#RPGaDay 2017 Day 14: Which RPG Do You Prefer for Open-Ended Campaign Play

What RPG do you prefer for open-ended campaign play?

I tend not to prefer sandbox games these days. When my last day of high school ended, I walked over to my friend’s house and we continued our second edition D&D game right where we left off last session. That was a nice rambling game. There were weeks where we would play at least once a day over the summer. If somebody had a game he wanted to run, he’d take over as DM for a session or two and we’d run our characters through his adventure. We were the stereotypical band of murder hobos and that campaign lasted for years.

That said, I don’t like that playstyle as much anymore. I’m old and I don’t have as much leisure time and as any adult gamer will tell you, coordinating a time when the entire group is free is a nightmare. I like my adventure paths with a distinct ending point so we can enjoy telling a story together.

If I had to choose a particular RPG, I’d go with some pre-third edition iteration of Dungeons & Dragons. It just seems suited to that wandering adventurer lifestyle. When the campaign ends and all the players go their separate ways, I like to think that our characters have more adventures without us.

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 13: Describe a Game Experience That Changed How You Play

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 13: Describe a Game Experience That Changed How You Play

It's from the Amber Diceless RPG. Character questionnaires have been around forever. "Why did your character leave home?" "What kind of relationship does your character have with his family?" That kind of thing. The ADRPG certainly didn't invent this sort of question. They did it better than I

had seen it before, with questions like: "What do you find boring that others enjoy?"When you were young, you used to arm wrestle with an old friend of your fathers - and you always lost. After an absence of ten years, the friend has returned, looking much older and weaker. He/she challenges you to a wrestle. You know that you can win. What do you do?" or "A friend proudly shows you a painting that he/she has inherited. You know that he/she is not going to sell the painting, but will keep it for his/her own pleasure. You also know that the painting is a fake. What do you do?"

The question that sticks with me, and which I include in all character quizzes in games I run is "Where does your character get the laundry done?" I love that because I had never thought to ask that question, but it grounds characters in such a unique fashion. You may be playing this angry, shouting demigod, but even he has to launder his loincloth once in a while. I like that it causes players to examine aspects of their character's lives that they would have never otherwise considered.

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 12: Which RPG Has the Most Inspiring Interior Art?

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 12: Which RPG Has the Most Inspiring Interior Art?

Probably Nobilis, second edition. The big white "coffee table" book. The art isn't my favorite, but it's the perfect fit for the grand, absurd mythic setting of Nobilis.

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 11: Which "Dead" Game Would You Like to See Reborn?

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 11: Which "Dead" Game Would You Like to See Reborn?

This is an easy one for me and it's even thematically appropriate. All Flesh Must Be Eaten.

I first discovered AFMBE in a Yahoo Group (remember those?) dedicated to horror RPGs in the early 2000s. They had a pretty robust publishing schedule, putting out a sourcebook every six months or so, which wasn't bad because Eden Studios was essentially just George Vasilakos and a couple freelancers.

They had the core game and supplements for zombies in the Pulp era, the future, medieval times, WWI, pirates, professional wrestling (!!) you name it. They got there before zombies became completely played out. Their unisystem was built from the ground up to support zombie games, but it also worked well (as the name would suggest) as a universal system.

It was a great game and a lot of fun and I'd like to see more of it.

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 10: Where Do You Go for RPG Reviews?

#RPGaDay 2017 Day 10: Where Do You Go for RPG Reviews?

I would have said rpg.net ten years ago, but these days I seldom have cause to seek out RPG reviews.
I mostly ask friends or google the game. There are plenty of reviews out there and I haven't found any one site substantially better than others.