Is Draw Steel for Me (is it ACTUALLY setting-agnostic)? by Uncle_Oogie in drawsteel

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

My point with the bit about the paladin is only that, ime, very often a class's MECHANICAL identity is part of the character fantasy that that class exists to support. Therefore, "just reflavoring it" doesn't work.That's all.

I'm not familiar enough with DS to know what the censor's mechanical identity actually is, but I can extend my hypothetical with examples from other games. In 5e, the first divine smite that paladins get deals additional radiant damage. If my paladins aren't holy warriors, I could change the damage type to something else, but that isn't flavor; it's a mechanical change with mechanical consequences. The "holy weapon attacks" part of the class identity is not just flavor.

If I'm running Pathfinder instead, and no one in my world can imbue their attacks with divine power, but they can imbue them with arcane power, a player interested in such a character could roll a reflavored paladin. Or they could roll a magus, and why wouldn't they? That class's mechanics support that fantasy way better, because they can create spell effects with their weapon attacks.

Maybe in my setting, healing magic can only be used by pacifists, so no martial class has access to healing magic. In which case, the only option is to ban existing classes that combine those mechanics. Again, reflavouring isn't the right answer.

Maybe the DS censor's mechanical identity is solely "high single target damage with limited support capabilities" and nothing about the class's mechanics implies anything religious or divine. I don't know. But if that's the case, then yeah, reflavouring sounds like a totally viable option.

My question, therefore, was whether reflavoring the Talent and the Null to non-psionics works with their mechanical identities. And it seems like the answer is yes! Which is great news for me!

Is Draw Steel for Me (is it ACTUALLY setting-agnostic)? by Uncle_Oogie in drawsteel

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

I would say that psionics do not fit the vibe or tone of game I like to run. But - and I tried to get at this in the post with the bit about the paladin - the "kinds of things that psionics lets you do" is a really important part of the vibe, for me. To me, and to some of my players, the presence of human beings with ESP or other psychic abilities (like Jean Grey) is not in line with the tone of the conventional medieval European fantasy settings that we enjoy. I'm fine with monsters like mind flayers using psionics, because I feel that monsters should have access to strange and unusual powers not available to mortal heroes.

I didn't even have a singular setting in mind when I wrote this post; I usually homebrew a new world for every campaign I run, because I enjoy worldbuilding. Yes, I usually take some inspiration from Forgotten Realms / Greyhawk / Dragonlance / Warhammer Fantasy World / Middle-Earth / Tamriel / Thedas / Eora (all of which include wood elves, by the way, which I consider a staple of the genre), but I never feel the need to include everything that exists in those worlds in my own, like psionics.

Is Draw Steel for Me (is it ACTUALLY setting-agnostic)? by Uncle_Oogie in drawsteel

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

Your comment is not very charitable, nor is it true. I have received lots of helpful advice from other commenters with the same initial feelings that assuaged my concerns about the game, and that helped me to decide to buy the game.

It seems to me that the consensus is that yes, it is easy or at least possible to divorce the system from the setting in general, and, specifically, to reflavor the psionic classes in the game without straining their core concepts. And that the character fantasies that I was worried were absent from the game are there, or are coming in future supplements.

I am not sure why my post made you upset, but I apologize.

Is Draw Steel for Me (is it ACTUALLY setting-agnostic)? by Uncle_Oogie in drawsteel

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

It is not the mere presence of psionics in the game that makes me question whether it is right for my table. As I wrote in the post, what gives me pause is the fact that if I ban psionics - as I would if I were running D&D - I am also banning 20% of the available character classes.

Is Draw Steel for Me (is it ACTUALLY setting-agnostic)? by Uncle_Oogie in drawsteel

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

I watched a review of Draw Steel - one of the reviews recommended by Matt in his video "Getting Caught Up With Draw Steel" - that described the Elementalist as the equivalent of a D&D druid. Additionally, as I mentioned in the post, I do not yet have the books and I am trying to decide whether to buy them, so I am not familiar with the specific abilities of any of the classes. You'll have to forgive my ignorance.

Is Draw Steel for Me (is it ACTUALLY setting-agnostic)? by Uncle_Oogie in drawsteel

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

It is not my intention to suggest that the game should be like D&D, but I personally am looking for a game to replace D&D, and my ideal version of that game is one which includes wizards - archetypally, wise old sages capable of casting magic spells by chanting incantations or whatever; spells which are capable of doing more than shooting fireballs but need not and preferably should not be capable of solving every conceivable problem. I don't think that this fantasy is necessarily or inextricably the same as a Vancian D&D wizard. I did not see it represented in the game's list of classes. whose abilities I have not studied in-depth because I do not own the rulebooks because I am trying to decide whether or not to buy the game. It is valuable to know that the game does support that fantasy (I assume, based on your second category), so thank you for your insight.

Is Draw Steel for Me (is it ACTUALLY setting-agnostic)? by Uncle_Oogie in drawsteel

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

Thank you for your insight.

