Kult: Part 3 - Game Mechanics

[@mattgenaro]

This is certainly one of the best channels about Roleplaying Games!

[@ClothesCat]

Pretty sure C.S Lewis once said something along the lines of 'Childishness is wanting fairy books with tons of gore and mature themes but real adulthood is being able to play in an RPG campaign with uneven XP distribution without throwing hands with another player.' I'm pretty sure at least.

[@draconicfeline6177]

Chronicles can run both edgechild and mature games, but the books are very edge for the most part... except for Geist. the oddly positive memento mori vibe with the darker horror aspects is such a good combo.

[@--enyo--]

Sounds legit.

[@garygrant6987]

Seth, I’ve got to give it to you. You eloquently summarized what I’ve watched many people stumble through. Thank you!

[@richmcgee434]

Jack's right about the rules being a poor fit for power gamers and folks obsessed with having "balanced" PCs in the group. That's true for every PBtA game I've seen, honestly.

[@dutch6857]

So, Kult Jack. Pretty sure I spent an evening with him in a dive bar in Calgary in the 90's. He was pretty spooky, but the draught beer kept flowing, so, hey...

[@jasonGamesMaster]

1st, love that shirt, lol. 2nd, Jack's comments at the end are actually one of the things that have drawn me more and more to narrative games over the years. The crunchier the rules the more it seems to attract players that want to power game those rules. 3rd, his comment about hobbits is funny to me because The One Ring is definitely a game that lends itself to that more mature playstyle as a large part of the game is the passage of time and even generations of a family.... very cool game if you are into Tolkien

[@WookieeRage]

I don't know that game, The One Ring, but your comment reminded me of giving players the opportunity to play the ancestors or descendents of previous characters. However, my mind then considered that you said that game intentionally covers great swaths of time and requires the play of many lifetimes. That triggered my imagination to wonder what it would be like to run a campaign in which the players had characters in multiple time lines simultaneously. Each session would probably only consist of one time line, but bouncing between them, with cascading effects echoing through time could create a game experience like none other. It would require different planning and plot threads than a typical rpg, but the potential for a new and unique rpg experience is there and can be done in any game system.

[@jasonGamesMaster]

@@WookieeRage it's the newest Middle-earth RPG, though the first edition came out over a decade ago now, the 2nd ed is only about a year old.

[@JazzyJazz762]

Excellent! Was just wondering when the next episode would come out, and here it is! Keep up the great work Seth!

[@pimpa1]

One of the bravest "yeah, I said it" ever. Thanks for that!

[@theobserver6579]

Just convinced my cousin to read Damoren after she has been saying for months that she wouldn't like it. She just ordered all of your books on Amazon last night after finishing it. 😂

[@brenorocha6687]

Good to know that you found my ring. I've been looking for it for ages!

[@AlabasterXnight]

Good general-purpose Drama Hooks for many scenarios for Jack Morton would be to investigate/visit/document/confront/reveal other locations that fall outside public perception in areas where the adventure is located. Also mapping such locations, luring out those chasing him to confront/capture/interrogate one, and developing anonymous safe houses/contacts that can hide him/caches of supplies should he have to abandon everything to elude his pursuers.

[@joe_h_Redwire]

As an X-Files/Criminal Minds fan, Dramatic Hooks sound like they're best written down once the referee has given the players a preview or very brief summary of what the session is, sort of like the summary an agent is given when they first get a case. If Mulder knows that a bank robber who supposedly died in prison is killing people, his first Hook is getting a copy of the guy's death certificate. Second Hook, speak with a police officer who made the arrest. After that, he'll know enough to decide on a 3rd Hook.

[@samwhary5498]

Your timing could not be better. I was just starting to take interest in the game and finished episode 2 not long ago!

[@mariow.3063]

That was one hell of an end-card rant! As a narrative driven GM I'm so fed up with players that just see me as their game engine to beat. Thanks for this great series. You just brought me to a new favorite RPG system.

