hi, im 16 year old and i want to start on rpgs, i live in a small town so there arent any gaming groups or stores were i can go playing, but i want to start role playing, im traveling soon and i will buy some rp books, what do you recommend for a newbie? and what do you recommend for a new group of 4 or less people?
@therealrpgguy Happy to oblige! This is the list of my most recent purge. Let me know if I need to clarify: RPG Stuff: C&C: Fields of Battle CoC (d20 Ed) Cyberpunk 2020 (2nd Ed) Dragon Magazine (7 ish) Dungeon Magazine (3 ish) Furry Pirates M&M: Nocturnals M&M: Noir Pirates of the Spanish Main Serenity RPG Sundered Skies Toon Tooniversal Tour Guide TWERPS Non-RPG Stuff: Awful Green Things (7th Ed) Munchkin Zombies Super Munchkin Zombies!!! Zombies!!! 2: Zombie Corps(e)
...Ugh, I hate the terrible formatting of YT comments. Hope that's legible. As I said, let me know if I need to clarify.
This got me thinking about doing a video where I list all the RPGs in my current collection as well as all the games I used to own but no longer do. It's both impressive and rather tragic at the same time!
@therealrpgguy Well, obviously my collection isn't as robust as it once was! :-)
I tend to do that though. Every so often, I will clean up my shelves by getting rid of stuff that I don't think I'll ever need or use. A lot of the time, it's just refinement of my tastes. An RPG that seems very interesting might lose its lustre after a while and/or I might realize that I would never convince anyone else to play it with me (which happens often with the more esoteric RPGs I pick up).
Swords & Wizardry looks like a great game. You might be interested in an 'old school feel' game called "Wayfarers". It has all the old school fantasy feel, with a very smart setting, without some of the problems found in D&D.
I've actually considered buying Floating Vagabond a couple years ago. It looks ridiculously fun!
Definitely wanna hear more about Swords & Wizardry, a review would be nice. I'm looking for a simple D&D (original) style fantasy game. Preferably one with just a few basic books and maybe a world that I can mold into my own.
I had to stop playing about 2000, when I moved away from all my friends, but I've recently started playing again via Skype and while I'm going to run The Laundry (we mostly play Call Of Cthulhu), I wouldn't mind doing some fantasy at some point.
@Samwise7RPG Agreed. I still have my beef with D&D as a "schema" (it is a unique beast and its design and gameplay philosophies rear their heads to some extent no matter what "edition" of it you play) but I'm much more comfortable with and potentially enthusiastic about playing it via a more simplified and iconic form.
I have S&W Complete and the Monster Book in a single three ring binder (as seen in my Top 5 RPGs vid) also "edited out" S&W Complete 92-117 as all the monsters are repeated in the Monster Book (it initially being intended to support the S&W Core). I find that between the Monster Book and Tome of Horrors, I'm fairly certain I'll never need to own another monster manual (I will if Bill ever does a Complete Creature Collection, though).
I have thought that was odd too that you don't have more SW vids on your channel. I figure they would be rather popular on youtube and I don't see too many.
I've never played tales of the floating vagabond, it seems a bit silly.
I honestly have gotten rid of it because I found it didn't really jive with my campaign expectations. I often have quirky humor in game in spite of the game, nearly never because of the game. Humor brought on by RPGs has always fallen flat at my table.
@azirk83 As with most "comedy RPGs", it probably serves better as a conversation piece than an actual play experience. I like the occasional comedy one-shot but really it's the experience *reading* games like Toon, Floating Vagabond and HOL that is the best part.
Comedy is harder to pull off than most people think.
I've been paying more attention to the D6 system games. I like the simplicity and ease of modification if you want. However, I just don't get the recent interest in retro games. While I do feel a bit of nostalgia playing they, essentially I thought they were bad way back then and good riddance as playable systems.
