Hi everyone! I figured I’d introduce myself and kind of explain my goal for this blog.
My name is River. I am an enbie living in the State of Michigan with a love for all things roleplay.
I got introduced to the world of TTRPGs when a dear friend in college ran a game of Pathfinder for our group of friends and I instantly fell in love. Since then, I’ve branched out to DnD 5e and then further with Monster of the Week, Kids on Bikes, and some of my own homebrew systems that have been loosely based on DnD5e. I want to eventually fully develop my completely own systems and am actually in the process of doing so now! I mostly DM for groups and enjoy building my own worlds than running premade settings, so you could say I’m more on the creative side of TTRPGs than I am on the game playing side.
Some dear friends have encouraged me to start a blogging journey and talk more about my knowledge and passion of the ttrpg community so I figured why not!
Give me a follow if you enjoy discussing and listening to a nerd info dump excitedly about various TTRPG systems, or even if you want to explore the world outside of DnD 5e!
While DnD is a fantastic system, I feel like it’s attention within the media and it’s popularity overshadows a bunch of other fantastic TTRPGs that are just as great (if not better) as any of the DnD editions! In light of this I want to spotlight a few others that I personally have played, or have kept my eye on to play as recommendations!
1) Monster of the Week
This one definitely may be one of the more well known smaller TTRPGs thanks to The Adventure Zone, however it’s my favorite so it’s absolutely my number one recommendation.
Monster of the week is specifically designed for short campaign arks and perfect for groups who may have sporadic schedules! This ttrpg is extremely reminiscent of the TV series Supernatural, and can accommodate a wide variety of campaign settings. Each session is centered around a situation designed by the Keeper and players must work through puzzles, problems, and combat to stop whatever creature, event, or mystery is ailing the area.
This TTRPG is perfect for people who prefer a less combat centered playstyle and want a system that allows flexibility in scheduling. It can easily be played as a one shot mystery or an entire campaign of fun investigating.
2) Bunnies and Burrows
Have you ever wanted to be a small woodland creature, living your life in the forest day to day surviving? Then Bunnies and Burrows may be for you!
This TTRPG is a roleplay heavy game that focuses more on problem solving rather than combat. You play as a small woodland creature living and enjoying your day to day in the forest avoiding perilous humans, environmental dangers, predators, all while trying to survive by staying fed and hydrated.
The leveling system in this game is very reminiscent of old school video games where the more you use a particular skill, the more you have a chance at leveling it up. It’s a fairly easy game to grasp and fun for those who want to experience a cute survival like TTRPG.
3) This Discord has Ghosts in it
This is probably the most unique “TTRPG” on this list. Rather than playing on a traditional tabletop setting, this system takes thing into a discord server to solve the mystery of a haunted house (discord server) as Investigators uncover the tales of the ghosts that call it home.
This is a fantastic system for long distance friend groups and allows everyone to interact as a player either as a ghost or an investigator. This system isn’t very campaign friendly and is meant to be played in one sit down session, but it has a lot of replay-ability and makes for a night filled with both fun and scary moments. The rules are easy to follow and the guide book even walks you through how to set up the discord server.
This is a fantastic system for large friend groups that may not be able to get together in person, and only has a limited amount of time to play.
4) Night Witches
This is a FANTASTIC ttrpg for any history buff. Play as a woman in the 588th Bomber Regiment in World War two as you stand against fascism while also dealing with sexism at the hands of your own servicemen.
This system deals with a lot of heavy topics, but is an absolutely beautiful tribute to some of the most inspiring and toughest women in military history. This game is designed for both single sessions and fleshed out campaigns and is a good system for those who wish to experience both the role of a game master and a player.
This is a Powered by the Apocalypse adapted setting and has all of the characteristics of a highly emotionally evocative game that has real anchors in actual historical events. This is a system that I have yet to play myself, but one I am extremely interested in and one that I do recommend solely on what I have heard from it.
5) Ten Candles
If you are a fan of horror rpgs with real world mechanics then this is the system for you! This system requires no pre game preparation and specifically designed for short one shots with a small group.
Playing by the light of ten real candles, discover what happens to your characters as you try to survive within the dark. This system is unique, as it leans heavily into a story telling horror rather than a survival system. At the end, after the last candle has burned away, every character will die to whatever fate awaits them. Every session is meant to be as unique as each scenario you play out as you discover what exactly happens to your group of characters in the dark.
If you like storytelling rpgs and like the idea of actually burning this as a game mechanic, then this system should be at the top of your list to play.
