#stillfleet

[sssaintyboy]

when youre a hivemind of 118 sapient rabbit robots 😂😂😂

[archipelego]

VOIDTACK: Chapter 4!

Hey friends! Chapter 4 of my Science Fiction, TTRPG Narrative Play podcast just went live! In the off chance you are interested in the BEST EPISODE we've produced yet, action packed and stuffed with sound effects.

[dblbug]

on dice

or, "why the d20 sucks for competency"

also this is mostly just whining about D&D, but i do shout out games that do single die rolls well later on.

in summary: the d20 sucks if you want your character to be competent, and is therefore a bad idea for skill checks & attacks. tables? sure. checks? no. this is just kinda a consequence of How the Probability Curve Works.

like, you have a curve that's 5% to output any random number. now, this can work in games where you're trying to lean into that randomness. life is risky, and short, and sometimes you're just gonna get owned by a 19 and a 6 on the damage and Fucking Die. the problem comes when you're trying to pretend your characters are competent.

so you have 2 issues (or, well, two sides of the same issue):

your range of expected (as in, "a decent majority of the time it will roll around here") values is massive, so you're going to get very swingy results.

any modifier you make to this roll isn't going to adjust your expected result very much, it's just going to shift your floor.

let's take for example a character with a +8 mod to this check. while, yes, they can be expected to hit DC 10 without much issue, things which are even DC 15 are still a 70% chance of success. this means on a "medium difficulty" skill check, our player still has a 35% chance of failure.

this is, frankly, a terrible outcome. it's not even an XCOM roll thing where "lol randomly you just fail 5% of the time shit happens," this is something that's going to fail on 1 of 3 rolls. moreover, you need this massive mod - nearly half your range - to reliably hit that.

it also scales *terribly*. you end up with (to oversimplify it) two branching paths for progression:

you get pathfinder/cyberpunk 2020 style massive bonuses so that players have a reason to trivialize stuff

you don't do that, and a random commoner that gets pulled in off the streets has a shot at doing something that a trained mid-level rogue still fails decently often.

that's fucking terrible! and if you do allow those massive bonuses so that things that the pros can do are out of reach of commoners, well... you have to worry about just going into Bullshit Land when you do this.

and yes, a good GM can fix these issues - but i'm not sure that they should have to. it's not really something that fits with the aesthetic of "your characters are well trained and they rarely fuck up." investment in skills should be rewarded, and this... doesn't end up rewarding enough

other things

so let's talk about stillfleet, which i think does "single die checks" well. in that game, your stats are anywhere between a d4 and a d12, with rare exceptions (certain abilities set your stat to a d20). a 6 is a success on a normal roll, and you only really ever go up to difficulty 12 for impossible checks.

now this does mean that some people are going to *never* be able to do a check unassisted, but

that's not a bad thing.

if you need to clutch up, you have ways to do that - but ones that still reward long-term investment

requiring teamwork & having specialization is good. not everyone should be able to do every single check in a game all the time - you should be figuring out how to use your tools to do things, not jamming it until it works

in this system, a 1 on the die always fails - not so in D&D (at least for skill checks). a high skill character won't need to boost as often to hit a 6 or higher, because they probably have either a d10 or a d12 there. a low skill character might have a d4, meaning they'll always need to boost*. however, players can spend stamina to boost rolls to ensure success when it really counts. moreover, even a +1 matters here, because the range of available values is so small.

*: it is not uncommon to see a d4+1 stat, meaning all you need is a buddy helping you out & you can still at least have a shot at doing things.

on the other hand, you can have pools that will have a more normal distribution. this limits the amount of times you go "well shit i just happened to roll low" because you've gotta either miss a 1/3 or 1/6 chance a bunch of times (forged in the dark) or low roll on 2d6 (pbta). are you still gonna get xcom'd? sure. but it's *less consistent* about it.

all of this is to say: there are better ways to do skill checks than to use one big die, if the goal is to have a game that tells players "your characters are competent at their specialties." games that don't do that & just go "sorry kid life sucks sometimes you get owned" are great at what they do, but it's just not where D&D is anymore.

