I personally do one of three separate methods when letting my players set stats. I either run point buy if I just want it quick and easy, or the campaign is a one off or the like. I'll run 4d6 drop the lowest In order, but I make them roll the stats and THEN decide what to play. It tends to force people out of their comfort zone. (I.E. the one player I have who always plays wizards was forced to play a fighter because he rolled up an 8 int, but a 17 str and an 18 con.) Or, because I'm a total softie, after they've picked what they want to play, I let them roll 4d6 six times in order, but I let them roll 3 separate sets, and choose which one they would prefer. Not always an easy choice, but I think it works out well.
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5d6, arrange as desired.Dice Pool. In order. Random enough for ya?3d6, in order.Interesting choices.
Cool!
Stats from 5 to 30, with an average of 17.5. I'm in!
Perhaps it'd be better to cap it at 18 so we don't scare the straights. Still be an average of 17.5 though. : )
Who you calling crooked?
I generally like covers more than originals. (Pentatonix, Lindsey Stirling, I'm looking at you.)
I don't have a particular predisposition toward covers, but I don't feel obligated to say that I like an original more than its cover.
Bob Dylan gets props for writing All Along the Watchtower, but I didn't actually like the song until Bear McCreary covered it in metal for new BSG. Also, this is oddly the only metal song that I like. Ever.
Random rolls are important, otherwise you end up with people who dont want to touch the dice and attempt to narrarate to their fellow players and the dm how theie point buy character killed three people ina combat based on their stats alone. Yes, i had this happen while i was the dm.
I am glad this has never happened to me.
While it's been my experience that point buy is better for games in which the DM expects his players to care about their characters (not treat them as disposable toons), I do prefer your idea of randomizing everything about chargen to the very selective collection of RAW randomized stats. At least this way, things are consistently random.
Perhaps we'll experiment during a future one-shot... ;)
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I find play-by-post to be the worst way to play the game, and would much rather not play. If I had the choice between a pbp that would let me play my desired character, and a vtt or real tabletop game that only let me choose between a human fighter, rogue, wizard, or cleric... I would choose the non-pbp game.
I really want to like php games. Gods know I don't game nearly enough as I'd like due to the logistical constraints of face-to-face gaming. But I just can't maintain focus. After a couple weeks of agonizingly slow action which makes me feel like I'm watching bad anime from a scratched dvd, my interest evaporates and I have to quit.
3) I hate Lovecraft. It sucks. BAD sucks. It is made fun of, referred to as Cthululand, and only ever sees my game when the monsters who happen to have tentacles start accosting that PC who chose the anime school girl as their token image.
You are not alone. I finally read a book of his short stories, including the one with big C himself, and was nonplussed. One story made me go "Oh!" at the end, but none of them were scary. I still don't quite know what to make of all the hype that Lovecraft gets.
EDIT: I noticed a movie called In Search of Lovecraft on netflix over the summer (go ahead, it's on instant streaming), and made the mistake of watching it. Now that's two hours of my life that I'll never get back. Lovecraft fans be warned: No, it's not even true to the source material.
I find play-by-post to be the worst way to play the game, and would much rather not play. If I had the choice between a pbp that would let me play my desired character, and a vtt or real tabletop game that only let me choose between a human fighter, rogue, wizard, or cleric... I would choose the non-pbp game.I really want to like php games. Gods know I don't game nearly enough as I'd like due to the logistical constraints of face-to-face gaming. But I just can't maintain focus. After a couple weeks of agonizingly slow action which makes me feel like I'm watching bad anime from a scratched dvd, my interest evaporates and I have to quit.
I think I lasted... 4 days?... which is the longest in any pbp game I tried way back in 2006. I tried 3 times, and I just couldn't keep interest because of the excrutiatingly slow pace. Would be nice if they posted more than once a day, but people seemed to only post the minimum (which was usually once a day) because they were playing in about 10 different pbp games. I honestly don't understand the proliferation of pbp in the Online Games subforum of the Paizo boards. I check there every day for the off-chance of a non-pbp game being advertised, but it is constant pbp.
I too can't understand the hype about Cthulhu and Lovecraft.
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I really want to like php games. Gods know I don't game nearly enough as I'd like due to the logistical constraints of face-to-face gaming.
This is why I keep hoping for a worldwide digital table-top gaming community where you can essentially find a ttrpg to play from your computer.
People keep telling me that such things exist, but when I check into them they aren't really what I'm looking for.
What I want is a way I can decide I want to play tonight, log onto the system, pull up a character that is currently in limbo, and search for games that are looking for characters to fill RIGHT THEN. Then I can submit my character for the game, and if accepted, bang, I'm in the game.
This will require some coordination so that characters can be managed like they are in PFS play, although I wouldn't want it quite so draconian.
Ideally I could choose between games such that I could play a one-shot session for one night or I could find an ongoing game that had a recurring group that meets when I can meet.
I envision this as using the computer as the game table, with all the maps, tokens and game pieces managed like they are in Maptools, and with something like skype as an audio connection. Heck, there's no reason with today's technology that you can't have a webcam to show the faces of all the players.
Eventually I see a game system that is sort of like a fantasy version of "Second Life" where you log in and just be a wizard for a while... and your wizard can gain renown in the gaming world that can be turned into rewards.
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I have never killed a PC, and have often fudged things to prevent it from happening.
I can't stand point buy.
I dislike prepared casters.
I dislike Vancian magic.
I like rogues better than ninjas.
I don't think any of the base/core classes are broken.
