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Joined 3 years ago
Cake day: June 15th, 2023
  • fibojoly@sh.itjust.workstorpg@ttrpg.network•Systems that handle mutation?
    1·
    4 months ago

    Other Dust and its more recent incarnation, Ashes Without Number, are OSR games from Kevin Crawford with many systems to help you create your own post-apo setting and run adventures within it.

    Other Dust was especially written as an homage to Gamma World and so has an entire section on creating mutant PCs (5 pages or so of mutations). The setting’s gimmick is that any living being affected by radiation gets “healed” by the global nanite system. But because the system was corrupted during the apocalypse, it will turn those beings into monstrous freaks.

    Ashes Without Number goes a bit more generic with more options as to what kind of apocalypse happened, but still has that section on mutations.

    Other Dust was a bit involved, with mutation powers, then separate flaws and benefits on top of it, so a mutation could be beneficial or not, regardless of its nature. Then separate to that are stigmatas which are visible aesthetic traits that mark you as a mutant in the eyes of strangers. Ashes Without Number simplified things a bit with positive and negative mutations. And stigmatas which are still there as an aesthetic layer. In both cases Kevin takes care to offer options to pick mutations, randomly or not.

  • fibojoly@sh.itjust.workstorpg@ttrpg.network•The Privilege of Sorcerers
    2·
    7 months ago

    Sounds like a GM problem. It’s been pretty clear to me when I read Eberron back then (never been much of a DnD head) that sorcerers were “talented children” assholes, as opposed to the raging wizard nerds who had studied to get there.

    Not using this dynamic is completely on your GM and player group in general. And it’s a damn shame!

  • fibojoly@sh.itjust.workstorpg@ttrpg.network•TTRPGs focused on power and politics?
    1·
    9 months ago

    +1 for Godbound. You play gods, so there is an assumption that it’s high fantasy, but the one shots I’ve played so far had my players tackle interesting dilemmas and generally come away happy that this is not your typical DnD. The game has actual rules to change the world, rules to handle factions with their problems to solve and assets to use and generally what you have is a great sandbox to generate adventures and see what happens when you meddle in the affairs of men.
    I find it super light on the rules, despite being OSR, which is exactly how I like it.

  • fibojoly@sh.itjust.workstorpg@ttrpg.network•Single Player, Single DM compatible High Fantasy Systems
    1·
    1 year ago

    I think Godbound could be a really interesting system for a one on one. Players take on the role of literal gods, and are forces to be reckoned with even at first level. And their godly powers are really game breaking, but totally on purpose! In fact, one condition of passing to level 2 is to have changed the world around you. This is done through some super nifty systems that let you (the GM) handle villages, factions and so on with very few stats. Like all books by Kevin Crawford, itvs designed for sandbox style adventures and comes with practical tips on how to prepare yourself to handle things without burning yourself out.

    It’s an OSR game, but Godbound feels particularly narrativist, to me. For example no skills, just a d20 roll under your stat, if at all needed. And you get a +4 bonus if any of your Facts (think, Aspects in Fate) apply. I won’t go into combat details, but to put it succinctly : you don’t even look at the Hit Points of your enemies, you do damage in Hit Dice! So even the most peaceful of PCs can wipe the floor without even making an effort. Think the Three Kingdoms video games, where your hero can take on entire battalion as a matter of course (and yes there are rules for that, and yes, they are simple)

    And there are two adventures set in the China inspired area of the setting, to really get the idea that this more wuxia than sword and sorcery. If you know Exalted? That’s the version with rules that won’t drive you mad with all the bean counting.

    Scarlet Heroes mentioned elsewhere is by the same author. An Echo Resounding is an extension for it. Combined, they are an earlier incarnation of Godbound, in my opinion. In the sense that all the stuff you find in those two books got refined and unified in Godbound. And then pushed to eleven because now you play freaking gods (and there are optional rules to play mortals).