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[Pathfinder & Other Tabletop RPGs] 1d6 Dragons Fall, Everyone Fries

OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
edited September 2012 in Social Entropy++
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So I've played my very first session of Pathfinder this week. As some of you may or may not know, Pathfinder's supposedly at it's core Dungeons & Dragons's 3.5 Edition but rebranded and tweaked. This comes from a company named Pazio who'd been making D&D-related stuff until 2008 when they decided they liked the 3.5 Edition too much to let it die to the 4th and created their own RPG world around 3.5's mechanics. I've never tried D&D myself so I can't very well judge how much better or worse Pathfinder is compared to it but I liked how my first session went so I plan to keep playing. Not seeing a thread for it or PnP (Pen & Paper) RPGs in general on SE++, (mainly because of the current super-basic state of the forum's search engine) I decided to pitch up my own and see if there's any other dice-geeks around here. You count if you've played one of the following:

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Dungeons & Dragons: The top dog (?) and OG of the tabletop-RPG world. Currently heading towards it's fifth edition called D&D Next.

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Shadowrun: Cyberpunk and magic colliding violently in a megacorp-run future, mainly in Seattle. Currently in it's fourth edition.

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World Of Darkness: Redefining the term 'monster' in a present-day world where being a vampire or werewolf is just the bottom rung on the horror ladder. Currently running in a rebooted version of the original WoD that's shed it's 'end of the world is nigh' plot-hook.

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Warhammer/Warhammer 40K: Originally and still going as a miniatures-based game, both the fantasy-based self and it's IN SPACE 40K version have PnP RPGs for those that want a little story in-between the miniatures' massive battles.

If I haven't mentioned a PnP you play, feel free to speak up about it. I do ask however that any talk about pre-made campaigns (called an Adventure Path in Pathfinder) are put in a spoiler box as there may be people like me who're playing through one of those.

Owenashi on
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Posts

  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    I like

    Gamma World

  • StaleStale Registered User regular
    My group tried out Pathfinder. As 3.5 vets and purists, we didn't like 4th at all. It was like playing an MMO. So when we gave this a shot it was pretty great. Our first was Haunting of Harrowstone. Ohh man. I'll lay out some background here. Our group is comprised of:

    A guy that always plays razor-sharp optimized fighter. He will burn hours adjusting single scores to absolute precision. And he is always Neutral. Never lawful, never Chaotic. Just neutral. You never know which side he's going to lean to.

    Myself, I am always a little more chaotic, almost always a rogue or monk, and always setup to strike fast and get the fuck out of Dodge. I also regularly steal from my companions. It is just accepted that my characters will end the campaign richer than everyone else who survives. I've been known to let companions die after fighting alongside them for months just so I can claim extra treasure.

    A guy that always always plays a ranger. Always good at heart, always pulling amazing convoluted attacks and acrobatics off, and always always always ends up dying. Usually to save everyone else.

    A guy who always plays a lawful good character who is religious in some form or another. Always at odds with my character, and always the one I steal from the most.

    and the DM. He's the lawful good guys husband. He almost always keeps me in check by not letting me go to far off the deep end, but doesn't necessarily stop me from making his husbands life a living hell in-game. In one instance he and I worked behind the scenes over the course of 3 months, to poison his husbands character so that he became progressively weaker. He would take his rolls, and then do a subtract on the total and apply THAT new number to the encounter. We never told him why he seemed to get more and more ineffective.

    Why? Because he wouldn't let me burn down a village of thieves to gain a new dagger from my God. So I spent the next three months and almost all of my money to make everything a pain in the ass for him. This was only revealed at my death at the end of the campaign.

    So, Haunting of Harrowstone:
    It is not who you think it is.
    Seriously, don't waste your time chasing your tail.
    You will get jumped in the prison. The fight isn't that hard.
    DO NOT DISTURB THE BONES. THEY ARE CHAINED FOR A FUCKING REASON.

    DO NOT DISTURB THEM. BACK OUT OF THE FUCKING ROOM AND FORGET THEY EVEN EXIST. I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH.
    You will spend the rest of the campaign isolated from your group because no one will figure out how to rescue you

    easysig2.jpg
  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    Did you know: there are dnd 3x books for diablo and Warcraft

  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    Antimatter wrote: »
    Did you know: there are dnd 3x books for diablo and Warcraft

    OGL ftw

    Twitter! | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    pathfinder is awesome

  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    skulls and shackles (the adventure path for pathfinder) is literally One Piece only with murder and possession

  • DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    has anyone done a space-thing for Pathfinder

    D20 Future has been sorta wedged in mind for years

    and I'd like to see a Pathfinder take on it

    Miss me? Find me on:

    Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
    Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    edited September 2012
    Stale wrote: »
    My group tried out Pathfinder. As 3.5 vets and purists, we didn't like 4th at all. It was like playing an MMO. So when we gave this a shot it was pretty great. Our first was Haunting of Harrowstone.

