onesickgnome's page

I love creating the "backstory" to my npc's and monsters in my home campaign, I love having a reason why the kobolds and the dragon "hang out", but it seems more often than not my hard work creating an elaborate history of the "Black Fang" orc tribe gets totally ignored by the players whos sole purpose is to slaughter the "Black Fangs" and enslave the children so that they, the orcs, can build their, the players, mega awesome keep, that players never seem to ever visit.

*sigh*

For good or bad the forum is the public face of the company. If I want to find out about an rpg I might ask at my FLGS or my freinds who play them. More often than not I go to the companies website to do research and lurk to see how topics and subjects are discussed. If I was a total noob coming here I would be somewhat hesistant to post here. Espcially if I was a 4E fan. Seeing 4E aattacked at least once I week is not going to make me want to post more. Or at all.

It's too easy a cop-out to say do not go by what is on the forum. It's Paizo main forum if I cannot use that as some sort of indicator than just what I am supposed to use. People need to stop forgeting it's the digital age. One bad thing on a forum can be posted an read all over the planet. Negative things get remembered and noticed more than good things.

I'm not saying do not ever post any anti-4e stuff. Just do it in threads that are about that. Not in everyone that has 4E and Wotc in it. I'm not trying to single this forum out. I stopped going on the Wotc forums because of two bad experieces. One guy who kept trying to provec that a 3.5 Barbarians Dr/2 was "horribly broken" and another fan who once he found out that I only spoke french but did not write it well started treating me as if I was some lazy anglo who could not be bothered. Not to mention the very public mental breakdown of a fan when he heard what was being done to 4E FR. He went from being the most rational of posters to having some like me on the board wonder if he was mentally unstable in real life.

I rahter spend my time here yet I also wish that posters would try to be more classy both in terms of 4E and Pathfinder.

*sigh*

Why are you adding fuel to a fire by calling a person "Mentally Unstable"?

I liked the Stardrive setting for alternity...

What about rebooting that franchise?

Paizo does not own Stardrive, WotC does....

I never liked Stardrive but I loved the Alternity Books.

Eric

I can't stand the thought of having guns with Sword and magic, I think it ruins the game. I know they are very early stages of guns but imagining someone not in heavy armor getting shot a few times and still fighting takes whatever realism there is in fantasy away. I know if I don't want to use it I don't have to, I just think something like this should stay out of one of the core books. Why not put out a book called 'Firearms' or something, the people that want it will buy it. I know I can't be alone, everyone in my group doesn't want anything to do with it. I hope they reconsider.

I hate the fact that a Ninja and Samurai class are in the new book, they are totally useless to me in my home brewed campaign, and I can't say as I will EVER play either of the classes.

Why not but out a book called "Orients" or something, the people that want it will buy it.

ANYWAY, I will buy the new book and snuggle with it every night until the next Pathfinder book comes out.

I played Twilight 2000 once, had a lot of fun in an M1 tank killing Ruskies in Poland, that was in the late 1980s when the scenario was a credible future. Later on we got to talking about what a remake of Twilight 2000 would be like, I suggested replacing the Russians with Arab terrorists, didn't go over too well, but the Soviet Union was kaput, and after 9/11 it seemed a logical choice to me. Turns out they didn't want to offend Muslims, but I guess the Russians didn't mind the original scenario involving them. Problem with Twilight 2000 is that some national group in the current political world has got to be the enemy in the scenario, can't have then fighting aliens from outer space. I guess during the Cold War, it was ok for the Russians to be the bad guys. In a Space Opera, you don't have problems like that, the Klingons never minded their portrayal in Star Trek.

There was a remake made called Twilight 2013, by 93games studio but they are going belly up, however the game is still out there.

Eric

DM Wellard wrote:

Tom_Kalbfus wrote:

The reason why more people don't play GURPS

Now I have well over 100 GURPS books and only use them as my gaming reference library.

