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Heavy Lobster posted:Is there any way to track down various games' subsystems aside from just buying the games outright? We were going to use the gem tokens from Splendor (which deserves all the praise it gets) to keep track of FATE points and thought it would be fun to tie the colors into magic somehow, or maybe give the players some way to translate them from being metafictional to having more solid in-game representations, but the only system I can think that would have anything resembling some sort of bonus plot-loot system would be Anglerre, which from what I know is decidedly too crunchy for what we're looking for. The online Fate SRD has a bunch of stuff you might find useful, mainly in the toolkit section where it has a whole section on magical subsystems as well as other things. I don't think there's a consolidated free resource of every Fate-derived game ever, but if you've got questions about any of them the Fate megathread is probably a good place to ask.
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Sep 7, 2015 08:07
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Honestly, the skill list is probably the worst part of Fate Core. It's bloated and fiddly and doesn't feel nearly as DIY as the rest. It really doesn't fit in with the rest of the system.
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Sep 7, 2015 10:42
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Is Dorian Gray, technically, a lich?
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Sep 7, 2015 14:07
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After a bit of a rough start the other day (I should not try and schedule things on days when I know I'm going to be busy all afternoon) the first official Parallels playtest is set for 7pm tonight. That's roughly 5 hours from this post, but you can always check that link for the precise ETA. I will be in #parallels on SynIRC up until then, but you'll need to be using this voicechat in order to take part. It'll run in your browser, no downloads needed. Anyone who just wants to listen in is welcome, but I will probably mute you as a precaution. First half hour will probably be spent wrangling everyone through character creation, and the game itself will probably be about two or so hours (including snack breaks), depending on how smoothly things go.
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Sep 7, 2015 14:11
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Plague of Hats posted:Honestly, the skill list is probably the worst part of Fate Core. It's bloated and fiddly and doesn't feel nearly as DIY as the rest. It really doesn't fit in with the rest of the system. I don't mind Fate's skill system - the list is fairly short, generally doesn't contain fiddly or superfluous poo poo like "use rope" or "swim" or whatever the gently caress, and you can make your own. I don't like how they're tied to the Approaches. It's not enough to have a common/narrative sense approach for using Skills, they have to have a list of HOW they can be used, and I have to look that poo poo up every time instead of just going "Okay, I've got Contacts, so I could create an advantage by getting my boys to put the squeeze on him" or something. A better way to construct/present it might be to have the Approaches as things you do, and then adding the Skill bonus if its relevant, rather than having to look up a Skill and then figure out if you're allowed to do what you want with it.
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Sep 7, 2015 15:02
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paradoxGentleman posted:Is Dorian Gray, technically, a lich?
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Sep 7, 2015 15:14
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Kai Tave posted:It shouldn't be that big a deal provided you're clear on what each skill does. Atomic Robo consolidates the skill list even further from the Fate Core default for example into the following: In my current FATE game I've cut it down to five skills: Weaponthane (general physical prowess), Lawspeaker (knowledge and logical argument), Chief (leadership, popularity, and emotional appeals), Trickster (lies, sneakiness, and underhanded methods), and Trader (craftsmanship, outdoorsmanship, and negotiation). It's worked pretty well.
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Sep 7, 2015 15:41
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The Deleter posted:I don't mind Fate's skill system - the list is fairly short, generally doesn't contain fiddly or superfluous poo poo like "use rope" or "swim" or whatever the gently caress, and you can make your own. I don't like how they're tied to the Approaches. It's not enough to have a common/narrative sense approach for using Skills, they have to have a list of HOW they can be used, and I have to look that poo poo up every time instead of just going "Okay, I've got Contacts, so I could create an advantage by getting my boys to put the squeeze on him" or something. A better way to construct/present it might be to have the Approaches as things you do, and then adding the Skill bonus if its relevant, rather than having to look up a Skill and then figure out if you're allowed to do what you want with it. Just to clarify, Approaches in Fate are a different thing to what you're talking about (the Four Actions). I do dig your idea a lot, though I feel if you're going to abstract skills to that extent, might as well toss them out and take the relevant bonus from your Aspects instead. Or take the same tack as FAE does with the Approaches. 
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Sep 7, 2015 16:44
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paradoxGentleman posted:Is Dorian Gray, technically, a lich?
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Sep 7, 2015 16:46
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TurninTrix posted:Just to clarify, Approaches in Fate are a different thing to what you're talking about (the Four Actions). Whoops! Yeah, that's right. I agree with your assessment there actually - Fate kind of assumes something is being added to the roll, or rather, that you start with the skill's value and the roll modifies THAT, so making the skills situational results in weird cases where you might not add anything at all, so having the Approaches is probably best.
