TTRPG Polls

A blog dedicated to gathering and archiving data about people's experiences with D&D and other TTRPGs

[tpwrtrmnky]

The ideal out-of-game dynamic for a tabletop rpg group is that you're all going sickosyes.png at each other thinking of fun new stuff to do. With the DM, who's very much a player and very much needs to be in on the sickosyes.png action.

[dramatic-dolphin]

who let biologists play dnd

[lilyblisslys]

Just learned about Bull Press, a tabletop publisher that focuses on games that are prison compliant (no hardcover, no dice, no maps), and their catalogue seems sick as hell. Def gonna pick smth up when I get paid next

[alphaori]

Being into indie ttrpgs on Tumblr is a very funny experience because while you're ambiently considering designing a little game about idk, gremlins growing cabbages or whatever there are people who built this hobby from the ground up with 15 award winning published games and three podcasts and a knighthood from a small European monarchy just doing their thing on the same platform. Imagine this was the case for any other hobby. You go to shoot some hoops behind your house and LeBron James is just there

[nightpool]

I say a lot of stuff on this blog about "play another game" and I really want people to understand what I mean about that. monopolies are bad. DnD has, through marketing and business decisions and luck and capital, dominated the entire hobby in a way that no other creative genre has ever seen before.

[strawberry-crocodile]

[strawberry-crocodile]

JUST TO ABSOLUTELY CLARIFY

When these men run D&D 5e and end up with these really great story moments, that is not because anyone can do that with 5e; the ability to improv stories without a game giving you guidance is a learned skill that they are professionals at. Bennan Lee Mulligan has stated that he likes 5e because he's fully capable of improving very interesting story moments on the spot without rules helping him, and 5e doesn't get in the way of that. That works for him, but it is not something you should expect everyone to do.

Think of it like... Gordon Ramsey wouldn't need a recipe to turn a simple pile of ingredients into an amazing meal. But that's not because "oh yeah you can just do that", it's because he is Gordon Ramsey and is a professional chef and has years and years of experience cooking.

If someone is telling you "hey man, maybe you should try using a recipe first", you saying "nah Gordon Ramsey doesn't need that, why should I?" makes you look a bit foolish (and in this metaphor "recipe" is "game that has rules for social interaction beyond a pass/fail Diplomacy/Intimidate/Bluff roll)

[strawberry-crocodile]

"You can run any setting or game in 5e, the DM just has to do a rules overhaul!" This is why your friend goes on social media and complains about being a forever DM.

[strawberry-crocodile]

You are asking your friend to do large amount of game design so that you don't have to go through the stress of learning a new character sheet. Please give your DM friend a break and read a book.

[strawberry-crocodile]

"Dimension 20-" Brennan Lee Mulligan does that as his job that he gets paid for, and also is some kind of divinely blessed supernerd.

Additionally multiple Live Play shows havs stated that they get a drop in viewership whenever the phrase "Dungeons and Dragons 5e" isn't attached to the game they're playing so they have a financial interest in cramming any game they play into that system.

[strawberry-crocodile]

thank you for your testimony @catgirlkalishnikov

[wildwoodsgames]

ask game for ttrpg projects

Send an emoji and I’ll answer!

🌀Post the pitch for a game you’re working on.

❄️Share a piece of flavour text from a game you’re working on.

🌤️Share your favorite mechanic from a game you’re working on.

🌈 Share your favourite class/playbook from one of your games (name the game, or let me choose).

🌧️Share something melancholy from one of your games (name the game, or let me choose).

🌼Share something beautiful from one of your games (name the game, or let me choose).

🌩️ Share something spooky from one of your games (name the game, or let me choose).

☔Is there a game idea you have that you’re not sure you’ll ever write? If so, what is it?

[cheaphalloweencostume]

[cheaphalloweencostume]

the notes on this are almost entirely people tagging their DM who they’ve made throw their hands up in anguish

[usmelinuk]

If you’ve never been lucky enough to come across 2550 things Mr. Welch can no longer do during an RPG, here you go.

[rpgpolls]

Have you ever played an OSR game? (i.e. Dungeon Crawl Classics, Shadowdark, the Black Sword Hack, Mörk Borg, Into the Odd etc.)

I've never heard of an OSR game

I've heard of OSR games but never played one

I've played an OSR game

Voting ended onAug 6, 2023

[rpgpolls]

Have you ever played a retroclone ttrpg? (i.e. Swords and Wizardry, Whitehack, Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, Old School Essentials etc.)

I've never heard of retroclones

I've heard of retroclones but never played

I've played a retroclone

Voting ended onAug 6, 2023

[rpgpolls]

Have you ever played a ttrpg from Steve Jackson games? (i.e. GURPS, Toon, In Nomine, Munchkin d20?)