The thing I liked about GURPS Traveller was the fact that you could play characters who were still active in their careers.So you could do the Mil-SF tropes.

The one I wanted off course was GURPS Honor Harrington.

Big deal, so that means the GM gets to play your commanding officer and give you orders on where you should go, and what you should do.

Its funny that in Traveller, you traditionally start out retired, it seems just wrong to do that. In T20 Traveller you typically start out at mid level, by rolling a few dice and gaining random experience points to gain levels, aging 4 years for every term, while you do so. I mean, why would you want that? Abstract an whole military career full of adventure down to a few dice rolls before begining actually play? Dungeons and Dragons never did that. I mean the point is in the journey, not the destination, the way Traveller does things you are already halfway there by the time you start the game. Players get to choose how many terms they get to serve in, and this produces a group of player characters that are widely seperated in character levels. Say one player retires after only on term, while the other serves ten terms, and he is a gray-haired 60-year-old retired marine who's maybe 14th level, and ready for adventure!

Gotta agree here, I hated that about t20, I also hated it Twilight 2000.

Eric

WotC released an Undermountain book for 3.5, I found it complete garbage. However I own all the old Undermountain Material and would Love to run a party through it using Pathfinder.

I am running my Family through Keep on the Borderlands and Im using very little conversion and some DM fudgeing, but thats Old school to me any way.

So far my family has had to return twice to the keep to heal up and resupply and that was only in the Kobold A section of the Caves of Chaos.

Yes It might be argued that the Keep is not a Megadungeon but its a experiment I decided to do with my family since they will be far more forgiving than a standard group of players.

So far the Keep has required me to adjust for skills and some of the encounters have been very difficult with 1 near TPK in the first room the party came into.

The group consists of a Fighter, Witch and a Druid, the Party is in the process of haggling with the Halfling Theif in the Keep to help out.

Eric

Dont know if this link was posted but here's a retro clone...
4c RPG

Right now, as far as core books are concerned, we've got the Core Rulebook, the Bestiary, the Gamemastery Guide, the Advanced Player's Guide, and the Bestiary 2. Coming soon are Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat.

Besides (maybe) an "Ultimate Skill" (our best shot at an artificer class, I think), Bestiary 3, an eventual Epic Rulebook and a potential Psionics Handbook (but unlikely with the positive reception of Psionics Unleashed), it's hard for me to see how much farther Pathfinder can expand without...well...turning into WotC. Already, with the announcement of what's coming in UC, I see some potential feat bloat occurring, and maybe some archetype bloat, too. The idea of 2-3 core books a year, with Campaign Setting supplements, player companions, adventure paths and modules is a great idea. But what happens when it begins running dry?

What happens when they can't come up with anything new for core material?

Do we get a new game? Will we get Pathfinder 2? That seems unlikely, since the whole point of Pathfinder was to give hope to those of us who purchased hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of dollars' worth of material for 3.5. To invalidate the now-hundreds (thousands?) of dollars spent on PF merchandise seems VERY counter-intuitive.

So what happens? Do we get a new system? Do they just stop making PF core and focus on modules and AP's? Do they begin publishing things like "Ultimate Magic 2"?

-The Beast

I want a Pathfinder 2 when the well drys up, I want it to remain in the theme of the Original Game that inspired it. As long as Paizo continues to honor the game it was based upon I'll continue to play it.

Speaking of which I'm running the Original Keep on the Borderlands with the Pathfinder ruleset and having to convert very little. And what I need to convert I can do on the Fly.

Most of the Classes are wired Western Myth....

But anyway, I have this picture of Gnomish Gun Slinging tinkers, or Orcish Mercenary Riflemen...

I love the Idea of the Gunslinger being an Artillery Piece wrecking havoc from a sniper position.

Eric

What if Secret Stash worked like this...

The Ammo and powder are mixed in such a way they only work with the characters unique weapon. Sort of like how only certain types of cartridges work in certain kinds of rifles.

