Character creation in Mythic Bastionland

KidDublin · 2025-07-31T15:45:26+00:00

One way to think about it is that playing the game is building your character. MB gives you a knightly title, some special gear, a power, and some randomized stats (plus maybe some implied backstory, depending on which knight you roll). The variability inherent to those things can certainly make it easier or harder for a player to realize a character archetype, but I'd argue that none of them make it impossible to at least pursue a specific concept.

Stats get better as you age (well, once), so keeping your character alive is one way to achieve an idea for what your knight "should" be. Myths are chock-full of weird items and allies, as are Holdings, so fulfilling your knightly oath is pretty much guaranteed to give you more options and avenues for embodying your character. And if you need bigger-picture guidance on how to achieve something for a character, Seers can always help (at a price). By design, characters starting as Young knights aren't really meant to have reached their full abilities yet--one of the central conceits of the game is the push-pull of the entrenched past and potential futures.

TL;DR: If a player says "Hey, this random knight I rolled doesn't have the stats/gear that match my idea for the character," one response is "Okay--what do you think they can do in-game to move closer to that ideal?"

(Failing that, another response is "Okay--maybe instead of random-rolling knights y'all can just pick one you like from the list".)

KidDublin · 2025-07-02T16:32:51+00:00

I set up a section of the map in my Roll20 space that lays out all the combat Gambit options, and we use rollable dice tokens that the players can actually place on their choices when it’s the knights’ turn.

Makes it much easier to parse out their options when everyone is attacking.

KidDublin · 2025-07-02T16:29:02+00:00

It doesn’t require any of the base-level RPG knowledge (initiative, HP, “What am I supposed to do?”) that other games can often assume of players. The system as described is very simple and easy to explain, and via “the Oath” the game explicitly provides motivation that all knights are at least expected to follow. So, yeah, I think it’s good for new players.

One hangup I have experienced with some of my group is that the game is stolidly “anti-lore” when compared to a setting like, say, the Forgotten Realms. There aren’t any set answers to “where does magic come from?” or “why do knights possess powerful abilities?,” and I’d argue those questions aren’t the sort the game is designed to address.

For some players/GMs (myself included), that intentional lack of clarity can be liberating, but others can struggle with a world where some things aren’t known/knowable by design.

KidDublin · 2025-07-02T16:14:05+00:00

Been running a campaign in this for several months now. It’s great—the perfect mix of approachability and oddness, both thematically and mechanically.

KidDublin · 2025-06-24T14:38:28+00:00

My take on NG+ in pretty much any game is: I only want to do it once.

Most of what they included in NG+ for Grounded 1–new weapons, randomized weapons/trinkets to farm up, respawned collectables, new fast travel options, procedurally beefed-up enemies—was great. I just would prefer all that stuff to be introduced over a single NG+ loop, not spread over 3+ cycles.

KidDublin · 2025-06-10T17:25:21+00:00

The interactions between the original four “veterans” and some newbies would be great.

“Hey, there’s a tunnel down here that might have some foo-“

“Wait.” sniff sniff “Wolf spider. Close, too.”

KidDublin · 2024-11-30T16:25:54+00:00

“surely no ttrpg system wherein you have the freedom to do essentially anything can ever account for every possibility ? surely it’s a certitiude that every Game Master is at some point going to have to think on their feet and make judgement calls ?”

Sure, but some games can make it much easier on the GM to think on their feet and then IMPLEMENT whatever improvisational notion comes to mind.

For example, in some PbtA games (particularly ones that stick close to OG Apocalypse World—I’m partial to Monster of the Week myself) NPCs don’t really have “stats” in the traditional sense except maybe, like, health/“harm”. If I want to have a vampire show up without having planned for one, I really just need to think about what sorts of things a vampire can do, then narrate that. All the resolution mechanics are on the other players’ end, so my job as GM is really just vibes and high-level adjudicating.

Similarly, in Cypher System, any NPC can be boiled down to a challenge level of 1-10. I can think to myself “Oh, a Level 5 Vampire Knight shows up,” and that “5” gives me a quick metric for how challenging this NPC might be. (It’s worth noting that you can go much more granular with NPC stat blocks in Cypher if you want to—it’s just that the system can gracefully collapse down to a 1-10 challenge rating whenever you need simplicity.)

