Best How to Play on the subject, a lot at once, but you were able to get all of the points in under 45 mins! I created the unofficial system for Cortex Prime in Foundry and super excited to see Cortex Prime grow, as I feel it is a hidden gem that allows GMs, who have the patience, and admittedly free time, to make a game that fits their play style and needs.
@@HoltBuzzing So the way the mod works is that the GM would go into the system settings and create custom "actor types" essentially building their own character sheet(s). To which they create trait sets and choose what traits there are, how the dice work etc. Then, an instance of that character sheet can add or edit traits and whatnot. So to answer your question: yes lol.
@@necrophage12 oh snap, that is a game changer, lol. I was about to give up on it because I couldn't figure out the best way of using your mod. Your mod awesome now! I can't believe that I almost missed this!!
How is it that every time I’m interested in an rpg and search RUclips for help you literally post a video within a week of me searching?! Are you…. Me?
I lost the favourite on my last comment after I fixed a typo, so this'll be my attempt to add to the conversation again and unsubtly fish for your attention! I think the best thing about this video past the content is the chapter markers. It turns this from a great guide for aspiring Cortex GMs into a genuine reference guide for GMs trying to teach their players! Especially for people with reading/learning disabilities having a video this well annotated can be a *game-changer.* And for that fact and many more, I salute you, man. :)
This should be the actual first 10 to 20 pages in the book. Everything coming after that would make so much more sense. Thank you so much for this Video. Would love to see a few of the mods explained in more depth. Love your style.
Congratulations. This is probably the first useful video about Cortex Prime on RUclips. You did such a great job breaking it down and delivering it. I hope you do more videos on the subject. Thank you
I'm really happy to hear that. I had to throw so much information out there, more so than any of my other How to Play videos, so I'm glad there is use to be found in this video! And I can promise, more Cortex Prime content will be coming to the channel, both in the form of some (edited for time) Actual Plays, and I have thoughts on doing some setting construction tutorials.
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide You nailed it. Truly. There are so many great questions that folks share in the Cortex RPG Reddit, if you’re looking for source material for future videos. Again, great job!
I'm a GURPS player and I've been for several years. When I found out about Cortex i became IN LOVE with how simple big scenes can be done. A big ship fight can be done in a single roll. BUT, it's really good for short adventures. That feeling of 'zero to hero' Is hardly done in Cortex. I could not make it work in longer games. And it's ... less stable. Like, in GURPS if you're reall good at something, like 15 skill, you'll get it most times. In cortex you might have D10 in skill and D10 attribute and still lose to 2d6 pools constantly. And that makes your power become less stable. And that makes me feel a lot less powerfull.
I agree. I've also come from a Gurps background. When I think back on Gurps, I think of it as a simulation game. Its one with lots of detail that stretches FAR beyond the experience of the players. Cortex Prime is focused wholly on the experience of the players. It's more of a narrative drive game- and it urges us to throw out the things that are irrelevant to the story.
Yup, I really don't like the swingyness of some dice systems. Randomness is fine to a point but an expert should fail rarely on normal tasks or against an amateur. Also, getting more dice can get you more hitches which is counterintuitive.. I like many ideas in Cortex Prime but the dice system isn't one of them..
@@digitalspecter Yeah, one time I got 4 hitches in the same roll. That's gamebreaking. Is like you're getting punished to use your tools. But again. It is a nice system for short adventures. May be the best system for jurassic park, but not the best for watching your PC grow to become important in the world and make a big change.
I’ve spent days looking for the perfect system for a superhero campaign I was pondering doing, and it looks like the solution… Is to just build it myself using Cortex. Who’da thunk it? Thanks for the video!
Oh man! I've been wanting to get into Cortex for a WHILE now. But I've only ever managed to get about halfway through the rules. Looking forward to this one!
As a CPA, I take umbrage in the depiction of Gary from Accounting as an Extra, and will show you how wrong you are by playing a Cortex Prime game called "Death and Taxes", a high stakes espionage game featuring Gary. Long live Gary!
I'm working on my own Star Trek hack for Cortex. This is such a great system. My campaign is centered on a family in the ECS, post-Archer era, ten years after the formation of the Federation. Basically, they are 'Boomers', running freight, out on the frontier, who get caught up in situations, and events. Kinda like Firefly, but, there's a couple roguish aliens that have become part of the crew. I'm hammering out details, and it will probably be a fifty-page pdf that I will try to upload somewhere.
First of all, this is a truly awesome single video explaining a system full enough of options to take at least a series of 6 videos to explain. Now that said, beyond the learning curve to take a full grasp of how everything works and what works better with what, just by taking a look at it, it seems to me that the amount of tactical decisions to make would result in a very very slow game. So I'm very interested if anyone with first hand experience can comment on this point. I will also look for games that are already made using this system and to convince a GM.
I do have a short Actual Play video of it that's shows of the speed, with two players who weren't really familiar with the system. It definitely starts off slower, but as you get used to it, things tend to move at a good pace. I'll likely try for more videos of it with players now familiar with it to show just how smoothly it can eventually work once you get over the learning curve
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I'll be looking for that actual right now. Also you convinced me to use Fari for my next Cypher System game. Thank you very much for the character sheet.
This video really sold me on Cortex, enough to go out to my LGS and buy the handbook Can't wait to start building my own system and see what my friends think of the game 👍
Damn, I just stumbled across you looking for cortex resources but you deserve way more subs. Your content is great! I'd love to see some other popular systems - like Stars/Worlds Without Number - or some more generic systems you find - Like Genesys. Already watched the Cypher, but Genesys is my favorite because of the dice
I love knowing this system exists. I might play in a game created based on this system. I also know I'll never create a game based on this system. That is a good outcome for your video also. I know what to say if someone says: Hey, let's create a world based on Cortex Prime. I'll say, "Count me out." But, if someone says, "Hey, I've created a game based on Cortex Prime, I'll give it at least one go."
This was an amazing explanation and walk through, thank you so much. I was interested in learning more about Cortex Prime before buying it and you covered everything very well and even answered my questions about magic. Great video!
I've liked Cortex since the old BSG game, but it's come so far. BSG and all the others were still very traditional, mostly offering granularity that I liked but otherwise being pretty much the same old stat plus skill with advantages and disadvantages type system. But then, Smallville came out. And then MHRP blew my socks off. And now they've distilled it down into the Prime, which I love! And can convince all of nobody to play. So I'm just gonna keep this video to hand.... TY! I feel one step closer to bringing this to the table.
Well, hopefully the Actual Play 'n' Learn Cortex Prime video I have coming out tomorrow will help show the system in action in a way that convinces some folks to play with ya! :D
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I bought Cortex Prime way back when it was brand new, and was immediately overwhelmed. Now I feel confident enough to take it off the shelf and start building a game! I can only hope, at this point, that my players will be willing to give it a try.