@pridday88 The appeal (from my POV anyway) of the retro games is in striving to return to an innocence and simplicity of design. These days, many games try to be such self-sufficient experiences that they shelf their goal of being evocative in favor of options and completeness.
You're right, of course. Many of the retro games where riddled with blemishes. The "quality" retro clones IMHO shouldn't just rehash older games whole-cloth. They should harken back to them while also evolving them...
...If you're interested in the D6 System and haven't already encountered it, I HIGHLY recommend downloading "Mini Six". It is an excellent bundle of D6 awesomeness and even introduces some optional rules that I will be retconning into my own Star Wars D6 campaigns in the future. It is just about the best distillation and most accessible presentation of the D6 rules out there...and it's FREE (in PDF at least)!
When I see the stat bonuses in S&W, I just get depressed. I remember those low bonus numbers from when I played the actual game back in the 70s and 80s. I hated them then and I hate them now. So much of the 'old school' feel seems to be 'players don't get nice things'. It is one of the things I love about PF. I guess I am still just not a fan of the retro revival. Though I do have a lot of respect for Stars Without Number.
@tetsubo57 My reaction is sort of the opposite. When I see the big pile of pluses you get, and I know that the enemy is likely to be scaled to be a challenge for that level, it feels staid to me. It also feels like those pluses are unnecessary since everything seems to be going up, such that you could keep a low amount of pluses to show people who are ahead of the curve and cut out the aimless advances that seem to take you nowhere.
@tetsubo57 31 flavors of ice cream. Nothing wrong with that. I have many gamer friends who feel the same way you do, hence why I suggested that getting my group to play D&D using a game system other than 3.X or PF would be difficult. They like their shiny stuff. I'm actually in favor of "character options" but I have been discouraged by the escalation of power and complexity that began to trickle in during the twilight of 2E and came in full-force with 3E. It's just a preference thing is all...
...One example of a design I favor from earlier D&D editions is that characters stop acquring new Hit Dice after about 9th level. Having more than about 50 hit points gets kind of redundant and begins the stretch the believability of damage scaling. This coming from a guy with experience playing a 3E character with over 220 HP.
@tetsubo57 I have not yet had the opportunity. I read some sort of preview of HARP way back when it was first released and it seemed interesting but I never did get around to buying it. If I recall, Tim liked HARP as it is apparently a much slimmed down treatment of the old Rolemaster game.
@Webhead123 RM is insane. Down that path lies madness. But HAROP is redeemable. Especially if you look at the annual bazaar collection that has an alternative combat system that stream-lines things *very* nicely. It turns HARP into the one system other than Pathfinder (or D20) I would use for fantasy. I've done reviews on my channel.
@tetsubo57 And as you are talking about it, I seem to recall hearing you mention it before. I'll go try to find your old vids on it.
HARP using a % system had me reminded of WFRP2 and my (at the time) decision not to buy it was probably because I thought I would do better to stick with the latter game (what with my familiarity, preference and all that). That said, the two games seem to be quite different stylistically, so I'm sure there is still value to be found reading HARP.
@tetsubo57 My S&W fighter can use rope, intimidate opponents, jump chasms, win a drinking contest, and ride his horse in harrowing conditions without needing a skill (and having 9 Intelligence). As he progresses his baseline abilities also don't begin to suck more and more over time.
Honestly, the bookkeeping involved with heroism nowadays (and that being considered a "good thing") depresses the hell out of me. As does the prevalent idea that normal people can't possibly make a difference.
@azirk83 A 'hero' by the very definition of the word is not a 'normal' person. And a 9 Int is perfectly OK as far as the human scale is concerned.
Look, I get it, you like the retro clones. Go with the gods. But I see them as incomplete. I despise adjudicating rules again and again because the system decided that *I* should be doing *its* job. I just don't like them.
@tetsubo57 I get it too. But if you say "So much of the 'old school' feel seems to be 'players don't get nice things'" then I'll react with the nice things we get that the 3.X crowd doesn't get. Sometimes, I bust chops (just ask boltorange).
