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Dinos and Druids, A Tasty Romp through Table Top Games

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Posts

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Do train yards keep big gnarly guard dogs like junkyards do? Cause bringing a pack of rottweilers as backup would probably help with an assault. I think I remember that talking to dogs was your thing.

  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    There's also some potential to join the strike team as a wolf so that they don't know my character is there. "I sent an attack dog". They might be more candid if I'm more... canid.

  • admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    There's also some potential to join the strike team as a wolf so that they don't know my character is there. "I sent an attack dog". They might be more candid if I'm more... canid.

    I feel like your main contribution to the job is going to be jokes like this.

  • DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    I got enough xp to turn into a wolf and so help me I don’t see how that helps me rob a train

    is it specifically a wolf? if there's any wiggle room, you could turn into a chihuahua and hide in someone's handbag

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  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    see317 wrote: »
    Do train yards keep big gnarly guard dogs like junkyards do? Cause bringing a pack of rottweilers as backup would probably help with an assault. I think I remember that talking to dogs was your thing.

    If the train yard has a bunch of guard dogs this robbery is going to go really, really well. That might be too much to hope for.

    Right now we know (because the hacker crit on her research) that there are six guards. Whether they're human or not, we don't know (we know they're not on payroll, which makes them less likely to be humans). On our side we have six criminals with shotguns. They're not my guys, so I don't know how good they are, but if it's them against six vampires (and Brujah, a combat heavy clan) they're going to get pummeled in a straight fight.

    I'm arguably better in a straight fight than a Brujah because I can bring out claws that effectively do double damage to vampires (in reality it's just that the damage isn't halved) and I have my dog, Bubba. That's where we hit some interesting problems from the setting though: if I use powers in front of the criminal allies, I'm revealing my nature to them which is a big no-no. Ideally I'm limited to just using guns, which isn't my forte at all.

    There are three other vampires on the team of course. They have a total of zero dots in brawl, between them and a total of one dot in firearms, total. They can still roll a few dice from natural talent (e.g dexterity) but it's not going to move the needle much. A lot rests on what kind of setup the infiltration team can manage.

    I should also be the only person with perfect night vision, maybe our hacker will be able to set up a way to kill the lights if it comes to that.

  • Dex DynamoDex Dynamo Registered User regular
    I always feel like weapon lists are simultaneously too long in a way that gives me choice paralysis

    And not distinct enough (without mapping out multiple feats and class paths, which I've never had a mind for) to be satisfying for me

    But then again, Dungeon World's Fighter Signature Weapon move is also disappointing in the opposite direction (where it feels like weapon choice doesn't matter enough to my tastes)

    I dunno, maybe I'm just overly picky

  • MeldingMelding Registered User regular
    i think DnD 4e had a good weapon list after the first equipment book. before that and after the second one though.

  • MatevMatev Cero Miedo Registered User regular
    I would say I just flat out miss 4e, but I don't cause I'm still running my 4e DragonLance game, can't miss what I still have on my own Krynnish Iron Lung. It has it's warts sure, but it's also very sure of itself in the places I need it to be.

    Speaking of, White Dragon Hockey was a decent 1st attempt, I will be working on new iterations of that encounter for elsewhere.

    "Go down, kick ass, and set yourselves up as gods, that's our Prime Directive!"
    Hail Hydra
  • MeldingMelding Registered User regular
    oh hey matev, i was just thinking about bugging about the what's it game.

  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    Man I would love to find a 4e game again. I didn't have enough time with that edition.

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  • MeldingMelding Registered User regular
    oh hey, they confirmed artificer next month in unearthed arcana, rad. i hope it is good.

  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    Melding wrote: »
    oh hey, they confirmed artificer next month in unearthed arcana, rad. i hope it is good.

    What odds are we giving it? 50/50 based on other UA?

    Steam ID: Webguy20
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  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    I liked the initial write-up for Artificer, for the most part

  • MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    Stilts wrote: »
    Hey, guess what, y'all?

