Question for the RPG nerds out there: What TTRPG system is *easiest* on the GM/DM/ST/Whatever? That's the big hurdle I face in running games, is how much shit gets loaded onto the DM's plate. What's the easiest? - ThreadSky

aprildaniels.bsky.social • 10 days ago

Question for the RPG nerds out there:

What TTRPG system is *easiest* on the GM/DM/ST/Whatever? That's the big hurdle I face in running games, is how much shit gets loaded onto the DM's plate. What's the easiest?

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stan-fresh.bsky.social•8 days ago

Ironsworn, for the slightly sideways answer. It's got procedures for GM-less solo play as well as cooperative play with multiple players and classic GM+players, and the moves guide your decision-making towards interesting results all the time. Plus, lots of tables to roll on to find inspiration.

dicedeeds.bsky.social•9 days ago

So many pbta peeps.

I would run something like ryuutama.

There's a lot of stuff the players have to do rather than the dm, including deciding on creating npcs, describing towns and even filling up the battlefield.

The GM is also a player, except you're a dragon writing the player's story.

dicedeeds.bsky.social•9 days ago

I've also found the mutant year zero games light on the gm because it has a good amount of player-generated hooks

Why do you like this person? What happens then?

This helps players add details

talzin.bsky.social•10 days ago

The old WEG D6 system was a favorite for being lightweight on overhead and number crunching. It was intended for Star Wars but it was easy to adapt to other settings. I tended to lean harder into sessions with less rolling than combat so my experiences really do not include the more complex ones.

daphenistration.bsky.social•10 days ago

I'd suggest something simple like Honey Heist (or one of its many hacks) or Roll For Shoes for your first time out, but both of these ask the GM to do a lot of work during play making up everything that happens around the players on the fly.

daphenistration.bsky.social•10 days ago

Something PbtA is probably best if you want a "full grown" system though, since the really simple ones tend to be silly for one-shot goofy times.

rainofterra.bsky.social•10 days ago

Amber Diceless is easiest in terms of system, because system is pretty minimal. It still has a fairly large amount of stuff for the GM to handle in terms of creativity and judgement calls.

happyroach.bsky.social•9 days ago

PBTA can be nice, because all the moves are called out, and only players roll. But I find it can be complex in deciding what to do to challenge the players.

Really minimal systems like Risus I find easy to work with as well.

sincerelysilvors.bsky.social•10 days ago

I'd go with a Powered By The Apocalypse system like Monster Of The Week. You come up with a monster, make a timeline of what happens w/o player intervention, and all the player stuff tells you what to do if they fail (alongside a reference sheet for the DM of what you should do if they fail)

sincerelysilvors.bsky.social•10 days ago

Monster of The Week is self-explanatory for its genre, but there's a PBTA system for most genres, like Blades In The Dark for urban fantasy heists or Masks for inter-team teen superhero drama

tiffanypercent.bsky.social•9 days ago

For me ICON has been a great system and really easy to prepare for. The game is split into narrative play and tactical combat and in narrative play the dm never rolls dice, nor do you need to set dcs

trickweekes.bsky.social•10 days ago

Okay, so in theory, the Powered by the Apocalypse games are easy, because there are no enemy stats. In practice, my brain, raised on Armor Class and hit points, struggles with those games. Easiest game for me is 13th Age, a D&D-like with really low GM overhead.

stan-fresh.bsky.social•8 days ago

The main benefit of (well-executed) PbtA games is the GM procedures. You always know what to do next, because the rules tell you your next step. And following them leads to interesting play.

trickweekes.bsky.social•10 days ago

(I also do not speak as a PbtA expert. I ran Thirsty Sword Lesbians and, like I said above, really struggled — not with stats/crunch but with keeping the plot moving and fun, in a way I didn’t with D&D-type games.)

thrownintosol.bsky.social•10 days ago

I'm not super qualified in the ttrpg space, but 'Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA)' might be up your alley!

Most of the games that use it don't overdo it with the stats, and for most games it's more of a collaborative back and forth with everyone than solely resting on the DM.

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