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Sep 7, 2015 16:58
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fool_of_sound posted:In my current FATE game I've cut it down to five skills: Weaponthane (general physical prowess), Lawspeaker (knowledge and logical argument), Chief (leadership, popularity, and emotional appeals), Trickster (lies, sneakiness, and underhanded methods), and Trader (craftsmanship, outdoorsmanship, and negotiation). It's worked pretty well. I've seen some other Fate games take that sort of approach too, it seems like it should work pretty well depending on the sort of game you're going for.
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Sep 7, 2015 18:44
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Kai Tave posted:I've seen some other Fate games take that sort of approach too, it seems like it should work pretty well depending on the sort of game you're going for. Yeah, the first game I saw it in was JadeTech, and it was kinda an epiphany for me, since I always considered the skill bloat a big flaw in FATE, but also didn't like the Approach system. Maybe it's just the players I was running it for, but the Approach system ended up with players spending a lot of time trying to stretch the definitions of their favored Approaches.
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Sep 7, 2015 18:51
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Well it's 7pm, I'm starting my playtest. Anyone who wants to join in, or just listen in, should click this link.
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Sep 7, 2015 19:04
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fool_of_sound posted:Yeah, the first game I saw it in was JadeTech, and it was kinda an epiphany for me, since I always considered the skill bloat a big flaw in FATE, but also didn't like the Approach system. Maybe it's just the players I was running it for, but the Approach system ended up with players spending a lot of time trying to stretch the definitions of their favored Approaches. No I agree, I've never been fully sold on Approaches because, like you said, they seem to lend themselves to the game of "how do I stretch everything to fit under the umbrella of my highest Approach?"
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Sep 7, 2015 19:25
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It's funny you bring this up about approaches. I was in a FAE game where this happened as well. It kind of put me in a disadvantageous situation since I didn't stretch them myself.
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Sep 7, 2015 19:39
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I'm a few pages late, but my best experience so far has been my Marvel Heroic game I'm running for three friends. I love the system so much, and the group as a whole has this amazing light hearted tone to it. The PCs are currently helping David Bowie reclaim rulership of the literal goblins from the usurper Norman Osborne. It's that kind of game, and it's a BLAST to run. The ended the first arc boss fight with Carnage (after a couple sessions of buildup) by enchanting Ben Grimm's fists with SONIC BOOM*, then having him do a one-two clobberin' time punch that instakoed the villain. It was amazing. *CAPS FOR VOLUME Ratpick posted:Is there an RPG out there that is about the major political leaders in a single-party totalitarian state vying for power? Basically, something like Paranoia except with the players as the higher-ups instead of the grunts. Also I want to play this Esser-Z fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Sep 7, 2015 |
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Sep 7, 2015 20:49
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Since Eoris seems to garner interest pretty regularly, it seems worth pointing out that just yesterday the Eoris books went up on DTRPG for PDF purchase, $8 each for the system book and the setting book, plus a free introductory adventure. The Full Previews go up to 30-40 pages, it seems, so now I know that "extremely heavy blunt objects" do 8 damage, "extremely heavy sharp objects" do 12 damage, but both "regular" and "powerful" long-range attacks do 7 damage. So…
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Sep 8, 2015 15:17
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Can someone explain to me why is Felicia Day so disliked? I only follow Geek and Sundry on Youtube, wherein she is sort of bratty but still plenty of fun, and know that she apparently once mentioned how worried she felt upon seeing two guys wearing gaming t-shirts that they might belong to the Movement Which Shall Not Be Named. Is there anything else?
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Sep 8, 2015 15:49
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Firefly was hella bad and everyone who was on it sucks rear end
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Sep 8, 2015 15:52
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paradoxGentleman posted:Can someone explain to me why is Felicia Day so disliked? Because she's a woman in a male-dominated sub-culture.
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Sep 8, 2015 15:54
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I've only ever found her annoying in the 'Last Night on Earth' episode of Tabletop, but I generally dislike 'quirky' personalities. The Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre episode was similarly annoying due to Wil Wheaton really hamming it up.
