tissek @ tissek @ttrpg.network Posts 30Comments 164Joined 2 yr. ago
Dancing naked in the woods bathed in moonlight.
Tagging onto @sbv - why. Why is this kingdom being besieged? Is a local temple an actual focus for ley energies from creation itself? Is the local well off upstanding citizen actually harbouring deep grudges and just want it all to burn?
Depending on the why the who will fall into place.
My world(s) tend to be very dark age, very migration period. This is regardless of technology. Community matters, your word and deed matters and people tend to be accommodating of strangers. If you are a decent and capable person you can find acceptance in whatever community you desire. A wandering stranger can find their way to the upper echelons of communities. Outsourcing is then now that I think of it kinda common, but with the goal of bringing whose doing the outsourced task into the community.
So what you saying is for fantasy stuff just get BG3 for the character editor? If so I totally agree.
My number one to three goto is image searches. Wild searches and then follow similar images around. Believe it or not but pinterest is really good for this. Forth is that I have managed to scoop up some character art creation skills. But it is very simple art. Essentially I found a guide (linked below) on how to make art similar to that from the webcomic Order of the Stick. So essentially fancy stick figures. They are vector art so it is easy to customize and fine tune the character to you liking.
http://www.trazoi.net/tutorials/inkscape/oots/
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?333488-OOTS-Style-Tutorial
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?8742-Guide-to-Making-Avatars-with-Adobe-Illustrator
Lastly before I forget. Collages are awesome for character mood but having one default image is very useful, especially if something is needed for token art. Also if you find someone's art make sure to bring their watermark along. May look out of place but do give credit where credit is due. In Roll20 and similar I use the first line of character's bio to link to the artist (if I've found them).
Got some tips for you
0 - Don't expect to get an awesome group on the first try, may take a while as you gather up people you want to play with.
1 - Look for communities, especially if they run shorter or west marches style games. Not necessarily join with the intent to run games, but play. Get to know folks and then extend invites to them for game.
2 - Run a few shorter games of limited length. 3-5 session long I find to be awesome to get something done. Some may be awful but you only have to stand them for a few games.
3 - Questionnaire where you discreetly bring up your red flags and feel the waters around them. For example I always mention that safety tools will be used and if they want a specific tool used I'll happily do that for them. If I get replies they don't need safety tools or disparage them in some way that would for me be a red flag.
4 - Don't be afraid to disband groups or kick out folks. It is not a failure.
Apocalypse World has this awesome GM move that covers this situation
Announce Future Badness
Combine it with
Think Offscreen Too
Then you know how to handle the sacking of a stronghold. By the gods how I love GMing after AW's principles.
I'm with you here. Compatability with adventures (monsters, loot) I find good. Classes and player facing rules not so. I mean what if you take a 5e character that uses a 5e rule for something to a One table where the rule that the 5e build depends is altered. Or just a class feature? Imagine the confusion if a feature that does the same thematic thing have the same name in both? What about mixing features from both editions?
CHAOS! (and not in a good way)
Fil (fermented/soured milk) and musli in my opinion cannot be beaten. Get bowl, open fridge to get fil, pour fil into bowl, get muesli, add that and you are done. Pretty unprocessed, plenty of fiber and (depending on variety) lots of good bacteria. Cleaning up is also quick, water and a few swirls with the brush. Making coffee takes longer than chomping down on a bowl of fil and muesli.
I have recently encountered ICON and come to really like its dying mechanic. Each time a character is reduced to 0HP they become incapacitated, but stable, and gain a wound. Each wound reduces max hp by 25% and only goes away after an adventure (quest). A character can help an incapacitated character (rescuing) bringing them up and healing them to their new max HP, which after one wound would be 75% of max. Second time dropping to 0hp, a second would and new max hp of 50% of original.
It gives good longevity in individual encounters and forces caution in the longer run.
Premiums they will then offload onto renters keeping their margins.
Larger and/or gamey games 1€/h. Here I put games such as the Tomb Raiders, cRPGs etc.
Narrative experiences 5€/h. Stray Gods and other high quality intense experiences. Often short and with limited replayability. Like seeing a movie a second time.
My Swords of the Serpentine have become absence-cursed. We have had a few weeks now where we haven't been able to play. Bit sad as it sucks energy and I really want to give a GUMSHOE system a good run for its money.
The ICON game I'm in is marching slowly ahead. Emphasis slowly. We are so very new to it that combats takes just so much time. On the other hand fighting is what it has going for it. And the combat is good, really good. So not complaining too much.
Also playing in a Burning Wheel game where things are marching on. Good group and good play but sometimes wish we would have less roleplay and more rolls to close out scenes. Next session we do start with a Duel of Wits, possibly a three way duel of wits.
I kinda just went by feel. As long as the spokes don't unwind during ride you are tight enough. Had to redo the rear wheel a few times until I got it good. But next time I'll look it up beforehand. Many (most) manufacturers have it listed on their support pages. Others not. Those cases they have to be contacted directly.
I kinda just went by feel. As long as the spokes don't unwind during ride you are tight enough. Had to redo the rear wheel a few times until I got it good. But next time I'll look it up beforehand. Many (most) manufacturers have it listed on their support pages. Others not. Those cases they have to be contacted directly.
With desperation.
Not completely a joke unfortunately. Often if someone is interested in the niche game I want to try running and is available when I can run it I'll take them. There is of course some vetting: a light conversation about the system, their interest in it and then I'll judge their reaction and openness to safety tools. After this I can be fairly certain they aren't complete asses.
Also it is easier to endure that player if you don't plan for the campaign to last beyond 5-10 sessions. A dip into the system to try it out and then onto the next one.
Think of all the new beachfront properties!
/s
I love the "happy backstory" characters and love GMing for them. Having an auntie the next village over is just wonderfully quaint. A couple of siblings whose mess has to be cleaned up. Cousins that have to be bailed out of trouble. That is just the low stakes. Turn up the heat a little and put some conflicting interests in the mix and you have a recipe for character drama.
And then there are all the larger and societal issues that become personal. Those affected by the situation are those that matter for the pc. While out killing goblins the bank took the farm. Auntie with an anarcho-syndicalist streak is accused of witchcraft.
Or mr edgy edgelord number fifteen who cares about nothing and none. My taste is clear - homebaked apple pie and an afternoon in the hammock.
Have a look at GOG's library. Many are older but have been fixed for modern systems, patches and fixes already applied etc. Linux version not uncommon. Best part is that most are without DRM (wink-wink)
It's a good technique but one that can be abused. As most techniques. Using it as a tool to funnel the group into the content that has been prepared regardless of group strategies is one of the worst. In such cases I'd be much happier and excited if the GM comes out and says only the ogre path is prepared.
I would also like to divide the quantum ogre into two parts - the quantum obstacle and the quantum reward. Quantum obstacle being that regardless of path A or B the same encounter will happen, like a group of ogre bandits. The quantum reward being that regardless of path the same reward waits for them. Like they went after the ogre warcamp instead of the orcs' and found leads to the greater conspiracy. Same leads that would have been in the orc camp. The quantum reward I love to use as it keeps the game going forward, as each (equal) path leads to the same rewards there is no need to do multiple.