My Favorite Universal RPG Systems

For the longest time, GURPS was the gold standard for a universal tabletop role playing system. A flexible and detailed system that would allow you to run any game, from scif fi and fantasy, to noir or Lovecraftian horror. But that system has a lot of moving parts and trappings that can be overwhelming or tedious to many players, myself included. Nowadays, the rise of more modern RPG systems have widened our range of options when it comes to a universal RPG.

In recent years, a number of game systems have risen to prominence based on the selling points of simplicity and infinite adaptability. Today I'd like to share my personal favorites for running a game in any setting that you can just pick up and play. 

When it comes to a universal game system, I never limit myself to a single option. This is because there are a number of gameplay styles that fit a wide range of personal taste. Sometimes players want to tell a story, other times they desire the challenge of a game of strategy. It's good to consider which ruleset best represents the play style of your group before choosing one.

As a side note, I also really like Mutants and Masterminds and anything that uses the Apocalypse Engine, like Dungeon World. But these games still have to be tweaked and customized quite a bit before they are ready to be adapted to a unique setting. My top picks for this entry are games that can work with any genre or setting right out of the box.

Also, my least favorite universal system would be any other generic or open source D20 system. I love Dungeons and Dragons, but that system has a lot of intricacy and design built into the system to support the basic rules. Strip away the magic system, the equipment, the fantastical character classes, and you have a system that is just not very interesting or intuitive without it. Better to stick to more simple systems that aren't geared toward a specific genre of game. 

Like these great examples:

The Tactical Game: Savage Worlds

Built around the motto "Fast! Furious! Fun!" Savage Worlds is indeed fast-paced and easily adaptable for many different kinds of games. This one is the best option for players who want to use maps, miniatures, and tactical combat. 

The rules are fairly simple but allow for unique character creation and tactical options.  They are also perfect for grid-based mapping, and the use of playing cards for tracking initiative makes the combat uniquely dynamic. Overall, a great system for players who love the action-packed taste of combat! 

The Narrative Game: FATE

FATE Core, and its simplified quick-start counterpart FATE Accelerated are revolutionary when it comes to narrative focused games and cooperative storytelling. Providing a quick and easy framework for defining characters' strengths, weaknesses, and fodder for improvised plot developments. 

The main mechanic involves spending and earning points by exploiting aspects. Aspects are terms and descriptors that are applied to your characters as well as the scenes themselves. When you use these aspects to your advantage, it costs you a Fate Point. When your aspects cause problems for your character, you earn Fate Points. The special six sided dice used for this game provide a very simple and easy to understand range of numbers that reduces time spent number crunching. If your group enjoys storytelling over everything, this is the way to go. (FATE Accelerated tops my list of easiest pick up and play games.)

The Casual Game: RISUS

For those that honestly don't have time to read a whole rulebook and need to get started playing right away, there is this fun little comedic game system named RISUS. It's only a couple of pages total and you will know everything you need to play. The ultimate "Beer and Pretzels" system, a casual game that takes very little effort to get up and running. 

Of course there are a number of other RPG systems that might fit the needs of the game you want to run, but these are my particular favorites. Keep them in mind next time you have an idea for a session and need a set of rules that will fit the game. Keep in mind what kind of game you and the players want it to be, and pick the most appropriate tools for the job.

Happy ventures!

Now Playing: Welcome to Night Vale (Part 2)

This is part two of a series on tabletop games inspired by the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Part one can be found here.

The game of Night Vale I ran was a one-shot, so it only took about three hours and left very few loose ends.

The Voice of Night Vale

Night Vale is best with some weird descriptions and elaborate prose, so I use a lot more detailed notes than most games I run. The story kicks off with the Night Vale theme playing behind an introduction to the mystery. It is important to remember that the Night Vale podcast narrator, Cecil, has the calm and lyrical voice of a public radio host. Night Vale is best when narrated in a similar tone. Speaking so clearly and at a steady pace allows the time to think up more details even as you speak. It also lets you draw out the imagery of each scene, as well as keeping the humor deadpan as it should be (Smirks or giggles would kill the jokes in this setting.)

Here is part of the script for the opening intro:

"The Nightvale Mall has seen a number of disappearances lately, after after opening its doors to early February christmas shoppers. Local residents are reporting that family members have insisted on continuing their bargain-hunting expedition well into the twilight years of their lives, as their bodies and minds wither away and the last bags of i-pods, fancy wristwatches and collectible ceramic figurines of kittens fall from their cold dead hands. Attempts to retrieve their loved ones have been unsuccessful, and resulted in the disappearance of the searchers themselves."

Assembling The Cast

Just your average accounting office employee

All of my Night Vale games put players in the role of members of the Historical Society, which allows a pseudo-explanation for their investigation into the bizarre affairs of the community.

