RPG From Scratch

We recently took Scratch Dice to AVL Scarefest in North Carolina and in this episode we recap our experience running our game for strangers and share some of the excellent feedback we received. We completely revamp how we handle Death and Dying as well as throw in some lingering effects for those who touch the void. How many broken legs do you want? We have them on special! Show notes and more at:...

In Part 7 of our Actual-Play campaign, Two new characters join our crew of misfit diggers, a Seagull Krex and a Betta Fish Savothian, and after some tense contract negotiations, they agree to help track down the Howards and find the missing children. What awaits them is nothing less than horror and extreme peril! Show notes and more at: https://nerdyshow.com/2018/11/rpg-from-scratch-echoes-of-the-...

In this episode, we dig DEEP into Step 3 and give each Path a distinct utility ability for use both in and out of combat. We think you'll all really dig the direction we are taking Decay. Additionally, we create a set of item kits that augment skill checks and can be shared by the entire party. Gear Up and Get Down with us in Episode 9, An Exercise in Utility Show notes and more at: https://nerdys...

In this episode, we bid farewell to both Von Van DeVin and his player, Katie. In searching from missing children with Aster, they are beset upon by a tribe of savages unlike anything they have ever seen, except that there is something eerily familiar about their composition and the way they "act," but THE SHOW MUST GO ON in Part 6 of Echoes of the Starcrypt! Show notes and more at: https://nerdysh...

We take a hard look at the Paths of Scoundrel and Command in this episode, redesigning their respective roles within the party. We also find an elegant solution to the idea of rewarding GMs for inventive or praise-worthy effort by introducing the concept of Chaos Points. Primarily, however, we give our great friend Katie an exit interview about the system as she prepares to move on to bigger and b...

In this episode, we go full RP-crazy, delving deep into the overwhelming variety of current crises looming over our "heroes." After last episode, they have injured and casualties and Forsha to deal with as well as a host of competing high-risk interests, including the introduction of our first Patreon-created custom NPC! It's great fun and tons of laughs this week on Echoes of the Starcrypt part 5...

In this design episode, we two-step Path-by-Path and add Step 2. We're just GIVING abilities away. Look under your seat, listener! Is that a Daily? Congratulations! We also focus on our Upper Hand mechanic and what it really means to flank someone as well as open some old wounds about selfish GMs and talk about if there's any way that a gaming system can guide people out of that pit.  Show no...

The adventurers have found themselves buried among the artifacts that they were looking for as war rages overhead between their employees and the barbaric clan Nargabar. They still have the injured Kydwe and ornery Forsha to contend with. Once they get topside, the chaos is revealed, and nothing is as they expect. How many have their enemies brought? Where is Aster? Are any of their crew still ali...

We get BACK into Worldbuilding in this one. After tying up some mechanical loose ends discovered in the playtests so far, the Homebrew Hombres get deep into the playable races and three cultures for each. Maybe you want to play a humanoid owl from the benighted Krex forests or a sentient ant-person obsessed with discovering philosophical truths for his millions of brothers and sisters, or maybe yo...

In the 3rd chapter of our actual play, Echoes of the Starcrypt, an ominous question lingers: Do they truly sit atop an ancient Guf ruin? The crew meet a pair of rangers, Aster and Kydwe, who brief them about the crisis of the missing Guf children. Who have taken them? Is it the cultists of The Way Forward or another as-yet unseen threat? No time to speculate! A recent choice comes back to haunt th...

We're breaking our world apart to reassemble it as we see fit - revealing a host of unexpected geographical prejudices. What creatures are our world's dragons or tarrasques? Are they moose? We also discuss the scaling of weapon damage, reach weaponry, and what constitutes as a slot for a character's carrying capacity.  Show Notes and more at : https://nerdyshow.com/2018/09/rpg-from-scratch-de...

Our ill-fated adventurers run afoul of a local tribe, revealing a world of ancient rivalries, political intrigue, and an ongoing crisis. Also, they're introduced to the newest member of their group; an eccentric Eschwen who has a story yet to tell - but not before he is sent alone into unknown danger as a way to prove himself. Or is it just rookie hazing? Find out, brave listener, in Echoes of the...

Join us for a massive exploration of what's come so far and where we're headed. We recap our thoughts on the playtest, make some changes to Path of Radiance, and give Path of Zealotry the unique touch it deserves. Also, we make some minor shifts to Path of Decay, settle on a rule for Bashing weapons, and talk about our problems with Charisma... in the game. Not OUR problems with Charisma. We're ve...

In our very first playtest, we meet the four adventurers who are setting out on a peculiar archeological dig with dire portents. Meet their benefactor, a small-yet-stately bug man; their cook, an aging crocodile with a headmaster's air; and their diviner, a surly and opinionated wolverine. The wildlands of Gravore are rife with conflict, and we get to see how our party reacts when it finds them at...

We discuss the currency system of our world. Is it based on credit? Bank notes? A natural resource? What is our Moon situation? Do we still have one? What special exception to the game rules is at the Core of a Path? What makes them unique in a way that will matter no matter how powerful your character gets? We also give each non-Human race their own per-Scene attack, really making them feel uniqu...

In this episode, we meet the people who will be playing our first campaign and get to work on what kind of story we want to tell and what kind of characters will be working together to experience the mysterious world of Urd! Do we need a tank? A healer? Which of Liam's fetishes is he going to force on us through his choices? Find out for yourself! Episode details and more at https://nerdyshow.com/...

In our first episode, the Homebrew Hombres introduce the D&D-style game that they're trying to build - as well as share their gripes about the previous systems they've played, and how theirs will be different while balancing the twin needs of roleplayers and rollplayers everywhere. Laughalong as they try to play the game and fix it at the same time. It's like watching someone sewing their own...

Ever wanted to create your own tabletop RPG? Imagine it: a gleaming, glorious system combining everything you love about gaming and dropping the crap you can’t stand. Join us on a D.I.Y. docu-quest for tabletop roleplaying perfection as we design, test, and rebalance our own RPG From Scratch ! Follow this misfit band of homebrew hombres as they chronicle their tabletop trials and errors, grapple w...