[@Deamons64]

Awesome, new kult video. Been enjoying the last two, as well as the module reviews.

[@FaustCrowley]

Jack's closing monologue kinda reminded me of the rule set (at least the early edition) of Over the Edge and the way that character creation (and the rules themselves) seemed pretty fast and loose, more suited to players who are interested in role-playing than in roll-playing.

[@otterpoet]

"The spirit of the rules is far more important than the letter of the rules..." My core philosophy of game design! Well said.

[@jeffagain7516]

Outstanding breakdown of significant game-play mechanisms once again Seth (and Jack!) Thanks. The "dramatic hooks" portion makes me a bit nervous and I'm not sure if in my first few games I'd be able to ref those. Since to a degree, they are asking the player to open up about certain subjects that though are attributed to their character, novices may find them rather too personally revealing to use. I can understand the rationale for them being utilized but skill in bringing them into the game, could be tricky I think. Am I nervous about this? Hell yes I am. Hopefully the manual gives pointers in this regard. Thanks again Gents!

[@SSkorkowsky]

Check out the free adventure Gallery of Souls for some good Dramatic Hook examples they gave to the NPCs.

[@tryllyam]

Thank you, Seth! I've been waiting with anticipation to see how you handled this particular topic. Especially as it regards the GM.

[@jesternario]

In the case of a +2 relation being someone you hate, I can definitely see the requiring the keep it together roll to hurt them. You've finally caught up to someone that has caused you so much pain and strife. The roll is to keep your adrenaline levels under control so you suddenly don't get the shakes and buckle under pressure of finally getting a chance to get back at that SOB.

[@leolyre168]

Thats a -2

[@richmcgee434]

22:00 Dammit, what did Mike not want to hear? Aaagh! We'll never know! :)

[@WookieeRage]

Looking forward to the next one. I always get something from anecdotes about your group's experiences. I picked up the core and gm books plus one adventure book and am planning to run Kult later this year. So these overviews are great to shed light on things I may be missing.

[@laboratoryrack6488]

Loving this Kult series! Thanks for tackling the system, Seth!

[@TalonBrush]

The ending skit was great. A really cool video and summary of the basics. I feel like Kult already.

[@Frostfly]

Why do I enjoy Jack doing Dweeble's Voice so much

[@aliciaantoniadis9100]

Aww, Seth! I completely agree with Gary Grant's comment. Very well done. I especially took the chapter about dramatic hooks to heart. It takes a bit of time for the players to understand how that works, but when it does, it's wonderful. Further, the way Jack ended it was superb! About the t-shirt, I think you might have my ring? (The t-shirt is wonderful) I never tire of saying thank you for your work! Sincerely, Alicia from Sweden

[@whoiami1974]

Are we going to see Jack's advancement in this Series?

[@raynercoslop]

it's a strange phenomenon that i always end up wanting to play the games you do a overview for, i wonder why 😄 great video as always, seth

[@brenorocha6687]

I never thought about reading the Kult rules, but this series are changing my mind. Kult looks like the kind of game system I'd enjoy playing. But I'm really not into and I have no inclination to play horror. The mechanics feel very well crafted for the mood of game, so I doubt it would automatically work well with other genres. But probably worth the reading.

[@jasonGamesMaster]

Powered by the Apocalypse is the underlying rules system, and its has a ridiculously huge number of games published using a variation of it. For family friendly stuff I recommend the new Avatar the Last Airbender game or if you're into super heroes, check out Masks, or Dungeon World for fantasy

[@NefariousKoel]

In that case, check out some of the other games based on the Powered By The Apocalypse system. While most of the others don't have quite so much setting-specific details and extras as Kult, they still generally include most of the same rules. For other genres, titles like The Sprawl (cyberpunk), Dungeon World (typical fantasy), and Monster Of The Week (modern fantasy) are some popular ones. City Of Mist (superheroic noir fantasy) is another one that went the extra mile regarding print quality and world building although it has extra rules/adjustments for that. Most other PbtA games, like the previous ones I mentioned, have the bones of the setting implied, but encourage the game group to flesh it out collectively. There are quite a number of them in different genres, too. I'd suggest checking out one of the more straightforward ones with an open world in the genre you're looking for. Since they tend to have a bit less rules and reading. To see if it fits for you.