Just had to come back here and say that this was a great video. We just did our session zero for a new campaign and I wanted to use this session to introduce my players to Cortex Prime on the whole rather than just the trait sets and mods I've chosen for our specific campaign. I started to make notes from the video earlier this week and then I realized I should just send them this video. But then I remembered that if I send them a 40 minute video almost none of them will watch it. So I played it via Discord screen share and paused to answer questions on the way. It was PERFECT! This video got them excited about trying it so much better than I could have done on my own. Thank you so much for putting this together 😊
Best Cortex video I've seen. Everyone else is just a long winded opinion that never goes anywhere or just extremely tedious to watch. Thank you so much for making something concise and entertaining while also informing us about how it all works!
These are some great TTRPG overview videos you've made! I've been interested in learning some other systems recently, and your videos have helped a lot. Highly informational and comprehensive, but still concise and not bloated. Simultaneously, they're well-edited and entertaining.
I ran a lot of and played a lot of the older cortex games before cortex prime came out so I didn't feel that it was all that complicated to understand these rules. I absolutely thank you for this video to help others to understand how to play this beautiful game.
Thanks to your awesome video I figured out how to play cortex, it's been confusing to me up till now but I finally get it. I think it might be my favorite game and I would've passed it over if not for your video.
Hahahaha omg lol I literally just commented on your cypher video that it sounds completely perfect except for my dice hoarding and now you give me an all the dice system?? Amazing. Love your channel
27:53 the contest and challenge have been something I’ve always loved from Cortex.. but was always confused about contests and combat etc. this broke it down really nice
I'm sitting here all confused and then suddenly a reassuring message appears telling me not to be confused because you'll go into it more later. Thanks for this video.
Thank you so much for this video. I was just between second and third step of despair (after watching let's play, and before second reading of book with note taking) and this video is such a great help. Great job!
Thank you very much, this video not only helped me understand all the nuances of the whole rulebook that I didn't get at first, but it also cemented my desire to run a magical school campaign in it. :D
I'm so glad I found you because after this video I really became interested in Cortex of which I've never heard before. And the video gives it such a nice overview. Thanks for your work! I would really like to see you play this on the channel. And I hope you will do further discussion of it.
Thanks for this video. I feel the system is road blocked by its flexibility. If they pulled back a bit on the scope and made it more user friendly, it would be fantastic.
This is really cool. I love Fate. It's one of my favourite games but I do sometimes want a bit more crunch, so when I heard about Cortex Prime (ok, I've heard about it many times but never knew what it was about or that it could be picked up as a generic system) I thought I should check it out. Looks like I will be making a purchase soon but I will probably have to watch this a second time to be sure.
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I haven't picked this up yet, but I have been watching a few videos. The more I learn about Cortex Prime, the more it sounds like a great match for what I like in an RPG. Sadly, I was reading an article today that suggests the game is all but dead, apparently owing to some issues with licensing that drove players away. I'll probably still pick it up, but that was disappointing to hear.
Love love LOVE the concept of modular mechanics being such a core concept to the system. But you weren't kidding about the basic rolls being a hurdle. Your voice turned into what adults in Peanuts sound like in my brain halfway through. I feel they kinda shot themselves on the foot with that one, I don't even feel it has much "flavor" to it, it doesn't seem to bring much to the stories it wants to tell. I feel Cortex should put the modular mechanics at the forefront of their marketing, though, it really is super interesting. But for the rolls, I would definitely go for like... literally ANY other system.
It's weird to get used to, but can be satisfying and even engaging with adding consequences and stuff. However, you're right. I've played with this system a lot and it can still be a bit of an unwelcome pause in the action. Also, frankly, just hard to teach new players. Thankfully some of those mods actually simplify the dice rolling, and I would recommend them for a lot of games
Cortex Prime has been my go-to as my narrative-style generic game. For some reason, I found the rulebook way easier to understand than Fate Core. Maybe because I have experience running/playing savage worlds and reading GURPS 4e. Fantastic guide!
D20 is a fairly complicated system as well. It's just after 10+ years you get used to things and hopping from DND 3.5 to pathfinder to DND 5e becomes less about reading rules and more about reading settings and abilities
Excellent video!!! Helped me clear up Cortex rules - but sedimented the impression that this system is not suited to my RPG tastes. Certainly an interesting take on narrativist mechanics and probably powerful enough to tackle any genre (like FATE!), but I think I'll probably stick to Savage Worlds + robust Setting Rules :D
You are welcome! Sadly, I am not. My schedule has become so overwhelmingly busy that it just wasn't sustainable for me. However, I do see Cortex games popping up on there from time to time and highly recommend checking them out.
It isn't too bad in Foundry, actually! The systems is only available on there as a user made mod, and takes a little figuring out, but I played a fantasy rpg with it on Foundry to great success.
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide nice, I will try it out, but I think I will need to watch this video a couple of times and find some actual play to learn the system.
@@NiklasFreidwall This one more of a beast than the others I've covered, to be sure. I plan on putting up a shorter actual play of it as soon as possible
It's such a weird system to explain and get the hang of just from a video, so I don't blame you. It is so modular you could play two different games with it and they could feel completely different. But once you get the hang of it, it's really great
I'll say that a lot of this video is covering making a "system" in it and running it. Actually playing it ends up becoming really fluid and understandable pretty fast
I agree! The basics are fairly simple because there aren’t a lot and it frees you to play the types of games you always wanted without fussing with the rules and no fear of breaking the game.
That really is how Cortex goes. I think my Actual Play of it on this channel helps give the feel of it a little better, but yeah...it is just kind of a tricky system to get into. However, I feel like if you can break through that barrier to entry, it is really worth it for most people.
I believe the time invested to understand Cortex Prime will unlock fun and memorable gaming moments across multiple genres. It seems to be the next GURPS but with less tables and metrics. I'm a rules light GM but this has enough "Crunch" to satisfy my players who want it.
Still watching the video as we just started our first FATE game 2 days ago. In the modern era we have current campaigns in 5e, Cypher System and Unlimited Dungeons. After 2 years, is this still your favorite system? Do you get to play it much?
My favorite system feels like it changes every couple of months depending on what I'm playing, if I'm being honest lol I do love Cortex and often find myself creating character sheets for it, and would still count it among my favorites for sure. It allows for so much customization, and certain mechanics have a feel that other genre-agnostic systems just don't. However, I think Cortex games probably account for maybe 5% of the games I play. Partially because I do really appreciate TTRPGs with a really specific genre/setting/focus, that have mechanics specifically built for them. Cortex does this better than most genreless ttrpgs, to be fair, but yeah. And partially because, even with this video, it is still hard to get new players to be able to wrap their heads around how to play Cortex games. I do a LOT of one-shots, and teaching someone Cortex just for a single game doesn't feel worth it. I would love to actually run a short campaign with Cortex, but getting folks to commit to that is like getting me to commit to a video release schedule... Sorry, super long answer for what is basically "Yeah, I still absolutely love it, but I don't play it as much as you would think."