[awoooniper]

Fascinated to hear about your still fleet character 👀 /no pressure

hi! hi meant to post this after session 1 last night but we had to cancel for a flurry of reasons but I did decide to show off my character art I did because I wanted to have it done in time! so! this is Lt. Hatchitt Halter!

She is a Stillrijder (pronounced Stillrider, the J is silent, as per the book) which is one of the more combat focused classes in Stillfleet Ventures ( https://stillfleet.com/ the writing in this book is incredible, check it out if you aren't aware, its all so cool, ive spiraled into hours long conversations about the lore already). But her central ability for her class is what's called an Exo-Suit, a unique piece of armor that can function as an environmental suit in the void of space and also enhances her ability to fight and take damage in place of others. Their role on the team is to protect the teams Pilot, Ambassador, and Manager classes (these all also have fun names I wont get into), then everyone else is a second priority to her, but still on the list. She is a Conscript, which is a Terran Human taken by a branch of the Worshipful Company of Stillfleeters (The Co.) from Terra to test her for psychic aptitude to see if she would be useful as a Hell Scientist (mage type class). She wasnt! in her own words "I dont do that freaky shit." She had a wife and 3 kids back on Terra, and were just barely keeping their heads above water between their collective wages, when she was whisked off into the stars against her will. As part of her "testing" she "incurred" debts that she has to pay off, as well as making her way back home. Lucky for her, she met a visionary tailor/engineer fashion designer (who is a Bug Woman named Hard Truth Weaver) who is definitely not super in love with her, who decided she was her Muse now, and used Hatchitt as her model for a Exo-Suit made out of a nano-fabric like material that is like a single piece of clothe meters and meters and meters long that wraps around her body and has the durability of metal! It can also keep her alive temporarily if her health drops below 0 and keep her fighting, on account of being plugged into her central nervous system. Its fine, shes fine.

So now Hatchitt is working as a Stillrijder for the Co. that kidnapped her, trying to survive her incredibly dangerous job as a Wall Between Her Team And Danger in hopes that she can make enough money to eventually pay off her debts and make it back home to her family.

[theturningray]

love backing ttrpgs on kickstarter that im never gonna play love getting add ons in backerkit for a ttrpg that im literally never gonna play i make great decisions

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

🎁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁!⁠ [2/14] This content has been generously donated by @oddgobgames and @stillfleet to be shared while The Griffon’s Saddlebag takes a vacation! Please support these creators and their excellent content!⁠ ⁠ Related downloads are available *for free* through the link in my Vacation highlighted story! ⁠ ___⁠ ⁠ Blister Critters is a new TTRPG system from two friends of mine: Tony and Wythe. Both are incredibly talented in their own right, but when combined are proven to be greater than the sum of their parts.⁠ ⁠ Blister Critters takes place in a post-apocalyptic, post-humanity world where mutated animals thrive making clever usage of all the stuff we left behind. Couple that premise with a Saturday Morning Cartoon flair, and that’s the game!⁠ ⁠ This system’s Quickstart Guide and ready-to-play adventure is included in the files below. If you like what you see, or already know that you want to see more of Blister Critters, hop over to the Kickstarter page because it just went live today! Get your own copy of this brilliantly designed game and the zines to go along with it through the Kickstarter!⁠ ⁠ ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[maniculum]

A secret assassination by the empress against her husband's wishes... A giant cryptid whale that terrorizes the coastline and kills sailors... We adapt Prokopios' Secret History of Byzantium for your next TTRPG.

Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Check out our merch!

Danse Macabre: find it on DriveThruRPG here or at Stillfleet Studios here!

