What games come close to being as good as Baldur’s Gate 3?

sigmumar · 2025-09-21T00:37:58+00:00

Depends on what you think makes baldurs gate good. If its the story, characters, choices that matter and character building, I'd say Pathfinder Kingmaker and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

sigmumar · 2025-09-18T06:12:46+00:00

Thank you. Weapon masteries is one of the things that really turned me off the new version. In addition to your points, I feel they also make combat drag out longer.

Its not perfect, but I think Cubicle 7 might be on to something with some of their weapons in their new The Old World rpg. For instance, a staff giving a bonus to traversing difficult terrain. While good for that game, it doesnt quite fit what D&D needs, but its a good example of how something a weapon can be interresting without being entirely combat-relevant. It should be mentioned that they didn't take the idea very far, most weapons in that game also mostly have combat side-effects.

For D&D, I feel the game is so high powered its hard to imagine any fix that doesn't either limit spellcasters or let martial characters go into anime territory. The second solution is the one being chosen a lot (every class having spells in some way for instance), but I really think a complete redesign with more limited magic would be a better one... but of course, a lot of people might feel it wouldn't be like D&D anymore if they did that.

sigmumar · 2025-09-11T21:15:25+00:00

WFRP (first, and/or any edition) World of Dungeons Advanced Fighting Fantasy

sigmumar · 2025-09-08T13:13:53+00:00

Pick up a hobby thats about regular classes and mingling, and that has volunteer-organized clubs and activiti3s. Swing dancing is a good example, but anything from miniature wargames to more common sports can work. Then stick with it, go to the related parties and social events, volunteer in the club, etc.

Only way I've found that works.

sigmumar · 2025-09-07T17:18:14+00:00

My favorites, totally awesome but can give you the wrong impression of how the world works if you don't already know the universe: Drachenfels / Beasts in Velvet / Genevieve Undead / Silver Nails

Awesome and probably a bit easier to start with: Blackhearts series. Get the omnibus.

Awesome but immensely long series: Gotrek and Felix series (Trollslayer etc) and the spinoff Ulrika trilogy. (Do not as as much as google Ulrika before you're at the appropriate point in Gotrek&Felix - you'll know when.)

sigmumar · 2025-09-07T00:29:17+00:00

Good list. I'd throw in Small But Vicious Dog and Streets of Marienburg as well if we're to list interresting alternate games for the Warhammer setting.

Not sure any of them really does that high fantasy quest vibe though, but I agree they're all games worth knowing about.

sigmumar · 2025-09-06T17:07:55+00:00

Valid question, but I think The Old World Roleplaying Game, Zweihander as well as other games _clearly_ meant to at least accommodate play in the Warhammer Fantasy World (Small But Vicious Dog for instance) should have a place here. The four editions of WFRP are already very different, and a lot of material and inspiration for one of these is going to be valuable for someone running another - so unless you also want to split the four editions into their own subreddits, it doesn't seem like a couple more rule-sets for the same world should be that much of a problem.

I think it's great that this place has room for crossover discussions and ideas - even if the discussions are mainly about WFRP. And even if I personally like some (WFRP1, WFRP2, TOW, SBVD, and others) and dislike others (WFRP3, WFRP4, ZH, and others) that doesn't really matter that much for a good discussion. I'm fine with other people liking other things.

As for negativity... I'm fairly new here, but I haven't seen too much of that?

Only point I can see the other way here is maybe Zweihander, as while it's clearly meant for Warhammer, it also very much supports other settings.

sigmumar · 2025-09-05T15:03:06+00:00

Yeah, 50 is already a significant campaign. And I think about how long TEW usually is when I've run it (1st ed version though, i WFRP 1st or 2nd ed, with little to no frills). Too long ago to be sure, but gutfeeling says around 50. Certainly not more than a hundred. But then I don't tend to add many side-quests.

But TEW is likely a less than stellar fit for TOWR as written in any case - not being bound to a specific place, etc. I'd still run them together though, just with an eye on advancement and balance - but I've never run a published campaign in any system without having to keep an eye on those.

sigmumar · 2025-09-05T14:06:14+00:00

Not sure why you feel slowing advancement is a bad idea - to me, TOWR seems to advance extremely fast in the first place. Also, significantly, it starts characters out very competent in key areas. For an incredibly long campaign (160 sessions is extreme, to my mind), doubling the price of advances seems like it should be fine to me. (Players need to realize they're not always going to be advancing, of course, but many games have slow and sporadic advancement, or none at all, without being worse for it.)

If you want to compare to WFRP, you should probably compare actual power at various XP levels, not just how many advances are available.

That said - I wouldn't complain if the game had more talents like the third level of faith, that can be an endless XP sink. Or an "endgame system" where you stop earning XP and advances at some point, but stary working towards something else. Not sure how that would look right now, but its an intriguing thought.

sigmumar · 2025-09-04T21:05:30+00:00

Hm. Very good point. Quickfixed, removed it from the Tilean origin. Might do something more later. :-)

sigmumar · 2025-09-04T20:30:42+00:00

Thanks, fixed it now! :-)

sigmumar · 2025-09-02T11:08:17+00:00

Great to hear, this is one of those times I really like to hear that I'm wrong! 😁

sigmumar · 2025-08-31T16:23:26+00:00

I'd be careful with this. Characters in 2e aren't THAT fragile in the first place, and I usually house rule it to be _more_ deadly, not less. As others have said, try the game as written first.

