Tabletop RPGs -- No, fur is not an armor bonus

[Bobinator]

So, for a long while now, I've been big on tabletop RPGs, because I'm a huge nerd. I'm pretty sure my first was Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, sometime in the early 2000s. The cool one. Nowadays, I hang out on a whole bunch of RPG communities, keeping an eye out for what sounds cool and what I'd like to play. I don't get to play as much as I'd like, but I try and run stuff whenever I can!

So, a lot of people associate this kind of thing with D&D. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of D&D; I'm not really into standard fantasy, and I have a lot of issues with how it plays, but this isn't the thread for that kind of thing. If you don't play a ton of these games, I want to make clear that there's hundreds, maybe thousands of these games, and I am absolutely positive that there's at least one that's the exact thing you want, whatever it is.

I've been in all kinds of games -- one I had a pretty good time with was set in Lolo De Puzlo's 70s-inspired alternate Earth setting. (I wish I could have stayed in longer, Lolo, schedules are a real asshole.) Right now I'm in a Mutants & Masterminds game, a game mostly about superheroes. I'm currently using Grairem, a 987 year old dragon sorcerer struggling up to keep up with super-powered threats of the modern age.

I also run stuff, too! Right now I'm running Prowlers & Paragons Ultimate, another superhero game that I kind of prefer for being a faster, generally easier to manage game. (I like superhero games.) My game is about a team of furry super-people based around Not Quite Atlanta, Georgia. Over time, they've discovered a cult dedicated to Apep, snake god of chaos, who is scheming to unravel the universe. Between fighting threats on Earth, the party sometimes enters a magical dimension where gods walk the land and Apep's essence sweeps forward like a dark miasma.

More than anything, what I really love is the roleplay aspect. I love making characters, I love having them interact, and I love having them get emotional about the things they care about. Pretty much all my OCs come from the RPGs I've been in, and it's basically the easiest way for me to really get creative about making them.

So, what all are you playing? What would you want to play, given the chance? What are you looking for out of your perfect game?

[StarlightNecromancer]

I mentioned over in the 40k thread that I have several of the TTRPGs (to include Wrath and Glory and Imperium Maledictum) and honestly even just reading the rulebooks they offer a kind of structure that I'm looking for that D&D simply doesn't offer. ImpMal, for example, has quite a lot of mechanics to do with social interaction just baked in. You can just, play an Imperial Diplomat. That's a class (or, Role in technical terms of the book). Wrath and Glory likewise has a lot of rules in which that really wildly can affect rp and it seems like a fun system to learn - even putting aside how my preferred character build is largely not possible without re-tooling the rules and disregarding set range limits - that I kind of want to find a group for it.

I'm a voice-off rper, so if I do find such a group I'll have to be able to make clear that need of accommodation.

Hunter The Parenting also got me interested in poking around the World of Darkness setting (a lot of my interest in Mage or Werewolf) and I'd love to have a game set in my hometown, but I'd probably have to be the Storyteller for that.

Both of those settings regardless give me a lot of what I'm wanting out of games. The 40k TTRPGs let's me navigate complex situations of Faith, Practicality, and Morality in ways that genuinely cost my characters a lot. It's pretty hard to be the kind of Good Guy Hero Man in the Imperium of Man that's spit easy to do in most D&D games. Wrath and Glory even has a mechanic that punishes you for "immoral" choices (like letting someone get executed for a crime you committed)

[redacted_cat]

Feels somehow I could not rly get much into TTRPGs much on my side but did try a bit both DnD5e and PF2e, feels most of my issues personally was feeling not being an english speaker made it rough with groups I was in + I struggle real hard on the RP side lol

Combat though? Give, I will choose violence and read about combat rules and literally study the blade

Closest I'd say to one I feel I'd need to properly sit down and do a full run or try seeing how long a run can survive is Battletech; very strong bias around that series (grew up with Mechwarrior and Mechcommander, it was only natural I'd also check the boardgame roots of the franchise lol) and sticking to a more wargame/management thing seems to be what I stick with lol.
I like making squads of stuff meant to try breaking the game ;P

