Messages

286

RPGs / Re: City Resources?

« on: August 09, 2009, 07:16:11 PM »

For pathfinder consider giving them an additional trait and then just say they recoup a percentage of their investment based on the success of their adventures.

I will tell you one thing though - running a real business does not result in immediate gratification. Maybe you should give them that life lesson first. Many businesses do not see black ink for over 5 years. And then there are the businesses that fail completely. Don't bother looking at statistics - it will only make you want to stick to dungeons...

287

RPGs / Re: City Resources?

« on: August 07, 2009, 11:28:34 AM »

I still suggest not using a system as such - it leaves too much room for manipulation from the players which can only lead to disappointment.

And sometimes, wealth is ok if it becomes hard to spend it.

From the sounds of it, your players want to get rich without adventuring for it. They want some additional reward. If you are confortable managing wealthy characters, go ahead. Just because PC's are rich doesn't mean they are more powerful or have more magic items. Maybe they end up buying really nice wine and living the good life?

I just think systems for managing wealth is for computer games - not role playing games.

288

RPGs / Re: Anecdote Megathread

« on: August 06, 2009, 02:09:55 PM »

Play with people you trust the first few times. People that you value. People that will be honest but not hurtful with their criticism.

And try to have at least a framework of a story, from beginning to end. It may never go anywhere, but if you have at least some thought as to what the goal is, you have direction in your own mind and can bluff your way through the parts you haven't written down much easier. You don't have to stick to the parts you have, but if you at least have something, that is better than completely winging it in my opinion.

I had a reasonably successful 3.5 eberron game a while back with only 2 players. I didn't know exactly what they would do, as they were given a lot of latitude, but I at least had an idea of where the part of the city they were was going to go through. They did a whole bunch of things that I hadn't anticipated, but since I knew where they were and what the game-world and its players were doing, I had a framework to play with.

I also find it easier to give the players more of what they want in the beginning - not railroad them down my story but work out one with them as we go. I provide the world; they provide the voice of the world.

I know it is of limited value, but it is what I am comfortable with anyway.

289

RPGs / Re: How much do you game per week?

« on: August 06, 2009, 09:41:03 AM »

Once every other week or so.

The rest of life makes many demands.

290

RPGs / Re: Need a little help with an Item creation

« on: August 06, 2009, 09:34:28 AM »

"Egon, your mucous..."

A tiny imp crawls out onto your arm and drops to the ground. It then spends the next hour brining you anything that isn't tied down within a 30ft radius. It has a STR of 20 and is considered Medium size for dragging capacity.

You reach in and you pull out your hand. It is blue. It does not wash off. Ever. (remove curse)

You reach in and feel what appears to be a membrane of sorts. (If they push through, have water just start spewing out like a decanter of endless water at the highest setting - it lasts for 10 minutes and then a fish flops out)

You reach in and it is empty. The bag ceases to function. Or turns into a bag of useful stuff instead.

291

RPGs / Re: pee pee doo doo 4E is a bad game

« on: August 06, 2009, 09:24:40 AM »

The commonly discussed ones are skills like craft and profession, cantrips, other non-combat spells, and even the simplification of alignment. Game mechanics which help players define who their characters are and what they can do when the fighting is over. For some people, those mechanics help to flesh out a character and develop its personality.

I would like to see a skill or feat or something that relates to the simpler aspects of life in the 4e world. I do agree that the PC's are heroes, and heroes don't often plant crops, but everyone has to start somewhere and the point or two I used to put into craft or profession did add something to the character. Maybe they could add a "trait" to the backgrounds? That seems like a reasonable method. Or create a second background that has the historical/flavour aspects.

I do like the way they handled wizards cantrips and the such - the little flavour of at-will prestidigitation and light are wonderful additions. When pathfinder made it so you could cast cantrips an unlimited amount, I was very pleased. I also like the way rituals are handled. I really like rituals. I find it is a better system than the vancian for a lot of stuff.

292

RPGs / Re: Call of Cthulhu Virginity

« on: August 05, 2009, 05:17:48 PM »

BTW good safety word is Chewbacca

Not when you are as hairy as a wookie... umm... I'm not referring to myself... I swear.

To quote a favourite comic, "Ha! Got you with the visual!"

293

RPGs / Re: Worst PC death

« on: August 05, 2009, 05:13:22 PM »

So what about the one's who have died playing in your groups?

294

RPGs / Re: pee pee doo doo 4E is a bad game

« on: August 05, 2009, 05:12:48 PM »

That was a hell of a point - "It makes the dungeons and dragons of Dungeons & Dragons..."

I have had my group fight 2 dragons in 4e and they are only 7th level. Unheard of for 3.x in my opinion.

295

RPGs / Re: Anecdote - "How old?"

« on: August 05, 2009, 04:37:33 PM »

I still chuckle when I think of this. It always comes up in real life when we are together, not even gaming. He has a few more anecdotes that I will post in the future, but this is one of the best ones. Then there was the "Toe incident..."

296

RPGs / Worst PC death

« on: August 05, 2009, 04:33:29 PM »

Man, I sure am spending a lot time on this forum today... it's a good thing I don't have a ton of work to get done... oops.

