for spells. The rules itself are easy and DnD like. But they love their weird dice and randomness. Double thumbs up if you like weird fantasy and old school DnD like play.

Absolutely love DCC! I got to play some with other QT3 folks awhile ago and its really a fun system. The level 0 funnel adventure is just an absolutely fantastic mechanic for getting attached to your character ( if any survive). Once you get rolling the system felt easy to use and understand and wasn’t overly cumbersome.

Yesssss

I never get to run the kinda game where this sorta thing is super appropriate, but I desperately want to.

DCC is cool as balls and was the system of choice for my absolute favorite session I played this year at GenCon. Also the magical mishap tables are a fucking hoot :-D

Sailfish Bill! I had a great time running DCC. There are all kinds of wonderful things in DCC: the funnel, the creative fighter’s heroic moves, the crazy random spell tables, the almost certain death. I haven’t played it in years, but I love picking up the rulebook and reading bits. I hope to run it again some day.

Yes! Sailfish Bill the Halfling sailor(Pirate?!) ahhh good times! @Rob_O_Boston1 did an excellent job running the game and brought up a couple fun things. The Heroic moves for the fighters gives the player a lot of creativity in what they want to do and a crazy amount of improv potential. As both Rob and Armando said the spell tables are an absolute blast (figuratively and literally).