Hi all,

I am pretty new to using rpg toolkits. Normally, I use complete games.

My question is how much system do I need to start a campaign?

I've started a lot of campaigns in my time, and I know how much setting stuff I need before I feel comfortable to run a game. However as this is my first time using a rpg toolkit I have no idea how much of the system I need defined before I start a campaign. Like do I just roll with my genre skill list, talents, and gear then we're good to go (in addition to normal setting stuff)? Or should I work out all the different alternate rules and so on that I plan on including into my campaign?

Example: I am considering running a pirate setting. I have a skill list, magic, and some personal level gear. What else do I need? Vehicle rules? Vehicle stats? Social Encounters? Stat out some enemies? Which talents should I use, or just make a generic list of talents? Plus all my normal setting stuff?

I think the great thing about Genesys is it really up to you how complicated you want to make your campaign.

Will the players be stearing sailing ships and firing cannons? Will they be engaged in battles between multiple ships? If so you may want to stat ships and familiarize yourself with the vehicle combat rules. Or all of that could play out as narrative background around what your players are interested in - the politics of the pirate crew, hand-to-hand combat aboard the prize ship, following the clues of a treasure map tattooed on the belly of an angry boar.

Talents, skills - I would just decide which apply to your campaign and let your players at them.

Adversaries to me are less stat driven than narrative. The four social tables are a great way to quickly get a feel for important NPCs, and work great to quickly generate a personality for the apprentice cook that the players suddenly decide to spend a quarter of the session interogating. But stats are pretty easy, really. Jot down important skills, wound threshold, equipment. Give rivals a signature talent and a rank of adversary. Nemeses you'll spend a little more time on, but no need to create them as a full characters.