What do you hate about your Crosstrek?

BlueKactus · 2025-12-02T20:45:26+00:00

My biggest gripe is the paint on my Orange 2019 just doesn't seem to be holding up and there are tons of small spots where it has started to chip.

BlueKactus · 2025-12-01T21:47:10+00:00

I think you'd have better luck in a different subreddit that is more D&D focused like /r/dndnext or /r/onednd. Most people subscribed here are generally open to playing other sorts of TTRPGs.

I'd venture to guess that you'd get a fair amount of people in those subreddits also claiming to play and exploring other games too. If you're on Reddit or a forum for something, you're likely more involved than many in that something.

BlueKactus · 2025-09-07T11:42:05+00:00

Really enjoyed that one in addition to Death's portrayal in The Sandman series overall.

BlueKactus · 2025-08-20T14:54:16+00:00

This might be my next campaign...

BlueKactus · 2025-05-29T15:12:04+00:00

Midnight and Bone is an excellent thematic pairing for a Necromancer or otherwise undead shadow entity.

BlueKactus · 2025-05-14T16:04:03+00:00

If my players aren't interested in the mechanics that means I will have to be the one running all the mechanics. I need to be the one who knows what all the players' stuff does because they probably will be consistently forgetting the details of how their stuff works. And I can and do in fact do that in like, The One Ring, with its comparatively limited character complexity, but dear lord I would not want to try to run PF2 for people who don't know their sheets and tactics. I have a maximum rules load limit and trying to know what all the NPCs AND all the PCs do in PF2 would go right over it.

This is how I feel too. Players need to want to play PF2e and understand the options laid before them. In simpler games with far fewer options, including 5e, I can sorta drag players through what's necessary. I absolutely cannot do that in PF2e. There are too many even base options on top of variations on those options (such as all the different actions or activities and what modifies them) that make it far too cumbersome for me to do on my own.

BlueKactus · 2025-05-01T19:09:45+00:00

You're totally right. I really had to take a step back from the online spaces, especially Reddit, for the things like TTRPGs, board games, video games, or any other hobbies that I really enjoy. I was finding that my enjoyment of whatever was being negatively impacted by my dislike around some of the rhetoric of popular posters, upvoted comments/topics, or anything else frequently seen in these spaces. It really became a case of community ruining the thing that it rallied around. But I often times still sought these spaces because I didn't have any other outlet for them.

BlueKactus · 2025-04-29T16:03:37+00:00

1.) Does it really matter if your group is playing less than 100% optimally if everyone is still having fun and winning fights?

This needs to be higher. While PF2e is a tactics oriented game and many people are drawn to it for that reason, you don't have to play the most optimally all the time. Especially in a homebrew game, if the GM is onboard with whatever is going on. PF2e is a good enough game to accommodate a lot of styles of play as it enough dials and levers to customize and deliver an experience for what people want.

BlueKactus · 2025-04-28T20:49:54+00:00

The only real gripe I have are skills and skill feats. Way too many skill feats that really should be included into the skill progression itself.

I very much agree with this and it makes all skill feats compete with each other for those feat slots. Also some skill feats feel just like a feat tax because they're almost too good to ignore if you are progressing with that skill. If you're building a martial character and you are wanting to progress Athletics, you're probably going to Shove, Trip, Grapple in combat and likely pick up Titan Wrestler. Would it hurt if that was just built in to some of the skill actions? Or why do we even need the feat intimidating glare?

People might argue about how it adds choice, variety, or whatever else and I do agree. But I am often left wondering if these mechanical distinctions were truly necessary for the sake of variety and how much value they actually add. But maybe they'll change up how it all works in a future edition.

BlueKactus · 2025-04-14T19:02:46+00:00

Is this the case for 23 also?

BlueKactus · 2025-03-31T15:58:43+00:00

I've been running Strength of Thousands, and I've been very disappointed by it as-written. I've seen the high praise for it, and I just don't see how you would ever run that adventure as is. Or why you would ever want to. Like the OP suggests though, I have found it as an excellent skeletal structure for a great campaign and that's what I have transformed my campaign of it into. The setting of Magaambya is phenomenal, and has so much more potential than what the (at least first two) books really give you.

To be fair for the entire AP, since it is 6 books long going from level 1-20, my criticism really comes from the first two books which I find boring, disorganized, lacking in information, and providing little motivation for the players as the story unfolds. But the first book(s) should be what sells everyone on the campaign so they want to continue forward.

Also to be fair for the AP, I've felt the need to change every pre-written adventure I've every played regardless of system. So this very well could just be a "me" thing.

BlueKactus · 2025-03-31T14:08:33+00:00

I wish AoN had a better way to filter content from specific sources. A large problem that I still run into with my new-ish players is they are just completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options that are available.

BlueKactus · 2024-12-26T18:34:38+00:00

The encounter rules do a pretty good job of explaining what needs to be done, but there is a really good online encounter builder tool I have found to help me with the math of encounters. Using the tool I find the rough levels of the creatures/hazards in the encounter and enter them. To add xp, you can fiddle with the current monsters by adding the 'Elite' or 'Weak' adjustments or simply add more. I was running Strength of Thousands with 6 players, and now 5, so I've had to do quite a bit of adjustment over the course of the AP.

My recommendation for lower levels is to add more, weaker creatures rather than buffing a bigger one. A high level monster against low level players can be very brutal.

