Okay, but if your cyperpunk RPG has “d20 plus modifier vs target number” action resolution, 4-8 ability scores, skill bonuses, feats, classes, races/ancestries/backgrounds… You’re going to need to explain how it’s NOT like D&D. And if you proceed to describe PbtA, I will laugh at you.
I won’t shame you for being like D&D. I will shame you for pretending you’re not.
It depends what you mean by “like d&d”. I’ve heard the phrase is used by different groups to mean:
- Has a generic fantasy setting
- Has similar mechanics to d&d
- Has bad mechanics
- Has dice mechanics
- Is mostly about fighting
- Is a trad game
- Is not a story game
- Is an RPG
- Is not cool
FYI your line breaks get collapsed. Don’t worry, it’s still comprehensible. Formatting tip: bullet lists would’ve worked here. Alternatively, for a single line break you can end the line with 2 spaces or a backslash (\)
PbtA
Pathfinder, but towards Argentina?
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honestly, this is fine. I think people within the rpg space forget that the general public largely has no idea that the space exists. they have never heard the term “tabletop role-playing game,” but they have a vague impression that “d&d” means nerds sitting around rolling dice and pretending to be in a fictional scenario, so if your game is anything like that, “kinda like d&d” is a fine descriptor for that audience
or as the famous tweet says: “guy who’s only ever seen Boss Baby watching a second movie: kinda getting Boss Baby vibes.” inaccurate or ridiculous as it may seem, if that’s the only exposure someone has to the concept of a “movie,” then using that as a jumping-off point to explain that other stories of different types can be told by pre-recorded moving images is still useful. you have to introduce the medium in general before worrying about genres within the medium, or works within the genre
D20 Modern is basically D&D-like cyberpunk, so it’s kind of a fair question. 🤷♂️
I gotta say, I’ve never actually found a D20 Modern game in the wild.
No shortage of WoD, GURPS, Call of Cthulhu, Alternity, Shadowrun, Battletech, Kids on Bikes, Big Eyes Small Mouth… But I’ve never seen a D20 Modern at an actual tabletop before. Might have just been on the wrong side of the GenCon convension floor. But I’ve been around playing these games for a while. I’ve never actually seen anyone do it.