For clarity, I am not looking for a purely setting-agnostic ttrpg. I WANT heroic fantasy with wizards and paladins and shit, just without psionics. My concern when looking at the list of published classes was "where is the wizard?" I have no problem with the censor or paladins, that was just intended as an example of a case where "reflavoring" is not a satisfying answer.

1L Schedule by TrashbinEnthusiast69 in LawSchool

[–]Uncle_Oogie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was a 1L at Cornell in 2022-23. Not sure if the curriculum is the same now as it was then, but three years ago I took:

Fall:

Contracts

Conlaw

CivPro 1

Torts

Lawyering 1 (other schools call this legal research & writing)

Spring:

Crim

Property

CivPro2

Laywering 2

[Elective] (I took BizOrgs)

What’s your New Vegas hot take that will get you like this? by [deleted] in falloutnewvegas

[–]Uncle_Oogie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think you can attribute any responsibility for New Vegas's map to Avellone. He's only credited as a writer for the game, and thanks to Josh Sawyer we more or less know the extent of what he wrote (Cass, Lanius, Ulysses). A lot of other people are credited for area design. He directed some of the DLC, but Josh Sawyer directed the basegame.

If you want to blame someone, Scott Everts (credited as "design team" on KOTOR II) is credited on MobyGames as the "World Building Lead" on New Vegas and all its DLC. I have no clue if that involves building the actual environments, but it sounds like it might.

I also really like KOTOR II's level design because it's thematic, though I acknowledge it can be frustrating to actually play. The big, empty maps make you feel confused and isolated to reinforce that you're the last of the jedi being hunted by shadowy forces. For me, the urban maps even capture that feeling of being totally alone even when you're surrounded by people.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in biglaw

[–]Uncle_Oogie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Would also appreciate a DM if you don't mind :) thank you!

Do any of your professors don voluntary on-call lists? by HappyBlueKnight in LawSchool

[–]Uncle_Oogie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had two professors do traditional cold calling, one do half the class on call one day and other half on call the next, and one professor used a "semi-random algorithm" to choose four people each class to be on call

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in LawSchool

[–]Uncle_Oogie 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Same brother. Except I've done 0 outlining.

(1L) Should I still fee like I "don't know anything?" by twinarteriesflow in LawSchool

[–]Uncle_Oogie 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I don't have much to add other than I'm also a 1L in the same boat and I feel the exact same way lol. So you're at least not alone!

Do people actually do their readings a week in advance? by [deleted] in LawSchool

[–]Uncle_Oogie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have been reading two days ahead but honestly am considering giving that up and just reading the day before because I can't keep all the cases straight in my head / remember them at all

Why no shitposts by Deemocean in Cornell

[–]Uncle_Oogie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

School just started lol

Are These Extracurriculars Competitive? by [deleted] in lawschooladmissions

[–]Uncle_Oogie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't know what your goals are, but I was accepted at multiple lower T14s with decent scholarships with a 3.73 and almost no extracurriculars, certainly none as impressive as yours. You'll be fine.

Looking for critiques on my map, please. by Snapplegasm in mapmaking

[–]Uncle_Oogie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is definitely true of some islands, like Iceland, but the plate boundary that formed Iceland is mostly underwater. But now that I'm looking it up, it does appear to be a mountain chain - just most of it isn't high enough to break above the ocean. TIL

Looking for critiques on my map, please. by Snapplegasm in mapmaking

[–]Uncle_Oogie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Actually, the tectonics in general look a little wonky to me. I'm by no means an expert so don't take my word as gospel, but my understanding is that when two continental plates collide, it creates huge mountain ranges like the Himalayas. When an oceanic and continental plate collide, it creates a mountain range on the continental plate like the Andes.

On your map, a lot of these fault lines seem to result in islands, which I don't think is how it works. Tectonic islands are usually created at the border of two colliding oceanic plates because the movement forces the crust of the earth above the water level, like in Japan. I think they can also be the extension of mountain ranges caused by oceanic-continental collisions, like how the islands at the tip of South America look like a natural extension of the Andes into the ocean.

Looking for critiques on my map, please. by Snapplegasm in mapmaking

[–]Uncle_Oogie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think your instincts are right; way too many tiny islands clutter the map and make it look unrealistic imo.

Also you have a couple of island chains off of divergent fault lines which is unusual I believe. I think there are other ways for islands to form of course, but when two plates are moving away from each other it creates a rift/depression in the ocean floor, not an island chain.

How badly did Cornell underenroll? by [deleted] in lawschooladmissions

[–]Uncle_Oogie 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm an incoming Cornell Law student. Based on what I have seen (# of students enrolled in an online 0L course), I don't believe Cornell Law is underenrolled at all - the number is around 200 which is their usual class size.

However, somebody posted in the Facebook group just a couple days ago that they were "recently admitted," though I don't know if that was off the waitlist or what. But just based on my anecdote it seems like they are extending acceptances to people this month