The players start in the shopping mall and can't leave. The revolving doors defy time and space and take them right back into the building. This kind of limitation is not something I usually do, but I had already worked it out with my players that this would be a one-shot inside a mall, not all over town.

My players get a chance to introduce their characters, but of course their characters are already acquainted with each other through the society. The team consists of:

• A baseball player who sees the ghosts of dead world leaders
• A park ranger who randomly appears where he shouldn't
• A scientist with mystic runes tattooed across his body (A poor choice he made in college)
• A library page who can speed read fast enough to break the time barrier, reading things in the past and future.

Telling The Story

The nearly abandoned shopping mall bears immediate clues about its true nature, signs relating to Strexcorp. This is a sinister corporation from a neighboring town that is known for its sanitized consumerism as much as Night Vale is for its sense of community values. I included Strex promotions all over the mall, which I stole shamelessly from Veridian Dynamics, the unscrupulous employers of the underrated sitcom Better Off Ted.

Photo by The Caldor Rainbow

"Cheerful Female Voice: StrexCorp. Doing the right thing. It's important. What does it mean in business? We have no idea. We know what wrong is. Actually, no, we don't. Because we're a successful company, not some boring ethics professor. StrexCorp. Right and Wrong. It means something. We just don't know what." 

The shopping mall holds a personal appeal to me, as I love the idea of eerily abandoned urban areas. It's also a bit of an homage to the Dead Rising video games. In this mall, songs like Frosty the Snowman and Deck The Halls play constantly, with haunting record skips and reversals. The story that will eventually unfold involves the sale of defective blood stones which cause the "politically non-threatening secular holiday music playlist" to become sentient and lock down the building. It brainwashes the customers into "bargain zombies" and fills the building with its music and mesmerizing static.

Speaking of music, that is another aspect to this setting that is important. As an ambient soundtrack, I recommend very low-key electronica playlist of artists like Disparition, the composer/performer of the series' theme. And when you reach a mid-point intermission in your game, be sure to present "The weather" and play a particularly relaxing song. (A little inside joke for Night Vale fans.)

I will post some final thoughts on this particular game soon. Happy Ventures!

Now Playing: Welcome to Night Vale RPG

Just thought I'd share some of my personal tabletop experiences, for those interested in the types of worlds and adventures I've been building.

Welcome to Night Vale is a bi-monthly podcast created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor that has been running since 2012. It is very cleverly written, and I recommend it as a humorous take on the particular brand of paranormal Americana exhibited in shows like Twin Peaks, Gravity Falls, Alan Wake, and the works of Stephen King. It also has an anthology radio quality reminiscent of Twilight Zone, and I decided this program would make a really good setting for an adventure in this type of world.

I ran this game in FATE, because that system supports a lot of non-combat action, and I knew that this game was going to be have more themes of mystery and horror than combat. I had also considered the Gumshoe system, but FATE won out with its versatility and narrative strengths.

Photography by Kaspar Bossers

Setting the Mood

Night Vale games have required more prep time than others, because cleverly scripted jokes and creepy imagery is the main goal. For setting the mood, I placed purple and blue tissue paper over the lights to created a color-tinted ambiance. 

To further put my players on edge, I got a Jenga tower and added a variation of the game mechanic from DREAD, in which you pull blocks from the tower whenever you take an action. In my version, you only pulled a block when something strange happened, to represent the strain on your sanity and raising of the stakes. When the tower falls, it triggers a major encounter. Something evil finds you, or something terrible happens to an ally. This, combined with a playlist of eerie and unnerving theme music brings out the weird Night Vale atmosphere that we love.

I didn't pressure myself too much to create all-original jokes, nor did I worry about sticking strictly to the lore of the setting. Too much adherence to the canon of a series kills the fun of building and exploring a world with your players. For the first adventure, I set everything inside a shopping mall so I didn't have to worry about the rest of the town right away. A mall is like a self-contained community so there would be plenty of places of interest within.

Everybody loves a Strexpet™!

Character Creation

To speed this process, I built a series of tables specifically for the setting. You could create your own aspect for a character from scratch, or you could roll off a table to get some basic inspiration for your looks, occupation, a location you are most familiar with, or special talent. This could be used to replicate the settings signature combination of the mundane and strange, such as:

• A museum curator with a non-linear perception of time
• A dog walker with scars all over their body
• A homeless man with the ability to break the fourth wall
• A cubicle worker who speaks with a particular type of animal

Once their first few aspects were chosen, the player could then choose skills and I would help them pick out a stunt or two from the list that can be found here. Then we were ready to enter this friendly desert town where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while everyone pretends to sleep. Stay tuned to find out what happened!

You can find everything you need to know about this setting in text form at the Night Vale Wiki.

Happy ventures!