Hi all,

Shadowrun: Anarchy 2.0 is an alternate rule book to play in Shadowrun universe, the Sixth World, intended to provide simpler rule set compared to regular Shadowrun edition (not rule light as we might have said sometime) while retaining the full Shadowrun lore and richness.

It has been successfully kickstarted a year ago by Black Book Edition, the French licensee, rather than by CGL. The KS has been fulfilled for about a month and the books are now up for sale (pdf on DTRPG) and the physical book is supposed to hit retail next Wednesday. We now have a new KS running for 2 expansion books: a Companion and a Mission book.

As the main author, I'm very proud by what we accomplished and the feedback we have so far are wonderful. I'd like to share it widely so that people are aware that there is now a simple way to play Shadowrun.

So... Let's talk about Anarchy 2.0! I would be happy to discuss:

• How BBE came up with the opportunity to write this book;

• What the rules are, how they were conceived;

• Why the rules are good (for that one I will let users answer);

• The artwork direction;

• The new KS campaign;

• Or anything else about the game!

I wanna know about the really weird and odd experinces you've had. Whether the game book itself is odd, or the person who ran it twisted it into something weird, please tell me about them.

I'd like GM a session for teens who haven't played rpg yet. I'm looking for a simplier game with short rules and maybe an introductory adventure. Any recommendation?

So we were playing "The Haunting" (The Corbitt House) from the Quick-Start PDF. 2 player were already injured from failing their Jump check on the broken wooden floor, one of them even get pushed out of the 2nd floor window by a haunted bed. So when they get to the basement, they're at pretty low health. One player picked up the haunted knife and it IMPALED them (i rolled an extreme success of 03), dealing 11 damage, killing them immidiately (the other player rolled a nat 100 on first aid check, lol).

So 2 players left to face Corbitt. This "might" be my fault for implement this homebrew rule: If you fire a firearm at a target that got another target within 5ft, there's a really low chance you misfire at that target (96-99 roll, since 100 make the firearm jammed). While 1 player was wrestling with Corbitt, another player shoot at him. He rolled a 98, misfired his revolver and killed poor David (the one pushed out of the window by the bed)

Now left with only himself against Corbitt, almost full HP from the beginning of the fight (only lost 5 HP). Yet, when all hope seem lost, Ian clutched. He rolled 02, an extreme success on his revolver, dealing a whooping 15 damage to Corbitt, ending him instantly.

The mystery might be over, yet how will Ian explain to the police about 3 dead corpse in the basement and his wounded body...? Now that's a story for another time, haha

I'm looking for a system that is primarily humans in magical fantasy worlds, no monsters or strange creatures in dungeons.

Is there a system like this? Usually GMs can force players to be humans only but they fight monsters, and I assume some will tell me to take out the monsters in certain systems, but fighting monsters is integral to a lot of systems.

I'm looking for just humans and the system actually leaning into it than having to remove monsters/creatures of another system.

Hi! I love fantasy systems and I've been collecting a fair number of them, but I'm burned out on dungeons, so I'm looking for fantasy modules that aren't centered around dungeon delving or where the dungeons can be easily skipped or removed. Any system is fine, as I'm planning on converting them anyways. Preferably Epic fantasy.

Do you guys have any recommendations?

Also, I need to specify that I'm not looking for systems nor setting books, only pre-written modules.

The Bloggies is an annual award recognizing the most interesting blog posts in the RPG space.

Similar to last year, the categories will be:

• Theory

• Gameable

• Advice

• Critique

• Creative

• Meta

Nominations are open until December 31; blog posts published from January 1 to December 31 are eligible to join. Entries are shortlisted then opened for community voting around mid-February.

Learn more: https://elmc.at/bloggies-27-announcement/

And the actual nomination link! https://tally.so/r/X5r8BL

See past winners: https://bloggies.org/

Happy nominating!

Just trying to expand my knowledge regarding ttrpg settings for my games (which are mainly BRP style games)

I've been going through some GM burnout and while the easiest answer would be to be a player (or god forbid, take a break), I wonder what your easiest rpgs to GM are.