What is the worst way a PC (your's or someone else's) has died?

My worst one was when a character I had been playing for 6 years and truly loved playing more than any other in all of my years was killed in the cheapest way ever: in their sleep by a basically random encounter.

This character of mine was not powerful. She was not the most effective at anything other than causing trouble and having really high knowledge checks (and I'm sorry, if I get a 37 on my knowledge check, I want to know what that demon has for breakfast on a Tuesday in June, not just that it is called a Retriever). When we had rolled stats, I had to choose between a character with an 18 in one stat and less than ideal numbers in other ones or a more balanced character. So she ended up with a 7 strength. She was an orphan who was raised on the streets as a thief, but she was going to grow up to be a powerful mage like both her parents were before they were killed. She had what is hardest to find in a character - personality. In all of my years, no other character meant so much and accomplished so much with so little. She was next to useless in combat having dipped in rogue and human paragon, and she seldom had very many actual combat spells, being a swiss-army mage. She did however save the party numerous times because she always ran away when she was going to die, being smart enough to realize when she was outmatched.

She had grown to level 12 without dying - the only original member of the party still left that hadn't died. She was travelling with her companions and their cohorts (their cohorts... not hers) and they were camped out. Normally, she would climb into her rope trick for the night, but everyone was worried that we should all be available in case we were attacked. Giving in and being nice enough to stay with everyone else, in danger, in case they needed her, she slept on the ground with everyone else. And the stupid shadow attacked her from within the earth sapping 7 points of strength...

No saving throw.
No listen.
No spot.
No chance.

I couldn't even raise her I was so crushed... what a cheap way to go. Everyone else got to die in combat against one of the big-bads, gloriously sacrificing themselves for the good of the party and the city. She dies in her sleep. Sheesh.

297

RPGs / Anecdote - "How old?"

« on: August 05, 2009, 04:19:19 PM »

Another anecdote to amuse me...

Our party was travelling through the woods tracking a bunch of goblins. Thrilling, I know. As usual, we had been drinking our adult beverages while we played, because gaming isn't gaming without it. There was plenty of the usual amusement to go around, and our PC's were generally being very successful.

Our ranger, our glorious ranger, was doing some of the best tracking of his life. He rolled nothing less than 15 on the die, and was managing some incredible tracking scores. Since he was rolling so well, the DM was providing an abundance of information. This was not enough for our ranger though - he wanted more. He finally rolled a nat 20 and was asking every detail imaginable. The rest of us, having been playing for a while, but sitting and drinking for a lot of it since he started his sherlock-holmes-in-the-forest routine, were growing a bit rambunctious.

Ranger "Do I find any tracks?"
DM " Yes, with that roll, you find them all."
Ranger "Can I tell what they are?"
DM "Goblins... same as you have been tracking all along."
Ranger "How many of them are there?"
DM "At least a score."
Ranger "Can't I tell exactly? I got a nat 20."
DM "sigh... fine, there are 20."
Ranger "Were they carrying anything?"
DM "Yes, stuff."
Ranger "Heavy stuff?"
DM "Heavy enough to make some prints deeper."
Ranger "How old?"
Me "37, and his name is Dennis. Is that enough detail for you?"
Everyone "<laughter>"
Ranger "I meant how long ago..."
Me "Sure you did, I was just skipping ahead... now can we get going?"

To this day, he can't ask that question without someone laughing...

298

RPGs / Re: What do you want RPPR to check out at Gencon?

« on: August 05, 2009, 04:04:22 PM »

Gamer girls in skimpy costumes? Just saying...

299

RPGs / Re: First time with ShadowRun

« on: August 05, 2009, 03:27:52 PM »

I've never played the tabletop version....

but

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowrun_(Sega)  I've beaten this many times.  My advice, run a series of simple ghoul killing missions in the first city before you move on so you have a lot of money.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahah

300

RPGs / Re: City Resources?

« on: August 05, 2009, 03:26:38 PM »

Definitely challenge them with role-playing, not accounting and microeconomics.

How are they going to get students? (advertise their feats of prowess - hire a bard to write stories about them and sing their praises... but that may lead old enemies to them disguised as students... etc.)

Did they buy good buildings or shoddy ones? What is the rent like? Miss a few payments on the taxes and things can get interesting...

How often to schools get broken into and robbed? Now you need to find your magic sword that was stolen from the locker room...

Are they affiliated with any other schools in other regions? What about some school rivalry? I heard your fighters suck anyway, and your wizards can only cast illusions of grandeur...

And little Johnny's dad isn't going to pay since he thinks you didn't teach his moron child properly.

And why didn't they tell you the west wing of the school was haunted? What do you mean you didn't have an inspection? Oh, and what were you planning on doing with the devil still chained in the summoning chamber in the second basement? You did know about the second basement right?

Oh, and the king's messenger came by this morning with the order to supply free classes to the town guard, and he expects you to rise to the town's defense to help out with the encroaching ogre tribe.
And he wants you to give his son the princess a position teaching... knitting or something...

And you were aware it is illegal to actually teach necromancy...

If they accomplish the tasks you set, give them equivalent treasure. If they don't, take something from them (small - don't punish them, but make it seem like they will have to do something to earn the money needed to pay the bills)