How to pick a tabletop RPG that's right for you - How to Pen and Paper

In this episode of How to Pen and Paper, Johnny talks you through finding a game that's right for you and how to get a group together.

[@WilCornish]

How to play an RPG 1. Buy a book 2. Tell people about it 3. Get a group together 4. "When are we all free" 5. Time to buy another book!

[@zrailtheauthor6611]

6. Buy a backpack for all your books 7. Wonder at how your shoulder muscles get ridiculous. 8. Back problems. I remember at the height of our Star Wars campaign I was carrying like 8 books every week for game night. I understand not wanting to release PDFs for pirating reasons, But come on Fantasy Flight! My poor back.

[@initial_C]

My experience 1. Buy a book 2. Tell people about it 3. Wonder why people don't talk to you anymore 4. Wonder how you became the RPG dork without ever actually getting to play

[@Fazmukadar]

@@initial_C This is basically me

[@thorinbane]

@@zrailtheauthor6611 I had 14 books for that piss poor D&D 4E. And I wasn't even DMing. Just so that other players could use my resources as a fully employed older member of the group. Thankfully when we played Rolemaster it was at my house. I have a lot of copies of 2nd edition and a lot of supplements from the other editions. 50 books isn't worth lugging around. Everyplayer needed arms law, spell law, char law, companion 1-3 "and a ten foot pole" books. Great games though. Amazing depth and well made characters and story. Miss those days.

[@hannaaxelsson3687]

How to pick a tabletop RPG: 1. Watch Dicebreaker. 2. Listen to Johnny talk about how amazing Blades in the Dark is. 3. Buy the game at your local game store and convince your friends that a steampunk-ghost-Peaky-Blinders-simulator is just what they need in their lives.

[@interregnum_]

My step 3 involved more "guilt-trip family around birthday time," but yes--exactly this.

[@marhawkman303]

4: get dismayed when they decide they want to play as Grey Jedi....

[@geekmansegraves]

I literally just got my copy of Blades in the Dark yesterday. Never played a tabletop rpg before, actually want to try it out first as a GM.

[@TheRealStoneyGames]

point number three has convinced me to look into it

[@madalice5134]

Isn't that what we all need in our lives? I would love to play, but ao far haven't gotten anyone to play with me and while I want to buy it, money is tight and I'd need to know.I would actually get some play out of a game before I invest.

[@BotherNone]

My friend has one of those cupboards full of unplayed RPG's. So now instead of a campaign we play a one-shot in a different system every month. It's surprisingly fun.

[@ceciiivie]

seems hard to keep learning new rules but definitely fun

[@DoesNotComphoot]

I mean, if you pick the book at the beginning of the month, it sounds manageable enough.

[@kevindonovan1194]

So which RPGs have you played in the past year?

[@solsystem1342]

​@@ceciiivie 100% I'm running a oneshot in a new system once every two weeks for awhile and it's a lot. The fact I decided to make my own for one of the sessions probably didn't help either.

[@zrailtheauthor6611]

Slight Warning: Be careful when introducing a tabletop game to a group of friends. When i did, something like 13 years ago now, I got stuck as the de facto DM of the group for all our future games (DnD, M&M, Star Wars D20, Star Wars Saga, FFG Star Wars). It is a role I have grown into and learned to love but sometimes you'll want to be a player too. My personal group has fallen into a sort of rotating GM thing now that works for us. Just some advice. Loving the channel.

[@TheCrash480]

This fear is the only reason I'm not currently part of a tabletop RPG group, I have a few friends that are quite up for playing DnD (as a start), but none of us wants to be the DM. We've been considering a rotating DM thing too, but some members really don't feel confident with the idea of running a game. I've been thinking of a possible alternative in the form of a dissociative identity disorder (i.e. 'multiple personality disorder') character, that could allow for me and another person (or multiple other people) to alternate being DM, without the usual limitation of leveling up slower than the players who don't feel up to being a DM. The idea isn't without it's own hurdles, for one, we'd obviously have to agree on how we level up (or I suppose allow for the 'personalities' to basically be completely different in everything except race, appearance and the backstory of the character as a whole, but this does kind of feel like cheating as it basically translates to characters that gain experience for campaigns they weren't a part of). Still, I like the idea in principal because it takes the somewhat shitty "no fixed DM" situation and tries to turn it into a unique and (hopefully) fun experience.

[@Jpteryx]

You said some players don't want to be GM: why not just find the ones who don't mind and set up a rotating schedule?

[@TheCrash480]

@@Jpteryx As I said, that's probably what we'll do, the only small drawback is that non-GM members will be gaining more experience than the rest of us, since they'll be part of every campaign. Obviously that isn't a big deal (plenty of people are part of group that, for example. don't have every player turn up to every session), but all the same I thought the DID character would be an interesting way to bypass this (admittedly tiny) issue. Edit: Unless you mean why not make a group entirely out of those of us that are willing to GM, which we could obviously do but since the group of us has been talking for a while about getting into DnD (and possible a few other games), it'd feel a bit harsh to leave some of them out. It's not like they just don't want to be GM for selfish reasons, but rather that they don't think they're capable of running a decent game.

