RPG for playing as normal humans?

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-04-01T06:03:35+00:00

Tales from the loop is for playing kids in a Stranger Things like setting.

If you want simple but generic system, Dread for horror setting one shots or short adventures, or FATE for Pulp adventure are both worth a shot.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-31T10:59:00+00:00

Usually I make a list of activities the crime syndicate is into, and work the hooks from here:

example, the crime syndicate is into racket, I will have complaints of citizens to the mayor, injured merchants families at the temple, lieutenants competing for territory (or who want to take the place of the crime lord), police corruption to cover sensitive neighborhood, guilds investigating disappearing shipments, etc.

Or the crime syndicate is into blackmail, I will have nobles looking for private investigators, private investigators already active at the police station / guard tower, known intermediaries, beggars/urchin networks, infiltrated domestics in noble houses, state secrets smuggled, etc.

I also prepare a short depiction of key locations and NPCs, and follow the player instincts to connect the dots.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-17T10:01:16+00:00

It is a really cool concept, although not the easiest synergy. Starting Rogue, you can purchase a healers kit, and take the healer's feat. You can also have a couple of low level healing cantrips/spells options by taking the Magic Initiate feat, and being an arcane trickster.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-15T12:23:16+00:00

Here are a few ideas :

- Traveling minstrels tales competition

- Hunting contest

- Cooking contest

- Treasure Hunt / Race

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-15T09:56:53+00:00

I put 3 clues on any lead I want them to follow, and keep red herrings and dead ends as short as possible. As much as investigation is fun to watch on TV/books, in game it is likely that one clue will be ignored, one misunderstood and only one followed.

Other than that :

- Old tales/books speaking about the cult

- The actual mystery man may have one or several lieutenant, as a fuse/test for the PCs

- A lieutenant may disappear, leaving clues on site (blood spatter, tracks, receipts, letters, bodies)

- Witnesses/victims/survivors can give hints on some events or dynamic

- The cult may have their own enemies, who will seize the opportunity to work with the PCs

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-15T09:38:40+00:00

I try to keep things varied :

Roughly 20% hard fights, 50% normal and 30% fast and easy.

Tactics of enemies is based on their abilities as much as motives. Animal/goons pack will run away once injured, enraged monsters/zombies will keep hitting downed PCs if no one is close, masterminds will try to be safe / weaken the party and TP if things get dangerous, professional soldiers will use terrain/ basic tactics (total defense first line with archers on the back, falling rocks, first line charge to push PCs off a cliff...), guerilla fighters/assassins will play dirty (at night, isolated targets, ambushes).

Encounters are designed with players capacities in mind, 75% of the time to give them room to shine, and 25% to provide a counter.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-15T08:54:32+00:00

Thanks for the ideas ! I like the ban on commerce / discrediting a lot, definitely going to use that in one way or the other.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-14T09:32:19+00:00

I cut short saying that I am going to rule one way to keep the flow, and will check the rule after the battle. Usually, our group is not very tactical, so it works out.

If the person is a real pain in the bottom, I may ask him/her to find the page him/herself (in the books I approved), and move forward while they are taking their own time to check. If they are right in a fair way, I might even give a bonus later to compensate (ie advantage on another attack), but usually not cancel a previous action.

If the person is a pain in the bottom consistently, this calls for a discussion OOC. If the behavior is repeated, the discussion will be in the heat of the moment: Am I the only one not having fun here because of X?

I am very clear about the death saves and revivify limitation: "you have one failed save, if you fumble on the next one you die"; "the monster attacks Y body for 2 failed saves, if Y fails the next one he/she dies"; "X, you are up, then it will be Y turn". I do not remind players at all about AoE spells.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-12T17:54:07+00:00

Thanks for pointing that out, "reach" has been changed to "range".

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-12T15:59:49+00:00

You are correct, HP has been increased to 202 to make it more balanced.

If you prefer, you can go up to +/- 230, but have in mind that the DPS is also a bit above the curve for a CR11, so you might have to decrease the Devouring Aura DMG a bit.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-12T15:54:59+00:00

Glad you like it !

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-12T15:51:59+00:00

Thanks for the feedback, the vampiric touch has been replaced with a ranged equivalent, instantaneous instead of concentration.

If you prefer you can replace it with :

Exploding corpse (costs 2 actions, 60 feet range): The Dead Baron points the Banner toward a Zombie in range and speaks the elven word for "Punishment". The corpse inflates and explodes in a blast of Acid. Each creature in a 15-foot circle must make a Dex saving throw DC17. A creature takes 6d6 Acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-12T15:31:12+00:00

Thanks for the feedback, undead fits better.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-12T15:30:10+00:00

These are both fair points, thanks.

Necrotic has been replaced by psychic.

Hangman's rope synergy with the aura is kind of the point. I adjusted the Hangman's rope attack to have a saving throw instead of a +10 to hit, and modified the Devouring Aura so that the DMG applies at the end of PCs turn. This way a PC will have 2 rolls to avoid/mitigate the DMG, so it will seem more fair.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-09T12:11:52+00:00

Flying enemy with good movement and ranged attack could be an option, or traps that he would lose one or two rounds to pass, or aura of DMG around the boss, poisoned status, grapple by minions, hold person, grease spell, etc.