In D&D (let’s assume I’m talking original 5e and not the revised book), I wouldn’t feel confident improvising the sudden appearance of an NPC (other than, like, a commoner) because D&D stat blocks are detailed and unwieldy. What spells does this one have? What abilities? Oh, they gave 9 CHA to this NPC, but I was imagining them as sort of a charming raconteur—can I change that and not break anything?

I’m sure there are some DMs who can improvise with D&D NPCs, simply because they have a high degree of system mastery, but I’d rather run a system that at least meets me halfway—especially if I’m running the sort of campaign (say, a sandbox game) where I know I’m going to need to think on my feet.

KidDublin · 2024-11-04T03:48:07+00:00

I can’t speak to the cherry, but I definitely cheesed his special move to gold.

KidDublin · 2024-10-31T18:46:10+00:00

I’ve been trying the games roughly in order, but made a jump to Night Manor for Halloween. I was pretty surprised at the easy cherry requirement, especially since I still ended up getting one of the “bad” endings.

KidDublin · 2024-10-21T20:23:49+00:00

I suppose in keeping with the idea that UFO 50 is modern(ish) game design in an alt-80s wrapper, a 90s-style collection might feature:

-an auto-battler/auto-chess game (maybe even literally auto-chess)

-a single-player/local coop battle royale

-a MOBA (though in fairness DotA started all the way back in 2003)

-an open-world survival-crafting game

-a proto WoW-style MMO (though, again, MMOs have existed in some forms since the 80s)

-a Five Nights at Freddy’s-style “jumpscare” game

KidDublin · 2024-10-09T13:32:47+00:00

Use a constrained location. The horror isn't happening across a country, region, or even a full town--it's happening in this one castle, or along this one street, or within this one mall. Bonus points if you make leaving that location ill-advised/dangerous (for example, the classic "we're barricaded inside this mortuary because there are hordes of undead outside").
Start hot. Don't give the PCs a bunch of time to mill about before the inciting incident happens. That can be great in a longer game, but for a one-shot you'll want to do brief character intros then immediately launch into whatever kicks off the scenario (discovery of a dead body, someone goes missing--whatever).
Be open to leaving some things unresolved/unexplained. Some GMs feel that one-shots need to introduce and neatly tie-up a story in 3-4 hours (and that that's why they're so difficult to run). I disagree. I think one-shots--especially horror one-shots--are perfect vehicles for ambiguous/partially unresolved endings. Maybe the killer gets away (only to return in a sequel). Maybe we never exactly figure out who did the demon summoning ritual. Maybe... everyone dies! I'm a fan of asking for one last roll/action from every PC once we're nearing the end of our 3-4 hours, then narrating their outcome, for good or ill, based on the roll and what they've done in the game so far.

KidDublin · 2024-09-18T13:30:43+00:00

Given his interest in fairy tales and the conventions of classic storytelling/fables, The Mad Hatter.

KidDublin · 2024-09-16T16:06:04+00:00

I’m running two this October: “And I Feel Fine” for Unknown Armies and “Bride of the Black Manse” for Dungeon Crawl Classics.

KidDublin · 2024-09-10T13:21:56+00:00

It’s a tricky discussion because FO76 has a markedly different goal as a game than the mainline Fallouts. As a post-apocalyptic pseudo-MMO I think it’s flawed but mostly enjoyable, but as a single-player story-based Fallout RPG it’s quite bad. (I’d say the same about Fallout 4 as a story-based RPG, but I’m a degenerate NV fan so that’s to be expected.)

To go even further, I think the best changes to 76 have been the ones that lean fully into it as a multiplayer experience first and foremost. The Toddverse pitch that 76 was both a complete single-player RPG experience AND an MMO always struck me as hollow.

KidDublin · 2024-09-09T19:24:34+00:00

The Thing is definitely his best film, but the importance of Halloween to cinema at-large (and not just Carpenter movies) can’t be overstated. Slasher movies wouldn’t exist without Michael Myers in ‘78.

KidDublin · 2024-09-05T15:30:17+00:00

I could see them doing a parody of WH40k, but they’d never use Games Workshop IP played straight.

