This seems to be a variant of the common animal disease of mange which can be passed on to humanoids, in animals it presents as mange with inflamed flesh and loss of fur or hair in patches the main difference between it and Mange is that the skin weeps a serous fluid in advanced cases and it is contact with this which causes it to spread.
In Humans Demihumans and Humanoids it causes what looks like very severe weeping eczema particularly on the face throat and chest and the backs of the hands and fore arms. It will like mange cause hair loss in races which are typically bearded such as dwarves and it is viewed as a form of leprosy by them and sufferers are often exiled.
Minor effect:
For a period of 1d6p weeks the victim’s appearance is reduced by 1d6 points as they have skin in the effected areas which looks like raw liver and seeps fluid continually and is often crusted with scabs. The disease then reaches a peak after which the victim slowly recovers generally taking about as long as the original course of the disease to clear up and the victim may be pocked especially if the duration roll penetrated
Major effect:
The disease becomes chronic and will not heal without the application of magic or if the victim is lucky medicine and the appearance loss becomes permanent until so healed. It is also likely that the victim will be treated as a leper by their community even thought the diseases are not at all connected.
So the party's been pursued, run down, overcome and captured. Now what?
This is no time to go soft on them. What good are the Star Queen's
brutal gnoll mercenaries if they go soft on their captives and allow
them to reach the Place of Bright Stones?
What Will They Do With Us? (d6)
1. Kill us all
2. Eat us one by one
3. Make slaves of us
4. Mutilate us, take our stuff and let us go
5. Drag us before their leader to answer for our trespasses
6. Parlay to find out what the misunderstanding was
Brutal enemies roll twice, taking the lower result. Merciful enemies roll twice, taking the higher result.
When? (d4)
1. Immediately
2. After they catch their breath
3. After a brief confinement
4. After an eternity of confinement
Rash captors roll twice, taking the lesser result. Contemplative captors roll twice, taking the higher result.
Capricious captors invariably change their minds given enough
time. Re-roll on the first table (ignore Brutal and Merciful effects).
Maybe they eat three of you and merely rob the rest.
Confinement might mean being tied up near the fire, sat on, impaled
through the hand on something tall and sharp, tossed in a hastily dug
pit (which they made us dig), or rotting in an actual prison.
Many times people think of dungeons as these static
things that monsters inhabit, but if viewed as an interconnected, alive system that
opens up many more possibilities than would ordinarily be possible.
1.When designing dungeons, remember that enemies
move around. But don’t limit their movement to just one area. Keep in mind
that sound travels, and a battle in one area, attract enemies coming to the
scene from different areas, and in the heat of the battle, PCs may find
themselves surrounded by enemies in battle where they can neither move forward
nor retreat until the situation changes.
2.Add varying types of obstacles and ways of
conquering them. In the Zelda franchise games, there are lots of puzzles,
many of which are solved by blowing up obstacles or fake walls, pushing blocks/
rocks, swimming, activating switches in a specific order, and accessing areas
that they need some sort of protection/ alteration to enter. In each of these
cases, Link had equipment to help him out: gloves to give him strength,
earrings to allow him to withstand heat, special armor that allowed him to swim
underwater and the like. In Zelda: Skyward Sword, the hero gets a Batman-esque grappling
hook type weapon that allows him to be pulled to walls, stationary helicopter
type units, and ivy covered rock facades.
But just because the players
don’t have the proper equipment/ powers doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed
to enter such areas, but they may face difficulties in getting around / damage
while in such areas. For instance in an area without the proper heat protection
equipment, a person may get damage while in extremely hot or cold areas.
3.Allow different areas to be opened up as
the players get more powerful. Just because a party went through an area
doesn’t mean that there aren’t more secrets to be discovered. There may be
hidden passages, areas blocked by monsters that they didn’t fight (or
circumvented), underground areas that they have to have digging claws to get
to, or areas that were previously too high for them to reach.When characters get “fly,” “passwall,”
and “reduce/enlarge” abilities (either through their equipment or by spells),
the dungeon has an entirely different feeling.
4.Change the dungeon in a significant way.
