Day 2 at #RPGaDay2023

"First RPG GAMEMASTER?"

My first Game Master ran a fantasy game using the crunchiest, most simulationistic version of GURPS rules possible. Square roots were involved. Accidents turned player characters quadriplegic.

And yet, even after two years of that, I somehow still remained enthusiastic about #ttrpg.

As for the first game *I* game mastered (these questions are a bit imprecise), I ran D&D 3rd edition around three years after I first started playing tabletop rpgs.

Day 3 at #RPGaDay2023

"First RPG bought (this year)?"

First RPG books I bought this year were the #Midderlands setting books by #MonkeyBloodDesign: a wonderful OSR-like game set in a green, gloomy, fantastical version of 17th century England.

As for the first RPG book I ever bought, that was #Eberron Campaign Setting by @hellcowkeith back in 2004. This remains by far my favorite D&D setting, with its mix of fantasy, pulp action, steampunk, and noir.

Day 4 at #RPGaDay2023

Most recent game bought?

Most recently, I bought the game Tiny Pirates. It is one of the several #TinyD6 products I own.

While this game specifically is oriented towards playing 17th century pirates, the system is flexible enough that there are versions for playing #Cthulhu games, #western, #Fantasy, and so on.

While I still haven't actually ran a TinyD6 game, I am... cautiously optimistic about this.

Day 5 at #RPGaDAY2023

Oldest game you've played?

GURPS third edition was the first #ttrpg I played. That was around the time I was just starting college, around the year 2000.

From there on, I started playing a D&D 3rd edition campaign set in the world of Legend of Five Rings. By 2003 I was ready to run my first D&D one-shot that turned into my first campaign.

Day 6 at #RPGaDAY2023

"Favorite game you never get to play."

Well, I'd really like to play in a #steampunk game, or a #pulpadventure game, or Jazz Age #CallofCthulhu game... But since the people I've played with were never really into running those things, well, I ran games like that.

So, in a way, I get to play games that I enjoy, but only as a GM.

Day 7 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

Smartest RPG you've played?

I have to steal a answer from a friend of mine: the smartest RPGs are those whose game mechanic actually leads you to attempt certain things, instead of merely telling you you can do certain things.

His example was #apocalypseworld. My example is #Gumshoe which has specific rules for gathering clues. As someone who enjoys running horror mystery games, I was really delighted to use this system instead of trying to do the same with D&D.

Day 8 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Favorite character?"

My favorite character was Rurik Kromlech, dwarven adventurer I played in our friend's #Eberron game. Think of him as a cross between your typical cliche dwarf, Indiana Jones, and simply a loud-mouthed braggart.

Years later, I found an excellent character portrait of him in Hearthstone expansion League of Explorers: Brann Bronzebeard!

Day 9 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Favorite dice?"

People like dice. People like to collect dice. Occasionally, I buy a set, but after a certain point, I don't see the point. Especially now since I mostly play online. Also, fancier sets are too expensive for me.

As a long-time #CthulhuMythos fan, I really like green dice. My favorite set is Cthulhu-themed one I got for a birthday fronm a friend years ago. Here it is with a dice bag another friend made for me as a gift. My friends are the best.

Day 10 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Favorite tie-in fiction?" (1/2)

I tried reading tie-in novels at the time I first started playing RPG-s. I read R. A. Salvatore's Dark Elf trilogy, Baldur's Gate novels, and several Forgotten Realms novels. I'm not gonna lie: they were god awful.

Day 10 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg (2/2)

Decades later I read the Vampire Genevieve omnibus, written by #KimNewman under the pen name #JackYeovil.

Stories take place in #Warhammer fantasy setting. But Newman likes old horror movies, so he inserts references to Hammer horror movies, Phantom of the Opera, or films about Jack the Ripper. These two flavors go great together, and make Vampire Genevieve stories far more entertaining than your average tie-in fiction.

#movies #horror #booktodon

Day 11 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Weirdest game you played?"

I have nothing to brag about here. All of our RPG games and campaigns have been pretty vanilla. Occasionally, we experiment with some more obscure, more indie RPG system. Yet, even then, we pretty much stick to genre conventions of horror, fantasy or what-have-you.

Day 12 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Old game you still play?"

Currently, I only get to play in Pathfinder 2 game.

