No new post this week, but I’m so excited that Dungeons and Daddies is doing an arc playing Mothership. I want to write a post looking at how their play style changes when they change systems, and maybe bring in Dimension 20’s switch to VtM, also. For now, though, I think OSR is a fantastic fit for them, and when you listen to the episode, the shift in their investment and commitment to the stakes is instant. I love how goofy that show is, and the fact that both players and characters (except Will) tend not to take the stakes of either the game or the story very seriously can be part of the charm, but much as I love their goofy improv, it’s such a refreshing change of pace to hear them creatively solving problems and seriously wanting to find the answers (and not get eaten by a horrific flesh-android-pissmonster).
It feels like such a great case study in how shifting away from D&D does make for different (arguably better, but I don’t need to start that fight) storytelling. I hope it shows their big fanbase the potential that exists in other games—though actually, when I’ve posted about my frustrations with their use of D&D, the fans who reply are always really thoughtful and basically in agreement that D&D doesn’t really show their strengths anymore. But mostly I hope it’s a sign that they as creatives are realising that potential, too.
In other news…
I’ve got two new posts up about Skyjacks, which I’m continuing to really enjoy. You can see them on Tiktok (here and here) and Instagram (here and here).
Tomorrow (Saturday, 6 June!) at 12pm BST, I’m going to be in a livestreamed Actual Play of They Came From… Bridgeton Rectory (that’s the link to watch), a parody of regency romances. It’s part of the Onyx Path Virtual Con, which has a ton of other cool stuff going on as well. I’m in a couple of APs this month, including CBR+PNK and Wanderhome, so I’ll make sure to link those ones when they happen, too.
Finally, I was really excited to see the launch of Playtest Material Magazine, which aims to publish critical writing about TTRPGs that falls somewhere between academia and more casual journalism. They’ve got their first call for submissions out, and I’m hoping I’ll get something together in time, but maybe for the next one.