I have never played in a sandbox, on either side of the screen.
I don't like the gods involving themselves in the world; I would rather it be questioned if they even exist.
I dislike alignment, especially the good and evil part.
I am not heavily invested in Golarion.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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In the 80s, I was really big into Satanism because I played D&D (natch). I brought this new girl into our gaming group, and she couldn't handle the stress. Her character, some ridiculous thief thing called Lotus Blossom or something, died. Even though I explained to her that Satan could make her more powerful and even bring her dead character back to life, she couldn't take it and cracked, committing suicide. I remember meeting her former pastor, Jack Chick, at the funeral, and telling him that it was all his fault for not embracing the dark master's teachings.
Oh well.
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You taught her the mind bondage spell?
My confession? I fully get Sebastian's reference, and I can't decide if I'm amused or horrified...
... maybe both. Though I'm guessing that won't get me shunned.
Boy this turned into a hate thread quickly.
I love Lovecraftian aspects in Golarion. I think the concepts are really cool and being able to apply them to a fantasy setting makes me even more happy.
I also like it better when the gods are treated as ideas and its not a sure thing that they even exist.
I think fluff is more important to the game than rules. I will allow and push for things that match the fluff, regardless of how many people disagree with me from a RAW standpoint.
I've never been big on deities in rpgs, but Paizo really got me interested in the with their Golarion deities.
I think Forgotten Realms is bland and boring save for just a few aspects.
I think that future products should bring out more options for the bastard child classes (like sorcerers), rather than just giving us more bloodlines. Other classes got plenty of cool new options. Thankfully some 3pp companies did this and I am eternally grateful.
I don't think wizards are top dogs mechanically speaking.
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I genuinely find the Golarion dieties lacking. I miss the FR gods.
My first DM experience was with basic in 1991....and I gave out magical armor very reminiscent of the 'Predator'.
I base my characters off metal/rock songs. Its like I have visions when I'm listening to music and the characters just appear in my head.
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You see a god. . .How do you KNOW it is a god?
Because they said "Yes" to the "Are you a god?" question?
3) I hate Lovecraft. It sucks. BAD sucks. It is made fun of, referred to as Cthululand, and only ever sees my game when the monsters who happen to have tentacles start accosting that PC who chose the anime school girl as their token image.You are not alone. I finally read a book of his short stories, including the one with big C himself, and was nonplussed. One story made me go "Oh!" at the end, but none of them were scary.
I've read several of his stories, personally my favorite is Pickman's model, and Call of Cthulu itself is one of my least favorite. Its not for everyone, but I love his way with words and archaic vocabulary myself.
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I <3 FLUMPHS!!!
Back to rolling styles for a mo...
How about 1d8+8, arrange as you will?
I've read several of his stories, personally my favorite is Pickman's model, and Call of Cthulu itself is one of my least favorite. Its not for everyone, but I love his way with words and archaic vocabulary myself.3) I hate Lovecraft. It sucks. BAD sucks. It is made fun of, referred to as Cthululand, and only ever sees my game when the monsters who happen to have tentacles start accosting that PC who chose the anime school girl as their token image.You are not alone. I finally read a book of his short stories, including the one with big C himself, and was nonplussed. One story made me go "Oh!" at the end, but none of them were scary.
That was the one! When the twist came, I thought "Whoa, that'd be creepy if I was there!"
There was also a story about a guy who hears rats in the walls of his family's ancestral castle that I thought would make a good adventure locale.
I <3 FLUMPHS!!!
I still don't know what the carrot thingie means in the context of forum slang and text speak.
And does < mean something different than >? (Again in text speak, of course.)
"Arrange as you will" Ciretose, so you can put that in your main stat.
Hahahahaha
Looks like I'm playing a Sorcerer.
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I <3 FLUMPHS!!!I still don't know what the carrot thingie means in the context of forum slang and text speak.
And does < mean something different than >? (Again in text speak, of course.)
<3 means "Love" as, turned 90 degrees counter clockwise, it is supposed to look like a heart. So, The Silver Prince is saying "I LOVE FLUMPHS!!!"
hmm... 14, 17, 12, 15, 9, 9. That could make a decent rogue (if going straight through) with a bad Will save. Not so much Ranger (unless I forgo the animal companion in favor of the other choice).
I really dig the gunslinger, and am a huge fan of the spellslinger archetype. I have never encountered the supposed caster-vs-martial disparity.
I LIKE COSMO.
I ... mmm,your...
You.
Nothing makes me want to leave a game so quick as the following phrases:
GMPC
You see a god. . .
I rolled for you. . .I happen to like the Lovecraft genre, I'm just not all that impressed with his works themselves.
This! All of it!
Uh...huh...I got nothing but I'm hard to kill.
Play a reckless wizard, and you'll be rerolling in no time! ;)
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You realize that Lovecraft is both the man's name, and the genre of horror his consist of?I hate Lovecraft. It sucks.I realize that you hate him, but referring to the man as IT is kind of a low blow.
I think you're thinking of the adjective "Lovecraftian". Or referring to the Lovecraft Mythos. I'm a fairly huge Lovecraft fan, and I've never seen the genre refereed to as simply "Lovecraft". Cosmic horror, yes. Lovecraftian, yes. The Mythos / the Cthulhu Mythos / the Lovecraft Mythos, yes. But simply "Lovecraft"? Never seen it.
I really do enjoy certain kinds of schadenfreude, including TPKs in Call of Cthulhu caused by an excess of dynamite.
I secretly think that orcs are hotter than goblins.