(Part 3) Best fantasy gaming books according to redditors
We found 1,632 Reddit comments discussing the best fantasy gaming books. We ranked the 607 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
Keith Baker, the original author of Eberron, has written his own 5E Eberron rules and posted them to his blog.
http://keith-baker.com/extra-life-hacking-the-warforged/
There is also a full 20 level Artificer class found in the UA.
https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/1_UA_Artificer_20170109.pdf
My party is currently playtesting a Dwarf Artificer. We're up to level 4, and so far it rocks. Next session is this weekend and we'll see if we can't advance to level 5. I really love that class. : )
The rest of the UA Eberron material, as you suggest, is sparse.
My party has playtested the UA version of the Changeling, and we love it. We haven't had a chance to try out the Shifter, but I really like what they've done with it here. The most disappointing thing in that article is obviously the Warforged, but I like Keith's proposal that I posted up there and if we ever have a Warforged in our game, I'll use that.
You will have to homebrew Kalashtar, if one of your players wants to go that route. I recommend giving them a stat increase to Intelligence, and letting them choose one of the Psionic Talents from the Mystic UA.
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/mystic-class
I also recommend investing in these books. The first is the essential guide to running Eberron, and using them as a guide you should easily be able to homebrew whatever you need:
Eberron Campaign Setting
Shadows of the Last War
Good luck! I love Eberron, easily my favorite published setting. What part of Khorvaire will the campaign be set in?
EDIT: HARP from the makers of Rolemaster is also great, and much easier to start playing
Basically you need the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. There are also "premium" versions of these books printed in 2012 that include many years worth of errata, and you should try to get those if you can.
The three core books are enough to play, but of course Wizards of the Coast published a very large number of supplements to the game that add more rules, systems, and advice for DM's to use and more options, classes, and spells for players. One of these is the Dungeon Master's Guide II, which includes a large bit of advice for DM's, more magic items, and some new rules and systems, including a detailed system for building towns. It was a fine supplement, but is certainly not essential for running a campaign, and I wouldn't even describe it as the best 4th book for a new dungeon master to buy.
Actually, if you're just starting out DMing, the best 4th book to get would probably be a pre-published adventure, or even a mega-adventure or adventure path. The Sunless Citadel is an excellent adventure for 1st-level PC's, though you should check first whether anyone in your group has played through it before. As for mega-adventures, both The Red Hand of Doom and Age of Worms have excellent reputations, though the latter was published in Dungeon magazine which makes it hard to find a copy.
Ever since I read Chris Perkin's now largely lost blog, "The Dungeon Master Experience," I've always thought of a good campaign as being a good TV series. To summarize his thesis, each adventure is like an episode in a series that advances the overall plot of the campaign. It's often helpful to work within a basic, 3 Act Story Structure.
In Act I, something external happens--often called the "hook." The regular order of the world is upset. Goblins threaten the town. Someone has stolen a powerful artifact. A mysterious disease/curse/re-occurring event begins to affect villagers. The external event leads to some mystery or uncertainty that demands that the PCs resolve it.
In Act II, the PCs discover more information, the stakes get raised as the outcome becomes tied to the PCs personal motivations and they learn the win condition. The goblin horde isn't just any goblin horde. They're lead by a new charismatic and heretofore invincible overlord that threatens to unite all the tribes. He must be killed. The NPC who stole the artifact doesn't understand its true nature. If she continues to use it in some misguided way, it will destroy her and unleash unspeakable evil. She must see the error of her ways. The disease affects a well-loved, essential NPC (or PC) and it's only a matter of time before they die. They must assemble the cure in time.
In Act III, the PCs participate in a climatic event at the precise moment when the outcome will have the greatest impact. The leader of the goblin horde is on the verge of uniting the tribes through proving his worthiness in an act of god-like invincibility--until the PCs show up. The PCs discover the location of the secret ritual and arrive just as the NPC is about to complete it. The clock is striking midnight as PCs are rushing to assemble the last ingredients of the cure. Any superfluous action means the great NPC will surely die.
Ideally, this story structure means the PCs will own the outcome, especially when they fail. Their futile attempt to stop the charismatic overlord only further proves his invincibility. The goblin tribes now blindly follow him into battle. The PCs inability to stop the ritual means they bear responsibility and blame for the havoc the unspeakable evil wreaks. The NPC dies and leaves a power vacuum now more easily filled by evil NPCs. All of this becomes fodder for the next episode.
The best advice I've ever heard regarding Villains is that everyone is a hero in their own mind. The invincible overlord has been the victim of pain, death and destruction. It's time he ended it and showed the world who's boss. The misguided ritualist thinks she's summoning a being that will bring power or prosperity, but she's been tricked.
Here are some of the best resources I've found:
Chris Perkin's "The Dungeon Master Experience"
The Complete Book of Villains by Kirk Botula (Out of print, but I bet you can still find copies or PDFs somewhere)
The Book of Vile Darkness by Monte Cook
Story by Robert McKee (Not RPG related, but still amazing)
I'd be curious what other resources DM have been inspired by.
You should try the My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria Story Telling Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/1626926190/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_92fvDbHQMEKKK
https://www.amazon.com/Paranoia-RPG-Rulebook-Allen-Varney/dp/1904854265
It's difficult to find the most recent (25th anniversary edition) anywhere, especially in PDF form from legit sources.
A clever person might be able to find them through other means.
The actual books are something of a collectors item these days.
If you want to play it I would strongly recommend you try the older (out of print, but available online) Mechwarrior 2e RPG over any other version.
https://www.amazon.com/Mechwarrior-Battletech-Role-Playing-Game-2nd/dp/1555601294
None of them are the greatest systems, but the 2e Mechwarrior rules match up most cleanly with the tabletop minis game, and really if you aren't playing that why play as Mechwarriors?
This got me unreasonably excited and I went to find where I could buy it -- and now amazon has another package on its way to my home now.
For anyone else who wants it, let me save you the google search: https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125
If you are not really concerned about the rules that might be tucked in there then you can go ahead and grab some of the older books instead. For example, you can snag the 3.5 D&D Dragonlance campaign setting for around $12.99 and have everything that you need to run a game in that setting. $20 would get you the 3.5 Eberron campaign setting as well.
Really what you need to know when looking for a setting is what settings are available. There is a pretty decent wiki of D&D Campaign Settings that you can go through to see what interests you. From there do a few searches for used books and you should be fine. Again, unless you really want those modern edition rules that apply to the setting of your choice.
D&D 3.5 had a book. Heroes of Horror that is all about running a horror campaign. IIRC it has some pretty good general advice in it.
They did.
I am a new DM too (we've played maybe 5 sessions?)
