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  1. Thondor

    Three Free RPG Day Games of Fall of Magic

    Looking forward to reading it when you get to it! I had someone compare my game God-Killer Prophecy to playing Fall of Magic and since I haven't played that, it's very nice to see some write-ups of actual plays for FoM.
  2. Thondor

    Any Supers Game that feels Super?

    Designer of Simple Superheroes here (which may go back to it's variant name Superheroes Unleashed in it's next edition.) If you want a game that runs fairly trad, but you can quickly brainstorm your own unique powers, have a look. It also provides Relations for your heroes to care about, which...
  3. Thondor

    The Monster Overhaul Is More Than A Mere Manual

    I've been very happy that we (Compose Dream Games) has been able to make it available in print and in PDF for both Canada and now the UK. Canada: The Monster Overhaul United Kingdom (and EU): The Monster Overhaul Your FLGS can also order it in for you from us! The book is already on it's 3rd...
  4. Thondor

    RPG Systems that allow for characters of diverse levels of Power

    That's an interesting point. Narrative magnitude can be a pretty real thing. In Simple Superheroes #0 people start with a choice of three arrays to pick. Focused, Standard, or Well-rounded. Focused get fewer higher ranked talents, while well-rounded get more lower ranked talents. Focused...
  5. Thondor

    What's the term for these type of RPGs?

    Interesting, the last one in particular seem to match my Scenario Game definition, which I don't think I have actually heard anyone use before! I would agree that "Zine" is just format. A short "half-sized" saddle-stitched book. There's some overlap but there's plenty of adventures for other...
  6. Thondor

    D&D 5E I don’t really care what rules the players use.

    This is a refreshing take, and a freeing one. I recall a story about Dave Arneson running games at conventions and handing out character sheets from different editions (3e, Basic, AD&D and I believe something else entirely like Adventures in Fantasy maybe). Some of the players were naturally...
  7. Thondor

    What's the term for these type of RPGs?

    Exactly, there are always borderline cases. Lots of starter sets for RPGs or similar might come with maps, dice, figures etc too, but that isn't the expected norm.
  8. Thondor

    What's the term for these type of RPGs?

    Alright, this has been percolating for a bit. I think I would go with: Scenario Games. Think of it as an Adventure+System. They are written to facilitate a relatively narrow story -- much like a scenario or adventure for a larger system -- but include all the necessary mechanics and context to...
  9. Thondor

    What's the term for these type of RPGs?

    I spent a chunk of today chatting with a boardgame cafe owner at OtonaCon in Peterborough about RPGs, storygames, and the border between boardgames and these. They are often pretty blurry. Once a game is GMless it can be more so. To me the main difference is two-fold -- a) a boardgame...
  10. Thondor

    RPG Print News – Chaosium, Space Penguin Ink, and More

    There's a premium on the Leatherette versions. Regular covers are notably less.
  11. Thondor

    How to Make a Fantasy Sandbox vs. Sandbox Generator

    I enjoyed reading some of @robertsconley blog posts and I'm pretty tempted to pick up the book! Most recently I have considered running the "underdark" style hexcrawls in AA#23 Down the Shadowvein and it's sequel AA#24 The Mouth of the Shadowvein because of the somewhat linear river and...
  12. Thondor

    Ways of players getting Ability Scores - I require some help!

    @_HERETIC_ Looks like you are new here on ENworld, so if you have read and played dozens of very different RPGs . . . then what follows doesn't apply. My best advice to someone who is looking to design a system is combine things you like from multiple (at least two) different games that you...
  13. Thondor

    Ways of players getting Ability Scores - I require some help!

    You need to specify your DnD edition ;) Your description I take to mean 3ed + versions. If you only ever use ability attribute modifiers and never use the actual scores for anything, then you do not need the scores. Many games use just modifiers that are actually used in rolls and these are...
  14. Thondor

    Ways of players getting Ability Scores - I require some help!

    Hot take: Unless you plan to have your system uses ability checks where you roll under their value (i.e. make a dex check -- Frank the Fighters dex is 12 -- he roles 3d6 or a d20 and hopes to get 12 or under) don't have attributes like this. Have a -2 to +3. Got six stats? Give them 6 points...
  15. Thondor

    What makes an TTRPG a "Narrative Game" (Daggerheart Discussion)

    The first "writer's room" game I encountered (played it at an event) was Universalis (first release in 2002, very Forge Era). I pretty much described it that way before I heard the term (it feels like you are a bunch of writers brainstorming a movie or TV series.) Most systems I've played along...
  16. Thondor

    My Comic & Game store got broken into and burgled.

    Looks like your store is in BC, Canada? If you'd like I'd be happy to send a little package of Canadian RPGs from ComposeDreamGames.com your way as a "that sucks and here's a small way we can help." You are welcome to send me a PM to talk further.
  17. Thondor

    Your TTRPG Design Principles?

    There's a lot I could say on this topic and I intend to respond to some specifics of others thoughts. Here's some of mine: A1: Each of my game designs should have its own set of design principles/goals. (Otherwise why make a new game? The "A"s below are other apriori items.) A2: Mechanics and...
  18. Thondor

    D&D (2024) Scaling monsters in the Monster Manual?

    I don't feel like scaling at all levels is useful. I do like how Pendelhaven Publishing scaled both their Creatures of Fairy-tale and Myth 5e and Creatures of Fairy-tale and Myth for Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok. Both have configurations for all 50 or so monsters at 5 different tiers. Those...
  19. Thondor

    OSR The Monster Overhaul

    Ah . . . thanks for letting me know. Corrected!
  20. Thondor

    OSR The Monster Overhaul

    Skerples has already started work on "The Treasure Overhaul" which seems pretty sweet. His two most recent blog posts on Coins and Scrolls cover it and provide a couple downloads. My own recent big project was launching an indie RPG distributor in the UK to match the one I run in Canada ;) So...
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