Let's Learn New Systems Together [Recruitment]

Part of my upcoming New Year's Resolution is going to be to try out a lot of new systems (including ones I have gathering dust on my shelves). Somehow, running games has always helped me understand a system more than playing them, so I figured that an interesting thing to start up on GP would be a "Let's Learn (System) Together" kind of series.

The goal of this would be to run several tiny one-shots using different systems, in which both the GM and Players are newcomers. My ideal benefits to this series are:

- Low barrier to entry, with games explicitly for players with 0 experience in that system
- Shorter time commitment - these mini one-shots are meant to be completed within 8-10 weeks
- Optional/Modifiable Pre-Gens for easy Quick Start for those who want to grab a character and go
- Fast paced adventure that goes through many of the mechanics of a system without dragging on a particular one
- After-game post-mortem to go over methods for making it work better in future PbP games

I aim to get at least one or two of these games started in January or February, but I wanted to put an interest check out now to see if this is something people would be interested in. Currently, on the top of my list to give a try are: Kids on Bikes, Pathfinder/Starfinder, Ten Candles, Mothership, Into The Odd, and Reach of Titan - though naturally that's not even the tip of the iceberg of games out there.

Do any of the above systems catch your interest, or is there a system you've been meaning to try that you'd be willing to play in a game like this? I would love to hear opinions/recommendations!

Lol I plan to do a similar thing for running a new system every two months! For me to play, Into the Odd, Reach of Titan, and Starfinder grab my interest. I've played Mothership and it's pretty good. I'm not sure how Ten Candles works in PbP since that seems a very in-person style game.

This is a great idea! I don’t have experience with any of those systems, and I would be interested in trying out Pathfinder, Starfinder, and Mothership!

The particular ambience would be lost for sure, but I actually think the character/roleplaying heavy narrative and the dice imposed time limit would work pretty well with PbP. The one thing that might be hard to parse is the communal dice pool element, but I think that can be resolved with just some minor adjustments. Particularly, that dice losses happen at the end of a ‘round’, rather than between rolls, so that everything can still be asynchronous.

This sounds awesome. I'd be interested in any of those games except Ten Candles. While the concept fascinates me, the tragic horror aspect isn't my style. But all the other games sound fun.

I can't participate anytime soon but I think this is a fantastic idea!

Things are a bit too in flux for me to commit to join you, Data, but I do love the idea. I've flirted with a similar idea, to run a bunch of non-Call of Cthulhu or Trail of Cthulhu Lovecraftian games in one-shot format. If/when I get that off the ground, I'll recruit folks interested in trying these lesser-known Lovecrafts out.

I would be interested in Pathfinder 2 edition and perhaps some starfinder

I completely understand! There’s definitely going to be a different feel to a game like Ten Candles. I am interested in it because I think it must put players into a completely different mindset than with normal games. I watched a Ten Candles stream on YouTube before and what the GM said really stuck with me:

"My players know that their characters are going to die, but this isn’t a game about death. This is a game about life, and what’s worth fighting for, and what’s worth dying for."

It’s a horror-tragedy, yes, but conversely there’s a sort of comfort in the inevitability of death. You can delve into the depths of your character in a way that I think players are reticent to do when they are trying to ‘win’. In this game ‘winning’ is creating the most compelling narrative you can, before the end.

Sorry to plug it, but the oneshot idea I have for Ten Candles is based on The Thing (1982), which is one of my favorite horror movies ever, so I definitely want people to consider it.

Love the idea, as it's pretty close to my own ethos around buying and trying new systems. Will keep on the lookout for grabs that grab me -- love the idea of the post-mortem, discussion on what works well and what doesn't in PbP play, etc.

You've sold me on trying out Ten Candles PbP lol.

I enjoy learning new systems and like your idea of these small one-shots.
Ten Candles sounds like a blast in real-life play. I love the fact that you could blow a candle out by mistake and if you did, that would be too bad. I haven't seen The Thing so I'll have to check that out. I might be interested in trying Ten Candles in the PBP format at some date in the future depending on when you run it. Currently, my game cup is overflowing.

DID WINDY JUST SAY SHE HASN'T SEEN THE THING ?!

Correct this! You must correct this!

I second this.

I've seen many things in my lifetime, but not necessarily something I would classify as the thing

If you like horror and haven’t seen The Thing, you’re mid so big out on a Classic.

GP movie night?

I'm open to learning any new system really. It's my wife's patience that has to outlast my learning obsession. :D I would love something horror/mystery driven.

I've been having a blast in Dead Light and I'm brand new to PbP/ roleplaying in general so this would be exactly what I'm looking for. I'd be thrilled to join any upcoming games if you'd be open to having me!

Shorter vignette stories sound fun, Kids on Bikes and Into The Odd appeal to me most at a quick glance (honestly hadn't heard of either before) but narrative heavy/ character development is what I'd like to experiment more with and get better at!

I'm glad you're having fun! It's going really well! That game is a good example of the pace I want to set, though it doesn't quite 'count' towards this, since I've run CoC before!

I think I have enough interest to justify making a Starfinder and a Kids on Bikes mini oneshot (for January). So, I'll put out more detailed recruitment threads up for that once it's closer to start time and have those who showed interest here at the top of the list.

I'm gonna be starting a lot of things in January, so I can only commit to two at a time, but I'll open up two more whenever the first two are done, so feel free to keep responding to this thread if something interests you!

Well then, I shall do it. I will find it and I will watch it.