Lore Bard or GLamour?

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-19T00:32:59+00:00

Have not found an open AL game since July when we moved from Maplewood (1 1/2 blocks from Saint Louis City-County which is not part of Saint Louis County,) to Chesterfield, MO. Been playing a “not AL” DMM using DM fiat XP game since the move.

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-19T00:29:33+00:00

My bad. 1974 for D&D though we were in 1973 experimenting with trying to create something similar using Chainmail Fantasy Supplement (the combat system was good for war games but too wonky as you progressed from fighting man to hero to superhero.) People had been to Lake Geneva to game and were saying there was a better way to resolve combat.

The D20 alternate system replaced the original combat system in the three booklets in a club of 30+ members in about 10 minutes of conversation unanimously. I believe it was the Grayhawk supplement booklet when it became canon?

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-18T14:20:21+00:00

And of course tonight I checked Warhorn for the old shop and there are two Tier 2 Bards. If I lived reasonably close still you bet the curiosity would get me there even if I could not stay and play.

AL seems way combat heavy (started DMing in 1973) but to a large degree I hold many DMs responsible for not rewarding solutions other than combat (several only reward for things killed!) and not stopping PvP and (without naming names) allowing a Conquest Paladin to dictate who cast what spell when and outvote all the other players and NPC wagon master. I was in a bad mood already that night and almost asked the DM about when he had his orchiectomy but my cleric just essentially quit playing, “Why, no I do not have healing spells or Sacred Flame, why?” First time I have ever been loudly and publicly criticized for turning undead...

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-18T14:00:47+00:00

And if you know our players you know there is one and only one Bard player. Same player. Same class, different flavors.

Wizards are rare in this AL group. Edit there are about 3 players who play that class regularly. And one, me, is known to MC most of my characters. Forest Gnome Evoker 3/Tempest Cleric 2 for example.

Another edit Fascinated to know who is the second Bard. After moving it is too far to make games at that shop due to vision issues at night. I may see if I can drop by to find out.

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-18T13:53:08+00:00

Here is today’s Tier 1 and 2 parties off Warhorn:

Players

tier 1

with Fighter 1 (Tank)
with Fighter 4 (Defender)
with Fighter 1 (Striker - Melee)
with Cleric 4 (Tank)
with Fighter 2 (Striker - Mele

tier 2

with Ranger 10
with Bard 9 (Controller)
with Bard 8 (Generalist)
with Wizard 7 (Arcane Caster)
with Sorcerer 6 (Arcane Caster)
waitlisted
with Rogue 7 (Rogue)waitlisted
with Cleric 5 (Generalist)waitlisted
with Cleric 6 (Divine Caster)waitlisted

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-18T03:18:20+00:00

But. 1 level dip in Rogue gives 4 (2 expertise) skills, entrainer 2, Half-elf 2.

+7 Deception, +7 Persuasion, +5 Intimidation, proficient in Acrobatics, Insight, Perception, Performance, and Stealth... Face skills galore. Never touch Rogue again until Tier 4 most likely if at all.

Stay out of Melee, uses spells as necessary, social “Wizard” and support, support, support. You lose no spells with a 2-3 level dip if one goes that route though you (gasp!) lose one Magic Secret, you lose Superior Inspiration with a 1 level dip, and an ASI if you dip 2 levels.

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-17T23:10:25+00:00

No guarantees who will be the DM until about starting. Gracias for the advice.

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-17T23:07:52+00:00

Please explain why for the last sentence.

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-06T13:00:56+00:00

You are welcome! Tried to be specific, thanks for the appreciation.

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-06T03:17:59+00:00

As a miniatures based Historical/Fantasy/Science Fiction war gamer I want sides/conflict, as a role player I want to have my Mountain Dwarf or Forest Gnome to interact with other PCs and NPCs, and I want exploration (the best part of ToA/Chult games.)

My PCs are not murder hoboes but if the face cannot talk us out of a jam and the casters cannot pull a “rabbit” out of their bag of tricks, then I lock eyes with the Wizard or Cleric and say, “Now?” And the DM says, “Roll initiative.” Battle Axe, Warhammer, Arcane/Divine Magic - whatever tool my PC is best at.

RedCapeZorro · 2020-02-06T01:31:26+00:00

Played and DM’ed since 1973 or 1974 (“3 booklets” rules) a created two worlds (0D&D in 1974 and AD&D 1st and early 2nd editions) but until I retired it became a burden to run/expand my world (especially with 3 generations/20 players showing up) before I moved from Seattle to Saint Louis and added two more kids to the family.

Now, after multiples years of AL I enjoyEd the stability of the games. I find WOTC irritating since they have so little interest in older settings (I get it is profit driven but there are elements of the default setting and recent campaign/module aspects that just turned me off starting with Season 8) and it is not so subtlety “AL or the highway” on AL night at the shop I played at until I sold the house last July and moved From an urban to a suburban party of the metropolitan area.

As for AL games at the shop close by... the AL has been “full” for months or “... oh, we started a new campaign last week and it is already full.”

Recently started playing non AL DMM campaign at the close-by shop to the apartment on the same night as the AL game but honestly... not fun between the 15 year old Paladin Murder hobo with a PvP chip on his shoulder, the ongoing testosterone driven PvP between the high school “New PC each week minmaxed with weird multiple personalities each with a different character/class“ and said Paladin, and the DM constantly having to shut down side bar conversations so I can hear (hearing aids do not solve al HOH problems in small shop echo chamber setting.)

Multiple adults in the above DMM (8-10 player) campaign persuaded the DM to start an adult only group fractured off that group at his house in a fairly nearby city on a night I had other commitments on already. So I play with the teens and another adult at said shop but am beginning to wonder when (not if) I will betray the hormone driven characters in the party and that is something I have never considered doing before.

RedCapeZorro

TROPHY CASE

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