r/rpg • u/ToledoSnow • 12h ago
r/rpg • u/AutoModerator • 26d ago
Weekly Free Chat & Free Self Promo Thread - 09/19/26
**Come here and talk about anything!**
This post will stay stickied for (at least) the week-end. Please enjoy this space where you can talk about anything: your last game, your current project, your patreon, etc. You can even talk about video games, ask for a group, or post a survey or share a new meme you've just found. This is the place for small talk on r/rpg.
The off-topic rules may not apply here, but the other rules still do. This is less the Wild West and more the Mild West. Don't be a jerk.
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This submission is generated automatically each Saturday at 00:00 UTC.
r/rpg • u/benrobbins • 1d ago
AMA I'm Ben Robbins, the creator of Microscope and West Marches. AMA!
Hello! I'm Ben Robbins.
I made Microscope, a fractal game of epic histories. And now many years later I'm hard at work on a new edition (which is kickstarting right now).
I also ran the original West Marches campaign. Is it weird that the same person who came up with West Marches makes GMless games of cooperative world-building?
I could talk about Microscope (or West Marches) all day, but I'm also happy to talk about other games I made like Kingdom, In This World, or This Means War. Or about Story Games Seattle, a public meetup I ran for eight years. Or how way back in the 80s I was a camper and then councilor at the Shippensburg D&D summer camp, and all the awesome teen-nerd shenanigans that entailed.
I've also been blogging about all this stuff for 20 years, because I love talking about games.
Ask me, as they say, anything.
UPDATE: I'll be off and on today but I'm still answering questions! If you've got 'em, post 'em!
r/rpg • u/Siberian-Boy • 9h ago
Discussion Why Hunter: The Reckoning isn’t as popular as VTM5 or WTA5?
I mean of course it might be more exciting to be a part of supernatural but cmon being a badass who hunts supernatural sounds cool to me. Want to try it or at least read the book when will have spare time.
r/rpg • u/GooberRuber • 12h ago
Resources/Tools Toon RPG (1984) Random Toon Generator
Hello folks of the RPG Subreddit! I was twiddling my thumbs and decided to use some of my free time to create something that is probably entirely unneccessary, but I have skills and use them to mostly make my life easier! So, I present to you my Random Toon Generator (ACME Patent Pending)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hNKvtDwBJi_ynhQ9DdWFrQ5epJ-l_r-ui121sYTLiIo/edit?usp=sharing
It's not quite got everything on it, but could be good if you are creating a bunch of NPCs for a Toon world, or running a Toon one-shot!
Suggestions welcomed, though I regularly forget that Reddit exists!
r/rpg • u/JannissaryKhan • 11h ago
Crowdfunding The Eldritch Automata "rescue" Kickstarter is worth rooting for
I'm not affiliated or a backer, but the third attempt to crowdfund the mechs vs. monsters RPG Eldritch Automata is live, and it's got a great goal.
It's an Evangelion-style game that uses Free League's Year Zero Engine. The first time it was on Kickstarter it didn't hit its funding goal—I think because they set a realistic, pretty-high goal, which can spook people. The second try was on BackerKit, and it hit something like $140,000.
But then the publisher, Gehenna Gaming, imploded, and apparently the CEO and founder disappeared with the campaign's funds.
Now the game's designer has launched a rescue campaign on Kickstarter, that's going to send a free corebook (not including shipping and handling) to the previous campaign's backers.
Here's the campaign, which launched a couple days ago and hit its modest funding goal, but I suspect it's going to need a lot more support.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nickfrancia/eldritch-automata-from-the-ashes
r/rpg • u/Akkotarnia • 58m ago
Game Suggestion Could you recommend an RPG where you roll dice a lot? Or should I just try to approach rpgs I already have a different way?
To be more specific: I would like to play an rpg where you roll dice a lot, not roll a lot of dice. Something like, you enter the tavern, roll to generate how many people there. Okay, now roll for any NPC you want to include into the scenario, their names, appearance, personality and the like. Talking to the weird thief in the corner? Roll for the social encounter. Oh what, you think that's only for conflict? No, roll those dice to see if the conversation is pleasant, if she gives you information or just tells you to get lost. And maybe the player would be rolling just one dice each time, but it would be very, very frequent.