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Citations & References:

The Secret History and another version

More about Porphyrios

[valoisfulcanellideux]

Pix on The Citadel Cafe

I've just finished listening to the latest episode of The Citadel Cafe which is hosted by Joel Duggan. Pix joined him on this week's episode for a discussion of The Rings of Power.

You can listen here on Patreon (free to listen).

I'm not actually watching The Rings of Power, but I thoroughly enjoyed the show nonetheless. It's structured similarly to The Spawn Chunks (their jointly-hosted weekly Minecraft podcast) and started out with a chat about what they've been geeking out over lately.

Pix mentioned that his online D&D group (8Bit_Community) has just finished the finale of the Princes of their Apocalypse campaign, and that he's getting ready to DM his first game of MÖRK BORG for the group while their usual DM is preparing the next campaign. I really loved Pix's DMing of his Stillfleet campaign for that group, so this one has the potential to be really good, if you listen to how he's hoping it'll go.

He also discussed his Elden Ring A-Z challenge, and why he decided to set himself that challenge.

The main discussion delved into not only The Rings of Power, but also into folklore, myths, and Tolkien and storytelling in general. I absolutely loved it, even though I'm not watching the series, so if you're into storytelling then it's a highly recommended listen.

Oh, and at the end of the show, Pix revealed that he's just bought himself the Teenage Engineering EP-1320-Medieval, which is an insane looking sampler/composer/sequencer that features a bunch of medieval instruments as its sound set, and he's hoping to use it to create music for his homebrew D&D group.

The trailer for it is absolutely nuts, and evokes the spirit of old medieval mummers, but with a bit (okay, a lot - lol) of tongue-in-cheek:

[barilleon]

System Recommendations Based On What I Like About D&D

Sometimes you want to play a different system because you are looking for a brand-new experience. Sometimes you want to play a different system because you have an ethical objection to the one you're playing now. If you're the latter, you probably don't want to hear about how awesome games like Orbital Blues and Stillfleet are. They are awesome, but right now you're looking for a system to move to that can capture the magic you feel playing Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. This post is for you.

Here are the parts of D&D 5e that I really enjoy:

Involved Character Customization ("Build Creating")

Tactical Combat

Ability to use Magic

Appealing World

High Fantasy With Heroic, Upbeat, or even Comedic Undertones

Getting to be Gay with my Friends

Each of my recommendations has at least two of these factors and is intended to be played in a group setting over multiple sessions. So let's jump in!

Blue Rose (or The AGE System)

Features: Tactical Combat, Build Creating, Magic, Appealing World, High Fantasy, Gay

Blue Rose uses the AGE System, which might be some of my favorite tactical combat design. In particular, I love stunts. When you roll good in combat or other scenarios, you get stunt points, which you can spend to create additional effects, like setting up a teammate or taunting your opponent. There's a lot of options to choose from when building a character, and you can make some of that stuff synergize real well. This is all true of most AGE system games, so I'd also recommend checking out Fantasy AGE and the Dragon Age TTRPG.

Blue Rose in particular is all about Romantic Fantasy: humans going on fantastical adventures with magic talking animals, protecting the land and those who would harm it, that kind of stuff. The setting is also explicitly queer, and "relationships" are an emphasized part of character creation and development. Found Family all over the place.

If you liked The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, or the Uncaged anthologies, you might enjoy Blue Rose!

7th Sea

Features: Tactical "Combat," Magic, Appealing World

7th Sea is all about swashbuckling adventure, court intrigue, and intense action. There technically isn't a "combat" system in 7th Sea, so much as there is an "action" system. Swordfights, escaping a burning ship, high-stakes chases: all that stuff uses the same system, where you have to think about how to set up good opportunities. The combat is meant to be fast-paced. GMs are encouraged to not give players too much time to think.

The world is full of secret societies and shadow organizations, as one would expect for a game about gentlefolk and intrigue. One of my favorite parts in particular is the "Story," which is what 7th Sea calls a PC's backstory. There are guidelines for creating one, with expectations and progression hard-coded in, from the First Step to the ultimate resolution.