[@Jpteryx]

@@TheCrash480 What I meant is, each person willing to GM is the GM of their own campaign (or series of one-shots). So if there's you and two other GMs, you'll run your game every 3rd week and the other two will run their games on the other weeks respectively. Three separate campaigns on an alternating schedule so the GMs don't burn out or miss being a player.

[@TheCrash480]

​@@Jpteryx Yes I understand that, but forgive me I don't see how that achieves the goal of ensuring that those of us who are rotating as GM gain experience at the same rate as those who _aren't_ one of the rotating GMs. Unless you're suggesting we play entirely different characters with each GM? Which I admit is something I hadn't considered.

[@shivamutreja6427]

This is the only gaming related hobby with the following initiation process : 1. Read at least 100 pages of rules to play the most vanilla character. 2. Further, if you're the person in the group leading the charge, you're in luck! Another 100-200 pages of well illustrated monster rules and suggestions on running your first ever game! 3. Find homebrew intimidating? No worries! There are several 100 to 200 page setting books and modules (100 to 200 page each) out there! Just go through them once to get an idea of the story! Then read through various sections before each session, and you're all set! 4. And needless to say, most of the heavy lifting of imagination is done by your brain. So don't forget to devote time looking for battlemats, minis, inspiring art and ambient music of course! And if you're done with the tiny checklist above, you are ready to jump into the *worlds best* role-playing game. P.S. : All that rant due to the frustration about the fact that the hobby is only barely starting to reach the masses, thanks to channels like yours. I'm still waiting for the day when a company comes out with a kinda meta rpg system, where every group of players can use a small set of creation rules to create endless races, spells, artifacts, monsters and stories of their wildest imagination.

[@blakefeary4369]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, play Blades in the Dark or Band of Blades on the channel... please

[@idiotgamer5271]

I must admit, I’ve been a bit hesitant when it comes to seeking out a RPG group but your words of encouragement have been...well...encouraging. So maybe I’ll push myself to look around.

[@madalice5134]

I'm in the same boat. Recovering from social anxiety(it's a constant process) and it's tough to want to play these games but then I overthink the whole new people aspect of it and psych myself out. I hope youe experience goes well and you find a great group of players.

[@idiotgamer5271]

MadAlice Thank you. I hope your search goes well too :)

[@nickjeffery536]

I play in a public group in Brighton - the great thing about this is that we always have between 2 and 4 (most often 3) tables each week, and there's always room for new players to drop in... we always have different game systems on each table, and the games (and DMs) change every 3-4 months or so. so even if none of the games are of interest right now, there's other things coming soon...

[@CaitlinRC]

How to get a group together: Kick down the door and go ITS BOARD GAME TIME YA NERDS

[@maxvel0city906]

Me: feverishly writes notes! Thanks for these tips Caitlin. 👍

[@madalice5134]

Ha e neighbors look at you wide eyed and demand to know why you're trespassing....just me? Um...okay....😋

[@luketfer]

If you like Darkest Dungeon type games about stress, survival and being fairly expendable I'd recommend Torchbearer which the devs of Darkest Dungeon have said that they based the rules of DD on.

[@brittkelly877]

About to start running a Deadlands classic game for my brother, sister-in-law and one of my friends. Wish us luck, pardners

[@kristopherwalls1092]

Britt Kelly how’s it going?

[@nosoros]

More blades in the dark content! I also bought it because of your recommendation! There's a bunch of us!

[@MonikaLockpick]

Found my (future) DnD group through Discord, can’t wait for our first session

[@MrDeadcell22]

I'm still trying to convice my friends to play Ghostbusters RPG. I'm so excited about it I bought an unopenned copy of one of the expansions because it came with the DM screen. This game has been out of print form about as long as I've been alive...

[@alexixeno4223]

"Picture the perfect RPG for you" ICard=Blades in the dark. hmmm... hidden message there?

[@emilysmith2965]

Haha not that hidden

[@dane3038]

Go to a general Tabletop RPG group on social media. Ask for recommendations based on your criteria. ( genere, amount of crunch, skill based or class/level based and whatever else ). Narrow down your list based on player testimonials Run a search such as " Gurps vs Fate " or " Dungeonworld vs Blades in the Dark ". Do this in various combinations for the games on your list. Try to find a group that plays one of the games on your short list. If it's not D&D this will be HARD ( sadly ). Think carefully and find out if your chosen game has a lite or quick start version ( usually free ). Get it and start learning the basics.

[@Adain24]

This video was worth watching just to find out that Pugmire is a thing that exists.

[@sipio555]

And both happens in the same continent, and are exchangeable, so, you can have a party of dogs and cats

[@dragonjaw95]

One more thing. Most of the newer rpg released have some sort of free quickstart rule set (& also with short begginer adventure sometimes). Of course it will only has limited choice of class, equipment, spell, etc, but if you are still not sure after looking around, just grab the quickstart and try running it for a one shot to see if it's right for your group. After all rpg is a very subjective matter.