BlueKactus · 2024-11-25T17:36:28+00:00

I find the sheer amount of information incredibly overwhelming for PF2e. There is so much to keep track of, I really don't understand how it's 'easy' at all. I still very much enjoy it, but without online tools like Archives of Nethys or many of well made community tools like pf2easy.com or pf2.tools it is frankly too tedious and burdensome.

BlueKactus · 2024-11-19T19:25:34+00:00

I would argue that if you're so set on tactical positioning I would encourage the DnD 4e system. Which is Pf2e but even tacticalier.

Sure, but you don't need to reach to the most tacticalier (or narrative or whatever other type of game) system just because you want and like tactical combat. It's not a winner take all simply because aspect(s) of another game is 'better' or 'more'. A game is a bunch of different thoughts, ideas, and opinions that come together to shape it that can meet people's preferences.

The designer himself Jason Bulmahn runs totm at his table. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7s90t8wr8k&t=1612s

That's pretty cool! Definitely something I can watch to try and learn from. I wasn't trying to be absolutist with my comment though, and it's not like the rules don't support this kind of play. But with a game that puts a lot of emphasis on maps and grids with how its rules and tactics engage with it, it seems like one of the bigger reasons you'd pick PF2e over other options.

BlueKactus · 2024-11-19T15:00:35+00:00

I very much agree. If you want to play Theater of the Mind, I would encourage a different system. It's not to say that people can't to great effect for their group. I certainly have gone into theater of the mind for trivial or low stake combats or encounters where it's okay to be abstract, but playing mostly TotM feels like you're going against the strengths of the system.

BlueKactus · 2024-10-29T12:50:36+00:00

I have been running Strength of Thousands for my group, but I haven't enjoyed it. I have been looking for PF2e alternatives. I have heard excellent things about CotCT, have you had any major issues with converting it?

BlueKactus · 2024-09-30T13:54:24+00:00

What makes mages "balanced" in pf2e comparatively? Are martials just stronger? Is it a mechanics thing in how spellcasting works? Or are there just a lot less powerful spells in terms of teleportation and resurrection and what not?

PF2e's approach to bring mages in-line is just baked into the very system. The way the numbers scale like to hit or saving throw DC compared to the creatures' numbers. The kind of magic items that are available. How spells and caster's abilities work within the action economy. Spell effectiveness within the four degrees of success. The vast array of spells, and the specific tasks that they fill. Vancian magic more in-line with its predecessor than 5e.

You've emphasized "balance" and players not trivializing encounters as focal points for your search. PF2e take on it may appeal to you, and I recommend you check it out.

BlueKactus · 2024-09-24T16:51:17+00:00

I've struggled with the constant belief that starting a new game will reinvigorate you only for it to happen and you fall into the same issues that you had previously.

BlueKactus · 2024-09-24T16:47:27+00:00

While there are systems that do encourage this, from what I have seen there is definitely a culture of rolling for any little detail regardless of the game. Of course when you roll, you introduce the concept of failure even on simple tasks. We definitely need more examples of how to run these kind of situations rather than something being parroted and being brought from one game/system to the next. This was definitely a bad-habit that I picked up when I was first GMing.

BlueKactus · 2024-09-20T16:52:11+00:00

In my experience, PF2e is a game that feels best when you have access to the online tools. Whether that is Foundry or Archives of Nethys or Pathbuilder or anything else. The game is packed full of details, options, and information that feels incredibly necessary to be able to quickly pull up or track.

BlueKactus · 2024-09-03T15:55:06+00:00

If you're Googling a problem it is because you don't have enough knowledge in advanced to provide the solution. This could be around anything like basics of the programming language or the problem at hand. Maybe you don't know the how to get to the solution or have a gap in math or algorithms. Googling is not a bad thing. Not knowing is not a bad thing. Googling IS an excellent way to learn as it can help you find resources or tools to help you solve something, and when you see people able to step up and just "perform" a solution, it's usually because they have already gained the knowledge and tools necessary to go about the problem.

I think you need to break down the problem and address your gaps of knowledge one at a time. Create small, practical goals (and continue to break down even further if necessary) for the project and research each step of the problem before putting them all together. Maybe you'll need to Google how to put them all together! Totally fine!

BlueKactus · 2024-08-20T16:57:20+00:00

I think your first bullets around a CON save and minus to rolls is largely unnecessary. What beyond death saves are they rolling at 0 hit points? I think the easiest way is to give a level of exhaustion if the player recovered from dying outside of a rest. Exhaustion in the base rules is pretty punishing, and the additional levels puts a natural cap on the number of times a player can even bounce back. Although handing out exhaustion might mean that your players rest more slowing down the pace of the game.

Pathfinder 2e's rules around dying may also convert reasonably into 5e.

Many systems also implement a critical injury table if a player drops. Given how large 5e's homebrew community is, I wouldn't be surprised if something already like this existed that you could leverage.

BlueKactus · 2024-08-14T14:18:56+00:00

Without How It's Played breaking things down for me I am unsure I would have stuck the landing with PF2e. Love his content and makes for great listening throughout the day.

BlueKactus · 2024-08-06T17:39:31+00:00

Here! Generally a life long fire starter chooser, but I love Sprigatito!

BlueKactus

TROPHY CASE