Tag: RPGaDay

Posted in: Role Playing Games

RPGaDay2023 Day 9: Favorite Dice

Written by TardisCaptain

The subject for Day 9 of the #RPGaDAY2023 challenge is about dice. Specifically what is your favorite dice.

Well, I have a set of Chessex dice that is red and black. I think the reason I use them a lot is because I still have the plastic container that they came in. So I know the origin and they are easy to grab out of the dice bag. I’ve got a set of Dungeon Crawl Classics dice that have the odd shapes that I picked up for a Mutant Crawl Classics game (that was scheduled, but didn’t happen). I even own a set of dice from the Dollar Tree. I was also tempted to state my Jason Fox lucky dice that I had picked up a few years ago.

But I think my favorite set is the North-to-South gaming dice that I received (and reviewed) last year. This would be the set of normal dice not the mini-set. I’m always worried that the smaller dice are going to get lost or knocked off the table by cats. I did use this set while running the OSR game for 5e players.

Also the nice thing about getting and using dice is that when they are bad, you can always put them in the Lynx RPG Dunce Dice Chair when they are bad.

Do you have a favorite set of dice? Do you have lots of the clicky-clack shiny math rocks? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games

RPGaDay2023 Day 8: Favorite Character

Written by TardisCaptain 1 Comment on RPGaDay2023 Day 8: Favorite Character

Alright we’ve made it to Day 8 of the #RPGaDAY2023 challenge and the topic is “Favorite Character”. I was thinking of selecting one of the past Character Sheets that I had posted on this blog. But then I realized that my most favorite character isn’t on a physical character sheet.

My friend Jeff Sullivan had run a Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition campaign for his friends from 2013 to 2019. I played a Sun Elf Wizard named Tovark that I had advanced from 1st level to 14th before the campaign had ended. Tovark had graduated from the very prestigious school run by Elminster (he even had student loans that he had to pay off). There was even a series of rolls that I had to provide during character creation that Jeff had used to come back with some background information (Are parents still alive? Any siblings? Career prior to becoming an adventurer? etc.) Plus the world that had been created was one that operated with lots of magic affecting people’s lives.

Jeff had created an Excel character sheet that had different tabs for stats, gear, spells, etc. They were all connected together so that if you raised an ability score, it automatically updated your skill stats as well. I took that character sheet and added hyperlinks to the online spell descriptions so that if I needed to look something up, I just clicked on the link.

A quick screenshot of the spell list on the Excel character sheet

I’ve actually thought up scenarios where the players would have to find Tovark in order to gain his assistance with a quest. Tovark, like most wizards, highly valued his privacy. He didn’t just have a tower in some land, nope, you would have to find the god that owed him a favor to find out where he went.

What was a favorite character from a role playing game that you enjoyed? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Conventions, Role Playing Games

RPGaDay2023 Day 7: Smartest RPG you’ve played

Written by TardisCaptain

The Day 7 entry for the #RPGaDAY2023 challenge is “Smartest RPG you’ve played”. Um… I guess I’m not really understanding this one. All systems have different moving parts that work (or don’t) to a different level of degrees.

I think for this topic I’m going to go with a smart game master that I’ve seen running a game that I’ve been in. When I attended my first SaltCON this past March I participated in a Pathfinder 2nd Edition game. Not only was the scenario designed to introduce players to the system, it was also not overly-complicated so it could be ran in a quick time session at a convention. The game master, named Jared Walter, also explained the system to the players (who all had a different degree in RPG experience) and made use of different colored tokens to help keep track of initiative and combat. It was interesting to see how organized he was and it made me appreciate the session more.

On a side note, I also think it’s smart how SaltCON uses the Table Top Events website to help schedule games at the convention. The next SaltCON is coming up on the first part of September and I’ve already got my schedule selected (I had to go over all of the options to maximize my playing time while setting time aside for meals and breaks). I’ve been very impressed with this setup.

Has one of your game masters done something smart to make the game run smoother or more efficient? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek

RPGaDay2023 Day 6: Favorite game you never get to play

Written by TardisCaptain

So I had to think about this topic for Day 6 of the #RPGaDAY2023 Challenge. “Favorite game you never get to play.” Between physical copies and PDFs purchased online through DriveThruRPG or charity bundles I have a lot of games. Some I’ve read and they were OK, while others I’ve read and I’ve really wanted to try them out. So which one do I choose? Some of these covered science fiction, espionage, post-apocalyptic and more. I’ve never played the Star Trek RPG that was released by Last Unicorn Games, but considering how big of a fan I am of FASA Star Trek and Star Trek Adventures, I wouldn’t mind playing LUG Trek once to try it out, but it’s not really at the top of my list. I want to pick a game that not only would I want to play in a campaign, but I’d want to homebrew for like I have with FASA Trek and STA Trek.

