Natural 7

Fun

(Check it out: I released a new single-session adventure on itch called Quest for the Vorpal Sword. You might use it with Dungeons and Dragons 5e or you might borrow bits for your other games.

Also: I released a tiny video game on itch called Hero's Last Stand. It takes less than a minute to try it out in your browser!)

This is a highly opinionated post, just so you know.

It's not always easy for me to articulate what kinds of roleplaying games I enjoy. Sometimes, I'll tell myself that any roleplaying game is good enough. Other times I find myself in a mental battle about why no system will do what I want it to.

What is Fun?

For me, games are fun when I get to interact with the people around me. Games are also fun when I feel like they offer an experience that I wouldn't be able to get in any other situation. They feel unique, maybe even real.

I think roleplaying games are designed to let you interact with the people around you pretty well. They offer a collaborative story game for you are your friends to participate in at any level. There are a few different ways games help drive the story:

This isn't really a perfect list. In fact, most games probably do more than one of those things, and most players usually lean one way or the other too. However, I think it helps frame what game mechanics we like to participate in: do you like random chance, tactical decisions, or focusing on story beats?

I like focusing on story beats. This is what sets roleplaying games apart from board games and video games for me, since I get to draw the other players into my imagination of this story's events. I've learned not to hold too tightly onto my preferred order of beats, or even the beats themselves - that can negatively impact the overall game if I try too hard to make one specific thing happen.

Instead, it's more fun to think about the here-and-now: what would make for the best scene in this moment? Does a monster jump out of the shadows? Does my character draw on a wicked power? Do I grab my ally's body and run for the hills?

Contributing to a cool and memorable scene as often as possible is what's fun for me.

It's boring to contribute alone, so having characters to interact together makes things far more exciting.

Games That Fail

When I look at a game, I try to determine if it gets in my way of having fun. Lately, I've found that games get in my way when:

Rules Take Too Long

Games with really big rulebooks are a prime example of this type of game. Don't get me wrong, it's OK to have lots of rules, but if I can't find the ones I need frequently in a reasonable amount of time, then you FAIL.

I had this problem with a game called ICON. There were lots of rules I didn't understand and I just couldn't find their references fast enough.

The best solution to this is to just keep playing the game, obviously. Unless the game is perfect though, I'm not sure that's worth it.

Risky Situations Take Too Long

Combat is a notorious time-suck in roleplaying games. Again, it's fine to have complex, tactical mechanics for fighting epic monsters, but for me that is a big drawback that gets in my way of having a good time.

I've had this problem in a few games, ICON, D&D 5e, Draw Steel, and Trespasser included. They all were designed with tactical combat in mind, or at least lots of player options and dice rolls happening on single turns. It just takes way too long for each person to take their actions, even if those actions are really cool.

The best solution I've found is to have players manage initiative, either using a list they control or by having side-based initiative. Even then, it can still be a slog when the question "Who wants to go first?" hits the table.

Slow Spotlight Shift

This means not everyone is getting to act an even amount of times each scene. Often it happens when one type of character (or player personality) is drastically better suited to solving the problems of a given situation than most other characters (or players) at the table.

I've actually (thankfully) never had this problem with a roleplaying game system, though I do look out for it. This is usually a problem to do with the adventure being run, or the person running it.

I've had this problem with the Daggerheart Quickstart Adventure (it always feels like one of the pregens is better than the others, though its a different pregen each time?) as well as with physical puzzles placed in adventures. It might be a problem with Old School Essentials and their Fighter class, but I haven't played it enough to be sure.

The best solution I have is to avoid Legend of Zelda style puzzles, and recognizing any balance issues between character archetypes in your chosen game system.

Discourage Working Together

When games don't seem to want you to work as a team, I take issue. This usually happens in thunderdome style games where you are battling in an arena for glory. It can also happen in games that make it really hard to gain material wealth.

Again, I haven't had this problem with roleplaying game systems, but often the adventures they present.

An example of this is if a group of characters set out to collect a holy relic, and the wielder of that holy relic will be named king, how do they decide who should wield it after the adventure ends?

Another example is a group of characters collecting some treasure. Player A gets a sick magic sword that kills people in one hit. Player B actually really wants that sword, and would be nearly guaranteed to get it if they attacked Player A in their sleep. Should Player B be allowed to attack Player A?

The best solution I've found is to inform players ahead of time what kind of situation/goals they should have in mind when creating their characters. That way, no one is surprised if someone else has a reason to turn their back, and, likewise, no one is surprised when the GM declares: "Public veto on any player against player combat. Not allowed. Nope. You are friends and allies. Talk it out or do nothing at all."

Mechanics Disagree with Expectations

Games are trying to do a very difficult thing: replicate a version of semi-reality in a believable way. They have to decide what courses of action require game terms to adjudicate, and then codify how to phrase those courses of action in their rules.

The easiest example I can think of is the usage of hit points, or life, or health. When you get hit by a ray of disintegration, does the game tell you how many hit points you lose, or what happens to your corpse as it turns to dust? When you duel someone, are you losing hit points or are you getting fatigued, gaining stress, losing moral, your bravery shriveling, your muscles tiring, and your wounds getting worse?

There are lots of games that exhibit this mechanic disagreement. I think the best solution in those games is to describe hit points as a sort of physical stress. It makes their loss feel like something, rather than nothing until they reach some scarily low number.

Final Thoughts

We examined the kinds of games I like and why, as well as the personal issues I have with some game systems. There are solutions to these problems, and I use them whenever I decide it's time to try those roleplaying games again. Other people will disagree with me and are free to enjoy their favorite games. TTRPGs are for everyone!

I'm still struggling to find if there are games that reliably hit all my checkboxes. Some games have come really close; Mythic Bastionland is the closest any have come so far. FIST, Blades in the Dark, Monster of the Week, and Shadowdark are close seconds, maybe even ties. I can't wait to keep trying more games to see where they line up!

What games do you enjoy? Why do you enjoy them?

That's all for this week, play some great games!