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide Thanks for the answer. That’s exactly what I sought and, sadly for you and Cortex, expected. My family loves all the different dice and having a system that uses them smartly sounds like fun. I feel like I could approach it with a FATE feel, a Stars/Worlds Without Number skill framework and world building/sandbox tools and Cortex resolution and have a lot of fun. I’ll be looking at it more, that’s for sure. Happy New Year to you!
Hey. Well done! I watched the rule-explanations to the three coresystems you covered on your channel I like thjem all (didnt expect that) and I got a theoretical ranking now. THX !!! Which one did you like most in theory and more important: Which one worked most fluently? I have to admit I ddnt understand Cortex Prime 100%, but for the most part I hope.. I will give cypher the first dance I guess. Monte Cooks work "Ptolus" impressed me so much I conciderd even giving D&D a chance, although I realy hate a lot of its mechanics.... and some things about the world, too. But a great adventure with great people is simoply great, no matter where and how)
Is there somewhere we could get a copy of your D&D Cortex character sheet? I’m actually considering changing my ongoing D&D game over into Cortex and would like to compare how others already have.
Sooo...I only have them as some premade images of stylized character sheets that I used when I ran a little demo game for folks, but hopefully they give you an idea of how I personally tried to tackle it. drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-bD3nvASZZ75CLsp7Ph5YSZ0vyyYF7Vk?usp=sharing Honestly, I'm not sure my attempt at directly moving over as many direct aspects of D&D as I could makes for the best translation of D&D to Cortex Prime. It mostly served as a decent teaching tool by taking familiar traits and then being able to show how they work in a completely different system. It works, but I think with some alterations it could work a lot better. Oh, and if you use the vtt Role, I have a fillable version of the sheet on there, apparently (just decided to check). app.playrole.com/sheet-templates/6e3a82ac-dungeons-and-cortexes/save In comparison, here is a high-fantasy setting (more Victorian/Eldritch horror) that I made with Cortex on Role, that is simplified in a lot of ways, and yet makes a more complex "damage" system with stresses applying to Attributes instead of generic "Injury" track. app.playrole.com/sheet-templates/621da3e2-the-other/save app.playrole.com/sheet-templates/73810e14-the-other-guide/save Sorry for the wall of text!
So, SO refreshing to click on a how-to-play expecting another unscripted video of a man talking into a camera, only to find something actually scripted and edited with care. Love it.
I didn't not need that video cause in fact I understood the game very easily on my first read. But it still is a very good video for those who struggle. And It's also fun, well made and well explained.
I'd like to ask a question if I may... I just got the rulebook and one of the examples in it is confusing. My understanding is that a Test is taking an action without active opposition, so the GM rolls to determine the difficulty. A Contest IS opposed, so you roll against another character. But the rulebook has a section (page 20) on Automatic Outcomes, which reads "When a test or contest isn’t opposed and you need an effect die, use the largest die in the opposition pool (for a test) or the initiating dice pool (for a contest). " That is clear, but then the example right below reads "Adam declares that his Hero reaches for a priceless artifact and asks, “Who’s going to stop me?” Mary Rose and the other players elect not to oppose him, so his Hero takes the artifact. If for some reason Adam needed to know how well his character took hold of the artifact, he would look at the dice pool he just assembled for the contest and choose the largest die in the pool for the effect die." If no one is opposing him, shouldn't this be considered a Test, not a Contest? I'm assuming that since the GM is choosing not to oppose him, they are just letting him succeed without rolling for a difficulty. In that case, I understand him taking the die from his own pool as if it were a Contest, but why call it a Contest? Or am I misunderstanding something? Also (another question) if you initiate a Contest , the opponent rolls higher, and you give in, you get a PP. But do you also get a Complication, or only if you try again and fail again?
Thanks for this great video. I played some Cortex (MHRPG and Firefly) before I transitioned to Fate. Honestly, I like the Fate dice better because of the normal law. But I really love dice pools, so I want to like Cortex, but the crunch and jargon have always put me off a bit. So, what could I do with Cortex that I couldn't do with Fate?
Since you played MHRPG, you can already see where I am going with this. MHRPG (and cortex, by the extend) gives you just the right mix of resources/bragaddocio/super powers and an actual involved combat that is complex enough to be tactical and interesting but simple enough to be mastered by players once they get the hump of complications/advantages.
@@AKImeru Absolutely true. But I think I brought a lot from GM-ing MHRPG and Firefly to Fate. Chief among them "tactical theater-of-the-mind combat" LOL For reference, I GM-ed a 2-PC MHRPG mini-campaign with The Punisher and Moon Knight (long before the TV shows), so there were little powers, and a lot of tactics.
I get that! This video is a LOT lol. I would recommend watching that actual play I mentioned (or another that strikes your fancy). Seeing some of this information in action is what helped make it click for me. Also, I am personally working on an actual play one-shot for Cortex Prime that I will be posting here, planned to have edits to help explain the system
Edge case question: Say you roll 3 dice, and you come up with 2 1's. I get that the effect die would be stuck being a d4, but what do you do for the total? Do you just use the total using the 1, just take the single good die by itself, or something else entirely?
Dude, even the condensed version of the rules seem like to much for me to be able to enjoy. If anything, this video showed me that I probably want to avoid playing Cortex at all. I love your video, because it was informative, but it also helped me decide that the game isn't for me
The video (and book) are a LOT, no lie. I will say, with the mods, it allows you to create really simple games that are easy to learn within it, but you have to learn all the mechanics in order to be able to make those systems with it. *THAT* is a lot, and I don't blame anyone for not wanting to invest that kind of effort in it! Cypher is an amazing system if you want something you can super customize to a specific campaign/setting you have in mind. It really caters to GMs who like to tinker with mechanics and stuff. But even after studying this system thoroughly to make this video, I still struggle to remember all of the mods and it takes a lot of work to put something together. Can't blame anyone for not wanting to deal with that. Heck, I've opted to use other systems in place of this one a few times for that very reason!
