*Shrug* It's the difference between being the Hulk (or equivalent) and something far more fragile. Besides which, that's why people tend to spend nova points on armor and ranks of personal force field, etc. And to me, the thing you're not liking is what allows for the the system to allow you to actually create characters that are super, even at creation -- unlike other supers type systems where the typical starting character would get beat into powder by most second- or third- string comic book characters.
Now, having said that, it can be very, very ard to balance the opposition in those games, for that reason -- but if you can find the sweet spot, it's pretty darn fun.
No, when the armor power is 3 soak per level and mega str is 5 auto success per level so (5*5)-(3*5)=10 plus the mega weapons and 10 dice to roll. The defenses were out of whack with the offence.
It was why I prefered MEGS much broader "sweet spot" and even a 450 pt character could roll hard with the big boys.
Oh I also forgot:
Star Frontiers!
(80's sci fi goodness)
Good shout - forgot all about this gem!
*Shrug* It's the difference between being the Hulk (or equivalent) and something far more fragile. Besides which, that's why people tend to spend nova points on armor and ranks of personal force field, etc. And to me, the thing you're not liking is what allows for the the system to allow you to actually create characters that are super, even at creation -- unlike other supers type systems where the typical starting character would get beat into powder by most second- or third- string comic book characters.
Now, having said that, it can be very, very ard to balance the opposition in those games, for that reason -- but if you can find the sweet spot, it's pretty darn fun.
No, when the armor power is 3 soak per level and mega str is 5 auto success per level so (5*5)-(3*5)=10 plus the mega weapons and 10 dice to roll. The defenses were out of whack with the offence.
It was why I prefered MEGS much broader "sweet spot" and even a 450 pt character could roll hard with the big boys.
*shrug* If you add in some Mega-Stamina and defensive actions (say, a parry or block), I've had the system work quite nicely. But to each their own.
"Maid is an light comedy anime-themed tabletop role-playing game for three or more players. The very easy to learn rules-light system, complete with random events which drive the story forward, will have you playing the game with friends only fifteen minutes after opening the book. Maid is also the first ever Japanese role-playing game to be translated and released in English."
. The >character sheet<
-----
Has anyone played this? What do you think?
Has anyone played this? What do you think?
HAHA, i just skimmed that site/link and can say i'd try it. It has the same feel as a well told Tales From The Floating Vagabond game to me.
Alternity, definitely. Great game, still one of my favorites to this day...I wish they'd republish it (but not change the base rules - don't make it d20! d20 is fine, but not everything needs to be done that way.
Honorable mention to Shadowrun (any edition, but especially 4e). Probably my favorite overall game, as far as the game itself, but it's hardly underrated.
I forgot to mention earlier: Talislanta.
It was using the d20 + stat + skill system for over a decade before 3E was released. Ok, it uses a -difficulty instead of a DC. Which I think it is better, because if your modified result is a 10 or better, you succeed. If your modified roll is 20+, you critical. If your modified roll is 1 or less, you crit fail.
It has a fairly unique magic system, one that lets you craft your own spells. It also has a fairly unique and well detailed world.
The other amazing thing about Talislanta, they released the PDFs for free on the internet.
You forget the truly amazing thing about it... it's on it's what SIXTH publisher by now? It simply refuses to die.
And of course that classic add in dragon....
NO ELVES!
I was begining to worry I would be the first to say Talislanta. (just now reading this thread) It was a much better Dying Earth game than the Jack Vance authorized one. I own so many editions of this game. And yet, I have only ran it and never was able to play. I fear I never brought the world to life well enough for my players over the years. C'est la vie.
Amber Diceless gets a vote from me as well. Some of the most memorable experience from my group were with this game.
Paranoia! was awesome, but not certain it is underrated. Every group I have played with has mentioned playing it. Paranoia seems to run almost as prevalent for my groups as Monty Python re-inactments.
Greg
CybergenerationAs someone who contributed a lot to the second edition of that game, I thank you. :)
*bows*
I ran a Cybergeneration game in college once. Now, fifteen years later, that one game has spawned at least three campaigns and countless one shots, some of which are still going on, all of which I account totally to the quality of that game.
Oh I also forgot:
Star Frontiers!
(80's sci fi goodness)
Triumph of setting over system, there.
I've recently read about this Senzar RPG. Apparently when it was launched it was reviled as one of the worst games of all time, mostly because the creators were d***s and it was a powergamers dream come true. More recent reviews say the game has actually pretty solid rules and it is pretty awesome at what it sets out to do. Which is being a powergamers dream come true. Kinda like an Exalted that was launched at the wrong time.