Also: not everybody who pulls a kid out of a fire looks like Arnold Schwartzenegger, Tets. Not everybody who teaches third world kids to read can understand advanced mathematics. Heroism is defined by actions, not ability. Still bustin' chops
@azirk83 You are using a real world rather than fantasy world definition of 'hero'. Moving the goal posts if you will.
I have yet to be shown how 'old school' does it better than 3.P. It requires more off the cuff decisions by the GM. If you like that, cool. I hate it. I played old school when it was new. I left it behind for a reason. I found superior rules systems.
But we've been down this road before. Pointlessly.
I never claimed old school did it better than 3E. I merely claimed I don't like the bookkeeping in 3E, not that heroes couldn't be created.
Very pointless, mostly because you apparently assume I've never played 3E. Perhaps I can somehow make astute observations and biting commentary without any knowledge of the rules.
Or maybe I left it behind for a reason. I found superior rules systems. Doesn't that seem like a dick thing to say?
Hello again...another wonderful video, as always! Is Swords & Wizardry your favorite retro clone? Have you ever looked at Castles & Crusades? It's not technically an all-out retro clone but instead kind of combines the best of old school and new school D&D into a simplified/awesome package. I like it a lot. S&W looks very interesting to me though. You views on modern D&D and experiences with it fit mine exactly.
@daddystabz S&W is currently my favorite of the D&D retro clones. I've read (but not played) Castles & Crusades and I liked some of the ideas but also found some fairly large quirks to the game that I was not so thrilled with. What I like about S&W is that it stays simple and close enough to the source material to be evocative while taking just enough liberty to clean up some now-outdated concepts. In other words, it's what the White Box might have looked like if it were released around 1999.
@Onionkid99 Sounds just like me. D&D was technically my gateway but Star Wars D6 is responsible for the gamer I am today. I always say that 1995 - 1998 was a *great* time to be a Star Wars fan. Oh, how I miss those days...
@tarboy69 West End Games' Star Wars D6 all the way! Saga Edition was okay but not stellar and the d20 editions left a lot to be desired with me. I'm pretty cautious about getting my hopes up for the next Star Wars RPG to be published by Fantasy Flight. I'll reserve judgement until the game is properly released.
hi, im 16 year old and i want to start on rpgs, i live in a small town so there arent any gaming groups or stores were i can go playing, but i want to start role playing, im traveling soon and i will buy some rp books, what do you recommend for a newbie? and what do you recommend for a new group of 4 or less people?
megamunga 1 month ago
I'm interested... which books did you get rid of? :-)
therealrpgguy 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
Webhead123 1 month ago
...Ugh, I hate the terrible formatting of YT comments. Hope that's legible. As I said, let me know if I need to clarify.
This got me thinking about doing a video where I list all the RPGs in my current collection as well as all the games I used to own but no longer do. It's both impressive and rather tragic at the same time!
Webhead123 1 month ago
@Webhead123 Wow bro - you definitely did quite the purge! Some interesting subtractions too - sounds like you have quite the collection.
therealrpgguy 1 month ago
@therealrpgguy Well, obviously my collection isn't as robust as it once was! :-)
I tend to do that though. Every so often, I will clean up my shelves by getting rid of stuff that I don't think I'll ever need or use. A lot of the time, it's just refinement of my tastes. An RPG that seems very interesting might lose its lustre after a while and/or I might realize that I would never convince anyone else to play it with me (which happens often with the more esoteric RPGs I pick up).
Webhead123 1 month ago
Swords & Wizardry looks like a great game. You might be interested in an 'old school feel' game called "Wayfarers". It has all the old school fantasy feel, with a very smart setting, without some of the problems found in D&D.
I've actually considered buying Floating Vagabond a couple years ago. It looks ridiculously fun!
RollForDamage 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@RollForDamage I've heard of Wayfarers, though I haven't read it. I may give it another look.
