Welcome back to the weekly Tabletop Games thread! This thread is where we can talk about all kinds of RPGs, card games, board games, etc. Whether you gather around a physical table in the real world, or use a virtual space to play with friends who may live far away from you, this is where you can discuss your favorites, ask for and/or receive recommendations, recap your recent adventures, or even find some people to play games with!

Discussion Prompt: Handsome Young Dugong returns to bring us another TTRPG overview!

Hey everybody, this week I’ve got a game that brings a Herculoids level of extraplanar weirdness to the table: Grok?! Full disclosure, this game wasn’t on my list of review topics, but I was so impressed by the layout and so sympathetic to the co-opting of the game’s title for a bad A.I., I decided to give it some love (although an incompetent, racist artificial intelligence would fit right in as a villain in Grok?!).

What is it?

Grok?! is a science-fantasy game that cherry-picks elements from a number of systems, like FATE, PbtA, Troika, and some others. It’s got a magical/technological/post-apocalyptic setting where pretty much anything will stick to the wall, and the random tables in the manual play into that.

What are the mechanics?

Characters in Grok?! have three core stats that decide which die is used in action resolution, but equally important are their Aspects, which determine what the character is capable of and what advantages they may have in gameplay. Action resolution is done by rolling a die and comparing the number to a failure/success/critical success chart; larger dice have a better chance of rolling a success. Interestingly enough, characters do not have traditional hit points,1Although an optional rule for HP is included but rather gain Conditions that affect their stats and can even change their positive Aspects.

What does the gameplay look like?

Clank (a patient but much-maligned automaton) and his ward Mogar the Magnificent (the translucent halfling rogue with a chip on his shoulder) cautiously enter the looming dread of the fallout shelter. Almost immediately, they are met by a cheerily-lit room, where an amorphous swarm bearing the characteristic badge of a paranormal investigator is in a rapidly-escalating debate with a gaunt cyborg ogre. Clank squeakily wheels forward, hoping to defuse the situation, but is interrupted by the loud battle cry of Mogar, leaping into combat. Mogar gets one advantage for surprise, but takes two disadvantages for the size and number of his foes. Rolling 2d10 and taking the lower, Mogar still gets a 7, a success, knocking the ogre aside with his gravity hammer and giving it the condition “Dazed and (terribly) confused.” Clank sighs inwardly and joins the fray.

Niche

The game services nicely as a quick-to-start game for conventions or on the fly play, or as a palette cleanser in between campaigns focused on more in-depth roleplay.

Pluses

• The setting is pleasantly weird and reminiscent of Adventure Time or a less-serious Dying Earth.
• The mechanics do a good job of facilitating the story without drawing attention away from it.

Minuses

• The undefined nature of the provided Aspects may cause some arguments at the table.
• There is probably a direct parallel between how much you like this game and how much you like the word game Mad Libs.

Dugong’s advice

Go straight for the random tables when creating a character, and lean into whatever weirdness you end up with. A deranged, semi-translucent halfling rogue riding a giant bird is a gift you don’t want to turn down.

Where can I find it?

The pdf is available on DriveThruRPG or itch.io for a dollar; the print version is available from DriveThruRPG.

Thanks again to Handsome Young Dugong for the write-up! If you would like to suggest a prompt or contribute a write-up or discussion topic of your own, let me know in the comments!