While I’ve taken a look at other GKG games by Alan Bahr and crew, I’ve neglected the “mains” of the Tiny d6 system: Tiny Frontiers Revised, Tiny Dungeons 2E (and Hatchling Edition), and Tiny Wastelands. These are the generic sci-fi, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic settings. Layout-wise, all Tiny D6 books are pretty much the same, and much of the verbiage is the same as well, only being changed for subject matter.
But, for those who haven’t seen the other reviews I’ve done, I’ll do a general rundown of layout and rules, and it will encompass all 3 settings. So the book starts off with some basic rules. The main mechanic of the system is the Test. To do the thing, you must make a test. A standard roll is roll 2d6. A 5 or 6 on either die is a success, anything else is a failure. The only exception is when you focus. Success then comes on a 4, 5, or 6. If you have advantage, roll 3d6; disadvantage, 1d6. Disadvantage trumps advantage 99% of the time, with each game having their exception to the rule, be it magic, tech, or something else.
Character creation comes next. Select a heritage, 3 traits, weapon group to be proficient in, family trade, and belief. Depending on Heritage, you start with 4 to 8 HP. Most weapons in combat deal 1 point damage, with certain ones doing 2.
The GM section comes next, adding a little more crunch to the game. Tiny D6 is designed to be a minimalist system, so there isn’t an overabundance of strict rules, spell lists, and the like.
Lastly, each game comes with a series of microsettings. They are designed to give you a jumping off point for your campaign, or to include in your own. The systems are also designed to be generic enough to be adapted to the likes of Star Trek, Star Wars, Middle Earth, The Four Lands, etc. They can also be crossed over, so you could run a post-apocalyptic fantasy, a mish-mash sci-fi/fantasy, or any combination of the bunch. In Tiny Cthulhu, for example, one of the microsettings is a Cthulhu/Tiny Dungeons mashup.
Overall, the system is designed for all levels of gaming experience, and combat is fast and easy, as there aren’t a lot of rules weighing the game down.
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I was looking at Mecha and Monsters: Evolved because I was thinking about Battletech. I thought they didn’t have a Battletech like setting in the microsettings. More I thought about Muses of Fire: Mechbeth and Other Tales, the more I realized it is a bunch of feuding houses just like Battletech.
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What I like about the Tiny D6 system is how adaptable it can be. You could pop Battletech, or your version of it, into Mechas and Monsters Evolved. I did M&M Evolved during its Kickstarter if you didn’t see my review a while back.