This is a classic in video games. Some changes that you can make are: having
the dungeon flood, it on fire or filled with smoke, upside down, or even
portable (for instance a dungeon in a giant robot or on a dragon turtle) Other
changes that you might not have thought of are: filled with quicksand, time
shifted (thank you Zelda: Skyward Sword,) collapsing, overgrown, and vastly changed
monsters. Even changing the climate changes the dungeon. For instance, having a
previously hot area change to freezing changes the dungeon.
5.Change up the situation. Instead of
seeing a dungeon as a thing where characters enter the dungeon and maim/ kill anything
that is threatening, and loot their enemies, the dungeon could be a thing of a
peace keeping party where negotiation rules the day, an espionage mission where
the characters need to be stealthy so as not to get caught, or a rescue mission
where they have to be careful who they kill, otherwise they may end up killing
the party that they’re trying to save.
6.Plan in layers. The best dungeons have
multiple layers: from deep underground or underwater reaching up many stories
in the sky. Having puzzles that span these levels, clues for the
story-behind-the-story, and boss battles the enemies of which are massive (both
in terms of scope, but in terms of the number of participants), makes your
dungeons truly epic!
Posted by
Jesse Cohoon on the Fantasy Roleplaying planes blog
Since I am doing this quite a bit a the moment I thought I would share some of my admittedly rather quick and dirty methods of doing it with you.
These rules apply to the unique stuff rather than to the creatures both systems share an Orc etc is an Orc even if you do need to adjust the numbers as an Orc in HackMaster is a nastier prospect than one in Pathfinder and I might consider swapping it out for say a goblin in low level adventures.
Starting with the Pathfinder stat block
Animated Object (Large) - created with Hero Lab®
The skeleton locked within rattles as this animated cage lurches forward on chain legs in search of new prisoners.
Animated Object (Large) CR 5
XP 1,600
Male animated object (large) (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 14)
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Hardness 5 Subtract Hardness from damage done.
Immunity to Ability Damage Immunity to ability damage
Immunity to Ability Drain Immunity to ability drain
Immunity to Bleeds You are immune to bleeds.
Immunity to Death and Necromancy effects You are immune to Death and Necromancy effects.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Energy Drain Immune to energy drain
Immunity to Exhausted You are immune to the exhausted condition.
Immunity to Fatigue You are immune to the fatigued condition.
Immunity to Mind-Affecting effects You are immune to Mind-Affecting effects.
Immunity to Non-lethal Damage You are immune to Non-Lethal Damage
Immunity to Paralysis You are immune to paralysis.
Immunity to Poison You are immune to poison.
Immunity to Sleep You are immune to sleep effects.
Immunity to Stunning You are immune to being stunned.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at http://www.wolflair.com
Pathfinder® and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC®, and are used under license.
The skeleton locked within rattles as this animated cage lurches forward on chain legs in search of new prisoners. -------------------- Animated Object (Large) CR 5 XP 1,600 Male animated object (large) (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 14) N Large construct Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception -5 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 14, touch 8, flat-footed 14 (-1 dexterity, +6 natural, -1 size) hp 52 (4d10+30) Fort +1, Ref +0, Will -4 Defensive Abilities hardness 5; Immune construct traits -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee slam +9 (1d8+9) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 22, Dex 8, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1 Base Atk +4; CMB +11; CMD 20 -------------------- Ecology -------------------- Environment Any Organization Solitary, pair, or group (3-12) Treasure None -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only). Hardness 5 Subtract Hardness from damage done. Immunity to Ability Damage Immunity to ability damage Immunity to Ability Drain Immunity to ability drain Immunity to Bleeds You are immune to bleeds. Immunity to Death and Necromancy effects You are immune to Death and Necromancy effects. Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases. Immunity to Energy Drain Immune to energy drain Immunity to Exhausted You are immune to the exhausted condition. Immunity to Fatigue You are immune to the fatigued condition. Immunity to Mind-Affecting effects You are immune to Mind-Affecting effects. Immunity to Non-lethal Damage You are immune to Non-Lethal Damage Immunity to Paralysis You are immune to paralysis. Immunity to Poison You are immune to poison. Immunity to Sleep You are immune to sleep effects. Immunity to Stunning You are immune to being stunned. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at http://www.wolflair.com Pathfinder® and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC®, and are used under license.
as you can see the stat block for the animated cage was taken form hero lab
In association withSpirit Games May be making Progress on the Getting HackMaster Core Rule Books back into Europe project. I will keep you updated on this.
