Looks like I'm running a backup game for our #Masks group. The players are okay with another #MasksANewGeneration game but with a lighter tone. I'm thinking about a mix of #QuantumLeap, #Sliders, and the #CrossTimeCaper run of #Excalibur, one of the series that really got me into collecting comics.

The overall idea will be a team of heroes who are forced to hop through different dimensions, probably heavily influenced by movies, TV shows, or books that I'm into. Everyone seems to want something lighter in tone and I can certainly do that for them!

When playing a #TTRPG, I love it when the dice tell a story.

Sunday, during our #Pathfinder game, the party espied a demon in an adjoining room, lurking in the dark. The language for the module said that the first thing the demon would do was to cast a spell to summon another to the temple, so I said it was starting to cast a spell.

Immediately, the cleric said she wanted to try and cancel the spell. The player flipped through her spell list and the core book, trying to figure out how to stop the demon. I decided to have an initiative roll-off to see if the creature could get the spell off before the cleric could stop it.

The player won the initiative roll by 1. 19 vs 20. The players were stoked, to say the least.

Then she had to roll against the spell going off, which was no guarantee. I think she needed a 14 or better and she rolled an 18, I think.

The cleric had just stopped the summoning of another huge demon. I believe they killed it in a round and a half. It was epic. I was thrilled for them. They had a good strategy and great luck. I live for those moments in game.

Tomorrow, we're starting module 5 of 6 of my #Pathfinder #RiseOfTheRunelords campaign. I never imagined I'd get this far through it when we started.

It's got me thinking about my gaming white whales.

I'd love to get to play #VampireTheMasquerade again at some point, but more likely, I'll be running #VampireTheRequiem

I'd love to go back and run some #AdvancedDungeonsAndDragons modules like the #Dragonlance #WarOfTheLance or the original #Ravenloft or things like that using #ADD2e or #CastlesAndCrusades.

As I run my players through the #Pathfinder adventure path #RiseOfTheRunelords, I've reinforced my dislike of extensive numbers of feats and systems with higher amounts of crunch and my preference towards more #OSR type games.

I've all but gotten rid of battle maps. I largely ignore the lists of feats on enemy NPC entries. Unless they're built-in to the forms, I mostly ignore them. It might be different if the information was listed on the entries, but as it is, I'd have to cross-reference across at least one other book, possibly more. That just slows down the session.

A side effect of getting rid of the battle map, I fudge distances, ignore strict rules about flanking for sneak attacks in favor of a more *shudder* #DND5e approach. If an enemy is engaged, the rogue can sneak attack. It's simple, and I don't have to worry about drawing maps or, now that we have one player remoting in, screw around with a VTT.

If I had my druthers, I'd be running #CastlesAndCrusades or #ADND2e. I really don't care a whit about character optimizing, skill points, or feat chains. Let me describe the action and let the GM adjudicate the results with a roll.

But I'm glad my players are happy and that they're happy to let me drop some annoying rules here and there to streamline the experience. /1

Between a player who has moved, game postponements, and a week of fighting a killer cold, I'm starting to go through serious #TTRPG withdrawal.

Not only do I really enjoy playing and running games (I've more enjoyed running lately), but reading them and discussing ideas and mechanics with others involved with or new to the hobby.

My favorite might be helping new players and GMs find their footing. I love watching the hobby grow and people find a new pastime to explore and enjoy.

I want to see myself as a mentor or guide on the gaming journey, though that feels like a boast or brag. I trained to be a teacher as an undergrad, and that just feels natural to me. Might be why I enjoy GMing so much.

Haven't done as many #TTRPG posts because one of our players has moved, and we're waiting for things to normalize a bit before we start experimenting with a hybrid in-person and telegaming experience.

Our Friday group is looking to start a backup game that I won't be running. I offered, but they wanted to give me a break and another one of our GMs has some systems they want to run. #ThirstySwordLesbians was mentioned but most of us aren't interested.

Had a #dnd hiatus over the holidays, but my players did not disappoint when we returned.

When problem solving, their characters are like a pack of lone wolves.

“I call the guards!”
“I scare the children next door!”
“I fly up to the roof!”
“I run into the house!”
“I administer an anti-venom!”
“I break open the back gate!”
“I set off the goblin firework!”

…

“Okay, so the bad guy teleports the fuck out of there.”

I wouldn’t change anything for the world.
#ttrpg #gmlife

This last weekend, I ran for both my #Masks and #Pathfinder groups. These will likely be the last time the entire group meets in person, as one of our players is moving. We'll have her teleconference in. We were all just glad that the weather held out long enough to let us all gather together for the sessions and sendoffs.

#Pathfinder 1e has some interesting challenges for the #GM.

Players can get their stats, skills, and other bonuses so high that it can be difficult to challenge them without making things unnecessarily lethal. I'm having difficulty, at times, making things non-trivial for them.

For example, they come up with some kind of interesting resolution to a problem, so I ask them for a skill roll. After their +20 bonus from accumulated skill ranks, equipment, etc. that they have worked hard for, they get a 30, on average. It's almost not worth asking them to roll, other than giving them the chance to say they got a 38.

Not really asking for help here, it's just an odd problem to wrap my head around.

Also why my next campaign won't be Pathfinder.

I've been looking at different #cyberpunk #TTRPG games. We played #TheSprawl and I'm flipping through #Cyberpunk2020 and #CyberpunkRed. I'm also considering #GURPS Cyberpunk. I have #Shadowrun2e but I'm not sure I want to put that in the running.

Me, the DM: Are you taking this opportunity to attune to the weapon?

Player: Yeah, I’ll do that now.

Me: Cool. What’s your alignment?

P: What? You tell me!

Me: Would you say you’re evil? Because if not, you’re about to be.

#TTRPGQuestionOfTheDay

Do you have a preferred method for outcome resolution? Do you like rolling a single D20 like D&D, 3 six sided dice and roll under, like GURPS, or one of the many die poll systems like WEG, Shadowrun, or World of Darkness, diceless mechanics, or something else entirely?

What about that system do you like and is there anything you don't like about it?

#TTRPGQuestionOfTheDay

What kinds of things do you like to see in your sessions, what is your ideal session?

Are you a big fan of intricate puzzles or do you hate puzzles with a passion?

Do you like detailed, crunchy combat, do you prefer light and fast, or do you avoid combat at all costs in favor of other strategies or talking?

Do you like deep dives into characters and lots of role play, or does that stuff just get in the way of throwing dice and slaying monsters?

#TTRPGQuestionOfTheDay

Is there a setting or settings that really excites you and you'd love to play in or run a game in? What really gets your creative juices flowing?

First part of the #FeywildWest one-shot went great last night!

Fun with character intros, riding chocobos, and the combat was solid: challenging but not overdrawn.

One of my favourite parts of #dc20 is the skill challenge. I was delighted to see the whole party come up with unique ways to handle a scenario rather than saying "everyone roll Awareness."

Same time next week where they'll learn about the mysterious gunslinger that appeared once the group bested the feyotes.
#dnd #ttrpg #gmlife

#TTRPGQuestionOfTheDay

GMs, do you ever give your players a peek behind the screen, let them know about the mechanics of a scene or explain the motives of an NPC or details they'll never find out otherwise, or do you keep everything secret?

Players, do you like knowing more about the details of the games you play or do you prefer not to know to stay more in the moment?