[@spaceranger7683]

Loving this series, Seth. Can't wait til the next entry, since my group is going to be playing this game for the first time over the Labor Day weekend this year.

[@Velzhaed]

Comment for the Kult gods!

[@leongolgo9950]

Even for someone who doesn't plan on playing, there's a lot of adaptable ideas here to enhance any kind of game you may be running.

[@rogue109]

It took me a while to figure out what your T-Shirt read as, but when I did, I laughed out loud!

[@dm4life579]

Love this series. Kult is another great inspiration to my own game system. Thank you for the series, and I hope you continue the review.

[@kimh4434]

"Yeah, I said it." LOL. You go, Jack.

[@digiparkz]

With you playing so much Kult it really makes me want to see you review other powered by the apocalypse games like monster of the week!! Great video Seth :))

[@otakuofmine]

Here we go again, yeay! And all up for dedicated videos. (been said by someone who knows the rules lel) would be cool to see cover some of the overall for new GMs, always like to see how you explain things, especially with your grand storyteller voice. also bravo for the ending bit. and indeed quite a change if you never done narrative focussed games. tough start, but once gotten the crack, pretty rewarding for everyone.

[@midnightplatypus1973]

Great vid, gave me a real clear sense of what I always thought was one of those "sophisticated, complex" games but instead makes it seem pretty runnable, and really fun! One question/comment on Dramatic Hook moments (like the long drive example): Maybe a GM should lean a little meta and actually announce those moments as such? A vignette is set and then the declaration is made a "ok, folks, we're in pretty much an idle time scene if anyone wants to try to work their hooks." A lot of games have "downtime" systems (even the world's most famous ttrpg) now and I think maybe a little GM prompting that the game is turning to those systems rather than focusing on the "main action" systems might be helpful to mitigate those teeth pulling moments. Anyway, these vids are doing a great job intriguing me with a system that, not sure why, always struck me as too steep a learning curve to try, looking forward to the rest.

[@ADiceySituation]

I'm loving the lists of questions there are relating to character background and even the players' current understanding of the story. While I'm not sure if I'd play Kult, it's obviously extremely character and story driven, which I appreciate. Might steal some of these question lists for the next game we play.

[@andrewtrnacek5137]

The Kult system is an interesting one. Mechanically it’s very simple but Philosophically very different to most other games. I struggled with the concept of moves until I realised it meant just doing stuff! But if you compare to CoC or DnD or Traveller the rules are presented in a very different style. I am not explaining myself well, I guess what I am saying is if you are new to Kult and are confused by the rules don’t worry they are not that complex once you understand their philosophy. I also agree with one of Seth’s earlier comments about combat. Because combat is just lumped under skills and actions and again is very different to other RPGs it’s presentation in the rule book does not assist easy understanding. However having all that when you play the game is very rules light. I played one game, La Cena where we barely rolled dice. Great story that one but play it face to face and over a mea if possible!

[@icon_o_clast]

This is helpful, especially if not familiar with PBtA style rules.

[@davewamma5050]

Jack's Comment's at the end are pure genius, had me howling....🤣

[@ts25679]

I would like a video (potential series) of mechanics you can lift wholesale from an RPG for your home game. Mechanics guide the experience and style of play whilst often reinforcing themes. For example, Old school d&d used gold for experience whereas modern uses "overcoming encounters" (mostly monster slaying) to reward experience. These two approaches create very different player mentalities before the GM even starts to guide the experience. I essentially want a GM toolbox so you can craft an experience to yourself and your group.