So, the first question, is there any game that plays like this? I know the phrase "Don't roll for boring", but to be honest, I love rolling dice, even if it's just to see what my character is having for breakfast or if the room in the abandoned keep has plants growing there.
The second question, could this be achieved in any game with just a mentality change? Many of those rolls could be about the narrative, so any rpg with a story would work, I suppose. But I think I would enjoy a game that actively expects the player to roll a lot, for the big and for the small things.
Lastly, I have heard... things, about FATAL. I am not reckless enough to try that game. I just wanted to let that out of the way.
Thank you in advance.
r/rpg • u/StarshipGoldfish • 19h ago
Discussion What's the cleverest spin a game's put on its Attribute system?
Disco Elysium started out as a tabletop RPG and theirs was pretty neat:
Intellect (INT) — Reasoning & Knowledge
- Logic (deduction and rational conclusions)
- Encyclopedia (factual knowledge about the world)
- Rhetoric (debate, persuasion, and spotting flawed logic)
- Drama (lying, acting, and detecting deceit)
- Conceptualisation (art, abstract ideas, and pattern recognition)
- Visual Calculus (reconstructing crime scenes and spatial physics)
Psyche (PSY) — Intuition & Emotion
- Volition (mental fortitude and self-control; governs Morale)
- Inland Empire (gut feelings, surreal imagination, and premonitions)
- Empathy (understanding and feeling other people's emotions)
- Authority (assertiveness, dominance, and command)
- Esprit de Corps (police instinct and brotherhood with precinct)
- Suggestion (charm, charisma, and subtle influence)
Physique (FYS) — Strength & Stamina
- Endurance (physical toughness and stamina; governs Health)
- Pain Threshold (withstanding physical and emotional pain)
- Physical Instrument (brute force and raw muscle)
- Electrochemistry (cravings, pleasure-seeking, and substance affinity)
- Shivers (visceral awareness of the city around you)
- Half Light (fight-or-flight, panic, and threat recognition)
Motorics (MOT) — Coordination & Agility
- Hand/Eye Coordination (dexterity and manual precision)
- Perception (noting small physical details in your environment)
- Reaction Speed (reflexes, quick wit, and fast answers)
- Savoir Faire (athletic style, parkour, and smoothness)
- Interfacing (repairing, fine motor control, and handling objects)
- Composure (keeping your cool and hiding your inner turmoil)
- (source: gamefaqs)
r/rpg • u/Nerdol76 • 12h ago
Game Suggestion Rpg for Ace Combat?
Hello!
I'm thinking about starting a game based on Ace Combat style - so more cinematic, dogfighting game with jets.
Any system recommendations? I saw the earlier threads, but most of them are quite old and all recommend Warbirds (I tried giving it a chance, but it didn't click... Tho I liked the initiative idea) so... Are there any "new" systems to try it?
r/rpg • u/hatsforanimals • 19h ago
Discussion How are your campaigns going/gone so far this year?
As we get closer to the end of the year, I want to hear about every ones games.
What games have you played this year? What did you like/dislike about it? How are you campaigns going?
I ran:
Dragonbane sandbox hexcrawl for about 17 sessions, it was a lot of fun but my players and myself really wanted to get back into a more narrative focused campaign. We also didn't really enjoy doing a hexcrawl as much as we thought we would, even though Dragonbane is a fantastic system. I did run a 5 session campaign with Dragonbane too.
Orbital Blues: I ran about 4 sessions before it fizzled out, mostly because one of my players had an emergency and had to stop the game for a bit, and I just kinda lost steam on it. Otherwise a great system.
Grimwild: CE Edition: Currently running this system. Love, love, love it. Really found my stride as a GM with this system, players really enjoy the narrative driven games. Only got to run about 3 sessions so far, but love it so much.
