For the Hardworking GM… – #RPGaDay 2017, Day 25

August is RPGaDay month. Yep, a month solid of RPG-related posts, answering these questions: Today’s question is this: What’s the best way to thank your GM? It’s hilarious that I’m answering this question (as I prewrite the answer) right now, since just last night I met up with one player from my last campaign, who is moving away. Typical me, I meant to thank him for hosting our games in person, but we ended up jawing so long we finally just sort of ripped the band-aid off (as he put it) and say goodbye and went out separate ways. But …

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Easy to Run? – RPGaDay 2017, Day 22

August is RPGaDay month. Yep, a month solid of RPG-related posts, answering these questions: Today’s question is this: Which RPG is the easiest for you to run? That really depends on what we mean by “easiest,” doesn’t it? If we mean “least difficult to implement the rules in play”: Early editions of D&D, or the modern variants and retroclones based on them. Long experience has hardwired a lot of stuff into my head, and the aesthetic of the game is similarly settled. These days, for me, LotFP is the system I use for that.  If we mean “easiest to get …

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In the Hotseat – #RPGaDay 2017, Day 18

August is RPGaDay month. Yep, a month solid of RPG-related posts, answering these questions: Today’s question is this: Which RPG have you played the most in your life? Taken straight, this is not the most interesting question. My answer is the same as that of many others, I’m guessing: some flavor of D&D.  Or is it?  Technically, I barely “played” any D&D (as a player) at all. I count maybe six sessions spent as a player, divided between the friend who introduced me to the game, a DM I knew in middle school, and someone I knew in undergrad. I played far more …

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Gone… in 120 Minutes? And an Alternate Question… (#RPGaDay 2017, Day 8)

August is RPGaDay month. Yep, a month solid of RPG-related posts, answering these questions: Today’s question is this: What is a good RPG to play for sessions of 2 hours or less? Hm, good question, though I’m afraid I don’t hae a lot of answers to offer: I find the optimal time for a session is more like 3-4 hours. I haven’t played many that work at 2 hours, actually. I think Dread can be good and punchy in under two hours. If you have a small group of players who can focus and stay on task, Fiasco can also work. …

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