    CLICK HERE TO VOTE IN ROUND 4

    So, now that we're this far in, any guesses on who's gonna take the victory? I'm personally hoping for Sorcerer, but people sure do seem to love Rogue (though that's possibly because its competition isn't quite as fierce).

    everybody

    do the right thing

    vote for Alchemist

    you have a second chance that's like once in a lifetime

  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    I'm feeling sorcerous at the moment

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • Virgil_Leads_YouVirgil_Leads_You Proud Father House GardenerRegistered User regular
    I think I like Warlock, Cleric, and Paladin more than Sorcerer.
    I enjoy some character drama instilled in my class.
    I like being able to disappoint a fictional all powerful being.

    VayBJ4e.png
  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    One day I hope to get back to my cowardly warlock con man

  • ElddrikElddrik Registered User regular
    I was really, really sad about Warlord v Paladin.

    I had to go with the warlord in the end but I was not happy about it.

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Elddrik wrote: »
    I was really, really sad about Warlord v Paladin.

    I had to go with the warlord in the end but I was not happy about it.

    Yes. I felt cheated there was no "reopen nominations" option for that one

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    Question: has anyone ever tried running a tabletop game that was partially or wholly in real time? E.g a minute in real life is a minute in game

  • astrobstrdastrobstrd So full of mercy... Registered User regular
    I used to use real time in sections for Call of Cthulu to up the tension in certain scenes and force action.

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  • iguanacusiguanacus Desert PlanetRegistered User regular
    No, but that's probably because I tend to faff around a bit so any time sensitive stuff would be a fail 9/10 times

  • AnzekayAnzekay Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    Tube wrote: »
    Question: has anyone ever tried running a tabletop game that was partially or wholly in real time? E.g a minute in real life is a minute in game

    I've done this for certain critical moments.

    The most recent one was during an Infinity campaign where the group was attempting to do a 3-pronged strike on an enemy ship- a stealth operative having snuck inside, a traditional breach through the cargo bay, and their hacker breaching the ship's cyber defences.

    To keep the whole thing running quickly and to heighten the tension we did it at 1:1 time, including a hacking sequence where I played Panic Track from Hacknet where the team's hacker had to manage to do a task and then get out before countermeasures fried his brain.

    It worked really well and after the op was successful everyone just sort of got up and cheered and ran around the house to let off steam. It was incredibly tense.

    Anzekay on
  • ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    Melding wrote: »
    oh hey, they confirmed artificer next month in unearthed arcana, rad. i hope it is good.

    W93S.gif

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  • MsAnthropyMsAnthropy The Lady of Pain Breaks the Rhythm, Breaks the Rhythm, Breaks the Rhythm The City of FlowersRegistered User regular
    webguy20 wrote: »
    Man I would love to find a 4e game again. I didn't have enough time with that edition.

    Me too! The game is so divisive that I have had difficulty finding players in real life. Like the perception that you can’t role play or do narrative tricks is so pervasive I just end up throwing my hands in the air because people don’t believe I’ve run games with it that heavily focused on both of those elements. Half of heroic tier in my 4e Planescape game took place in flashbacks explaining why each character was hunting down the baddie for Melora’s sake.

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  • DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    my current group could play 4e with no significant narrative differences from our 5e games imo

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  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    Doobh wrote: »
    my current group could play 4e with no significant narrative differences from our 5e games imo

    Fuck off I'm not drawing more battle maps

  • DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    I said narrative, dammit

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  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    Doobh wrote: »
    I said narrative, dammit

    I'm sworn to run Space Dragons if I ever go back to 4e, and I definitely don't have the energy to do that again

  • DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    Space Dragons sounds like some fucking 80s ass cartoon designed to sell me toys

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  • SleepSleep Registered User regular
    Doobh wrote: »
    Space Dragons sounds like some fucking 80s ass cartoon designed to sell me toys

    Yeah but I'd definitely want those toys

  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    MY BRAND

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    Question: has anyone ever tried running a tabletop game that was partially or wholly in real time? E.g a minute in real life is a minute in game

    Yes, actually

    Paranoia, there was a 60 second timer on a bomb, GM started a stopwatch

    We all died, it was hilarious.

