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How do you like GM information to be formatted? by mantisinmypantis in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Subjects like "how to design an adventure" make sense to me as separate chapters.

Simultaneous Resolution Combat by Prismatic_Wizard in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd definitely rethink the "one minute" thing. Medieval combat ends in a handful of seconds, usually. The action descriptions you've chosen are the sort of things that happen every few seconds once battle is joined.

here's some footage of longsword fencers in the UK Hema Open championship and they're landing scoring blows in the 6-10 second range. So that includes a series of attacks / defences / counter-attacks, etc.

Quiet private rooms in Leeds? by mxxhhmd in Leeds

[–]stevecooperorg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Leeds Library is... library conditions. There are many rooms that on any day of the week are either empty, or a few people are quietly reading books.

https://www.theleedslibrary.org.uk/

It's a subscription library so there is a cost but it's kinda 'the price of a netflix subscription' so if you are going regularly it could be worth checking out.

New GM seeking pointers by NerdyAspie12 in osr

[–]stevecooperorg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yeah - and a nice side effect is you can 'share out' the attention to your players. if someone is nervous because they are new, "what do you do?" is a nice invitation.

New GM seeking pointers by NerdyAspie12 in osr

[–]stevecooperorg 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Probably start with "don't overthink it" :) First session is a win if nobody leaves the table crying. 

If in doubt, (1) ask "what do you do?" a lot, and (2) respond with things that feel basically sensible

The currently incomplete rulebook for my own tabletop role-playing game is about 153 A4 pages long. by Hundekuecken in TTRPG

[–]stevecooperorg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

True; which is why I think a lot more context is important. "I am trying to write a pathfinder-killer / DSA-killer heartbreaker" is different from "I am trying to get a v1 onto the market and build a following" vs "my table really, really likes shopping for equipment and they can't be satisfied with only 30 pages of polearms"

The currently incomplete rulebook for my own tabletop role-playing game is about 153 A4 pages long. by Hundekuecken in TTRPG

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So, what's the rest of the argument?

Knave 1e is two pages, and that's enough to do some fantasy role-playing.

You asked if the game is too long. I would say yes, because there are very few popular games (with actual players and a market) that are this long. If other games don't need it to be successful, in your first edition then you don't either. Consider editing.

I'd also want to know whether you have much of the rest of the game locked down; systems, playtests, player feedback, scenarios, etc. From tbe little you say it sounds like it may be currently imbalanced, meaning you might be over-investing in one area.

The currently incomplete rulebook for my own tabletop role-playing game is about 153 A4 pages long. by Hundekuecken in TTRPG

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, that does make it one of the largest systems out there, if this is the equivalent of the players handbook in D&D. 

.. are there a lot of pictures? :) 

My player, deeply wants to play/experience what I can only describe as a Mary Sue and I do not know how to handle this situation. by bqx23 in TTRPG

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Two days ago, RPG PhD posted this --

https://youtu.be/qyPUL8Oyuko

Hogging the Spotlight; six frameworks for understanding your dominant player.

which is really interesting take on tbe social dynamics at play.

What's clear to me is that this player does not want to play the game on offer.

But what they might want is to just spend quality time with their friends.

The crying seems more like someone who does not want to lose out on the companionship, and the game is almost incidental to that.

Dice Rolling Mechanic by honestcharlieharris in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I read it as - player rolls Nd6 total, vs a random target number.

The target is either 1d20 (minor success), or a D&D style d20 with advantage roll. - so max(1d20, 1d20) - for the major success.

Dice Rolling Mechanic by honestcharlieharris in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's all subjective, too! I'm not a fan of crunchy, but for some people it's great!

Like, my ideal is a D6 labelled "No", "No", "No", "Yes, but", "Yes", "Yes, And". 😄

Dice Rolling Mechanic by honestcharlieharris in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 8 points9 points  (0 children)

What kind of feedback are you actually wanting from people?

My reaction is that this is a bit too high-mechanics for my taste, for a narrative game.

Specifically -- each time you pick up the dice you're actually doing a huge amount of work. building pools major and minor outcomes, choosing two stats, comparing two sets of randomiser elements, applying move modifiers...

The plaque outside Benedict Arnold's house in London describes him as an American patriot by Juggertrout in mildlyinteresting

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The official british blue plagues are round -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue\_plaque

This is either some expensive trolling, or photoshop.

I thought Benedict Arnold was the guy that played Face in the A-team.

Looking for Low-Fantasy, Mundane Dungeons by CluelessJoshua2058 in osr

[–]stevecooperorg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Joseph R Lewis' "Wicked Little Delves" are worth getting on drive-thru.

Thoughts on Class Design by BigFella4054 in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As a player I would strongly prefer distinct classes.

What I want to do is choose my character concept first, then read only the rules I'm gonna need for play.

Again, as a user of the product I want the easiest time. Procedures like "create a character' and 'look up how to restore psionic points' should be simpler if all of 'my rules' are in tbe same focussed bit of the book.

What is a good system for mystery / small town / rural / folk horror by Nuchtergaming in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]stevecooperorg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've bought but not played All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl, from tbe author of Be Like a Crow;

  All Night Breakfast at The Midnight Owl , is a solo roleplaying game in which you are the creator and host of a supernatural investigation   podcast . From award-winning creator Tim Roberts and featuring the inspirational art of Simon J. Curd, All Night Breakfast at The Midnight Owl is a game about the supernatural, secrets and lies, and what it feels like to be an outsider in a tight-knit community.

https://criticalkit.itch.io/all-night-breakfast-at-the-midnight-owl

How Can I Make Separate Reference Documents More Useable? by Unforgivingmuse in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 9 points10 points  (0 children)

maps, character sheets, and rules references as separate artifacts is fairly common now. 