However when the books come back into stock I will be going into Demo Frenzy and more or less any one who wants a go at HackMaster will get the chance.
I am also after a PHB & HOB as an additional copy of the books always comes in handy and a GMG when the book is published
None of this is my work but I think its well worth making as widely available as possible so this reposting is by way of helping it along
Dice Statistics
Why Statistics matter
Most roleplaying games are played with dice, which job is to generate
a random number; these random numbers represent chance, which – without
initiating a philosophical discussion – is that part of life we can’t
do anything about. These numbers are further modified by our skills in
the different tasks are most honoured and revered Dungeon Master /
Hackmaster / Game Master – the names of this esteemed individual are
many, and all rightfully said with the utmost respect when uttering this
magnificent individual’s title and name – sees fit to give us, the
players. Now, any Dungeon Master worth his salt would cast the evil eye
upon any player trying to make decisions on, say, which weapon to
choose, based on the arithmetical data provided in the books, rather
than making this decision based on the colourful, vivid description
given by his or her highly respectable person. This is where I, a
Dungeon Master and Hackmaster, provide you with the exact knowledge you –
the player – need to figure out everything you need to know to make
just such choices (all the more to your Dungeon Master’s distress).
Why would you do such a thing?, you’d might ask. Well, the
more you know, the better you can play; the more you understand the
mechanics of the game, the better you can have informed discussions with
your game’s esteemed leader, when you want to contribute and make the
game even better for everyone. And, of course, all such discussions are
done during breaks or between sessions. Metagaming is
disrespectful to players and Dungeon Master alike, who are trying to
create a mood and feel for the story everyone are participating in, and
should be avoided at all costs.
For your convenience, at the end of this article, I will provide you
with a link to a pdf document showing the formulae and numbers for some
normal die pools. The document may be shared freely, as long as it is
done so in it’s entirety. Should you quote me, feel free to let me know.
Nomenclature and the mechanics of different die rolls
Let’s get things straight right away. The correct way to name these polyhedra we love to hate, is one die, many dice.
If you are interested in learning everything you need and do not need
to know about dice, take a look at this excellent document by Kenzer and
Company, called On Dice.
It discusses nomenclature, dice etiquette, the nature of dice (they are
inherently evil, you know), how to choose which dice to purchase, what
to do when good dice go bad, how to roll dice, and so on. Take a look at
it; it’s a good read.
Shorthand for writing what kind of dice a player should roll, is quite simple: m dice, d, of n sides each, for example 2d6, means that a player should roll two six-sided dice and add the numbers. In many games, however, exploding dice
are used. This means you get to keep rerolling the die as long as you
get the maximum number, adding all together. In this article, i will
denote this dice as mdnx, for example 3d6x. Using the
above example, rolling 3, 6 and 5 on these three dice, and getting the
series 6, 6, 6, 6, 4 on the mid die (= 28 – you get the full sum) would
yield a total of 36. Now that is painful.
In Hackmaster, most die rolls are so-called penetrating dice. These are a special case of exploding dice, and are denoted by adding a p
at the end, which means that a player should keep rolling as long as
the player gets the die’s maximum, but deduct one for every roll past
the first. An example notation would be 3d6p; if the player rolls
these three six-sided dice, and got the same numbers as above (3, 6 and
5) on these three dice, and got the same series of numbers with the mid
die as above (6, 6, 6, 6, 4), he would get the following result:
Die 1: 3. Total: 3
Die
2: 6 → penetrating roll, the whole series of rolls being 6, 6, 6, 6, 4)
→ resulting sum of this die is 6 + (6 − 1) + (6 − 1) + (6 − 1) + (4 −
1) = 6 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 3 = 24.
Die 3: 5
Result: 32.
It
is perhaps not as painful as with the regular exploding die, but three
six-sided dice yielding 32 damage still hurts like hell.