I've never heard of them/their games

I've heard of them/their games but never played

I've played a Steve Jackson Games ttrpg

Voting ended onAug 6, 2023

[rpgpolls]

Have you ever played a White Wolf/World of Darkness game? (i.e. Vampire, Exalted, Werewolf, Changeling, etc.)

Never heard of them/their games

Heard of them/their games but never played

Played a White Wolf/World of Darkness game

Voting ended onAug 6, 2023

[rpgpolls]

Have you ever played a Chaosium game? (i.e. Runequest, Call of Cthulhu, Pendragon, 7th Sea)

Never heard of them/their games

Heard of them/their games but never played

Played a Chaosium game

Voting ended onAug 6, 2023

[unlawfulgames]

Do you like food? Do you like street food? DO YOU LIKE FANTASY STREET FOOD?! DO YOU LIKE FANTASY STREET FOOD TTRPGS?! DO YOU LIKE FREE FANTASY STREET FOOD TTRPGS?!? DO YOU LIKE TO LEAVE TIPS FOR CREATORS WHO MADE FREE FANTASY STREET FOOD TTRPGS?!

Gourmet Street: Fantasy Street-Food Adventuring by theunlawfulneutral

A zine about bringing the greasy beauty of street food to your urban rpg adventures.

[rpgpolls]

How many TTRPG systems have you played?

Only 5e D&D

Only D&D but multiple editions

Two or three

Four or five

Six or Seven

Eight or Nine

Ten

More than ten/too many to count

Voting ended onJul 30, 2023

[rpgpolls]

Happy Independent TTRPG Month!

July is Independent TTRPG Month and RPGPolls is joining in on the fun in celebrating small press games that are just as if not more fun than the famed Seattle game.

This is a little overdue but I have been exhausted between work, my GM-ly duties, and some projects I have going.

Non D&D focused polls to come but for now enjoy a list of small press games I enjoy under the read more. Happy Indie RPG Month and happy rolling!

Dungeon Crawl Classics (and its variants) - An absolutely gonzo OSR fantasy game and what I currently run at my table. Cannot recommend it enough.

Shadowdark RPG - A wonderful bridge between the OSR school of play and 5e. Don't know how available it is since the kickstarter just finished but I ran Andrew Kolb's Neverland using it and had a blast.

13th Age - A super simple d20 system made by some of the devs who worked on 3.5 and 4e. Plays like a wonderful blend of the two and makes natural rolls more important beyond the usual 1s and 20s. Super fun.

Fantasy AGE (and its variants) - A 3d6 system that's a lot of fun. Popularized by Wil Wheaton's Titansgrave setting/game. I feel like it's magic system is a little lacking but overall its a fast paced and creativity focused game.

The Apocalypse Engine - For the sake of simplicity and brevity, all PbtA games will be counted under here. Requires a lot of player creativity and buy in but overall super fun and versatile. An indie darling to be sure.a

Swords and Wizardry - One of the big three systems that basically started the OSR movement (the other two being OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord). Unfortunately I only played this system briefly and without understanding what it stood for. 5e came out like a month after I started to the campaign was quickly converted. Would love to revisit it.

The Cortex System - Mostly used this to play the Serenity RPG. It's a decent system and good for what it is but the combined die types as stats doesn't work with me.

GURPS - What Fallout was originally going to be based off of, GURPS is a monster of a generic system. If you can think of it, it's probably got a rule for it. Works best when you narrow it down and can be a little complicated. You may have better luck with

Savage Worlds - A more streamlined generic roleplaying game with tons of pre-made settings. The card initiative mechanic is a refreshing take on the mechanic and the bennie system is so much fun. Full props.

Crash Pandas, Honey Heist, Goblin Quest and anything by Grant Howitt - Solid gold, great, light, comedic games that are guaranteed to make for a night of fun. No notes. Goblin Quest in particular is heavily underrated imo.

We Are But Worms - Meets the bare definition of a roleplaying game. Play it constantly with my friends. All we have to do is look at each other, say one word, and the game gets going.

I could go on. There's a metric ton of RPGs that I've played and even more that I haven't but would love to. Fiasco (I can never get anyone to play with), Blades in the Dark, Candela Obscura, Mork Borg, the Black Sword Hack and so many others with more catching my eye every day. So take the remainder of this month (and beyond) to explore the community and play something you haven't - or maybe even never planned to. This hobby has so much more to offer than WotC and Paizo and so much more to offer than just roll high on a d20 in a fantasy game. Get out there and start rolling the bones (or not in some cases!) And have fun!