There's a lot here to do with Ship Combat. If you liked Ghosts of Saltmarsh or 3rd Party products like the Seas of Vodari, give this a look.

Thirsty Sword Lesbians

Features: Upbeat Fantasy, GAY

Let me start by saying that you can play this game in any genre. In the Advanced Lovers and Lesbians expansion there's even rules for playing a session as a pack of hyenas. But if your table is the type to really lean hard into developing your characters' relationships, between PC and NPC and PC and PC, then this is the game for you. Mechanics allow you to place strings on other characters, giving you "pull" with them to influence a later decision. Status conditions are extreme emotions, and the only way to deal with them is to lean on another teammate for emotional support or indulge them in a cathartic and destructive manner (you can relieve being angry by breaking something that has value to another person, for example).

If you are gay and you play D&D you are legally obligated to try TSL. I DO make the rules.

Court of Blades

Features: Magic, Appealing World

When folks say they like Eberron and want to do crimes, I tell them to play Blades in the Dark. When folks say they like fey magic and high society and doing dirty work for wealthy patrons, I tell them to play its sexy cousin Court of Blades. CoB is a Forged in the Dark game, meaning it uses the Blades system. Instead of a heist crew, you're a coterie, and you perform errands for your patron that run the gamut from assaulting a rival to publicly embarrassing them.

One of my favorite parts about FitD systems is how it handles the aftermath of your adventures. Different groups across the city might react differently to the news, and that propels future adventures. The City of Ilrien is full of hooks and briars for your characters and GMs to get stuck on.

Court of Blades might seem like the outlier on this list, but my favorite official 5e adventure was Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. If you liked that one too, and you're looking to lean into that WAY more, you should give CoB a look.

[chronivore]

Blister Critters! Quickstart by stillfleet

[darkestadam]

Previous post got me thinking about the TTRPGs that get me excited the most.

Unknown Armies: I read Last Call recently and a lot about this game clicked into place for me and now I love it even more. I'm just a big fan of weird fiction and Urban Fantasy anyway.

Lancer: Titanfall + Homeworld + Front Mission. Enough Said

Heart and Spire: Perhaps it's the art or watching Owl House recently but I just love these weird spooky fantasy games.

Blue Planet: Ocean based SF where you can play as an Orca in power armour.

Eclipse Phase: The Expanse + The Murderbot Diaries. Also you can play an Octopus 🐙

Hard Wired Island: Cyberpunk stories about community on an space station.

Stillfleet: Far Future game of spaceship salvage and dungeon crawls.

[archipelego]

I hauve a ttrpg podcast (if youre into that sort of thing)

Hello my friends on tumblr!! I recently started a little amateur ttrpg actual play podcast running the Stillfleet system. It's pretty fun and pretty cute and pretty queer also!! If you like things that are cool, you will probably like it. If you don't like cool things, don't worry about it

Logo by the outstanding @atomik-art

VOIDTACK: A SCIFI TTRPG Narrative Play set within the Stillfleet universe. An early modern empire is connected to various worlds and other locations throughout reality via complex and ancient portals known as Stiffworks. Our three protagonists work for the Worshipful Company of Stillfleeters. Step into the Stiffwork with us, voidmijner, and see what lay in store for you.

VOIDTACK is available wherever where you get your podcasts (or at least most places). Two episodes are out currently, and a third will be dropping sometime this weekend

Here's an RSS feed for whoever wants it, nerds!!! https://anchor.fm/s/e437cd5c/podcast/rss

[audiodrama]

VOIDTACK

[lesser-vissir]

Stillfleet had another bad politics moment when describing gender

Said a "fem/masc binary"

Really telling how they think gender and gendered oppression work lmao

[theturningray]

contemplating in my brain.... west marches stillfleet game... which i would attempt to maybe organize.... if I knew even where to begin with such a thing