ValmarTheMad's page

I'm taking a new job in Richmond, VA and will be moving there mid/late February.

I'm a long-time gamer, I've played more games and systems than I can remember, and I'm looking primarily for a mature (meaning game-focused, but with "real" jobs and an understanding of work/life/game balance) group who enjoys RPing/Action/Story in relatively equal measure.

I could run, but I'm looking more to play until I get to know the group.

Games I'm most interested in:
Pathfinder
D&D 4e
DC Adventures/M&M (3rd/current Ed)
Shadowrun (2e/FASA)

If you think you've got something I'd be interested in, and you've got a spot, let me know here.

Thanks!

VtM

I'm thinking it might be time to see if there's anyone interested in setting up a new game/group in 2012. I've got myself and probably 2 others from my old group interested as well, so that makes 3 people if we all find an agreeable idea.

My ideal game would be "old school" in flavor, with strong Roleplaying/Story elements, heavy DM and player narrative, and a general idea that gaming is a cooperative, group effort that works together to create something beyond just sitting around rolling dice and pushing miniatures.

We're kind of burned out on miniature-combat scenarios taking up most of the game, and I'm looking to get back to the fun and flavor of people sitting around a table having fun through collective imagination and willing suspension of disbelief.

We'd looking to recapture the days of in-character conversations, of discovering the nuances of story, and of strictly narrative combat--no sitting around counting squares and forgetting that there's more to the rest of the game.

I'm not sure what system, but probably Pathfinder, D&D (4e preferred, 3.5e considered), Earthdawn or Shadowrun would be my favorites. Probably with a few House Rules if I ran--though, to be honest, I'd rather play than run, or run on an alternating/rpund-robin or Co-GM schedule.

The ideal group would be like-minded, excited about the idea of Roleplaying, creating a character, telling a story (with combat where/when appropriate) and limited to probably 5 players and 1 GM.

Right now my schedule would favor Sundays, and the location would be SE Aurora (Parker/Arapahoe area). I've used the Tallyn's Reach library meeting rooms in the past.

Anyone interested in something like this, let me know. As I said, while I'd strongly prefer to play, I could be convinced to run and/or Co-GM if that's how it worked out.

Anyone interested, let me know. Thanks!

The 5e and various "Martial V Magic" discussion threads have gotten me thinking about what I really don't like about PF/1e-3e style magic and how I would change it--if I could...

I was going to post this in that thread, but figured maybe it's better here? Not sure where it'd belong, really.

You may not like this, you may love Pathfinder's magic exactly as it is, and I'm not knocking it, but I wanted to put this "alternative" out there before I forget it. Good idea, bad idea, whatever, it is/was just an idea...

I'll try to explain it as best I can, but be aware that I've this thought for all of about 10 minutes now, and this is completely off the cuff, so there may well be gaps and holes and a lot of "issues" with it.

So, here's an attempt at a rough (very rough) sketch of what I'd like to do to create a "modular" or "free-form" system.

Goals:
Like 4e, Mage, Shadowrun and other systems, I want casters to be able to cast every round, so that they're always "casters" and always can wield magic to at least some extent if not to a massive effect every round.

I want casters to be able to draw from "raw" magic instead of "set" spells.

I want casters to learn the "basics" and then be able to mix and match them to create desired effects, and then (later?) add "augments" to the basics.

I think "spell power" should ramp up with level, but not to the dizzying effect in 1e-3e.

I want each caster class to have different benefits/abilities relating to how they employ and/or modify magic so that each class feels (more) unique.

I want magic to be seen as a living, mutable thing, not something locked into "reality stamps" that slam their imprint onto the world and then fade from it and memory.

Having said all of that, here are the basic system ideas:

Break magic into component parts

Combat Spells:

1. Select from:
Ball, Blast, Bolt, Burst, Cone, Dart, Ray

--all are untyped (for the moment)
--these would define the range, target (AC/REF/WIL) number of targets, and AoE (if any).
--I don't have anything set yet, but assume that each would be different from the others in the list but roughly correspond to something that already exists.

A "Ball" would be similar to a 3.5e/PF fireball in range and AoE, a "Bolt" would be like a lightning bolt, "Blast" & "Burst" like their 4e counterparts, "Dart" like magic missile and "Ray" like a scorching ray.

2. Select from:
Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Radiant (etc.)

--initial damage types are determined by your class selection, you learn additional by gaining levels/feats/class abilities (whatever)
--damage is a set progression (let's say 1d6/3 levels for now)
--damage is (as ^above^) + (linked attribute bonus) (INT for Wizards, CHA for Sorcerers, etc.)
--damage could be mixed types at the cost of 1d6 (and with a related feat/class ability, etc.)

3. (Augment)* Select from:
Blinded, Bouncing, Burning, Dazed, Deafened (etc.)