Floating Vagabond is a great read if nothing else. These days, the PDF is ridiculously cheap (I think its $5 at Drivethrurpg).
Webhead123 1 month ago
what do you think on 5th edition D&D Mr webhead?
nozzer2002 1 month ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@nozzer2002 I hope to do a video about this very soon! :-)
Webhead123 1 month ago
Definitely wanna hear more about Swords & Wizardry, a review would be nice. I'm looking for a simple D&D (original) style fantasy game. Preferably one with just a few basic books and maybe a world that I can mold into my own.
I had to stop playing about 2000, when I moved away from all my friends, but I've recently started playing again via Skype and while I'm going to run The Laundry (we mostly play Call Of Cthulhu), I wouldn't mind doing some fantasy at some point.
TeeAaaKoo 1 month ago
@TeeAaaKoo Sure thing. I'll try to put up a review of S&W at some point in the near future.
Webhead123 1 month ago
Thanks for the vid! Interesting stuff!
DeepEndOfTheDicePool 3 months ago
The OSR really got me to like fantasy RPG gaming again as I was rather dissatisfied with the direction newer fantasy RPGs were headed.
Samwise7RPG 3 months ago
@Samwise7RPG Agreed. I still have my beef with D&D as a "schema" (it is a unique beast and its design and gameplay philosophies rear their heads to some extent no matter what "edition" of it you play) but I'm much more comfortable with and potentially enthusiastic about playing it via a more simplified and iconic form.
Webhead123 3 months ago
Cool
zorlak21 3 months ago
Just watched, thanks for the kind words.
I have S&W Complete and the Monster Book in a single three ring binder (as seen in my Top 5 RPGs vid) also "edited out" S&W Complete 92-117 as all the monsters are repeated in the Monster Book (it initially being intended to support the S&W Core). I find that between the Monster Book and Tome of Horrors, I'm fairly certain I'll never need to own another monster manual (I will if Bill ever does a Complete Creature Collection, though).
azirk83 3 months ago
awesome i'll have to hunt some these tomes down myself someday.
felipe1gojira 3 months ago
Congrats on the purchases.
RobertJFreemantle 3 months ago
@Webhead 123 Do you mind me asking what flaws you have found with C&C? I am only wondering if I have overlooked any.
daddystabz 3 months ago
@daddystabz Sure. I've only read one of the first printings of the game, so I'm not sure if/how the game has been changed in later printings:
1) Opposed checks is not detailed and testing "Prime" against "Non-Prime" attributes in opposed checks can be problematic
2) No formula to experience tables making it hard to extrapolate levels beyond what is provided in the book
3) No details for the "Poison Use" class ability of Assassins
4) Barbarian "Rage" ability not very good, too penalizing...
Webhead123 3 months ago
5) No multiclassing rules
6) Terrible Equipment chapter
7) Numerous tiny inconsistencies and gaps (i.e. Mounted Combat)
It's been quite a long time since I've read the game though. Perhaps it has been improved upon since then.
Webhead123 3 months ago
I have thought that was odd too that you don't have more SW vids on your channel. I figure they would be rather popular on youtube and I don't see too many.
I've never played tales of the floating vagabond, it seems a bit silly.
woodwwad 3 months ago
@woodwwad It is silly and that's why it's so fun! I'll have to do a proper review to give it justice.
Webhead123 3 months ago
@woodwwad It's really silly.
I honestly have gotten rid of it because I found it didn't really jive with my campaign expectations. I often have quirky humor in game in spite of the game, nearly never because of the game. Humor brought on by RPGs has always fallen flat at my table.
azirk83 3 months ago
@azirk83 As with most "comedy RPGs", it probably serves better as a conversation piece than an actual play experience. I like the occasional comedy one-shot but really it's the experience *reading* games like Toon, Floating Vagabond and HOL that is the best part.
Comedy is harder to pull off than most people think.