The Gunslinger dabbles in alchemy and tinkers with his own weapons in such a way, that his Special Loads generated from his stash work only in his weapons.

He could sell the loads but only at a salvagers cost, and then only to other Gunslingers and maybe alchemist....

Eric

onesickgnome wrote:

Steampunk campaign....

** spoiler omitted **

Tam

The evil campaign Ive been running for you guys...The core of it is a Steampunk like world, mixed with High Fantasy and....ahem Spelljammer....

The Gnomes build clockwork guns, Ive tossed around building a Gun Class to fit in my world....PAIZO clearly has implanted small ninjas in my head to steal my ideas...

The 1/2 orc was something I would play in a campaign you ran.....

I'll I got to say is that if I have a valid concern Paizo is apt to address it with in days if not sooner. Paizo allows me to have valid input into the material it produces and responds to it. Paizo has Open Playtesting of its works and takes to heart my concerns....

The New classes are filling roles that folks have asked for...I will never use 2 of these classes nor allow them in my home brewed world, doesnt change the fact that I can see a need for the new class alternatives...sure I could have done the work myself, Hell I could make up my own RPG too why the hell should I pay Paizo any money at all they released their core rules for free....

Fact is I am a father with 4 kids and a full time career I dont have time to create a Gunslinger for my Steampunk campaign....

I hate the Oracle BTW....:)

Eric

I love the term Grit, it fits the name Gunslinger....Daring would work for a Swashbuckler...

I just cant wait to run a Pathfinder version of "True Grit"....

Could you "skin" the arcane and divine classes as types of Psionics? Wizards could become and order of trained Psionic Loremasters. Maybe the specialty Classes of the Wizard Classes become distict schools of psionic abilities. Doing this may save alot of work creating a psionic system. Renaming spells and writing fluff that creates reasons why psi powers behave like the Vancian Magic system.

I toyed with the Idea of usinf Sorcers and their Bloodlines in my home campaign as Human Mutants, using fluff to created the idea that Sorcers is as much a race as a class. Maybe the same could be down in a Space Opera setting?

Just some thoughts...I would KILL for a Pathfinder Space Opera!

Eric

Why do you guys need a CB?

Just a question. I would like to here from the pro-folk and con-folk on the issue.

Is 4e so broke you can't play without a CB or is the game so bloated you can't play without one?
Or is it just a convenient tool?
Doesn't Essentials bring all the current fixes together, that way I don't need the errata to build a character?

I can't see how 4e is any more complicated to building a character than any 3e character?

PRETTY!

You can get them in the USA from Brookhurst Hobbies

Gives a whole new meaning to suicide Bomber,really scary. I think I buy a few now that I have the Advanced Players book

Jesus posts here? Does he play D&D? Jack Chick is gonna be PISSED.

Name: Grey Jack
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Barbarian/2
Adventure: Stolen Land
Location: On the trail of that damn boar...
Catalyst: Well, I intentionally was playing a Barbarian with a weak Con, and had come across a certain part in the adventure where the cleric in the party because of RP reasons could not heal my Barbarian.
The Gory Details: The stupid boar smeared me, I was set with a long spear as the boar charged, got a good hit but not enough to effect the beast. The rest of the party could not pull the beast off me as it gored my body...LOL.

There was an old 1e book called something like Dungeoneer's Survival Guide (or maybe Handbook) that had something similar, IIRC. I don't have the book handy now (not sure where I've laid it) but I think there was a set of cavern "geomorphs" in the back that you could photocopy and cut out. There was also a lot of discussion of hazards, ecology and so forth...still a useful book even today. I think there was a wilderness book along the same lines (but I don't have that one.)

Hope that helps.
M

P.S. if you can't or don't want to find that book I'm sure you could just dig around and find some cavern geomorphs somewhere (positive I've seen some) and make your own random table for those, hazards, encounters, etc.

