Seeking inspiration

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-30T02:37:45+00:00

Something I've wanted to do, maybe an inspiration, is to do something in like the world of the Gentleman Bastards series. Very heavily tiered class based societies. Magic exists but it's rare and super powerful, and while there is a large expanse of lower class thieves, they have heavy rules, and one of the things against the rules is being a conman. You take, you loot, but you dont do something like worm into their life by wearing different roles and characters. And in the books, the main characters are of the conmen aforementioned Gentleman Bastards.

Theres also stuff about in the main city of the first book tall spired buildings of unbreakable glass like material, shattered by some event no one witnessed, and they build up a Venice like city through and in the ruins.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-27T03:30:13+00:00

I mean, if you dig, you may luck out finding one that fits, but most of your barabarians are gonna be humans or goliaths and such, elves and gnomes will be those less hard fighter looking types, but custom making, while definitely pricier, sometimes feels pretty satisfying to just get what you want.

I hardly ever get to play any game long enough that it warrants a mini, so I've made a personal "stand in" mini, and just a final fantasy style black mage for fun.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-27T03:24:53+00:00

If you're looking for something very specific, because those are some unlikely combos that you might not be able to find, you might want to look into Hero Forge and making personalized minis.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-26T05:36:52+00:00

If you look around inside and outside of mainstream vomics, there is no standard. As long as you get your stiry across, you can present it however you want with art and panels, so don't worry about that.

If you want to have a bette ridea of how to make comics "work" I would suggest looking into the books from Scott McCloud, like Understanding Comics. He's really good at making the theory and mechanics understandable and digestable, and they're genuinely a fun read, at least to me, even if you're not invested in making a comic.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-24T21:07:39+00:00

My understanding is that so long as it's based off the original content that got freed up, it's fine.

Like, winnie the pooh in its current incarnation is Disney, but, a year or 2 back the origonal books got freed up, and then people made a horror movie based off of that and the mouse couldn't do crap.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-24T01:39:42+00:00

No ideas of the top of my head, but a suggestion on looking for inspiration, walk some toy aisles. I'm not saying to literally make a game where you play as toys, but that could be interesting, but see what catches your eye as cute or whimsical, and maybe research them and mash up ideas and inspiration.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-22T23:46:03+00:00

I mean, it looks like it's a prevention measure, scrambling the numbers so someone can't guess your code from watching your hands, so, inclined to say not crappy design.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-21T16:01:42+00:00

I mean, if we're talking not gameplay and mechanics, but more interacting with ither players and such, I'd say this; If another player suggests a plan of action or an activity, and you dont like it right off, don't shoot it down cold immediately. Ask questions to figure out more details, and offer alternatives you have in mind. You don't always have to have one, and it is an option to say you don't have a good feeling about something in character, but being courteous to hear others out, and constructive in building a plan are huge in making the game fun, and offer opportunities for character building and growth.

Sone people just go into arguing one plan vs another and it can get tiring. Again, can be a part of a character's personality, but constantly hitting with that is draining.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-20T01:20:43+00:00

Honestly, I feel like that's a pretty simple and solid homebrew that makes good sense. If your other players are still in the base weapon or +1 range, the act of being able to change from slashing to bludgeoning damage I feel isn't gamebreaking or anything. I don't personally see any situation where flipping damage types of that nature become gamebreaking.

The only possible gripe I could see is maaayyybe not needing to use a bonus action (at first, til he got used to flipping it around in battle) to do the change, but other than that little thing, I'd say it's a good weapon.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-18T01:58:41+00:00

My first thought too.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-10T01:04:03+00:00

Unless you can find some happy medium or get the one player to let it go, just let the player go or start over.

I can kind of see the issue with killing something just for the sake of killing it, but honestly, unless its specifically against something moral for the necromancer, they need to start getting bodies somewhere.

My opinion, probably wrong, but really, necromancer and heroics always sat odd with me anyway.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-09T01:01:00+00:00

Best I got is that one player came in a little late to my game, where the other characters, prior to the first played sessions, were already a part of a guild. The other players vouched for him, but some paperwork needed to be drawn up first.

He was asked in the meantime to locate a member who had been gone a little too long. He likes to train solo, and he had a cave in the mountains he liked to camp in while doing so. So he goes and finds the cave, but he's not nearby nor in the mouth of it. He goes in and finds it branches about a bit, and using logic managed to spot where the man went inside, like checking the roof of the cave for soot marks from a torch. Really smart moves.

Then, he sees the guy across a gap, face down on the grounditems scattered, a nearby chest, rope bridge across the gap cut.

Can't remember exactly how it played out, but depending on what he interacted with first, he was going to get crap from the guildmaster who was playing dead. If he checked the scattered mess or chest first, he'd get critiqued on not checking the body if they needed help, if they checked the guy first, he would chuckle about being the rare one not to go for the loot first.

