Greetings all!
It’s that time of the month where I get this god-forsaken itch to learn a new rpg system to GM. That said, I’m looking for a group of players who might be interested in playing with me and have the patience and creativity to make a short one-shot fun.
Each person can cast up to three votes for something that catches their interest.
Here are the games I’m considering. Many of them I have intro adventures for, and pre-made characters available. Hope you find something you’re interested in.
Starfinder
I’m excited to give this a shot, but am not confident that I could run a game without a module of sorts to provide the structure, and currently I have not purchased The Incident of Absalom Station, the first of the Dead Suns Adventure Path. Still…I’ll throw it up as an option.
Open Legend
Successfully kick-started, Open Legend is a system that promises to bring your diverse and unique character ideas to life. Rules are available online, and aims to be flexible. There exits a setting of both magic and mad science, Amaera’s dawn, so any sort of character your heart desires can come to light.
City of Mists
A noir-fantasy, the residents of this city are all in some way attuned to certain themes, mythos, powers, etc. From blinking in and out of existence, to becoming a zombie, the key to surviving is balancing what makes you supernatural with what makes you natural. The game gives you a series of ‘tags’ of which you can apply bonuses based on them. Seems like a lot of fun, and universal enough to create all sorts of interesting characters.
Polaris
Dystopian society that exists beneath the waves of the ocean. The game uses a modified version of the familiar d20 resolution mechanic: roll a d20, add a number, and hope that you hit a target number. However, unlike other d20 based games, you want to roll low to succeed here. It’s a great world that I haven’t seen a lot of (underwater societies) and I’d be willing to put in the reading time to get a handle on the system.
Tales from the Loop
Live out your childhood again with a bit of help from themes that come from the Stranger Things, IT, and such. You play children archetypes in the late 80’s. The core mechanic is simple, to make a skill roll, you simply grab a number of dice for your attribute score, skill level and gear, and roll them all together. You need at least one six to succeed, and extra sixes can give bonus effects.
13th Age
A cross between 3rd edition D&D but plays faster. This game really puts flavor into being unique as a character and creates bonds between your character and the ‘powers that be’ already established in the universe. It’s a game where while you’re adventuring, your connections will come into play like the rest of your skills.
Legend of the Flame Princess
This is based on the OSR system, and can get really, really (I’m completely serious here) strange. Horrifically Strange. Perhaps even a little too mature for most. But the content is meant to be catered by the GM so the players aren’t horrified. That alone is my burden
Cypher System
The Cypher system is a bit odd when putting together characters (you have a class, descriptor, and specialty of sorts) but can create some very fun characters. A bit odd if you’re used to things like Pathfinder and D&D, but not bad. Alone, it can be many different settings and can be unique on its own, or emulate things such as Mass Effect or Skyrim.
-Predation
A Cypher System game that takes place in (stay with me here) a cyberpunk dystopia of rebellious time travelers who visit the prehistoric age of dinosaurs. They get cut off from their time and are unable to return while battle the corporations that have set up shop here, all the while the meteor that supposedly started the Ice Age is said to be coming around this time. Highlights of this setting is everyone gets a dinosaur/prehistoric mammal companion which is actually played by another player.
-Gods of the Fall
You wake up in a world of Gods, where those on highest of pedestals have fallen. Struggle to discover your divinity and ascend to take their place. With themes touching almost every aspect of religion, mythos, and life, how you go from mundane to epic divinity is up to you.
-Numenera
The Cypher System’s most popular setting. There have been 13 great civilizations in Earth’s history, and even a billion years later, the planet is fine though the sun should have consumed it by now. Explore a world where most folks struggle to earn a living, but the exceptional look to discover the wondrous and miraculous devices of unknown origin and use named, Numenera.
Apocalypse System
A system designed to show character growth rather than pure stats, this is a popular system that has exploded with different settings and genre in the past couple years.
-Monster Hearts 2
This game explores some pretty mature themes. Sexuality, Violence, your hot vampire boyfriend, your suicidal already dead ghoul girlfriend, and more. If we go with this one, I need to be absolutely sure this game will not implode and every player can separate character from themselves. There is no winning, only the end of the story.
-Uncharted Worlds
Space game with Apocolypse World mechanics. Not much to say here except the system is simple enough to emulate one of the many science fiction games we all love.
