BrodyThe WatchThe First ShoreRegistered Userregular
So I know the importance of theme has come up with regard to mechanical intent (does this sentence make any sense?). Fate as a Pulp game, EP as horror, and so I was wondering if people had suggestions for a SC Culture game. I want to go for an almost Guardians of the Galaxy feel to it, and I was going to just go with EP because I have the book, and I feel like the transhumanism in it really fits The Culture, but I'm not sure if the system would really fit the feel. I know Fate could be made to fit it, but I think my group would prefer something with a little more crunch to it.
"I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."
In order to really get the feel of the Culture setting I think you'd ideally want a system which is able to do transhumanism but also massively varied tech levels
Also it's going to be an odd sort of campaign to run, I think, because Banks always writes about the interesting Culture involvements, that is when things go a bit awry through a variety of situations coming together at once and you're going to find that hard to replicate in a campaign which can flow in various directions. I'd probably try to set it in the Culture setting and have them as part of it, but not necessarily have the PCs as Culture Agents or even externally hired mercenaries, but rather have a Consider Phlebas' Clear Air Turbulence crew sort of group, that'd work I think.
From what I'm hearing, Eclipse Phase would work for that, but I've never read the Culture. EP is a strange mix of game, like it can do an Alien style horror game pretty well, but also some sort of Deus Ex conspiracy game, and if you replace the rep factions you could get a Space Game of Thrones game too.
The real thing is how squishy are the people in the setting? Are they going to war and lasting forever because EP is deadly as hell. Are they pretty much killed left, right, and center? Then EP is right for you.
Pretty stoked to read it and play it! Riverdale really got me thinking about this game and will really help me pitch this game to my friends: "Just imagine Veronica had spells."
In order to really get the feel of the Culture setting I think you'd ideally want a system which is able to do transhumanism but also massively varied tech levels
Try Diaspora, which is Fate-based but starts out by generating a series of solar systems with varied tech levels and other attributes.
GNU Terry Pratchett
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
Trying my first OSR game tonight (ref role), after about 8 months of Blades in the Dark.
I don't know how well its going to gel with our group, but it seems promising, and its good to try new things. I'm excited!
My biggest concerns are the management/ bookkeeping aspects. We never bothered with that stuff in 3.5 dnd and beyond, but that's really no surprise when they just attatch weight values to stuff and expect you to add everything individually. Seems like games have learned to not do that, which is nice.
Trying my first OSR game tonight (ref role), after about 8 months of Blades in the Dark.
I don't know how well its going to gel with our group, but it seems promising, and its good to try new things. I'm excited!
My biggest concerns are the management/ bookkeeping aspects. We never bothered with that stuff in 3.5 dnd and beyond, but that's really no surprise when they just attatch weight values to stuff and expect you to add everything individually. Seems like games have learned to not do that, which is nice.
Which game are you playing ? I'd really love your feedback, as someone who might be about to do the same switch with my group !
Trying my first OSR game tonight (ref role), after about 8 months of Blades in the Dark.
I don't know how well its going to gel with our group, but it seems promising, and its good to try new things. I'm excited!
My biggest concerns are the management/ bookkeeping aspects. We never bothered with that stuff in 3.5 dnd and beyond, but that's really no surprise when they just attatch weight values to stuff and expect you to add everything individually. Seems like games have learned to not do that, which is nice.
Which game are you playing ? I'd really love your feedback, as someone who might be about to do the same switch with my group !
Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Its got a free rules thingy on their website. The first session will either be Tower of the Stargazer or Sleeping Place of the Feathered Swine (a pay-what-you-want pdf), depending on what the players want to do.
I'll definitely post my thoughts after tonight.
edit: Speaking of, I could use a suggestion on Tower of the Stargazer. Minor spoilers for that module
There is a ghost guarding a passage, which will only grant access if you can beat it in a game. Failure means the ghost gets to ascend to the afterlife and the player takes its place.
This is a trope I really like and want to include it, but I'm playing on roll20 and am failing to come up with a good game that is relatively quick so the non-participants aren't left out for too long. I'd rather it not just be a check or dice off.
Ideally the game would be a bit more skill intensive than a round of blackjack, as the penalty for failure is very high. If chess was a bit faster paced it would be perfect because I am below average at that game, and chances are good that at least 1 in 4 persons could step up and beat me most of the time. Especially since they can work together. But 20-30 minutes, or however long it takes to play chess, is too long.
So yeah I dunno. Thinking about it, its a very hard question to answer without knowing my group. I appreciate the suggestions. I might just strip it out, or have something like blackjack but lessen the penalty for losing.
Also, re: game tonight. We had some last minute problems/ cancellations. We ended up just making characters, so next week should be smooth sailing.
