Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Looking for something new
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 9291748" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>As I often do when these kinds of threads come up, I’m going to recommend Spire: The City Must Fall.</p><p></p><p>It ticks pretty much every box you've listed. The core mechanics fit on one page, and are easy to explain and understand. The system allows for consequences of multiple types, so it’s not all just combat (though there can be plenty of that, if you like). This means things veer off in unexpected directions.</p><p></p><p>The setting takes many familiar fantasy elements, and presents them in a new way. So there’s a lot that’s familiar, but it becomes new. The main element is the relationship between drow and high elves. But there are also gnolls and humans and gutterkin (a kind of goblin/kobold catchall). There are certainly fantastic elements… deities and religions and magic and wizardry… but also more modern elements, too… guns and printing presses and elevators and the like. </p><p></p><p>Oh and a haunted train system that’s tapped into a tear in reality and runs through alternate dimensions and timelines. </p><p></p><p>The basic premise is that the PCs are drow revolutionaries in the mile high city of Spire. They once rules the city, but a couple hundred years ago, the high elves took over. Since then, they’ve subjugated the drow, forcing them to work a durance, and sending many if them off as conscripts to fight a war with the gnolls of Far Nujab.</p><p></p><p>The PCs are members of a clandestine organization whose goal is to subvert high elf rule however they can. Outright revolution is not likely, but small acts of insurrection, sabotage, and skullduggery are possible. This lends itself to either a short game or one shot that revolves around a single mission, or a more long form campaign of the same cell over time.</p><p></p><p>It’s an excellent game with a fantastic core book. Even better, there’s a quickstart you can download in PDF for free from the publisher’s (Rowan, Rook, and Decard) site. So you can check it out without cost, and decide if you like it enough to pick up the core book.</p><p></p><p>There are also three campaign frames that you can download for free from their site. These are “adventure module” type scenarios, though they’re more situations that can be exploited than they are adventures to play through. The game doesn’t really lend itself to high amounts of prep given the abilities that the PCs have to change things up.</p><p></p><p>Again, I think it hits all your criteria. It’s a fun game that allows for a lot of player creativity and proactivity. The setting is evocative and strange, but still relatable.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 9291748, member: 6785785"] As I often do when these kinds of threads come up, I’m going to recommend Spire: The City Must Fall. It ticks pretty much every box you've listed. The core mechanics fit on one page, and are easy to explain and understand. The system allows for consequences of multiple types, so it’s not all just combat (though there can be plenty of that, if you like). This means things veer off in unexpected directions. The setting takes many familiar fantasy elements, and presents them in a new way. So there’s a lot that’s familiar, but it becomes new. The main element is the relationship between drow and high elves. But there are also gnolls and humans and gutterkin (a kind of goblin/kobold catchall). There are certainly fantastic elements… deities and religions and magic and wizardry… but also more modern elements, too… guns and printing presses and elevators and the like. Oh and a haunted train system that’s tapped into a tear in reality and runs through alternate dimensions and timelines. The basic premise is that the PCs are drow revolutionaries in the mile high city of Spire. They once rules the city, but a couple hundred years ago, the high elves took over. Since then, they’ve subjugated the drow, forcing them to work a durance, and sending many if them off as conscripts to fight a war with the gnolls of Far Nujab. The PCs are members of a clandestine organization whose goal is to subvert high elf rule however they can. Outright revolution is not likely, but small acts of insurrection, sabotage, and skullduggery are possible. This lends itself to either a short game or one shot that revolves around a single mission, or a more long form campaign of the same cell over time. It’s an excellent game with a fantastic core book. Even better, there’s a quickstart you can download in PDF for free from the publisher’s (Rowan, Rook, and Decard) site. So you can check it out without cost, and decide if you like it enough to pick up the core book. There are also three campaign frames that you can download for free from their site. These are “adventure module” type scenarios, though they’re more situations that can be exploited than they are adventures to play through. The game doesn’t really lend itself to high amounts of prep given the abilities that the PCs have to change things up. Again, I think it hits all your criteria. It’s a fun game that allows for a lot of player creativity and proactivity. The setting is evocative and strange, but still relatable. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Looking for something new
Top