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Hostile V posted:In the same Fellowship train, tonight the PCs are going to get their airship and start having more control over where they go and when. "Tonight the PCs are going to get their airship" is gonna be at the top of my GMing notes from now on, like a motivational aphorism. Good call.
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Feb 7, 2022 20:59
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Hypnobeard posted:Hiya! Cool, I’ll poke into it. What’s a good source on the Shek-Pvar?
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Feb 7, 2022 20:59
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potatocubed posted:I've got a Fellowship game on tonight! Having got the attention of the overlord by burning down his house (and the city around it) they're now trying to persuade a bunch of dwarves to maybe do something except the dwarves have complete confidence in their fortress-like defences and are quite happy to sit tight and let the war pass them by. Update: That was a loving good session. Persuasion failed, then the invincible unstoppable lizard king showed up and started kicking the door in, and everyone panicked. The harbinger broke out her extremely powerful magic for the first time, the elf got to do his Commando routine, there's an unstable star bound into one of their companions (who's already turning into the sun -- long story), the giant got to smash a load of stuff and fight a hundred lizard people by herself, and the ghost remnant is desperate to help but can't touch anything. I feel like this is fantasy roleplaying at its best.
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Feb 7, 2022 22:58
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FirstAidKite posted:Anybody play or read about any neat pen & paper rpgs lately that aren't any of the main major ones like dungeons & dragons? The Heart game I started at the end of last year had a ton of stumbling blocks to the point I was considering wrapping it up especially after we had a session start with a good 20 minute "Hey folks, this doesn't feel like it's firing right. How do you feel and where can we fix that?" conversation, the rest of the session was then bad in the exact ways I was trying to fix. Then we had a good game last week. It really is just my group wants to play a d&d style kill monsters, get loot game loop in an on rails story. They'll tolerate weirder settings and systems but at the end of the day they don't want cooperative storytelling or world building, they want to respond as their characters to a world and story I built.  Heart is a better fit for that than Spire was, but still it feels like I'm bending the system the same way you can run a d&d game about politics and courtly intrigue or a murder mystery ,but the system ain't helping. Coolness Averted fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Feb 7, 2022 |
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Feb 7, 2022 22:58
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The Dungeon World game I kicked off last week involved the wizard choosing "localised chaos" for their 7-9 malus and giving life to the tent they were imprisoned in. It flew into the air and started attacking everybody in the bandit camp they were present in. They think it's gone, but the next time they're outdoors and I need a bad situation to get much worse it's totally going to show up and attack them again.
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Feb 7, 2022 23:06
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Running an Earthdawn game for the first time since the 90s. Such a weird system.
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Feb 8, 2022 02:18
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Humbug Scoolbus posted:Running an Earthdawn game for the first time since the 90s. Such a weird system. Earthdawn is that fantasy prequel to Shadowrun, right? I just assumed it would run off the same system with enough small tweaks to justify buying the splats instead of just running it in SR and barring the high tech gear.
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Feb 8, 2022 02:25
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No, completely different system, even when they were both owned by one company. It's a fantasy prequel but in terms of setting it's different enough that you couldn't just plug the splats from one into the other. I'm currently running it for a group of four, most of whom haven't played RPGs before and none of whom had heard of Earthdawn. This was, debatably, one of the worst decisions I've ever made--I definitely should have eased them in with something with less mechanical crunch--but we all got to a point where we're enjoying ourselves.
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Feb 8, 2022 02:42
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Everything Counts posted:I'm currently running it for a group of four, most of whom haven't played RPGs before and none of whom had heard of Earthdawn. This was, debatably, one of the worst decisions I've ever made--I definitely should have eased them in with something with less mechanical crunch--but we all got to a point where we're enjoying ourselves. It's a fun game if people make the buy-in. Post-apocalyptic fantasy isn't super common, even now.
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Feb 8, 2022 02:59
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Dawgstar posted:It's a fun game if people make the buy-in. Post-apocalyptic fantasy isn't super common, even now. I believe this is where I plug The Shadow of Yesterday.
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Feb 8, 2022 03:15
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Galaga Galaxian posted:Cool, I’ll poke into it. What’s a good source on the Shek-Pvar? Basically, the Shev-Pvar book that you've already got, iirc. They're usually scholars who hole up in chantries studying whatever esoterica they're There's seven kinds of magic, six associated with the Hârnic elements and the seventh being "grey" magic, which is kind of the union of all of the others (since you can only really learn it after you've mastered the other six).
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Feb 8, 2022 03:23
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I picked up vulcania since it was discounted on drivethrurpg (idk if it still is or not) so I'm gonna be reading through that and seeing if I end up actually liking the system or if it just ends up being another setting to apply to another game system lol
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Feb 8, 2022 04:02
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FirstAidKite posted:I picked up vulcania since it was discounted on drivethrurpg (idk if it still is or not) so I'm gonna be reading through that and seeing if I end up actually liking the system or if it just ends up being another setting to apply to another game system lol Same actually, was planning on doing a F&F review of yet another weird foreign rpg system. It looks... okay-ish? Lotta gear porn? Lotta ethnic stereotypes so far too though, so that's kinda offputting.
