
Drejk |
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Tacticslion wrote:Vanykrye wrote:Tac - I like the idea. If it makes sense for you/your world, here's my take on it, use at will or not at all.
The module as a Rite of Passage. They're all late teen's/early 20's with NPC classes. When they complete the initial module before going into the AP, the Council Elders or whatever have them Drink from the McGuffin of Adulthood (which can later be stolen as a side-quest to tie them back to their origins), which transforms their NPC level(s) into the appropriate PC classes and raises their stats to what they determined by whatever method you use. They are now Protectors of their village (or whatever) and are sworn to protect and root out threats to the town...which will include threats to the wider region...hence the AP.
Man, I love this idea.
... unfortunately, they've all already made basic characters that come from four different portions of the world, have backstories tied to their classes, and a "first adventure" where they meet already partially-executed.
... though I'm totally stealing this for a later game, if you don't mind. XD
Sounds a lot like the whotsit you have to do in Dungeon Crawl Classics, where each player has a bunch of 0-level dungspreaders/bakers/serfs and whathaveyou, you send them all into a deadly labyrinth, most of them die, and whatever you have left becomes your character.
In other news, when you start singing New Kids On The Block songs to yourself, you know it's time to go home.
Nursing home...

Tacticslion |

Starfinder is great for introducing religious people to RPGs.
Everyone loves Star Wars.
Sure!
... IF they are interested in an SF-genre game (many are not, as Mort is evidence).
PF works fine - I’m just not going to be a lento put Occult Adventures on the table, and expect good things, next matter how well made it is.
... but I totally prefer psionics as a style of “magic” (and as a genre), so that’s a thing, too. :)
But I really ike the OA stuff that I’ve been able to pursue.

Tacticslion |

Yup!
I love SF, and OA, and similar, but the former has a specific set of folks who aren interested in that style of game, and the latter has a specific set of folks really sleeved out due to nomenclature, and sometimes those folks overlap. :)
But I think that getting people to play SF is also possible - more possible than OA - as I have a few genre enthusiasts here, too!

NobodysHome |
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Ah, fate, you fickle, sword-wielding, insane poop-throwing monkey, you!
After my comments this morning, Whingey sent me an e-mail, "Hey, can I come over and do my level-up tomorrow morning?"
So, on the one hand, he's trying.
On the other hand, it's the second session in a row he's violated the, "The GM is not to be disturbed within 48 hours of game time" rule (and I smacked him about it last time), and I'll be doing this 'work' thing that I do. He's a very "needy" level-upper ("Do you think I should take x or y?" "Take y." "But what about z?"), and I have handoffs to do, so it's one of those, "If I don't allow it, it'll wreck LM's day on Saturday. If I do allow it, I'll have to constantly shut him down and he'll leave frustrated."
Allowing it is the obvious answer, since it impacts him and not LM. But yes, telling everyone, "This is a very high-stress game for me, so don't bother me for 2 days beforehand so I can prepare," and having it routinely ignored is... stressful.

lisamarlene |
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Oh, LM, I need to get some ideas from you.
It looks like Saturday is going to be the kind of session you hate: Gral, Tirra, Arkwhal, Kevril, and Iuliana still haven't done their level-ups. As far as I can tell, no one other than you has gone over the loot list, either. You're also in Absalom, with a, "The sky's the limit" purchase limit so people are going to want to go through the books and look for neat stuff to buy.
While Arkwhal and Kevril are easy (the Impii are nice, straight-to-the-point, "If it doesn't improve me in combat I don't need it" players), I see Tirra and Gral taking 1-2 hours each for their shopping, and unless Whingey's done some preliminary work, he could easily take 2-3 hours (or more, since he can buy spells there).
In short, after 3 weeks, to the best of my knowledge you are the *only* player to have taken any actions to let us actually further the plot, so Saturday's likely to be one big shopping/level-upping/giving each other advice session. Which you despise.
Is there any way I can make Saturday less painful for you?
EDIT: OK, Tirra's done her level-up and gone over the loot list, but hasn't shopped.
Ugh.
Did Whingey email you about coming over tomorrow sometime to level? I will text him now and tell him to go over loot + shopping. He's on the train on his way home and has Wi-Fi.
Kjeldorn |
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Limeylongears wrote:Nursing home...Tacticslion wrote:Vanykrye wrote:Tac - I like the idea. If it makes sense for you/your world, here's my take on it, use at will or not at all.
The module as a Rite of Passage. They're all late teen's/early 20's with NPC classes. When they complete the initial module before going into the AP, the Council Elders or whatever have them Drink from the McGuffin of Adulthood (which can later be stolen as a side-quest to tie them back to their origins), which transforms their NPC level(s) into the appropriate PC classes and raises their stats to what they determined by whatever method you use. They are now Protectors of their village (or whatever) and are sworn to protect and root out threats to the town...which will include threats to the wider region...hence the AP.
Man, I love this idea.
... unfortunately, they've all already made basic characters that come from four different portions of the world, have backstories tied to their classes, and a "first adventure" where they meet already partially-executed.
... though I'm totally stealing this for a later game, if you don't mind. XD
Sounds a lot like the whotsit you have to do in Dungeon Crawl Classics, where each player has a bunch of 0-level dungspreaders/bakers/serfs and whathaveyou, you send them all into a deadly labyrinth, most of them die, and whatever you have left becomes your character.
In other news, when you start singing New Kids On The Block songs to yourself, you know it's time to go home.
Ahhh...the good old WFRP-days!
Back when your initial adventuring career was indeed a Dung-Shoveler, Beggar or Vagabond.

