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Beginner TTRPGs
Friday, November 15th, 2024 11:55 amThe actual best first TTRPG is whatever holds your interest long enough that you pass the event horizon and can no longer leave, but let's ignore that for now
Wilderfeast just released its pdf to the public, and I am very excited to be able to show people this game. It has the kind of structured procedures I really appreciate, the exploration rules aren't totally dependent on the GM having a strong mental model of wherever you are, and it's another fine entry in the set-map tactical combat subgenre I'm particularly interested in. Plus it's about hunting and eating monsters, so you have a strong hook to bring in the Dungeon Meshi fans in your life. Zoom out a little from the system itself and it's still a very well-made book. The art is great, the lore is intriguing, the author's thematic interest is clear, etc. etc. It's just good! It's good the whole way through!
I've talked a little bit about capsule games before, where a system and campaign are "fused" in such a way that there is a specific premise for playing the game, and the game defines/contains all the necessary space to explore that premise. Wilderfeast is more open-ended than that, but it still provides a "complete" experience I think. And to me, that makes this a great pick for introducing people to the hobby! It's a game that gives your table what you need to run it, and I know that sounds like a low bar but the situation is dire.
I'm trying to think of other games that I'd advocate as strong introductions. Far Roofs is one, but I think it's best for new players rather than new GMs. Even using the campaign in the book, you need to make the world feel *real* for the system to sing. Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast would be my full-on capsule game recommendation, partially because it's a BIG capsule game oriented for campaign play. You're going to be wandering that book for ages. Fabula Ultima and Break are both good choices if you want a fantasy game but are targeted at pretty different playstyles, and Fabula specifically might suffer if you bring in prior assumptions from the wrong games.
this would be a bizarre flowchart huh
Wilderfeast just released its pdf to the public, and I am very excited to be able to show people this game. It has the kind of structured procedures I really appreciate, the exploration rules aren't totally dependent on the GM having a strong mental model of wherever you are, and it's another fine entry in the set-map tactical combat subgenre I'm particularly interested in. Plus it's about hunting and eating monsters, so you have a strong hook to bring in the Dungeon Meshi fans in your life. Zoom out a little from the system itself and it's still a very well-made book. The art is great, the lore is intriguing, the author's thematic interest is clear, etc. etc. It's just good! It's good the whole way through!
I've talked a little bit about capsule games before, where a system and campaign are "fused" in such a way that there is a specific premise for playing the game, and the game defines/contains all the necessary space to explore that premise. Wilderfeast is more open-ended than that, but it still provides a "complete" experience I think. And to me, that makes this a great pick for introducing people to the hobby! It's a game that gives your table what you need to run it, and I know that sounds like a low bar but the situation is dire.
I'm trying to think of other games that I'd advocate as strong introductions. Far Roofs is one, but I think it's best for new players rather than new GMs. Even using the campaign in the book, you need to make the world feel *real* for the system to sing. Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast would be my full-on capsule game recommendation, partially because it's a BIG capsule game oriented for campaign play. You're going to be wandering that book for ages. Fabula Ultima and Break are both good choices if you want a fantasy game but are targeted at pretty different playstyles, and Fabula specifically might suffer if you bring in prior assumptions from the wrong games.
this would be a bizarre flowchart huh
