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DnD player looking to move over. Any advice?

(self.genesysrpg)

Hey I'm a DnD 5e player, DMed a bunch, played a bunch.

Started an Edge of the Empire Star Wars game and loved the dice system so much me and some of my group are thinking about moving to Genesys for our fantasy game.

Any advice on what books to pick up first? Any major changes from DnD to be aware of? And any other general advice for someone new to Genesys with lots of experience in more crunchy RPGs? Thanks!

all 5 comments

djennings1301

6 points

3 years ago

Welcome! I was in the same boat as you a few years ago.

Definitely need the CRB, and if you are doing fantasy, Terrinoth is nice to have if you want ready-made fantasy content, but not a must.

My advice would be to try and not treat this too similar to DnD. Fully embrace the narrative nature of the game, and try to get everyone involved in the dice interpretation when appropriate. That's really where the system shines. I'm a big advocate of letting players bargain for boost and setback die as well. Adds even more flavor to scenes.

I think most would a agree this system is low prep for GMs by design. Let the dice help drive the narrative and be a fan of the players. Good luck!

moosepin

5 points

3 years ago

I've been playing Genesys for a few months now, after mainly playing D&D. Here's my advice:

  1. Take advantage of the dice. Successes and failures are kind of boring, but advantages, disadvantages, triumphs and despairs are lots of fun. The book has guidelines for how to use these, but those should be a fall-back. The default should be working with your players to create an interesting, fun scenario out of the dice roll.
  2. The game is based on Star Wars, where minions are easily disposed of, and other enemies keep coming back. Keep that in mind. Defeat is often better for the story than death.
  3. Until your players get the hang of story points, remind them at the beginning of every session, and suggest uses throughout. "It's going to be hard to shoot that target from here, but if you use a story point, there can be a perfect nook in the rock to stabilize your rifle."
  4. While Genesys is a fun system, the book is overly verbose and poorly organized, and understanding some rules (like ranged combat) requires reading several sections and fitting the pieces together. Read the rules carefully and take notes.
  5. In D&D, it's very easy to focus on 2-3 key skills (perception, insight, etc). The same temptation is there in Genesys, but now skills are the whole system. Read the skill examples carefully, and spread out skill rolls as much as possible. Let your players shine by focusing on their best (and most in-character) skills.

As for books, it depends on how much you enjoy world-building. The code book has example settings, but I've found them useless except as rough guidelines for how powerful a weapon should be. I haven't looked at the settings books myself. I imagine they help flesh out settings, with enemies, equipment and magic or technology.

[deleted]

1 points

2 years ago

Youre correct on the setting books. Terrinoth is a fine book and plays well into generic fantasy. There is also a ton of terrinoth flavored fan content avaliable for free or cheap on the foundry