Articles by Thomas Bailey

2d20

World War 2’s Secret War (2d20)

If you are a fan of the 2d20 system, like punching Nazis, and the Cthulhu Mythos is your vibe; Acthung! Cthulhu 2d20 Quickstarter is definitely worth taking a look. And with a free price-tag, how could you say no? I will say that there were a few elements I felt were missing in the first section on game mechanics; I saw things in the adventure module that made we want to know more about how things worked (you really need to dig into the NPCs and Pregen PCs in the adventure to find them) but was not discussed in the rules-section.

Commentary

Rules-Lite RPGs: It Doesn’t Have to Be Rocket Science

So this post is a bit of a follow-up to my advice to new Gamemasters. I had made mention about trying different rule systems and that there are some specifically designed to be quick and easy; often referred to as rules-light. There could be a variety of different reasons why someone would use a simplified system. One being they are easy to use and a group is able to start playing fairly quickly or with a minimum of setup. Another reason might be that they tend to be more narrative focused, with success being less dependent on a roll of the dice. Or perhaps people are travelling together and a simplified system makes playing during prolonged downtime possible. Whatever your reason, I thought I would introduce people to one of my favorite rules-lite systems and offer a few suggestions to modify it to make it applicable to other types of TTRPG games. Without further ado … May I present Cthulhu Dark?!

Campaign Diary

A Job Offer

After a long, exhausting evening – and a few extra coins in their pockets – our band of adventures head home to rest up, some to head to jobs while others also want to see about clearing their name from the unfortunate incident in Doc’s last night.

Commentary

5 Non-Traditional Tips for a First-Time GM

Most of us are uncertain when we are called upon or take up the mantle of Gamemastering for the first time. Naturally we turn to the internet to find tips and tricks on how to prepare. These are my oft-overlooked suggestions for new and first time GMs.

Rules

Rules for Supporting Characters in Star Trek Adventures

Star Trek Adventures, however, has a mechanism built into the game that makes playing with smaller numbers not a hindrance to the more epic scenes people may have grown accustomed to playing. I personally have found these rules helpful in experimenting with one-on-one sessions that are able to explore some of the deeper issues for which Star Trek has always been known, such as “Measure of a Man” (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 2, Episode 9) or the personal growth of a character like “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 7, Episode 10).

Scenario

STA: A Voice from the Heavens

The mission is designed as a solo adventure (one Player and one GM) that uses the support character rules from the Star Trek Adventures Core Rulebook (p. 132-135). The Player Characters are some of the first Federation Officers entering the Gamma Quadrant via the Bajoran Wormhole. They are assigned as part of a survey mission charged with locating an ideal world near the wormhole to be the site of the New Bajor colony. Unusual readings and an inviting message take the player to Geb’aten where they will discover artifacts that may challenge their Federation ideals…