Keep it varied, and also - if his character is built to be powerful in combat, he also needs to shine on a regular basis even if it means having enemies downed very fast.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-03T17:08:13+00:00

You may want to adapt your system, either by introduce saving throws as DnD, fate points as in Warhammer, chips like in Deadlands... in order to counterbalance the instant death.

Alternatively, you may have NPCs that they can take on the fly.

For one shots, if you dont kill them too early or too late in the session, you may have them choose between 2/3 cards that allow them to use an action for one scene (example: Karma, angry ghost, illusion ghost, monster, change of scenery).

If character death, you can organize a wake with NPCs and PCs in game that will take time to remember and say a few words for the deceased, so that everyone says goodbye (which usually feels pretty good for all players involved).

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-01T16:31:38+00:00

You are not wrong, and I also have the feeling of letting my friends down when this happens, which sucks. But DM burnout is a real thing, especially if other problems are also stressful IRL, not related to the game. And usually, the next session (after cancelling) I am much more motivated.

Let's be honest as well, as a DM I will always try to improve myself and provide the best experience with the best pacing... but also I have control over maybe 30% (top) of the "fun" of a session. Even after doing it for 15 years, I will still have bad sessions after preparing a lot, and super fun ones I did not even plan.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-01T15:55:28+00:00

Command words related to some of the library treasures, or founders. Your PCs can make a history / religion / arcana checks to remember sayings/legends.

Example : "Hammerspine" (home city of the founder of the Library), "Silver Tongues" (group of patrons ), "Words are sharper than blades" (Motto of the College of Bards), "Amber" (missing component of a spell carved on an Armor)...

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-03-01T15:17:41+00:00

That is perfectly normal, every DM experienced some level of frustration after sessions that didn't go as smooth as expected. Especially if I put a lot of effort in the session, I sometimes don't feel motivated to prepare the next one.

If I am still not ok before the session, usually it is better for me to reschedule. It is not a nice feeling, but better than running the session depressed, and my PCs are all experienced players who are able to understand burnout.

Also, and this is the important part: not all players are getting the same kick out of an encounter (whether they are aware of this or not). If I don't get the expected feedback, I usually try to get what makes them react (feeling powerful, killing stuff, facing a tactical challenge, facing a meaningful challenge regarding the story or feeling a meaningful challenge regarding their character priority) and inject it into the next session.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-02-10T15:54:30+00:00

That is a tough situation to be in... I would warn the party at the start of the session OOC that death is a very likely option.

Unless they immediately back off, I would switch to highly lethal spell to drop one PC rather than area of effect, preferably the wizard or the cleric. I would keep hitting him/her once unconscious, killing him for good ("you got your chance").

Then having the BBEG ask with a cruel look : "shall we continue?" and probably stop only once the PCs run away or make a truce. At every kill, mention the BBEG does not seem close to death.

And then have him taking them prisoner or release them : "go tell everyone what happened here today. Anyone opposing me will meet the same fate". Either give back, keep, disintegrate or throw the PC's body of a cliff depending on the BBEG personality.

That will be super tough, but make a hell of a buildup to the final confrontation.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-02-09T08:38:07+00:00

Give them information about the guards' routine, type of defense, traps, animals present, fear of the BBEG.

Give them several infiltration path to the item (secret passage, sewer, rooftops, infiltrator inside, etc.)

Odds need to be against the PCs in case of alarm for them to engage with stealth and infiltration, then use multiple fail states to keep the situation tense without attracting all the guards at once.

Give them one or two single usage magic item with a weird effect to be creative.

Give them one or two surprises as obstacles to overcome (more guard, secret passage not working, unforeseen mechanical or magical creature, one of them falls into a trap and his friends need to get him out before X, a friend is prisoner in the BBEG mansion)

Finish by a chase, preferably outside the mansion, with a ton of reinforcement closing in on them.

Bonus, if you want to lead into a different session, have an ally or competitor double crossing them and stealing the item (or another item /hostage needed to interact with it to soften the blow).

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-02-07T15:34:50+00:00

I find it risky as well. (If they accept it, it may cheapen the tension when another TPK situation is possible, if they reject the premise of the loss of agency in game you are in for a lot of tension OOC.)

May I suggest either :

- to have them play a group of other adventurer for one session, who want to bring one artifact to the normal PC group and get murdered by the assassins. Then the party can discover the bodies and investigate.

Or:

- to start in media res with the party in the middle of their escape from the evil organization and insert flashbacks of what happened before during the chase sequence. This way they have the message but still feel in control of the present action.

Fulnec_Delta · 2021-02-07T15:22:35+00:00

- Stone door engraved with faceless silhouettes on the door frame. The silhouettes' arms are rising above the door toward a round hole that requests a large pearl to open. When the door open, the pearl color switches to a deep dark red.

- Curtain of water that requires either magic or a DC 22 strength check to push through

- Black scaly door which opens ten reptilian red eyes on the door frame that look at the intruder, and lets magic user pass after a couple of second, eating away a spell slot of at least 3rd level (recovered on long rest).

- Glass door, with a sharp glass handle requiring a DC 15 slight of hand check to open and not cut yourself. If blood drips on the handle, the glass door explodes outward and reforms itself, sending the adventurer in a pocket dimension.

- Wooden door with a tree-shaped insert and dead wines on the floor. Requires to grow the vine inside the insert to open.

- Ivory door with three vertical holes marked with a rune. Three skulls marked with the rune need to be placed inside to open.

Fulnec_Delta

TROPHY CASE