[@AGrumpyPanda]

This is why I recommend GMs wanting to build their skills to play as many different styles of RPG as possible, because you get so many handy ideas and tools. My GMing philosophy and toolbelt comes primarily from Cyberpunk2020, Apocalypse World and Godbound, even though the main systems I run are Pathfinder and the FFG Warhammer RPGs.

[@nolgroth]

Thanks for the video. I like the hooks part and how it ties into XP gain. Having and achieving goals like that can really drive the narrative. The post-session therapy follow-up survey is definitely not my cuppa. I'll leave at that lest I inadvertently insult someone.

[@gazhavok568]

So pumped to try this game, gonna run the Atrocity Exhibition Also I highly recommend checking out CY_BORG, (cyberpunk Mörk Borg) and Vaesen (Nordic Horror mystery). I'd love to get some of your insights on them as I am running CY_BORG and hoping to run Vaesen and Kult both in these coming months

[@electricrancid]

I like your idea on Help/Hindering idea, will try it out in my next game. I always had trouble seeing the actual benefit like you said, in helping still fails anyway.

[@trbry.]

the dramatic hooks looks very interesting to me, thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@justintiffin-richards6840]

Mmm... interesting Kult Divinity Lost RPG's system seems quite distinct from other RPG's I've dabbled in (D&D, CoC, WHFRP, FF, DSA, Shadowrun) particularly in the GM moves and held moves, I'm really liking the sound of it. Now I in no way expect weekly instalments of Seth goodness but my "Duh" brain identified and fixated on like Meridian Venom the cause and effect between upload period and Lindybeige's comment noticing Seth's Eye movement... Yes it had obviously sent Seth into an existential perfectionist flunk of self doubt and paralytic inaction... So given that this is obviously what was up what to say... Seth your library of work just oozes quality the content of every video I've watched of yours has always been exceptional, informative, entertaining and polished. let me point you to the -> 7 Game Master Sins Returns - RPG Philosophy 10:03 mark and if tongue in cheek motivational platitudes are any help " Hut! Hut! carpe diem mudda! funka! "

[@TheeAugustCaesar]

Thanks seth! Always makes my day better when I see a new video in my notifications!

[@danielmouatt5570]

Comment for the Algorithm. Kult doesn’t seem to be a good fit for me or my group however still watching every video in the 1st 24 hours because wether I am interested in this system all of Seth’s content has value. As should I decide to give this system a try this series is where I will definitely start

[@blaguepearer]

Mechanically it's very much a run of the mill PBTA hack that decided to be unique with a Tree of Sephiroth gimmick, having 10 stats and using d10s instead of d6s but kept the modifiers the same thus the effects of stats and the aid another action are less pronounced than in regular PBTA.

[@NOopulence]

Loving these videos seth. Kult is a great setting and I'm glad that you are enjoying it and covering it :)

[@imkranely7230]

It's very interesting to see a game use 2d10. I was looking up some a while back as the math behind 2d10 is pretty solid, but I kept finding systems that actually use d%/d100. So this and a game called Unity are the only two I've seen actually use 2d10. I think someone told me one of the old superhero systems, maybe Marvel, used 2d10, but I think it was more a system where you reference a table so I've yet to look it over. Either way, I think this is a nice change to the standard 2d6 of PbtA games, as modifiers get a bit out of hand once you reach +3 and higher. Would love to see more games use this 2d10 with set levels of success and failure.

[@robbabcock_]

Great stuff! Kult fascinates me, and while I haven't taken the plunge yet I'll probably pick it up before long.

[@matthill5426]

Quick question while I'm thinking about it, maybe you get to this later in the video: are the character attributes arranged in the Qabbalistic Tree of Life? Is there supposed to be some relationship there? Given the esoteric, occult subject matter, it wouldn't surprise me.