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Sep 8, 2015 15:59
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She's a lady, and she's in gaming, and that's really just about all the reason the uglier parts of the hobby needs for people to start flinging poo poo. It's barely even worth discussing their purported reasons for why (not a "real" gamer etc)
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Sep 8, 2015 16:01
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gradenko_2000 posted:She's a lady, and she's in gaming, and that's really just about all the reason the uglier parts of the hobby needs for people to start flinging poo poo. It's barely even worth discussing their purported reasons for why (not a "real" gamer etc) It's probably a contributing factor that, to my limited knowledge, Day actually talks about the harassment she gets rather than, I dunno, being grateful for the attention?? I don't know what the quote appropriate unquote response is supposed to be if you're born a woman, or God forbid you transition to womanhood, and people in the subculture get on your case about it. I don't like thinking about this stuff as it makes me angry how far we've come in some ways and not others, but I realize that having that option is the literal definition of privilege. Content: I'm trying to sell my 5e-loving friends on 13th Age. How would the more eloquent of you make the case for 13A over D&D?
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Sep 8, 2015 16:22
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Hey guys. I don't know if any of you have been following Paul Czege's Threeforged challenge on G+, but the final games are live for voting. 102 of the original 127 entries finished, which is pretty boss, but you don't have to read all of them - a minimum of five, although more is probably better. Just grab the ones you like the sound of most, or the ones with fewest downloads, and see what you think.
potatocubed fucked around with this message at 17:23 on Sep 8, 2015 |
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Sep 8, 2015 16:32
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Captain Walker posted:Content: I'm trying to sell my 5e-loving friends on 13th Age. How would the more eloquent of you make the case for 13A over D&D?
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Sep 8, 2015 16:36
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Captain Walker posted:It's probably a contributing factor that, to my limited knowledge, Day actually talks about the harassment she gets rather than, I dunno, being grateful for the attention?? I don't know what the quote appropriate unquote response is supposed to be if you're born a woman, or God forbid you transition to womanhood, and people in the subculture get on your case about it. I don't like thinking about this stuff as it makes me angry how far we've come in some ways and not others, but I realize that having that option is the literal definition of privilege. gradenko_2000 posted:She's a lady, and she's in gaming, and that's really just about all the reason the uglier parts of the hobby needs for people to start flinging poo poo. It's barely even worth discussing their purported reasons for why (not a "real" gamer etc) Slimnoid posted:Because she's a woman in a male-dominated sub-culture. Ya callate pinche pendejo
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Sep 8, 2015 16:39
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Evil Mastermind posted:The big ones I can think of off the top of my head is that it's a lot easier to make your character mechanically unique with the free-form backgrounds and OUT, Icon relationships that tie you to the setting in interesting ways, and that combats are pretty quick. I think the free-form stuff is turning some of my group off, they seem to want things with clearly defined mechanical effects. One thing that has specifically been mentioned as a net positive in D&D's favor is the massive spell list. Not the kinds of spells, just that there are a lot to choose from, apparently. I need more friends.
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Sep 8, 2015 16:42
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Captain Walker posted:I think the free-form stuff is turning some of my group off, they seem to want things with clearly defined mechanical effects. One thing that has specifically been mentioned as a net positive in D&D's favor is the massive spell list. Not the kinds of spells, just that there are a lot to choose from, apparently.
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Sep 8, 2015 16:46
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Captain Walker posted:I think the free-form stuff is turning some of my group off, they seem to want things with clearly defined mechanical effects. One thing that has specifically been mentioned as a net positive in D&D's favor is the massive spell list. Not the kinds of spells, just that there are a lot to choose from, apparently.  An internet friend told me once that the "gamer culture" in his part of the country is basically that people everything they can do spelled out on their sheets, so when the GM asks what they're going to do the first thing they automatically look at their sheets to see what they can do.
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Sep 8, 2015 16:48
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Captain Walker posted:I think the free-form stuff is turning some of my group off, they seem to want things with clearly defined mechanical effects. One thing that has specifically been mentioned as a net positive in D&D's favor is the massive spell list. Not the kinds of spells, just that there are a lot to choose from, apparently. Just play strike with your friends
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Sep 8, 2015 16:48
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Evil Mastermind posted:
Many systems penalize improvisation to such an extent that if you don't frame your actions within your narrow skills you're just hail marying, burning bennies, or relying on a nebulous rule of cool. I blame character sheets. 13a doesn't have this problem, for instance, because you decide to do something and then flavor it with a background. With defined skill lists, you decide to do something and then check to make sure it doesn't fit under an untrained skill. Often times it's just faster and less frustrating to start with your set skills as the entirety of your actions.
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Sep 8, 2015 17:14
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To be fair, I have generally really cool friends, and a couple goons, but our tastes in games are rather different, especially w/r/t tone. I want to play Dragon May Cry but the DM wants to run Dark Souls. And thats fine, Dark Souls is cool. But if we're going to do that we should do it in a system that's streamlined mechanically so Really I'm burned out on fantasy at this point, as long as I'm on this Metal Gear kick I wanna play superspy Strike! Or maybe FATE a la Winter Soldier.