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide My question is, how difficult is Cypher to use for solo play. Right now I am exploring Savage Worlds, and Fate, because the are fairly easy to solo. I don't have the opportunity to get together with my group as much as I would like. So, I have gotten more into solo gaming
@@mr7oclock346 Oh shoot, don't know how I missed this reply! Honestly, I haven't thought of trying it for solo play. It doesn't really have much for built in tools to facilitate such a thing, sadly, but with the ability to set simple difficulties and what...I imagine it would work ok. The game I've been getting waaay into over the last week is Ironsworn, which DOES have really robust options for Solo, Co-op, and GM play! It's gritty fantasy with a definitely heavy helping of PbtA, but more crunch. And it doesn't have to be gritty fantasy (they even have a sci-fi setting called Starforged). It has so many tools to help you determine the narrative and all that. Cannot recommend it highly enough (and I WILL be doing a video on it as soon as I can)
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I like Ironsworn allot too, but what is attracting me to other systems, like Cortex, is the thought of having an open genre system. You weren't kidding when you said Cortex is complex, and takes time to understand. I bought the pdf, and watched this video again...and watched the video again. Now I am going to read on the book some more. After watching this video three times, I finally caught the part where you recommend people playing a simplified version of this game on their first go around. So, I am planning a simplified setting now.
The mob situation is incorrect: A complication must instead exceed a mob trait die to take it out; that's what makes Cortex Prime so frustrating: sometimes you compare effect dice, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you need to exceed a the value of a trait die, sometiumes you need to match it, etc. Prime has a good mechanic, that's made needlessly complex by the designer...
What traits and mods do y’all think would work best for an endless space game? Also curious about what would best fit for a Street Fighter setting or a Devil may cry game
Well, the mods don't really matter for the genre per se, it matters more for the elements of focus. If you are thinking more Mass Effect then a Roles trait set may fit great but an Expanse game may be better with Values, for instance. Honestly, I wouldn't focus too hard on fitting to a genre as that can come in from the narrative. Focus on more what elements you want to bring to light. Character motivations, abilities, relations, gear, or a mix?
How do you reset a die such as when it's reduced to a D4 for a Plot Point? Anyone with an answer feel free to let me know, I can't find anything about it. Thanks.
I know this is a month late, but not 100% sure what you mean by reset a die? I *think* you are asking when does the complication go away? So for a complication that is reduced to a d4 you add it to your pool instead of going in the opponents dice pool, as d6+ complications normally do. Then, once that roll is over, the complication, and thus the d4, goes away, unless you roll a hitch, then the complication steps back up to a d6. Honestly, the whole d4 complication thing is what stumps so many because it has so many weird nuances. I think this is why Tales of Xadia, an officially licensed Cortrx Prime game for The Dragon Prince netflix series, got rid of the d4 complication/stress entirely, and so if a d6 complication/stress gets stepped down, it simply goes away, no d4, no PPs, no dice going into your own pool etc.
This seems like a team of people had a bet about who could create the most complex TTRPG system with the maximum amount of dice. I had to check the upload date to check I wasn't being punked.
Choosing 2 dice to add up and then a die for Effect seems like a non-choice to me. Statistically, you're almost always better using the 2 highest numbers for your total and then whatever higher dice type remaining.
You would be surprised how often I've seen folks take smaller Totals in order to have an effect die to take out one of a Boss's hit die or something like that. Typically yeah, higher totals are the way to go, but in practice risking a lower total for a bigger effect happens often enough.
This really depends on whether or not you roll first. If the GM or enemy has already rolled and rolled a poor total, then you may just want to go with highest effect instead of highest total. If you are rolling first, it is generally a safer bet to choose a better total instead.
Oooo, I've had a lot of requests for Gurps, but you might be the first to remind me of OpenD6! I never actually got to play OpenD6, but I had a friend back like...15ish years ago who was super jazzed about it and showed it to our group (I wanna say it was D6 Space?? Is that something?). Sadly we just never got around to trying it and I had mostly forgotten it. On to the list is goes!
@The Dungeon Newb's Guide probably that was the starwars game , the system came out first as a start wars game , after that the open d6 system was out , the intresting part is the company closed but they set their game system as open source so now anyone can use it
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I always find opinions on it interesting positive or negative. As the progenitor of the universal TTRPG concept It's at least interesting from a historical perspective. It also has the lowest rules floor I've ever seen having only 1 truly necessary rule (less than 3d6 to succeed).
Best How to Play on the subject, a lot at once, but you were able to get all of the points in under 45 mins! I created the unofficial system for Cortex Prime in Foundry and super excited to see Cortex Prime grow, as I feel it is a hidden gem that allows GMs, who have the patience, and admittedly free time, to make a game that fits their play style and needs.
Hey Mark, does your Foundry mod allow picking traits like Powers and what not?
@@HoltBuzzing So the way the mod works is that the GM would go into the system settings and create custom "actor types" essentially building their own character sheet(s). To which they create trait sets and choose what traits there are, how the dice work etc. Then, an instance of that character sheet can add or edit traits and whatnot. So to answer your question: yes lol.
@@necrophage12 oh snap, that is a game changer, lol. I was about to give up on it because I couldn't figure out the best way of using your mod. Your mod awesome now! I can't believe that I almost missed this!!
@@HoltBuzzing Thanks! I appreciate the compliment!
Could you make a tutorial video on how to best use the mod so that GMs can get the most out of the features?
How is it that every time I’m interested in an rpg and search RUclips for help you literally post a video within a week of me searching?! Are you…. Me?
Haha wouldn't that be something?
[Speaks into sleeve] They knows too much...
I lost the favourite on my last comment after I fixed a typo, so this'll be my attempt to add to the conversation again and unsubtly fish for your attention!
I think the best thing about this video past the content is the chapter markers. It turns this from a great guide for aspiring Cortex GMs into a genuine reference guide for GMs trying to teach their players! Especially for people with reading/learning disabilities having a video this well annotated can be a *game-changer.* And for that fact and many more, I salute you, man. :)
Thank you so much! I am glad to hear the chapters are helping
I'd love to see one of these for Electric Bastionland. I'm dyslexic and can never get my head around rules from books. These are so helpful.
Such a fantastic game!
This should be the actual first 10 to 20 pages in the book. Everything coming after that would make so much more sense.
Thank you so much for this Video. Would love to see a few of the mods explained in more depth. Love your style.
Congratulations. This is probably the first useful video about Cortex Prime on RUclips. You did such a great job breaking it down and delivering it. I hope you do more videos on the subject. Thank you
I'm really happy to hear that. I had to throw so much information out there, more so than any of my other How to Play videos, so I'm glad there is use to be found in this video!
And I can promise, more Cortex Prime content will be coming to the channel, both in the form of some (edited for time) Actual Plays, and I have thoughts on doing some setting construction tutorials.
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide You nailed it. Truly. There are so many great questions that folks share in the Cortex RPG Reddit, if you’re looking for source material for future videos. Again, great job!