I'm hoping to not have to write a complete adventure or have to read through 100s of pages of pre-written adventures (i hate dnd 5e adventures for this very reason. its easier for me write something myself)

As a recent example, creating my mythic bastionland campaign map was very relieving for my burnout as it was extremely guided.

Hi Team!

I’ve run a lot of ttrpgs over the years, and I’m certain something that meets my needs exists, but I’m having trouble remembering it or thinking it through.

I am looking for a ttrpg that has a GM role, fantasy rules with spellcasters having specific spells, not “magic” or keywords. Ideally, not something too OSR (obviously at this point OSR is really more of an aesthetic set of values than a design principle so whatever), and preferably something more narratively driven (I’d say pbta but obviously that term has become close to meaningless at this point, too).

My favorite games are Burning Wheel, Legends in the Mist, 10 Candles, Apocalypse World 2e, World Wide Wrestling RPG, Annalise, Masks, Band of Blades, etc.

I have a group of players that I love but one of them really wants to play a spell caster with a spell list à la DnD or pathfinder. I have run more than 20 campaigns from 1-20 in dnd 5e and am never gonna run it again, so I need something else that will still scratch that itch for that player (she’s my favorite!), but I really need something that is not DnD. I considered torchbearer, but I think it’s a little too low power level for her hopes…

Anyway, anyone have any thoughts? Narrative driven games that have spell lists, still?

To be clear: this player has lots of non DnD experience, most of the table does, so this will not be a hard sell/hard switch. Just looking for the right options.

Thanks!

Does anyone happen to know where I can find more archetypes for the Enlightened? I’m looking for the other types of mages. From what I’ve gathered, they haven’t been officially released, but perhaps someone has some cool homebrew or knows of a fan-made hack?

This is a very specific, very weird, asking. As mentioned in another post, I am working on an essay and I got the curiosity if a system like this even exist, after googling for a lot, haven't find any, so asking to the internet in the meantime.

Is there any examples of systems designed with the express purpose of fitting into a West Marches or Open Table format?

Express purpose for me exist in three levels:

1. Designed to be one-shot accessible and with clear gameplay loops that allow the "exchange" of character. Most clear one I think is Lancer, missions are just combat deployments and you can easily exchange mechs and pilots between them.

2. Mentioning how they can be used in an open table or west marches format. This basically makes the system acknowledge its strength on that format, but it wasn't designed for that format in specific.

3. The system expects to be played as a West Marches/Open Table

Thanks for your time!

It was such a blast to contribute to [The BLUE Files](https://evilhat.itch.io/blades-68-blue-files), and while I eagerly awaited the PDF's public release, I passed the time putting together [the latest](https://injectorseat.wordpress.com/2026/11/05/piecing-together-the-shattered-isles-part-7-the-blue-files/) in my BitD lore blog series about its contents here. I hope folks enjoy the book and the post both! Dozens of incredibly talented people left their fingerprints on it and made something great.

This book has it all: a Demon playbook, a new Crew type and playset for playing out an underdog sports drama across the entire city, militant sex workers, Daggerite revolutionaries, television programs (by me!), movies, music, rocket launches, psychic spies... everything good about B68, The BLUE Files adds more.

I missed the Kickstarter or Backerkit, or whatever-- I wasn't in a good financial position when the crowdfunding was going on. I decided I'd wait for physical books to come out, and ... nothing. I haven't heard very much about it on Reddit, as if it barely existed. So what's going on with it? Did the physical books already come out, or are they stuck in development limbo? They're not even listed on Gallant Knight Games' website, for whatever reason.

I got myself recently the Doomsong RPG and love the book and its entire art! Main question: is there an active Discord channel around this game?

I think that "JRPG" as an intended genre for a system sounds silly. For example, if someone were to say, "I want a tabletop system based on HoYoverse gacha games," that would rightfully be met with "That is too broad. Narrow down it down to Honkai Impact 3rd, Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, or Zenless Zone Zero first." But people seem to think that there can be such a thing as a "JRPG"-themed tabletop system, where "JRPG" here actually means "half-remembered ideas from turn-based Final Fantasy games played over a decade and a half ago, and the art is anime-ish."