For that one it's kinda wild getting to learn about some fanmade launcher that is VERY actively updated and adds loads of flavoring modules/features/extra rules to make the whole run feel more alive (even though most of it looks like a bunch of Excel sheets and feels intimidating for anyone not knowing what to expect of it...but it's legit addicting feeling when doing a few fights, legit feels like that boardgame naturally was built to feel like a roguelike before roguelikes were a thing or even like some X-Com stuff. So many ways to be heartbroken, but also so much cool stuff and gimmicks + lore is absolutely crazy).
MegaMek is just such a cool launcher for playing that game if anyone's curious about it, also has ways to do PVP matches or even full custom coop campaigns with even a big influence starmap (and lots of mission/contracts management, war's business in that universe and money makes the world run...it's your real worst enemy)

MegaMek here for anyone willing to give funny robot combat a spin, hope to see some of y'all on the battlefields in search of the fabled Salvage Rights and mighty C-Bills
https://megamek.org/

[Weasel]

Yaaaay TTRPGs! I likewise started with D&D 4th Ed (objectively the best one), followed by 5E, which grabbed me far less, and then branched off into the HERO system (do you like numbers? We got numbers!) and various Powered by the Apocalypse systems like Blades in the Dark and Scum&Villainy, which I have adored.
There was also an aborted ICON campaign, which I'm sad ended pretty quickly, I was looking forward to the FFT combat a lot.

Oh, and a million one-shots of weird and wonderful kinds, usually run at cons.

I think that, between 4E getting long in the tooth and 5E pulling back into the safety of 3.5 But With All The Edges Filed Off, I kind of grew tired of D&D's shtick and have grown to appreciate more theme-first games more. I love being a dirty numbers minmaxer, sure, but did you read this power that says you always go first? No GM quibbling, always? Phwoar, I'm going to be such a nuisance!

I've really taken a liking to various PBtA iterations is what I'm saying.

I'm also addicted to collecting books. Not to run them, or play them, just to have them, and admire them, and leaf through them whilst imagining what it would be like to play them.
(that said, I am considering running Mouse Guard, because It's Neat)

download/file.php?mode=view&id=310

[a_random_fox]

I have played a few TTRPGs but have books for many more. My first one was Pathfinder 2e, one campaign i had a Ratfolk Investigator/Medic and the other which was sadly cut short due to irl stuff was a Kitsune psychic. I also played two one-shots for New Edo (set in a version of japan in a sci-fi/fantasy future) and Wildsea, the latter of which i am now playing a full campaign of.

Wildsea is set in a post-apocalyptic world where most of the world has been covered by mile-high trees, the ground beneath those trees is unlivable, and people either on the crowns of said trees, large pieces of debris stuck in said crowns or the few mountains. The space between those places is traveled by massive ships going over the treetops like an ocean. Has really cool wordbuilding and atmosphere and the rules are a nice balance between being simple and still covering stuff well. One of the bloodlines (equivalent to "races" in D&D) is an arthropod hivemind that built a humanoid body moved by said hivemind, another is humanoid moths and another is mantis-inspired. The core book doesn't have any anthro animal mammals, but the Storm and Root Expansion has some options for making characters like that.

Of the games i haven't played yet, Eclipse Phase is probably my favorite, due to its worldbuilding. It is a sci-fi setting where transferring (or copying) your mind to a different body is common-place and there are custom bodies made for many different purposes, which i find a really cool concept. Not many specifically furry ones, but there are a few options, and there are also specific rules for making new body types (called morphs) so one could just make a custom one for that. It also goes into a lot of detail into how its world works and the various places in it.

[JackieTheJackie]

So, for a long while now, I've been big on tabletop RPGs, because I'm a huge nerd. I'm pretty sure my first was Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, sometime in the early 2000s. The cool one. Nowadays, I hang out on a whole bunch of RPG communities, keeping an eye out for what sounds cool and what I'd like to play. I don't get to play as much as I'd like, but I try and run stuff whenever I can!