The different die rolls
Regular die rolls, dn,
rolls with a regular die, where n is the number of sides of the die
Everyone probably already know the basic formula for calculating the expected result of a standard die roll. If your die has n, numbered 1 through n, your expected result will be (n + 1) ÷ 2. For a six-sided die (from now on: d6), this yields the following: (n + 1) ÷ 2 =
(6 + 1) ÷ 2 =
7 ÷ 2 = 3½
But, wait a minute? Half of 6 is 3, isn’t it? Yes, of course, but half
of a d6 is not the same. Just take a look at the numbers a d6 can yield:
1, 2, 3 [halfpoint] 4, 5, 6
As you can see, there are three numbers to the left of half-point, and
three numbers to the right. What’s midway between 3 and 4? The number 3½
of course. To find the average for any regular n-sided die, add 1 to n and divide the sum by two.
Exploding die rolls, dnx,
where you get to keep rolling and add the numbers, for as long as you roll the maximum
Eric T. Dobbs wrote a great article about these dice a couple of years ago, in which he shows how he came to a formula correctly giving the expected result for an n-sided exploding die. Here’s his conclusion:
For
any N-sided die numbered 1 to N with all sides equally likely, the
exploding modifier will increase the die’s expected value by a factor of
N ÷ (N − 1).
In other words, you get the following formula:
((n + 1) ÷ 2) × (n ÷ (n − 1)) (Eric Dobb’s)
which may be shortened to
(n² + n) ÷ (2n − 2) (by me (any mistakes are mine))
Penetrating die rolls, dnp,
where you get to keep rolling and add the numbers, for as long as
you roll the maximum, but deduct 1 on every roll after the first
Surprisingly, the formula for figuring out the expected value for a
penetrating die roll, is incredibly simple. Now, Mr Dobbs didn’t have
the time to do it mathematically, so he did some number crunching
instead, and ended up with this:
½n + 1
It’s quite beautiful in it’s simplicity, isn’t it? With this simple formula, anyone can do the math in their heads.
The special case of the thief’s backstab ability in Hackmaster
In the game Hackmaster, a thief may make a backstab if using a knife or dagger. This allows him to make damage amounting to 2d4p, but his or her dice penetrate on the maximum and second highest number.
This surprisingly makes the backstab attack preferable to wielding
larger weapons. A thief’s backstab is in fact better than weapons that
do d12p damage, and matches weapons that do 2d6p or 2d12p+1 damage. The
formula for calculating a thief’s special backstab damage, is as
follows, again with courtesy of Mr Dobbs:
(n² + n − 4) ÷ (2n − 4)
Expected damage with the puny dagger is in fact 8 full points of damage; that’ just average damage…
How to abu… use this power
Finally you can figure out how to do the most damage, as
effectively as possible and with mathematical precision! Are you better
off going for the 1d12 og 2d6 damage weapon? Should the Hackmaster thief
opt for the simple dagger, or put his wagers on something more
stalwart, such as a sword? I hope the formulae provided will be
benefitial in your search for the best weapons and tactics. I did the
calculations, so any errors are mine. I also did the shortening of ((n +
1) ÷ 2) × ( n ÷ (n − 1)) to (n² + n) ÷ (2n − 2); if anything was wrong
in how that was done, the error is mine. And here is the document i
promised: Terningstatistikk – Dice Statistics
A rural map from the north. a bit more of a civilized locale featuring a ford across a fast flowing seasonal melt water stream and one of the small banked fields typical of the area as well as some of the topography which is cool when you get it right so I am practising away at it. This to be honest is one of the reasons I have done so many of these maps when I am not I think going to need them right away.
I am building up a collection of these for Against the Robots
This one was done in an effort to show a a bit more of the typical features of the more fertile parts of the wastes in summer the fast flowing seasonal stream in the top corner and the sink hole where the permafrost had melted differentially leaving a small deep pond. I also had a go at adding three dimensions to an other wise flat map with the small hill topped by an erratic ( stray bolder) jutting out of the otherwise fairly flat flower covered plain
Another variation on the same theme showing a bit more topography and a game trail. The nice thing about these is that they can me customised further once uploaded to Roll20 by adding map tokens and even drawing additional elements on them even thought the drawing tools in Roll20 are not as sophisticated as GIMP they are easy to use for that last minute tweak
Some thoughts on how shields work in the real world and haw to model that in a way that works for HackMaster 5e. I wont claim to be able to cover every thing but I do hope to give the reader something to think about and add verisimilitude of not realism to their games
Basic types of shield
Shields have been made in all shapes and sizes and of a large number of differing materials historically but the base line shield in HackMaster and indeed most similar FRPG's is wooden, often a composite resembling modern plywood, and edged with raw hide to protect the edge from blades. On better shields they may be faced with cloth or thin leather and some times even thin sheet metal and the rawhide replaced by a metal edging strip. However regardless of construction or size there are only two ways of holding a shield.