SenZar is terrible. Okay, I'm willing to give it some cred simply because games that were That Much Worse came later (FATAL), and that in some ways it's a victim of technology: the point where *anyone* could publish his or her crappy fantasy system (via the internet) was a few years to come. But a comparison to Exalted is like comparing Army of Darkness to Manos: Hands of Fate. It may have accidentally had some non-crappy bits, and I can see powergamer nostalgia looking fondly at it, but no.
...
Has anyone played this? What do you think?
I haven't actually played it, but this is why I'm going for the quote bunch, because Maid is a good counter to something like SenZar. I think the better analogy is Toon, rather than Tales of the Floating. It knows what it is doing, as evidenced by its strong TVtropes love (and origin), so as well as you're ready to engage that sort of fluff, it's a great call.
Earthdawn!! By far a great HIGH Fantasy system!!
Paranoia! Also excellent fun, and not many play it. System is more of a guideline, for pure insanity....
Grimm?
CybergenerationOMGWTF SOMEONE STOLE MY FACE!
Edit: PostMonster messing with brain.
I have never even heard of Cybergeneration. Is it a real game?
Grimm?
CybergenerationOMGWTF SOMEONE STOLE MY FACE!
Edit: PostMonster messing with brain.
I have never even heard of Cybergeneration. Is it a real game?
Considering all the hours I spent compiling playtest notes, calling the R. Talsorian Offices with weekly game reports, arguing with David Ackerman over Gen-Mutation rules and effects, and the many, many sessions of the game that my group played over the years - I would certainly hope so!
But don't take my word for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybergeneration
Grimm?
CybergenerationOMGWTF SOMEONE STOLE MY FACE!
Edit: PostMonster messing with brain.
I have never even heard of Cybergeneration. Is it a real game?
Considering all the hours I spent compiling playtest notes, calling the R. Talsorian Offices with weekly game reports, arguing with David Ackerman over Gen-Mutation rules and effects, and the many, many sessions of the game that my group played over the years - I would certainly hope so!
But don't take my word for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybergeneration
Clearly, you were hallucinating!
Must throw in for Amber Diceless, Runequest, and Ars Magica. And , for humor value, if they were never long campaigns for me, Tales from teh Floating Vagabond, Space 1889, and Paranoia.
Clearly, you were hallucinating!Grimm?
CybergenerationOMGWTF SOMEONE STOLE MY FACE!
Edit: PostMonster messing with brain.
I have never even heard of Cybergeneration. Is it a real game?
Considering all the hours I spent compiling playtest notes, calling the R. Talsorian Offices with weekly game reports, arguing with David Ackerman over Gen-Mutation rules and effects, and the many, many sessions of the game that my group played over the years - I would certainly hope so!
But don't take my word for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybergeneration
So called "CyberEvolved" children fit in one of several archetypes:
Alchemist - Can reshape matter at molecular level.
Bolter - Can project taser-like charged lines at a target.
Medic - Can heal others.
Scanner - Can sense the brainwave patterns of others, allowing for telepathic-like abilities.
Scout - Creates remote probes for reconnaissance.
Tinman - Limbs shape into tentacles, weapons, and can extend. "Natural" body armor.
Wizard - Augmented Virtual Net hacking powers, particularly with the Virtuality augmented reality technology that has largely supplanted the virtual Net.
I like these all except the Bolter. I don't get why this would be split out as an archetype.
Also, why does a Tinman have tentacles. Tentacles are all cool and stuff, and we need more in gaming, but I don't see Tin and Tentacles mixing well.
Is this d20?
So called "CyberEvolved" children fit in one of several archetypes:Alchemist - Can reshape matter at molecular level.
Bolter - Can project taser-like charged lines at a target.
Medic - Can heal others.
Scanner - Can sense the brainwave patterns of others, allowing for telepathic-like abilities.
Scout - Creates remote probes for reconnaissance.
Tinman - Limbs shape into tentacles, weapons, and can extend. "Natural" body armor.
Wizard - Augmented Virtual Net hacking powers, particularly with the Virtuality augmented reality technology that has largely supplanted the virtual Net.
I like these all except the Bolter. I don't get why this would be split out as an archetype.
Also, why does a Tinman have tentacles. Tentacles are all cool and stuff, and we need more in gaming, but I don't see Tin and Tentacles mixing well.
Is this d20?
In reverse order -
No, it's Interlock, which - and I'll ignore a lot of "they just swiped it and changed the die type to a d20" conspiracy theories, here - is a nearly identical task resolution system. It's been used in Cyberpunk 2013, Cyberpunk 2020, Mekton (editions 2, Empire, and Zeta), and the various Fuzion Anime supplements (Armored Trooper Votoms, Dragonball Z, and Bubblegum Crisis). If you can grasp D20, you can grasp Interlock.