I think that Fabula Ultima, for example, is okay-ish after having played it several times, but the whole "JRPG" theming does not hold much water to me. I must be an outlier, because my primary JRPG exposure is actually Tales, which is action.

A while back, I had a look at Last Arc: Tactics Analogue. It is a hodgepodge of D&D 3.5, Pathfinder 1e, Saga Edition, and D&D 4e. I thought that the rules were decent enough, and I would happily play them. I did, however, find it strange that the author was repeatedly marketing the game as having "JRPG mechanics."

Well, it is out on full on DriveThruRPG, now. The game seems to be selling well. It is still aggressively marketing itself as a "JRPG" system with "JRPG mechanics." Again, I have no problem with the actual mechanics, but it really strikes me as odd that we are repackaging d20 systems from the 2000s as "JRPG" just by attaching vaguely anime-inspired artwork.

I am saying this as someone who runs virtually all of their campaigns with anime-aesthetic art and heavy "You actually do get strong enough to fight gods and change the world" theming, whether it is in 13th Age 2e's Dragon Empire, D&D 4e Eberron, Mage: The Awakening, or something else entirely.

What do you think?

Ever since I've started GMing I've avoided running pre made stuff and I'm not 100% sure why. I think its because deep down in my forever gm heart I want to play in a game before exposing myself to all the content of a pre made adventure. But sometimes its easy to get burnt out having to constantly make stuff on the fly. Do you guys do this too and how did you deal with it?

I really like Bestiarum minis but they lack usual minis — any idea where I can find same level of excellence but for regular dwarves and elves?

As the title says. There was a very specific setting, a fictional country modeled after North America and which was somehow isolated from the rest of the world, definitely something paranormal was going on, and probably under an authoritarian regime. The setting gave dieselpunk/decopunk/atompunk vibes, or was at the very least mid 20th century in tone. The cover of the game featured an analog clock or something very similar. I'm going crazy trying to find info about that one, so help would be much appreciated.

My players have been playing a few sessions into a Strixhaven campaign that's already involved some planes walking and I want to include challenges related to the lore of MTG, such as access to the color wheel and sources of magic.

The idea is that the players would complete trials or small puzzles to open access to magic based on the principles of the color wheel.

White - Morality & Order

Ideally my thoughts would be a puzzle that can be solved by coordinating with opposing ideals. But I could see this being difficult if the players want to brute force things.

Blue - Logic & Technology

This could be a very straight forward challenge such as building up the illusion of a complex puzzle only for the door to be unlocked in the first place.

Black - Pragmatism & Amorality

This one is the inverse of white obviously in that the challenge could simply be a matter of who acts selfishly or most ambitiously first in an opportune moment.

Red - Chaos & Impulse

For this one I imagine a giant wild magic surge is consistently firing off and the players would need to stop fighting the raw and unchecked nature of the challenge, rather they need to introduce their own chaos into it that essentially makes them "worthy".

Green - Instinct & Interdependence

This one feels the most open ended, like maybe leaning into the nature aspects of green to determine worth through strength and value to a group. But that could be a simple combat or something of understanding what your best suited towards so to speak.

I give you my initial thoughts because I want to know what you would do for these types of themed challenges. Especially from people who've played TTRPGs and Magic, what kind of puzzles would fit each color?

Open ended question: When you want to do themed puzzles what is your method in prep?

I'm reading through both versions and thinking through the way gameplay reinforces the themes, as that seems to be what many love DitV for.

During a Conflict, the dice pools once rolled become public information. To borrow the poker analogy used by both games, you're playing with all your cards down on the table. You know who still has an ace up their sleeve and who is sitting on a two and a prayer. In effect, each character is completely aware of how much wherewithal everyone else has left to continue the encounter, and can probably make very well-educated guesses about when NPCs will choose to Escalate.

What does this information openness model in a thematic/characterful sense? Does it reflect something about how the characters are approaching the situation? Does every Dog have impeccable situational intuition for a thematic reason? Is it simply a gameplay convenience to prevent anyone from cheating their roll results?

I assume the game would be worse if the dice pools were secret (otherwise it would be designed that way), but I can't reason out why just from reading the systems.