--*Augments must be learned (by feat or class ability), and "cost" 2d6 of damage per Augment, and there cannot be more than 1 Augment per spell (unless you take a feat, or have a class ability, etc.)

4. Cast your spell

Utility Spells:

1. Select from:
Burst, Mass, Party, Self, Target, Touch

--as above, (Combat Spells) I don't have the specifics set yet, but assume that each would be different from the others in the list but roughly correspond to something that already exists with the same descriptor for 'touch' etc...

2. Select from:
Alter, Armor, Disguise, Fly, Haste, Protect, Teleport, etc.)

--initial options are determined by your class selection
--duration is a set progression (let's say 1 round/3 levels for now)
--linked attribute bonus (INT for Wizards, CHA for Sorcerers, etc.) has a linked effect--so the "armor" boost would = (INT Bonus) for Wizards, (CHA Bonus) for Sorcerers; "Fly" would add (Linked Bonus) to your move speed, etc. Something like that, all the details aren't fully fleshed out in my mind atm.

3. (Augment)* Select from:
Extend, Quicken, (etc.)

--*Augments must be learned (by feat or class ability), and there cannot be more than 1 Augment per spell (unless you take a feat, or have a class ability, etc.)

4. Cast your spell

-=-=-
Spells per Day would be gone, you get limitless casting from the "components" and "augments" that you know, and you can learn more as you gain levels. Spells like Wish are gone, or maybe banished to something like a Ritual--costly, takes forever to cast, can't be done in combat, etc.

Each time you cast you can "customize" exactly what you want (from what you know) and you could use a total number of "augments" a total number of times per day/per encounter (whichever, haven't decided) equal to your Linked Attribute Bonus.

=-=

Meh, this took way longer to write it out than I thought, but so it goes.

To answer the 5e thread's question of what I'd like to see in 5e, this is close...sort of...in an unfinished way...

Just curious, anyone have a total of how many were submitted this year, and how that compares to previous years?

I'm about to launch a new campaign for my group, and after playing 4e and coming back to Pathfinder, most players are bemoaning the sacred cow of Spells Per Day (particularly for Arcane spell casters but also a general dislike of it for all classes).

I've played the game Pathfinder is based on since forever, so I'm used to it, but even I have to admit that while I'll play arcane classes in other systems, I loathe them in OGL systems.

I won't rant on about why I dislike the Jack Vance/Dying Earth school of magic (much), nor how it's illogical in the extreme (ex: Substitute memorizing spells for memorizing people's names--I just memorized your name twice {somehow}, but then I used it to call you, so now I've only got it memorized once, and if I use it again, I'll have to wait 8 hours before I can re-memorize your name, but as I kill monsters, I can memorize your name more often AND memorize more powerful names), nor how as a mechanic it just encourages "turtling" (ie holding up for 8hrs then going back, which interrupts the flow of the game), and I won't mention how...hmm, perhaps this is turning into a rant :p

So, Spells per Day are out.

Spell points don't really do much for me or my group.

Yes, they add some amount of flexibility, but really they're still just as prone to "turtling" as Spells Per Day and it's now a game of tracking points which my players aren't keen on.

What I'd like is something like Earthdawn/Shadowrun where magic can be used turn after turn--just like the Fighter can swing his greatsword round after round without needing 8hrs of rest after X swings per day.

So, I'm considering Recharge Magic (which can be found in a certain 3.5e supplement but which is not part of the SRD so I don't believe is online anywhere to link).

I realize the downside to something like Recharge Magic is that PCs will go into nearly every combat fully healed and fully buffed.

Now, were I using Experience Points, then the party would also blast through encounters much more quickly, and thus level faster. However, in my home games I use a variant of Pathfinder Society's rules, where I advance everyone by the number of completed sessions, so XP doesn't matter.

Still, sessions will become marathons of encounters and I'll have to advance the CR of all encounters to compensate (+2 CR).

I'll also have to have different rules for something like "Combat" spells and "Utility" spells (ie, spells cast in 1 action recharge in 'X' rounds, whereas something like a Wish might recharge once...per...*cough* day...I guess...)

And, of course, NPCs will get Recharge Magic as well, so that Lich the party heard about just got a bit nastier.

But, like I said, while I want to escape from the Curse of the Dying Earth, I also want something relatively simple to implement (spell slots/spells known won't change) and I want it to be fun for the players.

SO...has anyone used Recharge Magic?
-If so, how did it work (or NOT work)?
-Was it fun or too complicated/overpowered/anti-Vancian?

And, even if not, what are your thoughts on it, and/or do you have an alternate method of escape from the legacy of Jack Vance?

TYIA!

Seeking clarification since I'm not sure if this is a house rule, or if this is how it should be under RAW and I seem to have forgotten the correct interpretation:

Assume you have a Finesse Rogue2/Fighter2 that has TWF and Weapon Finesse as feats.

