Hello there
Some time ago I created a hack for the game Glitter Hearts, a game about playing transforming, magical heroes. I really enjoyed the mood the game was trying to make, but I found there was a good deal of problems with the product. In short, these were some of the things I tried improve:
Recently I have updated some aspects of the hack that I wasn't to satisfied with and figured I might as well share the project here on lemmy.
Oh dear o_O ! I pasted in the wrong link.. Here is the right link (i hope). There is a folder with the individual playbooks as well.
I am also working on making a "Proper" file like with the other hacks, explaining some of the changes.
If you want spellcasting to be even more freeform, Mixed Adventure follows more the logic of most other moves, were the player describes what the character does and their intention. Each "school/domain", doesn't have their own move. It just determines how the fiction can be shaped by the character.
Edit: Updated the link
Naice! That had bothered me for a bit. I am not sure how these boards work, but is it also possible to change the little icon next to the board to the simplified Dungeon World logo? It would make it easier to see it without the background "noise".
That is not bbad at all. Maybe remove some of the very minor details. But it can definatly work as is :D
Ask questions of your players to fill in spots in the world, especially when uncertain about if something would be interesting. Tell the story with them, not to them.
===== Dungeon World =====
The one I use is one I made myself, Mixed Adventures. It uses aspects from other hacks that I really liked but felt there was things missing. The most unique thing about my hack, is that the wizard and cleric don't have a spell list. But use a freeform kind of magic limited by schools or the deity's domains.
But if you give Dungeon World a try, I think you should try a "hackless" game first. The game is still decent and it will give you can better feel to of if you think it needs tweaking.
And you are correct. Avatar still uses the same flow as other PbtA games. So any experience with other games would give you valuable experience to run it as well :)
===== Principles =====
I feel like I’ve heard some strong reactions against stuff PbtA from similar circles though. Wonder what the disconnect there is
My take on this, is that the biggest difference between DnD and PbtA, is that DnD fixates a lot on balance and encourages a player vs GM mentality. Like encounter planing is so important, players rolls against the GM, the GM has to come up with twists for characters, etc.
That is a lot of work for one single person. And it has been like this for many years. I can imagine to some people, it might feel like being told to try and drive blindfolded. And trust your passengers to tell you were to go.
I have tried to pitched the open PbtA concept to a primary DnD GM a couple times, and one of them just looked at me horrified and asked: "What about my story? My plans?". Or one complained that it didn't seem fair that the players could decide the outcome of the dice .
But so far, from my own experience, I have never been more relaxed during my games. The openess and inclusivity of the players have lead to some amazing twists and turns in stories. Twists I didn't even come up with. So less work for me AND I could actually be surprised by the story.. Kinda like a player :D
===== FitD =====
That’s the first time I’ve heard someone call Forged in the Dark mechanically heavy
It is also my own take, and as I said, I havn't actually tried a game yet. But when I compared it to DnD, FitD is not heavy at all. It is only when I compare it to most other PbtA games. But when I read the books, they still feel like solid games with some good explanations of the games flow.
Not sure if you have any FitD books, but there is one called Wicked Ones which has a free version of it.
PbtA’s “core” isn’t its mechanics, but its principles (though some might disagree). Some of these core principles are:
===== Dungeon World =====
Dungeon World is a great game. Though it is a little of a mixed bag if people like it or not. I would say it has its flaws, but I would still enjoy playing it as is. Though, I do mostly play a hacked (house ruled) version of it.
The “trap” with Dungeon World though, is that people who are coming from DnD might fall back on old habits due to DW sharing genre and feel with DnD. And DW, or any PbtA, does not play well when people have that mentality.
These articles explain pretty well how DW is meant to flow. And that flow should be universal for any PbtA you try out (Glitter Hearts, BitD, MotW, etc.).
If you really want to break away from the DnD mentality, there is this neat article about creating the story as you play with the players (The Strandberg Recipe)
Basically the GM comes to the table with nothing more than an idea and some loaded questions. Three core questions should establish:
What the players answer becomes truths and the premise of the starting adventure.
===== Avatar Legends =====
Regrettable, as the rules are, I don’t have any advice. Normally a PbtA game uses the same rules/principles. It doesn’t have extra sub systems to keep track of. But Avatars combat does.
I have some ideas on how to house rule it to flow more naturally, but never gotten gone into putting it on paper. But I will say that if you have the interest and passion, I don't think the rules would be a hindrance.
===== Girl By Moonlight =====
I haven't looked at Girl By Moonlight that much, but it does look neat. But unfortunately, Blades in the Dark (BitD) and games based on it, have felt rather mechanically heavy for me. I must admit that I haven't tried one. Only read the books. So take my words on that part with a grain of salt.
But on paper when I compare BitD to other PbtA games, there are many more bits and pieces to keep track off. Almost like a mix of DND and PbtA.
===== Favorit System =====
I think Monster of the Week is a good representation of the principles of a PbtA. It is a action-horror game inspired by Buffy: the vampire slayer, x-files, M.I.B. And other similar series/movies. It has some very good sections describing how these games usually flow and how the GM and players are part of telling the story rather than the GM being the one doing all the work.
It being my favorit, might also be colored by the fact that during a very tough GM burnout on DnD, it helped me find the joy and passion for TTRPGs again.
Officially, the druid is my favorit. The versatility of their shapeshifting and how it is tied into a specific kind of place gives it such a nice flavour.
Unofficially, it is the Mixed Adventure hack for the wizard. It removes the spell lists and instead uses a school/sphere system. The player describes the effect they want to achieve with the spell, but the effect must fit within the school their character has learned.
D&D has such a huge presence in media, so I cannot see nearly the same amount of people talk about D&D in the same way.
Spout Lore or Monster Hour. Two podcasts podcasts that plays Dungeon World and the other Monster of the Week. The thing both do really well, is show how the game should a conversation between the group. Talk to each other to make sure everyone is onboard with what is happening. And more importantly, encourage each other to be PART of the conversation. Which is incredibly important in a PbtA game (could argue that it is in any game really).
Otherwise, there is also a ton of other resources to help explain how to run a PbtA game. But an important thing to note: many PbtA have similarities, but usually, each with feel completely different because they will often do their own thing. Because "being PbtA", usually means following a set of principles. Not rules.
As for Avatar and Glitter Hearts (these are my own takes):
I was sorely disappointed in Avatar. The combat is very unsatisfying because a lot of the game flows rather well, following the fiction and being part of the conversation. But then that flow suddenly comes to a screeching halt when combat comes up. And everyone now has to "switch gears", playing a different way. But the premise and the book in general, is solid and good.
Glitter Hearts is a neat game that tries to cover a genre I really like playing in. But it feels like the creator didn't understand the system nor the genre. So it lead to a game with a good deal of holes, a feeling of being incomplete and half-hearted. This makes it a very bad starter game for someone new to PbtA. Not beginner friendly at all.
I have tried to create a hack, Hearts of Harmony to fix some of these holes and cover some of the things the book missed.
My favorit is Mixed Adventures which I made myself (mixes aspects of other hacks).
If I was to choose besides my own, i would say Homebrew World which is the the one that has least rules.
I understand that. All that dice juggling and optimazation, wasn’t that fun.
But unlike dnd, the dice is specific to each class. So a fighter will always use a d10. No matter if it is a sword, dagger, whip, etc.
And I really like how a fighter will generally be much more deadly than a wizard. Like in some hacks the dage is a d6 +/-X. And for me, it makes the damage between the classes feel very samy.