NobodysHome |
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Sorry, I wrote that after reading the post on the previous page; I hadn't reached the end of the thread yet.
But, having finally received our IRS refund, we should now be able to get Whingey's van fixed AND get the hero labs bundle we've been missing that will enable us both to level up from home.
Oh, you wascawwy wabbit! Managing to hide that you didn't have the add-ons from me and Shiro until you could get them yourself!
On the other hand, I don't remember a birthday coming through, so we couldn't have made up a decent excuse...
...I don't recall "Happy Presidents' Day!" as being a gift-giving occasion...

NobodysHome |
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Random thoughts during my (late) lunch break, since I'll be heads-down reviewing other people's stuff and then doing game prep for CT tonight:
The reasons are very simple: We have antique glasses dating from the 1920s that should NEVER see a dishwasher. NobodysWife has dry clean only clothes. Impus Major decorates his desk in very specific ways. And housekeepers are very practical; all dishes go in the dishwasher, all clothes go in the washing machine. All crap on a desk gets sorted into a neat pile. It's a neverending war to keep our nice stuff from being inadvertently ruined. I hear similar stories from the other people who have house cleaners. So it's just an odd little war of, "Hide the nice stuff! The cleaner's coming!"
Unfortunately, we then throw in Whingey, who is (from the videos) the Rules Lawyer/Whiney Power Gamer/I must be the star player, and he does his utmost to ruin any cooperation or roleplay between the other players, and it's just a mess. Trying to plan a "fun" session for both types of player, while "managing" Whingey is a difficult, stressful endeavor.
As I said, I have my reasons for doing it, but that doesn't mean I don't need to vent fairly frequently.
Ah, geez. Lunch is over already?
Have a good evening, all! Tonight's going to be a busy, busy time for me!

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I come from a different era I think, probably why some people are fine with playing commoners and whatnot and I'll tell you I can't.
Hey NH, I never thought I was of this school, "Roleplaying is fine, as long as it's furthering the plot"
But it's true. I really feel more comfortable with a list of things I need to do rather then you know, explore the game world with possibly no plot result.

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The star wars beginner set I played had no provisions for unarmed combat. Furthermore I think more people are comfortable with loping off heads, but if you start pulling arms out of their sockets you may cause other players and possibly the GM discomfort.
We had someone who played a character who strung the male sexual reproductive organ of those he slew over his neck like a necklace. And he'd smack bad guys with that "chain whip" necklace of his. It definitely made me and quite a number of others uncomfortable. I think had he asked to play at my table, I'd flatly tell him you leave your weird trophies at the Pathfinder lodge. I'm not dealing with that in my games.
There's reasonable levels of gore, and not so reasonable levels of gore.

Tacticslion |
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I come from a different era I think, probably why some people are fine with playing commoners and whatnot and I'll tell you I can't.
Hey NH, I never thought I was of this school, "Roleplaying is fine, as long as it's furthering the plot"
But it's true. I really feel more comfortable with a list of things I need to do rather then you know, explore the game world with possibly no plot result.
I’ve heard similar sentiment expressed by people from ages 13-67.
Many people believe they are “alone” or “different” and that’s kind of true for some of them (when they don’t have peers that share their interests or feelings, for example), but there are secretly a lot to Re people that tend to agree with them on a <topic> and it’s not any particular reason it’s a secret beyond they just haven’t spoken with others who feel the same.
My point is merely this: there are plenty of people that feel similarly on some topic or another. In the grand scheme, you’re not really that alone.
I know this from experience. :)

Tacticslion |
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I’m somewhere between NH’s first and second groups. I luiuurrrrvvvvveee role play, but if shopping or performances or incidental events stretch out “too long,” (arbitrary, I know)I tap out. I just can’t maintain enthusiasm that long. I need the plot to progress... eventually. If we get stuck on one thing too long, you won’t finish the story, and that is narratively unsatisfying.