On my shelf I have a whole bunch of RPG books from two decades ago.

The main one I'd be willing to run again is the 2nd edition of #WarhammerFantasyRoleplay. I like the game and simply adore the tone of the setting (grimdark via black humor).

I also have a bunch of D&D 3rd edition books for #Eberron campaign setting that are still usable for their rich flavor text.

Day 13 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Most memorable character demise?"

Years ago, a friend of mine ran Paizo's Kingmaker adventure path. My character, cleric Dagmar the Drunk died a whole bunch of times in first four adventures. So after each death, we'd build a statue commemorating his demise. I also changed his name, adding a Roman numeral each time Dagmar was brought back from the dead.

By the time we stopped playing the campaign, I was Dagmar the VII.

Day 14 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Favorite convention purchase?"

When visiting sci-fi conventions, I never buy RPG books - they are either too expensive or there simply isn't anything interesting.

Buying new and used scifi, fantasy and horror books is a whole different matter!

The only RPG-related purchase at the con I can remember was a set of Chessex D&D dice. And those aren't even my favorite set!

Day 15 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

Favorite Con module?

I don't really play RPGs much at conventions - I'm primarily there to meet and greet people, listen to the panels and hold my own lectures about some weird sci-fi pop culture trivia.

I did ran @johnharper's #LadyBlackbird one year, and that was fun. But then again, Lady Blackbird is a wonderful little RPG everyone should try. I think I ran the same adventure for at least four different groups of people over the years.

Day 16 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Game you wish you owned."

#HollowEarthExpedition was a game of #PulpAdventure inside the lost world of Hollow Earth during the 1930s. Great stuff. The book had beautiful black and white art.

I passed the chance to buy the book when I had a chance 15 years ago because it was quite expensive. Years later, its publisher went under, and there have been no new editions or printing runs since.

Nowadays, HEX books are sold online for absurd amounts of money.

Day 17 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Funniest game you played."

Well, whenever I play with my friends, it's pretty laid back. We keep making the jokes all the time. So pretty much any kind of game can be funny.

For my taste, I think we had some of the funniest sessions over a decade ago when I ran a #WarhammerFantasyRoleplay campaign. A lot of absurd situations, pitch dark humor, with a liberal dose of cliches about medieval times and so on.

Day 18 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Favorite game system?"

I really enjoy running #TrailofCthulhu based on @robindlaws' #Gumshoe system.

I was a huge fan of #xfiles as a kid. Ever since, I enjoy running supernatural horror mysteries.

Gumshoe comes with a simple yet brilliant idea: investigators' skills are divided into those that players have to roll (like Driving and Shooting) and those that ALWAYS work (everything used to gather clues).

It's a deceptively simple, yet utterly brilliant idea.

Day 19 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Favorite published adventure?"

For years I enjoyed reading #Paizo's RPG adventures - first in Dungeon magazine, and later in Pathfinder. Beautiful art, maps, descriptions, colorful details, deep and interesting lore, etc.

OSR and OSR-related adventures often pack incredible amount of quality content in very little pages. Black Wyrm of Brandonsford is a great example but there are many others as well.

Day 20 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

20. "Will still play in twenty years?"

This is actually quite a serious question. I' d love to be able to run any kind of TTRPG two decades from now. But honestly, I can't be sure. This is a hobby that demands a lot of time from players and even more from GMs.

As people get children, get jobs, get homes, and get older, free time becomes a more and more precious commodity.

Day 21 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Favorite licensed RPG?"

Uh, honestly, I can't name anything.

Maybe it's just that I'm not a fan of licensed settings, in the same way I'm not all that eager to run published adventures.

I like to come up with my own stories and worlds. It took me a while to even start running adventures in published settings like #Eberron - and I freaking LOVE Eberron.

Damn, I missed an entire week of these!

OK, let's just try to answer at least several questions today.

Day 22 at #RPGaDAY2023 #ttrpg

"Best secondhand RPG purchase?"

I'd say either GURPS Infinite Worlds or D20 #CallofCthulhu. First one was written by Ken Hite, whose works I really enjoy. Second is the first Cthulhu game I ever heard about. Even if you disregard the rules, accompanying flavor text is really, really solid.

Both of these books I bought from a local ttrpg facebook group.