So, a lot of people associate this kind of thing with D&D. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of D&D; I'm not really into standard fantasy, and I have a lot of issues with how it plays, but this isn't the thread for that kind of thing. If you don't play a ton of these games, I want to make clear that there's hundreds, maybe thousands of these games, and I am absolutely positive that there's at least one that's the exact thing you want, whatever it is.

I've been in all kinds of games -- one I had a pretty good time with was set in Lolo De Puzlo's 70s-inspired alternate Earth setting. (I wish I could have stayed in longer, Lolo, schedules are a real asshole.) Right now I'm in a Mutants & Masterminds game, a game mostly about superheroes. I'm currently using Grairem, a 987 year old dragon sorcerer struggling up to keep up with super-powered threats of the modern age.

I also run stuff, too! Right now I'm running Prowlers & Paragons Ultimate, another superhero game that I kind of prefer for being a faster, generally easier to manage game. (I like superhero games.) My game is about a team of furry super-people based around Not Quite Atlanta, Georgia. Over time, they've discovered a cult dedicated to Apep, snake god of chaos, who is scheming to unravel the universe. Between fighting threats on Earth, the party sometimes enters a magical dimension where gods walk the land and Apep's essence sweeps forward like a dark miasma.

More than anything, what I really love is the roleplay aspect. I love making characters, I love having them interact, and I love having them get emotional about the things they care about. Pretty much all my OCs come from the RPGs I've been in, and it's basically the easiest way for me to really get creative about making them.

So, what all are you playing? What would you want to play, given the chance? What are you looking for out of your perfect game?

My buddies and I have mostly been rocking PF2e, as half of us grew up with PF1e and loved it, but we do bounce between various systems. Favourite build so far has been an Ant Kholo Rogue(Thief racket)/Medic dedication named Y'nnoi, but I've recently been playing a raging Oracle of Ash/Cathartic Caster which has been fun.
With my other group, it's mostly World of Darkness (Werewolf is my favourite of course) or Savage Worlds (pretty neat low-maintenance system meant to be adjusted to any setting, like a simpler GURPS).
Just started a Lancer game with yet another group (I have no fuckin free time outside of rolling dice) on Tabletop Sim which has been a lot of fun. Building a Tortuga machine gun tank and it's hilarious just eating shot after shot.

Have played a lot in the past though, mostly Palladium systems with Rifts or the odd Heroes Unlimited. Dad got me started early rolling dice back when I was 6 (I still remember my first character in 3.5, elven ranger)

[JackieTheJackie]

Yaaaay TTRPGs! I likewise started with D&D 4th Ed (objectively the best one), followed by 5E, which grabbed me far less, and then branched off into the HERO system (do you like numbers? We got numbers!) and various Powered by the Apocalypse systems like Blades in the Dark and Scum&Villainy, which I have adored.
There was also an aborted ICON campaign, which I'm sad ended pretty quickly, I was looking forward to the FFT combat a lot.

Oh, and a million one-shots of weird and wonderful kinds, usually run at cons.

I think that, between 4E getting long in the tooth and 5E pulling back into the safety of 3.5 But With All The Edges Filed Off, I kind of grew tired of D&D's shtick and have grown to appreciate more theme-first games more. I love being a dirty numbers minmaxer, sure, but did you read this power that says you always go first? No GM quibbling, always? Phwoar, I'm going to be such a nuisance!

I've really taken a liking to various PBtA iterations is what I'm saying.

I'm also addicted to collecting books. Not to run them, or play them, just to have them, and admire them, and leaf through them whilst imagining what it would be like to play them.
(that said, I am considering running Mouse Guard, because It's Neat)

download/file.php?mode=view&id=310

I desperately wish I had the space (and funds) to have an actual physical library, but for quite a few years now I've been growing an online stash of them.
If I had any open time left, I'd totally be down to give Mouse Guard a whack, but I'm actively in 3 games right now (one of which I'm running)

[JackieTheJackie]

Feels somehow I could not rly get much into TTRPGs much on my side but did try a bit both DnD5e and PF2e, feels most of my issues personally was feeling not being an english speaker made it rough with groups I was in + I struggle real hard on the RP side lol

