RPGaDay 2024 Day 3 - Most often played RPG

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Another RPGaDay, another qualified answer.

In terms of number of hours or sessions played over the last year, the answer is solidly 5e D&D. I am in three games that use the system: My home game, where we alternate who the GM is, every year or so. Right now, it's the other GMs turn, and he converted his world from 3.x to 5e for this campaign. Frankly, he's done a really good job with it, since there are several mechanical changes that affect world building between editions.

5e is a system that I've come to appreciate. At first, it felt very flat, but as the higher levels roll around, and new variations of the classes come out, I've seen an astounding number of characters in the campaigns I'm in. I also like the way that backgrounds and other selections can affect the character build. This is a trend in modern games, but it's nice to see it come to 5e.

I also play in my Toastmasters club annual campaign, themed on the signs of the Chinese years. The three years we played were Manticore (Tiger), Harengon(Rabbit) and now Dragon. This campaign is interesting because it pushes a bit at the limits of the game...last year, we were all anthropomorphic races, which made an incredibly fun dynamic, as we worked to save the Harengon village from the evil necromancer. This is also fun in that we tend to have 6 GMs for the 8 or so sessions in a year, so you get to see the game played in different styles, all as part of one campaign.

Finally, I'm playing in a "short" Strahd campaign. My first Ravenloft-style game since I ran games for RPGA at GenCon in Milwaukee. Designed to run in a half dozen or so hours, the scope, pacing and ability to get people together has kept it going for several months.

Most often run in the last year

The game I've run the most in the last year is unquestionably Cypher System, and specifically Old Gods of Appalachia. This 1930's horror game set in Appalachian mountains has incredible appeal and new players find it engaging and approachable. I've run the intro module, "Best Leave Them Ghosts Alone" eight times in the last year, and no two sessions have been the same, because of players flexibility to take almost any approach to a problem that they can conceive.

Most often played of all time

This would be 3.x D&D. My home game began in 2001 with the release of 3.0. In the 23 or so years since that first adventure, I've probably run 15+ years of 3.5, and played another 5 years of it, with the remaining time being 5e, as mentioned above.

One would think that after 20 years of playing a game system, I'd intuitively know how to grapple. Not yet, but hope springs eternal.

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