    I think that's the beginning of the AP my group's doing, Carrion Crown. I had to squint my eyes so I can edit your quote here and not see the exposed spoilers. :) Did HoH start with...
    ...your group having to fend off angry farmers at a funeral?

    If so, could you give a spoiler-free opinion on the rest of HoH? Is it a good intro to Pathfinder in general seeing as it's (according to the Player's Guide for that AP) basically set in the game's version of Castlevania?
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    skulls and shackles (the adventure path for pathfinder) is literally One Piece only with murder and possession

    I saw the Player's Guide for that and yeah, it looks neat though a little more complicated then other APs seeing your group has to run it's own pirate boat. Am I right to assume S&S' not quite for Good-type characters in general?

    Owenashi on
  • ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    I have really wanted to get into Pathfinder.

    Perhaps I'll finally pick up the book for my birthday.

    Ross-Geller-Prime-Sig-A.jpg
  • StraightziStraightzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User regular
    Hey guys

    How the hell does D&D Encounters work?

    There's apparently a comic book shop not far from where I'm moving that does weekly games

    And part of me is considering doing it just as a way to meet new people

    But I have no idea what it is even

  • StraightziStraightzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User regular
    Also you neglected Mutants and Masterminds AKA the best RPG

  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    Straightzi wrote: »
    Hey guys

    How the hell does D&D Encounters work?

    There's apparently a comic book shop not far from where I'm moving that does weekly games

    And part of me is considering doing it just as a way to meet new people

    But I have no idea what it is even

    Essentials only. You start with a level 1 character. It's like one combat per session, and by the end of the "season" you're level 3, and can carry the character over to Living Forgotten Realms if you want.

    Twitter! | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    Honestly if you can get into Living Forgotten Realms, it's usually better. For instance, here, Encounters is pretty much cub scouts. Like, nobody playing is over 12 years old. LFR is much bigger, and a much better way to meet other gamers.

    I especially prefer LFR because you're far less limited by source, so it's far easier to tell who's just there to powergame, and who's there to explore character ideas (most are still highly optimized, but that's mostly because of public play).

    Twitter! | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    Dubh wrote: »
    has anyone done a space-thing for Pathfinder

    D20 Future has been sorta wedged in mind for years

    and I'd like to see a Pathfinder take on it
    if you got the time to do rules converting you can, but officially no
    Owenashi wrote: »
    Stale wrote: »
    My group tried out Pathfinder. As 3.5 vets and purists, we didn't like 4th at all. It was like playing an MMO. So when we gave this a shot it was pretty great. Our first was Haunting of Harrowstone.

    I think that's the beginning of the AP my group's doing, Carrion Crown. I had to squint my eyes so I can edit your quote here and not see the exposed spoilers. :) Did HoH start with...
    ...your group having to fend off angry farmers at a funeral?

    If so, could you give a spoiler-free opinion on the rest of HoH? Is it a good intro to Pathfinder in general seeing as it's (according to the Player's Guide for that AP) basically set in the game's version of Castlevania?
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    skulls and shackles (the adventure path for pathfinder) is literally One Piece only with murder and possession

    I saw the Player's Guide for that and yeah, it looks neat though a little more complicated then other APs seeing your group has to run it's own pirate boat. Am I right to assume S&S' not quite for Good-type characters in general?
    you can totes be good, but you have to justify in the very least robbing people who are not always hostile to you
    Zonugal wrote: »
    I have really wanted to get into Pathfinder.

    Perhaps I'll finally pick up the book for my birthday.

    http://www.d20pfsrd.com/

    contains pretty much everything ever published but adventure paths

  • StaleStale Registered User regular
    Owenashi wrote: »
    Stale wrote: »
    My group tried out Pathfinder. As 3.5 vets and purists, we didn't like 4th at all. It was like playing an MMO. So when we gave this a shot it was pretty great. Our first was Haunting of Harrowstone.