So when I narrowed it down, I felt that Frontier Space by DWD Studios is my selection for this topic. It barely beats out Castles and Crusades (I’ve been told that I can hopefully get into a C&C game if I can get on their discord), Apes Victorious (I don’t know anyone who plays this, but it’s a D20 retro so it should be easy to pick up) and White Lies (an espionage game also by DWD Studios).

I’ve created a character for Frontier Space in a past Character Creation Challenge. The system is rolling a percentile to see if you succeed in a task with your Ability and Skill scores combined creating your target number to roll under (kinda similar to the 2d20 system seen in Star Trek Adventures) The character creation process is pretty straight forward and I thought was easy to understand. The universe it is set in sounds intriguing to play, but the system could easily be adapted for other franchises if desired. I love the use of percentile dice and I am a big fan of science fiction. So perhaps, someday I’ll be able to get some friends into a game?

I’ve actually talked with some RPG fans in my local Star Trek club about an idea of them showing up for a game night not knowing which game we will be experimenting with. I’d run a one-shot for them, explaining the rules and gathering their feedback for a future blog post. I need to get this done because I think it would be fun. Now I just need to get the time set aside to put something like this together. I hate the dreaded real-life/schedule curse.

What roleplaying game would you like to play that you haven’t had a chance to yet? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games

RPGaDay2023 Day 5: Oldest game you’ve played

Written by TardisCaptain

I have to think about this question for Day 5 of the #RPGaDAY2023 challenge. Oldest game you’ve played. I know it’s one of the early flavors of Dungeons and Dragons, but which one? When I was playing with my buddies in junior high, one friend had the blue cover Dungeons and Dragons book written by Eric Holmes (but I don’t recall if we actually played it or just referenced the book), another had the Basic/Expert Dungeons and Dragons book and another had Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (back before it was called 1st edition) and my first official purchase was the Basic Dungeons and Dragons book that was the start of the BECMI line. The version we played depended upon who was the Dungeon Master.

So my answer is, one of these three versions of Dungeons and Dragons. We didn’t limit ourselves. I preferred B/X (later BECMI) but played any of them.

Do you recall what was the oldest roleplaying game that you have played? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek

RPGaDay2023 Day 4: Most Recent Game You Bought

Written by TardisCaptain

For day 4 of the #RPGaDAY2023 challenge, the topic is “Most recent game bought”. I basically have two answers.

The latest dead-tree purchase was the Star Trek: Lower Decks Campaign Guide for the Star Trek: Adventures system by Modiphius. You can read about my un-boxing of the book here.

Of a complete game system, the latest purchase was Sorcery and Super Science by Expeditious Retreat Press. I picked this up from a Bundle of Holding sale that happened in earlier this year.

Sorcery and Super Science is a post-apocalyptic game that appears to be heavily influenced by the 1980’s cartoon series “Thundarr the Barbarian“. I clearly remember a world thousands of years in the future where the moon was cracked and the land was ravaged by sorcery and super science. Dang it, now I need to watch the series again.

I haven’t had a chance to go over all of the rules yet. But I’m certain that I’ll be using this in the 2024 Character Creation Challenge.

What was your latest RPG purchase? Was it a full game or a supplement? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games

RPGaDay2023 Day 2: First RPG Gamemaster

Written by TardisCaptain

For Day 2 of the #RPGaDAY2023 Challenge the topic is “First RPG Gamemaster”. From what I’ve read on the message boards, this could have (this year) on it like the Day 1 entry.

So the short answer is, I haven’t gamemastered anything since January 1st. However, I did run a session of Basic Fantasy RPG in December. I was introducing an OSR style game to some 5th Edition players over a holiday break. When I had offered to run an OSR game for them, their first request was “No 4th Edition.” I had to laugh and explain that OSR was a lot earlier than that.

Instead of re-typing everything about that happened in that great gaming session, I’ll give you a link to the blog entry where you can enjoy the after-action report and see the artwork the players came up with while we were playing. 5E players trying OSR for the first time.

Do you remember your first game that you GMed this year (or in the past year)? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Alien, Conventions, Dungeons and Dragons, James Bond, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek

#RPGaDay2023 Day 1: First RPG Played (this year)

Written by TardisCaptain

Alright I was able to get through the month of July, so let’s start the #RPGaDAY2023 challenge that I had posted about previously. The day 1 topic is “First RPG played (this year)”. OK, this should be easy.