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I just shared your link across Reddit. Phenomenal job. Thank you again.
@@garygrant6987 Thanks you! That's awesome
I don't know if I've ever seen a video where I was a big fan of the creator AND the sponsor, before this.
I'm a GURPS player and I've been for several years. When I found out about Cortex i became IN LOVE with how simple big scenes can be done.
A big ship fight can be done in a single roll.
BUT, it's really good for short adventures.
That feeling of 'zero to hero' Is hardly done in Cortex. I could not make it work in longer games.
And it's ... less stable. Like, in GURPS if you're reall good at something, like 15 skill, you'll get it most times.
In cortex you might have D10 in skill and D10 attribute and still lose to 2d6 pools constantly. And that makes your power become less stable. And that makes me feel a lot less powerfull.
I agree. I've also come from a Gurps background.
When I think back on Gurps, I think of it as a simulation game. Its one with lots of detail that stretches FAR beyond the experience of the players.
Cortex Prime is focused wholly on the experience of the players. It's more of a narrative drive game- and it urges us to throw out the things that are irrelevant to the story.
Yup, I really don't like the swingyness of some dice systems. Randomness is fine to a point but an expert should fail rarely on normal tasks or against an amateur. Also, getting more dice can get you more hitches which is counterintuitive.. I like many ideas in Cortex Prime but the dice system isn't one of them..
@@digitalspecter Yeah, one time I got 4 hitches in the same roll.
That's gamebreaking.
Is like you're getting punished to use your tools.
But again. It is a nice system for short adventures. May be the best system for jurassic park, but not the best for watching your PC grow to become important in the world and make a big change.
I’ve spent days looking for the perfect system for a superhero campaign I was pondering doing, and it looks like the solution… Is to just build it myself using Cortex. Who’da thunk it? Thanks for the video!
Oh man! I've been wanting to get into Cortex for a WHILE now. But I've only ever managed to get about halfway through the rules. Looking forward to this one!
Oh no! I fixed a typo and lost the favourite! :(
Ah well, still a great video as always, man!
Well now you've got TWO favorites! Thanks much for the kind comments!
As a CPA, I take umbrage in the depiction of Gary from Accounting as an Extra, and will show you how wrong you are by playing a Cortex Prime game called "Death and Taxes", a high stakes espionage game featuring Gary. Long live Gary!
I'm working on my own Star Trek hack for Cortex. This is such a great system. My campaign is centered on a family in the ECS, post-Archer era, ten years after the formation of the Federation. Basically, they are 'Boomers', running freight, out on the frontier, who get caught up in situations, and events. Kinda like Firefly, but, there's a couple roguish aliens that have become part of the crew. I'm hammering out details, and it will probably be a fifty-page pdf that I will try to upload somewhere.
First of all, this is a truly awesome single video explaining a system full enough of options to take at least a series of 6 videos to explain. Now that said, beyond the learning curve to take a full grasp of how everything works and what works better with what, just by taking a look at it, it seems to me that the amount of tactical decisions to make would result in a very very slow game. So I'm very interested if anyone with first hand experience can comment on this point. I will also look for games that are already made using this system and to convince a GM.
I do have a short Actual Play video of it that's shows of the speed, with two players who weren't really familiar with the system. It definitely starts off slower, but as you get used to it, things tend to move at a good pace. I'll likely try for more videos of it with players now familiar with it to show just how smoothly it can eventually work once you get over the learning curve
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I'll be looking for that actual right now.
Also you convinced me to use Fari for my next Cypher System game. Thank you very much for the character sheet.
This video really sold me on Cortex, enough to go out to my LGS and buy the handbook
Can't wait to start building my own system and see what my friends think of the game 👍
I just wanna say that this video is a lifesaver!
This makes me so happy to hear!
Damn, I just stumbled across you looking for cortex resources but you deserve way more subs. Your content is great! I'd love to see some other popular systems - like Stars/Worlds Without Number - or some more generic systems you find - Like Genesys. Already watched the Cypher, but Genesys is my favorite because of the dice
I recommend this video to new Cortex Players all the time.
I love knowing this system exists. I might play in a game created based on this system. I also know I'll never create a game based on this system. That is a good outcome for your video also. I know what to say if someone says: Hey, let's create a world based on Cortex Prime. I'll say, "Count me out." But, if someone says, "Hey, I've created a game based on Cortex Prime, I'll give it at least one go."
This was an amazing explanation and walk through, thank you so much. I was interested in learning more about Cortex Prime before buying it and you covered everything very well and even answered my questions about magic. Great video!
I've liked Cortex since the old BSG game, but it's come so far. BSG and all the others were still very traditional, mostly offering granularity that I liked but otherwise being pretty much the same old stat plus skill with advantages and disadvantages type system. But then, Smallville came out. And then MHRP blew my socks off. And now they've distilled it down into the Prime, which I love! And can convince all of nobody to play. So I'm just gonna keep this video to hand.... TY! I feel one step closer to bringing this to the table.
Well, hopefully the Actual Play 'n' Learn Cortex Prime video I have coming out tomorrow will help show the system in action in a way that convinces some folks to play with ya! :D
I was so happy when this system came out.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I bought Cortex Prime way back when it was brand new, and was immediately overwhelmed. Now I feel confident enough to take it off the shelf and start building a game! I can only hope, at this point, that my players will be willing to give it a try.
Just had to come back here and say that this was a great video. We just did our session zero for a new campaign and I wanted to use this session to introduce my players to Cortex Prime on the whole rather than just the trait sets and mods I've chosen for our specific campaign. I started to make notes from the video earlier this week and then I realized I should just send them this video. But then I remembered that if I send them a 40 minute video almost none of them will watch it. So I played it via Discord screen share and paused to answer questions on the way.
It was PERFECT! This video got them excited about trying it so much better than I could have done on my own. Thank you so much for putting this together 😊
Delighted to hear my video was helpful! Thank you so much, and I hope that campaign is a blast!
This is excellent! I am currently wrapping my head around the system, and this helped a lot! Thank you!
Best Cortex video I've seen. Everyone else is just a long winded opinion that never goes anywhere or just extremely tedious to watch. Thank you so much for making something concise and entertaining while also informing us about how it all works!
These are some great TTRPG overview videos you've made! I've been interested in learning some other systems recently, and your videos have helped a lot. Highly informational and comprehensive, but still concise and not bloated. Simultaneously, they're well-edited and entertaining.
Thank you so much!
So, so good! I feel like I finally understand Cortex Prime now. Thanks for making this!
I ran a lot of and played a lot of the older cortex games before cortex prime came out so I didn't feel that it was all that complicated to understand these rules. I absolutely thank you for this video to help others to understand how to play this beautiful game.
Loved this system in the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying game!!