Tinmen don't so much have tentacles made of tin as they have pools of liquid metal (Hexite Supercarbon, to use the technobabble) masquerading as limbs. These pools of liquid metal can be formed into arms, legs, springs, swords, huge mallets, spikes, and other solid forms fairly easily. Articulated or multi-part items, not so easily (separating parts from a Tinman's limbs results in the separated part going inert - the Tinman also loses body mass), but possible.
Bolters are their own archetype for the same reason that Scanners (walking EKG machines) and Wizards (walking Cybermodems) are split out. Bolters are considered the long-range combatant, Tinmen are the close-range combatants.
There's actually a far more devious and long-range goal as to why the four base (Wizard, Scanner, Bolter, and Tinmen) and one advanced (Alchemist) templates were set up the way they were (Hint - it's almost completely spelled out in the Cyberpunk 2020 supplement "Deep Space"). Scouts, I've never been too keen on, but they have their uses.
Medics didn't exist until Firestorm-Ink took over the line, and actively go against the stated power limits of the evolution-causing nanomachines - but they bough the license, so I can't fault them for adding something to the game if they felt it was missing.
And , for humor value, if they were never long campaigns for me, Tales from teh Floating Vagabond, Space 1889, and Paranoia.
For humor value, I gotta say Gatecrasher. Why? Golfballs from Hell. Seriously...that's a monster in the bestiary...and most of the monsters are similarly crazy.
Iron Heroes
If you want to play d20 and have a grim/gritty/spell less world, this is the way to do it. Melee feat chains 10 deep, characters that regenerate reserve hit points over time, combat maneuvers that trade BAB for effects, a character trait system to replace race. I loved it. You can easily make a Tolkien, Conan, or even a pirate world =)
Also good, though technically not an RPG system, was it's predecessor... the Malhavoc's Book of Iron might. It has a generic d20 maneuver system that trades BAB for special effects.
Which reminds me, Malhavoc's Arcana Evolved was a pretty good system as well. It is the opposite. It is a highly magical RPG.
Past: WEG Star Wars. Freakin' Awesome. Earthdawn. Loved the setting, loved the way everything weaved together. Hated the chart-fu sometimes, but it was awesome once I got used to it. The "unlimited" spellcasting mechanic in the game is something I want to find a way to port into D20 in general...
For other sci fi: Classic Battletech. Go Hell's Horses (yes, I played a helicopter pilot in a game about mecha, sue me).
Present:
Spycraft 1.0, Spycraft 2.0, FantasyCraft. Hands down, they are the best modern spy-genre stuff out there. Adding to Spycraft 1.0 was the Shadowforce Archer setting: Psychics who can really kick butt!
I vote for the Amazing Engine series of games. In particular I enjoyed Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega and The Once and Future King settings.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness. A really fun game that got smacked in the face by that darn 80's cartoon.
+1 I loved TMNT. May have been my favorite palladium book!
Ars Magica by Lion Rampant/White Wolf, Undwerworld by Mayfair Games, Swordbearer by Fantasy Games Unlimited.
Ars Magica certainly had one of the neatest magic systems of it's time. If you weren't a wizard though...
Rolemaster and MERP for me. There is a lot of Rolemaster in D&D 3.x I forget which one of the original Devs for 3rd Ed started out at Iron Crown but the Skill mechanics are basically Rolemaster divided by 5.
My biggest issues with MERP and ICE I think were why many played it. The detailed critical system. In Playing one of the front line fighters in our MERP campaign, It was a very rare thing for me to get knocked out by concussion hits. Golden Criticals 95% of the time. It did lead to my Dwarf being refered to as 'My Favorite Terrain Feature'.
Not to Knock MERP too much, what great background information. Wonderful stuff.
HERO
Earthdawn
Powers & Perils
Tales From The Floating Vagabond
++ HERO
Our group has played a LOT of Hero system. Every bit as versitle a GURPS if you want to build it. Currently in two great Pulp Hero games and a very EPIC Fantasy Hero game.
++ Rathendar for remembering Tales From the Floating Vagabond. I loved the concept of this game.
Battlelords of the 23rd Century.
A Skill based d100 system, with aspects of the old school AD&D, it can be a bit complex but the world is super fun, nothing like running a raid against Arachnids. It has some of the funniest writing, with entire sections on humor, like the Ram Python versus Human wrestling table, where 100 on the roll is "Human wins, not really..."
It has some fantastic weaponry, such as metal guns which shoot molten globs of metal, omega rifles which shoot concussive waves, and the gamut of hard sci-fi and soft suture sci-fi.
SSDC.com to get a taste.
Also: Earthdawn, in its brand spanking new 3rd edition. (which some nice customization changes and skill updates, in addition the step table was updated to remove the d20 and smooth the curve in some places.)
Paranoia is so fun if run correctly, and especially for PbP games!!!