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#RPGaDAY2023 day1:

My first #RPG was #Pathfinder in the mid-2010s. My getting in contact with it was two-fold: I became aware of #ttrpg late (in my 30s), asked in a game store how my gf and I could try and they told me of starter boxes. #PFRPG just because it was the only one available then and there.

Not much later, some #mmorpg friends started an online group (also newbies, but they had just built a simple web #vtt as a hobby project ) and by pure accident that was also in PF.

(1/2)

The first experience was really nice. Even with only two players, it worked well (GM-less, 2 PCs each) and the adventure and the pre-gens gave us a very focused experienced. But of course, it was more like a board game than anything else.

The second one was fun, but not ideal in many ways. Mainly because the combination of system, GM style, group setup and our combined lack of experience didn't work out (I think I can elaborate some with tomorrow's question). (2/2)

Deutsch: #RPGaDAY2023 Tag 1:

Mein erstes #pnpde war #Pathfinder Mitte der 2010er. Das sogar in doppelter Hinsicht:
Ich wurde spät (erst in meinen 30ern) so richtig auf Rollenspiele aufmerksam und fragte in einem Spieleladen, wie meine Freundin und ich das mal ausprobieren könnten. Man empfahl mir Starterboxen und es wurde PF, weil es das einzige gerade lagernde war.

(1/4)

#RPGaDAY2023 day 2:
The starter box aside, my first GM was the guy that had also done most work on that #VTT-thing.
It was a fun experience, but some things didn't work out at all. No blame on him - I would have probably done much worse myself back then. But I think there are lessons to be learned from it that I'd like to share here (definitely not complete new-GM-advice or even universal, but some points that would have definitely helped this group).

(1/4)
#ttrpg

0 - Don't be intimidated - as written above, we all had fun although a lot went "wrong"

1 - Get info on the systems, don't just play the first that comes along (full PF was much too complex for most of us)

2 - Don't dive into a big campaign head first, better go with one-shots first to get some experience. Best even try out different things to find out what you all like.

3 - Try to be flexible for deviations, sometimes they're the most fun.

(2/4)

4 - Take your time to prepare, at least read ahead what's coming in the next session (when going with ready-made products). Reading along during the session hardly ever works.

5 - You don't need to read everything to the players and there's also info in the books that's only for the GM!

6 - It's always better to play out social interactions instead of just handing out everything the NPC knows

7 - Agree on the desired play style and power level and best create characters together.

(3/4)

8 - If you don't have a clue about 7 yet (you probably won't), just go with something, but adapt once you all know better (or reroll for the next session - see 2)

9 - Write down the most common mechanics with modifiers etc. and have the players do it for theirs - discussing for half an hour every session how an attack roll is calculated is not fun.

10 - Talk to each other, you should have fun together. It's also absolutely ok to say when you're stuck and need a break or to ask for help.

(4/4)

#RPGaDAY2023 day 3: My first purchase ever was #PFRPG (no surprise if you read my last two days).

This year I'm not exactly sure - I bought multiple starter boxes in the first months of this and the end of last year to have more of the popular RPGs to try out (and have a broad selection of them available for the beginner groups I sometimes do).

It could actually be #pf2e , but also #Hexxen1733 , #dnd5e, #CyberpunkRED or #TheOneRing

#RPGaDay2023 day 4:
My two most recent purchases were last week, only minutes apart. First #HumbleBundle's Book Bundle of #Bethesda #ttrpg & #3dprinting files ( #modiphiusgames stuff), which I got mostly for the STLs and #fomo.

Second, I took part in the preorder of @systemmatters' german translation for #DCC #Lankhmar. I still haven't played DCC yet and only started reading Leiber's books afterwards, but it seems to be a really fascinating setting and rules supplement.
https://www.system-matters.de/211919/vorbestellung-dungeon-crawl-classics-lankhmar/

#RPGaDay2023 Day 5:

Unless I've forgotten something, that was probably a #DSA4 one-shot we played at a small con once (I think it was at the #HeldenCon in #Marchtrenk (near #Linz/ #Wels), #Austria - must have been around 2018).
I usually tend to play new(er) games, just because I don't have a long running group and most PUGs offer current systems.
There's old-school stuff in it, though.

And did I tell you I had my first-ever round of actual #dnd (any ed.!) only two months ago?

#RPGaDay2023 Day 6:

#FateRPG*

That game is jinxed for me. Was looking for opportunities to try out for literal years. Everytime I found something, the group was full or whatever.

Then, about a year ago, I finally had an appointment and - guess what - right then I got Covid two days earlier and wasn't able to attend.
At that point, I've given up and don't really care about it or look for anything anymore.

*I'd have preferred #fateaccelerated , but would have been fine with #fatecore

#RPGaDay2023 day 7:

#PbtA
I haven't played many representatives yet, so I'll stay with the family as a whole.
I think "smart" is just the right term for it. Reminds me of Apple: it didn't really invent the concepts, but it evolved and combined them to create something refined and unique. And, very much unlike Apple, everything openly shared with the community, it keeps on growing and fanning out into very special themes (often carrying their respective vibes perfectly).

#RPGaDay2023 day 8:

My favourite character (mainly PCs) is actually an empty hull.
Predefined as shallowly as possible and ready to be filled with what we discover about their present and past in play.

That's my preferred approach when I'm a player and even more so when I'm GM.

"Don't tell me about your PC, let me get to know them!"
(Or: show, don't tell)

Sadly, I don't encounter many players that like (or at least dare to try) that, too.

#RPGaDay2023 day 9:

First of all, some kind of randomness (dice or alternatives) is important and is what differentiates #ttrpg from pure storytelling (which is not better or worse, just something else) for me.
Where that randomness comes from, is not that important.
But:
In regards to the number of die faces, d20 was a wise decision for calculation with its 5% steps.
But myself, I prefer the normal distribution of multiple dice.

