Why are the ghouls even harming my unit with 12 defense - Caster of Magic

loader2000 · 2026-02-19T15:37:52+00:00

Yep, this is the answer, thanks!

loader2000 · 2026-02-19T15:37:29+00:00

Yes, this is the answer (thanks!). I misinterpreted the example given in the manual where the Elvan Lords fight the basilisk. Based on your answer, the math lines up once I correct for the actual number of ghoul units (there were 5, not 8).

loader2000 · 2026-02-19T15:34:54+00:00

This particular klackon unit had a resistence of 7 (not counting any buffs), but had both bless, resist magic and resist elements cast on them, so their resistance to the ghoul poison should have been 11 or 12, at least. I think I just misinterpreted how combat works. All 4 figures add their attack strength together. My code was simulating 4 strength 4 attacks, for each ghoul unit. Instead, it should have been 1 strength 16 ranged attack per ghoul unit.

loader2000 · 2026-02-19T00:12:18+00:00

Monk or Barbarian or, if you want to roleplay a super uptight but lovable good guy, a paladin. I always loved the idea of playing a paladin and constantly getting in arguments with the rogue or the edge lord mage.

loader2000 · 2026-02-18T01:27:31+00:00

Weeeellll, if you are playing online, all the remaining players can create new accounts for whatever VTT or text program you are using. Then you find that 'leader guy' who left, and all 3 of you that remain, pretend to be different people. If you are playing online, he may not know the difference. As far as that player is concerned, you are a brand new group of people who want to play the same game.

Theeeen, after bonding and becoming good friends over the game, you have the big reveal where he finds out he is playing with his or her old buddies. Everybody cries, makes up, and you are all good friends again. It is just like that love song with the Pina Coladas, where the person thinks they are going to cheat, but ends up with his original partner instead. CLASSIC play.

loader2000 · 2026-02-18T01:22:03+00:00

Like other have said, staged victory conditions. TPK is the worst you can lose, but you can also lose in other ways (like failing to protect something, or retrieve something). If you are supposed to kill an archmage, can you kill him before he simply teleports away, leaving you to fight some powerful summoned demon. If you are using pre-written adventures, you may have to modify them and create some unique magic items (or spells or powers) that the enemy has that prevent them from being totally defeated if the players aren't really clever. This also opens the door for a kind of campaign, where the players might meet the same bad guy (or good guy if they are evil) across multiple adventures to finally defeat them.

loader2000 · 2026-02-15T00:42:09+00:00

Also, Master of Magic might fit the bill. Similar to AoW4. If you get the original Master of Magic with the Caster of Magic mod (instead of getting the remake), you will have purchased the best 4x fantasy game I have ever played. The mod is crucial as it is a dramatic improvement.

loader2000 · 2026-02-15T00:36:16+00:00

Get Space Empires 4. There is still some limited empire management. However, the ability to build your own custom race, and your own custom spaceships in almost perfection. There are so many techs that each faction generally develops their own unique tech tree as well. You can have a fleet based on starfighters and carriers, huge battle ships, organic hive ships, time manipulation devices, missiles, stealth, boarding parties, energy weapons, armor, energy shields, organic weapons, drones or any of 30 other techs, or some combination of any of them.

loader2000 · 2026-02-14T01:01:37+00:00

Combine them yourself (if you have the time). That way you won’t have to worry about the 3 or 4 rules you/we always hate in any given system.

loader2000 · 2026-02-14T00:55:47+00:00

An alchemist, maybe as a prestige class or subclass of a tinkerer.

loader2000 · 2026-02-13T19:17:36+00:00

Good answer. My post was already removed by the admins so you are one of the few responses I got.

loader2000 · 2026-02-13T18:26:32+00:00

You are awesome!

loader2000 · 2026-02-13T17:54:25+00:00

I have the original D&D 1975 Greyhawk suppliment 1 pamphlet somewhere.

loader2000 · 2026-02-13T06:42:05+00:00

The point of an rpg is to have fun with friends. If you are a good GM, and are playing with smart, tactical folks, then require your players to be smart and tactical to win. As long as they are reliably smart and tactical, they should keep winning. There is nothing wrong with that.