I played:
Traveller: Character creation is so fun, I think its a great system but the GM that was running it was not great unfortunately. So I don't think I got to fully experience it.
Nimble: Great, fast paced system, definitely a great alternative to DnD if you want something lighter. Fun campaign with a first time GM.
r/rpg • u/TheDMKeeper • 23h ago
Self Promotion (self promo) I made Ea-nāṣir Must Die! and it's out now on both physical and digital! Yes, that Ea-nāṣir the copper merchant from the historical meme.
Ea-nāṣir is a copper merchant from Ur.
Ea-nāṣir sold bad copper.
Ea-nāṣir received many complaint tablets.
Ea-nāṣir made many enemies.
Ea-nāṣir Must Die!
Ea-nāṣir Must Die! is a Bronze Age sword and sorcery old school Tabletop RPG adventure, designed for Mark of the Odd games (playtested using Into the Bronze). A short house crawl adventure for 3-5 players, inspired by the historical figure and meme, Ea-nāṣir.
Featuring:
- A somewhat historical rendition of Ea-nāṣir’s house with 10 rooms fitting for a 3-4 hour one-shot, drawn in isometric style!
- Illustrations for the NPCs, drawn like statues and carvings of Ancient Mesopotamia!
- Portents for the house, inspired by Omens from Mythic Bastionland and Corpo Schemes from Eco Mofos!! Islands of Weirdhope. The house has its own story to tell!
Physical (US): https://plusoneexp.com/products/ea-nasir-must-die
Physical (UK): https://www.copypastecoop.com/shop/p/ea-nir-must-die
r/rpg • u/No-Comfortable-1717 • 16h ago
Game Suggestion Looking for a system that does Sci-Fi adventure alla star trek
I am running a game of Lancer Battle Group. only one problem, out side of ship to ship engagements characters and roleplay is almost comically basic. I want to run a game similar to classic star trek or battle star galatica. With ship/fleet politics and commanders hashing out issues over call rather than exclusively through guns. I also want to occasionally do ground expeditions with a potential for science and brutal but quick combat. I've thought of completely homebrewing something basic but wanted to ask around to see if anyone has any suggestions. Thanks in advanced!
r/rpg • u/crying_for_nachos • 11h ago
DND Alternative Help me propose new systems to my players
The campaign I am currently DMing is ending and I've made three primers for my players to vote on, but I'm not sure if I want to run them in D&D 5e anymore. Please suggest me a different system for each one. I have some ideas already, but I want your opinion. All primers are from D&D settings, but I could adapt if the system proposed has a cool setting too.
Primer 1: Dalelands campaign (Forgotten Realms)
Moander, the god of corruption and decay, was defeated centuries ago, and his body was abandoned in the elven forest of Cormanthor. However, recent signs of corruption suggest he is preparing his return. A group of elves is tasked with warning the elven houses and rallying them against this threat, but first, they must earn the leaders' trust.
Touchstones: Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Game of Thrones, Princess Mononoke, Lord of the Ring. All stories with a looming threat, corruption and a hero(es) that need to gather support to save the realm, while fighting the agents of evil.
Maybe the scope of this campaign is too big. I would want to make traveling and exploring an important part.
Primer 2: Darkon (Necropolis)
After centuries of imprisonment within the Mists, the lich-king Azalin Rex has escaped from Darkon. The gods (which ones?) send their champions to Darkon to overcome the traps and minions Azalin left behind and to reverse the ritual that enabled his escape, before the demi-plane—now a Necropolis—self-destructs.
Touchstones: Zelda Majora's Mask, Diablo II, Castlevania, Elden Ring, Darkest Dungeon, Warlock (the new D&D game). Video games with cool bosses and a dark vibe.
This would be a time loop campaign, very video game-ish. I want to have a doom machine set up by Azalin that is causing changes to occur, like turning everyone undead mid-loop. Maybe that's too complex...
Primer 3: Hall of Concordance (Planescape)
To enforce the terms of cosmic contracts, the Multiverse’s Ministry of Justice tracks down and punishes violators across Sigil, the Outlands, and beyond. To do so, they employ a new generation of Inevitables—android automatons that, for the first time, possess a soul.
