2023 RPG crawl - reconnaisance

 

Image by Pearl-of-Light

[6 min read]

So my RPG crawl is in full swing, starting with a reconnaisance phase to narrow the field. Once I discovered Bundle of Holding and Humble Bundle had amazing deals on Tabletop RPG content, I went a little overboard and quickly found myself with around forty (yes, 4-0) different system core rules to wade through. Rather than read the thousands of pages of content, I took to Youtube to find reviews and playthroughs to help prioritise where I should dig further. 

What I found was... there are many great systems out there that can provide inspiration! So many, in fact, that rather than just straight rank them, I have decided to put the most interesting ones into categories. That way I can match the systems to the type of campaign the players want, or, when I have a specific itch that I want to scratch playing solo.

As an alternative to D&D 5e

Pathfinder 2E - the DMs in our regular goup (there are three of us) have started taking a serious look at Pathfinder as an alternative to D&D 5e in the wake of the OGL fiasco. We like the three action economy and the overall balance, but are concerned about what could be too crunchy a rules system for our players to learn. We will test it out ourselves with the Beginner Box soon.

As a another option, Level Up 5e is worth exploring if Pathfinder is too much of a transition. 

Image by Paizo

For open-world exploration

Our current campaigns don't really focus too much on overworld exploration but I did get a taste for it on the caravan section of Hoard of the Dragon Queen. I am interested in a real open-world, player-driven, survival campaign where the journey is as much the point as the destination.

What I have seen of Forbidden Lands has me very intrigued - both the setting and the game mechanics seem to fit perfectly with what I am after, and I've really enjoyed The One Ring, also from Free League.

To explore further - Worlds Without Number is an old school retroclone set in a post-apocalyptic Dying Earth setting with grittier rules than 5E that could also fit the bill, or provide further inspiration for a campaign using Forbidden Lands mechanics.

Image by Free League

For the love of the lore

As a father of two boys, I have found myself wanting to rediscover the books and games that shaped my childhood, and none affected me more than The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Recently diving back into reading the extended Tolkien books, I have also watched and solo-played The One Ring 2nd Edition and really like how faithful it is to the material I love. If my group wanted a nostalgia trip in Middle-Earth, I would love to escort them.

Since the group is used to D&D, Lord of the Rings Roleplaying, the 5e adaption of The One Ring, could make a one-shot or mini-campaign in Middle Earth even easier to embark upon.

Image by Free League

For an old school dungeon crawl

While the Old School Renaissance (OSR) is not really my jam, I think a romp through a good ol' fashioned dungeon crawl could make for a great palette cleanser in between campaigns. And I happen to have a lot of content for Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) which, with its crazy dice system that can produce unexpected results, seems to fit the humourous tone our players would like. Running the gauntlet with a bunch of level zero characters to see which ones survive and graduate to first level sounds hilarious to me.

If DCC doesn't hit the mark, I could also go with Five Torches Deep, a very streamlined 5e adaptation into the OSR style.

Image by Goodman Games

For a grim dark setting

Man, do I love me some Dark Souls, and other dark, horrific IP such as Bloodborne, Resident Evil, Drakkenheim and Ravenloft. Quite an old system, but Shadow of the Demon Lord (SotDL) comes recommended by many content creators I follow. SotDL is a lighter version of a D20 system, with unique character progression to level 10, and mechanics that support horror as a genre. I am not sure if my players would go for this, but as a GM, I'd be excited to run a campaign in this world.

And to inspire me, I'd lean on the locations, monsters and mythos from Dark Souls. Unfortunately the  licensed TTRPG was not well-received, but I do own it and would mine it for ideas nonetheless.

Image by Schwalb Entertainment

For solo play

It is not often I get to sit down for a couple of hours by myself, but in between main group sessions, I'd love to test out these systems that are custom-built for the solo player: 

Ironsworn - introduced to me by Me, Myself and Die solo RPG Youtube channel, I was supremely impressed at the slick mechanics that take a back seat to the narrative, with in-built solo rules and GM emulation that helps the solo player tell an epic tale in a Norse-inspired world.

Four Against Darkness  - a solo-first, simple dungeon crawler with random location generation. Create four characters in minutes and guide them through exploration, combat and finding loot in short sessions.

Rune - a souls-like solo TTRPG found on the indie site, Itch.IO, that I just had to pick up and try out.

Image by Gila RPGs

Honourable mentions

Here are the games that I really liked, but come in lower on the priority list for now:

13th Age - a traditional high fantasy RPG based on D&D 4E but with some neat ideas around narrative gameplay, like each character's 'one unique thing' and also iconic NPC faction mechanics.

Blades in the Dark - a heist-focused, steampunk horror setting that would feel very different to D&D. I might steal some mechanics like flashbacks and progress clocks.

D100 Dungeon - another solo dungeon crawler to try out after Four Against Darkness.

Dominion - a niche, medieval-inspired TTRPG popularised on Me, Myself and Die, with a surprisingly crunchy combat system that involves declaring actions on both sides up-front before resolving, adding a new layer of strategy.

Hero Kids & Tiny Dungeons - two very accessible TTRPGs that I could use to ease my family into roleplaying.

Savage Worlds - a pulp action, universal TTRPG that could be set anywhere, in any time period, with crazy exploding dice to heighten the fun.

Talisman Adventures - another absolute nostalgia trip for me, and since I can't get my hands on the board game (it seems something of a collector's item these days), the Talisman TTRPG could bring me back to the countless hours spent in the Talisman universe as a tween.

Image by Pegasus Spiele

What's next?

And there you have it, a couple of months research into many of the great TTRPG systems out there, with five I want to run campaigns for, and three to play solo. I will dig into each of these now, either with my group, or solo, and report back through the year on my experiences. All in the name of helping me to become a better Game Master, tailoring the mechanics and the setting to the players, experimenting with (and on) them in the hope of one day creating my own piece of work in this space.