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Feb 8, 2022 04:20
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Zorak of Michigan posted:I believe this is where I plug The Shadow of Yesterday. This is a very good game and definitely something I'd play if anyone else wanted to, or had even heard of it
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Feb 8, 2022 04:24
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Humbug Scoolbus posted:Running an Earthdawn game for the first time since the 90s. Such a weird system. Which edition? The hardest part about the earlier editions is that pretty much everything needs to be looked up for new players. The splat books for the Barsaive set are honestly the best world building of any TTRPG I've ever played.
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Feb 8, 2022 04:38
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Splicer posted:Wildsea 1.0 pdfs dropped last week but I'm waiting for the physical book to properly try it out I think. I backed Wildsea because Traveller in the Treetops, with cool non-human species to play as, is extremely my jam. The art looked cool to, that always help get other people into a setting. Now I'm flipping through the PDF and this is dead sexy layout and art both. They ended up with a good set of rules to support Traveller in the Treetops, but goddamn this book is going to be a gorgeous physical artifact.
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Feb 8, 2022 04:38
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Asterite34 posted:Same actually, was planning on doing a F&F review of yet another weird foreign rpg system. It looks... okay-ish? Lotta gear porn? Lotta ethnic stereotypes so far too though, so that's kinda offputting. Define "gear porn" I'm hoping you just mean "there are lots of gears everywhere because steampunk" but it's a pen & paper rpg book so you never know.
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Feb 8, 2022 04:50
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Everything Counts posted:No, completely different system, even when they were both owned by one company. It's a fantasy prequel but in terms of setting it's different enough that you couldn't just plug the splats from one into the other. My group loves crunchy games and they're having a blast. And I'm running 4e, but converting the old Parlainth books from 1e to use them too.
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Feb 8, 2022 04:52
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I just remembered that I have Blackvale, a d&d setting from kickstarter that is based on Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The whole idea is that it's kinda treated like Pittsburgh exists tucked away between some mountains and has been mostly skipped over by the rest of the world and that it's currently a fantasy medieval reclamation of the original city. That whole setting had some serious tonal whiplash though. Most of it is just cute adaptations of and references to culture, stuff like this quote:Saint Roger of the Neighborhood of Friendship accompanied by some cool art like this  but then it also goes gross and  outta nowhere when clowning on the ayn rand churchquote:The Churches of Ayn like jesus christ lmao. I know someone who got this to play with her husband and kids and I had to warn her not to let her kids browse through it so can avoid going from seeing some stained glass art of saint roger, patron saint of the neighborhood of friendship, to some caveman art of king dom sporting a massive hardon while strangling a bird-person like why did they include this
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Feb 8, 2022 05:46
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Hypnobeard posted:Basically, the Shev-Pvar book that you've already got, iirc. They're usually scholars who hole up in chantries studying whatever esoterica they're Thats a bit disappointing then, because it honestly didn't contain much information. Just a general overview of the organization. Nothing like places they're located, notable figures, history in anything but the broadest of strokes, etc. It was mostly just Overall organization, rules, broad philosophy/practices, ranks etc
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Feb 8, 2022 06:10
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FirstAidKite posted:Define "gear porn" long lists of equipment, basically. sometimes illustrated.
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Feb 8, 2022 07:31
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thatbastardken posted:long lists of equipment, basically. sometimes illustrated. Out of 30 handguns, there's one that clearly superior and nobody will ever carry anything else. There are 24 AK-47 variants with identical stats. This is "realistic" and builds "verisimilitude". Which is allegedly good.
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Feb 8, 2022 08:07
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mllaneza posted:Out of 30 handguns, there's one that clearly superior and nobody will ever carry anything else. There are 24 AK-47 variants with identical stats. This is "realistic" and builds "verisimilitude". Which is allegedly good. It's good because it gives players permission to dress up their characters, because they have an excuse that +1 to hit when defending drill sites from bears is totally vital to their character. It would be better if players didn't feel like they needed a reason to pick their characters outfits, but for a lot of them it's vital and the same can be seen in video games. It has improved quite a bit with modern players so I'm not sure if it's worth the effort anymore especially with games supporting reskinning and easy Internet access.
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Feb 8, 2022 08:15
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are there tabletop games with good/meaningful dressing up? i guess it's trickier in a less visual medium.
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Feb 8, 2022 09:41
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thatbastardken posted:are there tabletop games with good/meaningful dressing up? i guess it's trickier in a less visual medium. Do you mean as in gear porn? Or like as in where costumes matter? Or where there's a paper doll system? Something where different clothes give bonuses or penalties for who you're interacting with or what you're doing?
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Feb 8, 2022 10:02
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Coolness Averted posted:Something where different clothes give bonuses or penalties for who you're interacting with or what you're doing? that one i think, but with incentives for players to describe their outfits in detail.
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Feb 8, 2022 10:09
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thatbastardken posted:are there tabletop games with good/meaningful dressing up? i guess it's trickier in a less visual medium. It's a good thing for role-playing in a lot of games, same as any other flavour stuff like character flaws, names etc. I feel adding mechanics will restrict player expression.