[@SSkorkowsky]

Yes, the Character attributes are laid out in the Sephirot. The 10 Archons and 10 Death Angels all have their locations denoting their domain of influence over the world, those also coincide with the locations on the character sheet.

[@otakuofmine]

the game draws heavily from gnostic thinking. worth to read up on that. qabbalah less but still in how some of the lore works. so yeah, it is meant to look like the tree. Not wanting to spoiler, as i dont know if you want to GM or play this - let's say there are two other representations of the tree in the book that matters more deeply.

[@folkandmyth]

Brilliant. Starting a game tonight, this hit just in time! Cheers!🤘

[@matthill5426]

"Ya'know, I bet a creative guy could work in a gimmick where he has a recurring character on his videos. A little light comic relief and meta-commentary, to help control the pacing of the delivery. If he were really clever about it, he'd add in a little bit at the end of every video with some humor, as something for the viewer to look forward to. I bet that'd really help develop a unique signature style to give the guy making the video a distinct identity within his genre, and I'll go double or nothing that that cheeses the algorithm, encouraging people to watch to the very end and bump up that watch time metric. "I wonder why no one one thought of that before? I should really start making youtube videos!" :D Cheers and slainte to Jack the NPC!

[@richmcgee434]

I can think of other channels that take a similar approach, but Seth's doing the best job of it I've seen to date. Or should I say Jack? :)

[@SSkorkowsky]

I never planned it to be a way to get people to watch to the very end and boost the channel metrics, but it happened by accident. I have no idea which video I started it on, but I decided to slip in a little comment or joke I didn't have a good way of working into the body of the video. It became one of my little jokes I did with myself. Then it evolved into a gag I was known to do. After someone busted m for not doing a zinger gag on a video I realized it was a thing. So I kept doing it. Most of the gags on my channel share the story: Did a thing on a whim, Enjoyed it and did it some more, Realized it was "a thing" I was known for and was committed.

[@LordRavenscore]

"Yeah I said it." And you got a like and subscription out of it too!

[@LuiseHerpich-m6q]

Pretty important misconception here: the questions you can ask after a read a person or observe move are not suggestions. You have to ask exactly those (with a bit of wiggle room for the gm when it comes to interpretation). Any other question you can ask, but it does not belong to the move. This is proven by the fact, that there are advantages, that do nothing but give you new questions to ask.

[@samuelgoldstein8143]

Hello, Seth. I enjoyed this video, as usual. I've liked Kult a lot since the late 90's, and I'm glad to hear that the setting I loved back then is pretty much the same in the current edition. The game mechanics, however, have changed a lot, and I'm sorry to say that I don't dig the changes they made in this current version. I don't mind this new XP system, and I think it makes sense to limit the amount of dice rolls in the game to situations with high stakes, but I'm not sold on the rest of the rules you covered in this video. However, maybe your next videos in this series manage to change my mind. Who knows? Keep them videos comin'!

[@cameronjohnson4936]

The madman did it, he summarised PbtA in 30 minutes

[@gabrielcarelidealmeida7055]

I would argue that a roll of something like medicine to try to save a Relation should receive a penalty equal to the Relation's value, to demonstrate the character's fear of hurting or losing the friend unless the character passes a Keep it Together check

[@annejensen5085]

Amazing, thank you for making these videos. 🎉

[@farothorma774]

In your previous kult video you talked about suggestions we might have, so here's one: if you got a cheat sheet about this game (like the one you made for CoC), would share it as well ? God dam useful :)

[@samueldester4493]

It would be cool to see Seth on Redmoon Roleplaying.

[@gothmissstress]

Can’t wait for the next part

[@Chiffoid]

Seth, you should check out The Unknown Armies: d100, horror, plenty of amazingly weird mechanics, yet on rule light side of spectrum

[@valorin5762]

I was _very_ sceptical when I heard that they slapped Powered by the Apocalypse on my favourite horror RPG. I wasn't really a fan of the old system, but I really dislike PbtA. They did a good job though adapting the system to the setting. I'm glad they went for d10s and didn't use playbooks as restrictive as they are normally in that system. The narrative approach works perfectly with the way I always GMed KULT and the rest is adaptable. I miss the Mental Balance mechanic though, even if I like how the game handles stress now.

