atys's page

I got the recent Alkenstar AP Humble Bundle, and I plan on running the Beginner Box for some newbies, then gauging interest in the AP. What do I need to prepare? I've GMed some other systems, but never in person. I've listed what I've thought of below:

- Dice sets (at least enough for four players)
- Pregen character sheets (maybe some blank ones?)
- Dry erase grid map
- Objects to represent PCs and NPCs/monsters

I'd love some recommendations for specific products, and also if you all could point out anything I may not have considered.

Give me evil clowns, or give me death!

Gaulin wrote:

Right, but it's that sort of thinking that is why the rare tag is in place, to give GM's an easy out. I don't think it's fair to say I'm the problem immediately. You're pretty much proving my point.

I think what Squiggit is trying to say is that if your players will be "upset" about you banning Exemplar, then you and those players obviously don't want to play the same type of game, and you have no business playing together to begin with.

Or, to put it another way: You mock him, but Squiggit has a point. Allowing a rare game element is a binary choice: There's just no way to "kind of" allow Exemplar. If one party wants it, and the other doesn't, then one of you "giving in" to the other is LITERALLY the only way to play this game together.

Right, but it's that sort of thinking that is why the rare tag is in place, to give GM's an easy out. I don't think it's fair to say I'm the problem immediately. You're pretty much proving my point.

I think what Squiggit is trying to say is that if your players will be "upset" about you banning Exemplar, then you and those players obviously don't want to play the same type of game, and you have no business playing together to begin with.

Arachnofiend wrote:

The word popular is pretty key here IMO; I would assume that "hunt the enemies of your people" is a common edict for dwarves that are bad people. A heroic dwarf likely does not give this cultural norm much credence, or may choose to interpret it in a way that suits them, but do so and you may run the risk of being outcast for defending an outsider. That's not an uncommon tale for a budding adventurer.

Yeah, I see this as, like, "Here are some examples of personal anathemas that some dwarves connected to aspects of their cultures might hold." It's more a suggestion to prompt you than anything, not a species-wide code, or even necessarily a taboo that could get you shunned.

I don't mind there being flavor-only anathemas. I think it's fun, and I like how it integrates everyone's beliefs under the same umbrella--it makes it clear that anyone can have strongly-held beliefs and rules and codes of conduct, even if they don't have a deity holding a gun to their head. Anathemas are a great roleplaying prompt, and I'm already having fun with them with new characters.

I wouldn't have a problem with the name being changed, but "Taboo" wouldn't make a lot of sense. Optional anathemas aren't exclusively ancestry-based, after all.

Personal taboos exist too.