[@nickb780]

Shadow of the Demon Lord is amazing, and it’s what 5E should have been, character building and the rule set are just incredible. I love it. Band of Blades/Blades in the Dark is also amazing.

[@Astronaut_FX]

Tip: Be cautious of allowing the artwork/artistic style or vibe drive your decision too much. In reality, during play, that aspect of the game often plays a minuscule role, if any at all. Give more thought to the mechanics, setting, level of complexity, etc drive your decision.

[@downsjmmyjones101]

Which is why I'm really cautious about buying Symbaroum. The art is amazing but the system seems to be super generic.

[@lucieeatssnekkers2756]

Love this channel! Keep it up, beardmen!

[@bekkaanneee]

I would love if y'all did a video or two on the Exalted series. it's one of my all time FAVORITE rpg worlds, but it's very complicated and lore heavy, not not for beginners. BUT seasoned players will love the freedom and fun style of the game.

[@TheRealPoppaNickles]

It’s definitely a journey to find the right system for you. I started with DnD, went to Dungeon World and Shadow of the Demon Lord and Five Torches Deep. Finally ended on Numenera and decided that’s where I am happy.

[@prince_nocturne]

If you like Star wars, definitely check out FFG's Star Wars RPG systems: Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion, and Force & Destiny. The 3 core rule books are both stand-alone, and work cooperatively with each other for a complete experience. Or, if you want a more open-world variation of the narrative dice used in that system, FFG put out Genesys, which is amazing and I highly recommend it. I love the narrative dice system. Check out the Order 66 Podcast if you want to learn more. Full Disclosure: I do know the people that do that podcast, though not that closely, but it is still a good source.

[@douglasdea637]

My experience tells me that the first step is deciding what genre you want to play. Superhero will play differently, have a different vibe, than fantasy, which will play differently from science fiction. Next decide what type of milieu you are interested in. Say you've decided on science fiction, what type of science fiction? Star Wars style? Star Trek style? Gamma World style? Cyberpunk? Once you have that narrowed down then look at the offerings available. There's a dozen of each type of game. Read some reviews to weed out the clumsily written or plain bad games.

[@gmanamisson5513]

You should do a full video on PugMire It's absolutely amazing and I would like to see the community grow! Especially with the new expansions coming out!

[@gmanamisson5513]

Btw the expansions are called: Monarchies of Mau Pirates of PugMire (coming out soon if not out already, can't quite remember)

[@prince_nocturne]

Wouldn't mind seeing them tackle Hc Svnt Dracones either. 2.0 came out not long ago, and it's... well, it's unique in a lot of ways.

[@kalega311]

Thanks for this! After months/years(ish?) of looking into ttrpg's, I'm finally diving in soon, probably in the next couple months. The increase of online sessions of ttrpg's has really pushed me over the top to finally jump in. My choices (the books I currently own) are Dishonored, Judge Dredd & the Worlds of 2000AD, Mothership, and Vaesen. Dragon Age and Cyberpunk RED are backup options (which I also own). I also want to get a few others, but I feel I should focus on the ones I have! I really like them!

[@Daredhnu]

As for selecting a roleplaying game I'd say you'd probably be well off to see if there is an RPG of a videogame or tv show that you love, since they tend to work hard to simulate the experience of the source material, if there is nothing of the sort then see what's out there in a setting that you enjoy, like fantasy or sci-fi though that will open up a huge plethora of options to choose from.

[@jamesanthony8438]

My favorites were "Vampire: the Masquerade," "Werewolf: The Wild West," and "Changeling: The Dreaming" (White Wolf Publishing), "Toon" (Steve Jackson Games), "Top Secret/S.I.," "Gamma World," and "The Adventures of Indiana Jones" (TSR, Inc.), "Elfquest" (Chaosium), "Star Wars" (West End Games), "Star Trek: The Role Playing Game," "Shadowrun" and "Mechwarrior" (FASA Corporation), "Warhammer" (Games Workshop) and "Deadlands: The Weird West" - 1st edition (Pinnacle Entertainment Group). One of my favorite groups we had was the White Wolf Studios mix where all of our characters were high school students in a garage band comprised of a Bagheera (werepanther), Brujah vampire, Toreador vampire, a Mage and a Giovanni vampire band manager. We played against tropes since our characters were close knit before their changes and they had to work really hard to keep from really pissin' off the elders of each other's groups as they drove their ways up from local nobodies to an arena filling, world famous rock band. It was especially difficult trying to keep from getting killed while playing concerts in Sabbat-run cities where they loved the band's music, but absolutely _hated_ everything else about the characters. =D

[@rob9943]

I'm loving these intro to RPG videos! I found your channel at just th right time.

[@veselinnedkov643]

My local game shop (or rather game club) does RPG weekends every couple of months or so. Anyone who wants to run a one-shot pitches their game on the club's FB event, people sign up and then game happens. There's one dude who runs DnD for noobs every time, but almost all of the other games are other settings and systems (VtM, Glorantha, Conan, Cthulhu, you name it). If you participate enough times, eventually you'll find the right game, and also people you click with. It's basically RPG blind dates.