I am using the 3 core rulebooks:
The Player's Handbook
http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Players-Handbook-Rulebook/dp/0786928867
The Dungeon Master's Guide
http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Masters-Guide-Rulebook-Dungeons/dp/0786928891/
Monster Manual
http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Manual-Rulebook-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/078692893X/
The players themselves only need the Player's Handbook.
There is no reason to use other books when you're starting out. All they'll do is add complication to an already complicated system. When I was at school and joined a group for just a few sessions to learn what was going on, one guy had several other books he was pulling spells and items from and it only allowed him to make the rest of the party irrelevant. He was able to pull things from other books to circumvent most plot points that required other characters' skills and abilities, and it was just a bad time for everyone involved.
As everyone I'm playing with is new (me too) - we chose to do a premade series of dungeons to get the feel of it. I chose the Sunless Citadel and pretty much completely changed the story within a few sessions and nobody else knows or cares because we're all enjoying it.
It has it's own book and wiki that is based off the D20 system, in case you are looking for more resources...
Uh, no its not. I have a half dozen MECHWARRIOR books, same with Battletech. Even the second edition of the Tabletop, was called Mechwarrior.
Went Battletech -> Mechwarrior -> Mechwarrior: Dark Ages -> Battletech again
Then looking at Wikipedia, they swapped the Bookline back to Battletech (BT -> BT: Dark Ages). Circa 2009. Some of us grew up on Mechwarrior books, with a few Battletechs thrown in, now you will see Battletech books, not Mechwarrior. But checking out Amazon, lists a few dozen entries to the Mechwarrior series of Pen and Paper/Table Top games (The first series of books has the full Battletech name, while Dark Ages still sports the MW name). Its a messy system, with two names.
Still the point is valid, the OP may know it by the name Mechwarrior as opposed to Battletech.
What you've got pictured in that first link is the 3.0 Player's Handbook. (There is no such thing as 2.5, despite someone's mislabeling.) For comparison, here's the 3.5 Player's Handbook which looks rather similar, but has "v.3.5" near the bottom.
Regarding visual tools (playmat, miniatures, etc), those are often helpful, especially for new players/DM's and for those who like tactics-heavy battle, but I'll note that they aren't required, and some DM's eschew them on purpose, focusing instead on vocal descriptions of events.
Do you have a Dungeon Master's Guide? Here's a 3.5 DMG - the 3.0 and 3.5 versions are close enough to work together without too much trouble, and 3.5 is generally seen as superior, but a 3.0 DMG would work too. The DMG has a wealth of information useful for running an engaging game.
If you're, say, missing some key element of DM'ing, I'm not sure we could identify it easily - if you can't see it, we can't tell you about it. In general, though, it helps to try to pay attention to what does interest and engage your players, and do more of that. Or if some part seems to annoy a player, find a way to make it less of an issue.
One thing some players like, is to feel like they have some special trick or advantage they've figured out that gives them a special advantage. Maybe your fighter would think making a trip attack or sundering a weapon would be an awesome thing to do. Look for opportunities to let him try unusual stuff when it'll have dramatic effect.
Note that players can have radically different types of games that interest them; there is no magic bullet here. The original D&D had characters with short lifespans, who were basically just out looking for loot and had backstories like "merchant's disowned son looking for riches" at most. Some games have virtually no combat at all, focusing entirely on verbal descriptions. Some players enjoy basically enjoying going down a predefined story, and others like a more "sandbox"-like experience where they choose where they go in the world.
Another thing that can help is getting some practice. Try running through some combat scenarios on your own, doing all rolls and decision making for all (2-6) characters in combat. This will help you get used to the flow of combat, and let you handle it more smoothly in a real game. It won't help you with other skills, like interacting with players and reacting to their unexpected decisions and goals, but confidence here will help elsewhere. You can focus on the goblin chieftan's speech more if you aren't worried so much about handling a pair of attack of opportunity.
If you feel you're having trouble with storytelling, it might help to use a "module" - a pre-made setting and story, with some ready-made adventurers and lots of flavor to follow. If you do, you don't have to follow the module exactly (your players almost certainly won't!), but having the structure to rely on will serve you well.
I'm pretty sure WotC came out of the gate with the affirmation that they wouldn't release more than a few books a year (most of which are adventures). I get the business decisions, they don't want to flood the market.
For those who want more, there are tuns of fantastic third party books and top-tier homebrew to be had. Check out dmsguild.com and it's parent, DriveThruRPG.com. Some of my favorite third party books (and PDF's) include:
The tabletop explanation is in the recent sourcebook, Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage.
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Apparently, Halaster found a way to >!become "eternally living w/o using lichdom" via tying his life essence into his dungeon, Undermountain. What is not clearly explained, however, is how he survived his "ritual gone wrong" in 1375 (which led to his disappearance/assumed death), unless that very ritual was to "tie himself eternally into Undermountain" -- that's my guess.!<
I'm going to disagree on your point of editions. 3.5 is still massive, even with Pathfinder eating into it. WotC just recently released a new printing of the PHB, DMG, and MM1. There's many out there who still play this and have a trove of these books. I've played in several groups over the past 5 years, and they all played 3.5*. That said, most 3.5 stuff could probably be covered at the same time as Pathfinder.
^(*And I never sought out any specific system when joining. I've actually been itching to try out Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, Call of Cthulhu, Shadowrun, the new Marvel RPG, and just the other day backed the kickstarter for "OVA: The Anime RPG". Too bad I only have time to be in one group!)
Try the Book of Vile Darkness that deals with this particular topic. I haven't play an evil campaign myself yet, so I can't help you more!
Are you sure that Dungeon of the Mad Mad isn't out yet? Here's the amazon link
Did you mean that until another one comes out, or until that one came out there wasn't one?
two books i highly recommend for a horror campaign:
[ravenloft player's handbook] (http://www.trollandtoad.com/p214737.html)
and
heroes of horror
source: i really only ever run games in ravenloft due to how much i love the setting.
I can't believe no one has mentioned the Master Inquisitive prestige class. The class IS a hard boiled detective.
It can officially be found in the 3.5 Eberron Campaign Setting and has very low prerequisites.
Fantasy Flight Games put out a Grimm Roleplaying Game a few years ago.
Also, do you have a copy of Heroes of Horror?
And have your players already done Ravenloft?
Your best bet is to combine Pathfinder Pawns with D&D Dungeon Tiles Reincarnated.
I like the post and I agree with most of it. Some comments:
Healing is described in "Numenera", p. 103:
> You can administer aid through bandaging and other succor, attempting to heal each patient once per day. This healing restores points to a stat Pool of your choice.
From a realism angle, I favor one heal per patient, not one heal per patient per user.
