WNxTyr4el's page

I think he meant dynamics lol.

I'm getting too many RPGs on my hands! Thanks for the info!

I started gaming around 1989-1990 and purchased copies of both AD&D2E and Shadowrun 2E so I've been playing Shadowrun for a long time and it remains one of my all time favorite games and the updates that came with 4E and have carried over to 5E are great.

I don't feel that the game system is complicated since it has a simple core mechanic and everything functions the same. From a system mastery standpoint, if you can shoot a gun you can sling a spell or hack a computer. Unlike games like Pathfinder where you need to know a different aspect of the rules to implement spells everything functions the same. That being said there is a lot of nuance to the tech and magic available to the characters that requires some experience to understand and this is where the complexity comes into the game. However, the game offers premade characters they call 'archetypes' that I STRONGLY recommend you make use of until you have played the game a few times and get how things like cyberware, spells, and augmented reality effect the game.

On the Catalyst Game labs website you can get quick start rules for free that will get you and your friends into playing quickly and easily. I recommend starting there even if you get a copy of the core rulebook.

I looked through the Quick Start rules actually. They seemed quite complicated at first glance, though I didn't give it a full read. I'll try to find some time and give it a good full read in addition to the PDF of the actual rule book.

You're gonna be a busy guy trying all these new RPGs ;)

I'm excited! My PF Beginner Box will be here either today, tomorrow or Monday lol.

Take my opinions with a massive grain of salt because I havent run or played Shadowrun since 3rd ed. But my group and I loved that game to pieces back in highschool and then in college through today I havent been able to find folks who will play it and I figured out why. Back when I ran Shadowrun I found the rules a little clunky for the high speed, fast paced, Die Hard style action sets that we craved out of the admitedly fantastic setting. I found that I often streamlined bits of the rules to really kick up the high octane action and increase the pace of the game.

Also things like Decking and the Matrix while awesome if everyone is playing one are really boring for the rest of the party if the decker has a whole side quest right in the middle of a session.
I found that for the majority of a session I would run the deckers sort of like Rogues in D&D where they would roll and that was that if it was something simple like bypassing a security door. Then when we got to something like a boss fight, the decker often would have a more complicated hack to make and I would run that in parallel to the boss fight to give them all something special to do within the Run. The Decker would still get his special Matrix time, but it didnt keep the rest of the party standing in a hallway somewhere twiddling thumbs and making sandwitches.

The third thing that I think helped is that while Shadowrun is a fantastic setting full of tons of great stuff a lot of folks run struggle to come up with over arching campaigns, plots etc.. It's very easy to fall into the "run of the week" routine. Be wary of that and try to change it up after a few sessions. Just like any RPG an over arching plot, changing set pieces and flexiblity in what your party will do are key. One of our best times was a campaign where the party started out primarily as car thieves ala grand theft auto and at that time there werent even rules for car chases in the game....

That's really fantastic advice, thanks so much for all that!

That helps me a lot in making a decision. I definitely think I'll try a few games out (probably online) and see how I like it. There aren't too many people near me that play I don't think so I'd have to do some looking but online games are also possible. Thanks for the help!

For people who play, what do you enjoy about the game? What don't you like? I want to hear the good and bad of the game. Give me a short description of an encounter you put your players through or you yourself went through. I just want to read some of the types of stories that can happen :)

I think I'm gonna buy the $20 PDF version of the rules and see how I like reading through it. Character creation seems a lot different but interesting so we shall see

So then i need the Heroes handbook! Is that all I'd need?

It seems really fun. I definitely may try it. Magic users definitely seem limited in the amount of spells they get that blow stuff up though lol

I'm considering getting into Shadowrun. I've heard it's a lot of fun and I figured I should test it out myself before I buy any books or materials. I wanted to get anyone's opinion on the game here who plays it. What do you like about the game? What don't you like about the game? I know it's only a d6 game so don't use that in any of your answers lol.

I want to specifically know about combat and how that all plays out. I don't understand how combat would play out if you don't use a play mat (I've asked around and people say that most don't). How do you roleplay out combat? You need to be able to see the enemy to know what you're doing don't you? And if you don't use a mat and minis then what's the point of a speed/agility ability? That whole aspect just confuses me.

But generally I just want opinions on the game and how you feel it's popularity is doing.

I'm new to the M&M scene. Considering getting into it. Is 3e the newest edition out now?

