Pocket RPG Recommendations

The1True

My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
Kind of a weird question bros: I've got a buddy I used to game with. He was a big D&D fan; knew all the rules, liked to tinker with the system, put his players through deadly simulationist scenarios etc. When I had a particularly brutal breakup back in the day, he was there, dragging me down to Hamilton to run a game for his players, get drunk and generally pull myself out of the tailspin. D&D Therapy.
Aww it's a beautiful story. Wait, there's more.
Now it's this guy's turn to get hamstrung by an ex. I and all of his friends have tried to be there for him, but he's just Leaving Las Vegas-levels of checking out. Left his PHD program, lost his job, in and out of rehab, hopping from couch to couch. Last I heard, he's finally fallen through the last threads of Canada's fairly comprehensive social net and he's on the street.
Sad fucking story, right? Dude really let this woman get to him, and let's be frank really REALLY let the bottle get to him. All he's got is the clothes on his back and his phone. His friends are doing what they can to get him cleaned up and back in the system again but we're all pretty exhausted (it's been a 7 year downward spiral).
So here's the thing. I think back to every precipice I've been on; D&D was always there. Sitting at a table with outsiders, taking a trip somewhere where we had some control over an arbitrary universe. That shit is key. This guy has an obsessive mind and what's more obsessive than this game? I want to send him one of the pocket versions to carry around and run scenarios for the guys at the shelter or the halfway house or, fuck, even the flophouse I guess. It seems to me like thinking about foofy elves has got to be a million times better than dwelling on the children who are growing up without him or the woman who wrecked him or where he's getting his next drink from. Go ahead, tell me I'm naïve...
Anyway, if anyone knows of a small, super-portable, minimal dice/peripheral retro-clone, I'd like to give it a try. This guy needs a lifeline.
 

TerribleSorcery

Should be playing D&D instead
dragging me down to Hamilton to run a game...
Canada's fairly comprehensive social net...
Bro, you live near Hamilton, ON?? I grew up there. Nice to see other Canadians.

I feel for your buddy. This is not a good year to be in that position. I hope he can pull through.
As for small RPGs, there are Maze Rats and Knave off the top of my head: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197158/Maze-Rats?term=maze+rats - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/250888/Knave - they are from the Questing Beast guy. Well-reviewed and really small, but you'd have to get the PDFs and print them out I suppose. The Black Hack also seems to be really small. If you look into those, there are some others on DTRPG in the 'customers also bought' category that look perhaps promising.
 

DangerousPuhson

Should be playing D&D instead
I miss FandomII
Genuine question: what did you like about that place? It always seems so cramped and dingy, the selection was not especially better than anywhere else, and the staff was virtually non-existent. Maybe because I didn't play there, I didn't get the "full experience"? I mostly went to Wizard's Tower out in Barrhaven instead.
 

The1True

My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
Genuine question: what did you like about that place?
Yeah, it's definitely not the cleanest or best organized place. I guess that's the game store I grew up with. They were always kind of dismissive of me but I have to say, when my mom or siblings went to the store looking for Christmas/birthday presents for me, the fat man never once steered them wrong, so I guess they know where their bread is buttered...
 

The1True

My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
This forum is lousy with Canadians and Europeans. I'm beginning to suspect the Americans are in the minority.
 

Pseudoephedrine

Should be playing D&D instead
Pretty sure @Pseudoephedrine is also from Ontario. Makes me feel left out, here in the province that likes to think it speaks for the West.
I'm "Chrawna" born and bred. Other than during university, I've lived here all my life.

My recommendation would be Troika's "numinous" edition. It's a hardcover 5" x 9" book, so small but also durable. Troika only requires 2d6 to play, which is a lot easier to get ahold of than a full set of gaming dice.
 

Malrex

So ... slow work day? Every day?
I should move to Canada to fit in....but don't think they are letting people in yet...
 

Osrnoob

Should be playing D&D instead
Look at playing the game part of Knave. Its like pg 3 and 4 of the pdf? Idk you will see it. Thats your pocket mod and my home system.

Cant go wrong with writing whatever rules you want on an index card, thats dnd af

The whole rule set is on two pages (double sided thats your pocket mod) and if you search you can find people who reformatted it including spells to one page.

Look up Dark fkr thats arneson proto dnd and uber simple 2d6

He even has an amber diceless FKR hack if dice are not allowed in prison
 

The1True

My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
He's disappeared into rehab again...

You come on like a Ukrainian phishing bot Osr, but you're alright, you're all right.
While you're resurrecting dusty old threads though, try to avoid disturbing the phylactery of Ed'war the Lich King...
 

Osrnoob

Should be playing D&D instead
He's disappeared into rehab again...

You come on like a Ukrainian phishing bot Osr, but you're alright, you're all right.
While you're resurrecting dusty old threads though, try to avoid disturbing the phylactery of Ed'war the Lich King...
Thank you!

Also

Who dis lich
 

The1True

My my my, we just loooove to hear ourselves don't we?
Is this Kent?
fuck off :p

no man, I'm saying if you're going around digging up months-old threads in this place, do me a favour and don't resurrect any of the (many) EDition WARs please.
I was being crafty.
I failed.

maybe you're not that much of an OSR noob if you know who Kent is, eh...
 

Osrnoob

Should be playing D&D instead
fuck off :p

no man, I'm saying if you're going around digging up months-old threads in this place, do me a favour and don't resurrect any of the (many) EDition WARs please.
I was being crafty.
I failed.

maybe you're not that much of an OSR noob if you know who Kent is, eh...
I see his posts on old blog posts
I saw the thing on tenfootpole
He still posts on noisms blog I think
Gabors till recently
Been reading RPG Planet for about a year
DMing for about 6 months
5e fell apart because wotc sucks and we sucked and requested a real adventure - so stupid
story games happened
Recently found DND is cool but most stuff sucks
Lead me to ten foot pole
I am anti edition wars, if you see my previous posts
use what works and is fun and scrap the rest
 

Osrnoob

Should be playing D&D instead
Did not mean to call you Kent I mean the lich. I thought you were saying he was here
I gotcha now
 
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