Thanks to your awesome video I figured out how to play cortex, it's been confusing to me up till now but I finally get it. I think it might be my favorite game and I would've passed it over if not for your video.
Hahahaha omg lol I literally just commented on your cypher video that it sounds completely perfect except for my dice hoarding and now you give me an all the dice system?? Amazing. Love your channel
27:53 the contest and challenge have been something I’ve always loved from Cortex.. but was always confused about contests and combat etc. this broke it down really nice
This was much more helpful than the official channel, and I freaking love you for it 😂
I'm sitting here all confused and then suddenly a reassuring message appears telling me not to be confused because you'll go into it more later.
Thanks for this video.
Thank you so much for this video. I was just between second and third step of despair (after watching let's play, and before second reading of book with note taking) and this video is such a great help. Great job!
I like the puzzle piece concept to help describe this. Great vid! Thanks!
Love the content, I recently bought the book
Thanks to you I'm using the rulebook to build characters and write a story. Thanks, Klaus!
Thank you very much, this video not only helped me understand all the nuances of the whole rulebook that I didn't get at first, but it also cemented my desire to run a magical school campaign in it. :D
This was brilliant. I can't express how much this helped me understand the game. Thank you.
Awesome job of explaining a really complex book. Certainly helps, as I'm still working on getting my head round it all.
Excellent video. Thank you very much for making this.
Dude this video is amazing, you’re my hero! Super clear and well produced!
I'm so glad I found you because after this video I really became interested in Cortex of which I've never heard before. And the video gives it such a nice overview. Thanks for your work!
I would really like to see you play this on the channel. And I hope you will do further discussion of it.
Im a little more than half way through and I see both influences from FATE and Savage Worlds which is cool
So looking forward to the Masters of the Universe rpg from Cortex!
Thanks for this video. I feel the system is road blocked by its flexibility. If they pulled back a bit on the scope and made it more user friendly, it would be fantastic.
Ye gods and little fishes! That was the best How to Play video I have ever seen. And now I'm buying a copy of Cortex Prime. Nicely done!
I really love your video, very clear, well illustrated, perfect. Thank you so much!!
Glad it was helpful! This was a tough system to tackle, but I'm glad folks are finding it useful.
Yay! I was looking forward to this video! Can't watch it now but I'll be back later with a better comment! XD
This was great. I still may have had to watch it three times, but I get it now xD
This is really cool.
I love Fate. It's one of my favourite games but I do sometimes want a bit more crunch, so when I heard about Cortex Prime (ok, I've heard about it many times but never knew what it was about or that it could be picked up as a generic system) I thought I should check it out. Looks like I will be making a purchase soon but I will probably have to watch this a second time to be sure.
Yeah, Cortex takes some effort to get into, but if you like system crafting, it is well worth it!
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I haven't picked this up yet, but I have been watching a few videos. The more I learn about Cortex Prime, the more it sounds like a great match for what I like in an RPG. Sadly, I was reading an article today that suggests the game is all but dead, apparently owing to some issues with licensing that drove players away. I'll probably still pick it up, but that was disappointing to hear.
Love love LOVE the concept of modular mechanics being such a core concept to the system. But you weren't kidding about the basic rolls being a hurdle. Your voice turned into what adults in Peanuts sound like in my brain halfway through. I feel they kinda shot themselves on the foot with that one, I don't even feel it has much "flavor" to it, it doesn't seem to bring much to the stories it wants to tell.
I feel Cortex should put the modular mechanics at the forefront of their marketing, though, it really is super interesting. But for the rolls, I would definitely go for like... literally ANY other system.
It's weird to get used to, but can be satisfying and even engaging with adding consequences and stuff. However, you're right. I've played with this system a lot and it can still be a bit of an unwelcome pause in the action. Also, frankly, just hard to teach new players. Thankfully some of those mods actually simplify the dice rolling, and I would recommend them for a lot of games
Cortex Prime has been my go-to as my narrative-style generic game. For some reason, I found the rulebook way easier to understand than Fate Core. Maybe because I have experience running/playing savage worlds and reading GURPS 4e. Fantastic guide!
D20 is a fairly complicated system as well. It's just after 10+ years you get used to things and hopping from DND 3.5 to pathfinder to DND 5e becomes less about reading rules and more about reading settings and abilities
An exceptionally well made video, thank you for all that hard work!
Thank you very much! I love this system, and I'm happy if I can help anyone else get into it.
You got me hooked! Now need to explore the Cortex system 😁
Excellent video!!! Helped me clear up Cortex rules - but sedimented the impression that this system is not suited to my RPG tastes. Certainly an interesting take on narrativist mechanics and probably powerful enough to tackle any genre (like FATE!), but I think I'll probably stick to Savage Worlds + robust Setting Rules :D
Grateful for the work.
thank you for this i hope you're still doing games on start playing ill gladly sign up for one.
You are welcome! Sadly, I am not. My schedule has become so overwhelmingly busy that it just wasn't sustainable for me. However, I do see Cortex games popping up on there from time to time and highly recommend checking them out.
You reallly are a good teacher. Love your stuff... This system might work for me... Is it easy to use in foundry?
It isn't too bad in Foundry, actually! The systems is only available on there as a user made mod, and takes a little figuring out, but I played a fantasy rpg with it on Foundry to great success.
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide nice, I will try it out, but I think I will need to watch this video a couple of times and find some actual play to learn the system.
@@NiklasFreidwall This one more of a beast than the others I've covered, to be sure. I plan on putting up a shorter actual play of it as soon as possible
my brain was bamboozled by the 10 min mark.... but strangely would still be interested in playing this
It's such a weird system to explain and get the hang of just from a video, so I don't blame you. It is so modular you could play two different games with it and they could feel completely different. But once you get the hang of it, it's really great
There’s a Cortex Prime Convention at the start of November (sign up via Warhorn). So I might try and make a session
Thank you.
un-ironically I’m watching this in hopes of finding the right system I want to use to create a MegaMan Battle Network one-shot 😂
Oh my word, I hope to heck you succeed because that is awesome and probably all I'm going to be thinking about for the rest of the day!
This game requires such a big brain that I'm actually concerned about my mental capabillities 0.0
I'll say that a lot of this video is covering making a "system" in it and running it.
Actually playing it ends up becoming really fluid and understandable pretty fast
I agree! The basics are fairly simple because there aren’t a lot and it frees you to play the types of games you always wanted without fussing with the rules and no fear of breaking the game.
I am going to need to watch this a few more times before I get it. 😅 But I *think* that I like it?
That really is how Cortex goes. I think my Actual Play of it on this channel helps give the feel of it a little better, but yeah...it is just kind of a tricky system to get into. However, I feel like if you can break through that barrier to entry, it is really worth it for most people.