[@lunatic0verlord10]

0:19 So I guess we won't go over the mechanics associated with Hod and Netzach, today.

[@lavenderspectre103]

Great video. Something I would like to hear more about is, what makes any particular horror scenario work best in kult as opposed to other horror rpgs?

[@SSkorkowsky]

Mechanics-wise you could run a lot of other scenarios from other games with Kult's mechanics. Lore-wise is a different matter. Call of Cthulhu, for example, is focused on cosmic horror of alien gods and the ultimate doom and meaninglessness of Humanity. Kult is Gnostic, where humanity is the center of the universe but imprisoned in an elaborate illusion by active powers determined to control us. So playing a scenario from another game in the world of Kult can be tricky to find one that fits. That said, I recently reviewed the Call of Cthulhu scenario Unland using Kult and it worked flawlessly.

[@LddStyx]

Kult seems to have kept the bonuses from helping/knowledge checks while switching from d6 to d10... maybe to reduce the power of "working together". +2 is close to the d6 average of 2.5 but no where close up to the d10 average of 5.5 Edit: Ok, I saw the Relation modifier part - it seems that's where the rest of this bonus was hiding. :P

[@SSkorkowsky]

D6 average is 3.5, but yeah, it feels like they kept the 6d bonus and applied them to d10s, which isn't as beneficial. One thing I did notice is the base chances for success are better with Kult. I showed the Failure/Partial/Full Success percentages as 36%/43%/21% with the d10. With d6 PbtA it comes to 41.64%/41.64%/16.65%. So while the effect of a +1 or +2 is lower, the need for them is less. I don't know which one is overall better once you start adding all the other modifiers, but I was surprised by the difference in base chances.

[@svenk5221]

Players need to understand that they ask the questions on the meta level as players (what´s the biggest thread, what happened here etc) and than the gm and the palyer discuss how this question can be answered in the fiction. It takes a while to get used to this different approach in ptba games. It´s almost like the player decides that there is a threat when he asked "What´s the biggest thread?" As the GM you should try not to answer "Nothing" but challenge yourself to improvise the most interesting answer. It takes a while to get used to it but I love it and it also changed the way how I gm Cthulhu, Tales from the Loop etc. As a GM you can learn a lot from ptba games.

[@coltranem]

Seth...great video as always. However what I really want to know is how do I get that shirt.

[@BeerMatt96]

Love the T shirt! (Oh, and the video, obvs)

[@RequestforQuest]

Wow! The last seconds of the video are pure gold! Also, don't you think that players move sometimes feel like limiting frame? Meaning in Cthulhu or Vampire you state what your character is doing and then figure the skill for the task, while in Kult (and other PbtA-like games) you kinda look at the playbook over and over again just figuring out which of the moves to use?

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

I don't see the difference. In CoC player says what they want to do and then you figure which skill fits the best, and in Kult the player says what they want to do and then you figure which move fits the best.

[@FuriousJorge]

What really happens is we state what our intention is and the outcome we want, then figure out which move applies best. In some cases we try to justify a move that uses a better skill though!

[@RequestforQuest]

@@tuomasronnberg5244 ok, fair enough ) thanks!

[@RequestforQuest]

@@FuriousJorge I see ) Glad that it happens that way. Just approaching Kult and for now it seems too untraditional to me ))

[@FuriousJorge]

@@RequestforQuest KULT is not everyone's cup of tea. It has really pushed us to rely on actual role play rather than roll play, which has really been great for us and a lot of fun. We tend to be strategy players so this has really been great. You really need to play this with a group you trust and is ready to actually rely on role playing.