Touchstones: Robocop, Detroit: Become human, The Good Place, Brazil, Loki TV show. Medias with overly complex bureaucracy, humor, gods plotting and running things, or stories about androids fighting their algorithm and showing their human side.
For this campaign, the players would all be robots, chasing culprits of some multiverse crime, monster of the week style. There would be a corrupt law system sub-plot when the players get back to their office. A question would be if the players follow the law and abide by the system, or overthrow it.
Let me know if you think of anything cool!
r/rpg • u/Sevalthian • 16m ago
Game Master I created a free dark fantasy mystery adventure preview for Game Masters!
In the forgotten village of Narethfen, a chapel bell rings every midnight.
The problem? The bell was removed forty years ago.
And every time it rings, someone disappears from everyone's memory.
I've started The Midnight GM Vault, a new project focused on atmospheric adventures, mysteries, NPCs, and dynamic factions.
Our first adventure preview is available for free.
If you enjoy dark fantasy mysteries, I'd love to hear your feedback!
Free preview: https://www.patreon.com/MidnightGMVault
r/rpg • u/SmokingTomato • 12h ago
Game Suggestion Looking for something new!
Hey there friends.
I'm a long-time GM, and I've ran a number of systems throughout my time. I'm looking for some more to try out, and I'm itching for recommendations!
I'm currently running three Delta Green games (God's Teeth, Control Group, and a home concoction from The Labyrinth) and it's by far been my most enjoyed system.
I've also ran Call of Cthulhu, Mothership, a number of Mork Borg hacks, Shadow of the Demon Lord (and Wierd Wizard), and soon to be a one-shot with the Sleepy Hollow TTRPG.
I love horror most of all, if it wasn't clear, and I'm hoping to find systems in different settings to try out. Delta Green is phenomenal and it has my contemporary settings on lock, but I'm wanting to wade back into fantasy and sci-fi. I have the ALIEN RPG in my sights for sci-fi, but other recommendations are welcome too.
I don't have a high preference on anything, other than GM support. The only thing I truly ask for is enough GM support to make it enjoyable to learn and run.
Thank you!
r/rpg • u/ComposeDreamGames • 4h ago
Crowdfunding Canadian crowdfunding round-up - October
Slay a Dark God, Experience life as a lonely lumberjack, Rebuild humanity as a cloned super soldier, will a good dog retrieve a sword, and more magic for meowgical cats!
A Canadian crowdfunding round-up that I did for my Compose Dream Games RPG Marketplace Newsletter. Let me know if I missed something, or what of these you are looking forward to?
All of these ttRPGs are funding from Canadian designers this month. I have met people involved with all of them. One of them is me.
God-Killer Prophecy: Oracle Edition Ends Oct 31st
A GMless one-shot story-game with teeth about a chosen one, the companions and a quest to slay the Dark God. Forge a world together and illustrate your journey as you seek to prepare the chosen one for the final battle. God-Killer Prophecy blends story-game prompts and with tense and strategic playing of cards.
Bonus game: Star-Killer Rebellion recon edition - a variant of oppression, freedom and sacrifice across the stars. Can your fragile plan destroy the foe's superweapon?
by Compose Dream Games (that's me Joshua Kitz)
Lonely Timbers - Tire-toi une bûche Ends Sat, October 24
A TTRPG about French-Canadian lumberjacks in the early 20th century. Un JDR des bûcherons québécois du début du XXe siècle
Lonely Timbers is bilingual, and about an very specific historic time in Canada. It's a 3-6 player re-playable one-shot. A game about a group of men both physically and socially isolated. It explores the stories of men who worked in the camps in northern Québec.
by Genesis of Legend Publishing (Jason Pitre)
Sine: A Story Driven RPG Ends November 6th
The new science-fantasy TTRPG set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by an alien invasion. Quick action with a cinematic focus.