Yes I own the DSG the geomorphs are nice I was just hoping on something like the random Dungeon tables like in the 1e DMG. Looks like I may have to build my own tables.

To be more specific I need a set of random hex mapping tables for the Underdark, kinda like a wilderness table but for underdark exploration.

I dont need a software utility, I really want the tables so I can phsycally roll the map as the players explore.

Got any Ideas?

It is so refreshing that all the PF fans never fall into those traps. :P

Yeah, like I said I have some issue with 3.x, Im starting to think I dont like high end play, of course in never really did.

I dont like the need to multiclass, although it seems PF may have solved this.

I never really like the idea of a prestige class, I would have rather something more akin to kits from 2e to simulate the prestige class.

I dont like the elaborate monster stats.

You know I have issue with alot of the games I enjoy.

I never considered that the PCs needed to be balance, only the Party as a whole needed to be balanced. This of course is a 1e idea.

Im a 1e fan, and only realized that till after the much lauded "Edition Wars", it seems the best thing born from 4e is the OSR movement.

Sure I see issue with 3.X it just boggles the mind that none of the 4e Avengers have not one problem with 4e, its just the perfect game. Period. And the House rules dont mean that 4e is "broke" its just that they like their house rules, not that 4e needs House rules, because 4e is Perfect.

Perfect I'll run this by the DM.

I rolled up a background using a Central Casting book, and Im trying to flesh out the tribe my family came from. My father belonged to a mercenary unit that lost several battles.

Im building a background for a Kingmaker AP a buddy is gonna run and I need the name and a little background on any Barbarian groups near the APs setting.

Also I need to have a recent war said tribe or group may have been involved with over the last couple of decades or so.

Any Loremasters out there that can give me some help?

Eric

1e AD&D, I've never had a problem with the wild claims of unbalance in the party.

I never saw it. As each class had its own exp chart to worry about and its own money sinks, ie Spell components, Guild dues, Tithes and taxes, Weapon and Armor replacement....LOVE me a Rust Monster. I just never saw rambant unbalance.

Maybe I play a little differently than some folks, I dont know. Now dont get me wrong I dont lord over the PCs but come on if you cant control the situations trown at you by a PC why the Hades are you a GM?

Eric

This is a good thread that I wish the Edition Wars could stay clear of. Its funny the thread gets necro'ed in the 3.x side of the forum and the 4e fans crawl out of the lower planes to defend their true love.

So if ya don't like Pax and his topics, seeing how he's the OP stay out of the thread. Pax has made it very clear he's not a 4e fan he like the Anti-Scott Betts of the Forum.

55. Faint angelic wings appear when jumping or leaping (No game effect).

I'm really beginning to think the idea of an "Edition" is something WotC wants to go away.

You don't need a new "edition" if you can almost instanly update a system through the DDI.

A while im not a huge 4e fan I don't see a problem with a online/electronic version of the game. I have a huge PDF database on my home computer.

I know many 4e Fans don't like the comparison but the DDI erratta updates smell like MMO patches....which really isnt a bad thing seeing how WotC is closer to its fanbase than the big MMO companies.

I wonder what the RPG world would look like if 3.x had this kind of electronic support from its inception....

Eric.

David Fryer wrote:

And here we are years later posting on an RPG message board. Maybe our bishops and pastors wre right. :)

My experience has been that the guys I knew that were really into RPG's spent enough time with that that they missed alot of the other popular "diversions" of youth.

In fact, looking back, in general I think that it at least made no difference to how much we are involved with the faith today, but it might actuaally be that more of us stayed with the faith...

Being Raised Mormon and then later joining another faith, I'm suprised at how many of us on the "right" side of religious views are so open minded about Gaming.....

WotC's Dungeon Master's Guide 2 is a remarkable book, and an amazing follow-up to the original DMG. Check out the review of this D&D 4e Core Book here:

Review of Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 by Wizards of the Coast

Hasn't the DMG 2 been out for a while?

