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Our mage is Squidward
Yeah, that tracks. :D
I will also repeat my post in the controversial old school vs new school thread. I think those of us who remember AD&D can agree that things have changed in the move to Pathfinder, most of them good. I have no problem with this being more old school flavor, and I have no problem having to create a "backup character".
There are a few absolutes I can definitely point out in Old School vs New School. I almost imagine George Carlin doing this like his football versus baseball comparison.
New School = character death extremely rare Old school = common to frequent depending on DM
New School = All magic items are available, don't mess with my build progression Old school = magic items rare and typically not for sale
New School = Traps are never lethal Old school = traps were dangerous and could kill
New school = Encounters are always balanced Old school = running was sometimes the best option
New school = Characters figure things out with the appropriate skill or knowledge roll Old school = Players had to figure things out--characters could not make a skill roll to solve a riddle
The styles are different. My great grandma said she like black and white TV because it looked more realistic. I realize the 3.x D&D shell is better than the old AD&D shell.
As for fourth and fifth edition, color me unconvinced.
I got started in Pathfinder 1e about 12 years ago now, so I never played the older editions of the game. I have played 5e before, and it can be deadly depending on how you structure the encounters. Generally the side with more actions wins in that game. In Pathfinder, the same encounter isn't as deadly, though it largely depends on luck at lower levels.
I like 5e because it does a lot to simplify character creation and gives some more flexibility in the classes, admittedly while making them feel less distinct. Personally, I would love to see a classless version of Pathfinder or D&D where you have a number of abilities that your character can have and you build a character by picking out a few abilities instead of having everything decided when you pick a class. Archetypes are pretty close to that already.
If I had to pick out my biggest gripe about PF1e and D&D5e, I'd have to say that as the systems gain more options it feels like rules are stifling creativity at the table. When you have a feat for just about anything you could want to do, it makes it harder to be creative with what you have. Want to do X? Sorry, there's a feat for that, and you don't have it. It's not as bad in 5e from what I can tell, but it's definitely an issue with Pathfinder.
I think that's why I'm drawn to simpler systems. You have more freedom to come up with creative solutions and do crazy stunts without the rules getting in the way. I realize that GM fiat is a thing, but not every GM is going to be comfortable with exercising that authority and overriding the rules. When rules get really complex and specific, it's easy to fall into the trap of assuming that if a character doesn't have a feat or ability that explicitly allows an action, then that character can't do that action. When you have so many, it makes it almost impossible to keep track of everything. I think that's part of the charm of OSR and rules-light systems. They strip away the cruft and let players and GMs have some freedom to be creative within the rules.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Sorry if it came off as a rant. (Which to be be totally fair, it kinda is.)
Loving the insights and thoughts.
Aside from that, there's likely to be a delay of a day or so from me. A friend of mine who's been battling cancer for some time passed away today. Not a complete surprise, but still upsetting, obviously.
Always is. Take whatever time you need. Trust me, I understand what it's like to lose a loved one to that kind of battle. I'll pray for him and his family, along with you and yours.
My condolences. And don't worry about the game, take the time you need.
Sorry to hear that. We'll be patiently (Well except for Baazil) in the guard shack.
Adam. You captured my feelings exactly about Pathfinder/5E. It was cool when introduced in 3.0 having all the options... but as the games expanded it codified too much in my opinion.
I wonder what a PF1e or D&D5e based game would be like if instead of adding a bunch of feats, traits, spells, and archetypes it instead introduced different systems, something like what GURPS does with its different magic and power systems or what the Spheres line does for PF1e/D&D5e. The Words of Power system in ultimate magic is the exact kind of thing that I'm talking about in this case. It gives characters options while leaving room for the GM to explore. It also seems like it'd be easier to balance a system than it would be to balance a whole slew of options, ironically enough.
Condolences and thoughts GM J - take your time in honouring your friend.
+1
Not going anywhere - take care
+1
Not going anywhere - take care
And Adam is 100% right, some need complex rules to make vibrant characters. But we all know you don’t need anything , just imagination, to make a vibrant character.
Nope. :(
Hi. Back.
Impromptu trip out of town for funeral stuff. (Not THAT far, but enough that we stayed overnight). Just got back.
Posting tomorrow, and then back to schedule.
Glad you had a safe trip. I hope everyone's doing okay, everything considered.
Seems like the GM ghosted on us.
Hey, it happens.
But let's be optimistic.
Yeah fear this one is for the archives :(
well...crap...oh well might as well close out of this one then...too bad