Combat though? Give, I will choose violence and read about combat rules and literally study the blade

Closest I'd say to one I feel I'd need to properly sit down and do a full run or try seeing how long a run can survive is Battletech; very strong bias around that series (grew up with Mechwarrior and Mechcommander, it was only natural I'd also check the boardgame roots of the franchise lol) and sticking to a more wargame/management thing seems to be what I stick with lol.
I like making squads of stuff meant to try breaking the game ;P

For that one it's kinda wild getting to learn about some fanmade launcher that is VERY actively updated and adds loads of flavoring modules/features/extra rules to make the whole run feel more alive (even though most of it looks like a bunch of Excel sheets and feels intimidating for anyone not knowing what to expect of it...but it's legit addicting feeling when doing a few fights, legit feels like that boardgame naturally was built to feel like a roguelike before roguelikes were a thing or even like some X-Com stuff. So many ways to be heartbroken, but also so much cool stuff and gimmicks + lore is absolutely crazy).
MegaMek is just such a cool launcher for playing that game if anyone's curious about it, also has ways to do PVP matches or even full custom coop campaigns with even a big influence starmap (and lots of mission/contracts management, war's business in that universe and money makes the world run...it's your real worst enemy)

MegaMek here for anyone willing to give funny robot combat a spin, hope to see some of y'all on the battlefields in search of the fabled Salvage Rights and mighty C-Bills
https://megamek.org/

Battletech is one I've been itching to give a go (I crave the dakka of the Rifleman), but I've got no local friends who're interested enough to try it and don't have the free time anymore to try finding an online crew

[redacted_cat]

Feels somehow I could not rly get much into TTRPGs much on my side but did try a bit both DnD5e and PF2e, feels most of my issues personally was feeling not being an english speaker made it rough with groups I was in + I struggle real hard on the RP side lol

Combat though? Give, I will choose violence and read about combat rules and literally study the blade

Closest I'd say to one I feel I'd need to properly sit down and do a full run or try seeing how long a run can survive is Battletech; very strong bias around that series (grew up with Mechwarrior and Mechcommander, it was only natural I'd also check the boardgame roots of the franchise lol) and sticking to a more wargame/management thing seems to be what I stick with lol.
I like making squads of stuff meant to try breaking the game ;P

For that one it's kinda wild getting to learn about some fanmade launcher that is VERY actively updated and adds loads of flavoring modules/features/extra rules to make the whole run feel more alive (even though most of it looks like a bunch of Excel sheets and feels intimidating for anyone not knowing what to expect of it...but it's legit addicting feeling when doing a few fights, legit feels like that boardgame naturally was built to feel like a roguelike before roguelikes were a thing or even like some X-Com stuff. So many ways to be heartbroken, but also so much cool stuff and gimmicks + lore is absolutely crazy).
MegaMek is just such a cool launcher for playing that game if anyone's curious about it, also has ways to do PVP matches or even full custom coop campaigns with even a big influence starmap (and lots of mission/contracts management, war's business in that universe and money makes the world run...it's your real worst enemy)

MegaMek here for anyone willing to give funny robot combat a spin, hope to see some of y'all on the battlefields in search of the fabled Salvage Rights and mighty C-Bills
https://megamek.org/

Battletech is one I've been itching to give a go (I crave the dakka of the Rifleman), but I've got no local friends who're interested enough to try it and don't have the free time anymore to try finding an online crew

It's a LOT at points but can definitely say MegaMek makes it super streamlined and fact it also can generate missions/contracts rly helps tons too so you don't have to sit and do maths forever XD

Often the enemy team is adjusted with your squad's BV score/value so you can have a kinda even match depending on your gear score and team, but also it can lead to silly scenarios where you sorta underestimate things and charge in with your top elite mechwarrior in one of your best mech...to then get ganked by 2 Hunchbacks with AC20s just surrounding them and bitchslapping them to death lol (speaking from experience lol, still sad about that very specific battle I had XD)

Hands down if you get any time I say give that thing a spin since you can try it single player mode style and then give a spin inviting friends in

[JackieTheJackie]