[@YouTubeIsRunByMarxists]

Seth, do you do book reviews too? Perhaps as an adjunct to the channel?

[@SSkorkowsky]

I've been meaning to do book reviews. It was always the plan. But, as you noticed, I've never gotten around to them. At this point it would feel a little jarring for my subscribers if I started now, but I still kick around the idea of a couple book review vids.

[@DaerBR]

Ah, at last!) Thank you!

[@euansmith3699]

Another great video.

[@plotsmeanswaysanddevices]

Thanks

[@TARMHeLL]

Can't play games with friend now, but ChatGPT can make a half decent game if you lead it in the right way.

[@oldhatAN]

What I wonder is how you use one of these PbtA games to run an adventure with a storyline and goals. I have run a couple of iterations of the system (Monsterhearts 1e, Night Witches) and the game tends to run away with itself once the players start using moves and those moves start triggering other moves. As far as I can tell, that's how the game is supposed to go. I quickly gave up on trying to do any sort of adventure with Monsterhearts. The game is about teen melodrama and happens on its own. All I really did was prod them now and then by throwing things in to get them moving. The game is starting to drag a it. Here's a McGuffin. How do you run an actual adventure with this system?

[@SSkorkowsky]

From what I've heard (I haven't run other PbtA games, so I can't confirm) Kult is a bit more friendly for running adventures like a regular RPG. For our campaign, I had them share their Dark Secret as a way of bringing them together and common goals. The corebook also suggests the GM and players working out how the characters are intertwined with an "Intrigue Map". Essentially, you take the random backstories everyone came up with on their own and weave them together so that they are linked. Many of the pre-made adventures use pre-generated characters who have their backstories and everything linked to it (see my reviews of Gallery of Souls and Oakwood Heights). Some don't and the GM can weave their own PCs into it (see The Atrocity Exhibition). So for me, our campaign began 3 years after a failed occult ceremony left 3 people out of 10 dead. I used Atrocity Exhibition to bring them together (one worked for the museum, another was sent by a mob boss to stop a guy from exposing some of the pieces as stolen, and the 3rd PC came because he was interested in the artist who was a reported Death Magician). When everything happens they ended up in this purgatory where they encountered a NPC friend who died during the Backstory event who told them how they need gather the remaining survivors and finish the ceremony from their backstory. That gave them a larger quest. After that, every adventure has been as a means of completing their larger quest by either trying to get a person or item they need in order to re-do this ceremony and put back the entity they accidently released. It's worked well for us.

[@dashboots376]

I wonder if I can convince my friends to play this, I'm really liking the idea

[@otakuofmine]

just make sure they get what they are up against, it is very dark. that being said, the core book gives great options to lessen that. try convince them in the kind of player they are. deep lore? try paint the greater picture. freedom in choice? highlight the narrative side and that only players roll. if the like dark stuff - I like the quote i once read: KULT is like CoC, but without all the optimism.

[@dashboots376]

@@otakuofmine I'll keep it in mind, I mean it's going to be a while before I have a chance to DM since we have 4 people that like to GM in my friend group and by my calculation the next time it's not going to be my turn to run for a while since we run 2 campaigns at a time on alternating weeks since we only have time to play once a week, and currently I'm the last one in the run order, so if my calculations are correct I won't be running until maybe September, so I have some time to sell them on the game.

[@SSkorkowsky]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but one thing I was planning to bring up in the Final Thoughts episode for the series is the "Kult is like Call of Cthulhu without the sense of hope," line and how I disagree. To me, CoC is like the old, "Win the battle but lose the war," quote. Humanity is ultimately doomed to fall before alien gods who are at best indifferent to them, and Yithian beetles will rule the planet. CoC characters can only delay the inevitable. Kult is the opposite. Humanity is the center of the universe. The monsters and powers want to control the machine that keeps Humanity asleep and draw on their power. But the machine is breaking and Humanity is waking. Kult characters begin in the dregs and awfulness, but their journey has the potential of ending with ascending into the gods we forgot we were. I see that as optimistic.

