Systems & Milieu

Games: Systems

Year Zero Engine

It's wild to me to think that in the mid-10's I wouldn't have even had any YZE games on my lists of anything. It is currently my preferred light-but-solid rule set which I've been using to run short 2 and 3 session mini-campaigns. In purchase order: Tales from the Loop, Things from the Flood, Alien, Forbidden Lands, and most recently Blade Runner.

I've created one of my own settings using YZE - a modern fantasy style game set in the fictitious city of New Corinth. I plan to spin-up a version of my beloved Anthemios fantasy setting using the fantasy rules of Forbidden Lands soon.

Genesys

For long format campaign play, I still need a system that allows for a much deeper sense of mechanical character development. Genesys hits the absolute sweet spot of that plus emphasizes using the dice results in a narrative way. It's my "perfect system" and the one I'd keep if I was forced to have only ONE system for the rest of my life (it would be tragic given how much I love YZE games for short format gaming).

I've run (and played in) several Star Wars games that use the FFG/Genesys rules. In my own gaming, I've done a Rifts to Genesys pseudo conversion; I only converted what I absolutely needed based on what the players choose for 'character type' and hand-waived a LOT of the rest.

I have two games I'm dying to run that will use Genesys. The first one that I'm most looking forward to is going to be a take on the Star Wars universe that discards the Skywalker Saga (pretty much entirely) instead following the look and feel of the Disney animated show Visions. I've got Force & Destiny and Edge of the Empire and will be using stuff from both to run that. The second game I want to run is a cyber-punk action-thriller using the Shadow of the Beanstalk book as a basis.

Microscope

This is my favorite meta-game system. Hmmm..

*AGE (Fantasy/Modern)

I have an love both the Fantasy AGE and the Modern AGE core system books and many of the essential expansions. If I don't want to roll a d20 (like, if I'm missing GURPS a bit) I'd bust this out. My dream is to create a version of Dark Sun (the setting from Advanced D&D 2nd Edition) and use this to run THAT.

Also, for a 1981 time period ninjas, commandos, spies and private eyes game, I think Modern AGE will be the best fit. I want that kind of game to be a little more hard boiled that what I'd get from Genesys. 

Basic Fantasy RPG

Still use it for quick one or two episode fantasy romps. 

Mutants & Masterminds

M&M 3e, is IMHO, a mechanically heavy character generation system that can be easily abused that provides a fairly detailed game experience which CAN be narrative if you let it. You really need to have "this is how it works in the comics" in your heart when playing it, or the game devolves very quickly, giving into any abuses that occurred during character creation. 

It's tricky to GM, but ultimately pretty satisfying when you pull it off. If I don't use Modern AGE to run that action super-spy game, I'll use M&M 3e (set at PL8) instead Really will depend on the level of realism I want to capture (or discard).

Games: Milieu

Deep Space

Once I had the Alien YZE game in my hand, I knew I had to run it. Picking up the Blade Runner RPG shortly after showed me that various sci-fi implementations will differ broadly. This inspired me to create a tweaked version of the Alien universe that gives me more control over what is in it. I wanted alien plants to be the main antagonist in my short format space horror game this summer, and it worked brilliantly. 

I'm leaving the alt/open-ness of my Alien universe very loosely defined currently. I'd like to integrate things from various other horror/thriller type sci-fi that fits the sense of it. Influences from Robocop, Blade Runner, Predator (universe) and stuff like Sunshine, Cloverfield Paradox, The Orville, and Ad Astra would be woven in along with some stuff I'm partial to.

2037 DC Universe

My first foray into M&M (3e) was to try to create an alternate future DC timeline that I could use to run two or even three concurrent super-hero groups of 3 players each. My mastermind idea was to have each group eventually meet the other two, concluding with a two- or three-episode finale that would involve most if not all 9 players. 

The idea isn't totally dead yet and I do plan to try to come back to it.

Harribitxiak

My D&D-esque fantasy world and the setting I've used for almost every GenCon game I've run. Made up of 4 areas each featuring their own distinct cultures it is not difficult to identify my versions of fantasy tropes. The idea with Harribitxiak was that the setting itself would provide recognizable touchstones in it that new players would be able to notice or discover together to create common ground.

Used most recently to run a re-tooled Basic Fantasy version of my Dragonslayers & Rabbit Holes story (from GenCon 52). D&RH is set in Topazatlan, an area that features elements of ancient China, and Mesoamerica and has 6 players face off against an array of very dangerous foes. I'm considering getting this ready to run again at a future GenCon, or just for friends online.