Feels somehow I could not rly get much into TTRPGs much on my side but did try a bit both DnD5e and PF2e, feels most of my issues personally was feeling not being an english speaker made it rough with groups I was in + I struggle real hard on the RP side lol

Combat though? Give, I will choose violence and read about combat rules and literally study the blade

Closest I'd say to one I feel I'd need to properly sit down and do a full run or try seeing how long a run can survive is Battletech; very strong bias around that series (grew up with Mechwarrior and Mechcommander, it was only natural I'd also check the boardgame roots of the franchise lol) and sticking to a more wargame/management thing seems to be what I stick with lol.
I like making squads of stuff meant to try breaking the game ;P

For that one it's kinda wild getting to learn about some fanmade launcher that is VERY actively updated and adds loads of flavoring modules/features/extra rules to make the whole run feel more alive (even though most of it looks like a bunch of Excel sheets and feels intimidating for anyone not knowing what to expect of it...but it's legit addicting feeling when doing a few fights, legit feels like that boardgame naturally was built to feel like a roguelike before roguelikes were a thing or even like some X-Com stuff. So many ways to be heartbroken, but also so much cool stuff and gimmicks + lore is absolutely crazy).
MegaMek is just such a cool launcher for playing that game if anyone's curious about it, also has ways to do PVP matches or even full custom coop campaigns with even a big influence starmap (and lots of mission/contracts management, war's business in that universe and money makes the world run...it's your real worst enemy)

MegaMek here for anyone willing to give funny robot combat a spin, hope to see some of y'all on the battlefields in search of the fabled Salvage Rights and mighty C-Bills
https://megamek.org/

Battletech is one I've been itching to give a go (I crave the dakka of the Rifleman), but I've got no local friends who're interested enough to try it and don't have the free time anymore to try finding an online crew

It's a LOT at points but can definitely say MegaMek makes it super streamlined and fact it also can generate missions/contracts rly helps tons too so you don't have to sit and do maths forever XD

Often the enemy team is adjusted with your squad's BV score/value so you can have a kinda even match depending on your gear score and team, but also it can lead to silly scenarios where you sorta underestimate things and charge in with your top elite mechwarrior in one of your best mech...to then get ganked by 2 Hunchbacks with AC20s just surrounding them and bitchslapping them to death lol (speaking from experience lol, still sad about that very specific battle I had XD)

Hands down if you get any time I say give that thing a spin since you can try it single player mode style and then give a spin inviting friends in

Huh, haven't heard of MegaMek before, so I've got some reading to catch up on. Thanks for the recommend!
Sometimes, I like me that number crunching and having mechanics to chew on. It's why I'm vibing so hard with Lancer and PF2e, which are definitely more tooled to that side of tabletops. Still like the idea of the narrative-focused systems, like Fabula Ultima or the Cypher System, but at least with the latter I did get somewhat mechanically bored. It'd definitely need a crew of players going ALL IN on the roleplaying to work

[redacted_cat]

Battletech is one I've been itching to give a go (I crave the dakka of the Rifleman), but I've got no local friends who're interested enough to try it and don't have the free time anymore to try finding an online crew

It's a LOT at points but can definitely say MegaMek makes it super streamlined and fact it also can generate missions/contracts rly helps tons too so you don't have to sit and do maths forever XD

Often the enemy team is adjusted with your squad's BV score/value so you can have a kinda even match depending on your gear score and team, but also it can lead to silly scenarios where you sorta underestimate things and charge in with your top elite mechwarrior in one of your best mech...to then get ganked by 2 Hunchbacks with AC20s just surrounding them and bitchslapping them to death lol (speaking from experience lol, still sad about that very specific battle I had XD)

Hands down if you get any time I say give that thing a spin since you can try it single player mode style and then give a spin inviting friends in

Huh, haven't heard of MegaMek before, so I've got some reading to catch up on. Thanks for the recommend!
Sometimes, I like me that number crunching and having mechanics to chew on. It's why I'm vibing so hard with Lancer and PF2e, which are definitely more tooled to that side of tabletops. Still like the idea of the narrative-focused systems, like Fabula Ultima or the Cypher System, but at least with the latter I did get somewhat mechanically bored. It'd definitely need a crew of players going ALL IN on the roleplaying to work

It's pretty cool and devs of it are VERY active on it, feels every 2-3 months there's a new update on it!
Runs pretty much a good chunk of unit types and is having a decent amount of the optional advanced rules you can toggle in it (a lot of movement and maneuver options, it's pretty cool) and you can decide which lore era you wanna start in for gear availability or even allow experimental gear to be in the lootpools as examples.