I've recently started playing again after a 30 year(!) hiatus. My nephews have expressed interest in playing a game, and I think I could convincingly GM for a group of 10 year olds.

The twist is that these guys are Mormons (or rather, their parents are devout), so any kind of Undead (b/c of religion) or Great Evil (b/c of age) is probably off limits.

I've googled around for a good kid's campaign, but have not seen what I'm looking for. Keep on the Borderlands would be perfect, except for the "objectionable" material that's really central to the campaign.

Any ideas?

Todd

DRAGONLANCE, one of its creator is a devote Mormon and has written articles in defense of the Gaming Culture.

www.trhickman.com

Tracy Hickman's Site^ Read his section on his faith.

Eric

Love LL here.

Downloaded the freebe Advanced Edition the other day. I tend to follow the Grognardia blog so I keep pretty up to date with whats going on in the retro market.

I need to pony up the cash and get Hard copies though....

Eric

Paul Worthen wrote:

onesickgnome wrote:

Futher and further WotC seems to be leaving the traditional concepts of a RPG...opinion, yes I know.

I think you are probably wrong. My guess is that this is a "side game" and that they don't really expect it to take off and replace 4e. It's a chance for them to experiment with some rules, and see if this model works for RPGs. If it does, then you might be right and we'll see something like it for D&D in the future. My guess is that Gamma World will not prove popular at these prices and with the random cards. But that's just my guess.

On top of that, if they're under pressure from corporate to see if the random boosters of cards model is feasible, simply not buying boosters would be a great way of demonstrating that you love the Gamma World game but don't care for the random booster mechanic.

I'm pretty sure this is not the direction RPGs are going to go, though. The designers have stated that they believe this format is good for a one- or two-shot but does not support long-term campaigns like D&D does.

Yea, I think your right here, A little venting was all I think I was doing. pfft.

Will we see a Star Frontiers?

Wow I really dont know what to say other than Gamma Worlds newest edition will seem more than lily add more fuel to the Edition Wars...

I understand the concept of the Cards mechanic, but where in any of the Editions of GW did powers change on a daily basis?

Also does this randomness affect Tech? Will my Laser rifle dissapper?

Its just odd...

Futher and further WotC seems to be leaving the traditional concepts of a RPG...opinion, yes I know.

Eric

Gygax built a Pseudo-Skill system for his Castle Zagyg campaign....I think its unavailble at this time though. Gygax Games pulled the License.

Eric

No "Skills" its all RP'ed....or at the very best done with a Attribute roll.

Think 1e AD&D before the NWP mess of Oriental Adventures.

I had a DM let a character of mine throw a horse at a ogre....fun.

What 30 or so years of rouges/theives being a mainstay of the beloved game? And even the much debated killer of sacred cows 4e kept the rouge?

Sounds like a important and vital part of a "D&D" game to me.

Eric

I played in a "Shackeled City" campaign based in Eberron years ago with a very magic hating DM, Understand this...the DM pick EBERRON to host his "Shacked City" campaign.

Me and two other guys where playing mixed classed rangers and owned a single +1 Longsword at 8th level.....

I hated the campaign and despised the DM for his choices. It matter very little how well he worked as a DM he made very poor choices and allowed his own biases dictate our choices....SUCKED!

Eric

I don't understand the need for yet another d20 system...
Crafty Games, Green Ronin Publishing...do we need another generic d20 engine?

What if you're a conservative with liberal leanings?

You know... a Liberal Conservative?

Your a Libertarian...

I'm independent leaning liberal. I agree with some conservative ideas, just not most.

Then check out the Libertarian Party....

*Sigh* never any Libertarian love.....just liberals and conservatives....

HHHHMMMMM

It seems like the OGL did more to "Spilt" the gamer base than any other marketing ploy used under the D&D flagship.