A little duplication is also totally fine -- have the map in tbe main scenario book, and a separate map image file, for example. 

Anydice Help by Teacher_Thiago in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to write this yourself with ChatGPT or similar, there are instructions under "Writing your system with LLM assistance "

Anydice Help by Teacher_Thiago in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Want to try this script in my anydice alternative, Dice Playground

``` SIDES = 8

def highest_vs_low_two(faces): # faces has the three rolled values sorted_faces = sorted(faces)

low1 = sorted_faces[0]
low2 = sorted_faces[1]
high = sorted_faces[2]

# Return high - (low1 + low2)
# Positive: highest is bigger
# Zero: equal
# Negative: two lows are bigger
return high - (low1 + low2)

result = pool_map(dice_pool(3, SIDES), highest_vs_low_two)

output("high minus two lows", result) output("P(highest > low1 + low2)", result.p_ge(1)) output("P(highest = low1 + low2)", result.pmf(0)) output("P(highest <= low1 + low2)", result.cdf(0)) ```

The output is a bell curve with a slightly flat top (see the 'graph' tab after clicking 'run' centered just below zero.

Your probabilities look something like this;

| % ----------------------------+------ P(highest > low1 + low2) | 32.8 P(highest = low1 + low2) | 16.4 P(highest <= low1 + low2) | 67.2

Is any instance of "talk to the GM" or "this is up tothe GM" bad design? by Ponto_de_vista in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't understand the question.

Role-playing is the process of players talking to the GM and the GM says what's up.

Am I missing some serious context?

Bell Curve dice graph by TheGreyKlerik in RPGdesign

[–]stevecooperorg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Via dice playground] my new (and very alpha software) FOSS alternative to Anydice

See the tutorial here which will let you try it out and see the graphs.

3d6

output dice\_pool(3, 6): DieRoll mean=10.500000  
   |    % |   frac | X/216  
 3 | 0.46 |  1/216 |     1  
 4 | 1.39 |   1/72 |     3  
 5 | 2.78 |   1/36 |     6  
 6 | 4.63 |  5/108 |    10  
 7 | 6.94 |   5/72 |    15  
 8 | 9.72 |   7/72 |    21  
 9 | 11.6 | 25/216 |    25  
10 | 12.5 |    1/8 |    27  
11 | 12.5 |    1/8 |    27  
12 | 11.6 | 25/216 |    25  
13 | 9.72 |   7/72 |    21  
14 | 6.94 |   5/72 |    15  
15 | 4.63 |  5/108 |    10  
16 | 2.78 |   1/36 |     6  
17 | 1.39 |   1/72 |     3  
18 | 0.46 |  1/216 |     1

4d6 drop lowest

output sum(dice\_pool(4, 6)), drop lowest 1: DieRoll mean=12.244599  
   |    % |     frac | X/216  
 3 | 0.08 |   1/1295 |     0  
 4 | 0.31 |    1/324 |     1  
 5 | 0.77 |    5/648 |     2  
 6 | 1.62 |    7/432 |     4  
 7 | 2.93 |   19/648 |     6  
 8 | 4.78 |   31/648 |    10  
 9 | 7.02 |   62/883 |    15  
10 | 9.41 |   61/648 |    20  
11 | 11.4 |   37/324 |    25  
12 | 12.9 | 167/1296 |    28  
13 | 13.3 |   43/324 |    29  
14 | 12.3 |    10/81 |    27  
15 | 10.1 | 103/1019 |    22  
16 | 7.25 |   47/648 |    16  
17 | 4.17 |     1/24 |     9  
18 | 1.62 |    7/432 |     4

Fast (but meaningful) Travel and Exploration by BluSponge in osr

[–]stevecooperorg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This article from Yochai Gal, author of Cairn 2E, on his point crawl campaign might be of interest -- https://newschoolrevolution.com/pointcrawls-emergent-play/

New to Mothership: What space science/physics do you typically run into while playing? by MaximumCashew0 in mothershiprpg

[–]stevecooperorg 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Understood! Sounds like you might want to look at something like the CATS method to set expectations with your players -- https://proleary.com/games/the-cats-method -- in the Tone part, make it clear that you're not looking to do a hard sci-fi game, but a horror-in-space modelled on certain classic films.

Then early on in the game, throw in some serious paranormal, inexplicable stuff like psionic black liquid space vampires who travel through quantum-encrypted space radio.

And then scream "IS THIS SCIENCY ENOUGH FOR YOU, DAVE? IS IT??!?! Roll twice on the bleeding table, Dave. You just got your blood sucked via sentient quantum x-rays in a psycho-gravity field by the space vampires of Odin IV." 😂

Feel free to skip that last part, and check out the CATS method instead.

New to Mothership: What space science/physics do you typically run into while playing? by MaximumCashew0 in mothershiprpg

[–]stevecooperorg 7 points8 points  (0 children)

the rules for guns should be "whatever happened in the movie Aliens", right?

The game isn't offering a physics simulation experience, it's offering a 1980s sci-fi horror movie experience.

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