Orthos |
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Housecleaners are frustrating. We have a wonderful woman who cleans our house twice a month. But I've forbidden her from doing many, many things. "Don't run the dishwasher. Don't run the laundry. Don't clean that desk."
The reasons are very simple: We have antique glasses dating from the 1920s that should NEVER see a dishwasher. NobodysWife has dry clean only clothes. Impus Major decorates his desk in very specific ways. And housekeepers are very practical; all dishes go in the dishwasher, all clothes go in the washing machine. All crap on a desk gets sorted into a neat pile. It's a neverending war to keep our nice stuff from being inadvertently ruined. I hear similar stories from the other people who have house cleaners. So it's just an odd little war of, "Hide the nice stuff! The cleaner's coming!"
This reminds me so much of the maintenance crew at our office. I come in every morning to find my desk rearranged, no matter how deliberately I left it the night before.

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Hell yeah. I think I am more capable then my BF at completing a full genocide run. He flatly said he wouldn't be able to do it. He's too soft hearted. On the other hand I am curious over what's on the other side, such that I did complete MOTB the full evil way. It did make me feel bad though, like kicking kittens and puppies. I believe I've told you that before sometime.

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NobodysHome wrote:I see this too. I stress about being late to the point that I'm frequently 15-30 minutes early. I have an aunt and an uncle that are perpetually late. We used to tell them to be at Grandma's by 4pm just so that they would make it by 5 or 5:30 so we could eat the holiday dinner at a reasonable time.It's just one of those weird phenomenae I don't think I'll ever understand.
I have issues of people arriving 15 min early, then grumble why you are late when you arrived at 11am as per agreed. If you ended up waiting for me, because you were early after you asked to meet me at 11 am, it's not my fault is it?
In the time there was no IM, I'd give people 15 min to show up after appointed time, otherwise I'd just walk off in a huff.

Freehold DM |
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The star wars beginner set I played had no provisions for unarmed combat. Furthermore I think more people are comfortable with loping off heads, but if you start pulling arms out of their sockets you may cause other players and possibly the GM discomfort.
We had someone who played a character who strung the male sexual reproductive organ of those he slew over his neck like a necklace. And he'd smack bad guys with that "chain whip" necklace of his. It definitely made me and quite a number of others uncomfortable. I think had he asked to play at my table, I'd flatly tell him you leave your weird trophies at the Pathfinder lodge. I'm not dealing with that in my games.
There's reasonable levels of gore, and not so reasonable levels of gore.
looks around nervously
Thats SO immature...

Freehold DM |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

Ah, fate, you fickle, sword-wielding, insane poop-throwing monkey, you!
After my comments this morning, Whingey sent me an e-mail, "Hey, can I come over and do my level-up tomorrow morning?"
So, on the one hand, he's trying.
On the other hand, it's the second session in a row he's violated the, "The GM is not to be disturbed within 48 hours of game time" rule (and I smacked him about it last time), and I'll be doing this 'work' thing that I do. He's a very "needy" level-upper ("Do you think I should take x or y?" "Take y." "But what about z?"), and I have handoffs to do, so it's one of those, "If I don't allow it, it'll wreck LM's day on Saturday. If I do allow it, I'll have to constantly shut him down and he'll leave frustrated."
Allowing it is the obvious answer, since it impacts him and not LM. But yes, telling everyone, "This is a very high-stress game for me, so don't bother me for 2 days beforehand so I can prepare," and having it routinely ignored is... stressful.
would ww notice if you stuck him in a rick and morty esque holodeck simulation of a simulation od a simulation with painfully unrealistic but game affirming versions of his fellow players?

Tequila Sunrise |
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Yeah sorry, I have to second Terrinam here, and extremely strongly.
Hey, nothin' to be sorry about Orthos.
However, I've come to realize just how much politics permeates our lives, and how it is guided by those who participate -- and the voting booth is just an end step in that process. And -- thus far -- we in the U.S. are afforded the freedom to participate, and I choose to.