If chess would work but takes too long, you could set up the board as though it were an almost finished (but could still go either way) match. Like the ghost was in the middle of the game when they died and really would like to wrap that up, one way or the other.
I know that Pathfinder is kinda passé in this community -- But I have preordered the Starfinder release stuff (Core Book, GM Screen, First Adv. Path). The classes sound really cool -- and I am a huge fan of space opera over straight sci-fi.
I know that Pathfinder is kinda passé in this community -- But I have preordered the Starfinder release stuff (Core Book, GM Screen, First Adv. Path). The classes sound really cool -- and I am a huge fan of space opera over straight sci-fi.
Pathfinder was found wanting because it was simultaneously too much/not enough changes to the base 3.x engine. They basically had to be there to be with the market segment they were chasing so it is understandable but it didn't really make for an exciting game.
Starfinder is a chance to correct that. AFAIK the only promise about compatibility they've made is that monsters will be convertible from Pathfinder into Starfinder. If they take this opportunity to do a stealth revision and really address the issues in 3.5 then I think it'd be worth a look. 4e and 5th both diverged from where 3rd was heading and I do believe that 3rd could have been significantly improved, just that Pathfinder didn't do it.
Not sure that it is a game I'd want to play now but decade ago me probably would.
I've been thinking of designing some sort of game built around the West Marches style of game. One idea that I've been thinking about is having some sort of base building mini-game thing where the groups could pull resources (gold most likely but other things might be cool) to design their guild hall or town and gain bonuses to stuff like cheaper prices on items, learn of hidden locations on the map, or other things.
I know that Pathfinder is kinda passé in this community -- But I have preordered the Starfinder release stuff (Core Book, GM Screen, First Adv. Path). The classes sound really cool -- and I am a huge fan of space opera over straight sci-fi.
My group loves crunchy games and broken PCs, so Pathfinder is our most played fantasy system in terms of number of campaigns and length of campaigns. We're all really excited for Starfinder since we also all love sci-fi, so a crunchy system with broken PC characters in a sci-fi setting is also pretty much perfect for us.
I've been thinking of designing some sort of game built around the West Marches style of game. One idea that I've been thinking about is having some sort of base building mini-game thing where the groups could pull resources (gold most likely but other things might be cool) to design their guild hall or town and gain bonuses to stuff like cheaper prices on items, learn of hidden locations on the map, or other things.
Going back to PF. The Kingmaker Adv. Path was pretty much all about building cities and whatnot. Had a whole system of development points and everthing. The gamemastery guide I think had the rules composited.
I've been thinking of designing some sort of game built around the West Marches style of game. One idea that I've been thinking about is having some sort of base building mini-game thing where the groups could pull resources (gold most likely but other things might be cool) to design their guild hall or town and gain bonuses to stuff like cheaper prices on items, learn of hidden locations on the map, or other things.
Do it!
+1
admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
I've been thinking of designing some sort of game built around the West Marches style of game. One idea that I've been thinking about is having some sort of base building mini-game thing where the groups could pull resources (gold most likely but other things might be cool) to design their guild hall or town and gain bonuses to stuff like cheaper prices on items, learn of hidden locations on the map, or other things.
I think Steven Lumpkin did that for RollPlay West Marches. Might be worth checking out at least the Hack Attack where they discuss it.
Gold inflation is a pretty big issue in crawl-focused D&D play, so town building as a sink is a Good Idea.
In Michael Matthew Colville's podcast talking about his ideas in a West Marches style he talks about how it opens a lot of doors for cool NPCs to move into your settlements and towns for story hooks and behind the scenes events. You befrend a Dragonborn Paladin or something that decides to build a hall in your then after a few seasons you have a Paladin and his recruits to aide in defending the town while you're out adventuring.
With this game, I'm not sure if I want to do a d20 engine. Like, 13th Age would be good but I felt the Icons stuff didn't work with WM's themes. I dislike 5E too much to want to touch that. I was thinking maybe Dungeon World and do this as a mod to it, but I've not been a DM on Dungeon World and I haven't read the DM section so I'm not sure how well this elements might work. But I'd like to have something both simple and complex.
Even though I've not played 40k since high school, I've tried to keep up with the lore for years and now I'm sad to know his touch on it is gone forever...
With this game, I'm not sure if I want to do a d20 engine. Like, 13th Age would be good but I felt the Icons stuff didn't work with WM's themes. I dislike 5E too much to want to touch that. I was thinking maybe Dungeon World and do this as a mod to it, but I've not been a DM on Dungeon World and I haven't read the DM section so I'm not sure how well this elements might work. But I'd like to have something both simple and complex.