> If the GM has fully read the rule book, and fully understands how cyphers work, then you will probably have a healing cypher on someone in the party, at any given time [...] You probably should blow through these pretty quickly, too. Why? Again, you want to save your own first rest period for mid-combat, if needed
Disagree a bit here. From a GM perspective I think the allotment of cyphers to players can be personal taste. If, at all, it should be based on the current story arc.
I also think the most efficient timing of the cypher use depends on its properties, the player's tier and the situation (a D6 heal cypher screams 'use me now', a heal +10 is best saved for combat).
> In fact, there is a rule on page ___ of the main book, which states that players can declare they are scrounging up new cyphers at almost any time
Numenera, p. 280.
> One of the best ways to feel comfortable about allowing your ability scores to drop down and fill back up is to make sure that one of your first 2 physical stats is huge.
I think it very much depends on how the game is played. I just finished reading Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering (ISBN 1-55634-629-8, recommended reading).
While you can certainly disagree a bit on his (or rather Glen Blacow's) player phenotypes, he makes a good point throughout the book that different rule systems appeal to different types.
Numenera is very much on the "Storyteller" side of his spectrum, while D&D, Pathfinder are on the "Tactician" / "Powergamer" side.
I think this sort of stat maxing is only needed if you come from a "Tactician" background and want that style to carry over to Numenera. However, if you (and the group) embrace Numenera for what it is, virtually any combination / stat pool can make sense.
In that respect, I would also vote for pinning [this great write-up]
(https://www.reddit.com/r/numenera/comments/58elpb/ive_played_this_system_for_quite_a_while_now_and/d902v4w/) from /u/OrangePhoenix which summarizes some of it in more detail.
> ...is that Numenera isn't about combat, and you shouldn't treat it that way.
Yes.
> you are doing it wrong at least in terms of what Monte Cook intended when he invented the game
To continue on the above, each rule system facilitates a certain play style. Numenera was, from the ground up, invented for story telling.
It is, in my mind, the "Agile Manifesto" of role playing:
> Interactions over processes.
>
> Story over 'documentation'.
>
> Collaboration over rules.
>
> Adaptation over plan.
It is a bit unfortunate that many RPGs couple rules and lore rather tightly (which, on a side note, makes the Cypher System Rulebook pretty refreshing).
However, regardless if they like the lore, I could only truly recommend Numenera to players who identify with the above.
If you are looking for comprehensive rules, maximizing stats, or 'predicting the outcome' rather than trusting your GM there are systems doing a much better job providing these.
I've never done dungeon command, but Castle Ravenloft isn't one of the best intros to 4e (some powers and characters overlap, but it is so watered down that the jump would be hard). That being said, I've played a few editions of D&D and have found 4e to be the D&D for the masses (simplified mechanics and harder to specialize yourself into uselessness). If you want to jump into 4th edition I have a few suggestions:
TL;DR Sign up for D&D Insider and try Living forgotten realms. These together make for an easy way to get a group into 4e without having to transition from game to game (which aren't necessarily similar enough to consider training).
>As huge as Eberron is, surely there has to be somewhere one can read about various facets of the universe like the Planes, the history of the different Houses and factions, the deities and religions present in the game, etc. Anything at all.
If you don't want to buy the D&D books, there are wiki sources online with tons of stuff:
I got these two Eberron books at home:
Eberron Campaign Setting
Sharn City of Towers
Plus a ton of AD&D 2 and D&D 3.5 books and novels.
Eclipse Phase
Paranoia
Shadowrun
Rifts
Don't forget the book of vile darkness - sort of important stuff.
Just gonna throw my hat in the ring here with some suggestions:
IF YOU WANT AN ASSORTMENT OF BOOKS
GURPS 4th Edition Basic (~60 USD): A simply fantastic game which, for everything that it can do, along with the absolute wealth of materials, both official and fan made, combined with it's pretty stellar price point (You can pick up everything you need to play anything you want for about 60 USD), it's hard to argue with. As I mentioned in one of my other comments, GURPS modularity is probably its key selling point, but on top of that, it sports a system that, when you break it all down, is actually incredibly easy to learn, and very simple. I've taught the "base" game in just a few sentences.
Savage Worlds Deluxe (~10 USD): I'm listing the lower price here simply so I can cram more into this list under the 100$ budget, but Savage Worlds is exactly what it says on the box: A fast, fun, and furious system, on top of that, I don't think I've seen a cheaper game that does as much as Savage Worlds. It shares similarity to GURPS in its modularity, you can run a lot of different settings and and hack in your own rules with relative ease. SWDX also has some unique rules from time to time (Using playing cards for initiative, the way that bennies work, etc.) and for speed, you generally can't beat Savage Worlds. Chargenning is speedy, and combats are among some of the fastest I've seen, allowing you to really get into the roleplaying aspects of a game more than just the crunch.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten (~15 USD): I personally got my copy of this game for 19.99 at my local book store, but it seems like it's been out of print for awhile. You can still get a digital PDF of it for 15 dollars at RPGdrivethru, however. I've run All Flesh Must Be Eaten numerous times, and with its ruleset, you can run a variety of different zombie games. Its fairly simple, with chargenning taking a fairly short period of time, combats running by fairly smoothly, and not a lot of "bloat" in the rules. It does what it does well, but might need some tweaking if you want specific types of games (I had a game where the PCs were zombie killing gods near the start of the game, for example, didn't play too well for my gritty game.)
FATE Core System (~15 USD): I listed 15 USD as the price here, but you can pay what you want for it on DrivethruRPG I've not actually run this game myself, but I do own it and have read the rulebook cover to cover. This is a very freeform system from what I can gather that takes narrative roleplaying to a pretty different level. It focuses on essentially creating "conditions" on characters, items, environments, and so on, and using those conditions to spawn the action and contribute to dice rolls. It's truly a unique system, and is designed to run any setting you particularly want. For 5 bucks, you can't go wrong adding another generalist RPG to your repetoire.
-------------------------------------------------
IF YOU WANT JUST ONE SYSTEM AND SETTING IN PARTICULAR:
Shadowrun, 4th Edition, 20th Anniversary Edition (~50 USD): There is not a single game on this Earth that makes my imagination go gallivanting quite like Shadowrun. The setting, in my mind is one of the most finely crafted, and most fun settings I've ever played. The gist is that it's a fantasy-cyberpunk game, you got dwarves, elves, trolls, orks, humans, etc. in a cyberpunk world with nasty corporations waging wars in the shadows, and there's magic and technology and it's just wonderful. The 20th Anniversary edition is the one I recommend purely because it I'm familiar with it, but it ALSO is a basically a "done" edition, and it comes with the 4th edition errata already written into it. It's also full colour, with beautiful artwork and it even has Shadowrun fiction between each chapter. And the best part is that you can get this book for 50 USD on Amazon. I got mine for 60 almost brand new, and the hardcover book is worth the investment.