[@otakuofmine]

@@dashboots376 so many GMs wow, thats a combo

[@otakuofmine]

@@SSkorkowsky that much is true, I just found the line funny and meant it here more akin to how it looks from the outside. I guess both goes for both and in a sense I agree. I just would say CoC is still pulpier than KULT. Imho the pure hopelessness simulator is still Delta Green.

[@ADSCoachSimonB2112]

Ok so could you run this with Alien and say infinity in a home rule system.

[@robloxopinion]

Dear Mr. Skorkowsky, I am a GM for a RPG called "GURPS" (Generic Universal Roleplaying Game). The reason I leave this comment is to ask the question, how do you do a Murder Mystery well? It is set in 1980s America where there seems to be a murderer loose in some city in the US (most likely NYC). I let my players be free to become an officer or the murderer and possibly get framed. But how do you do a Murder Mystery right?

[@SSkorkowsky]

Check out my How to Run a Mystery vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIe1qmikg7CSidE There's also my review for the adventure Murder on Arcturus Station, which is for Traveller, but the adventure is pretty cool because it's a toolbox for crafting a murder mystery instead of a regular pre-written adventure.

[@williamfawkes8379]

Hobbits and Shit, the new game from Chaosium, for immature players only. Please be advised that stain resistant clothing is recommended for players.

[@richmcgee434]

The only player class is Sewer Worker, which is particularly unfortunate when most PCs are about three feet tall.

[@williamfawkes8379]

Another player option, animal companion, stretches the definition of animal, to new lows. If you enjoy hearing whispers in the darkness from your amorphous stool sample, it's a keeper.

[@josephtodaro9515]

This is so awesome. I have been running the Laraine Manor scenario with my group and we have had A LOT of fun. I bulked up the scenario a bit to break it into three sessions. We love it.

[@SSkorkowsky]

I hope to run that one soon.

[@davidbrennan660]

Roof construction is critical....., that is common to all systems.

[@--enyo--]

Thank you so much for this series. I really hope I can play again. Sorry to ask, will you do a video on safety tools?

[@DCPatrol]

Me & my GM love Kult but the other players don't. 😢

[@mikhielrearaxin]

Badass!

[@ianmoone1412]

now I know a lot of the pbta games are very similar. but I feel like this game is specifically very similar or built off of monster of.the week. and to be clear that is not a bad thing. although my bank balance might disagree with that 😜

[@kamikazetsunami9137]

New Seth talking satanic tabletop!

[@otakuofmine]

its not satanic though (if meant serious, of course lol)

[@firstname4382]

So Seth just gives away all his roofing information for free!?

[@Tysto]

I have no interest in the setting, but this looks like a great system.

[@roygoodman1077]

Truth!

[@chriscancarry]

🙌🙌

[@Supallcomm]

#Skorthursday!

[@bigsarge2085]

✌️✌️

[@shanewazhere1510]

just a quick kudos to your finger placement on that iron @15:30ish 🇺🇸🤘😎

[@murraytowle2123]

I really hated the adventures for this you reviewed---I find them disgusting & disturbing---but I have to say the mechanics have intrigued me and I ordered it. Hope you get a commission from Amazon!

[@SSkorkowsky]

Hope you enjoy reading it. Keep in mind 2 of the adventures I've reviewed, "Oakwood Heights" and "Atrocity Exhibition," are way darker than a lot of the other adventures (Oakwood Heights is the darkest adventure I've ever run in any system). So don't think they're all like those. I found the adventure Gallery of Souls to be pretty light. The part I found the most disturbing can easily be removed with no problems. Kult's Horror Contract is completely about communication and toning down or removing subject matter and themes to everyone's comfort level. So by all means, if the game does look like something you and your players would enjoy trying out, but you don't want certain themes or subject matter in your sessions, don't feel that you have to use them.