[@romanalbertson5044]

Vampire: the Masquerade Also any and all of the other World of Darkness games. I'm personally deeply in love with that setting and its lore and more people ought to be invested in it

[@vyce1341]

I agree, though I prefer Werewolf: the Apocalypse. The settings a great. I just have trouble finding people to play

[@craigb2343]

Same, I have a box full of Werewolf books from the 90s and not sure what to do with them.

[@carolinelabbott2451]

@@craigb2343 I have a stack of ShadowRun books that I have never been able to play. I bought them in the early 2000's so they are a few editions behind the latest ones. ☹️

[@AlbertoRodriguez-zb3iu]

It's true. I've been playing for a while and I'm overwhelmed at the ton of choices...i mostly play what i want themed oriented. As of now I've settled down with patherfinder 2e (for the options in fantasy settings) dungeons and dragons 5th (for quick to get into one shots fantasy settings) and savage worlds for every other setting.

[@shawnheatherly]

It certainly feels daunting trying to get into a tabletop RPG, I won't lie. This will help though.

[@notyetdeleted6319]

I’m looking for a system that will allow me to do a few things, in order of importance where 1 is of highest importance. 1) the environment is your biggest enemy, survival on the daily basis should be thoughtful at the least, and challenging (but not often deadly) at the best. 2) mechanics heavy, Literally. The game I want takes place in a sci-fi tech level [though post-apocalyptic too] and that there are in-depth mechanics. 3) combat is brutal and short, injuries are very devastating. [now I am going to sort of do a homebrew thing where the characters roll up two other characters, these two characters are remote-controlled robots that can be used for combat and particularly dangerous explorations. (And where if an enemy rolls really good and you roll really bad, your robot’s transmitter gets destroyed and it’s instantly out of the fight)

[@fedupN]

For me it's the (classic) World of Darkness system. Playing Mage and Werewolf the Apocalypse worked for years with the Latecomers, one pack. Scion too. The setting was incredibly evocative, let us do story first, and spin out rules on the spot to do actions. Yeah, parts of it were broken, but it's so easy to fludge around it.

[@mandoschMUh]

OOOOON AND OOOOOON! Now I want to listen to Arch Enemy :D Always like when you talk about RPGs, Johnny. Great video, thank you. I really hope I can get into P&P again soon.

[@SuperKaBlooey]

Bathroom graffiti is my go to source for learning about new roleplaying games!

[@dustinallan3362]

Almost time for my brother and cousin and me to start our next Dungeon World campaign. I’m fortunate enough that I have lots of family who want to try stuff... I also asked them enthusiastically and they ended up liking it.

[@-septimus]

My problem is getting people as excited for the game as me. Been dying to get Blades in the Dark, but no matter how much I try and talk to my friends about it, they just aren't that enthusiastic and change the subject.

[@goggles_games]

I'd suggest finding out what type of genres they enjoy that would fit in Blades (Noire, Mobster, Street Gang, etc). If you find one run your pitch through that lense. Try persuading them to try 1 session and see how it is. If they still arent into it unfortunately that game might just not be for that group. You cant force people to like things and sometimes stuff just doesnt work out. Best of luck.

[@-septimus]

@@goggles_games That's just the thing. I know for a fact that they enjoy Dishonored and Bloodborne, which Johnny used as examples in his video, but other than maybe one person, it feels like they're just saying they're interested. It is frustrating, not being able to make them interested. Lol

[@goggles_games]

@@-septimus yeah. Id talk them into a one shot. People are stubborn especially about new experiences. If you give them a great session they may change their minds. If they still arent into it thats just kinda too bad.

[@-septimus]

@@goggles_games Yeah, kind of the conclusion I came too. I appreciate the advice though, so thank you. Hopefully I can convert them.

[@chrislonghurst7249]

When you're wondering which RPG to go with it can also be worth checking if the thing has a legit free version available: loads of games these days have System Resource Documents (SRDs) which are free to view online (e.g. Fate, Blades in the Dark, Pathfinder), or a no-art freebie version available (e.g. Godbound, Troika), and the tabletop community on itch.io is frequently willing to hand out discounts or free copies to people who can't afford the full enchilada. That way you can get a better sense of what you're looking at without needing to spend piles of cash.

[@weirdguy564]

If you want to play D&D, I recommend downloading the free game called Basic Fantasy (or buy the actual paper book for just $5). Its a fixed up version of 1st edition D&D. And you didn't miss hear me. It is 100% free, all of it. Their website is full of all kinds of books, all free PDF's. If you want to play Sci-Fi, then I recommend Tiny Frontiers. If you like Star Wars a lot of people say to get the original 1st edition rules from West End Games. There was a 30th Anniversary edition just re-released that has the rules and a source book that added a few key missing things (like all of the starfighters from the movies, not just the two per side).