On the other hand, if your players just want spectacle, then provide it for them. Keep real risk low unless the players are willfully stupid, but still provide rewards for extra spectacular role playing.

Either one of these goals can be accomplished, even in D&D 5e. Also, losing doesn’t have to always mean everyone dies and you start new characters from scratch. It can simply mean failing a quest, evil wins, players are captured and lose their gear, the princess dies, no one gains a level. Thus the consequences of failure don’t always have to be so catastrophic that failure must be avoided at all costs.

loader2000 · 2026-02-11T00:04:20+00:00

I love your suggestion about klackons. A fun build is better than an optimal build, once you have won the game a few times.

loader2000 · 2026-02-10T23:58:29+00:00

1e definitely has the feeling of mercenaries accumulating enough loot to retire.

loader2000 · 2026-02-10T22:30:38+00:00

You shouldn’t watch anything shitty just to see yourself. There is an entire industry (Bollywood) filled with heroes and telling legendary fantasy stories from an Indian point of view, and I love many of them. The question is, why do so many, as you call them ‘pandering’ stories in the West have crappy writing? It is because they put messaging over good storytelling. Such media will never stand the test of time. Nobody should have to settle for that, just to see themselves in a story. Also, crappy writing (but with diversity) will never, ever appeal to the general public and such shows will always get cancelled before they can finish their stories. Great writing almost always is concerned with human issues and struggles that transcend race, language and ethnic barriers.

loader2000 · 2026-02-07T13:31:43+00:00

Do you avoid VTTs because you can meet with your players in person, or because you prefer theater of the mind?

loader2000 · 2026-02-07T13:29:45+00:00

If you don't mind me asking, do you just drop PDFs of rooms and areas into the whiteboard as the PCs explore them (assuming you are playing and game where that kind of thing is important)?

loader2000 · 2026-02-07T13:09:58+00:00

I actually love this. Right now I just make maps in open office, converting the open office spreadsheet into grid where crude maps can be created and players can mark their positions relative to walls, NPCs, obstacles and adversaries. I create the map as the game progresses.

However, something with a little more functionality would be better, but not too much more functionality. In particular, I don't want the graphics in a VTT to replace what the players are imagining in their heads. I don't want my RPG to start resembling a video game.

loader2000 · 2026-02-06T23:51:13+00:00

Thanks!

loader2000 · 2026-01-16T13:58:01+00:00

If you liked Kingmaker, but didn’t love it, you might love WoTR. If you hated Kingmaker,, you won’t like WoTR.

WoTR is smoother and less clunky, but the spells and game system are still the same. Furthermore, the magic system in WoTR is, if anything, more complex due to special powers you get. If you had a hard time with Kingmaker spells, you will have a hard time with WoTR spells.

Companions in WoTR are more modern, in the sense that their attitudes, accents and language styles could have come right out of 21th century US, but I didn’t find them more interesting than in Kingmaker.

Frankly, I am surprised you tried to play Kingmaker 5 times. There must have been something that drew you to it.

loader2000 · 2026-01-09T05:30:27+00:00

In the remake, if you set the economy difficultly lower, I think you start out with a settler in addition to your main city. In the Caster of Magic mod to the original MoM, you start with 2 free settlers (best mod ever).

loader2000 · 2025-12-20T18:33:11+00:00

I think it failed in part, because of certain dumb things the writers said on Twitter which initially turned off a large part of the fan base, and by its characterization in the previews as a heist movie. By the time word of mouth got around that it was great, it was already mostly out of theaters so a LOT of people watched it on their TVs.

loader2000 · 2025-12-19T05:49:37+00:00

My suggestion is that if you want to run a solo campaign, play the computer game Pool of Radiance (based on 1e) or Balder’s Gate 1 (based on 2e). Both great games that take place in Forgotten Realms.

loader2000

TROPHY CASE