In many cases you don’t need mini at all, it’s rpg not a miniature game.

No mini nor battlemap gives more freedom to everyone (at the price of less tactical depth), and if you need a view on the situation, a whiteboard with a sketch + cross/letter does can bring you pretty far

so he uses 5e.tools, and that is all he uses his phone for. Another does not have a PHB, but has meticulously copied all of their abilities from my PHB,

I don’t play D&D, but is it expected that player have their own PHB? In games with complex abilities (and even in some PBTA), I either let she rule book on the player side of the table, sometimes prepare a cheat sheet (a great way to learn the mechanics), and sometimes share a pdf when I have only that. So needing to pay a rulebook as a player seems odd to me

The whole We play a game so you have to cooperate together even if role-play wise it makes no sense is a bad practice, May-be not at the point you’ll leave the table but definitely a serious sign that the table doesn’t function properly.

Luckily, there is a very easy fix Do a session zero, and build a coherent party ab initio, it include in game reason for the party to work together, coherent goals (because when player A wants to abolish the reign of the emperor, and player B wants to defend the emperor you’ll have a PvP fight within 3 session) and a meta discussion to have a pallet of skills matching the party’s goal (At least in more epic game where you don’t want to feel powerless). Almost every RPG published in the last 10-15 years contains an extensive session zero guide and tons of tips to build a relevant party.

If someone wants to play a law priest in a pirate campaign or any other character not fitting the campaign theme or opposing other PCs, it’s perfectly OK to tell the no. Obviously if everybody is aligned on some PvP and betrayal the answer may be different, but it’s again something to address in session zero.

It’s way to avoid a lot of rpg horro stories the classical one include

• Clear description of the game (which is done in this comic) properly managing expectations is already great

• Line and veil, in the sense writing done theme that you don’t want at the table, and themes which can be present but not in plain sight for example most people do close the door when having sex, so let’s do the same in tabletop no need to go further than the bard joined the elf in their room, and what happened behind closed door stay behind closed door

• X card, which is a kind of last ressort measure and allows anyone to stop a scene going to far

Then, some people push further and added way to modulate the intensity of a scene, like asking for more or less depending on how you feel. Being at the verge of tears after a consented intense scene can be one of your best RPG memory ever but being at the verge of tear after feeling like another player assaulted you, can be a horror story, and the difference is just about Accepting it

Usual reminder that you don’t need mini, and that if you really want some, a cheap alternative is to print images on poker-token (that you can buy for a ridiculously low price on Ali Express)

As usual when talking about 3D printing, look for a fablab near you. While individual printing will be more expensive, it includes the rent and maintenance of the machine, and gives you access to a wide variety of machine to match your specific needs. IMO, unless you plan to be a heavy 3D printer user, the fixed cost of even a cheap machine won’t offset the extra cost of going to a fablab, having access to high quality machine, and a local community of enthusiasts

Do some people actually playing RPG care that much about range ? Rather than some guesstimate ?

I actually find the Ryuytama range management pretty cool, where you simply say whether your character is at contact/short-range/long-range/away and that’s it.

Do not assume that every character Trauma is the player putting their own Trauma, while it’s not uncommon to be from a bankrupt wealthy familyor gender non comforming, oreven a single parentIRL, it’s a very classic Character design trope, because fighting lord evil who stole your family possession or finding back your original body/form are great Character goal feeding the plot and the story.

Sure it may be a way to tell something about you in the PC creation, but it may just be a way to offer plot hooks

Ironically, the most active rpg community here is the meme one, but you could definitely use the main !rpg@ttrpg.network to discuss World building and GM techniques

Then there is the Vampire player,

If you ask them about their character backstory, they’ll be ultra-happy and tell you about your character until dawn

Even worse,

You create a complex NPC with a full plan, but the PC are in a murder hobbo mood and just kill them, Then you have Bolin the Goblin, who suddently beg the PC for mercy, and someone wants to spare them, so now you have a whole session role-playing with Bolin the Goblin

That can be an interesting story. Adventurer with their gold coins wreck a village economy until the taxperson comes

Some stuff to remember, if you don’t want a TPK

Never expect that the party will surrender.

If you tell the party it’s dangerous don’t go there , you can bet they’ll be there by the end of the evening

Ignore the critical fail rules when a PC use explosive

And then, In nomine satanis/Magna Veritasuse a D666

Ít’s great to bring back the old name but beside a marketing stunt, what does it bring to players ?

I really enjoyed white wolf games back in the days, and I am glad to see the whole World of darkness back among the popular games. but let’s see whether they can please both the old fans and the new players

Actually OP handled it pretty well, at least in the end . PC face consequences for their actions (a trial with the risk of being hung) and end up having to act to solve the problem. It’s somehow created more game opportunities.

Why in public?

Some people play in bar/cafe(or some bar are more humer friendly) but ideally game shop or rpg club renting a dedicated space are teg way to go

Unfortunately, real life can be worse, sometimes before funerals are done kids start fighting over the family house and how the familial fortune will be spread.

• Weirdly the lab isn’t secured but it’s a real mess. However, the wizard being paranoid, they bring their job at home,.

• The good old paperwork nightmare sorry you need a pass A38 to enter

• A thrash but fun one, all the notes are tattooed on the back of “slaves”, if the players broke in by force, the slave would immediately escape, scattering the note in the city

Have you tried PBTA games, because the whole consequences things really push that kind of play

It’s not about who has to change their character concept. But about building a party which can work together.A session zero and common character creation is universal seen as a good practice

I’ve seen campaigns where players had to actively avoid PvP due to big difference in goal/loyalties/alignment. Let’s avoid the my family hates your familytrope.

Then, indeed, not doubling the skills or have skills not matching the campaign. You don’t want to have 5 pilots for one space ship. Especially if it means you don’t have a social character.

There is more character I’d like to play than games where I could play them, so not that much of a problem anyway