[@sharrafitzgerald1906]

Thank you so much for doing these. I have only gotten to play D&D a little, one set of adventures when I was home from college long ago, and another just recently. Sadly that group broke up. But my sister saw how much our best friend and I enjoyed it and she was sad she had been unable to join, so, she give me the Dragon Age RPG player's book and Dungeon Master guide. I am going to try running a few sessions for us. I have barely any more experience at this than they do, with our friend only having played once and my sister never having played. I am watching all your advice to help me with this new adventure in life.

[@DanielMendoza-qx5rl]

I enjoyed this video to give me some aid of what rpg game to pick. I'm undecided to play a dungeon crawl with either Dungeon World or Basic Fantasy RPG.

[@gagrin1565]

There isn't a final decision. There is just a long sequence of different games, an ever growing list.

[@jaredatkinson1071]

There are lots of groups on websites like meet up or in game stores that let you try a game and all you'll need is a pen and some dice

[@thehairygamer7481]

As someone who wants to get in too Tabletop RPGs but my friends are less interested, thank you so much for this video. Now if you will excuse me, I have some research to do

[@morphing_erebus]

Colleague from work: Let's run a D&D campaign after hours sometime. I've never tried it but it sounds fun! We can do it once a week for a couple of hours, it will be awesome. Me: Apart from the fact that you can't do much in just a couple of hours and that we don't have any other players, sure ok, who's gonna DM? Colleague: *blank stare* ...Yeah, I'm not falling for it.

[@AdrianCeroni]

I would have appreciate taking cost into consideration. D&D is nice but buying a DMs Guide and Player Handbook etc (not to mention dice etc) is expensive...

[@amwoodco3049]

I've run the remade version of Paranoia! A couple of times. As a sci-fi parody, it has a very different tone than the usual big world fantasy games I play. Also, it was just so fun playing that intro mission and getting to throw bits of paper at my players. Oh, and the total party wipe in scene 2. It's okay, though. They still got through the mission, and if you don't know how then you haven't played Paranoia!

[@Ljmroper]

8:02 I feel called out

[@kendoyle]

Me too

[@francislaing41]

Same

[@caelreth]

Ditto

[@TabletopArchives]

Honestly, D&D is a great game to introduce to new players mainly because of the strong amount of media attention it has been receiving. Not saying you should only play S&D but it’s a great RPG to start with!

[@Droid15243Z]

Yep, started with 3.5s, then 5e, now I play GURPS. (With a bit of Reclaim the Wild)

[@timkramar9729]

Palladium, MERP, Rolemaster are all fantasy games I've played. In addition to AD&D. Shadowtun, Cyberpunk, Travellet, Star Wars, Marvel Superheroes, Star Trek. All kinds of games out there.

[@timkramar9729]

Iron Crown Enterprises is a UK based company. But I forget now if they're Palladium/RIFTS or Rolemaster.

[@Chrissy8423]

Johnny, have you ever played Eclipse Phase? It was my first (albeit very short-lived) foray into pen and paper. It might be an interesting feature for a show, it's incredibly deep.

[@HoundofOdin]

It drives me crazy how so many people only want to play D&D 5e when there are *SO MANY OTHER AMAZING GAMES TO PLAY TOO.* Troika, Runequest, Zweihander, and so many others are absolutely brilliant and people miss out on them because of the belief that D&D 5e is the be all end all of rpgs. Other stuff is good too people. Give it a try.

[@TheTwyker]

Good mix of modern RPG (PbtA) and stats/combat: - Any Free League game - Numenera Choose you own adventure style: - Troika (Modern RPG) More storytelling, less fighting and number crunching: - Blades - City of Mist - Spire - Urban Shadows - Undying - Any other PbtA Loads of tables for random things but dense: - Mothership - Stars Without Number

[@CesarIsaacPerez]

I've bought a few RPG systems and haven't played any yet. I have: D&D starter set, essentials and 3 core book set, RuneQuest Gloratha set, Numenera set, Pathfinder beginners box, LoneWolf set, Blades in the Dark, Warhammer 3rd ed + most expansions, Warhammer 4th ed starter set and core book, Beyond the Veil, Shadow of the Demon Lord...

[@davidmorgan6896]

Yes, same here. I haven't actually played in decades, but last year I decided to work on a campaign. The setting is game system agnostic, but eventually I had to find the system that would work best at realizing my vision. So far, GURPS, Blood & Bronze, Runequest 3 (which I bought 35 years ago), RQ6 and now Fantasy Hero 6 have been examined and,except for the last, rejected.

[@Tengila]

Meanwhile, me and my friend are designing our own system instead, because we're total tryhards.

[@prince_nocturne]

Not necessarily a bad thing. I've basically hijacked FFG's narrative dice system and added a whole crap ton of my own ideas ontop of their foundation that, so far, hasn't collapsed from the ungainly weight of my amateurish homebrew. Being a tryhard can be rewarding.

[@Tengila]

@@prince_nocturne Oh, absolutely. We're also just generally into Game Design, to the point that I am (slowly) trying to get a Bachelor's degree in the subject. This project is just for fun, tho.