NobodysHome |
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Ah, all the prelim work is done! Now to make notes on the... NINETY-FIVE rooms of the castle!??!?!?!? Eeeeeeeeek!!!
(Yeah, for the most part it's just noting that, "The description's on this page," adding any critters and how they react to the inevitable alarm, and writing TREASURE!!! in big bold so I don't miss it, but 95 times before Saturday will be... busy...)

NobodysHome |
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NobodysHome wrote:would ww notice if you stuck him in a rick and morty esque holodeck simulation of a simulation od a simulation with painfully unrealistic but game affirming versions of his fellow players?Ah, fate, you fickle, sword-wielding, insane poop-throwing monkey, you!
After my comments this morning, Whingey sent me an e-mail, "Hey, can I come over and do my level-up tomorrow morning?"
So, on the one hand, he's trying.
On the other hand, it's the second session in a row he's violated the, "The GM is not to be disturbed within 48 hours of game time" rule (and I smacked him about it last time), and I'll be doing this 'work' thing that I do. He's a very "needy" level-upper ("Do you think I should take x or y?" "Take y." "But what about z?"), and I have handoffs to do, so it's one of those, "If I don't allow it, it'll wreck LM's day on Saturday. If I do allow it, I'll have to constantly shut him down and he'll leave frustrated."
Allowing it is the obvious answer, since it impacts him and not LM. But yes, telling everyone, "This is a very high-stress game for me, so don't bother me for 2 days beforehand so I can prepare," and having it routinely ignored is... stressful.
The Fake Russian really nailed him pretty darned well, and I have no idea whether or not lisamarlene would agree, since she knows him better than any of us. But basically, his Ph.D. is in argument. He devotes countless hours to conflict resolution, and for him to have work, there has to be conflict in the first place.
So, wittingly or unwittingly, the man constantly strives for conflict so that he can resolve it. Unfortunately, this means screwing over NPCs so that he can later show them that no, he really is a good person, it was just a misunderstanding. Or getting into arguments with other characters just so later he can roleplay out admitting that they were right.
The problem is, nobody else in the group likes conflict, except Shiro, who just likes to piss with people for the fun of it, which is a totally different animal.
My father and his Go partner were like that. Every week they'd sit there at the table, playing Go, arguing vehemently and passionately about something to the point you thought they were going to come to blows. And yet they loved it.
Whingey is just one of those people who loves argument for the sake of argument. Conflict because post-conflict people will be happier than they were pre-conflict. Disagreement for the sake of the process of resolution.
Trouble is, when nobody else wants that, you just come across as an a$$hat. And I'd love to say, "But at least I understand," but I don't. I strive for peace and happiness and a lack of conflict. Intentionally causing conflict just to resolve it later is... weird...
In other words, I honestly think he would hate such a construct precisely because he wouldn't be able to fight with anyone there.

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I don’t like conflict. I am usually happy to explain stuff by taking out a CRB/whatever book and quoting the relevant sections. But I’ve come to realize that if you have tried explaining and the players in question don’t get it – well you just have to make a ruling and the game moves on. Something that players don’t get – they want the ruling to be in their favour – which would not be such case since the GM already views the world differently and CANNOT see it their way, not for a lack of trying.
I also have no interest in sorting out player quarrels like – hey GM do you think this is an evil act etc? Issue is that what passes for acceptable or not is really up to the individual. I ever had a player who couldn’t kill people who were sick, despite them drawing arms against the party. Personally I feel – as long as you draw arms against the party of your own free will – you’re fair game.
For example the spell animate dead – it has the evil descriptor on it, so yes it is an evil act. But how evil is evil? How many castings create an alignment shift? Personally as a GM, I don’t care if you want to animate dead – except that some joker will start saying that because it is an evil act, my good character cannot play with that person who has been animating dead for badwrongfun.
My view on this is that the person/creature is already dead – what you’re animating is an empty shell. I don’t personally view that desecration of bodies is evil. (Yes I know animate dead prevents raise dead etc…so people may argue otherwise). Now if you kill NPCs who have done NOTHING to you to use them as fodder so you can animate dead, that part I would be concerned about - since you're harming the living. If you animate the bodies of your deceased foes – well they had it coming in attacking the party, so I really wouldn’t bat an eyelash.
Actually whenever there’s conflict I’ll be like le sigh, I really hate this part. Especially when you start yelling at the top of your virtual voice at me. I do want to know if I have been running things wrongly(rules wise), like I didn’t allow you to use your dex mod to trip when you have weapon finesse, but when you start arguing about things that are less clear – and thus fall under GM interpretation – I’m like WTF?

