Front Page

Content

Authors

Game Index

Forums

Site Tools

Submissions

About

KK
Kevin Klemme
March 09, 2020
35136 2
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
January 27, 2020
20816 0
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
August 12, 2019
7404 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 19, 2023
3964 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 14, 2023
3486 0
Hot

Mycelia Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 12, 2023
2074 0
O
oliverkinne
December 07, 2023
2582 0

River Wild Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 05, 2023
2250 0
O
oliverkinne
November 30, 2023
2494 0
J
Jackwraith
November 29, 2023
3009 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
November 28, 2023
1971 0
S
Spitfireixa
October 24, 2023
3690 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
October 17, 2023
2618 0
O
oliverkinne
October 10, 2023
2460 0
O
oliverkinne
October 09, 2023
2288 0
O
oliverkinne
October 06, 2023
2504 0

Outback Crossing Review

Board Game Reviews
×
Bugs: Recent Topics Paging, Uploading Images & Preview (11 Dec 2020)

Recent Topics paging, uploading images and preview bugs require a patch which has not yet been released.

× Talk about whatever you like related to games that doesn't fit anywhere else.

RPG Talk

More
24 Jun 2011 15:20 #98476 by Mr. White
Replied by Mr. White on topic Re: RPG Talk
I agree Shellhead, My rpg sessions are about 2-3 times as long as it takes me to prep them. When I did do my own thing, usually a riff on some works I read or saw, I'd just note down some key encounters and a few key stats required and shoot from the hip from there. I'm sure most DMs with any kind of a social life did the same.

I actually found that not having the script so tightly wound, it was fun for me to game as well because I _didn't_ know everything that was going to happen. A new story was unfolding in front of me as well.

Now, in regards to currently wanting to only run modules. I don't expect the players to ever be railroaded. I've improvised enough over the years that if the players ever do want to look into undocumented corners of the game I'll be fine going there.

I'm sure many of y'all read this when it came out, but if not a fun little essay on old school gaming. I might have my group read it for fun prior to any DCC gaming we do.

www.lulu.com/product/file-download/quick...chool-gaming/3159558

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 16:05 #98477 by Chapel
Replied by Chapel on topic Re: RPG Talk
Well now you got me interested in some DCC. So Jeff, would you be interested in coming up north if I run a few sessions this fall?

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 16:25 #98478 by Mr. White
Replied by Mr. White on topic Re: RPG Talk
Interested, but this fall is going to be pretty busy. I'll see what I can work out.

Are you thinking of running stuff out of that Beta or waiting til after the final rules drop?

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 16:32 #98479 by moofrank
Replied by moofrank on topic Re: RPG Talk
I have always traditionally run from prewritten modules. But you have to choose the module well. The classic Call of Cthulhu / Warhammer model which describes details of places, people, events and a line of possible reactions is perfect. It kind of give syou something to fall back on, and a basis for shooting from the hip.

If anything has destroyed D&D 4e in my eyes, it is the new adventure structure that has been festering since 3.5, and taken full front stage with 4e. It is more of a list of encounters and skill encounters which include specifics of die rolls and outcomes without context of the underlying situations and context to really let you run it other than a bland rolling exercise.

One of the things I was also VERY glad to see in DCC is monster morale rules. Something that kind of vanished from D&D a long time ago.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 16:44 - 24 Jun 2011 17:00 #98481 by Mr. White
Replied by Mr. White on topic Re: RPG Talk

moofrank wrote: If anything has destroyed D&D 4e in my eyes, it is the new adventure structure that has been festering since 3.5, and taken full front stage with 4e. It is more of a list of encounters and skill encounters which include specifics of die rolls and outcomes without context of the underlying situations and context to really let you run it other than a bland rolling exercise.


I've heard that ever since 3.X, D&D encounters are engineered to have a predetermined difficulty. By that I mean an encounter should whittle away about 25% of a party's resources. So, a party needs to rest/heal about every 3rd or 4th encounter. Can anyone vouch for this?
Last edit: 24 Jun 2011 17:00 by Mr. White.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 17:02 - 24 Jun 2011 17:05 #98482 by Sagrilarus
Replied by Sagrilarus on topic Re: RPG Talk

moofrank wrote: If anything has destroyed D&D 4e in my eyes . . . it is more of a list of encounters and skill encounters which include specifics of die rolls and outcomes without context of the underlying situations and context to really let you run it other than a bland rolling exercise.


Amen brother. I'll push it all the way back to 2nd edition, and even some of the material there was superfluous. The less dice rolling the more role playing, and very likely that means the DM is doing more of the work in-situ. Scenario and character trump the technicalities in good role-playing.

Jeff White wrote: I've heard that ever since 3.X, D&D encounters are engineered to have a predetermined difficulty. By that I mean an encounter should whittle away about 25% of a party's resources.


Who's doing the engineering?


S.
Last edit: 24 Jun 2011 17:05 by Sagrilarus.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 17:45 #98485 by Chapel
Replied by Chapel on topic Re: RPG Talk

Jeff White wrote: Interested, but this fall is going to be pretty busy. I'll see what I can work out.

Are you thinking of running stuff out of that Beta or waiting til after the final rules drop?


I'd do it earlier, but my summer has become way packed with family stuff, vacations, and other gaming commitments. Fall is always my best gaming times.

P.S. Still want to do a Game Campout in the fall as well(The fall for that because it's too damn hot!) :)

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 18:24 #98490 by moofrank
Replied by moofrank on topic Re: RPG Talk

Jeff White wrote:
I've heard that ever since 3.X, D&D encounters are engineered to have a predetermined difficulty. By that I mean an encounter should whittle away about 25% of a party's resources. So, a party needs to rest/heal about every 3rd or 4th encounter. Can anyone vouch for this?


This is definitely true is 4th edition. The modules are sticking to this fairly religiously. Even when they try and get cutesy and link encounters so that the party needs to run 3 encounters in a row to provide some story tension. Does the acronym TPK mean anything to you?

That and the whole fun of wildly unbalanced and easy encounters or "we're screwed. Run!" is just gone from anything D&D.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Jun 2011 18:31 #98492 by Sagrilarus
Replied by Sagrilarus on topic Re: RPG Talk

moofrank wrote: That and the whole fun of wildly unbalanced and easy encounters or "we're screwed. Run!" is just gone from anything D&D.


So let me get this straight (I haven't played 4th Edition) -- the GM doesn't decide what shows up when and where? The game system is running all that now?

S.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
25 Jun 2011 03:49 #98518 by dysjunct
Replied by dysjunct on topic Re: RPG Talk

Sagrilarus wrote:

moofrank wrote: That and the whole fun of wildly unbalanced and easy encounters or "we're screwed. Run!" is just gone from anything D&D.


So let me get this straight (I haven't played 4th Edition) -- the GM doesn't decide what shows up when and where? The game system is running all that now?

S.


No, that's not the case. The DM can make encounters as balanced or unbalanced as he wants. Starting from 3rd on, the math (and the assumptions that drive it) behind the system has been getting progressively better understood, and addressed directly. So it is much easier to build encounters that are the power level you, as DM, want. Maybe that's balanced, maybe that's easy, maybe that's TPK level.

But there is absolutely nothing that says the DM must make everything balanced. That's still driven by story, and by whatever the group thinks is fun.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: Gary Sax
Time to create page: 0.289 seconds