Learning and Playing new TTRPG's

 

    It seems to be a truism of the internet TTRPG space that there are always complaints that most people won't play anything except D&D 5e. You can look at any online platform and see this complaint echo across the interwebs with varying levels of consternation and vitriol. 

    One afternoon I was staring at the blank pages of this blog and I remembered watching old episodes of No Reservations with the late, great Anthony Bourdain and it occurred to me. Commitment to one cuisine is admirable if you are a cook who wants to be great at their craft. However as an eater it's pretty closed minded and parochial. It's good to try new things. Being something of a grognard type who still loves running BX D&D and all kinds of weird indie RPG systems, especially horror themed stuff, I have been pretty closed minded about other games and crunchy systems. 

    Recently, I threw myself in the deep end and agreed to do a pair of actual plays with the tremendously talented and skillful Jack Kellum, a Twitter acquaintance who has become a good friend. Jack is the kind of guy who could have easily calcified into an old school die hard but has been open to new things and embraced innovations in RPG design and campaign creation. He has likely introduced a large number of players to the hobby. He talks about running massively large Vampire the Masquerade LARPS for a number of years.  This guy has been there and seen some shit when it comes to playing RPG's.

    The first game I played with him was with a good group. It was 5e D&D and despite my misgivings and dislike of trying to run D&D. I had a great deal of fun playing my Human Rogue Thief, Florenta. It was the kind of fun I had when I was about eight years old and learning to chuck dice. The key to enjoying 5e for me is to stop thinking like a game master and just let myself be a player and interact with Jack's homebrew world of Rega. It has an interesting feel and flavor that is at once familiar and alien. The other players: Del, Rev, and Q all got into the spirit of the thing and the experience was invigorating. Riffing off of each other and generally having a great time. Hours passed quickly and I was hooked into the campaign, ready to face the horrors of The Tomb of Sorrows each session. We kept coming up with weird ideas and Jack took our oddity in stride which speaks well of him as a referee. I have enjoyed this whole experience thoroughly and look forward to continuing it as long as it goes.

    Jack's Successor States of Rega combine his love of history and world building into a beautiful tapestry that fits the best speculative fiction mold. It's a progressive re-imagining of the Roman Empire and Europe as a progressive place where the gods were better, kinder, and more egalitarian than the versions we find in our world. This does not mean there aren't problems and conflicts it is a refreshing change compared to most of the fantastical depictions of Europe. This isn't the cartoonish world of the Forgotten Realms or the grim dark Empire of Warhammer Fantasy. It's recognizable as a parallel of our world but with a high magic sheen and I like that. It manages to balance a hopeful resilience with remarkable challenges and troubles. He has published several works set in this world, I highly encourage you to check them out. (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/20218/Of-Gods-and-Gamemasters)

    If I had stayed in my own little lane, my insular fiefdom of TTRPG land where OSR and rules light  horror games rule the earth, I would not have gotten to come out and experience these new little horizons. This has affected my games and made them richer for it.

    Try some new things. Expand your horizons. Learn about new games. It's worth it. Next post, I will continue talking about Jack as he serves up an old dish with some interesting and fun flair: A GURPS Old West Horror game.

You can find Jack Kellum on Twitter @jackgogsbane