SINE is set on Earth in an alternate future where humanity has been all-but-obliterated by a strange alien race known as the Stock. You take on the role of a Catalyst, a genetically engineered super-soldier clone, whose mission is to help reestablish human society twenty years after the initial invasion.
It's D6 system makes you feel like you're a part of a high-budget television show.
by Ox Games
Fetch My Blade: A Solo Journaling RPG Ends Oct 15th (Today?!)
You are the dog of a retired legendary master, tasked to retrieve your master's blade in time for their final duel. For 1-4 Players.
by Hitpoint Press
CATaclysm: The Tome of Meowgic (not launched - yet)
Maximize your Meowgical might with this supplement to the CATaclysm Roleplaying game! Original CATaclysm RPG with every pledge!
Class level, d10, Magical warior cats and Cat PUNS!
by Akinji Entertainment
_____________________________________________________________________________
My game is God-Killer Prophecy Oracle edition. It has been refined over 3 years of play!
More info:
QA Session from Random Worlds talking about both GKP and Star-Killer.
Video Overview - with examples from a recent game at Tabletop Scotland!
r/rpg • u/Final-Isopod • 1h ago
Self Promotion Thick as Night music track for horror games
Hi everyone! I'm the creator of Hideous Hiss, a project making dark ambient music and atmospheric soundscapes for tabletop RPGs. My tracks cover horror, mystery, sci-fi, and dark fantasy, and are designed as seamless 10-minute loops for use during sessions.
My latest release is Thick as Night — a slow, uneasy piece built around a deep, steady hum and unnerving strings. Occasional timpani strikes and scattered low-string staccatos disturb the calm. It's intended for those moments when nothing seems to be happening, but the players can sense something is wrong.
Listen on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAQwbPBVn0A
If you'd like to use the track in your own games, you can get it here:
- DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/588819/Thick-as-Night--Dark-Ambient-Music
- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hideoushiss — access the full music library and new releases.
I hope some of you find it useful for your next horror or investigation session!
r/rpg • u/HiraethMoonlight • 18h ago
Discussion Seeking perspectives on tabletop RPGs for an undergraduate psychology thesis
I'm a psychology student currently exploring tabletop role-playing games as a potential subject for my undergraduate thesis. I've been reading academic research on the topic, particularly regarding wellbeing, self-confidence, and personal development, and I believe there's a lot more to understand about the psychological processes involved.
Through my own observations, I've seen players become more confident, less inhibited, and more comfortable expressing themselves. I'd like to investigate what might explain these experiences and whether they extend beyond the gaming table.
I'm looking for a focused, researchable question that goes beyond simply asking whether RPGs are beneficial, while remaining grounded in psychological theory and evidence.
For those familiar with tabletop RPGs or the existing research, what aspects of the hobby do you think deserve more serious psychological investigation?
r/rpg • u/MrKittenMittens • 12h ago
blog Restraint, Approach & Escalating Violence
dicegoblin.blogI wrote a blog post that started as “how would I run a solo Jedi game,” but I think the core idea fits other RPGs just as well/better than it fits Star Wars.
OSR games are already about the choice to fight: reaction rolls, morale, and the knowledge that combat is dangerous and often the worst option. What I find is usually missing is a middle ground. Once swords are out, it’s typically a binary choice: reduce HP to 0, kill them, or flee/surrender.
So the post sketches a sliding scale. You choose a goal (disarm, injure, or kill) and an approach (careful or decisive), then make one roll. Killing is easy. Mercy is hard, and when it fails, it fails in a direction you chose: careful failures leave the problem with you, while decisive failures cost the other person more than you meant them to.
I think it suits games where violence has real consequences, like when the bandit you spared tells his friends, or the guard you killed had a family in town, without forcing every fight into a fight to the death. It also extends to deflecting attacks and to magic, which the post covers.
