Games
- we had (at least!) three green herons today
- took a swim
- received this awesome tome
- compatible: it shares enough in common with D&D-like games that it should be easier to use published adversaries or adventures
- credited: you’ll find my name in the credits
- light: it’s a rules-light system
- played: I’ve tried it
- Beyond the Wall: compatible, has some extra focus on group-building, and a bit more setting & vibe built-in
- Cornerstone Fantasy: light, the first of three Sigil Stone games on the list, but one that appears will not be getting ongoing support and development
- Dichotomy (backup link): a super-indie game with an interesting angle akin to Lasers & Feelings or Arcanum
- Dominion Rules: played, a highly-underrated game with several great ideas and tons of potential
- Dungeon Crawl Classics: compatible, recommended if you want big time “old-school” vibes
- Five Torches Deep: compatible, light, essentially a pared-down 5th edition
- Forbidden Lands: strong on open-world play, also with some built-in vibes
- Into the Odd: compatible, light, arguably not strictly-fantasy enough, but usable for lots of play with some table-tweaking
- Knave: compatible, light, played, top recommendation if you just want to get going with quick play
- Maze Rats: light, played, top recommendation for a pickup game with no compatibility needed
- Mythic D6: descendant of the West End Games D6 system (like classic Star Wars)
- Pathfinder: compatible, played, recommended if you liked 3rd edition
- Torchbearer: credited, played, descendant of Burning Wheel, recommended for those emphasizing the hard life of adventurers
- Vagabonds of Dyfed: light, played, an interesting mashup of D&D and PbtA roots, which shouldn’t really work but kinda does
- Warrior Rogue Mage: light, answers “what if the core archetypes were the stats?”
- Whitehack: compatible, played, top recommendation if you want to run a compatible-but-flexible game that lasts many sessions (e.g. campaign-mode)
- Worlds Without Number: compatible, recommended for the worldbuilding and adventure-creation tools
🎲 We expected it would never happen (seriously, read the comments), but Burning Wheel is now available in digital format.
good things:
🎲 had to dust off my LARP boots, for real.
Also ended up needing to repair them with some crazy glue.
🕹️ Another play.date game idea:
Elder Scrolls, except it’s just the alchemy. (Harvesting, making)
🕹️ I think the killer game for the play.date will be an old-school CRPG.
It’s a good day for this geek. ✒️🕹️
🕹️ Current status
🎲 Not sure which the niblings will want to play.
We tried JotL at Thanksgiving but will have to relearn how.
Isle of Ixx is an Into the Odd game that seems pretty awesome.
🕹️ Looking like Diablo IV is going to have more MMO elements and behave a little less traditionally ARPG (…which they sorta invented or at least popularized).
🎲📚 reading my new copy of Whitehack 4th edition.
Between this and Knave 2nd edition it’s a great time to move away from D&D while keeping the best bits and losing the worst.
(I really want a notebook version of Whitehack like a previous edition had.)
🎲✏️ Nicely done, Blackwing Volumes!
🎲 I thought I didn’t have any active Patreon anymore, but I just got a charge and was pleased to see if was for @fuseboy@dice.camp adventures project!
🎲 this is the future of #ttrpg books.
If publishers want us to buy physical and not just pdfs, this is the way.
Make it unique. Great binding and cover. Evocative but simple art. Table-friendly size. High-quality paper and printing. Ribbons for reading and reference.
🕹 Haven’t heard much about the play.date except for a couple folks trying their hand at making games.
Was this a fun gimmick that didn’t really pan out, or are people out there quietly enjoying them?
🎲 Has anybody been able to make ChatGPT create DALL-E prompts sufficient to make a map from the scenario you made with ChatGPT? #TTRPG
🎲 Zephyr: An Anarchist Roleplaying Game Of Fleeting Identities is looking like it will be really excellent.
Interesting ideas, innovative mechanics, beautiful tokens, intriguing art, and new gameplay styles.
🎲 Alternatives to Dungeons & Dragons
Perhaps you’ve heard some recent controversy around Wizards of the Coast and Dungeons & Dragons. Perhaps you haven’t. Either way, it’s a great time to look at some alternatives to Dungeons & Dragons.
Note: I’m going to limit the list to games that are fantasy, adventuring, and flexible-setting, otherwise this list would be much longer. If you want recommendations that ignore one of those factors, I’m happy to share some other options.
I’m going to use tags because those are a fun RPG thing.
Here are the games, in alphabetical order:
Anything I should add to the list? Anything you’d particularly recommend? Leave a reply.
Disclaimer: I’ve used DriveThruRPG affiliate links, where relevant. I could get a small credit if you make a purchase there.
🎲 Many have heard tales of the Githyanki and Githzerai, but few know the true origins of the Github.
@Judd@dice.camp probably knows.
🎲 Thinking that the enshittification anti-pattern describes very well to what is going on in D&D, too.