Blacksheep's page

I don't really care where content comes from if it looks interesting. A 3pp known to be reliable and consistent in their deliverables is obviously a major plus. Cool unlocking content that won't be made available later also usually tempts me to back a KS.

There's so much good 3pp out there right now I have no reservations about the approach.

I would.

In fact, I was just asking a friend last night if there were any good 3PP APs out there, because I've never even looked for one.

Way of the Wicked is outstanding.

As a refugee from Planescape, I would most like to see a Distant Worlds AP, with James Sutter on point.

Alternatively, an AP that explains what happened to Aroden, whatever the setting.

I like both systems for what they are, but PF is so much better supported it makes GMing easier even though the game system is more complicated.

I do use the advantage/disadvantage mechanic from time to time in PF, for example, if I know one result vs. another should be pretty heavily weighted but I'm doing it on the fly because I didn't expect it or if I've run long and I've got to wrap up an encounter so my players can get going for the night. No one seems to mind and as a math construct it's as good as anything else in a pinch I guess.

It's also a good discipline tool for when players step over the line on table talk or metagaming. I usually give one warning a night, and after that a simple "you're at disadvantage on your next turn" penalty sends a clear but reasonable message that punishes the wrongdoer without crippling the party.

Arno Swart wrote:

Hi all,

My group is about to figure out what the transport tokens are for. The problem is, one of the characters speaks Azlanti. I guess this character will then also know what the runes for each level look like. Does this mean they can teleport to any level they wish, without having visited the levels?

If it works like this, I would like to devise some workaround, so that the players are not allow to 'skip ahead' in the dungeon.

I told them it was 'Northern' Azlanti and did not immediately recognize the symbol.

I ruled that the tokens could take them to any level they have already been. That way, they can elevator but not skip ahead.

I'm GMing the 9th level of the Spire tomorrow night, and our campaign is rocking right along. Having full battle maps for each dungeon level has been awesome.

Early on I had Signifier Hast talk the party into signing a Dark Pact where (1) they get a true up each level to get them to average treasure per level (the module as written is woefully inadequate treasure-wise), (2) he'll raise each of them from the dead once during the campaign, and (3) he'll obtain anything they can afford that costs over 7,500 GP (order it one night, get it the next; anything that costs less I make available In Ft. Inevitable), in exchange for their performance of a "significant favor" when asked.

That favor will come at the end of the campaign, when the party will be asked to represent the interests of Hast and certain benefactors back in Cheliax in the upcoming Damnation Epoch played out in the Rite Publishing module Coliseum Morpheuon, in which I will use the Sympathy for the Devil story line.

If the adventure is as good as the cover art we're in for something special. Guess we'll see.

I'm glad they're not releasing a half-ass Adventurer's Guide. I don't play a lot of D&D though I did buy the three core rulebook and the two-volume Tiamat AP. I see that PotA is a single volume. Again, good deal. I'd far rather there be fewer, high quality, products than a mish-mash of good and bad.

I'm liking what I'm seeing out of 5e so far, but Wizards is still on probation in my mind.

I really enjoyed this book. Very helpful in bringing the awesome (though somewhat daunting to describe) Coliseum Morpheuon dream world to life. I am definitely tacking that module (which starts at 16th level) on to the end of my current campaign, and now have a better perspective and vocabulary for doing so.

1. Love the new MM. Top notch, as was the PHB. The MM could be better indexed by CR, and the art slips every once in a while (Owlbear esp., which is strange, I would think that would be a gimme for a fantasy illustrator).

2. Please, in the name of all that is holy (or at least hallowed), no binders. Seriously.

3. Looking forward to the DMG big time.

The new PHB is excellent IMO. Streamlined & intuitive but still interesting and complete. I look forward to mixing in a Hoard of the Dragon Queen / Tiamat campaign on nights we don't have a quorum for our usual PF WotR campaign (which, btw, now that we're already up to 7th level / 2nd tier despite only being halfway through book 2 is a seriously awesome AP).

PF has the hyper-granularity my 40-something professional friends want and need (maybe the better word is crave), but this version of D&D will make alternative game night a joy to run.

It's true there's no maps (had to buy the set for Hoards from the artist for $17.50), but for speed I was thinking about accepting the default gridless approach anyway. How weird will that be after all this time: "How far away are they?" They're a closing round away," used to work fine in 1e & 2e, I guess I can get my mind around it again now.

No D&D PDFs for art cannibalization either. Flip maps and PDF artwork are things I love about Paizo products, they just bring the extras in a way D&D never did and never will.

Still, kudos to Wizards and (esp.) Mike Mearls for pulling the franchise out of the fire.

DDN looks like a streamlined, intuitive, easy to learn system that, if properly supported (and it looks like the first two mega modules involving Tiamat would qualify), would be a lot of fun to play.

A few problems DDN has when compared to Pathfinder are:

1. PF has everything on PDF, which lends itself to easily printed art, maps and text excerpts I can bind, mark up and so on w/o damaging the original books; DDN does not.

2. Paizo's flip maps are simply awesome. I can't even imagine Wizards having the snap to produce something like The Emerald Spire with full maps of all sections.

3. Golarian >> Forgotten Realms. Not even close. Though the Realms are still cool, they are also pretty tired by now; Wizards needed a better game world. In short, Golarian is basically all of the old D&D game worlds and much more, all Pathfinderized.

4. Paizo has excellent customer service whenever a problem comes up (which is very rare). Relate to it, Wizards. The D&D branded franchise has seriously jerked me around many times throughout the years: AD&D 2nd, the short hop from 3.0 to 3.5, the whole 4E debacle, the recalled earlier edition PDFs after I paid for them online, a generally snobby & inattentive attitude, and so on. Screw that. In contrast, Paizo has been awesome since inception.

5. Paizo has a bazillion products, virtually all of them bad ass (and again, with maps, PDFs and customer service support). In view of points 1-4 above, tell me again why I want to trust Wizards to handle my gaming needs?

The bottom line: I don't think Wizards can lure me back at this point. Given the way Paizo has handled PF they deserve my business.

The story of Aroden, as a man, then a god, and what actually happened when, well, you know.