Except it wasn’t. I had to go back and check. I thought it was my FarTrek game, but it appears that the first half of the year was under the dreaded “schedule curse”. So my first games were at SaltCON in March. At this gaming convention I was able to play the following roleplaying games in one shots.

Pathfinder 2nd Edition- The GM was really good. If I had a good GM like that, I could see myself participating in a campaign. Lots of stuff in Pathfinder that could become too overwhelming if not handled well.

Alien– I had a lot of fun in this game. It was my first try at the system and I could see that I’d prefer a character that I had made instead of a pre-made one. Besides being a big fan of the Alien franchise, I had met the author of the RPG at a previous FanX: The Salt Lake Comic Convention.

Dungeon Crawl Classics– I’ve always wanted to play in a level-0 funnel and SaltCON gave me the opportunity to try this out. DCC is another game that I could see myself playing as part of a campaign.

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition- A filler game after another game I had scheduled was canceled.

Mistborn– I didn’t really have fun on this game. See the SaltCON Spring 2023 After Action blog post.

James Bond 007– The classic game from the 80’s. It was my first time playing it and I had a blast.

Star Trek Adventures– The GM ran us through a scenario that was inspired by Star Trek: Lower Decks. This was before the new Lower Decks Campaign Guide had come out.

GURPS– The scenario was set in the Aliens universe. This was where I was glad that I didn’t have to create a character.

Cyberpunk RED– It was good to step back into this universe after I had played the original Cyberpunk many years ago.

What was the first role playing game you played this year? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games

Prepping for RPGaDay2023

Written by TardisCaptain

So 2023 marks the 10th Anniversary of the RPGaDay Challenge. Starting on August 1st there will be 31 days of RPG posts based upon various suggestions as seen in the image above. The suggestions this year sound really interesting. When I saw them, it got the creative juices flowing. Something that I need for this blog. I’ve participated in this challenge in 2021 (daily) and 2023 (via catch up posts due to circumstances). I plan to attempt a daily challenge for the entire month of August.

While I will be posting my entries here on this blog, I will be posting links on social media with the hashtag #RPGaDay2023. I also plan to post entries on the RPG.net message boards. I’m looking forward to seeing what I type up.

Do you have any interest in participating in this challenge? Does the list inspire you? Let’s have some fun.

This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY 2022 catch up #5

Written by TardisCaptain

You can find my past RPGaDAY2022 catch up posts here in Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four. The last week of August was just as equally busy. In fact this whole summer has been extremely busy or extremely crappy. I have been grateful for the distractions when I get to blog about geeky subjects such as the #RPGaDAY2022 challenge. I’ve got several projects in mind that I want to get put up on this blog to share with my fellow geeks. I look forward to posting them soon. Here are my entries for Days 29-31 and a bonus question.

Day 29: Who would you like to see take part in #RPGaDAY?

I’d love to see what my wife would post in such a challenge. I would also be very interested in how a friend and gamemaster Jeff Sullivan would fair with these questions.

Day 30: What should #RPGaDAY do for its 10th Anniversary next year?

Perhaps run a “Best Of” with subjects from the past ten years? I haven’t ready any of the earlier years.

Day 31: When did you first take part in #RPGaDAY?

2021 was my first year after I had read about the challenge on other gaming blogs. You can read all of the posts from this year and last year here. Specifically from 2021 I was quite proud of these entries: Origin, Memory, Challenge, Flood and Weapon.

Bonus: Anecdote Alternative: Roll 1d8+1, tag that many friends and tell a gaming story about them.

The recent Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 campaign that ran from 2013 to 2019 had many different adventures. But one of the things that probably frustrated our Dungeon Master. If he set up a big bad guy, our party worked like a well oiled machine and quickly defeated the final challenge. However the smallest of opponents would sometimes come up with the biggest threats. I’m not certain what the creature was called, but there were these creatures that looked like gold coins. When they were disturbed, they started to come to life and attacked us. I don’t think we were in danger of a total party kill, but it took quite a while to get the battle under control. Just before they revealed themselves as alive, one of the player characters had picked up a coin and licked it (for reasons I can’t remember now). I think the fact that the coins came to life may have scared that player. This was early in our campaign so she was cautious when we recovered treasure after future victories.

And with that final post, I’m considering myself done with the #RPGaDAY2022 challenge. My second year was a little different than last year. With real life issues, I could not post once a day. While it may not have stayed with the spirit of a once-a-day challenge, I felt like I was participating in the event with what I could. Since next year is the 10th anniversary, I’ll be interested to see what questions/options are presented. Thank you, I hope you enjoyed reading these entries.

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