What Is Your Go-To Pick-Up TTRPG?

[Reynard]

Freinds you haven't seen in a while ask you to run a TTRPG for them TONIGHT. You have nothing prepared, but access to your TTRPG collection/library/whatever. They are ambivalent about what game to play, and you think they will like whatever you run. So, what do you run?

What is your go-to pick up game? What game are you most inclined to, comfortable with, like most, etc... so that you will run it on the fly without much notice. Do you grab a well worn module? Run it completely without prep? How often do you run pick up games anyway?

 

[kronovan]

Haven't been in that situation, but were I to be, SWADE would probably be my go-to. Mostly because I've homebrewed a lot for it and also have a decent library of 1st & 3rd party content for it, across virtually all genres. It's also one of the TTRPGs that I feel comforable creating NPC/Extras on the fly. If the friends were comfortable with a more narrative style of play, FAE or Fate Core would also be considerations for many of the same reasons.

 

[Deset Gled]

Freinds you haven't seen in a while ask you to run a TTRPG for them TONIGHT. You have nothing prepared, but access to your TTRPG collection/library/whatever. They are ambivalent about what game to play, and you think they will like whatever you run. So, what do you run?

Access to a VTT virtually negates the premise of having literally "nothing" prepared. One of the joys of technology is that I have access to a small library of prepared stuff. Both in the form of games and campaigns that I've worked on before, or adventures that I can buy and instantly have access to. Working from that basis, 5e is the game that I've sunk the most VTT resources into (Roll20). So that would be my default answer.

As for getting the adventure set up, one option is to just hack something together as fast as possible, stealing material from old games as needed. Another is to go the marketplace and spend some cash on a one-shot (or just some resources, maps, etc). It really comes down to how much time I have to work with; the less time you give me, the more likely I am to buy my way out of the problem.

 

[payn]

Almost never run pick ups anymore. If I had one days notice, probably a Cthulhu one shot or game of Fiasco.

Although, makes me think I should have Bladerunner and Cowboy Bebop one shots in my back pocket. Too busy to get them done tho.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

These days, I'm absolutely going to reach for Cyberpunk Red. I can grab some pregens and come up with a quick scenario in no time.

If they were to specifically want a fantasy RPG, once I would've said DCC RPG, but I'm kinda in holding mode with that, waiting to see whether Goodman Games is going to continue a relationship with the current Judges Guild owners. So maybe Shadowdark?

 

[Staffan]

I'd give SWADE and The Eye of Kilquato a whirl.

 

[jdrakeh]

For years it was Risus (with The Isle of Dread, but set in the 1930s and repurposed as a "lost world" adventure) or The Window (the latter with the free setting, The Stage). These days, it's my own game, Front Range Minimalist.

 

[Reynard]

75% of the time I'm SWADE, unless I want dungeon fantasy, in which case Shadowdark. I'd probably go with Daggerheart over 5E for heroic fantasy at this point, too.

 

[Morrus]

Awfully Cheerful Engine. I can run it easily with zero prep off the top of my head, and players can learn the rules in like 5 minutes max.

 

[Campbell]

Into The Odd, Mork Borg or Apocalypse World. CBR + PNK looks like it might get up there.