Beginner TTRPGs

[stepnix]

The 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

Comments

[jama7301]

Do PBTA/FITD games not reach the synthesis between themes/mechanics/capsule-ness?

[stepnix]

I leaned away from PBTA/FITD for this because they can be pretty demanding on the GM. not in the "has to juggle a lot of numbers" sense, but in the "has to be really on the ball about reacting to players" sense. I did have Icon as my first successful campaign I ran, and that one's FitD in narrative play, but I also lurked on forums and discord for ages before doing that. By picking games with more structured procedures/subsystems/minigames, I'm trying to make the GM role less load-bearing (and so theoretically easier for new players to try out) (froofs might be the biggest exception to this i'm allowing myself, but the pre-built campaign material is still relieving one of the big traditional GM responsibilities).

For the capsule thing: A lot of the PBTA/FitD systems I see try to ground themselves in genre principles, but leave the specifics of the world up to the table. The capsule-ish quality of Wilderfeast is in providing a specific original setting that gives the table a lot of material to work with.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> The 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 <<

Agreed.

That said, there are many features that make a desirable first game.

* Everything fits into one box or book. At most, I'd allow for games that split the player and game master materials, but no more than that, and one is better than two. It should not require a large investment, nor should you have to buy a bunch of extra equipment -- although I'll allow for buying one or two cheap things like a set of dice or melted marbles.

* It should make sense to anyone who has a basic grasp of game play (e.g. rolling dice, taking turns), genre (e.g. monsters, heroes, magic, spaceships, enchanted or scientific objects, quests or missions), and storytelling (e.g. character, setting, plot, scenes, rising tension). For this reason, it's often easier to start with a game that is set in this world, in this world plus a weirdness or two (e.g. werewolves, magic, aliens), or in a world that's basically a "generic" fantasy, science fiction, or other genre setting with features that will be easy to recognize and use.

* The rules should be clear, on the simple side, and flexible enough to allow for play without novice fumbles clogging the flow of action.

* Setup only takes a few minutes. This includes teaching people the rules, making or choosing characters, and laying out the opening scene. Ideally, it shouldn't take much longer than setting up an average board game. Get people playing quickly and they're more likely to have fun with it.

* The scenario, whether provided by the game or the game master, should be relatively straightforward and easy to have fun with. Learning a bunch of rules and navigating a complex plot at the same time can be confusing, but it needs enough wiggle room for players to try creative things if they wish. Ideally, a starter game should have a scenario that you can finish in one session, perhaps half an hour to a few hours.

* A cool premise is an asset. A "generic" genre game can work fine, but an interesting hook will have a strong chance of bringing players back for more.


>> Plus it's about hunting and eating monsters, so you have a strong hook to bring in the Dungeon Meshi fans in your life. <<

*laugh* Well, if you eat what you kill, that certainly justifies hunting the monsters!

>>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.<<

I have definitely bought books just for the art.

>> 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. <<

I really admire these. Zoic is a great example. You play a human who is bonded with a dinosaur, and your mission is to get your village off the island before the volcano explodes. That's the game setup, all in one little booklet. But there's enough of a start that experienced gamers could extrapolate to other quests like finding or settling a new island.

Kids on Brooms is another. It's pretty simple at first glance, but you could easily expand on it from there.

My all-time favorite game engine is the PDQ engine from Atomic Sock Monkey. Their Freebies page has the PDQ Core Rules for free. With that, you can play any genre you wish. For a complete game, they have a bunch of choices including Dead Inside (dark fantasy about lost souls) and Truth & Justice (superhero fantasy). It's just elegant -- you can keep play very simple if you wish, or add more detail if you prefer.


>>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.<<

Oh yeah. I've seen boxed games well over $100. There are multiple big-name games with dozens of rulebooks.


>> 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. <<

Yeah, that sounds about right -- a character's first trip up the roofs will make it easier on a new player. But the game master needs to able to handle an extremely fluid setting that is not at all ordinary. It's an awesome concept though, and I admit I was sold on the art and "You poor thing -- you've learned to see."