Webhead123 3 months ago
do you have maptool? if so I'll be willing to play any of the old school stuff...
GiantKukri 3 months ago
I've been paying more attention to the D6 system games. I like the simplicity and ease of modification if you want. However, I just don't get the recent interest in retro games. While I do feel a bit of nostalgia playing they, essentially I thought they were bad way back then and good riddance as playable systems.
pridday88 3 months ago
@pridday88 The appeal (from my POV anyway) of the retro games is in striving to return to an innocence and simplicity of design. These days, many games try to be such self-sufficient experiences that they shelf their goal of being evocative in favor of options and completeness.
You're right, of course. Many of the retro games where riddled with blemishes. The "quality" retro clones IMHO shouldn't just rehash older games whole-cloth. They should harken back to them while also evolving them...
Webhead123 3 months ago
...If you're interested in the D6 System and haven't already encountered it, I HIGHLY recommend downloading "Mini Six". It is an excellent bundle of D6 awesomeness and even introduces some optional rules that I will be retconning into my own Star Wars D6 campaigns in the future. It is just about the best distillation and most accessible presentation of the D6 rules out there...and it's FREE (in PDF at least)!
Webhead123 3 months ago
When I see the stat bonuses in S&W, I just get depressed. I remember those low bonus numbers from when I played the actual game back in the 70s and 80s. I hated them then and I hate them now. So much of the 'old school' feel seems to be 'players don't get nice things'. It is one of the things I love about PF. I guess I am still just not a fan of the retro revival. Though I do have a lot of respect for Stars Without Number.
tetsubo57 3 months ago
@tetsubo57 My reaction is sort of the opposite. When I see the big pile of pluses you get, and I know that the enemy is likely to be scaled to be a challenge for that level, it feels staid to me. It also feels like those pluses are unnecessary since everything seems to be going up, such that you could keep a low amount of pluses to show people who are ahead of the curve and cut out the aimless advances that seem to take you nowhere.
nutherefurlong 3 months ago
@tetsubo57 31 flavors of ice cream. Nothing wrong with that. I have many gamer friends who feel the same way you do, hence why I suggested that getting my group to play D&D using a game system other than 3.X or PF would be difficult. They like their shiny stuff. I'm actually in favor of "character options" but I have been discouraged by the escalation of power and complexity that began to trickle in during the twilight of 2E and came in full-force with 3E. It's just a preference thing is all...
Webhead123 3 months ago
...One example of a design I favor from earlier D&D editions is that characters stop acquring new Hit Dice after about 9th level. Having more than about 50 hit points gets kind of redundant and begins the stretch the believability of damage scaling. This coming from a guy with experience playing a 3E character with over 220 HP.
Webhead123 3 months ago
@Webhead123 Have you read HARP?
tetsubo57 3 months ago
@tetsubo57 I have not yet had the opportunity. I read some sort of preview of HARP way back when it was first released and it seemed interesting but I never did get around to buying it. If I recall, Tim liked HARP as it is apparently a much slimmed down treatment of the old Rolemaster game.
Webhead123 3 months ago
@Webhead123 RM is insane. Down that path lies madness. But HAROP is redeemable. Especially if you look at the annual bazaar collection that has an alternative combat system that stream-lines things *very* nicely. It turns HARP into the one system other than Pathfinder (or D20) I would use for fantasy. I've done reviews on my channel.
tetsubo57 3 months ago
@tetsubo57 And as you are talking about it, I seem to recall hearing you mention it before. I'll go try to find your old vids on it.
HARP using a % system had me reminded of WFRP2 and my (at the time) decision not to buy it was probably because I thought I would do better to stick with the latter game (what with my familiarity, preference and all that). That said, the two games seem to be quite different stylistically, so I'm sure there is still value to be found reading HARP.