Centre grip
Forearm Grip
Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages and the prevalence of either varied considerably over history but form experience the centre grip is better for mobility of the shield thought it it the heaviest as all the shields not inconsiderable weight is supported by the off hand. its also easier to equip and de equip, but its also possible to drop the shield . The fore arm grip is less mobile but you can use heavier shields, indeed the only practical all metal shields I have seen other than truly tiny bucklers have been this type. It is also impossible to drop as even if you let go of the hand grip it hangs of the fore arm.
You find that using a centre grip shield you will actively use it to intercept or deflect an incoming blow or as a weapon to strike aside you foes weapon, with a forearm grip you find you tend to present it to your foe and keep it fairly static whilst you move around behind it. From the front centre grip shields have a raised metal boss which covers the hole in the middle where the grip is and fore arm grip shields tend to be smooth.
How to hold a shield
Shields of either type are held with a bent off arm as far in front of the torso as possible. For a fore arm grip shield this is a bit more than the length of your upper arm and for a centre grip shield this is about three quarters of the length of the whole arm in action shields are never held against the body as the space between the shield and you is your defence against nasty stuff like axes which can punch holes in shields easily. flexing the arm is also a way of absorbing the energy of the weapons impact spreading it ad so reducing damage, the arm acts in some ways like a spring. Considerations of shape
The basic shield is flat but more elaborate versions are curved or dished either of which make it harder to land a solid blow and more likely that any hit will be glancing this reduces damage to the shield and increases the time it will survive in a battle particularly important when you are not wearing any armour or only a helmet. Considerations of Materials and Construction
Shields can be made out of a wide range of materials and have been and even the basic wooden one can be varied to improve its performance and survivability .
Fabric facing gluing stretched cloth across the front of a wooden shield will make the surface of the wood less likely to splinter or to have layers seared away by impacts it also provides a nice base for painting identification or heraldry on and it does not noticeably add to the shields weight. Leather or rawhide facing very much the same as the point made for cloth facing but it will add rather more weight to the shield makes the shield much tougher such that the thickness of the wood can be reduced sand the shield still be more robust than a thicker shield without it. it can also provide a flat surface to decorate on in the case of the particoloured animal hides with the fur left on provide a decoration in itself. Metal facing this again
An Reply posted to an interesting Blog Article first posted on the feed form this Blog to the Big Bang Burger bar
Posted By Forum User Snakes in the Tiki lounge
Interesting article. On the other hand, a counter point of sorts;
Quote from: Tempest Stormwind
I
still stand by the argument that this is a fundamental difference
between old school (basic D&D: 1 race/class, AD&D: very limted
multi-classing) vrs new school (I buy a book and there is a class in
their and I want it gimmie gimmie). The trend I see is old school =
roleplayers, new school = optomizers.
Note to New school people:
Don't listen to what you hear, you aren't a dork if you roleplay. It is
ok to indulge in what D&D is all about, roleplay. If you try it and
have a good DM, I guarantee you'll have a blast and won't care so much
about optomizing. Okay, that's it.
I'm hereby proposing a new
logical fallacy. It's not a new idea, but maybe with a catchy name (like
the Oberoni Fallacy) it will catch on.
The Stormwind Fallacy, aka the Roleplayer vs Rollplayer Fallacy Just because one optimizes his characters mechanically does not mean that they cannot also roleplay, and vice versa.
Corollary: Doing one in a game does not preclude, nor infringe upon, the ability to do the other in the same game.
Generalization 1: One is not automatically a worse roleplayer if he optimizes, and vice versa. Generalization 2: A non-optimized character is not automatically roleplayed better than an optimized one, and vice versa.