-The Fellowship
Lord of the Rings, or other journey games where the character develops and grow as they travel to make one goal successful. Also can emulate Avatar the last air bender, or just the vague in-between that these two shows give. You will be actively messed with by me playing as the overlord, but it's a decent setting.
I am a pretty big fan of The 13th Age though I haven't played it since near its release.
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RE: Starfinder
For a one-shot game, I'd recommend picking up a Starfinder Society Adventure (or the free Quest "series") as they are designed to be run in a short term; the Quests in particular are designed to introduce a number of the rules and have the benefit of being free. EDIT: Link to Into The Unknown Quests
Good luck with whichever game you run!
I'd be interested. I read through the 13th Age book once, but never had a chance to play, so second that. The other ones that sounded interesting to me were
Gods of the Fall
Numenera
Open Legend
Polaris
Uncharted Worlds
(I put them in alphabetical order... my way of not expressing a preference between them.)
I, so far, feel really limited by Starfinder so I don't want to play in another game of that, and I'm not into the horror genre, so I don't really prefer to try anything horrifying or "too mature," but I'd be willing to try anything on your list with a good GM, which I know you are. :)
... and I'm not trying to knock Starfinder at all. If everyone wants to play that, cool. I just feel like I can't do anything effectual in my two games, but that could also be a side effect of being first level. :)
I would love to test run with you. My preferences would be: Starfinder,
Gods of the fall and something in the Cypher system. This sounds really fun!
Got a few votes in so far, currently:
13th Age: 1
Starfinder: 1
Gods of the Fall: 1
Cypher System: 1
@ Reckless
I'll have to look into that. Thanks!
@ Zanbebe
If you don't want to actually vote, that's fine. But I'll most likely be deciding among the top 3.
Numenera or Gods of the Fall sound interesting. My vote goes for Cypher.
Hmm... okay, with the narrowed choices, I guess I'll vote for ... er... um... Gods of the Fall, because it sounded super interesting.
13th Age: 1
Starfinder: 1
Gods of the Fall: 3
Cypher System: 2
Numenera: 1
I'd be interested. As far as votes, literally anything Powered by the Apocalypse gets my top vote. Starfinder and 13th Age are close behind, though.
Numenera is pretty awesome. I'd also try Lamentations of the Flame Princess if there's an SRD somewhere.
13th Age: 1
Starfinder: 1
Gods of the Fall: 4
Cypher System: 2
Numenera: 2
Open Legends: 1
Lamentations of the Flame Princess: 1
Fellowship: 1
MonsterHearts 2: 1
Uncharted Worlds: 1
I'll keep this interest check going for a while longer, but looks like Gods of the Fall is pulling ahead.
I guess I'd be in for Tales from the Loop or Polaris. :)
Interested in Numenera and Monster Hearts.
13th Age: 1
Starfinder: 1
Gods of the Fall: 4
Cypher System: 2
Numenera: 1
Open Legends: 1
Lamentations of the Flame Princess: 1
Fellowship: 1
MonsterHearts 2: 2
Uncharted Worlds: 1
Polaris: 1
Tales from the Loop: 1
Interested in Gods of the Fall and Fellowship
I've got several Starfinder characters made, just to try to learn the system. If you can play Pathfinder, Starfinder is 80% the same, IMHO.
If I can suggest one a couple of d20 games not you your list that I've been itching to try:
Anachronistic Adventures by Owen K. Stephens, published by Rogue Genius Games. It's a Pathfinder version of Pulp Fiction and it could also work as Steampunk.
The other is also Pathfinder compatible, called Pure Steam Campaign Setting, published by ICOSA Entertainment. Steampunk.
Those familiar with Pathfinder would find these a pretty gentle learning curve. They have new classes or archetypes. Pure Steam has a sample adventure module at the back.
13th Age: 1
Starfinder: 2
Gods of the Fall: 5
Cypher System: 2
Numenera: 1
Open Legends: 1
Lamentations of the Flame Princess: 1
Fellowship: 1
MonsterHearts 2: 2
Uncharted Worlds: 1
Polaris: 1
Tales from the Loop: 1
Clebsch73
I actually have that steam setting, but I wanted to take a stab at a quick one-shot to get my bearings of a system. Though, I do have ideas of a possible steampunk pathfinder game.