And what's the difference between the Deluxe and regular Hero's Handbook?

Well, depending on the genre you want to run...

GURPS, the Generic Universal Role-Playing System from Steve Jackson Games, is a ruleset that can be adapted (in theory) for any genre. It is a skill-based game, not a level-based game, giving players much finer control over what their character can do. I've played in several long-lasting GURPS campaigns over the years.

I prefer using GURPS for modern-day, recent historical, and science-fiction gaming. I think it strikes a very good balance between abstraction and realism. I've played in GURPS space opera games, "X-Files" type games, and a very weird game the crossed genre lines. (We were psychic Federal agents who allied with a coven of vampires to prevent the Bavarian Illuminati from making contact with aliens who wanted to use New York City as a blood sacrifice to summon Hastur the Unspeakable.)

For super-hero gaming, it's very hard to top Champions from HERO Games. Highly customizable, with a great combat system although character creation is rather intimidating to new playes (and very math-intensive).

For horror gaming, there's no subsititue for Call of Cthulhu. You don't actually need to use the Cthulhu mythos in your horror game-- there are plenty of options to use other horror tropes. No game I've ever played was able to conjure the amount of dread as this one.

For cosmic-level games with High Weirdness, I'd recommend Amber Diceless Role-Playing, long out-of-print, but soon to be restored with Lords of Gossamer and Shadow. The PCs have vast power in the multiverse, allowing them to traverse the shadowy dimensions into alternate worlds-- all of which are mere reflections and shadows of a higher level of reality.

I'm not sure how I feel about Cthulhu seeing as there's little combat (which is an aspect I like). I'll check out the others though, thanks!

Why can I not register on the M&M forums? Lol, I want to ask some questions there! I don't see a register link!

Not sure of how popular it is, but the Dragon Age RPG from Green Ronin is pretty fun and a nice variant on a D&D style fantasy RPG. Easy to learn. They call the system it uses AGE (adventure game engine). I believe they have some generic, non-Dragon Age material coming out for it in 2014. The defunct Kobold Quarterly had a number of articles over its run to add AGE options.

It's hard enough finding people to play the popular games. I probably won't look into something unless it has a decent following already. But a Dragon Age RPG would be a lot of fun I bet.

Also...which edition is out now? I'm looking for the handbook but don't know which one I'd need lol.

Problem with M&M (the edition I played) was that the damage cap made it generally true that everyone did the same damage, maybe with different colours for variety, and that combat, due to its mechanisms, generally ended in the winning side beating down on the losing side for several rounds before someone was actually knocked out or otherwise unable to fight. It turned into more "gangsta beatdown" than superhero combat.

Is the edition that's out now like that or is it different?

What would a standard game of M&M look like anyway? How does gameplay go? Is it the typical story, encounter, story, encounter, etc. type of gameplay that I've seen in D&D so far?

You can totally run the game with the familiar grid-based combat, but seeing as how flying, swinging, super-speed and teleportation are pretty common tactics you'll rapidly discover it's easier to go with a more narrative based approach.

Wouldn't be much of a superhero game if there wasn't any of that ;). That makes total sense though. Thanks for the help! I can't decide on either one still lol.

Well for Mutants and Masterminds all you need is the core rulebook and a d20.

Or you can read all the rules Right Here For Free.

I really recommend the books though, because of the fantastic production values.

So $40 to get started isn't bad. I may consider it then :D. Gotta' find a game to try it out first though :P. So is combat like any other d20 game? You put your PC on a map/board/flip mat and take turns making actions and casting powers and dealing with the bad guys? Character creation seems really intense lol. Do you level up in M&M?

And a question about Shadowrun: Does the game lend itself more to online play? I was going through the forums and it seems there are a lot of games played online...which I have never tried but I'm not sure if I'd enjoy it really :(

I've been really considering either M&M or Shadowrun to start playing in addition to PF/D&D but have no idea if either one is played a lot down here in Tampa. I'm on meetup.com and don't see too many meet ups for either game, so I'm not sure. I loved playing City of Heroes and Champions Online so M&M may be really fun for me. I also really like The Matrix and Fantasy mix with Shadowrun so it's a hard decision. I really enjoy combat in D&D right now which is d20 so I'm sure I'd like it in M&M as well.

Is it noob friendly? Can a noob just get one to two items and hop in and start playing, or is there more to it? I couldn't find much on the game's classes or powers or archetypes or whatever they have for a class system lol. So if you know anything about that, it'd be good information.