Shadowrun 4th, Augmentation (~12 USD): This book contains lots of new cyberware augmentations for characters, and I consider it one of the "Core" splatbooks to be used. You can get it for about 12 USD on Drivethru RPG.
Shadowrun 4th, Arsenal (~12 USD): Another one of the "core" splat books in my opinion, this one basically contains craploads of guns and new ways to kill people. Fun! You can pick up the PDF at DrivethruRPG for 12 USD.
Shadowrun 4th, Runner's Companion (~12 USD): Contains a metric crapton of character creation options, but for the love of god, screen the characters your players create. RC is fantastic, but it lets in some broken options. You can pick it up at DrivethruRPG for 12 USD.
Shadowrun 4th, Unwired OR Street Magic (~12 USD for either): I put these two in a lump category because you couldn't buy both on the $100 budget, so it's up to you what you pick. I consider both to be the final parts of the "Core" splatbooks. Unwired is an entire rulebook that elaborates all on the technical side of Shadowrun, about hacking and the matrix and devices and all of that. Street Magic gives new spells, adept powers, traditions, etc. You can find Unwired on DrivethruRPG here for 12 USD, and Street Magic here on DrivethruRPG for 12 USD.
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That was long winded! But hopefully this helps out, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!
Sorry for the long links but I'm on mobile. I use these. Yes they are intended as dnd monsters but the creatures are very easily adaptable. I'm using these 2 books for inspiration in a dungeon world game at the moment.
Tome of Beasts https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936781565/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wKGzCbCPJ9KQ8
Creature Codex https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936781921/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6HGzCbN9F22K2
i just picked up the Inner World Guide a few weeks ago and it's a great starting point. Lots and lots of information about Golarion and its workings.
It's true
I always suggest Reign for my fantasy go-to. The Enchridion edition is $10!
You roll a pool of d10's (never more than 10), and look for matches. A match indicates success, where you hit, and for how hard you hit.
It's pretty freaking fast, and there's a lot of fan support. Greg Stolze also has a bunch of extra books for free in pdf on his website.
There's an ASOIAF RPG alreay that might be closer suited to your needs. Pathfinder and D&D are so geared around the presence of magic items and wizardly/clerical magic and fighting non-human enemies that removal of those changes the balance considerably.
But I'd actually recommend REIGN over either of those. It has some very interesting rules for running armies and nations. And since so much of Game of Thrones is above the individual level, that stuff is crazy relevant. The magic system is easily altered to the minimal and subtle magic in ASOIAF. Plus, it's written by Stolze!
If you're completely new to DnD, I'd go for either DnD 3.5 or Pathfinder. Neal uses an apparently very homebrewed 2nd Edition, so, you're not going to be playing the same game with regular old 2e stuff. It's clunky and aged, and he (presumably) still uses it because it's what he's always used, so he's used to it, and he's ironed out the kinks.
So, yeah, the most recent edition of DnD is 4e, which is commonly considered to be a little bit too dumbed down, but it doesn't really matter that much if you're new. Still, the books are expensive, so you should try to look into the different versions and find out which one sounds like you'd prefer it. 3.5 and Pathfinder are very similar, as Pathfinder is actually based on 3.5 with a couple things done to streamline some of the combat. Also,the art in the books is really pretty (completely superficial, but it's nice,) and you don't have to buy a rule book, player handbook, AND a bestiary, just the core book and a bestiary if you're DMing, so it's like thirty bucks cheaper, AND Pathfinder is backwards compatible with 3.5 books, so... yeah, that's also nice. They also have a DM's guide which is all about how to make and run a game. Pathfinder and 3.5 both have a bunch of ancillary resource books too, like NPC and equipment books. I know Neal has at least one weapons book, but they aren't necessary; they're just extra guidance.
http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Dungeon-Masters-Screen-Accessory/dp/0786957433
I think this is it
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0786957433?cache=c254ad1c684590a22fceba09cb626c61&amp;pi=SY200_QL40&amp;qid=1406426206&amp;sr=8-1#ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1
Unfortunately I think they are super high priced since they stopped making them.
Can sleeping be a hobby? Because if so, sleeping is my hobby.
Thank you! Although I'm not lying to you. I started doing this a little more than a year ago, so for all intents and purposes I'm still a total newbie to drawing.
I feel my most recent things have improved a lot quality wise over that drawing though. The one I showed you is around 7 months old. Next time I do something SFW again I'll probably share it to the plounge as well, so you'll see it pass along.
They really are! Any favourites? My friends and I tend to pick RPG board games usually. And one of them picked up Tails of Equestria recently, but the other friends don't feel like playing ponies sadly.
That sounds absolutely lovely. I think I might secretly try to convince some people to do Sundae Sundays as well. Although there are no Starbucks shops around where I live though, so that's a no go, I'm afraid.
Esoteric choice ("you've probably never heard of it"): My favorite add-on module has always been Cityscape (3.5e, compatible with Pathdfinder and probably 5e)
Mainstream choice: I've also always loved original Eberron for 3.5e (again, Pathfinder compatible, possibly 5e compatible)
Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556346298/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_boZFAbZ9NMS62 a great starting book. The teachers you would understand your players as you go about designing your game. It help shape your world into something that your players will enjoy spending time in.
I'm going to be in the minority, but I'll suggest DCHeroes a.k.a. Megs or [Blood of Heroes.] (http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Heroes-Role-Playing-Game-Special/dp/0966528034/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1406141409&amp;sr=1-4&amp;keywords=blood+of+heroes&amp;dpPl=1)
Fast and fluid combat, lots of powers. And, if you need inspiration or just some enemies to throw at your PCs, you can find a ton of them at www.writeups.org/
The Dungeon Masters Guide, which is coming out in a few months, should have a LOT of information about that kind of stuff. You could try looking at the Dungeon Masters Guide from previous editions for some general advice (but don't try to use the specific rules/numbers in them).
Also check out http://www.amazon.com/Robin-D.-Laws/e/B0034PURKG and http://www.amazon.com/Robins-Laws-Good-Game-Mastering/dp/1556346298/ref=pd_sim_b_10?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=0K4ECMWA3SBAW0K5KW0D
Heros of Horror might be of use to you.
Buy some dice.
Buy some books.
Honestly, it depends what kind of game you want to play. I think here you're going to get a lot of weird niche games suggested but for starters you're better off sticking with the a more 'traditional' experience. D&D is an excellent starting point if you want to play a fantasy game, you can even pick up one of their adventures if you don't want to write your own material.