Character wields dual short swords (light weapons); when making a Full Attack to get both attacks, he would use the -2/-2 penalty for TWF (off-hand light), but if he only makes a single attack in the round, then he's at his full attack bonus, correct?

In other words, simply *carrying* another weapon when he's not attacking with it does NOT cause him to have the TWF penalty to a single attack, only *attacking* with two weapons incurs the penalty, correct?

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/combat.html
Multiple Attacks: A character who can make more than one attack per round must use the full-attack action (see Full-Round Actions) in order to get more than one attack.

Two-Weapon Fighting

If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon.
Table: Off-hand weapon is light and Two-Weapon Fighting feat –2 –2

I've looked through the APG, and I can't see a strong reason to deny it.

The Eidolon isn't Unfriendly to the player, it's a quadruped of the same size as his default mount, and if the Cavalier can ride a wolf or other 'fantasy' mount, why not the Eidolon itself?

The debate arises since the CAV 2/SUM 2 player was having his wolf AND his Eidolon AND his summoned monster cluttering map space and (in the words of other players) dominating the combat.

They suggested he just ride his eidolon as his mount and ditch his wolf--an idea which he found amusing (probably because his eidolon is essentially a pink & purple version of He Man's 'Cringer' battle tiger and his wolf is...just a wolf).

Even though the APG Cavalier entry states what should be used for a halfling mount, I can't see what would prevent my player from being able to hop atop his Eidolon once it's in play, regardless of whether his wolf is now riderless (and/or out of play).

Thoughts?

Just got done with MotFF for the Free RPG Day PFS game at my local shop (Enchanted Grounds).

While it was fun--the DM had created a wooden, 5-level tower to use for this adventure and that added a real visual element of fear of falling if nothing else--the one thing I noticed was that the MotFF PreGen Adv PG characters all seemed to be 15pt builds.

Yet, by PFS rules, players could opt to create a new 1st-level PFS character with the default 20pt build--so you could have created APG characters with 20pts or play the pregens with only 15.

As it was, we had a mix, with four playing the 15pt pregens, and two playing 1st-level 20pt PFS characters. While that wasn't wholly unbalanced, it was an odd choice...Did anyone else notice this, and was this intentional?

Just got back to Denver after being relocated to NJ for a year, and figured I'd post here to say that I'm looking for a new game to join.

I've been playing D&D since the boxed sets, I worked at a gaming store in undergrad, I've played and/or play-tested well over twenty game systems, and I even have a few articles slated to be published sometime next year.

I'm currently in Pathfinder Society games at Enchanted Grounds and another Pathfinder Adventure Path campaign, but for the last couple of years (here and then in NJ) I've fallen into groups with inconsistent play schedules, and most of them haven't lasted long enough to ever complete a campaign.

This is radically different from the games I remember and loved in the past, where some of my old groups stayed together for 5+ real years, and we often had the same characters & same party for most of that time (barring the odd character death and/or player who got married and moved away).

I guess what I'm looking for is that old style of gaming. I don't necessarily mean an 'Old School' game played in 1st or 2nd Edition, as I do like Pathfinder and can tolerate 4e, but I'm looking for the old way games were played--with people creating and contributing to a storyline that goes beyond the characters, and where role-playing is something to be enjoyed as a way to flesh out your character and there's a decent level of PC-PC and PC-NPC interactions (though it doesn't have to be Shakespeare in the Park or Night at the Improv).

Lately, all the games I've played in have been very 'flat', with almost no descriptions of anything from what the room looks like to how the combat is going. It is, essentially, just miniature combat with the illusion of being an RPG.

There usually are no character descriptions, or character-to-character conversations or any attempt at a back-story or mutual party history.

I realize "RP-Heavy" games aren't for everyone, and I'm not saying they're a *better* way to game over the Beer & Pretzels uber-casual games I keep running into.

I'm just saying that I, personally, like my RPGs to have a nice mix of descriptive combat, cinematic narrative, and complex plots with story lines that go beyond the mere "Go collect 300 goblin ears and report back to me for your reward" kinda thing...

Don't get me wrong, I love combat and action, I just want something *more* than pushing minis around the map for 8hrs...

While I've run tons of campaigns, I'm really looking to play, not run. I also have a friend with the same style of gaming who would also join in, so that's one less player we'd need (and she usually plays Clerics is that helps).

Probably looking for a weekend game, Saturday or Sunday afternoons being ideal (maybe ever other weekend?). I live in SE Aurora by Arapahoe & E-470, but often travel to Enchanted Grounds for PFS games if that's a convenient location for anyone else. My place is small but could handle maybe 5 people in a pinch.

SOOooo, IF anyone still runs this style of game, or wants to start up a group with this blend of RP & Story as well as Action/Combat please post here or let me know via email.

Thanks,
VtM