That's when you bust out the "it's gotta be in an offical D&D Handbook" rule. I normally allow Homebrew in my non-Adventure League games so long as it's somewhat balanced, but sometimes you gotta draw the line.
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That's when you bust out the "it's gotta be in an offical D&D Handbook" rule. I normally allow Homebrew in my non-Adventure League games so long as it's somewhat balanced, but sometimes you gotta draw the line.
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So I did not completely traumatize my new player with the farce I opened the session with, that was good to know.
Also so happy to get the campaign off hiatus; the break was needed, but the ideas I got from it were flowing in like an avalanche of sewage.
Oh, and sorry for the lack of a Dice Scum video (and double post); we couldn't meet last night (most of us took advantage of that), so instead I recorded the tale of Festung Schmerzen exploding due to my players' pigheadedness.
Also so happy to get the campaign off hiatus; the break was needed, but the ideas I got from it were flowing in like an avalanche of sewage.
Oh, and sorry for the lack of a Dice Scum video (and double post); we couldn't meet last night (most of us took advantage of that), so instead I recorded the tale of Festung Schmerzen exploding due to my players' pigheadedness.
Just curious, does anyone here play Wizard's of The Coast official D&D games; "Adventure League"? I've been playing it for the past few months, both as a player and a DM and there are both parts that I like and don't like compared to home-games.
I do like the more "rigged" structure it has and how it's a bit more en-forceful on rules to make sure all the characters are on relatively equal terms, like: You have to use Point-buy or Standard Array for your stats, you can only use The Players Hand Book and 1 Supplementary Book when building a character, DM's have to use licensed Wizards adventures and can't stray too far from it, ect. It makes it easy for new players to jump in and not be stuck with a character notiably weaker then a longer time player, but is just open ended enough to allow a 5e vet to make a slightly more "min/max" character, but not too much so. But what I like the most (and what justifies the rules, to me atleast) is that it makes sure that a character from one place can go play a game with people on the other side of their country and can hop right in a game and not be ridiculously broken. I really like the idea of having a few D&D characters that can join games around the world and being able to keep their levels and items. It's the closest D&D can get to being an "MMO" without sacrificing too much creativity or freedom of choice.
I'll admit, I'm not a fan of how the rules and restrictions can sometimes limit creativity. I know Wizards doesn't want people to have a LV.2 character running around with a Vorpal Sword because the DM that day was their friend, but it can suck when your party kills a dragon and they want to use it's bones and scales to make equipment and you have to tell them "No" because the module you're running doesn't account for that, so all that stuff ends up being is trophies. But I think my biggest complaint (and the biggest complain in general) is how Adventure League almost seems to discourage people from Role-playing. My groups aren't so bad, because we're happy to take things slow sometimes to flesh out our characters and I know how AL works well enough to incorporate players backstories and character archs into modules without it breaking AL's rules.
Basically, Adventure's League is great if you're new and want to get into D&D, are busy and can't make it to every session, or are with your friends who know how work around Adventure Leagues limitations and can still have a good time. But if you're a fan of more open-ended, creativity and story driven adventures, then it might not be for you. I've actually met a few cool people at Adventure's League, and had been DMing long enough before it so that I know to weave a good story into the modules, even the less well written ones. But that's my take if anyone didn't know what Adventure League was or wanted to know another persons opinions on it.
I do like the more "rigged" structure it has and how it's a bit more en-forceful on rules to make sure all the characters are on relatively equal terms, like: You have to use Point-buy or Standard Array for your stats, you can only use The Players Hand Book and 1 Supplementary Book when building a character, DM's have to use licensed Wizards adventures and can't stray too far from it, ect. It makes it easy for new players to jump in and not be stuck with a character notiably weaker then a longer time player, but is just open ended enough to allow a 5e vet to make a slightly more "min/max" character, but not too much so. But what I like the most (and what justifies the rules, to me atleast) is that it makes sure that a character from one place can go play a game with people on the other side of their country and can hop right in a game and not be ridiculously broken. I really like the idea of having a few D&D characters that can join games around the world and being able to keep their levels and items. It's the closest D&D can get to being an "MMO" without sacrificing too much creativity or freedom of choice.
