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Howdy, this is a first time posting in an RPG based board etc, so please be gentle with me, I'm just looking for some basic advice and guidance on some RPG's and other additional queries I have. Also if I have put this in the wrong place etc, then feel free to move/delete as neccessary.

I'm a wargamer at heart, I've been playing 40k and it's ilk for nearly 10-12 years now roughly, I have never really tried RPGs before but I am very interested in starting but before I get into the what, why, who etc I should maybe explain my 'Where.'

I live in a very remote commmunity in the north of Scotland, the closest thing I've found to an actual established RP group is nearly 100+ miles away, meaning it's a bit too big a stretch for me. So I was hoping to get one started out of some of my close friends and 40k players at a local wargaming club I help run, I've asked around and it looks like I have a base of a soild 8 or so people who could manage a night or two every week and 2-3 others who could make it occasionally.

Now my main concern is that most of my friends are also wargamers at heart, they prefer games based around models, terrain and the like, games like Inquisitor and Necromunda, Super Dungeon Explore and Gears of War board games have all gone down very well. So my thinking was to stick to universes and settings we would be familiar with as it would create a bit more interest and possibly make up for the lack of models.

So I picked up a copy of Deathwatch and some of it's supporting materials, my thinking being that this would be a good introduction, I am currently looking to pick up the Serenity RPG as well as TMNT & Other Strangeness and possibly Scion: Hero. As these are all the kinds of games I think would be quite interesting and due to our affiliation with these settings, shows etc I think it could be made into a workable thing.

So here are some basic queries I have based on the above.

-Could any of the games I mentioned above be made to work with miniatures etc?
-Is any of the above easier or better to start with than any other? (if so why?)
-What would be considered the best way to approach learning these rules etc? (better tackling it as a group or should I focus on teaching myself and passing on from that)
-Could you reccomend any other games or books which would be better to start with?
-Also is there any way to really lock in interest without the models and terrain etc, as I know one or two probably won't like the non-visual representation?

These are all probably pretty vague and stupid questions, but this is something I'd really like to break into, I'm generally quite good at organising and running campaigns and being the walking rulebook for pretty much every game we play anyways, so I think I could make this work but it's convincing others and keeping their interest which is concerning me.

Thanks for any advice.

-Rysaer-

Hi there!

Generally, you can make just about any RPG work with miniatures, if only to represent the characters on a map. Most systems also incorporate rules for how fast a character can move, what range the weapons have, etc. "Inquisitor" is pretty much a good example already - it's called a "narrative wargame" by GW, but it's really not that different from Deathwatch in terms of the basics. You can play either game with or without minis, which makes it a matter of personal preferences and the players' reliance on visual cues to imagine stuff.

As for learning the rules, I would say that the GM - which probably means you - should start by themselves and get a good understanding of the system. You can still "tackle it as a group" by slowly growing more accustomed to the system of your choice, but a head-start would be good as the GM acts as the final arbitrator for the rules and thus would be expected to know them. Knowing as little as the players could throw up problems and unnecessary debates at the beginning.

Regarding other games or books, I recommend the Dragon Age RPG. In my opinion, it's the best entry level game for players new to the concept of P&P since the rules are very basic, short and easy to learn, whilst still offering an interesting, entertaining experience. A whole lot of P&P RPGs these days come with huge tomes packed chock-full of rules, which take days or weeks to learn and understand, and I think this may be "too much" for people just trying to see if it's any fun playing this sort of game. Even for veterans such as my own current group it felt almost "refreshing" to see DARPG's return to oldschool minimalism, if only because the game manages to keep just the right parts whilst discarding the redundant.

Lastly, for evoking interest without visual representation, I think a major factor is people's curiosity regarding a specific setting or theme. The actual system tends to be less important, as the first reaction of gamers is often the result of just looking at artworks or the game's world and thinking "playing in that would be awesome". So, getting to know what settings or movies your players like could make it a lot easier for you to find some games to present to your group.

Good luck!

8 is really a 'big' group by standards. 4-6 players and a GM is probably about normal.

Savage Worlds is another Minis-friendly choice. it's setting-generic but with an overall pulp/action 'feel' so you can grab a setting book you like or grab a toolkit book and make something work with existing minis if you like.

I dont know what game you would like best. But I know that if the players know some of the fluff of WH40k, then they will also know some of the fluff of Deathwatch, and it will help.

And as an aside, if you do play Scion... never advance past Hero. It is really broken in Demigod and God.

 Balance wrote:
8 is really a 'big' group by standards. 4-6 players and a GM is probably about normal.

Agreed, 8 players is too much, players will be waiting too long for there turn and more distractions occur what you could do is GM 2 groups of 4 players.

Yeah, I ran a game of Exalted with 7.... it did not work out all that well.

 Bromsy wrote:
Yeah, I ran a game of Exalted with 7.... it did not work out all that well.

Was that because of the number of players or because it was Exalted?



Actually I would like to try Exalted sometime, but the area I am in pretty much only plays D&D and/or argues about different D&D editions. We even have guys who argue about 3.5 and Pathfinder. I can't get them to Rogue Trader, Exalted, Deadlands, Traveler, ect ect.

Ahtman, do not waste your time with Exalted.

Exalted can be a ton of fun, I personally enjoy running games featuring the Terrestrial exalted - they are less world shaking in power level and a lot of their charms (magic powers) are designed to interact with and build off each other. But seven people was too much. I've had two other fairly long running games - at least a year each - with a more manageable number and it can really be a hoot.


Manchu - what turned you off about it so strongly?

You said 8 players with 2-3 others...is that in addition to the 8 players or 2-3 from that 8 who could occasionally make it? If you are juggling 8 people for your first time you might find it a bit hard, but if you insist then I want to recommend some things.

1) Take your time in creating the characters, at least a day. You will find yourself taxed as a GM with everyone asking you about the rules and wherwabouts in the book, so not rushing to play is a good idea. If you want to get even simpler with this, start off by creating the chracters yoursef first so you can get an idea of the ins and outs in the mechanics of character creation.

2) Start off simple, something like a gladitorial event. You can create a simple story where the players are expected to fight and have interactions with other people backstage. This gives the players a chance to stretch their legs and to test drive the rules. You also have the chance to do the same without having to worry about more then 2, at the most, maps and how to deal with juggling more then one NPC at a time. After you have done this, things can be adjusted or characters scrapped if need be.


It sounds like you will have the best luck going with the 40k game since that is a setting everyone is familiar with and would be the easiest to work with. With 40k you already have minis, hell, you probably even have minis you don't use that can be repurposed for the RPG.

It is even possible to run it without the minis and would require a bit of tracking on your end to do so. I recommend at least having a mini map for yourself if you go this route to keep track of players and to keep players from being everywhere on the board at once.