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I had a weird dream last night. I dreamt I was playing my archer Larryn in 5e, except he was on one of those one shot adventures, not the usual Curse of Strahd campaign. Apparently 2 players was fine for the table and I was supposed to have a cleric to help. Then for some reason I could not use my crossbow and had to melee(now I s*ck at it) – I think it was a strange amalgamation of pathfinder and 5e rules, basically the monster would move up to you, and moving away would mean you cannot take your full attack. (Now this is basically untrue in 5e – you’re free to move away, you just provoke, but besides if I were dreaming in a proper 5e frame of mind, I have crossbow expert, that lets me shoot bad guys next to me without penalty, and also in 5e really, you just get disadvantage for shooting with a ranged weapons and targets next to you if you don’t have crossbow expert– no attacks of opportunity provoked)
But as I said, weird amalgamation of pathfinder rules. Then the cleric left the table and I did get killed(since yeah I already told you I s*ck in melee - that’s the plain truth – my character has only like 15 ac, and does 1d8+3 dmg on rapier strike). My character is an archer not some melee beatstick. I was wondering if the game was actually properly run, and wondering what I was going to tell my Curse of Strahd GM that I got my character killed.
So yeah just weird.

gran rey de los mono |
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Giantslayer also isn't easy. Sorry for mixing APs up.
** spoiler omitted **
I was wondering about why they brought their baby to gaming but since you're playing in their house it all makes sense. Personally I don't think I'd game with a baby, but that's me.
Yeah, the

gran rey de los mono |
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Yeah, one of the issues I always see snowballing is large groups and our infinitely-distractable culture. Once you get more than 4 players, then people have to wait a bit for their turn. They get bored, take out their devices, stop paying attention, and suddenly their turns take 2-3 times as long because once their turn comes up they ask for a recap of what everyone else did, ask everyone what they think they should do, go over their spell list to figure out what to do, etc. So if a round in a 4-player game takes 2 minutes, a round in a 6-player game takes 12. It's kind of astonishing and depressing how massively...
It was definitely worse when the group was larger, but there are only 5 PCs now and 1 of them wasn't there.

Vidmaster7 |
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Last fight was the horde dragon my relics were +3 spell power the 1/10 portal that summons a minion and something else that didn't come up. mostly it was all the aoe spells taht did way more damage then nomral to all the treasures and the fact I could heal myself a lot that beat him. that and the 20/20 shadow that came out conveniently after i got rid of all his removal.

Drejk |
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Drejk wrote:Limeylongears wrote:Nursing home...Tacticslion wrote:Vanykrye wrote:Tac - I like the idea. If it makes sense for you/your world, here's my take on it, use at will or not at all.
The module as a Rite of Passage. They're all late teen's/early 20's with NPC classes. When they complete the initial module before going into the AP, the Council Elders or whatever have them Drink from the McGuffin of Adulthood (which can later be stolen as a side-quest to tie them back to their origins), which transforms their NPC level(s) into the appropriate PC classes and raises their stats to what they determined by whatever method you use. They are now Protectors of their village (or whatever) and are sworn to protect and root out threats to the town...which will include threats to the wider region...hence the AP.
Man, I love this idea.
... unfortunately, they've all already made basic characters that come from four different portions of the world, have backstories tied to their classes, and a "first adventure" where they meet already partially-executed.
... though I'm totally stealing this for a later game, if you don't mind. XD
Sounds a lot like the whotsit you have to do in Dungeon Crawl Classics, where each player has a bunch of 0-level dungspreaders/bakers/serfs and whathaveyou, you send them all into a deadly labyrinth, most of them die, and whatever you have left becomes your character.
In other news, when you start singing New Kids On The Block songs to yourself, you know it's time to go home.
Ahhh...the good old WFRP-days!
Back when your initial adventuring career was indeed a Dung-Shoveler, Beggar or Vagabond.
Rat-catcher or graverobber.

Limeylongears |
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Eeeeeeviilll...
I promised Hermione and Teensy Valeros a "movie" tonight.
We're watching one of the old Frank Capra/Bell Labs science films, "Meteora: the Unchained Goddess".
I may or may not have promised them that it would be "like Magic Schoolbus, but better".
That's the right way to raise 'em!

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Huh? She bagged you before this? Yeah , I see that now.
Right. I don't want to deal with conflicting loyalties, so I shall release you!
Oddly enough I'd have pegged you as a snorlax

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Sorry Vidmaster. You're too good natured to be a machoke.
I also got my hands on a packet of matcha powder. It may be time to make some of this...