That series of videos was a starting point I used, old version but a good chunk of it still holds up.
The sound balance is a bit all wack in early videos, so be ready to adjust volume:

[JackieTheJackie]

It's a LOT at points but can definitely say MegaMek makes it super streamlined and fact it also can generate missions/contracts rly helps tons too so you don't have to sit and do maths forever XD

Often the enemy team is adjusted with your squad's BV score/value so you can have a kinda even match depending on your gear score and team, but also it can lead to silly scenarios where you sorta underestimate things and charge in with your top elite mechwarrior in one of your best mech...to then get ganked by 2 Hunchbacks with AC20s just surrounding them and bitchslapping them to death lol (speaking from experience lol, still sad about that very specific battle I had XD)

Hands down if you get any time I say give that thing a spin since you can try it single player mode style and then give a spin inviting friends in

Huh, haven't heard of MegaMek before, so I've got some reading to catch up on. Thanks for the recommend!
Sometimes, I like me that number crunching and having mechanics to chew on. It's why I'm vibing so hard with Lancer and PF2e, which are definitely more tooled to that side of tabletops. Still like the idea of the narrative-focused systems, like Fabula Ultima or the Cypher System, but at least with the latter I did get somewhat mechanically bored. It'd definitely need a crew of players going ALL IN on the roleplaying to work

It's pretty cool and devs of it are VERY active on it, feels every 2-3 months there's a new update on it!
Runs pretty much a good chunk of unit types and is having a decent amount of the optional advanced rules you can toggle in it (a lot of movement and maneuver options, it's pretty cool) and you can decide which lore era you wanna start in for gear availability or even allow experimental gear to be in the lootpools as examples.

That series of videos was a starting point I used, old version but a good chunk of it still holds up.
The sound balance is a bit all wack in early videos, so be ready to adjust volume:

Even better, a starting point! Thanks! I'll look into it a bit later on in the week, right now I need to try and focus on making food and working through a recommended listen list

[redacted_cat]

Huh, haven't heard of MegaMek before, so I've got some reading to catch up on. Thanks for the recommend!
Sometimes, I like me that number crunching and having mechanics to chew on. It's why I'm vibing so hard with Lancer and PF2e, which are definitely more tooled to that side of tabletops. Still like the idea of the narrative-focused systems, like Fabula Ultima or the Cypher System, but at least with the latter I did get somewhat mechanically bored. It'd definitely need a crew of players going ALL IN on the roleplaying to work

It's pretty cool and devs of it are VERY active on it, feels every 2-3 months there's a new update on it!
Runs pretty much a good chunk of unit types and is having a decent amount of the optional advanced rules you can toggle in it (a lot of movement and maneuver options, it's pretty cool) and you can decide which lore era you wanna start in for gear availability or even allow experimental gear to be in the lootpools as examples.

That series of videos was a starting point I used, old version but a good chunk of it still holds up.
The sound balance is a bit all wack in early videos, so be ready to adjust volume:

Even better, a starting point! Thanks! I'll look into it a bit later on in the week, right now I need to try and focus on making food and working through a recommended listen list

All good! Truly glad having helped on that lil journey, would gladly love getting to know how such a journey goes if ever getting into it!

[EpsilDelta]

Been playing RPGs since 2009ish. Started with 4E.

Currently in a Pathfinder 2 bi-weekly game. It's been fun so far!

My favorite system that I've played was probably Ironclaw.

I also enjoy working on prototyping systems with a longtime friend. We've made several systems together, that tend to get play-tested at various cons. If you're ever sitting in the tabletop room in an east coast con, you may come across us running one!

