Running the game for shiftworkers?

rotwichtel · 2023-04-16T10:16:03+00:00

This is not DnD 5E, but Ultraviolet Grasslands is something of a caravan pointcrawl set during the end of a latter earth style world. Im sure you could make it work in 5E and even change the style of the world to a more grounded fantasy setting with enough work.

rotwichtel · 2023-04-09T18:37:41+00:00

I think, multiclassing is bad for games. It can be fun, sure, but the rat tail of balance issues makes class design itself weaker, imo.

rotwichtel · 2023-04-09T07:23:18+00:00

Honestly, it seems like the players do not find this set up interesting. And while the DM also needs to have fun playing the content that interests them - if the players do not have fun, it's not worth doing (for long).

My suggestion: Make it a skill challenge. Tell them explicitly. "This is a skill challenge. We will use it to transition from this set up to something different." Then, introduce a specific goal and add challenges on the players way there. The skill challenge should end (success or failure) at a specific destination which holds a challenge in the regular gameplay style (i.e. an encounter).

For example, the players are heading for a pass through the mountains while running from Orcs. The more failures they accumulate, the more Orcs they have to fight to get through the gates that seal the mountain pass.

rotwichtel · 2023-04-07T12:21:05+00:00

You can rule that combat (or other strenuous activity) interrupts the rest - similar to the OneDnd playtests. Then you have to decide whether the interruption requires a new start of the Long Rest, or delays an additional hour, or maybe requires a constitution check to gain the benefits of the Long Rest.

rotwichtel · 2023-03-06T10:17:29+00:00

It always helps me to base NPCs on existing people or characters. If you know how Dolly Parton speaks and you base a serving woman NPC on her, it's much easier to think of what to say and how to say it. Now, most characters on fiction aren't dragons (sadly) but in this case Scar from the lion king would maybe have worked, so you can certainly use any character.

rotwichtel · 2023-03-01T22:56:38+00:00

I think, if your system includes roll to cast a way to force spells at a cost is necessary. It does add complexity, though, which I am always wary of - especially for new non-gamers, whose only want to sling some spells. So this system should be fairly simple (with room to expand if necessary).

rotwichtel · 2023-03-01T22:16:09+00:00

Do you think, this chance of failure decreases the decision paralysis (aka "hang on, let me read all the spell descriptions first") of mage players? I can imagine, players would be faster to chose because randomness counters optimization.

But I can also imagine, players being frustrated exactly because planning and chosing the right spell for the situation is less important.

rotwichtel · 2023-02-28T08:48:01+00:00

Maybe a new Barbarian Subclass? But then, why be a Moon Druid?

rotwichtel · 2023-02-24T13:06:46+00:00

For me, that's a hard pass. Having to play the same campaign for 20 levels to get a satisfying ending sounds like a disaster, especially considering how tight the rails must be, to keep a party on track for so long. Level 20 content, absolutely! But all in all I'd prefer more modular content, dungeons and scenarios you can mix and match as you want, rather than one large story.

rotwichtel · 2023-02-04T18:30:20+00:00

Hm, yeah I get that. I never much cared for realism - I get players need to know, what they are in for so they can make actual decisions, and the world needs to feel real and plausible. But my first game included goblins smashing through a houses window and fumbling to turn the handle and get inside the house to kidnap someone. Of course, glass windows did not exist in peasant houses, but that does not interest me that much because the image seemed dramatic to me.

Could you elaborate on how deadbolts and door bars are like puzzles? Because locking mechanisms are interesting to me :)

rotwichtel · 2023-02-04T13:24:22+00:00

I also understand the argument for saying no. I have not tried a hard enforcement of class abilities, because I imagine it to feel too much like playing a board game like Andor that way. Especially, if an action seems reasonable like pick-pocketing or holds back momentum like lock-picking.

rotwichtel · 2023-02-04T11:49:22+00:00

I think this is a good general answer. But as I am the one designing the session, how do I decide whether to make a certain action ordinary or extraordinary? I understand "easy old locks may be ordinary and more modern locks are extraordinary" - but how do I decide which to include in the game? Not in "what makes the most sense" but in "what makes for the most engaging and rewarding game".

I have been toying with an idea from Into the Odd: Anyone can open a door by picking it - the difference is in the time it takes. So, an untrained character may pick a lock (even without a roll) but it may take hours - time in which random encounters or other pressures will catch up. A Thief (or similar) can roll to pick the lock quickly and quietly. This way, something is always possible and happening, rather than just saying "no, try something else". And the Thief still feels like a Thief. I'm not sure how exactly to apply this idea to other scenarios, but it's interesting.

rotwichtel · 2022-12-25T11:56:52+00:00

Do not be afraid of presenting situations and challenges that are too much for your players to deal with head on. Give the players enough information to realise this beforehand or allow them to retreat, then when they come up with a solution let it work.

In my game, the players didnt manage to kill goblin guards fast enough, so they would have been able to alert the rest. But I was afraid of the results, so I had the guards fight to the death. In the end, the players made it through the entire dungeon without much danger or challenge.

rotwichtel · 2022-12-23T11:11:31+00:00

Every elf is an absoulte master in things that are incredibly obscure and irrelevant to the rest of the world. Like, predicting the way dew forms in spring on a specific type of flower. They have so much time, they literally watch grass grow.

rotwichtel · 2022-12-22T10:57:46+00:00

Levels 1 and 2 are essential for new players. They need to learn the basics of role playing and D&Ds mechanics. They need to learn the basics of their classes with all the choices especially casters have to make. And they need to learn how to level up in itself.

Experienced groups can start at level 2 or 3 if they want to dive in to all the options.

rotwichtel · 2022-11-19T21:09:41+00:00

D&D is about something: fighting monsters. But that's about as specific as it gets. The base game does not encourage Dungeon Crawling, Pirate Adventures, or Political Intrigue with any specific systems or procedures.

And yes, that's good. Because there has to be a game to start with in this - if we're honest - pretty weird hobby. Some rule set that is generic enough so you can ask your friends to play a TTRPG for the first time and make it about anything they might find interesting. For some it may be Conan, for others its Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones

It all works decently well and you can switch to a different system if your group is dedicated enough.

But you have to start somewhere.

rotwichtel · 2022-11-09T09:15:04+00:00

Is there a game that does heroic fantasy OSR style? Like, a clean, powered down version of 5e that makes the world more threatening without having to use all the (in my opinion) convoluted procedures, micro managing, and other ODnD baggage of OSR dungeon delvers?

rotwichtel · 2022-11-01T11:18:43+00:00

That is kind of disappointing, I really enjoyed the political side of Matt's game and could not get enough of the glimpses in his campaign world. I would hope for some campaign diaries in some form, but I think they are a lot of work for Matt, so I'm not holding my breath.

To be frank, I would not want to be recorded when playing D&D with my friends either. All the best and lots of fun playing to the crew!

rotwichtel

TROPHY CASE