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Forums » Smalltalk » AMA: TableTop RPG Game Master [multiple systems]

Hey! I love ttrpgs and am a big fan of non-D&D [and D&D] games. I've ran and played D&D 5e/2024, Blades In The Dark, Pathfinder 2e, Vampire: The Masquerage v5, and more. I'm also a fan of making things less intimidating and giving Forever-GMs a break to actually play their PC backlog. Please, if you want to learn to run a ttrpg game [online or in person], ask away. :)
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Do you have a favorite system to run in? What about one you really want to run but have never had a chance to?
justanotherLoreguy Topic Starter

My favorite system to run so far has been Blades In The Dark, but it's been hard to get people to play it with me reliably. I even made a flavor port for it I call "Rapture in the Dark" to make it Bioshock themed.

I really really want to run Adventure Skeletons or Deadlands. Adventure Skeletons because it's so silly & unserious, and Deadlands because I like the dice explosion rule & drawing playing crds for initiative is so unique. Also because Weird West is just a cool setting.
Which system do you prefer - DND 2014 or DND 2024?
justanotherLoreguy Topic Starter

I love the variety of 2014, it has some of my favorite subclasses [Twilight Cleric, Watchers Paladin, Fathomless Warlock], but the 2024 spells are, for what I use, a pretty solid glow-up. I guess I like mixing both rather than preferring one or the other.
justanotherLoreguy wrote:
I love the variety of 2014, it has some of my favorite subclasses [Twilight Cleric, Watchers Paladin, Fathomless Warlock], but the 2024 spells are, for what I use, a pretty solid glow-up. I guess I like mixing both rather than preferring one or the other.
Is that viable? I ask because I've dug my heels in on 2014, but if it's possible to mix and match, that changes things a bit.
justanotherLoreguy Topic Starter

So far it's been pretty easy to mix-and match yeah. I have some players who wanted 2014 species but we were using 2024 for everything else, it was easy enough to use the old species and just take the stat bonuses from the 2024 background instead.
Hey! Have you ever played Wildsea? I'm still very new to ttrpgs and I've been playing a couple one shots of various games at my local game store. We did a one shot of Wildsea a few weeks ago and I absolutely fell in love with it. I'm hoping to do more with the game, but I've not run into too many who play. I would really like to GM a game one dsy in the future!
justanotherLoreguy Topic Starter

I've yet to play Wildsea but it looks so cool! I'd love to play it at least once. And I know some GMing tricks carry over through systems, so I can try and do my best to talk basics :]
Is there a system you'd suggest (or suggest avoiding) to someone who's never GM'd before but wants to try?

I assume for someone who's at least played a bit, the suggestion would be for a system they're already familiar with, but what about for someone who's rarely or never played, or who hasn't played in any given system more than once or twice?

As an addition or alternative question, what suggestions would you offer a new GM for picking a system, or even just in general? Like, some common big hurdle or mistake or something, how they can avoid/overcome such issues.
justanotherLoreguy Topic Starter

1. For someone who's rarely played, I'd recommend something simple. One page rpgs like "You Awaken In A Strange Place" and "Adventure Skeletons" are an excellent way to dip ones toes into the water without a major monetary investment [or piracy]. Or, if one has watched actual plays of a ttrpg [Critical Roll, Oxventure, Chaotic Neutral to name a few] that would also be a decent place to begin. I'd say avoid rules-heavy or "crunchy" systems like Pendragon, Pathfinder 1E, The Dark Eye, or some World of Darkness ttrpgs [looking at Mage with a 10ft pole] because they make use of a lot of convoluted and complicated mechanics, even in character creation, that make it very easy to get lost.

2. In terms of picking a new system, always pick something where you like the mechanics, not just the flavor. It always sucks to love the vibes of a game then find out you actually hate one of the core mechanics and would rather take the game's vibe and homebrew it into another game. That's kind of where I'm at with Werewolf: The Apocalypse tbh. Love the vibes, what the heck is this combat. And, if you really like a game's vibe but not the mechanics, no one can stop you from reflavoring a ttrpg you like into the ttrpg you want.

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