DM Scotty (Scotty McFarland) was not one of the YouTubers I started watching when I was getting back into the hobby in the later 2010s.  I became aware of him at some point, but for whatever reason, I never ended up watching his stuff.  But I heard a lot about this game.  For the most part, I just chalked it up to “not my thing,” but glad it’s out there for those who like it.  My friend Rob had picked it up and talked about maybe running it, before he passed a few years ago.  Obviously, that didn’t happen.  Anyway, as time has gone on and I’ve checked out some games like ShadowDark and Cairn, I kept hearing folks mention EZD6 and I had some credits thanks to people using my affiliate links, so I figured I should finally give it a try.  

What is it?  It’s a fast and loose system for running a tabletop RPG, with an emphasis put on keeping things moving and not getting bogged down with rules.  There is definitely a sense that it’s meant for impromptu sessions or games at conventions, but there’s also some advice for running longer home games.  I’ve heard folks complain about some rules light and/or fiction-first games not being good for long-term play, but I think it’s important to remember that adding hitpoints and feats are not the only ways characters can advance.  Sometimes, in some systems, the advancement is through the story, not the system.  That said, there are also some mechanical bits that allow for advancement/improvement of characters.  But it seems like it’s meant to be less focused on that sort of thing.  It’s more important that you fought a great beast, rescued the prince, received the great treasure, and blew it all at the track, than that you have a bonus on your roll.  

As the name implies, it uses six sided dice, and is meant to be easy.  I’ve encountered simpler systems, but this certainly lacks the crunch of something like D&D 5e.  In fact, there’s a “core rules” section in the Handy Bits chapter, that sums up the game’s mechanics in two pages.  Not bad.  There are a few things I find a bit wonky.  Some of that may be up to how the writing doesn’t quite mesh with how my brain functions.  It’s the sort of thing where a few rounds of the game should smooth out the concepts for me, but I don’t have that luxury right now.  

I want to specifically mention the art by Sean Bova, which I really like.  It’s a different style than a lot of what you find in Dungeon Crawl Classics, but seems to be coming from a similar place.  Macabre and amusing, it’s very evocative.  I also like that the book, including the cover and some interior art is done in black & white, with hints of a sort of lime green, giving it all a wonderfully spooky, but chaotic look.

When I was still fairly new to the hobby, and starting to meet folks from the local community, I heard a lot about so-called “Beer & Pretzel” games.  The board game Nuclear War comes to mind, as well as the West End version of the Ghostbusters RPG.  This feels very much in that school.  Sit down with some friends and have a rip-roaring time while maybe enjoying some snacks and adult beverages, if you’re so inclined.  It might not be a joke, but you don’t need to take it too seriously, either. 

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