It has emboldened the "Old School" movement by making it "legal" to produce 1e material (OSRIC) and even created a way for folks to go even more "Old School" with games like Labryith Lord.

Paizo has used the OGL to continue producing material for 3.5, and seems to be building a small following of third party publishers.

It would seem the King (AKA D&D) has given up his throne for Democracy and Capitalism.....

I wonder what the far reaching long term effects the OGL will have on the Gaming world....

Eric

Its odd that folks are debating Wotc in this way....they are the same company that created "bloat" for 3.5. Who's to say they won't do it again...seems the patern is that as an edition winds down more bloat is created...maybe to build revenue for a new edition?

Its so odd that folks debate what Wotc did during 3.5 and what they are doing now....Same Company owned by the same folks....

onesickgnome wrote:

All find and dandy but the momment Nug stops cobbling to kill a dragon he is no longer a Cobbler. He is now a adventurer. It changes a person, just like it Changes a fat middle aged hobbit.

No one would sit around a table rolling crafting checks for three hours to make shoes.

No, he's a cobbler on an adventure. Most characters in WFRP who survive the early days will move on from their initial, mundane professions to take actual adventuring professions. Think of it as like 3e prestige classes, only all of the classes are like that and the prereqs are low.

And I agree, I love the WFRP system. But those base roles in WFRP never gain any experiance or develop further if they never adventure. I remeber loving the role of Ratcatcher I stayed in that role far pass its prime, didnt care had to much fun playing Garick the Rat Slayer.

I despise Nurgle.......

Eric

onesickgnome wrote:

Playing an RPG is about being the Hero, good or bad. And so to be a hero we need rule sets that reflect that.

I see playing an RPG is about becoming a hero.

And that is a big difference to playing a hero. But YMMV

onesickgnome wrote:

Why play Nug the Cobbler when you could step into the role of Lancelot, or Hurcules?

Because it is cool to start out as a cobbler advance against all odds to become a hero. Neither lancelot nor Hercules have any personality that I find remotely interesting. They are strong, brave intelligent etc. the only flaw I know of is that Lance has the hots for his King's wife. I find this boring. On the other Hand, plying a young cobbler who takes up hi grandfathers sword with dreams of becoming a knight one day. Now, that is something I can relate to.

onesickgnome wrote:

If you want to play a character as Mundane as Nug, than so be it just dont cry to me when Smuag eats your shoe cobbling arse.

And who was the one who got in and out of this Dragon's lair? A Superhero? Nope, a fat, middleaged Hobbit.

Also if you take a look at the Warhammer FRPG, you will see that it is indeed mostly cobblers, ratcatchers and roadwardens who adventure and save the day. Not Knights in shining armor.
So there are RPGs out there who still do the "normal guy becomes a hero" approach.

All find and dandy but the momment Nug stops cobbling to kill a dragon he is no longer a Cobbler. He is now a adventurer. It changes a person, just like it Changes a fat middle aged hobbit.

No one would sit around a table rolling crafting checks for three hours to make shoes.

Eric

The Die Hard movies, Hell any action movie shows that a "hero" can survive horrible bloodloss and greivous wounds and continue to win the day.

RPG games from what 2e and up reflect this kind of mentality. 4e is no different than any other game in that it focuses on the "Hero".

Nobody wants to play a serving wench that dies in the 1st round of combat.

But if the Serving wench is to one day rule a nation well thats a different story altogeter.

Playing an RPG is about being the Hero, good or bad. And so to be a hero we need rule sets that reflect that.

Look to the Myths of our real world, even the tragic heroes did and performed IMPOSSIBLE things overcame IMPOSSIBLE goals.

Why play Nug the Cobbler when you could step into the role of Lancelot, or Hurcules?

Who would honestly watch a movie about Nug the Cobbler over the Adventures of Tarzan?

If you want to play a character as Mundane as Nug, than so be it just dont cry to me when Smuag eats your shoe cobbling arse.