  • MsAnthropyMsAnthropy The Lady of Pain Breaks the Rhythm, Breaks the Rhythm, Breaks the Rhythm The City of FlowersRegistered User regular
    MsAnthropy wrote: »
    webguy20 wrote: »
    Man I would love to find a 4e game again. I didn't have enough time with that edition.

    Me too! The game is so divisive that I have had difficulty finding players in real life. Like the perception that you can’t role play or do narrative tricks is so pervasive I just end up throwing my hands in the air because people don’t believe I’ve run games with it that heavily focused on both of those elements. Half of heroic tier in my 4e Planescape game took place in flashbacks explaining why each character was hunting down the baddie for Melora’s sake.

    I may also be scarred by the fact that my 5e group approached combat like a 4e group, even though none of them had ever played the latter. If I am going to have to draw battlemaps and wait for the players to make tactical decisions, then those tactical options need to be interesting dagnabit.

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  • ElddrikElddrik Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    Tube wrote: »
    Question: has anyone ever tried running a tabletop game that was partially or wholly in real time? E.g a minute in real life is a minute in game

    I have frequently done this for time-critical specific bits. Like "The counter on the bomb says ten seconds and is counting down, declare your actions. Nine...eight...seven...."

    My general experience is that it only really works for units of time that are short enough that all someone can/needs to do is to react, make a decision, and declare it. Once you start getting into actual dice rolling and action resolution, you're punishing people who take longer to do the math or roll the dice or read their sheet and so on, and in most situations that's not something that I'm actually trying to test and not really the result I'm looking for.

    (edit: Of course there are exceptions to anything and sometimes it is exactly the right experience even with dice rolling and such involved!)

    Elddrik on
  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    I was thinking (and I'm sure I would be punched in the face for even suggesting it) a heist story where the party is split into two discrete groups with two DMs running on a synchronised clock, and can only communicate with each other using in game methods (e.g a walkie talkie).

    It would be a fun experiment, but would have to be super on rails and pretty tightly scripted. Also combat etc wouldn't really work.

  • StiltsStilts Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    Rainfall wrote: »
    Doobh wrote: »
    my current group could play 4e with no significant narrative differences from our 5e games imo

    Fuck off I'm not drawing more battle maps

    None of my Pathfinder players look at the forums

    So this is a safe space for me to admit I stole my latest map from the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time

    Stilts on
    IKknkhU.gif
  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    Doobh wrote: »
    Space Dragons sounds like some fucking 80s ass cartoon designed to sell me toys

    Yeah basically.

    The prime material plane explodes, leaving a narrow asteroid belt of debris around the Primal Chaos(the sun, essentially), and only dragons possess enough magical power to coalesce things like atmosphere and gravity.

    Most of civilization gathers together around one large shard of earth inhabited by Bahamut, while Tiamat and her villainous dragons pillage remnants of the old world.

  • RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    So basically you have some dickbag red dragon flying around packs of pirate kobolds and distracting guardian dragons while the kobolds raid and that's where the party comes in and eventually you'll start raiding the dragon's star citadels and descending into the elemental chaos in thrilling chases etc

  • SleepSleep Registered User regular
    Tube wrote: »
    I was thinking (and I'm sure I would be punched in the face for even suggesting it) a heist story where the party is split into two discrete groups with two DMs running on a synchronised clock, and can only communicate with each other using in game methods (e.g a walkie talkie).

    It would be a fun experiment, but would have to be super on rails and pretty tightly scripted. Also combat etc wouldn't really work.

    Actually a really good way to key it is by round. Don't avoid combat, avoid breaking combat. Put everyone on some kind of an egg timer for their turns as an unfortunate but hard rule. Assuming the heist is pre planned no one should really move off their pre determined paths too far. A well executed heist doesn't have unplanned steps, and loathes improvisation outside of desperately unavoidable unpredicted elements. As the one in charge of unexpected elements you can ensure no improvisation is required outside the bounds of where it can't fuck up the heist, or if the heist falls apart and everything's getting fucked you can abandon the synchronization as you move on to how fucked everyone is for botching the job (figure out the failures that will lead to that state and the failures that complicate but don't totally break the timeline.) Essentially before starting the heist (and synchronized time) most of the players should know every move they need to make on every round ahead of time, and you should know where you can insert complications to harangue them.

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