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Feb 8, 2022 10:09
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Hel posted:It's good because it gives players permission to dress up their characters, because they have an excuse that +1 to hit when defending drill sites from bears is totally vital to their character. It would be better if players didn't feel like they needed a reason to pick their characters outfits, but for a lot of them it's vital and the same can be seen in video games. I like the way Night's Black Agents handles it, personally--if you have a high enough Guns (or Drive, or Martial Arts), once per session you could lovingly describe why your specific choice of gun/car/kung fu style is amazing and awesome and the perfect tool for a badass superspy, and you'd get a bonus. Otherwise, mechanically speaking, it doesn't matter at all.
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Feb 8, 2022 10:45
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Dawgstar posted:It's a fun game if people make the buy-in. Post-apocalyptic fantasy isn't super common, even now.
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Feb 8, 2022 11:11
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Hel posted:It's a good thing for role-playing in a lot of games, same as any other flavour stuff like character flaws, names etc. sure, but I'm asking about systems that reward player expression with mechanical benefits. i already know about systems where attempts to be cool and stylish are suboptimal.
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Feb 8, 2022 11:31
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Dawgstar posted:It's a fun game if people make the buy-in. Post-apocalyptic fantasy isn't super common, even now. Technically, most fantasy settings are post-apocalyptic, because most of them have ancient civilisation ruins everywhere for adventurers to conveniently loot. 
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Feb 8, 2022 11:53
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GimpInBlack posted:I like the way Night's Black Agents handles it, personally--if you have a high enough Guns (or Drive, or Martial Arts), once per session you could lovingly describe why your specific choice of gun/car/kung fu style is amazing and awesome and the perfect tool for a badass superspy, and you'd get a bonus. Otherwise, mechanically speaking, it doesn't matter at all. The book's example is sublime: “As I fire one of its trademark bursts from the HK UMP, I take a deadened, existential solace from the soulless blankness of its polymer casing.”
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Feb 8, 2022 12:09
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thatbastardken posted:sure, but I'm asking about systems that reward player expression with mechanical benefits. i already know about systems where attempts to be cool and stylish are suboptimal. I've not read it but I think Pasión de las Pasiones does something with the way characters are dressed, if you fancy playing the RPG of a Mexican telenovela.
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Feb 8, 2022 12:13
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I don't mind lists of guns in something like gurps, honestly, it's not that big a deal but it's nice if you're into that. It does help that gurps has a bit more mechanical support for gun stuff than other games, so some things end up mattering a bit, though, yes, if i let you go through the list in a 1930s game, if you were being strictly optimal, you'd choose a browning hi-power pistol.
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Feb 8, 2022 12:32
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I remember d20 modern having a sourcebook that was ONLY guns and gun stats. Still not quite sure what the use of that was, d20 isn’t that fine a system you really need 19 different 9mm pistols.
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Feb 8, 2022 12:35
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thatbastardken posted:sure, but I'm asking about systems that reward player expression with mechanical benefits. i already know about systems where attempts to be cool and stylish are suboptimal. Spire has the 'unique equipment' rules, where describing something important and special to the character like your outfit, an umbrella, or wagon the character uses need two descriptive statements, one benefit and one a shortcoming. When a situation with the beneficial statement is relevant they get a bonus to dice rolls and when the shortcoming is relevant there's a penalty on the roll. It's specifically supposed to operate outside the normal gear tag system or character powers and advances. It's not an in-depth system at all though, but the ruleset in general is pretty light.
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Feb 8, 2022 12:36
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Man, you guys with your game recommendations. I looked up Tenra Bansho Zero based on your raving about its injury/death mechanics and Jesus Christ that cover is an embarrassment.
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Feb 8, 2022 12:39
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Gort posted:Man, you guys with your game recommendations. I looked up Tenra Bansho Zero based on your raving about its injury/death mechanics and Jesus Christ that cover is an embarrassment. Weren't goons mostly into it back when it was a fan translation with no art? I don't think I'd ever pick up a game with the covers GIS returns for Tenra Bansho Zero if I was walking through a comic shop, but the small versions don't strike me as worse than some of the Exalted covers for being embarrassing. Someone is gonna post a hi-res version in response this, and it's gonna turn out the tiny anime girl is incredibly poorly drawn except for a creepy amount of detail in her crotch or the mutant swordsman guy is covered in dicks, right?
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Feb 8, 2022 12:50
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I tried to read up on TBZ because someone I know was airing the idea of running a game of it a bit back and... goddamn the books are just unreadable. Like there are obviously some cool concepts in there, but the layout and presentation are just horrendous. I've never gotten so little information(either rules or setting) out of so many pages.
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Feb 8, 2022 12:58
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PurpleXVI posted:I tried to read up on TBZ because someone I know was airing the idea of running a game of it a bit back and... goddamn the books are just unreadable. Like there are obviously some cool concepts in there, but the layout and presentation are just horrendous. I've never gotten so little information(either rules or setting) out of so many pages. The English layout is by Luke Crane, so that makes perfect sense.
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Feb 8, 2022 13:00
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