Let's Talk About Our Year In TTRPGs

[Reynard]

So how was your 2025 as it relates to TTRPGs? What did you play and/or run? Did you start and/or finish campaigns? Did you try new games? What did you buy? What did you get rid of? Did you go to any conventions or other organized events? Did you host any cons or other organized events? What was the highlight? The low point?

I'll be more detailed later when I have time, but I want to say my highlight ws first getting, then running at a convention Daggerheart. I really like the game and am looking forward to it dominating my weekly play in 2026 (once I finish this D&D 2024 campaign).

 

[payn]

Traveller 'goose 2E Pirates of Drinax campaign (GM). Was going well online until this summer hit and all my players have kids and busy stuff that even online wasnt working for us

Joined up a F2F Fading Suns session that is bi-weekly. Lots of political intrigue so im very happy. This system is like a cross between Traveller and 3E D&D.

Lots and lots of Battletech. I've been running narrative events and campaigns. Playing weekly at the FLGS.

For conventions I went to Adepticon for the first time at its new home in Milwaukee. Love the city and the dealer hall was amazeballs. My games could have used some more variety (event schedule for 2026 just dropped so im gonna mix it up more this year)

Finally, home grown Battletech only convention KSAGG in Mpls. This was my superbowl and it didnt disappoint. We had 100 attendees in 2024 and this year it increased to 150. I hosted an event with 40 players and over 20 maps of 3D terrain. I was a busy busy man. Though, my event had recieved the most call outs in the end surveys. A highlight for sure!

 

[TwoSix]

Kept on keeping on.

Friday table: My friend is primarily DMing 5e, our campaign that started in late 2023 is nearing its endpoint at 15th level. I also ran a few sessions of a fairly radical 5e experiment, with AD&D style multiclassing, class unlocks attached to dungeon items, and diegetic "gold" that acts as XP.

Thursday table: Lots of experiments and one shots. Dolmenwood was the most consistent game, but good sessions of Mork Borg, Sickest Witch, Monster of the Week as well.

Monday online group: Two 5e games, with two DMs alternating weeks. Relatively slow progress. Also did a few sessions of another 5e experiment with a "magic school", which has been well-received.

Saturday table: Finished the first arc of a military Eberron campaign, with me DMing. With 8 players to 1 GM, progress has been relatively slow. Also ran a few sessions of Daggerheart that was well-received, might move the table in that direction in 2026.

Got a few kickstarters this year; best product I got this year was the Stormlight Archive RPG.

 

[TheSword]

Good Question 2025 was a good year I would say. I’ve phrased it as the Stop, Start, Continue approach we do at work.

Stopped (or should have stopped)

• I backed the 2nd edition Alien RPG kickstarter. With a mash of enthusiasm. Then when I started reading around some of the previous 1e modules got a serious body horror reaction and felt pretty nauseous. Totally put me off. It’s all sitting in its shrink wrap unopened.
• I stopped using hosting services and paying extra for no good reason and switched to self hosting. Just took some research.
• Also cut back on some Patreons for maps and tokens. Definitely got a bit too excited there in 2025.
• Finally made a concerted effort not to engage in the politics/polarizing topics on EN World and spend more time talking about the game and campaigns I like.

Started in 2025

• I went to the UK Games Expo for the first time this year, despite only living 20 mins away. Which I enjoyed and would definitely plan better this time.
• Started my online Dragonheist/Golden Vault WFRP mash up which I’ve enjoyed a lot.
• Started running Dungeons of Drakkenheim 2024 F2F monthly which has been a joy. A real blast.
• I tried a little (1 a week) paid DMing for the first time which was a surprisingly smooth process.
• Started to play in a F2F Vecna Campaign 2024 rules which I enjoy a lot.
• Started writing a 5e Dalelands campaign instead of mapping to a published campaign. Did some writing myself following a useful thread with good advice about writing your own stuff.
• Started reading more about the hobby - some pretty good books on DMing. So You Want To Be A Games Master and Lazy Dungeon Master.
• Got the FR books which I think was a really good call. Those will get used a lot I think.

Continued in 2025

• Continued with Enemy Within WFRP now in its last legs 3 years in. Very satisfying.
• Finally finished act 3 of BG3 despite finishing Act 1 about 12 times and Act 2 about 6 times. Once was enough!

 

[Reynard]

Joined up a F2F Fading Suns session that is bi-weekly. Lots of political intrigue so im very happy. This system is like a cross between Traveller and 3E D&D.

I really like the "Price Is Right" d20 roll (highest without going over) as a way to gauge success and have considered yoinking it foer various design projects.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

2025 is notable for me as the year I walked away from the current D&D edition. Not the first time I've done so, and I imagine at some point in the future I'll be looped back in (though it would require a new edition that is dramatically streamlined from what it is now). I had been running Cyberpunk Red with the expectation that I would return to running D&D after all three core books came out and I had the time to read them. Only after reading all three, I realized that the game was no longer one I wanted to play.

One the one hand, I've found running Cyberpunk Red to be immensely freeing. On the other hand, saying "see you later" to D&D was a bit sad. And I did lose a player as a result of the switch.

Convention-wise, I just went to Origins this year. Not doing D&D Adventurers League made it different for me. I did get to dip my toes back into Shadowrun's organized play. I also tried to get out of the convention center and explore Columbus more. Wandered over to COSI.