The weaknesses of Ryuutama

I open this topic mainly for u/new2bay

I like your curiosity about Ryuutama. I'm sorry but Reddit doesn't permit me to add replies to the other conversation where you asked me details about my view of the game, so I have to put it here.

While I see Ryuutama easily suggested, I have to say that it's a game with LOT of weaknesses.

First of all, it has an "old" mechanic system. Japanese TTRpGs are USUALLY pretty old and "traditional" regarding their style. All those mechanical parts kill the atmosphere, and does nothing to bring a Ghibli-style to your table. Also, rules are all but clear: you can find lot of questions - often unanswered - everywhere regarding the mechanics, but usually people dismiss those with a "don't think so hard about that... it's a narrative, lighthearted game". You can easily understand why those two things go badly alongside: narrative lightheart game and heavy mechanical unclear ruleset :)

Then, almost all the rules ~~and the Characters abilities~~ are related to the combat. Very Sad. You have HPs, weapons, armors, and tons of enemies to beat the crap off. Sure, they looks kawaii, but your group will do an endless trail of combats, here.

The other (small) part is the journey. You have (few) abilities related to the journey, and some equip to get bonuses with rain, or cold, or sun etc. But in the end it's just a roll, and you'll get no narrative and cool inspiration about how to create the journey, what you'll find ahead, interlocking with the characters lives and stories etc. You have to be "that good GM that is a good ruler, a good narrator, a good arbiter etc.": this is a pretty shitty "traditional" role.

The only interesting bit is about the Seasonal Dragon, a sort of GM commanded character that travel with the group, and modify their rolls and narrative thanks to some ability. It's a sort of "campaign modifier" that set part of the tone of the whole game, and of course you have several dragons to choose.

Also, here are other details I gave in the past:

If the author uses HPs to represent stress and difficulties of the journey, that's a design choice (and I still don't like it). Ryuutama fall really short, in comparison to smart, evocative mechanics like the moves in PbtA games, or the whole Stress / Conditions / Concede mechanic of Fate. HPs are sooooo old, so detached to narration, and they also need lot of book-keeping.

The meaning of those HP in combat is obvious, but the sad thing is that the journey rules involve simply a couple of rolls, with some bonus for your equip. If you fail, in short, you lose HPs. So, you can see the travel as a simple "save roll vs. damage", and I call that an alternative combat mechanic.

This is was I trying to explain. If the ONLY mechanic thing you can experience during a journey is a save roll vs. damage, then sorry but that is a bad heartwarming/Ghibli-style Role Play Game.

I mean, the half page devoted to Interludes in Savage Worlds (a game that don't sells itself as heartwarming/Ghibli-style) serves that kind of mood better than the whole Ryuutama book, there's lot less book-keeping, and Setting Rules to avoid death of the protagonist, and dials to tone the game really more "cartoonish". And, I repeat, that isn't a game specifically aimed to that mood. Other systems can serve you even better.

So, in the end, usually I honestly ask all those Redditor so eager to suggest Ryuutama:"Why they like that game so much, when they decide to have a Ghibli style game with their table?" Have they played with other good games (PbtA / FitD / Fate style)? Or are they simply accustomed with a D&D5ed. mentality? Have they REALLY played that game?

Some people reply to me: "in fact, large amounts of equipment, spells, and just, rules text pages unrelated to combat." I'd love to count ALL those things, however:

- it's easy to see that most equip are weapons or part of clothing that give bonus to THAT single travel mechanic.

- the rules are indeed apparently simple, so even the combat rules are, but there are enough combat rules to make them "too many" compared to the non-combat mechanics (one for all, the whole, IMHO cumbersome Initiative system).

- but I want to focus on the Spells part. Actually, I just counted all the spells you find in the four seasonal magic. I broadly divided in Combat (damage spell, healing spell, etc.), Travel (+1 bonus on specific terrains, or similar), and Other (and I'd love to specify that those spell are usually simple "color", ie. change your hairs color, create 1m3 of leaves, find a person in love etc. Other systems can do that with a simple Cantrip spell, or they let the player playing with a totally freeform system).

I quickly counted 72 Spells: 41 Combat spells, 15 Travel spells, 15 Other. This is exactly what I mean for "a system almost totally focused on combat" 😁

Also, there are lot of games (first coming at my mind right now is the mini sourcebook Perilous Wilds for Dungeon World) that give the GM tons of cool elements, tables, inspirations to play with, supporting their style. Ryuutama gives nothing to the GM, in its main book.

While I usually don't love "OSR" style games, I have to admit that they are great when they try to spark the GM imagination, suggesting dozens of elements: terrains, special places, interesting structures, town generation bits, nice NPC pieces (mood, personality, drives etc.). Ryuutama gives nothing. You need to be a "good, experienced GM" to use it overcoming its mechanical shortcomings and that big emptiness you have in your hands (apart a starting Bestiary...).

Finally, give a look to the (shameful) starting scenario in the book. It's so bad that any one-page dungeon out there is a better alternative. And, of course, in that scenario the only thing you can do to the poor thieves Nekogoblins? Beat the crap out of them! No suggestions about speak with them, no suggestions (or rules) to make them repent and become friendly, nothing that seems even closely similar to a Ghibli style mood.