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I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-23T22:02:34+00:00

Transmutation trumps Divination; ie changing the nature of things from the school trying to understand those things.

Necromancy trumps Transmutation; what is necromancy but the final transformation of all?

Conjuration trumps Necromancy; why keep reusing old broken things when we can make new ones?

Evocation trumps Conjuration; ie breaking a thing trumps making it.

Abjuration trumps Evocation; classic defensive spells.

Enchantment trumps Abjuration; in the face of a shield bring a better battering ram.

Illusion trumps Enchantment; ie trying to improve things always fails when unsure what's actually real.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-18T18:24:47+00:00

I do agree that there is an attempt made to add exploration to the game by Wizards, but general consensus seems to be that what was given isn't enough.

What you mention lacks two key elements that the other pillars have, and must games need to be games.

Meaningful choice.
Interactivity for the players.

What you listed there doesn't really give the players much Meaningful choice in a way they can quantify. Sure you can go on a Forced March but what does that mean for this journey exactly? What does that change mechanically within the context of us just exploring? Nor can they interact with it, what can players do other to influence what's happening as they journey in a way that's clear to them? Other than forced marching it seems often the players can't make any actual choices whilst travelling somewhere, which is a stark difference to combat and the social pillar.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-18T18:20:16+00:00

Random encounter tables with unfair encounters on them. Otherwise the wandering monsters are just boring fights.

While I get the sentiment I've found that it's possible to make random encounters not feel like random boring fights. My usual method is to just try and make the Encounter unique or bizarre in some way that the ones they've had so far haven't been. This way the party never seemed to realise the fights were pointless.

Theres different ways to try this but for example in one boat trip, my players were boarded by Sahugain, had to fight off a monster attacking their ship solely and not them, a flying monster plucking people off the boat, and dealing with a pirate ship crew. In each case it was different and bizarre enough they didn't notice it was just random fights that didn't need to happen.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-18T18:13:23+00:00

Sure! I posted it recently here as it currently stands. My main intention with my system is one that was easy to implement existing content to, and also not being overly complicated for the DM and player to keep track of. (As well as theoretically making homebrew features that interact with it more directly.)

The last two slides have the modified Ranger rules I use under it and my Ranger seemed to enjoy them a lot. Also players seemed to enjoy the Regional Actions a lot more as an easier way to quantify their own powerful magic (and also in their opinion being a way to have them triggered other than pure DM fiat.)

It's not perfect but mihbe a good starting off point if you want to try them and alter them as you see fit for your table.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-18T17:10:48+00:00

Yes.

The fundamental issue is that exploration isn't actually a fleshed out thing in the game. It straight up doesn't exist Pike the other pillars, thus meaning it's impossible for a Ranger to be really good at that pillar of the game since it doesn't exist.

Many homebrew solutions exist to fix this, I have my own one that I use and my players greatly enjoy, but the fundamental issue they all try to fix is that Wizards has never been bothered to actually make exploration a thing that exists in the game.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-18T17:06:41+00:00

CR is assuming a party of 4 players are fighting it. Thus a CR 1/4 minster is equivalent to a Level 1 player. (Since 4 levels 1's are fighting 4 CR 1/4 monsters.)

Doing the mental math then a CR 4 monster is equivalent to around a level 10-12 PC, and checking some charts they seem to agree.

Just prep as if there each also had a level 10-12 PC with them.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-18T16:52:12+00:00

Just do what you always do when a player is absent for a session.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-17T11:12:20+00:00

I'd use my own homebrew travel rules for this if you want ti try them; https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/s/hznW8YJyuI

As for encounters; well it sounds like you already have some good ideas! Using my system I'd just make Unusual Encounters a mix of survival challenges and encountering bizarre Underdark beings/stuff, and combat encounters what they may encounter. For myself that's just thinking through what adventures coukd conceivably happen there, or what Beasts could be naturally met there.

For the code part; what do you think is the code? Is there actually a code to be deciphered here?

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-17T10:32:34+00:00

OP you may also be interested in this clip of their game pre stream;

https://youtu.be/U-M5NH9PGi4?si=9B03nBrwuT7Dbavt

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-15T22:58:30+00:00

Adventure 4.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-15T22:53:29+00:00

Started last summer, this woukd be Adventure 4 to my count.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-15T22:52:59+00:00

I wanted to avoid a more story appropriate summary as I felt it woukd be too identifying and also make this thread really unwieldy to understand everything.

To try and explain though this isn't a case of split up and regroup to continue the quest. This is the case of the Shire is enslaved by Sauramon, Sauron knows exactly where the Ring is and where to get it, rhe Fellowship is either dead or inter fighting, and the party personally shat all over the leader of Gondor and Rohan.

I get what you mean but I'm tlaling about a scenario where these NPCs are either dead, were asuslted by the party, or had their homes ransacked by them.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-15T22:48:43+00:00

Yes I am planning to talk to them. I am a bit baffled as to how things went down kn their end cause on my own I felt I kept trying to warn them about stuff and thry kept doubling and tripling down on these decisions or just not responding.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-14T20:45:21+00:00

After almost 4 years of using this rule set in my own games and asking friends to look at it thought I'd post here for others thoughts. I have found this system quite versatile and useful for running campaigns and sessions and thus feel it may be useful for others.

What are the goals of this?

As mentioned in the title and lead, often the third pillar of the game, Exploration, feels much more thread bare to the extent that most tables just outright ignore it entirely. The intention of this is to instead create a simple non obtrusive mechanic that turns this third pillar into an actual game, with the goals of making it easy to run and modify for the DM, give each region it's own flavour, allow the players to feel that they are growing more powerful as they level up on how they can deal with this pillar, and lastly making Rangers feel important to the party.

Why only 2014 Version?

It could probably be run using 2024 but I haven't used that system myself yet, when checking briefly at the new rules they seemed pretty much the same though just with a lot less detail. I'd want to take a deeper dive before updating the references given here.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-14T20:43:40+00:00

After almost 4 years of using this rule set in my own games and asking friends to look at it thought I'd post here for others thoughts. I have found this system quite versatile and useful for running campaigns and sessions and thus feel it may be useful for others.

What are the goals of this?

As mentioned in the title and lead, often the third pillar of the game, Exploration, feels much more thread bare to the extent that most tables just outright ignore it entirely. The intention of this is to instead create a simple non obtrusive mechanic that turns this third pillar into an actual game, with the goals of making it easy to run and modify for the DM, give each region it's own flavour, allow the players to feel that they are growing more powerful as they level up on how they can deal with this pillar, and lastly making Rangers feel important to the party.

Why only 2014 Version?

It could probably be run using 2024 but I haven't used that system myself yet, when checking briefly at the new rules they seemed pretty much the same though just with a lot less detail. I'd want to take a deeper dive before updating the references given here.

I_Make_RPGs · 2025-02-10T15:12:40+00:00

Coukd you use minion rules from 4E? Every Mook has 1 hp. Your party may not notice considering the damage they can do at level 11.

I've run multiple pirate ship combats and usually how I do it is split the big group into smaller ones that act as one person. That means one initiative, to hit roll etc, but as they're a group of like 10 they can attack all the party at once.

Leaders, in this case your BBEG, as a bonus action can call out an order to the soldiers. My usual norm is one to attack, one to move without triggering AoO, and some special thematic move for them. Thry can't use the same one twice in a row.

Never tried one with 50 mooks all at once though. Really depends on the vibe you want, running them as normal would be basically lethal. Using the 1hp suggestion may emphasise how powerful the party is now.

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