If you're unsure about spending that much just to get started you can pick up this starter set that will include the basic rules, a set of dice, some pregenerated characters, and a short adventure. From there, if you like the game, you can pick up the full rulebooks and some more dice and whatever else you like. Alternatively you can try out the free basic rules by downloading them from the Wizards of the Coast website. All you'll need is a set of dice to get started.
If you don't like or don't want to play D&D you can check out a bunch of other systems that will let you play other games or settings. [Edge of the Empire] (https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Edge-Empire-Rulebook/dp/1616616571/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=edge+of+the+empire&amp;qid=1563883870&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1) is a really cool Star Wars game, but it requires custom dice. My personal favourite sci-fi rpg is Traveller though, and it has the advantage of only requiring six sided dice.
A lot of people really like Savage Worlds, it's fun, it's cheap, and it's generic enough that you can run almost any setting you like with it. Unfortunately there's a new edition due out really soon so take that in to consideration. If you want a more in depth generic system then I can recommend GURPS, although you'll also need the Campaigns book. This system is absolutely not beginner friendly, it slaps you in the face with tables and rules for all sorts of scenarios, but I adore it and it's not really all that hard to figure out.
If you want an alternative to D&D Green Ronin has the "Age" series of games, starting with Fantasy Age, continuing with Modern Age, and the recently released The Expanse RPG covers Sci-Fi. I will admit that I've not actually had a chance to play any of these games, but I've read the rules and like the system.
Honestly you can find a game to cover practically any genre you want, whether it's Grimdark Fantasy, Martial Arts, Space Exploration, Lovecraftian Horror, Anime Cyberpunk Space Opera, or almost any other thing you can think of.
Don't fall in to the trap of playing a game because someone suggests it's 'easy', play something that really grabs your interest and inspires your imagination.
Inner Sea World Guide - lore about Golarion in general, and a world history. Lots and lots of really cool info, the "go-to" book for lore in Golarion/Pathfinder
Inner Sea Gods - lore about the core deities in Golarion and their religions, as well as some info about some of the outlying, less-common deities/religions.
Pathfinder Player Companion: Varisia, Birthplace of Legends Quite a few adventure paths take place or start in Varisia, particularly the city of Sandpoint.
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Magnimar, City of Monuments A major city in Varisia that also is involved in a number of adventure paths.
The Rise of the Runelords adventure path is a great introduction for new players and new GMs into Golarion and pathfinder in general.
Ninja edit: www.pathfinderwiki.com is another great resource, and is just lore-based as opposed to including things like stats for creatures and that sort of thing. More detail is in the books that are referenced for each page, but that site will get you started with things like the gods, various countries, and prominent events in Golarion history.
It's the Creature Codex by Kobold Press
It's fantastic, it also includes this thicc boi
https://www.amazon.com/Creature-Codex-Wolfgang-Baur/dp/1936781921/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1539907620&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=creature+codex
Paranoia is a classic tabletop RPG, but the way to win is to be the most deceitful, conniving, cheating person there. Even better, there is a Game Master keeping everyone dishonest.
It's a beautiful thing.
https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125
Check out https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com if you're going to be running in the default setting. If one your players want an urban campaign, WotC just finished releasing 2 campaign books that take place in the city of Waterdeep. Dragon Heist can take them from levels 1-5, and it ends >!with players making 500,000 gp!<. If they don't feel like leaving the city you can run Dungeon of the Mad Mage until level 20 while taking breaks from the mega-dungeon to run their tavern or do any other adventures you feel like making up.
If you're not that into reading wikis I sometimes watch this guy Jorphdan's videos who just explains forgotten realms lore.
Lastly, if neither of those adventures sound cool to you check out adventure lookup's selection of adventures that take place in cities. Unfortunately I can't link you directly to the results, but just check "City/Urban" under the "Environments" tab on the left.
Hope that helps!
Might I suggest that you check out: Blood of Heroes
Another fun game. http://www.amazon.com/Paranoia-RPG-Rulebook-Allen-Varney/dp/1904854265 (wow, expensive. When I bought it, it was only $25)
Well there's actually some hints..
Quirks: unique traits of said character: what food does it like? does it have certain recurrent habits? He adheres to certain faith and/or ideology? Look for the ones that can be roleplayed. Ex: The character Son Goku in the japanese dub talks in a unique Japanese accent (a mix of Tohoku and Nagoya dialect put together).
Motivations: Why the character does what it does? It acts out of vengeance, wants to uphold the law or is on the trade just for kicks/money? Blood of heroes has this well mapped for the Supers genre.
Research about the Myers-Briggs types and think on a short questionnaire that could help identify how the character behaves.
And last but not least, what I as GM always requested from my players was to write a little backstory of their characters up to the point of the game's timeline. In that they said how/where they were raised, how they met their love interests/enemies, how they acquired their skills/powers, etc.. It works like charm.
edit:
There's also a business tool called 5W1H that could be tweaked to suit the TTRPG:
[Who] is your character? (name/race/gender/age, etc..)
[Where] you come from? Where do you want to go? (backstory and goals)
[What] the character does? Is he a cop or a fortune teller? (occupation/job/trope)
[When] you accquired your skills and powers? When you met your rival/ S.O. (the idea is to establish a timeline for the character itsefl)
[Why] the character does what he does? What are the stakes? What's in it for him? (motivations)
[How] the character does things? He rushes head in or is a careful strategist? How he interacts with people? ( the the MBTI types).
Ha, it's on Amazon for $49! I love living in 2017!
Never really counted, about 50 to 60 pieces that vary in size from a 1 square tile, to rooms about 12 squares across. They are placed in the packaging similar to model planes, so you break the tiles out of the packaging. Friendly warning, they wont go back into the original packaging easily once you do break them out. There are wilderness, urban, and dungeon tile sets.
Here is what I'm talking about through Amazon.