And of course there are dice sets I like, but they change...

#RPGaDay day 10:
There are tie-ins that I like, sure. But I'm not sure I ever liked one because they are tie-ins. Especially #dnd.
The last #dnd-movie, for example, I would have probably liked better if it had just been some generic fantasy.

The only thing that could count here because of its special setting is a handful of short stories I read from the #WoD #Vampire background (as well as the #vtmbloodlines game). But I don't know that #ttrpg at all, so I couldn't really count that, either.

The above was in reference to #ttrpg-tie-ins. Generally, for other media, there are some I really enjoyed - like the Thrawn-books for #StarWars (probably my favourite) or some of the #WH40k novels.

#RPGaDay day 11:
I don't think I've actually played a really weird game yet. Ok, parts of #mutantyearzero's setting have a weird touch. And #nibiru's character backgrounds sounded extremely weird at first read. But they both feel perfectly sensible within their games.

In play, my weirdest experience was a round of #Pathfinder's "We be Goblins" that I GM'd as a filler one-shot between our no-nonsense #PFRPG campaign, when our usual GM needed a break.
(1/2)
#ttrpg

The group spent the whole session at the initial party (originally just supposed to be some simple tutorial rolls iirc) doing all sorts of fun, games, drinks and pranks. All kinds of weird stuff, basically everything except the "serious" #ttrpg'ing we were used to. It seems we were all hungry for a different kind of playing at that point.
(2/2)

#RPGaDay day 12:

The only #ttrpg I currently play semi-regularly is the #savageworlds mod #thabor. So this also makes it today's answer (no, it's not old at all...).

What I would still play is probably everything, given the right circumstances (group, schedule, GM-style etc). But instead of the real old stuff, it's probably more likely it'd be something #osr.

#RPGaDay day 13:
I'll interpret today's question a bit more freely and decide for an NPC. To be precise, an opponent whose demise 7 years ago I remember better than deaths of my own PCs this year.

It was a really hard fight in #PFRPG, mainly because we were trying to catch him alive for questioning, which was very important for most of our party.

I was fighting him face to face with my paladin, getting beat up badly, not wanting to use my weapon but only shield and fist.
(1/3)
#ttrpg

At the same time, the rogue kept plinking away with arrows because he just didn't care. Luckily he was missing a lot and I could finally knock him out before we risked to kill him or had losses ourselves (it really was a close one).
So there he was, unconscious in front of us, and we were searching through our gear for some rope to tie him up.
Mr. Rogue had other priorities and collected his arrows. Including the ones that were stuck in our opponent's stomach.
(2/3)

One die roll later, we turned around to see the person we risked so much to catch him alive bleed to death.
With that, Cadhelm the Paladin had had enough and he finally could not reconcile it with his conscience to fight side by side with such unscrupulous types and he continued his holy quest separately from the group.
(actually I had been tired of playing a defensive lawful stupid in that campaign, but this was a wonderful reason to quit in style).

(3/3)

#RPGaDay2023 day 14:
The third edition of #beyondthewall's German translation (the first as hardcover iirc) is my only Con purchase to date. I got everyone from the small publisher @systemmatters available at the booth to sign it.

I bought it at the only #ttrpg sales con I ever visited, the last ever #RPC (2018) in # #cologne. While it was an interesting experience, it's not something I need regularly - I much prefer the smaller regional playing cons.

#RPGaDay2023 day 15: I usually attend cons as a player only, usually trying to experience games I don't know yet.

What worked well for me in similar occasions (#freerpgday, spontaneous GMing when all rounds at the con are full) is something in #BeyondTheWall, based on one of the random table modules, but adapted to what comes up in the village and character generation.
My main goal then is to leave room for the players' ideas and go with the flow.

#RPGaDay2023 day 16:
Most of the time, I just get what I'd like (or save for it etc.). But sometimes there's stuff that just isn't available or I won't get because it's too much of a hassle (or cost) to get.

Last one among them was #DnD5e that I wanted to get in digital version (#WotC just doesn't offer one I can own and use on my devises as I wish, so I won't get it). Probably I won't buy it in print either, because I'm tired of these business practices.

#RPGaDay day 17:
I haven't tried any #ttrpg *system* yet that would qualify as funny per se (and couldn't really imagine it).
Practically every "normal" round I had (outside horror and things like that) would have its comic relieve moments and I often help create them. But I remember 2 that stand out:
One was the #PFRPG "We be Goblins" session I already mentioned for prompt 11 ("weirdest"). I think the complete session was kind of a comic relieve for the campaign at that point.

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The other was a #DnD5e Con round two months ago (my only ever #dnd round yet) - random people (that hadn't known each other before!) and their characters just clicked and we created funny situations and dialogs together all the time. All while still playing the plot seriously.
In fact, the round was so good that we've arranged an online sequel, which happens to be tomorrow. But I'm afraid we'll be a bit disappointed because the magic of that day probably can't just be repeated.
(2/2)
#ttrpg

#RPGaDay2023 Dieses Jahr habe ich eine zweites Exemplar von Coyote & Crow gebraucht gekauft, da uns Setting und System gefällt kann uns ein zweites regelwerk im Haus auf jeden Fall helfen. Das Spiel dürfte in den Bereich Solarpunk fallen. Es wurde von American Natives komplett erdacht und handelt auf einem Kontinent der nie kolonisiert wurde. Auf jeden Fall ein Blick wert. #ttrpg #pnpde

@FriendlyFiend @gorobar @systemmatters pretty much, was my first #ttrpg and I am playing this with my current group including the expansion