Webhead123 3 months ago
@tetsubo57 My S&W fighter can use rope, intimidate opponents, jump chasms, win a drinking contest, and ride his horse in harrowing conditions without needing a skill (and having 9 Intelligence). As he progresses his baseline abilities also don't begin to suck more and more over time.
Honestly, the bookkeeping involved with heroism nowadays (and that being considered a "good thing") depresses the hell out of me. As does the prevalent idea that normal people can't possibly make a difference.
azirk83 3 months ago
@azirk83 A 'hero' by the very definition of the word is not a 'normal' person. And a 9 Int is perfectly OK as far as the human scale is concerned.
Look, I get it, you like the retro clones. Go with the gods. But I see them as incomplete. I despise adjudicating rules again and again because the system decided that *I* should be doing *its* job. I just don't like them.
tetsubo57 3 months ago
@tetsubo57 I get it too. But if you say "So much of the 'old school' feel seems to be 'players don't get nice things'" then I'll react with the nice things we get that the 3.X crowd doesn't get. Sometimes, I bust chops (just ask boltorange).
Also: not everybody who pulls a kid out of a fire looks like Arnold Schwartzenegger, Tets. Not everybody who teaches third world kids to read can understand advanced mathematics. Heroism is defined by actions, not ability. Still bustin' chops
azirk83 3 months ago
@azirk83 You are using a real world rather than fantasy world definition of 'hero'. Moving the goal posts if you will.
I have yet to be shown how 'old school' does it better than 3.P. It requires more off the cuff decisions by the GM. If you like that, cool. I hate it. I played old school when it was new. I left it behind for a reason. I found superior rules systems.
But we've been down this road before. Pointlessly.
tetsubo57 3 months ago
@tetsubo57 I only have one definition for hero.
I never claimed old school did it better than 3E. I merely claimed I don't like the bookkeeping in 3E, not that heroes couldn't be created.
Very pointless, mostly because you apparently assume I've never played 3E. Perhaps I can somehow make astute observations and biting commentary without any knowledge of the rules.
Or maybe I left it behind for a reason. I found superior rules systems. Doesn't that seem like a dick thing to say?
azirk83 2 months ago
@azirk83 Not if it's true.
tetsubo57 2 months ago
@tetsubo57 It isn't true.
azirk83 2 months ago in playlist Updates & Random Vids
Hello again...another wonderful video, as always! Is Swords & Wizardry your favorite retro clone? Have you ever looked at Castles & Crusades? It's not technically an all-out retro clone but instead kind of combines the best of old school and new school D&D into a simplified/awesome package. I like it a lot. S&W looks very interesting to me though. You views on modern D&D and experiences with it fit mine exactly.
daddystabz 3 months ago
@daddystabz S&W is currently my favorite of the D&D retro clones. I've read (but not played) Castles & Crusades and I liked some of the ideas but also found some fairly large quirks to the game that I was not so thrilled with. What I like about S&W is that it stays simple and close enough to the source material to be evocative while taking just enough liberty to clean up some now-outdated concepts. In other words, it's what the White Box might have looked like if it were released around 1999.
Webhead123 3 months ago
I have been wanting to do some Stargate D6.
daddystabz 3 months ago
Woo! Star Wars D6! I may have played D&D as my first game, but SWd6 is the reason my friends and I are into the hobby.
Onionkid99 3 months ago
@Onionkid99 Sounds just like me. D&D was technically my gateway but Star Wars D6 is responsible for the gamer I am today. I always say that 1995 - 1998 was a *great* time to be a Star Wars fan. Oh, how I miss those days...
Webhead123 3 months ago
what vertion of starwars rpg do you like
tarboy69 3 months ago
@tarboy69 West End Games' Star Wars D6 all the way! Saga Edition was okay but not stellar and the d20 editions left a lot to be desired with me. I'm pretty cautious about getting my hopes up for the next Star Wars RPG to be published by Fantasy Flight. I'll reserve judgement until the game is properly released.
Webhead123 3 months ago