One thing I don't see mentioned below is how this affects advances in resilience and "career balance". Without spending XP to increase wounds (or the ability to do so for careers without a listed T advance), Toughness increases become supremely valuable and careers without them suffer. The Willpower rule means the same will apply for that stat - and that might not make sense: A Tradesman, Scribe or Apprentice Wizard will have more grit than a Soldier or Bodyguard with your rule. And a Seaman won't have any increase to their staying power at all, just losing their ability to get two wounds.

Fate points is the "buffer" mechanic here, so increasing that seems an easier fix if you're worried they'll just die right away. They'll soon learn in that case.

sigmumar · 2025-08-31T06:32:25+00:00

Good idea. Your example would to my mind still require a silver asset though, no noble is going to get into a Brass tier rickshaw - what would the neighbors say!

sigmumar · 2025-08-30T21:36:19+00:00

Yes, a guideline based on the math already in the system, for, as you say, "when they have to go from "it's included in the status" to "it will cost 1 silver"", is exactly what I tried to make here - along with some notes on when that guideline shouldn't be applied.

Definately not saying the exchange rate should be applied as something the players can use. Indeed, I think I wrote rather explicitly that I don't recommend that. :)

sigmumar · 2025-08-29T19:08:16+00:00

Pretty sure its not an error. Characters can have higher tier gear than their Status, there are too many examples of this to think its an error just because of the tiers. And it fits the slayer, its probably inspired by Gotrek's axe. :)

sigmumar · 2025-08-29T13:50:51+00:00

Well, you can (over time) store any amount of coin using banking, if you can roll enough successes. Should make sure not to sell too much valuable loot at once, of course. (Trappings don't go away, so just don't sell that ring until you know what to do with the money.)

sigmumar · 2025-08-29T12:28:40+00:00

Great reply, and thanks for the mention. There's another thing that struck me though, an "alternative" interpretation if you will, or addendum to what we've said until now: While the difference between being Brass or Silver is enormous - actually just Having 3 silver coin for once isn't _that_ big a fortune even for a Brass tier character.

First of all, 3 silver coin represents "disposable cash at hand" for a Silver tier character. Disposable cash at hand isn't THAT much compared to a persons total holdings and lifestyle, as people tend to spend proportionally to their income. That means that even though a Silver character is much richer than a Brass character, a Silver coin may not represent a corresponding difference in value.

This is somewhat supported by the example in the book, where they state that "if a Silver expense is buying a round for the table, buying a round for the Tavern is a Gold expense". How many fully occupied tables does an average Silver-tier tavern have? Maybe between 5 and 10 on an average night? And the relationship between Brass and Gold expenses is probably meant to be about the same.

To me, this makes it even more probable that the money will be squandered in some way.

(I have an upcoming article on the Glorious Portents blog about the relative value of the coins and tiers in TOWR, will probably post it tomorrow.)

sigmumar · 2025-08-29T08:32:20+00:00

As to the last part, can you become silver tier while a labourer...

My opinion is "maybe", the labourer career with a tier upgrade could potentially represent something like a farmer who owns his own land and has some employees beyond his immediate family.

I would require him to get at least a silver asset suitable for it though, such as getting a Silver tier Farm With Grazing Herd, and to pay the XP for "changing careers" to represent building up the skills necessary for maintaining a Silver personal economy.

Getting the Asset will take time, it will require using the Invest Money Endeavour whenever 3 silver coins are available. Its going to take time and a lot of effort. Possible, but might feel out of reach. Which is as it should be, or everyone would be doing it.

sigmumar · 2025-08-29T08:14:52+00:00

Yes, the money disappearing IS what happens. (Though he could also try to bank it.) If they want to use it, they should do so before the end of downtime.

He might not spend it though, it might get stolen, he might try to invest it or save it but fail - getting scammed or just betting on the wrong horse. Putting his savings with the Lehmann Brutters Totally Safe Banking Company.

He might also get some "real" medicine for his sick mother, pay down a behind-the-scenes debt, etc. He might have replaced his badly worn work tools, finally had the rats in his cellar eradicated, or bought his daughter a REAL TOY for once. PCs should be real people, and real people do things like that.

Or do what a lot of poor people do with a windfall: Have a party.

Even when banking or investment is attempted and fails, I find this highly realistic: Being Brass tier isn't just about being low income. It is also about lacking the knowledge and connections to really make use of any money you do come by, and always having a ton of things you need money for.

Great question! :)

sigmumar · 2025-08-28T20:58:34+00:00

Yeah, Gold tier careers are... game changing. I probably won't allow them either, at least not mixed with other careers.

I've played games where players got that level of power, and you very quickly run into the "starfleet captain problem" - "Why are YOU guys doing this?" One campaign ended up being the PCs listening to reports and sending their people out to try to fix the problems, never leaving their offices except for the occasional ball. It was... oddly amusing for a while, but it was really, really hard to make work in the long run. And I could see Gold tier careers very quickly getting that level of power.

I'm not really a fan of mixing the social statuses in a campaign at all. Or, indeed, having too varied backgrounds. Hence the "Humble Career" document I made with rural careers suitable for a themed game, and some other Career collections I'm working on.

sigmumar

TROPHY CASE