[@prince_nocturne]

@Bill Voss Wield comes to mind for that. Interesting setting and idea, horrible execution. At least for someone like me who adamantly dislikes the idea of 'throw away' characters as player characters. Especially ones that can accidentally die climbing the stairs into their house (and the rules actually encourage that kinda thing...)

[@susanjane4784]

@Bill Voss : OMG Chart Master!!! We'd sit around read critical charts to laugh like crazy! Thirty years. Sigh.

[@totalvoid6234]

@@Tengila That actually sounds promising. Too many RPGs are designed by people with absolutely no knowledge or interest of games design. If you're not literally inumerate that puts you ahead of every amateur RPG designer I've ever met.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

I like to play different games at conventions to try them out. Now playing a game is a lot different than running them for sure Have a good game.

[@followthetrawler2800]

As someone who hasn't played a tabletop RPG since dabbling in my teens but seriously considering getting back into it, I would really appreciate some advice about 'broken mechanics'. The RPG I enjoyed most was TMNT & Other Strangeness but it seems unpopular because of this. Thanks for the amazing work you are doing.

[@nickdejager8873]

I think GURPS and FATE are both strong first choices that can support any type of game you want to play (though you may want/need extra books for GURPS), and have simple enough systems.

[@Bigal3031]

I love BESM other then how skills and combat the rules and universe are pretty much up to the GM

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

There is one thing I noticed about TTRPGs over the last 10-20 years. Complexity more and more goes out the window. Two examples for this would be Mechwarrior (first edition) and Alternity. Also to a slightly lesser extent the old versions of Shadowrun. Sure, ease of getting into the game is nice, but from my perspective too much streamlining takes away options. Which for example is why the modular character generation for Shadowrun 5 has put me off entirely. If you happen to have elaborate or intricate character concepts (as I tend to do - which is a constant headache whenever I try playing D&D) it becomes exceedingly difficult to get the character as you want it. By comparison Shadowrun 4 had an (admittedly more time-consuming) system with build points where you could get essentially what you wanted within a set budget of points. This freedom is something that is getting lost with the increasing simplification of systems.

[@WookiBeer]

To me, it usually is the game mechanics. Oftentimes we make our own story and setting. However, finding out what types of dice-systems and other mechanics are there is a chore. Usually it involves looking into alot of systems that you first need to find. Any tips?

[@carolinelabbott2451]

Ponies, Pugs, Squirrels and Mice. So many RPGs. 😁

[@kyleerikson4971]

Recommendations for those who prefer not to participate? Oxventure(obv.), Heroes & Halfwits(RIP), DnDnD(pod), etc.

[@brady376YT]

I mean I will be the person to say Critical Role. I love it but it is a lot, especially if you want to go through all of campaign 1. It takes a while but it's really good. Also, I have recently been watching L.A. By Night, it's a Vampire: the masquerade game on geek and sundry and there isnt just a ton of stuff to watch to catch up on yet. I love it also. Less combat, more role playing.

[@misterthegeoff9767]

if you have a few hundred hours to kill check out Critical Role. Campaign 2 (their current campaign) is going to be easier to catch up on than their first campaign but it will still take a while.

[@Amaritudine]

'Dungeons and Comedians' is my local live D&D group. Their shows aren't on KZbin, but you can download the audio from their website. Not on par with the Oxventure, but they have some memorable characters and hijinks.

[@PsychoMongoose]

High rollers is good, and laugh out loud funny at times. In addition to two loooong campaigns (one on going) they have a whole series of shorter independent campaigns of about 10 episodes each. Dice friends also has some good stuff, again shorter campaigns.

[@left8277]

NADDPOD and my personal favourite, Dimension 20. The first and second seasons are on youtube, but 3, 4 and 5 are behind a paywall. Still, it’s fantastic and definitely worth it.

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

Another option that may seem daunting at first is to take a rules light system as the base to build on and add in specific rules sets or aspects of other games to tailor things to your table. For instance, there's an old out of print game for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer license. But it's been out of print since the early 00's, there are no adventure modules for it, and if you and your players don't like point buy systems then you are gonna hate character creation. So how do you run a BTVS campaign without tracking down old high priced books and homebrewing 100% of the encounters and adventures? You look at more recent and popular games that have hundreds of books and modules to steal from. The basic premise of the BTVS setting is super powered individuals facing off against supernatural and eldritch horrors that can only be defeated after hours of research. To my mind this is done best by simply taking D&D 5e characters and running then through Call of Cthulhu modules. Re-flavor the CoC ghouls as vampires, serpent people as cultists or demons, swap out Cthulhu monsters for roughly equivalent D&D monster manual stat blocks, and house rule the steps your players must take to dust a vamp. 99% of skill checks can be covered by existing D&D skills or expanding 5e tool proficiencies. The rest can be handled with letting your players come up with homebrew backgrounds to replace the backgrounds in the phb, give everyone an extra tool proficiency for cars or computers or whatever, and give the non Slayers the lucky feat and having the physical stats for Slayers cap at 30 and add their proficiency bonus to those stats. By the time your Slayer party has worked their way through the adventures/investigations in the CoC starter set they should be at or around 5th level. From then on CoC has dozens of modern Gothic horror setting books to pull adventures from.

