Great resource. Thank you!

I’m sad that this post has been up for a couple days and there haven’t been any replies. I wish there was more engagement on here aside from the memes. Thank you for taking the time to post it.

I was vaguely aware that this existed in the DMG, but I have never used it. I do like how it extrapolates the likelihood of hits based on the creature mechanics. In the rare cases I’ve ran mass combat, I just roll like single combat, but I apply the d20s for batches of baddies and apply average damage. I might divide the group into quarters and then roll 4 d20s for their collective attacks. There is also Mike Shea’s assume a quarter succeed guideline, which is a similar deal but with no rolling.

What I struggle with is what mechanics to use when the characters are overwhelmed. It’s one thing to use streamlined mechanics for when the characters are wading through enemies, cutting them down. But, if they get themselves into a situation where they are overwhelmed and on the ropes, the mechanics used could be life or death. I would hate to use a streamlined mechanic in those situations and have it result in a character death or a party wipe. Would the outcome have been different if I had used rolls for each monster? Who knows. It’s just something I would think about in those circumstances.

Damn is that how it worked? I don’t remember any of that, but it was a long time ago now.

Of the responses so far, this one brought me the most joy.

We call this cocktail hour.

That’s hilarious. Is the item still floating around in there?

How did you come to play a gelatinous cube? What do the other players play?

This is excellent. Most of the answers here are what game to play, in other words, what mechanics can be used to force the horror feeling. This is purely about narrative, which can apply to any system. Thank you for sharing.

Yes, I agree. As far as I can tell, these are compiled by an actual human, Darryl Mott, and the quality shows.

I’m mostly in the same boat as you. I have tried several times to get into Critical Role since everyone raves about it, plus a few others. It’s not for me. I suppose it’s because I don’t have any emotional connection with the actual play where I would have that investment with my own game. I will say that I did enjoy Dungeons & Daddies though, but that show is more like listening to a comedy podcast about fantasy rather than an actual play.

Thanks for taking the time to write that.

I bought the PDFs when they were on sale but have not yet played. This was helpful, thanks!

I haven’t played in person seriously for many years. We’re starting a new in-person group here soon, so I’m going to have to figure something out. I have a boatload of 3 ring binders so I will probably do the clear sleeve thing like you do, Mike. And then promptly pull them all out to spread around the table because I am a loose-leaf person at heart.

Damn that’s kinda great.

I go to try out different systems or to play systems my regular group doesn’t play. Also, to remind myself why I have a regular group and how fortunate I am that they are mostly sane and adjusted people.

I have never played Shadowrun online. I wonder if a lot of the tedium of the dice would be eliminated by character sheet math?

I really enjoyed the D&D 3rd Edition days, with the popcorn of d20-based games. Star Wars d20, d20 Modern, and the Sword & Sorcery Ravenloft were all great fun. The best part is that it was super easy to get your group to try new things, because the mechanics were all similar, if not exactly the same. People like to hate on D&D, but it’s consistently been a great base to start from and inspiration for a multitude of other games.

I have had the desire to play Mausritter for quite a while. Will definitely add this to the queue.

What would your recommendations be?

I think they look great but I would have a problem with the variable length. If my DM gives me magic item cards, I will for sure buy a binder with card sleeve pages to put those cards in (no matter if they are cards or just paper). Having the variable length would keep me from doing that. I would prefer the text be variable font size with the card sized fixed to the standard 3 1/2" x 2 1/2".

Edit: I thought more about this and, if the main feature of your design is the variable length, maybe make that more obvious in the title/description. While it might not be to my liking, others may love it. Also consider adding some example 11" x 8 1/2" pages showing the layout you’re going for using these cards. Marketing is (almost) everything.