Never realised how much Fate there was in Cortex!
I believe the time invested to understand Cortex Prime will unlock fun and memorable gaming moments across multiple genres. It seems to be the next GURPS but with less tables and metrics. I'm a rules light GM but this has enough "Crunch" to satisfy my players who want it.
Still watching the video as we just started our first FATE game 2 days ago. In the modern era we have current campaigns in 5e, Cypher System and Unlimited Dungeons. After 2 years, is this still your favorite system? Do you get to play it much?
My favorite system feels like it changes every couple of months depending on what I'm playing, if I'm being honest lol
I do love Cortex and often find myself creating character sheets for it, and would still count it among my favorites for sure. It allows for so much customization, and certain mechanics have a feel that other genre-agnostic systems just don't.
However, I think Cortex games probably account for maybe 5% of the games I play. Partially because I do really appreciate TTRPGs with a really specific genre/setting/focus, that have mechanics specifically built for them. Cortex does this better than most genreless ttrpgs, to be fair, but yeah. And partially because, even with this video, it is still hard to get new players to be able to wrap their heads around how to play Cortex games. I do a LOT of one-shots, and teaching someone Cortex just for a single game doesn't feel worth it. I would love to actually run a short campaign with Cortex, but getting folks to commit to that is like getting me to commit to a video release schedule...
Sorry, super long answer for what is basically "Yeah, I still absolutely love it, but I don't play it as much as you would think."
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide Thanks for the answer. That’s exactly what I sought and, sadly for you and Cortex, expected. My family loves all the different dice and having a system that uses them smartly sounds like fun. I feel like I could approach it with a FATE feel, a Stars/Worlds Without Number skill framework and world building/sandbox tools and Cortex resolution and have a lot of fun. I’ll be looking at it more, that’s for sure. Happy New Year to you!
Extra love for 30:27. _chef's kiss_
Good video...
Do Savage Rifts next 😁👍
"He is d10 tied"
So he is D10ined (detained)...
Yeah I’m gunna need to watch this video 8 times before I get it
Hey. Well done! I watched the rule-explanations to the three coresystems you covered on your channel I like thjem all (didnt expect that) and I got a theoretical ranking now. THX !!!
Which one did you like most in theory and more important: Which one worked most fluently?
I have to admit I ddnt understand Cortex Prime 100%, but for the most part I hope.. I will give cypher the first dance I guess. Monte Cooks work "Ptolus" impressed me so much I conciderd even giving D&D a chance, although I realy hate a lot of its mechanics.... and some things about the world, too. But a great adventure with great people is simoply great, no matter where and how)
Been running a Cypher System campaign in Ptolus and we’re loving it.
I Always knew that Tony Danza had dark magic! Knew it!
Is there somewhere we could get a copy of your D&D Cortex character sheet? I’m actually considering changing my ongoing D&D game over into Cortex and would like to compare how others already have.
Sooo...I only have them as some premade images of stylized character sheets that I used when I ran a little demo game for folks, but hopefully they give you an idea of how I personally tried to tackle it.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-bD3nvASZZ75CLsp7Ph5YSZ0vyyYF7Vk?usp=sharing
Honestly, I'm not sure my attempt at directly moving over as many direct aspects of D&D as I could makes for the best translation of D&D to Cortex Prime. It mostly served as a decent teaching tool by taking familiar traits and then being able to show how they work in a completely different system. It works, but I think with some alterations it could work a lot better.
Oh, and if you use the vtt Role, I have a fillable version of the sheet on there, apparently (just decided to check).
app.playrole.com/sheet-templates/6e3a82ac-dungeons-and-cortexes/save
In comparison, here is a high-fantasy setting (more Victorian/Eldritch horror) that I made with Cortex on Role, that is simplified in a lot of ways, and yet makes a more complex "damage" system with stresses applying to Attributes instead of generic "Injury" track.
app.playrole.com/sheet-templates/621da3e2-the-other/save
app.playrole.com/sheet-templates/73810e14-the-other-guide/save
Sorry for the wall of text!
So, SO refreshing to click on a how-to-play expecting another unscripted video of a man talking into a camera, only to find something actually scripted and edited with care. Love it.
If I weren't sleep-deprived I'd likely follow at least more than half of this.... But now I've got several worsening complications... :P
The higher dimensional being playing you rolled a hitch.
U R An ANGEL!!!!
Dude, I know this video took forever to make. Thanks for doing it. I'm illiterate.
'ShirtlessER Tony' made me laugh so hard!!! X'D
I didn't not need that video cause in fact I understood the game very easily on my first read. But it still is a very good video for those who struggle. And It's also fun, well made and well explained.
I'd like to ask a question if I may...
I just got the rulebook and one of the examples in it is confusing. My understanding is that a Test is taking an action without active opposition, so the GM rolls to determine the difficulty. A Contest IS opposed, so you roll against another character. But the rulebook has a section (page 20) on Automatic Outcomes, which reads "When a test or contest isn’t opposed and you need an
effect die, use the largest die in the opposition pool (for a test) or the initiating dice pool (for a contest). "
That is clear, but then the example right below reads "Adam declares that his Hero reaches for a priceless artifact and asks, “Who’s going to stop me?” Mary Rose and the other players elect not to oppose him, so his Hero takes the artifact. If for some reason Adam needed to know how well his character took hold of the artifact, he would look at the dice pool he just assembled for the contest and choose the largest die in the pool for the effect die."
If no one is opposing him, shouldn't this be considered a Test, not a Contest? I'm assuming that since the GM is choosing not to oppose him, they are just letting him succeed without rolling for a difficulty. In that case, I understand him taking the die from his own pool as if it were a Contest, but why call it a Contest? Or am I misunderstanding something?
Also (another question) if you initiate a Contest , the opponent rolls higher, and you give in, you get a PP. But do you also get a Complication, or only if you try again and fail again?
Thanks for this great video. I played some Cortex (MHRPG and Firefly) before I transitioned to Fate. Honestly, I like the Fate dice better because of the normal law. But I really love dice pools, so I want to like Cortex, but the crunch and jargon have always put me off a bit. So, what could I do with Cortex that I couldn't do with Fate?
Since you played MHRPG, you can already see where I am going with this.
MHRPG (and cortex, by the extend) gives you just the right mix of resources/bragaddocio/super powers and an actual involved combat that is complex enough to be tactical and interesting but simple enough to be mastered by players once they get the hump of complications/advantages.
@@AKImeru Absolutely true. But I think I brought a lot from GM-ing MHRPG and Firefly to Fate. Chief among them "tactical theater-of-the-mind combat" LOL
For reference, I GM-ed a 2-PC MHRPG mini-campaign with The Punisher and Moon Knight (long before the TV shows), so there were little powers, and a lot of tactics.