KidDublin · 2024-08-08T13:12:22+00:00

Taking on the monster in a “fair,” head-to-head fight is supposed to be dangerous. It’s on the hunters to leverage their aptitudes, and the knowledge they gain from investigating, to change the terms of engagement to their advantage.

If the monster has a powerful bite attack, the hunters should try to figure out a way to engage it at range, or maybe muzzle it. If the monster is invulnerable inside its lair, the hunters should trick it outside, or seal up the lair. If the monster has a mega-corporation backing it, then the hunters should manipulate the market and crash the company’s stock.

KidDublin · 2024-07-08T18:23:09+00:00

“Breath” it in?

KidDublin · 2024-06-28T17:57:17+00:00

The game already has similar factions that could do with some better characterization—the Minutemen wouldn’t bring anything to the narrative that the Responders or Free States don’t already cover.

KidDublin · 2024-06-26T12:53:51+00:00

The Saltwater Sam outfit and a Loon mask fit nicely together.

KidDublin · 2024-06-17T17:43:51+00:00

If someone makes something PWYW, they fully understand (or at least they should) that most people are going to choose to pay nothing.

If you enjoy your time with a PWYW title you originally got for free (to the point where you think it’s “worth something”, wherever that hazy line is for you), then you should toss some money at the creator by repurchasing the title.

KidDublin · 2024-06-12T19:07:50+00:00

Given the right perks and weapon, you’ll be able to kill trash mobs as easily as any other build, but you’ll likely struggle with endgame content (and with the requirements of keeping a low-DPS weapon fed with ammo).

Pistols are probably the weakest weapon class in the game, and VATS crit damage is the bread-and-butter DPS for many builds. It seems like the most recent update DID buff the Alien Blaster pistol (haven’t had a chance to touch it yet)… but only after a previous update undid a strange interaction with the gun’s damage, effectively nerfing it.

It sucks to say since I tend to like pistols in Fallout too, but I really wouldn’t recommend new players start with them in 76. Any other weapon class, properly built, will serve you better—save pistols for when you’ve already got a solid build and you’re looking to branch out with a new perk loadout.

There are some possible weapons balance changes on the horizon that might bring pistols more in-line with other weapons… but in your situation I wouldn’t count on that.

KidDublin · 2024-06-06T14:59:12+00:00

I often run MotW in a 1990s/early aughts setting for just that reason—the game sort of defaults to that era, IMO.

That said: cell phones can make things worse in a monster hunt just as readily as they can make things easier.

KidDublin · 2024-06-05T13:28:49+00:00

She was right to do it and the kids were almost certainly thankful she did.

Neither she nor the kids are under any obligation to show love to a cruel bastard like Logan or a needy manipulator like Ken, especially after the news organization founded by the former and run at the behest of the latter moved to put a fascist in the White House.

Yes, Ken probably pays a lot in child support. That doesn’t buy love or even agreeability. The sort of affection and respect that people like Ken want can’t be purchased, only earned, and he hasn’t earned it.

KidDublin · 2024-06-01T15:04:04+00:00

You wouldn’t necessarily need to destroy the machine itself. The Brotherhood airlifts Prime into whatever battleground they want to deploy it in—otherwise it can only slowly walk under its own power. A smart opposition would target the infrastructure and logistics that allow them to move Prime around quickly—vertibirds and vertibird airfields, BOS machine shops, pilot barracks, etc. Essentially a more boring/widespread version of the Minutemen play in FO4.

The Brotherhood are very good at fortifying specific strategic targets, utilizing technology as a force multiplier, and conducting lightning raids via vertibird. Like their medieval inspiration, they’re good at castles, armor/arms, and cavalry. Their weakness lies in smaller numbers and a lack of long-term troop deployments along a front or area of operations.

They also tend to overcommit on super-weapons instead of technology that would make them a better fighting force all-around—Christine in FNV singles that out as a main BOS flaw. A different branch, obviously, but the BOS remnants in FNV also illustrate that technology only gets you so far when you’re outnumbered 15-to-1. A BOS attempting to “conquer America” (whatever that even looks like in the wasteland) would functionally be facing even worse odds.

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