[@gerrwooken]

Game conventions are a fantastic way of just trying out a wide variety of games.

[@jamieict]

10:28 I went to my local Game store but they just asked me if I was interested in a second-hand phone or preordering the latest Call of Duty

[@kinginthenorth1437]

Try a comic book store, if they're still in business it's probably because they diversified into table top and card games.

[@tomsharp6986]

If you are near Bristol or Cardiff, there is quite a few table top and board game shops and groups.

[@FedoraPirate]

I found the website Unpossible Jouneys a great resource. It has geeat summaries of most of the major rpgs sorted into useful categories. All the relevant info you need. Plus plenty of other resources for analogue rpgs.

[@timflatus]

I'm preparing an open ended steam-punk adventure. I keep coming back to either converting d20 rules or GURPS. The latter doesn't seem hugely popular, although it probably best suits the campaign.

[@jonsumner1382]

I'm a huge sci-fi fan and so I'm trying to learn how to play dungeons & dragons actually so I can go ahead and play this brand-new Stargate RPG that supposably is based on the backbones of dungeons & dragons even though dungeons & dragons is fantasy and Stargate is very much science fiction.

[@Moldrath]

My group and I found that Fate Core worked best with us. Mainly because we can never stay in the same world for long and Fate provides a way to easily change worlds and keep the same awesomely simple rules system.

[@allteraintrain]

We want a Blades in the dark series already!

[@AngelBeatYunara]

Got started with D&D with a bunch of online friends, thanks to the OXventures. Oh, the things we've seen and done since...

[@DavidNBurnham]

definitely try Numenera or the Cypher System by Monte Cook.

[@Afinati]

Star Wars (Genesys) and Numenera (Cypher)

[@christopherluke9658]

I thought I hated PF2 but after running and playing it for about a year I think it’s what 5e was meant to be. Pathfinder first ed is still better but you can’t beat 2ed for noobies. Much less administration for players. But much more for GMs.

[@linus4d1]

I'm a big Pathfinder fan. I'm still trying to get used to 2e. I like it and look forward to the new material they are publishing.

[@KyleDaddyKatarn]

Mutant Chronicles is my game. My group of friends enjoy it a lot, but sometimes it's difficult to get other people into it. I am not sure why, but everyone in my area only knows of DnD, which sucks.

[@yannickyoran]

I wouldn't exactly say that dungeon world is about smashing enemies and gathering treasure, but oh well...

[@martinflyer1197]

Question for commentors and Johnny. Would it be advisable to create my own RPG. I really want to run a brief one hit session with my kids who are both under 10. My daughter wants to be a fairy with a pet unicorn while my son wants to stomp around in a battlemech. Trying to find a world where both of them would appear is impossible

[@TheOnlyOrk]

There's games like Risus or the ICRPG (Index Card RPG) that can be used to do pretty much anything! In Risus, one character can be a Mech Pilot/Acrobat/Alien and another can be Fairy Queen/Has Pet Unicorn/Light Magic/Storyteller and they can both be played in the same system at the same time. One thing I would say to watch out for though, is making sure that each kids idea of fun isn't going to get in the way of the other kid having a good time. If your son wants to go smash the things your daughter is trying to befriend, they might get a bit frustrated

[@martinflyer1197]

@@TheOnlyOrk if i make the endgame boss an eff off big spider im set for maximum destruction. Thanks for ur contribution

[@antiquatedanachronism1997]

@@TheOnlyOrk Would you suggest those for my grandkids and me? My 13 year old would be GM but my other grandchild has high functioning autism so I need something relatively easy to learn & play.

[@misterthegeoff9767]

Fuzzy Heroes. It's a game designed for kids where your character is your favourite toy. Kinda like Toy Story the RPG.

[@goggles_games]

Building your own RPG would be quite taxing. I would suggest Savage Worlds. If that doesnt meet your taste you can always simply reflavour races from other RPGs. Ie in DnD 5e; Halforc is now a mech (unless he means a massive Megazord mech) with a few tweaks to a class, a Unicorn makes an appearance in the Monster Manual (though any horselike creature could be reflavoured as on), and the high-elf is now a fairy. Obviously reflavouring sometimes takes a bit of tweaking skill sets at times but its much easier than building an entirely new rule set. The important thing is that your kids envision their characters how they want in their minds. Sorry for the long reply. Hope it works out.

[@RPGGamer]

I'd personally start with the story, if you're going to GM, you need to want to tell a story (or have a natural talent for it), if you like telling gothic horror stories, then choosing a Star Wars or Star Trek game isn't really going to suit, and if you love high action and adventure, then Call of Cthulhu ain't going to work. As GM it's mostly going to come from you, you need to be able to create that world at a moments notice, so when the players decide to go off track and explore the sewers, you need to be able to decide what the sewers are like in the fantasy world of your creation, or in 1920's Boston, or Alderaan, or wherever your game is set. If you don't know the world and love telling stories in it enough to be able to make stuff like that up at the drop of a hat, then you're going to struggle, and the stress isn't going to be fun.