It sounds really awesome. I may have to try that one at some point. I may wait for fifth edition though. I don't think it's too far out, right ?

I've heard of mutants and masterminds as well. Is that another popular one?

Is there a lot of combat or is gameplay played more towards these skills?

Personally, I'd find a group first and see what they're playing rather than picking a game and then looking for a group.

I think it's far more important to like the people you're playing with than to like the system.

I completely agree. I'm just doing some research is all. Nothing wrong with that! Shadowrun does seem reaaally interesting and fun.

I looked more into it and I'm not sure if I like how it's split across so many expensive books :(. That's what I don't lol about D&D and what I like about PF lol.

Unless I'm wrong and there's only one book you need really to play. That's good then :). Also is it a popular game? I don't wanna get into something that I can't find a game for lol

Varied more how so? I definitely like the fantasy and cyberpunk combo

I looked into shadowrun too. It doesn't seem to have a lot of classes. The necessary ones of course but not too many others. Doesn't leave much choice. Though I could be wrong. It sounds interesting definitely

By outside what I described what do you mean? I looked into that one but couldn't figure out really what it was about (didn't look long as I was at work)

Admins please delete this thread :)

Just anything that's fairly popular nowadays is a good place to start :)

GURPS? What's that?

And I like fantasy type role playing games with epic stories and lands like PF and D&D, but I also like Sci-Fi and stuff like the video game, "The Secret World." Stuff like that.

I really like the whole magic aspect of any role playing game or video game as I almost always play a caster. So anything with that aspect would most definitely interest me (so long as it had the "fluff" to back up the system lol).

So thought I'd ask what some other popular tabletop RPGs are nowadays. I know theres PF and D&D but what else is out there? I like fantasy type ones as well as just RPGs that give a lot of free reign or options in what you can be class/profession wise.

So what other ones are out there?!

Note: These can be d20 or not - doesn't matter. Just Tabletop RPGs is the only criteria.

Also...I put this in Off-Topic as well and apologize for the duplicate, but figured it would get more attention here and be answered faster (hopefully). Any admin, please delete the same topic in Off-Topic Discussion. Thanks and sorry again!

So thought I'd ask what some other popular tabletop RPGs are nowadays. I know theres PF and D&D but what else is out there? I like fantasy type ones as well as just RPGs that give a lot of free reign or options in what you can be class/profession wise.

So what other ones are out there?!

Note: These can be d20 or not - doesn't matter. Just Tabletop RPGs is the only criteria.

That sort of makes sense lol. What does YMMV mean?

So I was looking through the list of spells and I see a TON of them. But I've also noticed a lot seem to be for roleplaying purposes. Is this the case with most of the spells or are there more that have use in combat as well?

I can't seem to figure out PCGen. I'm having a hard time figuring out the spell page for casters. I'm not sure if it's allowing me to pick a ton of spells or if I'm supposed to be able to pick them as per the CRB. I have no idea which classes only know a certain amount and which know their full list, or which have to prepare spells or which have to rest or do whatever. I'm confused about that.

But anyway, other than that it's very easy to use. Might go to HeroLab but it's quite expensive for everything.

Hey everyone. I hope this is the right place for this. I was just wondering if there's anyone that plays PF in the Tampa/Lutz/Land O' Lakes area (closer to the latter two). If so, let me know!

Thanks!

It'd be good to know what I'm paying for each month though lol. I assume it's $13.99 which includes the 30% discount. But then again, I'm not sure.

Got it, thanks! I was looking into the Adventure Path Subscription but I'm confused about how much it costs each month. Is it $13.99 each month or is it $13.99 one time? Or is it something else?

Adventure paths take players through 15-18 levels or are for levels 15-18?

After looking around a bit, I've realized I'm really confused as to what all these 3 are. Can anyone explain them all to me please?

If I remember right the beginner box runs from 1st to 5th level, which is basically somewhere between 50 and 100 encounters for a party of 4. If you're planning on running games, that should keep you going for plenty long enough to get the cash for the core rules, and possibly one or two other books.

To play, I'd suggest CRB, APG, and then UC and UM after. If you're looking to GM, slot Bestiary 1 after CRB, and squeeze the GMG in somewhere, too, with an eye to getting the other Bestaries when you can.

That's exactly the order I was going to go in! Thanks a lot!