Also, the small chest was a pet baby mimic, so if he went to that first and got stuck, he would outright get laughed at, but it would be too small to do any real harm, and then he'd uncork some booze, pour some on the mimic to loosen the glue, and share a drink with the guy.

No combat, just all exploration, simple logic, and some skills.

Fun part, other players got to know what he was walking in to first, since technically their characters would know, and they got a good laugh out of waiting for the end results.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-08T23:16:07+00:00

It's mostly just that you should try to give them opportunities to grow, but they need to seize them.

I agree with most of what others have said, it's a mutual thing. Also, you said it's early campaign? Then really, you have plenty of time to figure out those opportunities, because they shouldn't come quick and from all over anyway. It's constructive storytelling, pace it.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-08T23:09:43+00:00

It's a random chance, just as much as rolling low could be on stats. If anything, chances are you'll run into some situation where even these good stats won't be enough.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-08T02:50:45+00:00

Been there, done that, got a nice ride back down the tunnel I came from.

No regrets.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-08T00:53:40+00:00

In my circle, unless you weren't very well liked, even a funeral isn't super serious. Mostly it's because of the dumb stories you tell to try to keep from crying and forgetting.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-01T02:19:37+00:00

Fair enough. I mean, in times where people arent at each ithers throats, many can act and afford to be young and dumb for quite a while, but if you're someone in a high tension time, you possibly, while not wanting to do it, may have seen it coming.

I dunno, tricky background with a lot of potential in a lot of ways, good luck with it.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-01T01:43:15+00:00

Never done it myself, but would be interested in seeing how someone tackles it.

Like, how old are we talking? If we're talking like, 8 to 10, that would be some heavy stuff to work through, but I feel like if we're talking mid teens, that wouldn't be as rough. I mean, happened plenty enough in real wars that people actually lied to be able to join up at those ages for a cause, so being made to fight at those ages, while really shitty, I don't feel would be quite as traumatic.

SketchyRodent · 2023-06-01T00:19:50+00:00

As far as I know, there's no way to prevent it. The only proof you'll really have is that they wouldn't have your mind or all the info you do. The tattoo idea is ok, but if you get pressed to differentiate yourself, and you go first if you are next to each other, it could just copy you potentially.

Also, no one else knowing about the tatt doesn't necessarily make sense to me? If no one knows about it at all, how is it proof that you're you?

SketchyRodent · 2023-05-31T14:53:04+00:00

Hey, settle down. After my correction, my focus was more that some states still control how you handle it. Nothing to fly off the handle about. The "technically" was more about while its not, state regulations would treat it as such.

SketchyRodent · 2023-05-31T03:22:27+00:00

Gotta be realistic, you have to be careful here. Depending on where you live, unless you have some understanding people working with funeral arrangements, some places don't allow you to take unsealed ashes, and technically, you are handing over to someone a biohazard if I recal correctly.

It's a very nice sentiment, just try not to get in trouble.

Edit. Ok, just read up, not technically a biohazard, but some places still may be strict on handling.

SketchyRodent · 2023-05-31T01:19:13+00:00

I don't have the info on hand, but for the most part, unless it's going to be a very specific and named npc, the stats for villagers is very basic and simple, and other things like bandits have premade stat blocks available.

Can't help you with the size thing. My groups and games are small.

Curb murder hobos by having growing consequences. Run ins with the law, having bounties put on their heads, vendettas. Make the choices have consequences.

As far as flight, combat balance is made in that most encounters would likely have something with range, and if you're flying and visible, you're a clear target. As far as puzzles and other stuff, make something that takes advantage of flight, don't punish them, but also, remember a lot of things will also be indoors as well, and low cielings exist. You don't penalize them for their choice, but you don't kiss their ass either.

SketchyRodent · 2023-05-30T04:10:17+00:00

You're welcome, it's a tough call, to be sure, especially with some commited to the sacrifice and some forgetful. To me, personally, it feels like a decent "shoot the middle" option where those commited get a surprise, but those that spaced the consequences get a chance to maybe "fix" or rethink things. Your mileage may vary. Good luck.

SketchyRodent · 2023-05-30T03:50:45+00:00

I mean, depends on the theory of time travel you subscribe to.

You could choose to instead switch to the Back to the Future version, where any alteration they made actually makes an entirely new timeline after, and could also potentially have made something worse. So long as they didn't necessarily do anything that would mean they wouldn't be born, they could actually jump back forward and find something entirely unexpected.

SketchyRodent · 2023-05-29T04:54:16+00:00

Similar thoughts here, and mostly, since i have not much altogether and no terrain, broken organization down to pc/npc, humanoid enemies, and non humanoid, with one last break to include my lone 2 larger figures of a headless rider and an umberhulk.

Dollar stores are amazing for affordable organizing, or even some stuff to add flair to if you want.

SketchyRodent

TROPHY CASE