I feel like ICRPG bridges the gap between 5e/D&D and Dungeon World/PBtA pretty nicely. Mechanics are simple, compelling, and you can get creative. Everything has its own little place and instead of levels you advance your character through loot - which means you could also use that system for a town. Quest reward? Well, now the group has built X in the town, so one of your characters can do Y now or get a bonus to a stat. The town itself could be its own "character" with similar stats. Barracks and Walls would increase armor, schools and academies would increase the average intelligence.
At a minimum, just steal from the DMing section just like you would from Dungeon World's DMing section.
Anyone ever bought some TTRPG stuff from CoolStuffInc?
I ordered about 300$ of 13th age stuff about five weeks ago and was told via email that my order was shipped on april 28. I wrote back yesterday since I haven't received anything yet.
"Thanks for shopping with us. We're sorry for the mix up. It seems your order may have been shipped with another customers order. At this time we can offer you a refund and/or replacement of your order, but at this time a few of your items are currently out of stock. Let us know what you'd like us to do."
I bought this stuff specifically because it was on sale and stocks are running out. 13th age is pretty much impossible to find here in print form. What I'm thinking is they never actually had that stuff in inventory for the price they advertised. Guess I'll take the refund and never buy anything from them again.
Anyone ever bought some TTRPG stuff from CoolStuffInc?
I ordered about 300$ of 13th age stuff about five weeks ago and was told via email that my order was shipped on april 28. I wrote back yesterday since I haven't received anything yet.
"Thanks for shopping with us. We're sorry for the mix up. It seems your order may have been shipped with another customers order. At this time we can offer you a refund and/or replacement of your order, but at this time a few of your items are currently out of stock. Let us know what you'd like us to do."
I bought this stuff specifically because it was on sale and stocks are running out. 13th age is pretty much impossible to find here in print form. What I'm thinking is they never actually had that stuff in inventory for the price they advertised. Guess I'll take the refund and never buy anything from them again.
I've never had anything but good service from CSI, and I've been ordering from them for years. My frequent rewards level is, frankly, embarrassing. This includes, like, the one time when they forgot to send part of my order, they sent it out very shortly thereafter and included some bonus stuff alongside.
If they say they accidentally sent it out with someone else's order, my first instinct is to believe them.
Anyone ever bought some TTRPG stuff from CoolStuffInc?
I ordered about 300$ of 13th age stuff about five weeks ago and was told via email that my order was shipped on april 28. I wrote back yesterday since I haven't received anything yet.
"Thanks for shopping with us. We're sorry for the mix up. It seems your order may have been shipped with another customers order. At this time we can offer you a refund and/or replacement of your order, but at this time a few of your items are currently out of stock. Let us know what you'd like us to do."
I bought this stuff specifically because it was on sale and stocks are running out. 13th age is pretty much impossible to find here in print form. What I'm thinking is they never actually had that stuff in inventory for the price they advertised. Guess I'll take the refund and never buy anything from them again.
Uhm....what?
Assume they didn't have it in stock and lay out how their ideal scenario goes. Do you really think their nefarious plan was to hope you'd never notice that your stuff didn't arrive?
Obviously do what you'd like but it seems to me a more reasonable response would be asking how long it would take them to fulfill the order they accepted and see how they respond to that.
Posts
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
Also it's going to be an odd sort of campaign to run, I think, because Banks always writes about the interesting Culture involvements, that is when things go a bit awry through a variety of situations coming together at once and you're going to find that hard to replicate in a campaign which can flow in various directions. I'd probably try to set it in the Culture setting and have them as part of it, but not necessarily have the PCs as Culture Agents or even externally hired mercenaries, but rather have a Consider Phlebas' Clear Air Turbulence crew sort of group, that'd work I think.
The real thing is how squishy are the people in the setting? Are they going to war and lasting forever because EP is deadly as hell. Are they pretty much killed left, right, and center? Then EP is right for you.
There's a generic version of it floating around out there for free that if go and find if I weren't on mobile.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
Pretty stoked to read it and play it! Riverdale really got me thinking about this game and will really help me pitch this game to my friends: "Just imagine Veronica had spells."
Try Diaspora, which is Fate-based but starts out by generating a series of solar systems with varied tech levels and other attributes.
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
I don't know how well its going to gel with our group, but it seems promising, and its good to try new things. I'm excited!
My biggest concerns are the management/ bookkeeping aspects. We never bothered with that stuff in 3.5 dnd and beyond, but that's really no surprise when they just attatch weight values to stuff and expect you to add everything individually. Seems like games have learned to not do that, which is nice.
Which game are you playing ? I'd really love your feedback, as someone who might be about to do the same switch with my group !
Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Its got a free rules thingy on their website. The first session will either be Tower of the Stargazer or Sleeping Place of the Feathered Swine (a pay-what-you-want pdf), depending on what the players want to do.
I'll definitely post my thoughts after tonight.
edit: Speaking of, I could use a suggestion on Tower of the Stargazer. Minor spoilers for that module
This is a trope I really like and want to include it, but I'm playing on roll20 and am failing to come up with a good game that is relatively quick so the non-participants aren't left out for too long. I'd rather it not just be a check or dice off.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_and_Boxes
http://dotsandboxes.org/
EDIT: On second thought, that game gets out of hand quickly, tends to be a blowout either way.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
So yeah I dunno. Thinking about it, its a very hard question to answer without knowing my group. I appreciate the suggestions. I might just strip it out, or have something like blackjack but lessen the penalty for losing.
Also, re: game tonight. We had some last minute problems/ cancellations. We ended up just making characters, so next week should be smooth sailing.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
http://m.gameknot.com/chess-puzzles.pl
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
Pathfinder was found wanting because it was simultaneously too much/not enough changes to the base 3.x engine. They basically had to be there to be with the market segment they were chasing so it is understandable but it didn't really make for an exciting game.
Starfinder is a chance to correct that. AFAIK the only promise about compatibility they've made is that monsters will be convertible from Pathfinder into Starfinder. If they take this opportunity to do a stealth revision and really address the issues in 3.5 then I think it'd be worth a look. 4e and 5th both diverged from where 3rd was heading and I do believe that 3rd could have been significantly improved, just that Pathfinder didn't do it.
Not sure that it is a game I'd want to play now but decade ago me probably would.
My group loves crunchy games and broken PCs, so Pathfinder is our most played fantasy system in terms of number of campaigns and length of campaigns. We're all really excited for Starfinder since we also all love sci-fi, so a crunchy system with broken PC characters in a sci-fi setting is also pretty much perfect for us.
Going back to PF. The Kingmaker Adv. Path was pretty much all about building cities and whatnot. Had a whole system of development points and everthing. The gamemastery guide I think had the rules composited.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
Do it!
I think Steven Lumpkin did that for RollPlay West Marches. Might be worth checking out at least the Hack Attack where they discuss it.
Gold inflation is a pretty big issue in crawl-focused D&D play, so town building as a sink is a Good Idea.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
Even though I've not played 40k since high school, I've tried to keep up with the lore for years and now I'm sad to know his touch on it is gone forever...
I feel like ICRPG bridges the gap between 5e/D&D and Dungeon World/PBtA pretty nicely. Mechanics are simple, compelling, and you can get creative. Everything has its own little place and instead of levels you advance your character through loot - which means you could also use that system for a town. Quest reward? Well, now the group has built X in the town, so one of your characters can do Y now or get a bonus to a stat. The town itself could be its own "character" with similar stats. Barracks and Walls would increase armor, schools and academies would increase the average intelligence.
At a minimum, just steal from the DMing section just like you would from Dungeon World's DMing section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzKxWoADJfs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh2B5eWsNPo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf5-l_pGUyI&t=2736s
Also, Fragged Empire's ship design and stuff might be similar to what you're looking for.
You'd know better than I! I just wanted to mention one system other than ICRPG haha.
I ordered about 300$ of 13th age stuff about five weeks ago and was told via email that my order was shipped on april 28. I wrote back yesterday since I haven't received anything yet.
"Thanks for shopping with us. We're sorry for the mix up. It seems your order may have been shipped with another customers order. At this time we can offer you a refund and/or replacement of your order, but at this time a few of your items are currently out of stock. Let us know what you'd like us to do."
I bought this stuff specifically because it was on sale and stocks are running out. 13th age is pretty much impossible to find here in print form. What I'm thinking is they never actually had that stuff in inventory for the price they advertised. Guess I'll take the refund and never buy anything from them again.
I've never had anything but good service from CSI, and I've been ordering from them for years. My frequent rewards level is, frankly, embarrassing. This includes, like, the one time when they forgot to send part of my order, they sent it out very shortly thereafter and included some bonus stuff alongside.
If they say they accidentally sent it out with someone else's order, my first instinct is to believe them.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Uhm....what?
Assume they didn't have it in stock and lay out how their ideal scenario goes. Do you really think their nefarious plan was to hope you'd never notice that your stuff didn't arrive?
Obviously do what you'd like but it seems to me a more reasonable response would be asking how long it would take them to fulfill the order they accepted and see how they respond to that.
It actually has me thinking about maybe paying actual money for a Monte Cook table top product. Stop me, thread. I beg of you.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
I don't, but someone will.