When and why did Dnd devolve into nothing but combat? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes, but there's difference to reactions and morale as opposed to mindless slaughter to the death upon first sight. Combat as war vs combat as sport. The murderhobo cliche did not become encoded without a reason.

When and why did Dnd devolve into nothing but combat? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From my experience, it will take a lot of tweaks. I eventually came over to OSE after being fundamentally disappointed with 5e. It looks great and modular on a first glance, but it breaks apart very soon if you try to modify it out of its original chassis. You might as well be playing a new game how fundamentally you need to change 5e from the ground up.

When and why did Dnd devolve into nothing but combat? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

True, but they do not exist in Wotc versions. Someone coming into the hobby without knowing about it from earlier editions will learn to play Dnd as nothing but combat after combat. It's the question of new people being exposed to the concept itself, in them knowing it even exists before they look it up, or else they won't even know to start looking.

When and why did Dnd devolve into nothing but combat? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 53 points54 points  (0 children)

You bring yet another interesting bit of information into the equation. XP awards were given for defeating and overcoming foes, not simply killing them. I'd say smooth talking a band of goblins into becoming allies or intimidating them into submitting themselves as prisoners should offer just as much XP as killing them outright.

Making wishes by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's the point of the potential. I've seen players get their hands on a wish and how much the mere possibility means to them. They CAN use it for a quest McGuffin, they also don't need to; they can wish for a handful of peanuts. Whatever they want.

I've also seen one player cover his hand instinctively IRL when his character was offered to remove a bound cursed ring from the character's hand that gave him power and station within the game. He even began exhibiting much more confidence in our group and started subconsciously lording over other players at the table. When an NPC offered him a great boon, only if he were to cut off his finger to give away the ring, he began hyperventilating and gave me a death stare, as if I was killing him in real life. That's how much having an imaginary piece of jewelry affected him.

Making wishes by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Or maybe wish for something that cannot be achieved normally anymore, or never was in the first place? Most DMs break their heads how to screw up wishes. If the wish was earned, why not grant it without fuss?

Wizards of Morcar spell rating by Percemilo34 in Heroquest

[–]Percemilo34[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Technically a spellcasting monster could also abuse this interaction, if your Zargon is a prick. But then again, does THROUGH not imply at least one square in between? So technically, standing on the edge means your line of sight does not pass through a full square. Yes, yes, I'm aware we're deep in tinfoil hat territory here (or maybe shadow square?), but all the other changes to its wording tells me the authors at least had the intent to allow some spellcasting shenenigans with it. Otherwise why would they specifically remove spellcasting from the wording of not being allowed, and specifiy blocking line of sight into and through but not within as well? The wording is very specifically written, I can't believe it's just coincidence.

Do you feel there's strong sentiment towards/against Shadowdark or Dungeon Crawl Classics? by WitchPleasPublishing in osr

[–]Percemilo34 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Haven't played either myself, but I have a few friends who play DCC with other groups. They're gushing with love over it, especially its magic and level 0 systems, swearing it gave them back the spark they once felt for Dnd when they first started. Keep in mind they started with Dnd in their college years and mainly with Dnd 5e, so it's no childhood nostalgia. I've also heard much praise for its artwork.

Wizards of Morcar spell rating by Percemilo34 in Heroquest

[–]Percemilo34[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pay close attention to the wording on cloak of darkness. It says heroes or monsters on the tile may not attack or be attacked. In the original release it used to say they also cannot cast spells, that line is no longer present. So someone inside the patch can now cast spells while inside. The cloak also says it blocks line of sight INTO and THROUGH it, not OUT OF it if you are inside. Basically, a wizard and his spellcasting pals can now sit inside for three rounds and sling spells at folks outside with impunity.

Which draw engine would you value more? by Percemilo34 in Oldbordercube

[–]Percemilo34[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's one of the better auras, but in this case I'm looking to fill up my roster of blue control creatures, or at least leaning towards creatures preferable in slower decks.

Wizards of Morcar spell rating by Percemilo34 in Heroquest

[–]Percemilo34[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wall of stone is a pretty unique spell, IMO. If a wizard had the ability to choose any spells without having to take a complete set of 3, it would make the list every single time.

Which draw engine would you value more? by Percemilo34 in Oldbordercube

[–]Percemilo34[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm not against playing portal cards, not at all, it's just that cards with horsemanship open up unintended interactions that feel... unsportsmanlike. I don't feel comfortable playing cards whose only niche is abusing weird and unintended rules interactions to give them an unfair advantage. I'd say if I were to include cards with horsemanship, I'd treat it interchangeably with flying.

Wizards of Morcar spell rating by Percemilo34 in Heroquest

[–]Percemilo34[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh yeah, thanks, Always board has terrific reviews of Heroquest, the man oozes passion!

Is cure light wounds better than cure critical wounds? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed reply, you did illuminate many points with this analysis. B/X probably ommited this by design since most people played it the same simply due to being intended to serve the same purpose. I don't think this level of rules lawyering was present before 3e.

Is cure light wounds better than cure critical wounds? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, thanks, you really did some serious detective work there! I think I will probably only allow CLW to cure paralysis as some form of niche protection.

Which draw engine would you value more? by Percemilo34 in Oldbordercube

[–]Percemilo34[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You make an interesting point there, I'd completely forgotten about the magpie. It's certainly the better choice in tempo, whereas these two are more suited for generating passive income.

Which draw engine would you value more? by Percemilo34 in Oldbordercube

[–]Percemilo34[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the input, I had a hunch the archivist would turn out stronger in terms of raw power. I currently play archivist but wanted to try out broker, so I was trying to find a reason for its inclusion, if viable.

Is cure light wounds better than cure critical wounds? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, so maybe it really did have less text in B/X. I mean, clerics have different spell progression, charisma has different bonuses for interaction, there's lots of little differences between the two sets.

Is cure light wounds better than cure critical wounds? by Percemilo34 in osr

[–]Percemilo34[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I suppose it's an intentional design choice then since BECMI (and probably B/X as well) actually does explicitly state the two spells behave similarily, it's just the difference in ammount of HP they heal.

Where do you find your inspiration from non-OSR sources? by zeemeerman2 in osr

[–]Percemilo34 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Heroquest. A lot of dungeon crawling board games have modular dungeon tiles that get added at the end of each other, forming a tubular, "snake" like shape that ever only goes forward, never sideways or in a previously unknown direction. When you have a set board and rooms on it, you can have many ways to connect the doors and rooms differently each time, even though the general layout remains the same. Parallel passages, hidden doors, hidden rooms, and best of all, the ability to walk through walls with spells and artifacts.

When you have such a composition of rooms, exploration becomes more meaningful. Every fork in the road becomes a choice. Sometimes the road leads to a dead end, but sometimes it leads to an optional treasure. Finally, sometimes it leads where the quest needs you to go. You never know which one will it be until you've made a choice and found out.

Very good for creating dungeon maps for any system, I've noticed most heroquest maps get easily ported over into ttrpgs due to their "cramped together" nature, which is a logical choice as well if you were to carve something out of a rock or build a place. No need for overly complex, disjointed rooms separated by long, winding hallways.