[Weasel]

Oooh, tell me about Iron Claw! I bought the books at Anthrocon back in the day (with literally the last of my money before flying back, I talked the seller into a minute discount so I could also get the supplementary!), but I've never had the chance to actually play it.

[EpsilDelta]

Admittedly, it has been a while since I've touched it, but I recall many of the mechanics really utilizing the concept of you playing as an animal.

Rules for hovering/flying, climbing, and other physical things that don't get much notice in more human focused role playing, which leads to more interesting role play scenarios. There is tons of world building and politics supported directly by the materials. The magic system is also fascinating, although, I have not played a magic user in it.

All-in-all, I just think that is has its own solid concept of what a Role Playing game is, and not just a co-op dungeon crawling adventure (nothing wrong with those, of course!).

[Bobinator]

Oooh, tell me about Iron Claw! I bought the books at Anthrocon back in the day (with literally the last of my money before flying back, I talked the seller into a minute discount so I could also get the supplementary!), but I've never had the chance to actually play it.

I've run two campaigns of Ironclaw and a third that never finished for various reasons, so I could tell you anything about it you'd want to know. I'll be honest with you, it's not the easiest game to learn, coming in, especially if you're used to, uh, more traditional RPGs.

One of the reasons for that is combat is super dangerous. One good hit may nearly kill you, and the ones that don't kill you just make it easier for the next one to do it -- and if it does, every character starts off with one Get Out Of Die Free card that'll take a while to cool down. If you want your character to last, you will have to run away or surrender if things go bad for you. Combat's also very methodical -- you'll spend quite a few turns doing nothing, because that gives you the chance to either get a spell going, or to interrupt an opponent's turn whenever you want. Positioning is also real important -- surrounding people matters a lot for getting a good hit in, and certain weapons get a lot more dangerous if your target can't back away from you.

It can be a little kludgy at times -- later games from the same company clean up a few things that this game kind of needs. There's a few too many skills for my liking, and certain abilities, like flying, are explained with way too many words. The index at the back of the book is frequently wrong, which can make it tough to look for what you want. If you and your group is new to this game, it will take a bit to figure out even the basics -- damage, how turns work, what various weapon tag means, etc.

What really makes Ironclaw worth it, despite this, is the setting, which I would go as far as to call absurdly detailed. It's basically an alternate Earth set in the 1600s, where you can kind of see the paralells to real life cultures, even if everything has a different name. There's a big focus on the new struggles between classes -- the nobility, the merchant class, and the clergy, so if you're big on history, there's going to be a lot there for you. The extra setting books are especially cool, covering regions similar to China, the Middle East, and Australia and the surrounding area with a level of care you almost never see from similar RPGs. If you want a game that'll give you a ton of "adventure hooks" to work with, the Book of Corals has a staggering amount of things for your players to do and see.

As for the 'furry' part -- to be honest, the game never really feels overly reliant on it. Every species gets special abilities, sure, but it's kind on you to make the animal aspects matter. Are you making sure different species are awake at different times? Are you keeping in mind the difference between carnivores and herbivores? Are you keeping in mind that certain species are generally more likely to be nobility? Those are really the big things where people animals really matters.

The thing is, you can't really go at it like a D&D, it's not really a game about going into dungeons and killing stuff. There's monsters, sure, like undead or mindless plant beasts, but to be honest, they feel more like an afterthought than anything. Ironclaw, I'd say, works best when it's about people. You kind of have to approach adventure making in a somewhat more realistic direction, with magic only giving you a little bit of creative leeway. You have to be willing to take a deep look at the themes the game is trying to present, and try your best to figure out how to tell a story using those.

I make it sound like a lot of work, but I'd say it's worth it. I'd like to say it's one of those games you could shove the setting into another box of rules, like Shadowrun, but to be honest, I don't think you'd quite get the same enjoyment out of it. At the end of the day, it's kind of a mess, but I still love it anyway.

[EpsilDelta]

Thanks for covering it; I agree with all of this. If you have a DM that really knows the lore and setting, then you could have an amazing campaign full of political intrigue