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Index Card RPG (ICRPG) is a universal, fast-paced tabletop role-playing game designed by Brandish Gilhelm (Hankrin Kapuf) and published by Runehammer Games. Originally released in 2017, with its definitive "Master Edition" published in 2021, the system is designed to strip away the mechanical bloat and analysis paralysis often found in traditional d20-based systems. It serves as both a standalone game and a philosophical design toolkit meant to be hacked, modified, and integrated into other role-playing systems. Description ICRPG is highly customizable and natively includes multiple distinct settings within its core rulebook, ranging from traditional high fantasy (Alfheim) and gritty sci-fi (Warp Shell) to weird west prehistoric survival (Ghost Mountain). The system treats game mastering as a visible, high-momentum performance. Rather than hiding information behind GM screens, ICRPG brings structural elements, like turn timers, room difficulties, and tracking metrics directly into the open. The game derives its name from the use of standard index cards to abstractly map encounters, represent terrain, track turn order, and quickly visualize items or monsters, eliminating the need for complex grid maps or expensive miniatures. System Overview & Key Features The Room Target Instead of assigning different Difficulty Classes (DCs) or Armor Classes (ACs) to every individual object, monster, and trap in an area, the Game Master sets a single "Room Target" number for the entire scene (typically ranging from 10 to 15). Every single d20 roll made by a player in that room, whether it is an attack roll, a saving throw, a stealth check, or an arcane spellcast: must meet or exceed that exact same Target number to succeed. The GM can temporarily adjust this target up or down by 3 points for specific tasks that are explicitly "Easy" or "Hard." Loot-Based Progression Characters do not possess traditional levels, nor do they gain intrinsic stat increases or health boosts when accumulating experience points. Instead, character progression is entirely physical and external, driven by "Loot." Every class feature, stat modification, magical spell, and unique ability is physically tied to an item equipped on the character sheet. If a character's gear is destroyed, stolen, or voluntarily traded to an ally, their mechanical capabilities shift completely, forcing players to focus on acquiring and managing an inventory limited to 10 carried and 10 equipped items. Visible Turn Timers To prevent tactical stalling and maintain pacing, the system relies heavily on explicit, visible timers. At the start of an encounter, the Game Master openly rolls a four-sided die (1d4) in front of the players. This represents the number of rounds remaining until a cataclysmic or complicating event occurs, such as a cave-in, the arrival of enemy reinforcements, or a bomb detonating. This mechanic converts passive exploration into an immediate, high-stakes tactical countdown. Abstract Range Zones Tactical movement completely abandons feet, meters, and grid counting in favor of four abstract distance zones: Close (touching or within arm's reach), Near (a few steps away, reachable within a single move action), Far (within sight and shootable, requiring a full dash to reach), and All the Way (distant or requiring specialized long-range capabilities). Positioning is easily tracked using index cards as relative zone containers. Links runehammer.online - Official homepage for Runehammer Games