(I
admit that there are some diehards on both sides -- the RP fanatics who
refuse to optimize as if strong characters were the mark of the Devil
and the min/max munchkins who couldn't RP their way out of a paper bag
without setting it on fire -- though I see these as extreme examples.
The vast majority of people are in between, and thus the generalizations
hold. The key word is 'automatically')
Proof: These two elements
rely on different aspects of a player's gameplay. Optimization factors
in to how well one understands the rules and handles synergies to
produce a very effective end result. Roleplaying deals with how well a
player can act in character and behave as if he was someone else. A
person can act while understanding the rules, and can build something
powerful while still handling an effective character. There is nothing
in the game -- mechanical or otherwise -- restricting one if you
participate in the other.
Claiming that an optimizer cannot
roleplay (or is participating in a playstyle that isn't supportive of
roleplaying) because he is an optimizer, or vice versa, is committing
the Stormwind Fallacy.
How does this impact "builds"? Simple.
In
one extreme (say, Pun-Pun), they are thought experiments. Optimization
tests that are not intended to see actual gameplay. Because they do not
see gameplay, they do not commit the fallacy.
In the other
extreme, you get the drama queens. They could care less about the rules,
and are, essentially, playing free-form RP. Because the game is not
necessary to this particular character, it doesn't fall into the
fallacy.
By playing D&D, you opt in to an agreement of sorts
-- the rules describe the world you live in, including yourself. To get
the most out of those rules, in the same way you would get the most out
of yourself, you must optimize in some respect (and don't look at me
funny; you do it already, you just don't like to admit it. You don't
need multiclassing or splatbooks to optimize). However, because it is a
role-playing game, you also agree to play a role. This is dependent
completely on you, and is independent of the rules.
And no, this
isn't dependent on edition, or even what roleplaying game you're doing.
If you are playing a roleplaying game with any form of rules or
regulation, this fallacy can apply. The only difference is the nature of
the optimization (based on the rules of that game; Tri-Stat optimizes
differently than d20) or the flavor of the roleplay (based on the
setting; Exalted feels different from Cthulu).
Conclusion:
D&D, like it or not, has elements of both optimization AND roleplay
in it. Any game that involves rules has optimization, and any
role-playing game has roleplay. These are inherent to the game.
They
go hand-in-hand in this sort of game. Deal with it. And in the name of
all that is good and holy, stop committing the Stormwind Fallacy in the
meantime.
Note, unless I'm very much misunderstanding one or
both of the above, I don't think the two points actually contradict each
other, and there's a lot in the former article there I'd agree with
quite strongly.
as a Gamer of similar antiquity I am afraid I have to agree whole heartedly with the following
Wading In: "Builds"
What was memorable about this guy?
Point-Buy games have had "builds" for a long time - Hero, Gurps, etc.
With 3rd Edition D&D all of a sudden D&D had "builds" and one of
the plagues of the modern age of gaming fully flowered and has yet to
really die down.
I'd say for most players, one of the attractions of RPGs is the
opportunity to play a character that does things you do not do in your
normal life - sticking swords into monsters, throwing magic, or flying a
spaceship. D&D 3E (and later) and Pathfinder are very good at
letting us do that with tons of options and per-level multiclassing and
point buy attributes - compared to the old "roll up your stats and
figure out what to play" days it's a paradise for those who like to
craft their character to match their specific vision. That's nothing but
a positive. Well, almost...
The coal-filled stocking in this approach is that there are a lot of
people who, once exposed to your vision of Abercrombie the Barbarian
Prince will quickly point out all of the places it could be improved
mechanically and all of the less-than-optimal choices you have made in
creating him. "Why does he need a 16 Charisma - dump that to 8!" is
among the kinder things you may hear. Communal min/maxing is just as
annoying as individual min/maxing when it overwhelms the original
concept. Much like MMO players, groups of players around the internet
will quickly determine optimal approaches to specific classes and
combinations whenever new rules or options come out and are often
regarded as "experts".
If you're playing some kind of arena combat game against other players this may be useful.
If you're playing any other kind of game, it's of limited usefulness at best.