Well I'm still confused lol but thanks will watch again and Reed until I understand lol thanks for the video though
I get that! This video is a LOT lol.
I would recommend watching that actual play I mentioned (or another that strikes your fancy). Seeing some of this information in action is what helped make it click for me.
Also, I am personally working on an actual play one-shot for Cortex Prime that I will be posting here, planned to have edits to help explain the system
Edge case question: Say you roll 3 dice, and you come up with 2 1's. I get that the effect die would be stuck being a d4, but what do you do for the total? Do you just use the total using the 1, just take the single good die by itself, or something else entirely?
Just the single die
You don't use dice that came up as 1 at all
Dude, even the condensed version of the rules seem like to much for me to be able to enjoy. If anything, this video showed me that I probably want to avoid playing Cortex at all. I love your video, because it was informative, but it also helped me decide that the game isn't for me
The video (and book) are a LOT, no lie.
I will say, with the mods, it allows you to create really simple games that are easy to learn within it, but you have to learn all the mechanics in order to be able to make those systems with it. *THAT* is a lot, and I don't blame anyone for not wanting to invest that kind of effort in it!
Cypher is an amazing system if you want something you can super customize to a specific campaign/setting you have in mind. It really caters to GMs who like to tinker with mechanics and stuff. But even after studying this system thoroughly to make this video, I still struggle to remember all of the mods and it takes a lot of work to put something together. Can't blame anyone for not wanting to deal with that. Heck, I've opted to use other systems in place of this one a few times for that very reason!
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide
My question is, how difficult is Cypher to use for solo play. Right now I am exploring Savage Worlds, and Fate, because the are fairly easy to solo.
I don't have the opportunity to get together with my group as much as I would like. So, I have gotten more into solo gaming
@@mr7oclock346 Oh shoot, don't know how I missed this reply!
Honestly, I haven't thought of trying it for solo play. It doesn't really have much for built in tools to facilitate such a thing, sadly, but with the ability to set simple difficulties and what...I imagine it would work ok.
The game I've been getting waaay into over the last week is Ironsworn, which DOES have really robust options for Solo, Co-op, and GM play! It's gritty fantasy with a definitely heavy helping of PbtA, but more crunch. And it doesn't have to be gritty fantasy (they even have a sci-fi setting called Starforged). It has so many tools to help you determine the narrative and all that. Cannot recommend it highly enough (and I WILL be doing a video on it as soon as I can)
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide
I like Ironsworn allot too, but what is attracting me to other systems, like Cortex, is the thought of having an open genre system. You weren't kidding when you said Cortex is complex, and takes time to understand. I bought the pdf, and watched this video again...and watched the video again. Now I am going to read on the book some more.
After watching this video three times, I finally caught the part where you recommend people playing a simplified version of this game on their first go around. So, I am planning a simplified setting now.
The mob situation is incorrect: A complication must instead exceed a mob trait die to take it out; that's what makes Cortex Prime so frustrating: sometimes you compare effect dice, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you need to exceed a the value of a trait die, sometiumes you need to match it, etc. Prime has a good mechanic, that's made needlessly complex by the designer...
What traits and mods do y’all think would work best for an endless space game? Also curious about what would best fit for a Street Fighter setting or a Devil may cry game
Well, the mods don't really matter for the genre per se, it matters more for the elements of focus. If you are thinking more Mass Effect then a Roles trait set may fit great but an Expanse game may be better with Values, for instance. Honestly, I wouldn't focus too hard on fitting to a genre as that can come in from the narrative. Focus on more what elements you want to bring to light. Character motivations, abilities, relations, gear, or a mix?
How do you reset a die such as when it's reduced to a D4 for a Plot Point? Anyone with an answer feel free to let me know, I can't find anything about it. Thanks.
I know this is a month late, but not 100% sure what you mean by reset a die? I *think* you are asking when does the complication go away? So for a complication that is reduced to a d4 you add it to your pool instead of going in the opponents dice pool, as d6+ complications normally do. Then, once that roll is over, the complication, and thus the d4, goes away, unless you roll a hitch, then the complication steps back up to a d6. Honestly, the whole d4 complication thing is what stumps so many because it has so many weird nuances. I think this is why Tales of Xadia, an officially licensed Cortrx Prime game for The Dragon Prince netflix series, got rid of the d4 complication/stress entirely, and so if a d6 complication/stress gets stepped down, it simply goes away, no d4, no PPs, no dice going into your own pool etc.
While I appreciate the 2077 meme, Cyberpunk Red needed a single read, cover to cover, to get ready to run and guide players through.
This seems like a team of people had a bet about who could create the most complex TTRPG system with the maximum amount of dice. I had to check the upload date to check I wasn't being punked.
Tried to like this system but this video made it apparent that I won't.
Totally fair! It definitely has a really specific kind of appeal that won't be for everyone. Hell, it isn't even for me half the time lol
Could this be used too make a Game of Thrones like game?
I think it absolutely could!
Choosing 2 dice to add up and then a die for Effect seems like a non-choice to me. Statistically, you're almost always better using the 2 highest numbers for your total and then whatever higher dice type remaining.
You would be surprised how often I've seen folks take smaller Totals in order to have an effect die to take out one of a Boss's hit die or something like that. Typically yeah, higher totals are the way to go, but in practice risking a lower total for a bigger effect happens often enough.
This really depends on whether or not you roll first. If the GM or enemy has already rolled and rolled a poor total, then you may just want to go with highest effect instead of highest total. If you are rolling first, it is generally a safer bet to choose a better total instead.
Missing D100 as well, still too complex ;)
Please do a gurps video and an opend6 video
Oooo, I've had a lot of requests for Gurps, but you might be the first to remind me of OpenD6! I never actually got to play OpenD6, but I had a friend back like...15ish years ago who was super jazzed about it and showed it to our group (I wanna say it was D6 Space?? Is that something?). Sadly we just never got around to trying it and I had mostly forgotten it. On to the list is goes!
@The Dungeon Newb's Guide probably that was the starwars game , the system came out first as a start wars game , after that the open d6 system was out , the intresting part is the company closed but they set their game system as open source so now anyone can use it
🤯
we're not going to talk about how that guy grabbed the other dude's nipples at 2:59?
GURPS is so old and dead that it doesn't even get mentioned lol.
Honestly, it gets mentioned enough in my comments that I maaaay just have to show it a little love eventually
@@TheDungeonNewbsGuide I always find opinions on it interesting positive or negative. As the progenitor of the universal TTRPG concept It's at least interesting from a historical perspective.
It also has the lowest rules floor I've ever seen having only 1 truly necessary rule (less than 3d6 to succeed).