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One weakness of Quest that I've alluded to, and that a GM who'd only played 5e wrote about in a thread, is that the rulebook is largely player-facing.
There's some decent GM *advice* in there, and a "Mad Libs" method to set the scene, but not much to support the GM during play.
There's some decent GM *advice* in there, and a "Mad Libs" method to set the scene, but not much to support the GM during play.
Unlike the game it seeks to topple, it doesn't have a decades of lore to give the GM.
That lore may be hard-to-parse and create the sense that all the blanks are already filled-in, but it *is* there as a resource for GMs.
That lore may be hard-to-parse and create the sense that all the blanks are already filled-in, but it *is* there as a resource for GMs.
Unlike some indie games -- Troika!, Wanderhome, Maze Rats, or even Dungeon World -- its anti-canon worldbuilding tables are limited.
There are prewritten prompt lists for filling out the World Profile sheet, but no prompts for creating locations, NPCs, creatures.
There are prewritten prompt lists for filling out the World Profile sheet, but no prompts for creating locations, NPCs, creatures.
Creatures may not *literally* be meant to be used just once, but their format supports one-time use.
if you want to spend word count on one evocative scene for the players to riff on, that's cool, but it comes with the trade-off of not having spent those words on *reusability*
if you want to spend word count on one evocative scene for the players to riff on, that's cool, but it comes with the trade-off of not having spent those words on *reusability*
Some PC abilities give narrative authority to the player, e.g. the Spy's Cosmopolitan ability, or the Ranger's Speak Myth.
This offloads *some* of the creative effort onto players, but other abilities require the GM to make stuff up on the spot.
This offloads *some* of the creative effort onto players, but other abilities require the GM to make stuff up on the spot.
i.e. this is *better* than 5e
but without those decades of lore, or deep random tables to draw upon, I can definitely see how a GM who's jumped ship from 5e to Quest would feel more overloaded, not less.
but without those decades of lore, or deep random tables to draw upon, I can definitely see how a GM who's jumped ship from 5e to Quest would feel more overloaded, not less.
Anyway, the purpose of this thread isn't to say "Quest is a bad game" -- I like the rules-light framework and most of the PC abilities -- but to be a jumping point for people to recommend GM aids that help them at the table.
I've mentioned Maze Rats as *the* game I always have at the table when running *any fantasy game* because its random tables are so useful. https://questingbeast.itch.io/maze-rats
And yesterday, I mentioned Wanderhome's free playkit as a good source of prompts for NPCs and locations. https://jdragsky.itch.io/wanderhome
And 20 Dungeon Starters, while it needs some translation between its 2d6 moves and the d20 of Quest, would also run beautifully, I think. My favourite is The Sky Chain. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/194173/20-Dungeon-Starters
Also if you end up liking any of the above *as play-aids for other games*, consider running them *as their own game*.
You'll be introduced to new styles of play, which you may end up preferring to Quest's still very traditional playstyle, even if it's rules-light.
You'll be introduced to new styles of play, which you may end up preferring to Quest's still very traditional playstyle, even if it's rules-light.
Or you might still prefer Quest (or I dunno, Pathfinder 2e or Fantasy AGE) after playing Maze Rats or Wanderhome.
That's cool too :-)
That's cool too :-)
(this thread *really is* just about connecting people with resources to help them run the games they want. I don't have some ulterior motive to convert you to OSR games or to BoB)