D&D DUNGEON TILES REINCARNATED: DUNGEON (Dungeons & Dragons) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786966300/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_k62ADbD2GHTAK
Diablo II: The Awakening
Con respecto a los mapas, si buscas versatilidad por precio, recomendaría comprarte un BattleMat, o busca el básic mat de Pathfinder, es lo mismo que tú hoja A3 pero más grande y podés usar marcadores para dibujar y después borrar tus dungeons o escenarios de combate, yo uso uno y me resulta más fácil para dibujar sobre la marcha pasadizos secretos recién descubiertos, etc. ( https://www.amazon.es/Chessex-Role-Playing-Play-Mat/dp/B0015IQO2O )
Ahora, si querés algo más lindo y elegante, compra tiles, son escenarios ya dibujados (de forma muy profesional y realista) que podés combinar para extenderlo, el único problema con este método es que llega un punto que reciclar lo vuelve monótono, aunque es más realista por las imágenes del mapa que el battlemat. ( https://www.amazon.es/Dungeon-Tiles-Reincarnated/dp/0786966300/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=dungeon+tiles&amp;qid=1570868315&amp;sr=8-1 )
Con las miniaturas, lo mejor que te puedo recomendar es que busques las cajas ICONS OF THE REALM de D&D, vienen 4 miniaturas por caja, al azar, 3 medianas o pequeñas y una grande, allí encontrarás más que nada enemigos, algunos muy interesantes, otros meh. ( https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0155L0OKO/ref=dp_cerb_1 )
De la misma línea hay unos basados en el starter set que vienen heroes básicos (un enano clérigo, un humano guerrero, un elfo mago, etc), quizás ahí veas una oportunidad para buscar algo más representativo a tu grupo. ( https://www.amazon.es/WizKids-72779-Realms-Miniatures-Starter/dp/B0722N48N2/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?keywords=d%26d+icons+of+the+realms&amp;qid=1570868365&amp;sprefix=d%26d+icons&amp;sr=8-15 )
Espero te sirva :)
There's been some good advice and links to good resources posted here already. I don't want to make it seem like I'm pushing for you to spend more money, but there are some really good books/pdfs on the subject which should not be overlooked.
I highly recommend Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering to any new GM who's looking for some well thought out advice on GMing and adventure planning. You can get it in PDF, print (or from Amazon). Another book to consider for GURPS is How to be a GURPS GM.
[5e DM] I'm new to D&D and want to start playing with my friends as a DM, I did my research and have a grasp of how to play so I want to take advantage of the sales amazon is having right now to buy the books.
I'll be getting PHB, MM, DMG, XGE and the starter set, I still have 1 more slot from the amazon limited offer but don't know which one to get.
My choices are limited for the offer:
I'm thinking of running LMoP and after that one of the books listed above. Thank you in advance!
An overly difficult enemy is still beatable, it's just got more HP's to beat out of it and a harder punch to accidentally TPK your group when the rolls slip up. But is that actually scary? Is it still scary after you've done that trick for more than 50% of your encounters?
You might be better served by switching up abilities and weaknesses of the enemy types that your players fight. A vampire? Pfft, magic weapons and silver, here we co-oh crap, that didn't work. What kind of monster is this? Ohshi-ohshi-ohshi-! Fear isn't going to sprout from the dice, it's going to pop up when your players have fool proof plans... That fall apart. Anxiety (what do we do now?), worry (how can we stop it?), and intrigue (what is going on here?) will fill your sessions and your players will be falling over themselves trying to piece together what's going on so they can toss your NPCs into a shallow grave back behind the abandoned castle.
As for your insanity counters idea, Heroes of Horror touched on this idea with a Taint mechanic that may be worth looking into (page 62 if you have access to the book). Personally, I don't think that slapping on rules that primarily disadvantage your players mechanically is very fun. In a game about words, stories, and settings, messing with someone's numbers that they worked hard (benefit of the doubt) to crank up is just sort of insulting. Better that you use their purposefully evil decisions as fodder to create conflict, both internal and external as the PCs have to deal with the repercussions of their actions and the players have to have an internal struggle on whether or not to do bad things again (bonus points if all of their options are gray, with ups and downs for even more drama!).
I'm a 3.5 man myself. The 2e guys and I will have our disagreements but we're all pretty much unanimously agreed that 4e is not the way D&D was meant to be played.
Player's Handbook 3.5e
Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5e
Monster Manual 3.5e
However, every D&D group will play differently anyway. You will NEED the PHB and the DGM. You will also need a full set of poly-dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d%). Stories, additional material, models, boards, scenery is all optional. We tend to switch between zero physical assets, just talking (usually only if free-roaming and/or lack of confrontation, etc.), and a white-board where areas are drawn in erasable marker, with warhammer miniatures.
Amazon or the Wiki. /r/Eberron also exists.
Phew This'll be a long a post, but certainly reward to read by the end of it. Playing D&D/Pathfinder really is the Nerdiest, Nerd thing I've ever done, and it is a lot of fun! Watch +DawnforgedCast's Session 0 video and download his checklist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0FmGxmJLiw It's meant for a GameMaster/Dungeon Master, but that checklist will help you out greatly in understanding what you want when starting out in a new group, with or without veteran players. If you aren't able to find a group locally (I don't recommend online groups for your first introduction) then taking up the mantle of leadership as the GameMaster/Dungeon Master, can be both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. However, if you're one with a vivid imagination, or are good with thinking on the fly (believe me, it gets better with time) then you'll already have a headstart on the majority of GMs out there. A great beginning module that has a little bit of everything, adventure hook (i.e., reason why your players should be doing this), NPC interaction, wilderness adventuring, dungeon crawling, is the Hollow's Last Hope module for 1st Level Players as it works for both D&D and Pathfinder. You don't really need the print version, since you can download it for FREE at Paizo's website https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Hollow%27s_Last_Hope
I greatly recommend you get the Pathfinder RPG: Beginner Box ($25-$35) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601256302 it is a different game, but the rule set is uber-simplified and honestly, superior to the D&D Starter Set ($15), and is worth the extra money. The Beginner Box literally has the all of the beginning needs for play. Pre-generated characters, blank character sheets for the four classes (Wizard, Rogue, Cleric, and Fighter) with either of the three races (Elf, Dwarf, and Human) that are easy to introduce new players to, a flip out map that you can use dry-erase- or wet-erase markers, and permanent markers on (all of which can be erased off, I use these wet-erase makers that are $9 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFGW because I'll draw camp fires with brown, yellow, orange, and red colors, green helps with trees and shrubbery, blue for water, and black for everything else), a Hero's handbook, and really, really, good GM guide, plus thick, cardboard punch-out marker pawns of various Monsters, NPCs, Player characters, and other creatures, that amount to a wealth of miniatures that would take a lot of money and time to paint them all up, plus they're easier to store in the box. Unfortunately, it only comes with one set of dice, so it wouldn't hurt to get these on these 7 sets ($12) on the cheap https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDJNE93 and pass them out to your players, or if they have their own, then you'll have plenty of extra multiples of dice, which will come in handy during combat with spellcasters and sneak attacks by Rogues. I handed them out to my players after they told me what their favorite colors were. =P
That'd would be all you'd really need to start, $30ish Beginner Box, plus $10 for markers, and $10 more if you or your players need dice. Now, what follows is what I used for my first GMing of a game, based on many different people's recommendations. In order to make combat work in a logical way that I could understand, I bought the Pathfinder Combat Pad $20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601255470, along with those wet-erase markers from earlier. It's usefulness has been far better, and worth it's price in gold, to use than a cheap $1 store notebook, when I would have to erase or rewrite when players would defeat monsters or would hold their actions, or would tell them the wrong initiative bonus to start (lol!). Again, rather use a dollar store binder, I bought the Pathfinder GM Screen $16ish https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252161, because it was short enough for me to look over rather than 3-ring binders or a paper folder at the actual game table. Speaking the table, I bought the Chessex Battlemats https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015IQO2O this is a link to the smaller one ($20), since I bought the Megamat ($35), only because I had a large table, and players could use it as a coaster for drinks too (even though I did have coasters, to prevent spillage). As an added bonus, I recently discovered the Condition cards $10 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252854, to use with Pathfinder, and they are great to hand out to players (as you would already know these conditions since it's written behind the GM Screen) so they know what condition they are in at a glance. Keep in mind though, you only get 4 or each, so if you are lucky enough to have more players, it wouldn't hurt to buy an extra set (however, it would be strange if all of your players had the same condition).