Sure, push your DPS way up there, that's really impressive. Hey, now we
need an assist on this diplomacy check - oh, you have a negative? Ok,
never mind. How about Stealth? Knowledge? Religion? Most optimized
"builds' I have seen sacrifice a lot for increased efficiency in one
particular area and that's not always the best answer to the things that
go on in a campaign and they can get to be on the boring side when
you're not slamming through one combat after another because that's a
lot of what they focus on. Also it can warp the rest of the party. If we
assume the tornado of steel barbarian can solo any monster in the game,
the rest of the party may de-emphasize combat capability to try and
shine in other phases of the game. Then the barbarian's player misses a
session and suddenly combat goes horribly wrong .
Now you do get the opposite problem sometimes where someone takes a bard
or a rogue type character and turns them into the jack of all trades and master of all trades too. That's not great for the rest of the party and rather than one player getting bored you have all but one player bored.
A lot of these overpowered builds rely on stitching together very
specific abilities from across different classes and supplement books so
one way to keep a lid on it is to limit options. Pathfinder has
probably the biggest active universe for this kind of thing right now.
Sure, the Technology Guide is awesome for the Iron Gods Adventure Path,
but if I'm running Rise of the Runelords I probably don't need android
PC's with chainsaws and laser pistols running around so the answer there
at character creation is "no".
I've played and run a lot of games over the years but I have to say I've
rarely seen the need for maxed out PC's. Right now the published
adventures I am reading, mainly Pathfinder APs and the new D&D 5E
adventures certainly do not demand apex character designs. So it's not
pressure from adventure writers that drives optimized character designs.
I have found that campaigns are more enjoyable when people are playing a
character they really like and that is often tied to designing it
themselves. "Interesting" and "memorable" do not necessarily equal
"efficient". Even when looking for power combos, if you find some
combination of abilities that is particularly effective how much more
satisfying is that than finding it out from some guy on the internet
before the game ever starts? For Delve Night at the FLGS an
internet-optimized hurricane of evocation may be fine but in an ongoing
campaign it's different. Can you live with that character for a year?
How about two?
Seeing it discussed online almost constantly I feel the occasional need
to push back against the pressure to optimize everything. Ideally
players find a balance between "fun/interesting to play" and
"mechanically effective" that works for them and for the rest of the
people in their group. Hopefully they take a little time and consider
the non-mechanical aspects of the character to round things out.
posted by CEBrown based on an original post by Jtolman which is here I would suggest categorizing this into sections:
Distractions (no true threat or challenge intended (yeah, PCs can always "force an escalation" )
- just odd occurances like a flock of birds suddenly taking flight for
no apparent reason, odd rustling in the brush which proves to just be a
rabbit or maybe just the wind)
Inconveniences (run out
of some non-essential (e.g. clean bandages, luxury items, cooking
utensils) supplies, raided by raccoons, fire keeps dying out or
threatening to go out of control), which would probably be the most
common results.
Threats (poisonous animals slipping
into camp - like the spider or scorpion examples, or PCs find they built
their camp near where a hunter set up some traps, run out of essential
supplies like food or clean water) - about as common as "distractions";
together slightly more common than "Inconveniences".
Encounters (shift to regular random encounter stuff). Reposted form the Kenzer Forums and something that I will be taking into
consideration when I am finishing off my encounter building Article
This is something for the morning now but I have been playing with both versions of heromachine to generate custom tokens & am begging to get the hang of them watch this space for examples
I will be using Hero Machine 3 for button tokens and Hero machine 2.5 for the full figure ones
as its back up here is a start
hero machine 2.5 full body female magic user with spear base image
hero machine 3
Barbarian warrior with axe and shield - the axe needs fixing so its in his hand and the background needs to be cleaned up more
& I have several others which rotate or alter small details on the map to give a different environment to fight over with minimal gm effort which I will post latter but I hope you get the idea
first of I am not a fan of random encounters in the traditional sense as I feel that all encounters must serve as a part of the story you and your players are jointly creating so even of they have a random chance of happening, such as a hostile patrol being in the area, they had better have some thought put into them and be a bit more than some extra experience to pick up on the way to the main event.
more to follow in a similar vein to the dungeon article
)
- just odd occurances like a flock of birds suddenly taking flight for
no apparent reason, odd rustling in the brush which proves to just be a
rabbit or maybe just the wind)