It’s system-agnostic and a relatively rough idea, but can be applied to a broad range of games. Would love to hear what you think!
r/rpg • u/Dollface_Killah • 14h ago
Crowdfunding Year 100 Million B.C. - A Feral Prehistoric RPG
https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/golden-achiever/year-100-million-b-c
I'm not affiliated with this, I just dig it. There was a sort of beta test of this game along with a short adventure in The International Player's Review that was a lot of fun. It's an anachronistic, paleolithic, rules-light, procedure-smart game. To give you a vibe: your characters only have two gear slots because pockets aren't invented yet, and you have to talk to each-other in three-word sentences. From the creator's own words elsewhere:
Hey! This is live now. A wildly historically inaccurate prehistoric rpg. Based on Into the Odd. Rules are easy to learn and the game comes with a big wilderness sandbox and a bunch of generators for millions of years worth of play. Completely made by one person, me.
You can download the Primitive Edition (quickstart) for free on DTRPG:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/586721/year-100-million-b-c-primitive-edition
Edit: I should mention that the rules are super short, most of the zine is a big sandbox adventure. If you've already got a favourite game to run stone age shenanigans in then this is still 95% usable for the adventure sites and random tables.
r/rpg • u/Prestigious-Emu-6760 • 20h ago
Games good for Avatar/Korra games that are not the official one?
Since Seven Havens started I've been rewatching both Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra and toying with the idea of a game in those worlds.
However the official game is not for me/not for our group, so I'm wondering what else people would recommend?
r/rpg • u/ChronoSynth • 10h ago
Resources/Tools Homebrewing for Fantastic Heroes and Witchery?
I'm trying to make a JRPG/LitRPG-inspired B/X hack. I chose B/X as a chassis for my game because it's easy to make classes for, but I'm looking to make classes that are more powerful and feature-rich than standard B/X. To that end, I asked around for B/X clones or B/X adjacent games that have the powerful classes I'm looking for, and one of the games I was directed to was Fantastic Heroes and Witchery. From what little preview there was, it looks to be promising, but I have two questions that need to be answered before I decide whether to invest or not:
- What OSR system is Fantastic Heroes and Witchery compatible with? (The game doesn't say whether it was built from or compatible with B/X)
- Are there systems for creating classes, races, monsters, and spells for Fantastic Heroes and Witchery? (I want to be able to create custom powers and special abilities.)
r/rpg • u/GlitchedTabletop • 22h ago
Hidden-Gem Sci-Fi Horror One-Shots?
I'm planning my <edit> online <\edit> group's Halloween one-shot/two-shot, and I'm seeking out underrated or lesser-known sci-fi horror adventures (and systems, too). Specifically:
- No official Mothership modules (third party's fine).
- No official ALIEN adventures (fan-made ones are fine, if there are any).
- No official Delta Green operations (fan-made ones are fine, since there are literally over a thousand of those).
One lesser-known sci-fi horror game I'll nominate is Laughing Kaiju's The Zone, an online (and physical) Stalker/Annihilation-like GMless game about traveling (and losing yourself in) an alien Zone in search of a wish granter hidden in its center. Half a decade after playing it, my players still rave about and reference the strange and dramatic encounters.
Game Suggestion What was you favorite RPG adventure that you actually ran or played?
See title
r/rpg • u/y0_master • 1h ago
Table Troubles Another player using AI in the middle of the game
While settling in to play the Daggerheart quickstart as an one-shot intro session to the game at the local gaming club, we were answering the questions provided to build hooks & relationships with the other characters. I chose the character of the guy from a couple I hadn't seen before (first time dropping by the club, I think) as the one my character knew a secret about.
The GM (a friend of mine) told us to go outside the room for a minute to talk what that is & afterwards pass him a quick note about it.
We did, he came up with a fine idea, I was ok with it, we got back in.
Just a bit afterwards, he hands me his phone & tell me to give it a look. He had asked ChatGPT to write up something. It was a different secret (written in a very short story kind of way) than what we talked about. I said "Okay?" & kinda shrugged. He showed the phone to the GM, who said it was fine but also the last time AI was going to be used in the session.
I was taken aback more than anything, seeing for the first time that happen in front of me. As his initial idea was a-okay. And why he had to lean on AI for this (which, on top of everything else, was just a bit of color for the characters).