[@markziff7234]

Have a bunch of books meaning to play.......oh I know this sooooo well!

[@liznakleonhardt4406]

Can you guys review Zweihander? The rule book scare me, es huge!

[@prince_nocturne]

You want scary? Look into anything by White Wolf. Werewolf, Changeling, Mage... those are some confusing AF games to get into fresh. o_o

[@rancid7182]

I thought the cover art on cyberpunk 2020 looked cool so I said fuck it bought the game and now I have been the Cyberpunk GM for 2 years

[@newnewdaniel]

Have you heard of Fate Core? That would be a great game to review.

[@susanjane4784]

I think buying books is over-rated. Playing RPG is the best way to get a feel for how it works and what it feels like. RPG conventions elevated my skills as a player and GM far more than buying over-priced books or wading through internet sludge. In my area at least, Meet-up has all sorts of RPG offerings. - Also, if you mostly read a type of fiction or movies you already have a good idea of games you might like. I prefer Indiana Jones over chainsaw horror. Give me Amber series, Alice in Wonder Land, or Lovecraft. Monster bashing doesn't work for me.

[@petercolson2990]

"One of the brilliant things about this hobby is you've got absolutely loads of different games to choose from" Aaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaaa, good one, you had me going there for a minute! The situation might be different in parts of Britain and the States, but round where I'm from, you can play any game that you want so long as it's Dungeons&Dragons. It's the Kool-Aid effect, you think 'RPG hobby', most folks call it the 'D&D hobby', and you weep into your expensive books you probably aren't going to have a chance to actually use =/

[@thorinbane]

Same here. Oh you might find someone playing something else, but I don't care about WoD or Amber RPG. Still looking to play 10 Fantasy systems, Gurps, CoC, Savage Worlds, Cyberpunk, any of my Palladium from the 80's, eclipse phase Mutants and Masterminds, Runequest/Mythra Villians and Vigilantes, etc, . Hard to find people to play Battletech. But if you are into Magic the Gathering, Pathfinder, Harry Potter, or D&D you are set.

[@petercolson2990]

@@thorinbane I started running Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay with the release of 2nd edition nearly 20 years ago, formed a TTRPG group from my wargaming friends who are familiar with the setting, and brought it to multiple tables since. I have never PLAYED a game of Warhammer FRP.

[@RunyaEithelNar]

I would also add that for me "Game shop" is a mythical place belonging to the biggest cities in my country. And I agree with You with "D&D Hobby" effect. Still waiting for table experience of Vampire the Masquerade orz.

[@petercolson2990]

@@RunyaEithelNar Oh yeah, this too. I'm in New Zealand, the largest city therein, and part of the reason nobody plays anything other than D&D is because no store stocks anything other than D&D. And they won't stock anything other than D&D because nobody will play anything other than D&D. I almost destroyed my current D&D group yesterday by asking them to definitively commit one way or another to the WFRP campaign I was about to run alongside the D&D one. And while I'm running a D&D campaign, I'm finding myself fighting the system at every single step to try and achieve ANYTHING that I want from the game. It's so goddamned frustrating

[@twincast2005]

The most important advice when looking around online as tastes vary so wildly: Always read the full reviews! Do not just look at the numerical scores! Personally, I am a simulationist above all else, but I am aware that I have to compromise with my players and am fully willing to do so. And even with those games that abandon rules completely in a wholly narrative experience, I am perfectly able to recognize what they do well, despite them most definitely not being for me. But having read my share of reviews and seen my share of numerical scores - both of reviews and anonymous averages, it is clear to me that there is a large segment of the audience to whom it matters naught how well any given rule is written or implemented, but only where the ruleset falls on a scale of rules-heavy vs. rules-light, the latter end being equated with good.

[@2050vinicius]

Im after something related to investigative rpg anyone has any sugestions?

[@janmaurycyuszko8614]

What about neuroshima I heard it good.

[@nerdanalog1707]

If anyone can help: as a GM I'd like an rpg either high fantasy or set in an original world --> don't want a tragic or post-ap nor anything too depressing. The system should be simple and have some following as I don't have the time to world build or create campaigns. My players: want decent (fast) fights, a system that does not use a d20 (they prefer d6) in which they can evolve and that is translated in French. Anyone got any ideas? I was thinking Tales from the Loop

[@redmilo92]

Would you do a video on The Witcher RPG? Have been thinking about picking it up.

[@JosephKeenanisme]

Mechanics matter in a setting.

[@nate_thealbatross]

Anyone know if Malazan Empire Book of the Fallen is an RPG?

[@razz0putin819]

Gotta put in a vote for 13th age as far as fantasy goes.

[@hansofkrieg8022]

Always wanted to run a pen and paper but I dont know any one to play with

[@TinkersTales]

I have a game I have been working on, and I would like it playtested and reviewed, how can I submit it?

[@12345gerrard]

No please lie to all of us please! Lol 😆