    I think that's the beginning of the AP my group's doing, Carrion Crown. I had to squint my eyes so I can edit your quote here and not see the exposed spoilers. :) Did HoH start with...
    ...your group having to fend off angry farmers at a funeral?

    If so, could you give a spoiler-free opinion on the rest of HoH? Is it a good intro to Pathfinder in general seeing as it's (according to the Player's Guide for that AP) basically set in the game's version of Castlevania?

    Yup. and that is precisely where my group ran it off the rails.

    See, that event did not play out quite like Paizo planned. My character doesn't take kindly to uppity peasants. So a few dice rolls later, half of them were dead.

    so further interaction with those that survived, was a little terse. It made the campaign a little rough. And getting the information needed was difficult to say the least.

    But past that? It was alright, nothing mind blowing, but there are certainly some pitfalls and they definitely punish those are too aggressive or too passive.

    easysig2.jpg
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    @dubh although technically http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Dark_Tapestry exists and is lovecraftian horrors from beyond the stars

  • DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    Thanks Pip!

    I'll have to work out something. If I can't get Pathfinder to do it, I'll have to bring out Mutans & Masterminds

    Miss me? Find me on:

    Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
    Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    http://www.wizards.com/dnd/blank.aspx?x=dnd/4dnd/gwsheet
    bringing this back for the first page of the thread

    gamma world is the source of the first and only official 4e online character builder that doesnt suck

  • StraightziStraightzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User regular
    Tox wrote: »
    Straightzi wrote: »
    Hey guys

    How the hell does D&D Encounters work?

    There's apparently a comic book shop not far from where I'm moving that does weekly games

    And part of me is considering doing it just as a way to meet new people

    But I have no idea what it is even

    Essentials only. You start with a level 1 character. It's like one combat per session, and by the end of the "season" you're level 3, and can carry the character over to Living Forgotten Realms if you want.

    That sounds like it blows

    Oh well

  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    Stale wrote: »
    Owenashi wrote: »
    Stale wrote: »
    My group tried out Pathfinder. As 3.5 vets and purists, we didn't like 4th at all. It was like playing an MMO. So when we gave this a shot it was pretty great. Our first was Haunting of Harrowstone.

    I think that's the beginning of the AP my group's doing, Carrion Crown. I had to squint my eyes so I can edit your quote here and not see the exposed spoilers. :) Did HoH start with...
    ...your group having to fend off angry farmers at a funeral?

    If so, could you give a spoiler-free opinion on the rest of HoH? Is it a good intro to Pathfinder in general seeing as it's (according to the Player's Guide for that AP) basically set in the game's version of Castlevania?

    Yup. and that is precisely where my group ran it off the rails.

    See, that event did not play out quite like Paizo planned. My character doesn't take kindly to uppity peasants. So a few dice rolls later, half of them were dead.

    so further interaction with those that survived, was a little terse. It made the campaign a little rough. And getting the information needed was difficult to say the least.

    But past that? It was alright, nothing mind blowing, but there are certainly some pitfalls and they definitely punish those are too aggressive or too passive.
    Heh, my group didn't go that far with the initial confrontation. While I'm playing a Half-Orc Gunslinger, the farthest I went (via a successful Intimidate roll) was sticking my gun in one of the farmer's faces and yelling at them to run before I shot them in the head and have the bullet bounce around in their empty skull. My Gunslinger's Good-aligned but taking the tip of a shovel upside your head will stress you out some.

  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    next chance we get for a tabletop thread i'm making the genasi appreciation station

  • ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    edited September 2012
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    Zonugal wrote: »
    I have really wanted to get into Pathfinder.

    Perhaps I'll finally pick up the book for my birthday.

    http://www.d20pfsrd.com/

    contains pretty much everything ever published but adventure paths

    Oh I know of the srd, I just want the actual book.

    It will help in my transition to it.

    Zonugal on
    Ross-Geller-Prime-Sig-A.jpg
  • HunteraHuntera Rude Boy Registered User regular
    Antimatter wrote: »
    next chance we get for a tabletop thread i'm making the thri-kreen appreciation station

    Hm yes that's a good idea anti.

  • DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    An Appreciation Genasi

    Miss me? Find me on:

    Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
    Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    Huntera wrote: »
    Antimatter wrote: »
    next chance we get for a tabletop thread i'm making the thri-kreen appreciation station

    Hm yes that's a good idea anti.

    i will set you ablaze

  • CarnarvonCarnarvon Registered User regular
    So, I just found out I have a cheater in my interwebs group. Not someone who 'accidentally' writes a +3 instead of +2, or someone who fudged a roll, or took a feat a level early, but has been fixing every single die roll for about five sessions now. I'm a bit shocked, honestly. I mean, he'd been acting like a shitbag for weeks lately, but hardcore cheating at pretendy-fun-times is just out of left field. It's not like he's even been that guy, we've been playing together for almost two years now.

    Anyone else have something like this happen to them?

  • StiltsStilts Registered User regular
    Antimatter wrote: »
    Huntera wrote: »
    Antimatter wrote: »
    next chance we get for a tabletop thread i'm making the thri-kreen appreciation station

    Hm yes that's a good idea anti.

    i will set you ablaze

    Could you give a shout-out to kobolds in your future-OP?

    For me?

    IKknkhU.gif
  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    i like kobolds but genasi


    i'll mark it under "i'll think about it"

  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    Stilts wrote: »
    Antimatter wrote: »
    Huntera wrote: »
    Antimatter wrote: »
    next chance we get for a tabletop thread i'm making the thri-kreen appreciation station

    Hm yes that's a good idea anti.

    i will set you ablaze

    Could you give a shout-out to kobolds in your future-OP?

    For me?

    Would you be happy if I put this in this thread's OP?

    yWZPL.jpg

    Probably the closest pic I can find of a Kolbold Bushwacker from Pathfinder.

  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    I've basically regressed to a late 90's-early 2000's White Wolf fanboy where I think pretty much any version of D&D is gross and terrible and boring and wouldn't you rather play a game about psychologically broken people dealing with fucked up things?


    Except in this case its stuff based off Apocalypse World.

    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    I just found that Games workshop board game Dreadfleet on a decent sale.

    But anyone have any idea how good it is?

  • KochikensKochikens Registered User regular
    i fucking love genasi

  • DepressperadoDepressperado I just wanted to see you laughing in the pizza rainRegistered User regular
    genasi are diapers

    the best ones are air genasi because they can just blow away and you ain't never got to see them ever

    even tieflings/aasimar are pushin' it

    just gonna go be a halfling or a gnome or something like someone who isn't L A M E, see you later

  • CorporateLogoCorporateLogo The toilet knows how I feelRegistered User regular
    Let's talk about Infinity and NSFW pewter figures

    Do not have a cow, mortal.

    c9PXgFo.jpg
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    So I played IKRPG recently

    it was pretty good, I guess

    the Life Spiral is a great health system and letting you take two starting careers means you can get a nice combo of abilities

  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    genasi are diapers

    the best ones are air genasi because they can just blow away and you ain't never got to see them ever

    even tieflings/aasimar are pushin' it

    just gonna go be a halfling or a gnome or something like someone who isn't L A M E, see you later

    Shun

  • UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    I'm playing a weekly pathfinder game, it's good times and I like the system for the most part

    but

    the crafting rules fucking blow. My character is an alchemist, and I wanted to make some tanglefoot bags. This is how that goes down.

    1) look up the price of the item (50g) and pay 1/3rd of that for raw materials
    2) work out the cost of the item, in silver, so 500sp
    3) Look up the Difficulty Class (under the Crafting skill entry) of the item you wish to make (in this case 25)
    4) Roll a Craft (Alchemy) skill check. I actually got a natural 20 on this, and with my various bonuses due to masterwork equipment and being an Alchemist I got a 32
    5) Multiply your craft check result by the DC. This is how many silver worth of work you accomplished in a week (so 25 * 32 = 800) Which means I finished it in a week.
    6) Luckily, I'm an Alchemist and at 3rd level I can make alchemical items in half the normal time. The rules aren't clear on how to do this but my DM was nice enough to rule that it means I double the value result of step 5), making my check result 1600. As this is 3x the value of the item, I complete it in 1/3 of a week.

    As if that wasn't unneccessarily complicated enough, if my skill was higher and I was confident enough to try and rush the job I could voluntarily add 10 to the DC, meaning I was multiplying my presumably higher roll by 35 instead of 25.

  • UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    Oh and I want to make 3 bags? A separate check for each!

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    That seems

    crazy

  • EdcrabEdcrab Actually a hack Registered User regular
    Wow that does seem slightly over involved

    In fact involved isn't even the right word for it, as I like to see rolls in various non-combat challenges, it's just... odd

    cBY55.gifbmJsl.png
This discussion has been closed.