I am a huge fan of tabletop rpgs, especially of the indie variety (PBTA et al.). I think it's one of the highest forms of gaming since it is so responsive to a particular group of people and the stories they want to tell, which creates a lot of potential for cool leftist gaming experiences and stories. However, I haven't been able to find time to run a game for a few years (and I struggle playing solo rpgs since it's basically just creative writing) so I wanted to hear from chapos that are (or have been) in a campaign so I can live vicariously through you.

What game are you playing? What's your character (or favourite NPC) like? Any highlights from your campaign? Are you living out a revolutionary power fantasy or playing a chill "beer and pretzels" type game?

  • cadiaStands [comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I enjoy the story telling elements far more than the rules of the system. As such Ive been running campaigns in the 40k universe using a rules light combination system of Dark Heresy, Burning Wheel, and 5e. You may have up to 5 skills that your character may focus on and 1/3 of the character sheet is dedicated to character development. Players have many oportunities to decide what happens; leading to derailment, the best part of any campaign. Played with 2d6 with advantage, normal, or disadvantage if you are trained / probably knows a little about the skill / if you have no reason to think your character has any ability in the skill.

    With that in mind, it is a good system to combine with drinks.

    I actually put effort into a dungeon once, with a corrupting Nurgle gem at the centre. Comming on the very first trap a player rolles perception, succeeds with doubles (meaning they choose the outcome). "There is something wrong with the floor what do you see?" "Uhh, it's sandy and very salty, nothing can grow in it". So that's how a nurgle cult dungeon turned into an old inquisition holding facility with a number of anti-biological mechanisms to prevent the nurgle gem from corrupting anything living. Of course, previously, everything the villagers said about the area convinced the players it was a cult so they destroyed the one place on the planet which could hold a gem of evil.

    Another time, a few drinks in, they created an npc ad mech which needed to be spat on because its cooling systems were broken and would answer "thank you master" each time it received spit.

    A player orientated system has some upsides and downsides. Though never boring