Now, let's say you enjoy Pathfinder, and you bought the Core Rulebook $20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601258879 (if it's a hardcover, always look inside for the Sixth edition printing, the paperback will already be that edition) but are getting tired of looking up Monster stats online, then grab the Paperback version of the first Bestiary $16 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601258887 which has the great majority of all of the "regular" monsters in either D&D or Pathfinder. If you're not much of an artist, then there's the recently released Pathfinder Traps and Treasures Pawns Collection $25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259719 but be warned that you only want to place on the board AFTER the players find out what it is or after they trip it since it does have text explaining what it is as a trap, and if you're use the treasure ones, make sure you add whatever is actually printed on the tile is IN the list of treasure you give the players, because they can and will ask about, "can't I grab that cup or sword, it's on the tile?" ;)
Lastly, if you enjoy being the GameMaster/Dungeon Master, the storyteller, the world builder, then I'd recommend getting the Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide $15 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259492, which again, can be applied to both RPG games. And if you what better weather effects to throw at your party than what is presented in the CRB and GMG, then Pathfinder Ultimate Wilderness $30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259867 has all that you need, and then some, plus some cool spells and tons of new animal companions and familiars for spellcasters alike, and a new shapeshifting melee-fighting class called the Shifter, which is pretty neat to use (albeit, you may want to check out Paizo's website for any official errata or clarifications, just in case). If you want to actually create a campaign and are having a hard time coming up with ideas, locations, groups/factions, kingdoms, races, then one more purchase, which is what +DawnforgedCast used for his Pathfinder games seen here is the Inner Sea World Guide $45 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252692 It is pricey, but again, very much worth it, to create your own world or to use the pre-made world, as well. Remember, the Beginner Box, Markers, and Dice is really all you need, the rest of this is to expand out. I hope this helps you and anyone else out as well. =P
AD&D with Diablo II Awakening supplement. Or, D&D5 with Diablo II Awakening supplement with some converting. It has a huge random creation section.
https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125
Edit: Oops, just re-read that you wanted a new system. Maybe you'll still find it useful.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786916125?ie=UTF8&amp;force-full-site=1&amp;ref_=aw_bottom_links
That is the Diablo necromancy spells. We got a lot of joy out of those.
http://www.pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Golarion
Golarion is the official campaign setting. It has everything you can imagine. And I mean everything you could ever want in a fantasy setting.
Specifically, the Inner Sea Region is the focus of most adventure paths and campaigns. Get your hands on the Inner Sea World Guide...It's an incredible book.
To your first point, I make up cheat sheets for my players and I have the rules distilled down to about 8 pages that are quick to reference. If your players aren't going to read the PHB, then you can control how they upgrade and what spells they have. (More power to the DM! Ah ha ha ha!)
Second, I demand that players stay off the phone at the table. As a GM, I know I can get players and you will too. Rather than making it a direct confrontation though, put tools in place that speed up the game and cause them to pay attention. I use a timer during combat and give 90 seconds per player per round to take their actions. (This is a good thing to do anyway for a good number of reasons. You'll find that once the players get used to it, it's way more time than they need anyway.)
If your player knows the tropes, it's on you to get creative and challenge him. This is one where I don't have any sympathy for you. (Ok, I really do, but it's your problem not the player's.) You're basically being challenged to step up your game. If it's combat, be more obscure with your monster choices and maybe use an alternative monster manual like the Creature Codex and Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press. (I had to do this because of the veteran players at my table.) If it's puzzles, you'll just have to dig up more obscure material. For politics and NPCs, read Roger Zelazny novels for non-tropish inspiration. As far as metagaming, watch this video by Seth Skorkowsky for an alternative view: Metagaming Isn't All Bad - RPG Philosophy.
For $9, Reign: Enchridion.
Super fast combat, unique rolling system, fantasy based w/o levels, and it's a steal at $9.
http://www.amazon.com/REIGN-Enchiridion-Greg-Stolze/dp/1907204652/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1395144501&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=reign+enchiridion
The old DC Heroes system (published by Mayfair at the time) has held up great. Look for a book called Blood of Heroes. It's the DCH system with improved magic, but with DC's trademarked material removed. Completely compatible with old DCH modules. The art in the book is butt ugly, but it's a great system. It's easy to use, but still capable of handling any power or power level you throw at it. And it has a thriving online community.
Blood of Heroes on Amazon
Writeup.org: Biggest DCH community online. Very active, updated at least once every week or so, with THOUSANDS of character write ups and tons of updated, tweaked, or optional game material.
The best thing to do is have a good time preparing the material, but don't drive your players crazy sticking to the script. For a first adventure, an open setting like a city adventure can be very rewarding. Let your players develop a character according to whatever restrictions you like, but make sure you outline them clearly.
I am always nervous when DMing; my biggest fear is keeping all the PCs involved and doing something special. My main concern is keeping each player happy by keeping them involved. Obstacles and challenges for each character can be tough to integrate, so make sure you know know their skill sets inside and out. Once again, especially for low-level characters, a city adventure is a great way to get this going.
I have read a few excellent DM / Storyteller books over the years. GURPS Campaigns and the Mage: The Ascension Storyteller's Handbook are both good intros to running a game in general; lost of solid advice.
I will always be a little on edge DMing; for me, it's actually comfortable. You'll find your own comfort zone after a while. Good luck!
I mean it's not the pdf but there's this https://www.amazon.com/Diablo-II-Awakening-Advanced-Roleplaying/dp/0786916125
The Book of Vile Darkness contains some rules for drug addiction, as well as some sample drugs for use in campaigns. It's 3.0 rules, but I'm sure you could modify them to fit 4.0. Or you can wait until December when the 4.0 edition is released (assuming no delays in publishing).
They're books that contain everything.