Mothership is an action-packed mixture of sci-fi and horror themes, combined into a streamlined gaming system about surviving in the cold, deadly vacuum of space while everything around you is trying to kill you. All at the same time as you are fighting (or fleeing from) alien creatures who aren't there to make any new friends. Chaos. It was published by Tuesday Knight Games and released in 2024.  It is a survival horror system designed for one-shots and campaigns, inspired by classics like Alien, Event Horizon, and Pandorum. Famous for its streamlined ruleset and award-winning graphic design that prioritizes ease of use at the table. The game, at the same time simplistic and streamlined in design, will challenge the characters at all times, allowing the game to focus on the storytelling and less on having complicated rules. The system it is inspired by is Old School Renaissance Description In Mothership, players take on the roles of blue collar workers in space, such as Teamsters, Scientists, Androids, and Marines. You are not powerful or heroic soldiers; you are vulnerable humans trapped in high pressure environments with alien monsters, failing life support systems and the crushing weight of corporate greed. The game is designed to be fast-paced and unforgiving, where the primary goal is not to win, but often enough - to survive. System Overview & Key Features d100 Percentile Resolution In the core of the game system is the d100 percentile system. Roll two d10 dice and get a number from 00 to 99. Success means rolling a lower result than your character's appropriate stat or skill for the task. Rolling a double, like 11, 22, or 33, is considered a critical success if it succeeds or a critical failure if it fails. Rolling low is the target for survival. Stress and Panic As characters encounter horrors or suffer trauma, they accumulate Stress. When a character experiences a terrifying event or rolls a critical failure they must make a Panic Check. The more Stress they have, the more likely they are to suffer a catastrophic mental breakdown, ranging from a heart attack to a violent psychotic break. The Save System Instead of a long list of saving throws, characters have four primary Saves: Sanity, Fear, Body, and Armor. These are used to resist different types of potential trauma. Fear saves are rolled to keep your cool under pressure, while Sanity saves represent your ability to process alien truths without losing your mind (think lovecraftian horrors). Class Based Skills The game features four distinct classes. Marines are obviously combat focused, Teamsters are pilots and laborers, Scientists are experts in medicine and biology, and Androids are cold calculating, yet efficient machines. Each class has it's unique starting stats and specific triggers for when they gain or lose Stress, which is based on their personality. Lethal Combat and Healing Combat is extremely dangerous and often a last resort. Weapons are likely to deal potentially excessive damage when compared to a character's total healthpool. Healing will be slow and require resources that are hard to come by in the middle of the constant crisis, making every injury feel like a significant threat to the character's chances of making it out alive. Deadly Ship-to-Ship Combat The game includes a streamlined system for starship encounters. Ships have their own stats and modules that are likely to be damaged during a fight. Players must work together to manage various roles and stations, like Engineering or Piloting, to keep the ship's hull from breaching while under fire or fleeing from cosmic anomalies. Additional links tuesdayknightgames.com - Official Tuesday Knight Games website mothershiprpg.com - Official Mothership portal and digital resources

Basic Roleplaying is the venerable "D100" engine that has powered Chaosium’s greatest hits for over four decades. Originally appearing as a slim booklet in 1980, it was most recently revitalized as the Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine in 2023. In 2026, it stands as one of the industry's most important open-source platforms, released under the ORC License, allowing independent creators to build and sell their own games using its legendary, time-tested mechanics. Description BRP is a "genre-neutral" toolkit that discards character levels and rigid classes in favor of a pure skill-based system. Whether you are playing a Bronze Age warrior, a 1920s detective, or a futuristic mech pilot, the core experience remains the same: your character is defined by what they can do. Because it uses percentages (e.g., "I have a 65% chance to climb this wall"), it is widely considered the most intuitive and "transparent" RPG system for new players to understand at a glance. System Overview & Key Features The Universal D100 Engine Every action is resolved by rolling two ten-sided (d10) dice to get a result from 1 to 100. If you roll is equal to or under your skill rating, the action is deemed a success. This approach simplifies the mechanical process of the game, as there are no complex tables to keep track of and compare to decypher whether it is a success or failure. Organic Character Growth There is no "Experience Points" system in the traditional sense. Instead, when you succeed in using a skill, you mark a "Skill Check" on your character sheet. At certain stops in the game/story, the player rolls to see if the character improves in those skills, meaning your character evolves based specifically on the actions they performed (and succeeded at) during the game. Modular Rule Design The Universal Game Engine is designed with variations and systems to choose from. GMs can choose whether they prefer to just use "Hit Points" or add a more detailed wound system with "Hit Locations" for more realistic tactical consequences. Systems for Magic, Sorcery, Mutations, or Superpowers (depending on the setting) can be added, instead of being baked in the core mechanics, ensuring the mechanics always fit the theme of the game. Deadly and Tactical Combat BRP combat is grounded and dangerous. Unlike high-fantasy games where adventurers have a vast health pool, a single strike of a sword or bullet in BRP can be fatal. This encourages players to think creatively and use mechanics and terrain to their advantage. Talking their way out of situations is often seen as more reasonable (and survivable), than just treating every conflict as a forced combat situation. The ORC License Revolution By introducing to the Open RPG Creative (ORC) license, BRP started a wave of third-party "Powered by BRP". This has expanded the system into new genres like Cyberpunk, Wuxia, and Cozy Fantasy, all supported by a single, unified ruleset and system, compatible with most themes. Compatibility with "The Big Three" Because the core mechanics have remained the same since the beginning, a monster or spell from a 1980s supplement is almost always compatible with the modern 2026 engine. This gives GMs access to one of the largest libraries of pre-written adventures in tabletop gaming, spanning Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, and Pendragon. Additional links chaosium.com/brp : Official BRP Universal Game Engine portal basicroleplaying.org : The primary community hub and "BRP Central" forums

