What TTRPG games need more one-shot Actual Plays?

[Guy Milner]

Over on the Unconventional GMs youtube channel, myself and my co-host Gaz (of the Smart Party, the UK's premier roleplaying podcast) have been putting up TTRPG one-shots. Our USP is that they're run how we run convention games (hence the name) with pace, vim, and vigour, and a heady mix of roleplaying, action, rules engagement and silly accents, and all come in at <2hrs.

We've got a decent stable of videos up already with games from Vaesen to Brindlewood Bay to Ironsworn: Starforged, and more in the pipeline (we release Saturdays 5pm fortnightly) - but what games would you really appreciate Actual Play videos of, to showcase how you can do it in a one-shot or just demonstrate how it plays at the table? There are a million D&D and Call of Cthulhu APs out there (including ours!) but what would really help the GM community? Or any specific styles of game or approach you'd like to see - let us know below!

 

[Necropolitan]

Godbound!

It's great because it's a game about playing overpowered characters where it actually feels like you're playing an overpowered character.

The premise is that the world's broken (literally and metaphorically) and it's up to the PCs (who have become imbued with divine words of creation/become gods) to decide what they want to do about it.

The rules are simple, there's tons of ways to customize characters in terms of both flavor and mechanics/role, and the combat feels cinematic.

The core rulebook's free (you can pay for the deluxe edition to get extras) so it's super easy to get into.

 

[Guy Milner]

Godbound!

It's great because it's a game about playing overpowered characters where it actually feels like you're playing an overpowered character.

The premise is that the world's broken (literally and metaphorically) and it's up to the PCs (who have become imbued with divine words of creation/become gods) to decide what they want to do about it.

The rules are simple, there's tons of ways to customize characters in terms of both flavor and mechanics/role, and the combat feels cinematic.

The core rulebook's free (you can pay for the deluxe edition to get extras) so it's super easy to get into.

That's an excellent shout. I suspect the Sine Nomine games are a bit thin on the ground in Actual Play circles, and they're excellent. Maybe Wolves Of God (the anti-Pendragon) or Worlds Without Number would be good as well.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Grizzled Adventurers, Shadowdark and Pirate Borg would be my suggestions. All three shine in the one-shot format. (Grizzled Adventurers games especially tend to be very funny in play.)

 

[GMMichael]

. . . but what games would you really appreciate Actual Play videos of, to showcase how you can do it in a one-shot or just demonstrate how it plays at the table? There are a million D&D and Call of Cthulhu APs out there (including ours!) but what would really help the GM community?

Modos 2 would definitely be an exclusive for your channel! Most GMs haven't heard of it, but here are some ways it might help the community:

• Some of the helpful rules can be tossed into anyone's game. For example, the Take Half rule says that dice don't always need to be rolled - the roller can just halve the highest result on the die instead. There are lots of situations in which GMs don't need to be rolling, when the rules say that they do. Also see the Average Person rule as far as making ability assumptions.
• The GM's Toolkit item, Let Players Play, emphasizes a recurring facet of the game: PCs can make things up, too. Some GMs might like to see this in action if they've always had a solid grip on the narrative.
• It points to an important fact about NPCs: they don't all need stats. The first thing an NPC needs is a concept/short description. After that, just be lazy and re-skin another NPC if you really want some numbers to throw around. (PS, monsters are NPCs too!)

Modos RPG - the hyperlinked extravaganza

 

[loverdrive]

There's an obscure Russian RPG called УМЕР МУЖИК (MUJIK IS DEAD for you, westerners). It's free and short, go read it. Then, play it.

In short, it's brilliant.
In long, it's weird an innovative. From time to time I think "okay, I've seen everything there is in TTRPGs", but every time something proves me wrong.
This time, it was УМЕР МУЖИК.

It's a game without master (though we can roughly call MUJIK a game master, since he sets up the scenes) -- one of them is MUJIK, everyone else are parts of his psyche (pretty close to Bluebeard's Bride or Everyone is John, but not quite) -- the agents of toxic masculinity, trying to destroy his life.
Despite kind of goofy looks with a 4Chan meme as its cover, it is very heavy. I suspect that goofines is there to deceive you, so the tragic events unfolding in the game can hit harder.
Without fail, it produces a chilling story of a broken man, one that I've seen numerous time in real life -- a story of someone with a troubled childhood, who turns to drugs or bottle or crime, perpetrating the vicious cylce of violence and abuse. It's quite telling that "the lighter version" I've made is about lovecraftian horrors.

 

[Juxtapozbliss]

Lancer. Champions (Hero System 6e). Year Zero.

 

[Clint_L]

Dread.

 

[Guy Milner]

Lancer. Champions (Hero System 6e). Year Zero.

By Year Zero, do you mean Mutant Year Zero? We've released (Ukrainian) Vaesen, and got a Tales from the Loop in the can - but the original MY0?

 

[Theory of Games]

Subscribed to UGMs. I'm a fan of APs as they provide gamers a good look at how new or "smaller" rpgs work. If your group enjoys rpgs that mesh evocative narration with cinematic action check out Wushu. Keep the episodes coming!