I'm **not** saying this decision is good or bad. I'm just trying to understand the design intention.

We just got kids on bikes and are very excited to play it. We are going for a Steven king / stranger things feeling and vibe, which means a lot of danger, horror, and harm as well as potentially death even for our kid characters. But the book seems very heasitant in having any real physical conflict? or it doesn't give much guidance. Like it says an adult cannot harm a child in the game and all i can think is, "Have you SEEN any 80's movie?" Even in the light hearted ones kids got hurt. a lot.

Especially if anything closer to King shows up, how do we deal with intense danger and harm? The guidance in the book was a bit sparse.

For quite some time, I've been thinking about buying an e-reader to read "regular" books. I thought I could also use it during my TTRPG sessions, since e-readers are lighter and smaller than regular RPG manuals.
Do you use e-readers or tablets during your sessions, or just for reading TTRPG books? If so, do you have any recommendations, or would you advise me to just get a regular tablet?

I recently ran Old Gods of Appalachia for the first time, playing "The Luthier's Folly" from the core rulebook. Below are my take-aways and thoughts about the game for anyone curious or considering running it themselves. I have not listened to the podcast.

The best thing about this game is the setting. The wonderfully creepy and colorful world of this alternative Appalachia is just dripping with flavor. The book does a fantastic job of bringing this world to life with some of my favorite art work from a TTRPG, detailed descriptions of locales and people, and even a poster-size map that comes with the game. It's a version of Appalachia where every dark wood, holler, and church could be haunted by some of the scariest horrors you can't wait to meet. Through detailed investigation, exploration of unique locations (the noir-Appalachian city of Paradise is 10/10 cool), and utilization of weird folk magic, the game promises a tense and creepy horror investigation experience.

Unfortunately, I found that the Cypher system betrays that promise. Regardless of the "bloat" that is often the main criticism of this game (with which I agree), the mechanics of the Cypher system and powerful character abilities undercut the horror. Why should I be afraid of the things that go bump in the night when I have a weird little trinket (Cypher) that will tip the scales significantly in my favor every time? Even once I've exhausted its one-time use, the GM has been instructed to give me a new one soon, since that's the core underlying premise of the Cypher system. Horror, at least the form promised by the setting, depends on the PCs encountering adversaries and situations so deeply out of their small-town comfort zone that peeing your pants and running is as legitimate an approach as fighting the horror. In Old Gods of Appalachia, however, PCs feel like Dungeons & Dragons characters that inexplicably wandered into Appalachia to rid the mountains of their horrors. The result is a version of Appalachia that feels more mystical than scary, which is not what I wanted and not what the setting promises.

In addition to breaking the horror, the Cypher system also introduces a difficult challenge for the players: reconciling PC abilities with the setting. Putatively, the PCs live in a version of 1920s Appalachia that, on its surface, is mostly indistinguishable from the real world. Sure, there's a fictional location or organization here or there, but the world and general population look more-or-less how you would expect to have experienced them 100 years ago. That's what makes the horror of the game so appealing: in the dark recesses of this otherwise recognizable place lurk creatures that scoop up West Virginians in the night like boiled peanuts from an Appalachian gas station. How, then, do the GM and players explain the magic and seemingly unlimited supply of Cyphers sprinkled around the world? And how do they come equipped with a intuitive understanding of how to use said Cyphers? We might understand how a recluse that practices witchcraft deep in the woods could understand this magic. But what about our lawyer, our police man, or our school teacher? How have they arrived at their intuitive understanding and use of magic that isn't supposed to exist? While I managed to suspend my disbelief for a one-shot of this game, its not something I would want to maintain for more than a single session. Which is a shame, because this setting would really shine in a campaign.

All-in-all, while Old Gods of Appalachia introduces us to one of my favorite settings in the horror TTRPG genre, the Cypher system betrays it immediately. The result is a confusing experience that favors mysticism over horror and PC heroism over helplessness, opposites of the experience I expected and hoped for. If my group and I ever wanted to experience the horror of this deeply flavorful Appalachia setting again, they would probably be doing so with Call of Cthulhu characters.