So the clerics preferred ability is wisdom but like the last poster said each class may utilize different stats for different spells, resulting in different ways to build each class? But I imagine there's at least one dominant ability in all available spells for each class, right?

I didn't see the casting stat in the spell description either. Is it listed there? Do you have an example of one? Sorry for being so blind/noob :P

Where can I find information on what stat each class prefers? I can't seem to find it and I'm messing around with PCGen and it's important to know which stat I need lol

WNxTyr4el wrote:

I'm sure I'll find something. I've just been itching for something to do since I got my new job here in FL. I have 0 free time during the week.

Well, if I can make a suggestion, try out Pathfinder Society. Florida has a really well organized PFS with it's own website at http://floridapfs.org/

I think you're near Tampa? Looks like there's events running not too far from there: http://paizo.com/events/v5748mkg0aia1

The nice thing about Pathfinder Society is you can just show up and play. The people running it will have pregen characters already made up and can teach you the game as everyone goes along. I'm on the east side of Florida but I've been a part of several games up in Melbourne that's had half the table as new players.

I think PFS is really a great way to experience Pathfinder and get an introduction to roleplaying. Plus if you're busy it's a type of gaming that you can fit your schedule a little more easily than weekly group gaming.

I'd love to get into it, but looking on their site...they have no events near me :(.

There are edition changes (1e-->2e; 3e-->3.5; maybe 3.5-->PF) and then there are EDITION CHANGES (2e-->3e; 3.5-->4e; maybe 3.5-->PF). I wouldn't necessarily object to the former, but am not particularly interested in the later.

But, that's neither here nor there - all signs indicate that there are no plans for a new edition of Pathfinder any time in the near future. The closest they seem to come is incorporating and updating materials from the softcover supplements into the hardcover offerings, which is a trend I generally like. I have a hankering for a PF spell tome that collects, updates, and polishes the best of the spells have been released to date.

Spell Tome ftw :D

So I thought I'd write this thread as kind of a question to the community (being new and all); what are your favorite multiclass combos? And I've heard that spell casters almost never multiclass. Why is that? If someone could explain that to me, that'd be great.

So I guess let's get on with it :D

WNxTyr4el wrote:

Yeah I could do that I'm just debating on it. It's only PDF and I mean while I could use it to read at night just to learn I can't always have it right in front of me to flip through. What would it be useful for? I mean what would be the use of just having the PDF?

Well, if you have a tablet, it's almost as good as a dead tree book (and in some ways, better). While I generally like dead tree versions of the core book for a system I play, I find it is a lot cheaper and conserves a LOT of space if I reserve less-often referenced supplements for PDF-only purchases.

And alas I don't have a tablet lol. So it'd be hard to use while playing the game. Not to mention using Ctrl+F to find a page and material is harder than just flipping to the page and reading it.

WNxTyr4el wrote:

In other news though: I bought the beginner box and am really excited to try it. I've realized something from my other thread (4e vs PF) and it's that the systems may be different, but every person has his/her opinions on it and neither system is better nor worse. I know that isn't really like an epiphany or anything but I'm really excited to try PF considering I never played 3.5. I've heard the rules may be a little more complicated than 4e but that's okay. I learn rules pretty quickly; especially related to games and gaming.

You won't be disappointed -- the beginner box is a fantastic product.

That said, it is an introductory product, so much of the complexity of the full game has been removed. It sounds like you might consider spending $10 on a PDF of the core rules as well.

Yeah I could do that I'm just debating on it. It's only PDF and I mean while I could use it to read at night just to learn I can't always have it right in front of me to flip through. What would it be useful for? I mean what would be the use of just having the PDF?

WNxTyr4el wrote:

Kydeem de'Morcaine wrote:

Have fun! I have found the hobby to be well worth the cost.

I'm sure it will be! I'll be able to post for PF and D&D 4e on Meetup.com now. I'm sure people will come :D.

You are bound to get a few takers. Good luck and happy gaming regardless of which game you end up sticking with.

Super excited! I also have a full group for 4e on Sunday so that will be fun.

I'll check out PCGen. Looks pretty good :D

Have fun! I have found the hobby to be well worth the cost.

I'm sure it will be! I'll be able to post for PF and D&D 4e on Meetup.com now. I'm sure people will come :D.

I'd love to get a newbie friendly game going on roll20. I just don't know when or what time.