When I roll up a character for a game with a starting situation I have little influence over I start with what narrative impact I want to do. From what I know of the campaign whete I want to drive it. After that how I want to accomplish that, very much including things such as party role/niche and class. Backstory is generally something that comes last when I try and figure out why the character wants to do those things.

When I do have influence over the starting situation mechanical considerations comes earlier. I can mold the campain to a character idea rather than fitting a character into a campaign.

Running a Blades in the Dark game those playdates where the GM isn’t available. A buch of small heists with little to no overarching development. I mean we play a few sessions every three months or so. It is the filler game.

Planning to do some one-shots of Panic! at the Dojo after hearing about it. With no character advancement (so I’ve heard) it sound like a great one-shot system. The dicerolling sounds fun and I do enjoy the easy access of Jackie Chan movies.

Working on (probably) an Ironsworn: Starforged: Sundered Isles set a couple of centuries after the catastrophic fall of the Eternal Empire. In short the last Eternal Emperor, the personification of the Red Moon goddess, tried to usurp the power of the Red Moon causing it to fall in the event known as the Moonfall shattering the central bureaucracy of the empire. And with that gone the empire fell apart within a generation. The immediate story draws inspiration from the Saga of Hervor and Heidrek (Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks). Especially the part of Hervor travelling to where her father and uncles were slain in a failed holmgång, reclaiming the sword Tyrfing and getting her aett cursed. And now that curse is upon the aett. Will hopefully be some good stuff.

Playing a tesmpest cleric in a DnD5e campaign where a demon-goblin horde is ravaging the land. The demon lord is Azeroth and is cold themed so plenty of Warcraft and the Frozen Throne memeing. Begun leaning a bit towards the surfer boy wanting to do good stuff and have transformed him into a smite first ask questions later kind of guy. And a if you are not fully with us against the horde of chaos you are against us. He is becoming a fanatic. Great suff.

Also in a Burning Wheel campaign where a play an engineer just wanting to do her day job, get reestablished in the city and possibly reconnect with her estranged daughter. Currently very stressed and very tired. The character doesn’t want to do “adventuring” stuff but me the player make sure she get into the action. Love playing the mom of the group.

Out of curiosity, why isn’t the group a good fit for Edge of the Empire?

If you haven’t encountered it already Sectors Without Numbers (https://sectorswithoutnumber.com/) is a great sector generator and management tool.

My favorite PbtA is Ironsworn mainly how it handles progress tracks and how it encourages player agency in them. The best move is Fulfil Your Vow. Let me break it down and tell you about it.

When you achieve what you believe to be the fulfilment of your vow, roll the challenge dice and compare to your progress.

The trigger is not “when the tack is filled”, no-no-no. It is “what you believe to be the fulfilment of your vow” as in when the narrative is at such a place that the player thinks the vow is fulfilled. Say you are searching a tomb for a magical dagger. In a sarcophagus you find one. At this point the player can consider the vow fulfilled, or they can keep on working on the vow making sure they got the right one. They may have found it when the tack got filled, or when the first progress was marked. Up to the player to decide.

On a strong hit, your quest is complete.

You make a roll, compare the result to the progress marked on the track and on a strong hit the vow is fulfilled. Basic stuff.

On a weak hit, there is more to be done or you realize the truth of your quest.

The quest is done, the vow fulfilled. But there are complicating factors. Now we get into the juicy stuff. First you have to “Envision what you discover” as in what is the complicating factor. Perhaps the dagger is cursed? It is one of a pair? Guarded by a wraith who begins hunting whoever is wielding the dagger? This compication also mechanically drive the narrative forward as “You may Swear an Iron Vow to set things right”. Fix the new shit that got introduced by you trying to fulfil the vow with too little progress marked on the tracker. Juicy stuff.

On a miss, your quest is undone. Envision what happens, and choose one.

Traditional miss stuff, you don’t get what you want and bad things are happening. First option is “You recommit”, you try again but this time due to complications it will be harder. Perhaps the real dagger is in another tomb? Or that wraith guarding the tomb is wielding the dagger’s phantom representation and now you have to figure out how to materialize it. Second option is “You give up: Forsake Your Vow”. Forsake Your Vow is another move causing you distress as you abandon your promise and dedication. You suffer and others think less of you. In the eternal words of Nelson: har-har.

Made some notes in another place when I watched it. Might as well put them here as well

• Yes there is some D&D bashing but on the lighter side. And not the focus but rather used a comparison and baseline for the discussion.

• Enthusiastic. But then OSP are always enthusiastic.

• They brought in an irregular guest who really, really likes to talk about rpgs.

• Good spread and variety on system recommendations. Begun with combat heavy (Lancer, Wyrdwood Ward and Panic at the Dojo) and are now talking about PbtAs (WorldWide Wrestling, Legacy and blades is coming up).

• Found one system I really need to play - Panic at the Dojo

• Had a big rant about “forever GM whine”. Talked how the “burden” could be mitigated and shared. But very ranty.

-Felt the pace slowed down and they started to drag things out. Partly because they got into a series of systems I’m not too interested in, really narrative and often GM-less games. Wanderhome, Bleak Spirit, Good Society and Miss Bernburg’s Finishing School for young ladies. Just not my cup of tea. But the very creative presenters had lots to say about these systems.

• Some sections towards the end about game engines and rpg designing.

• Lightning round with another bunch of systems.

All in all well worth the two hours the video took watching.

Delve is an awesome supplement for anyone interested in running dungeons more narrative. Point-of-interest based dungeon exploration? Of course it is not limited to dungeons but can be used for any type of really dangerous (and confined) environments.

D&D media came first for me with the Baldur’s Gate games, followed by the Icewind Dales and onto the Neverwinter Nights. Didn’t roll my first dice until 5e.

If you give me a mechanic where I the player can manipulate the roll I will go for it. Let me manipulate the roll, play with the dice and let us bargain. I agree it is not for everyone, but I frakkin love it!

One thing that could be added to the bargain is the Devil’s Bargain from Blades in the Dark. By accepting an extra negative outcome, that will always come true, I get a boon. Think it could be a good addition.

My preferred PbtA for games featuring fantasy adventuring is Ironsworn. Don’t think it can be considered a DW hack as it doesn’t even have playbooks. And by default it it far from heroic fantasy. But there are heroic fantasy out there for Ironsworn to scratch that itch.