This is Random TTRPG Thoughts #82
It’s Saturday, I’ve not gotten anywhere near enough sleep this week, and after a week of “vacation food” I crave veggies. But the house is quiet, the coffee is brewing, and I’m feeling relaxed. My confused brain doesn’t know what to do with this state of being, and is throwing out random sparks which send me off on to interesting rabbit trails. These are random TTRPG thoughts.
- I finished helping a new player create his Sentinel Comic RPG character two nights ago, and I ran he and his dad through a bank heist scenario to demonstrate the mechanics. There were thugs, a minor villain named “Quickdraw,” weird shadow-bats created by a twist, and money falling into a greedy crowd after a “robber bot” almost got away. It was a lot of fun and, afterward, the new player asked, “Can we play another one?” Great start.
- I am now reading the Gamemaster’s Guide for Dreams and Machines. Up to this point in the book I’m wondering why it exists. Must of the first 40 pages is reprinted content. I’m reading the faction write-ups now and, while expanded from the same material in the Player’s Guide, there’s nothing in the extended write ups that the players shouldn’t know. I may change my mind but so far it feels like the game should have been one book.
- I’m skimming through Rust and Redemption as I work on my review of the book and am reminded why I enjoyed reading this book so much. It’s wonderful fodder for anyone wanting to run a post-apocalyptic campaign or write a post-apocalyptic scenario. I’ve also been reminded why I’m drawn to some forms of post-apocalyptic fiction over others. Books which help me have personal insights like that always get a thumbs up from me.
- As I was running that bank heist scenario two nights ago my little came down from bed and ask, “Are you playing without me?” I told him I was just running something to show how the rules worked to the two folks at the table. He nodded and went back upstairs. Last night he and a friend joined the chaos and the new group stopped a tech heist perpetrated by the minor villain “Input.” It was his friend’s first time playing any kind of role-playing game and when the scenario was over I asked her, “Did you have fun?” She said, “Yah, I want to play this again.”
- I got a compliment on my “I Break Bell Curves” tee-shirt while out for Ice Cream this week. Right after that we were interviewed by a local news channel, which was fun. I guess I’d have to call that a “branding win.”
- So, let me get this straight. Trump ran for office on nothing more than fear-mongering, which catered to conspiracy theorists, and got elected. The conspiracy theorists who helped elect Trump have demanded that the “Epstein List” be released so everyone can see who the pedophiles are. Pam Bondi said she had the list “on her desk” ready to go out and was reviewing it. But now the claim is there is no list, Tump’s grabbed the leash of his MAGA-influencer lap-dogs to get them to shut up, and he’s declared that anyone still demanding the list’s release is a former supporter. Oh, and the Justice Department released a video of Epstein’s cell, to prove no one could have entered it, which had about three minutes removed. This is not normal.
- The “Roll Big Or Go Home” mega bundle still has two days left as I write this. I’ve resisted buying it so far because I own many of the games in the bundle, but it’s so tempting! I do want to check out the Dr. Who RPG…
- When the vacation portion of my Sabbatical is over I’m going to begin doing some “members only” live streams. I’ve got a ton of games I’d love to make characters for, so I think it’ll be fun.
- If you take your little to the beach and tell him, “Just go up to your ankles,” know he will not just go up to the ankles. A change of clothes is a must-have and we did, in fact, have a change of clothes for the soaking wet little.
- I want to try running some actual play streams on my channel over the next couple of months. I really want to test out how well Lightstream works. I’m thinking Streamlined Superheroes would be a nice, light, start. Monty Python’s Cocurricular Reenactment Programme and The Electric State would also be good. If there are any games you’d like to see from my list of reviews, let me know. It would be fun to see what would interest folks.