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Sep 8, 2015 17:28
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Captain Walker posted:Content: I'm trying to sell my 5e-loving friends on 13th Age. How would the more eloquent of you make the case for 13A over D&D? The rules actually support grid-less combat that works. Class design more closely resembles 4e insofar as everyone gets an interesting thing they can do every turn, without 4e's complexity and bloat. The martial classes can still be kind of weak and/or limited, but not to the degree of a 5th Ed Fighter or Ranger. The item treadmill is, as in 5e, also excised The escalation die mechanic solves a LOT of problems with D&D-esque combat. If you can engineer fights where the escalation die never really comes into play, then you're just about matching 5th edition, but finishing faster every other time. As a DM: Monster construction and encounter construction is dead-simple A cap of level 10 but allowing the players to add their level to most rolls allows for a mundane-adventurer-to-epic-hero arc without 3.5/4e's "need full per-level skill DC chart", but also without 5e's very limited scaling Monster vs player math is laid out well and doesn't result in swingy, unintentionally deadly encounters No more huge spell list that takes up half the book and is a pain in the rear end to reference, ditto no more monsters that rely on looking up spells in the spell list. Some of these things might bounce off of your players as things they don't really care about, and some of these things they won't see as positive points (and that they don't see the opposite in 5e as negative points). Evil Mastermind posted:
That's not really a bad thing per se. Limiting your actions to what you can do on your sheet prevents analysis paralysis. It can also serve as a good reminder of what you're capable of doing once you enter a context that might not be easy to remember all the time. That is, if you're actually strong enough to be at Dynasty Warriors-levels of "can kill an army entire in a few swordstrokes" power, it's good if you have it written down on your sheet that you can actually do that, since it might not convey the idea so well if you're still just rolling to-hit against AC and your character level just happens to be in the double-digits. What tends to be not good is if a game has too few skills, or too many skills and too few skill points (because it then becomes excessively exclusionary), or in D&D's case, if the "narrative control" tokens are only handed out to a subset of the classes and then the implications it carries with projecting some nasty limitations on what the other non-caster classes can actually accomplish.
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Sep 8, 2015 17:30
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fosborb posted:Many systems penalize improvisation to such an extent that if you don't frame your actions within your narrow skills you're just hail marying, burning bennies, or relying on a nebulous rule of cool. So people get locked into the "failure is BAD because it's a stopper" mindset, so have to know what they can do that will not fail. Then you get games like *World where failure is actually interesting and drives things forward and people don't understand that you can play an RPG and not be worried about making a bad roll. I'm sure that people being punished by killer GMs for bad rolls is part of the equation too.
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Sep 8, 2015 17:32
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For those of you that GM: do you use music to enhance your game at all? If so, which albums/artists/stations do you rely on most?
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Sep 8, 2015 19:24
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Evil Sagan posted:For those of you that GM: do you use music to enhance your game at all? If so, which albums/artists/stations do you rely on most? Yes and it depends on the game/scene/group/mood.
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Sep 8, 2015 19:34
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Evil Sagan posted:For those of you that GM: do you use music to enhance your game at all? If so, which albums/artists/stations do you rely on most? In PbP or IRC games I do, but I find it gets in the way in livegames. I almost invariably go for music without lyrics.
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Sep 8, 2015 19:36
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Evil Sagan posted:For those of you that GM: do you use music to enhance your game at all? If so, which albums/artists/stations do you rely on most?
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Sep 8, 2015 19:52
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Evil Sagan posted:For those of you that GM: do you use music to enhance your game at all? If so, which albums/artists/stations do you rely on most? I honestly can't run a game unless I've got some sort of ambient music playing in the background. I dunno, it helps to set and enhance whatever mood I'm going with for any given scene, and I've become quite particular with my choices and will spend an almost unhealthy amount of time picking out my music tracks before the game (never during, that just breaks the flow of things, so I have some back-up generic stuff in case I need something). As for what kind: anything non-vocal, or with minimal vocals if I find it fits. Invariably that means a lot of video game soundtracks, but I also will dip into certain genres if I'm going for a theme. Retro Wave for cyberpunk/80s, for instance, or Lustmord if I'm going horror. I'll go searching for relatively unknown/obscure material so people don't go "OH HEY IS THAT METAL MAN'S THEME" during a combat round.
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Sep 8, 2015 19:58
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Error 404 posted:Yes and it depends on the game/scene/group/mood. This. Though I don't do it all the time--mostly I'll put on something for a moment,, like Rules of Nature during a heroic moment in giant dragon battle or something. Or stuff without lyrics.
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Sep 8, 2015 21:40
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