RoboDad1 is a YouTube channel dedicated to helping Dungeon Masters run better, more exciting Dungeons & Dragons games. The channel focuses on breaking down published adventures and transforming them into easier-to-run, more cinematic experiences at the table. Through detailed DM guides, encounter ideas, and practical storytelling advice, RoboDad1 explores popular adventures and settings, offering Dungeon Masters tools to improve pacing, build tension, and bring memorable moments to their players. The channel also covers topics such as common DM mistakes, campaign preparation, adventure design, and creative ways to enhance published modules without increasing prep time. RoboDad1’s guides aim to make running D&D more accessible for new Dungeon Masters while still providing inspiration and clever ideas for experienced Game Masters. Whether you’re preparing your first campaign or looking to improve an existing one, RoboDad1 focuses on one simple goal: helping DMs run unforgettable adventures. Links youtube.com - Youtube channel

Fearless Few Gaming is a cinematic tabletop RPG channel built for a new generation of players, those who want to experience games before they ever sit down at the table. Founded by filmmaker and video production professional Will Ezell, the channel blends high end visual storytelling with practical, no nonsense breakdowns of tabletop RPG starter sets, boxed experiences, and complete entry points into the hobby. Every video is designed with a simple goal: remove the friction between curiosity and play. At its core, Fearless Few Gaming answers a question most channels overlook: “If I buy this box...what is it actually like?” A Channel Built Like a Production, Not a Review /images/general-media/1774041361_6040Hs97.png Fearless Few Gaming doesn’t operate like a traditional review channel. It operates like a production studio. Each episode is structured with intentional pacing, visual storytelling, and layered editing designed to mirror the experience of opening, learning, and playing a game in real time. From cinematic box reveals to dice shots and fully themed environments, every visual element reinforces immersion, not just information. This is not just coverage. It’s translation, taking complex systems, dense rulebooks, and intimidating boxes, and turning them into something watchable, and exciting so that you can decide for yourself. The Starter Set Society /images/general-media/1774041350_XQs9giAp.png The flagship series, The Starter Set Society, is the backbone of the channel and its defining identity. Each episode explores a curated starter set or boxed RPG experience and breaks it down through three lenses: - What’s actually inside the box - How the system plays at the table - Whether it delivers a compelling first session The format prioritizes clarity and momentum. Mechanics are explained lightly and cleanly then the focus shifts to experience. How it feels to play, how quickly players engage, and what kind of stories emerge. Episodes are structured to guide viewers from curiosity to confidence in around ten minutes. Designed for Discovery Fearless Few Gaming is built with discoverability in mind, both for viewers and for the games themselves. Each video is optimized to serve as an entry point into the hobby, using clear framing, accessible language, and tightly structured pacing that respects the viewer’s time while delivering real value. The channel actively targets new and returning players searching for the best way to start tabletop RPGs, positioning itself as a trusted first stop in that journey. It doesn’t just serve existing fans, it helps create new ones to keep the hobby thriving. Tone, Style, and Identity The voice of Fearless Few Gaming is confident, cinematic, and grounded. It avoids over explaining, avoids gatekeeping, and avoids the academic tone that often dominates the hobby. Instead, it delivers insight through perspective: what works, what stands out, and what actually matters when the game hits the table. Visually, the channel leans into bold, high contrast presentation with thematic lighting, stylized environments, and deliberate framing choices that elevate tabletop content into something closer to film. The Mission Fearless Few Gaming exists to make tabletop RPGs easier to start, more exciting to explore, and impossible to ignore. By combining professional level production with a deep understanding of what new players actually need, the channel lowers the barrier to entry for one of the most creative hobbies in the world. It doesn’t just review games. It builds the moment where someone decides to play their first one. Links Youtube channel

Critical Hit is a Dungeons and Dragons real play podcast featuring Game master Rodrigo leading his players Stephen Schleicher, Brian Bergdall, Matthew Peterson, Rob Rasmussen, Adriana Ferguson, Samantha Nelson, and others on their adventures.  It began as a discussion of 4th edition dungeons and dragons on the major spoilers podcast and developed into a home brewed campaign,  Links majorspoilers.substack.com - Official website youtube.com - Youtube playlist spotify.com - Spotify feed podcasts.apple.com - Apple Podcasts feed criticalhitpodcast.fandom.com - Critical Hit Podcast Wiki patreon.com - Patreon page