Dungeons & Dragons Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage (Adventure Book, D&D Roleplaying Game) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786966262/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SxTJDbJQ5S0FF
Tome of Beasts https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936781565/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7KO-BbY8B7JKV
Creature Codex https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936781921/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.JO-BbR81DXRG
GURPS is a generic system that uses a simple skill system plus an Advantage/Disadvantage mechanic to define characters. There is a basic rulebook for 4th Edition GURPS (Characters) but there's also a GM book (Campaigns).
***
Unisystem is similar, except that there's no generic rulebook, rather it's broken down by genre (or IP). There's also two flavors of Unisystem: Classic (Rules Heavy) and Cinematic (Rules Light).
If you're looking at Unisystem for Fantasy, I would suggest All Flesh Must Be Eaten + Dungeons & Zombies, or Ghosts of Albion.
It's about to be Halloween, when campaigns get to their darkest moments. Season aside, much of the value of dramatic arts is the threat of darkness; Villains or Tragedy to overcome. As long as good guys win, it shouldn't get too dark.
Really, it all depends on what you consider dark. My campaign currently reads like the exploits of Samson, but if you prefer a more Noah-style adventure, consider the "Lost Mines of Phandelver" adventure.
This'll sound odd, but I have also enjoyed Tails of Equestria, which discourages combat and is utterly bloodless. The stakes can still feel high without even a touch of darkness; Rather than save the world or fight for your life, you'll be using diplomacy and tact to stay afloat.
Reign's One-Roll Adventurer Generator. The mini version of the rulebook, Reign Enchiridion, is as low as $7 new on Amazon for a physical copy.
If you want a quick example of the sort of results it can provide, just reply to me with the results of an 11d10 roll and I'll look it up in my copy. (IE one 1, two 3s, 6, 7, four 8s, and two 10s)
EDIT: I'd missed MPixels suggestion of the system earlier. Offer still stands for an example character, though.
If you played Gamma World, I'm assuming you mean the most recent version, built off of D&D's 4e rules. If you're not really attached to 5e, here's the deluxe 4e rules, 100% compatible with Gamma World 7?e
http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Dungeon-Masters-Screen-Accessory/dp/0786957433
just going to leave this here
The core rulebook of the sg1 roleplaying game. We should definitely play this over skype
It's my physical copy of 3.5 edition but I bet there's one online in PDF somewhere. If you just want shots of the two monsters here you go. If you can't find it online, I'll happily send you art from other monsters in my 3.5 or 4th edition Monster Manuals :)
This, for me, depends on the campaign and the players. I really mainly rely on theater of the mind for most things unless there is a tactical need to see a map but sometimes there are other valid reasons for PCs needing a map. Some of the things I have done:
So it really depends on the situation.
These?
Or, on Amazon.. this and this?
You want the Monster Manual that [looks like this] (http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Manual-Rulebook-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/078692893X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1451094951&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=3.5e+DnD+Monster+Manual) and the Dungeon Master's Guide that [looks like this] (http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Masters-Guide-Rulebook-Dungeons/dp/0786928891/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1451095029&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=3.5e+DnD+Dungeon+Master%27s+Guide).
Of course, they're out of print now, so you'll probably only find them used for various prices.
For manuals I'd look at the Mechwarrior 2nd edition (main book) and the Mechwarrior Companion. Those two will have the bulk of the rules for the RPG side.
Ah, well that's a whole nother issue, and really depends on what tools you have available to you.
If all you have is a single grid mat, I'd suggest either draw the map as you go or draw the whole thing in advance, and cover up unexplored rooms with paper.
Personally, I only draw/build the rooms where a fight may occur using these or these, but you could use them to create the entire dungeon and just lay out rooms when the party gets to them.
>I never said it needed to by mature. [...] I mean they redesigned the game to be played by children, in the sense of the artwork, the themes and system.
Really? Then what's this all about?
>They took out the whores and the demons and the devils, the gore and the meat of it, they bowed to the pressure of the churches and the women'ss groups, and turned it into tripe. There's a reason that second edition was when WoD, Shadowrun and other took off, because the grown ups didn't want to play Hasbro's D&D Adventure.
And if you can't be arsed to google the BoVD, here's a link to what I'm talking about.. If you think that's "bowing to churches and women's groups" and "designed to be played by children" ... well, ok. You're nuts, but ok.
Regardless, you can have an intellectually satisfying campaign with almost any rule system so long as your DM is on the ball. Why the hell does THACO = serious game for grownups and AC = kiddie game when both systems are simply attempting model whether or not your barbarian's axe connects with the demon's skull?
The OP's DM screen is riddled with errors and pre-errata / pre-Essentials rules. If you have the Dungeon Master's Kit's screen or the Deluxe screen from 2011 then your official one will be more accurate. Even the original 2008 screen will have fewer errors, though it won't account for errata / Essentials rules changes.
Welcome!
As long as you are all having fun, you are doing it right.
Other groups may play different, even every single player may prefer a different style of the game. Robin D. Laws elaborately wrote about that in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Robins-Laws-Good-Game-Mastering/dp/1556346298/ref=la_B0034PURKG_1_37?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1375252138&amp;sr=1-37
Something I forgot to mention is the use of tension and relief. It depends a lot on how the story unfolds. You cannot completely plan it, but you should plan something interesting/exciting at the beginning to grasp your players attention. The end of the session should include a peak of tension, too. Especially if it is the great showdown of the adventure. There must be moments of relief, too. If you omit those, and go for a breathless 100% adrenaline rush, the players will lose it at some point. They will just produce relief at a random point where you don't want it.
They already wrote a whole book on this. Just interact with the NSA like you would with the Computer:
http://www.amazon.com/Paranoia-RPG-Rulebook-Allen-Varney/dp/1904854265/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1373768817&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=paranoia+rpg
Reign is all about this. It's got rules for running groups of various people from merchant houses to empires to village factions and having players/gm controlling them as they pursue their various individual interests. It's fairly generic in scope, check it out. The REIGN Enchiridion contains all the relevent rules without the campaign setting stuff of the full reign toolkit, so if you're just after the fantasy gaming with faction handling pick up that one. http://www.amazon.com/REIGN-Enchiridion-Greg-Stolze/dp/1907204652/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1367939316&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=reign+greg+stolze
I think it might have been the Mechwarrior RPG 2nd Edition rule book. https://www.amazon.com/Mechwarrior-Battletech-Role-Playing-Game-2nd/dp/1555601294
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0786957433/ref=oh_details_o00_s02_i00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
You might change your mind if you try the MLP RPG
Oh yeah?
Pathfinder, aka D&D 3.75.
That said, I've really Pathfinder's native Golarion setting in Fate Accelerated. The setting is interesting and very D&D but Fate makes for very light and easy rules reducing everyone's cognitive load at the table and increasing the amount of fun we all have.