I'll admit, I'm not a fan of how the rules and restrictions can sometimes limit creativity. I know Wizards doesn't want people to have a LV.2 character running around with a Vorpal Sword because the DM that day was their friend, but it can suck when your party kills a dragon and they want to use it's bones and scales to make equipment and you have to tell them "No" because the module you're running doesn't account for that, so all that stuff ends up being is trophies. But I think my biggest complaint (and the biggest complain in general) is how Adventure League almost seems to discourage people from Role-playing. My groups aren't so bad, because we're happy to take things slow sometimes to flesh out our characters and I know how AL works well enough to incorporate players backstories and character archs into modules without it breaking AL's rules.
Basically, Adventure's League is great if you're new and want to get into D&D, are busy and can't make it to every session, or are with your friends who know how work around Adventure Leagues limitations and can still have a good time. But if you're a fan of more open-ended, creativity and story driven adventures, then it might not be for you. I've actually met a few cool people at Adventure's League, and had been DMing long enough before it so that I know to weave a good story into the modules, even the less well written ones. But that's my take if anyone didn't know what Adventure League was or wanted to know another persons opinions on it.
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I'm mixed on it. The advancement and loot system isn't bad, but they need to playtest some of their fucking modules. The last AL adventure I played in -- and this was jank-level 1-3, not some mid tier or high level group -- the party was getting hit with a constant, continuous disadvantage debuff, which caused the fights to drag out and us to get seriously hurt. Didn't help that our cleric player decided he didn't want to actually heal anyone.
I feel your pain, but to be fair, that experience isn't exclusive to Adventure League groups, it extends to potentially any type of D&D game...and the Adventure could have just been poorly designed/ you're DM didn't know how to run it, that's a very real possibility too, I've looked at some "low level" modules that were clearly way to difficult for low level players.. But hey, you just gotta hold on to the hope that the DM will get better in time and hopefully pick out better adventures!
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- Jun 4, 2018
Well, this was a convention event, not a standard campaign. I've gone through a couple of Pathfinder adventure paths and while things got tense, it was never wholly unfair.
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- Sep 3, 2014
Took a while for the video to process, but here's another video about Wraeththu:
I have to say thanks to @Randall Fragg for making the title card, and definitely for bringing this amazingly insane book to light. It is the anti-Sigmata in that we actually have trouble moving on due to how interesting each thing we've read has been. This is all thanks to the author's tendency to be sex-starved or write edgy teen mary sues. It's still not getting boring.
In other news, I managed to stumble into two really bitching systems: Feng Shui, a very good mechanics-light system that was designed entirely around action and martial arts movies, but can also slide into lower power animes. Another baller one is Space 1889, which if you want to do pulp adventures in a steam-tech world, it's a good answer.
I have to say thanks to @Randall Fragg for making the title card, and definitely for bringing this amazingly insane book to light. It is the anti-Sigmata in that we actually have trouble moving on due to how interesting each thing we've read has been. This is all thanks to the author's tendency to be sex-starved or write edgy teen mary sues. It's still not getting boring.
In other news, I managed to stumble into two really bitching systems: Feng Shui, a very good mechanics-light system that was designed entirely around action and martial arts movies, but can also slide into lower power animes. Another baller one is Space 1889, which if you want to do pulp adventures in a steam-tech world, it's a good answer.
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I've seen Space 1889 on The Trove but haven't looked into it further until now. I can attest to Feng Shui being bitchin' though, and I've pondered the thought of running it as my first campaign.
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- Mar 23, 2016
So, I'm at a bit of a pickle in my DnD group.
One of the characters revealed that he is a necromancer in our last session and I have absolutely no clue what to do now. My character is a dwarven mercenary and even though the whole group is supposed to be morally grey, I feel necromancy is stepping over a line that I can't really reconcile with my character.
Said other character acted as our healer up till now (his necromancy being a secret), last time, however, we got to a point where he non-chalantly raised a recently killed woman and frankly, I had no clue how to react to that (He did save my bacon a few times in the past, so he's got that going for him at least).
Still, I toyed with the idea of just strolling up next to him and then beating him into a bloody pulp with my mace, but... y'know... I really don't want to get into a fight with another player's character (not so much out of fear of causing drama, but I just don't want that kind of playstyle on the table). I decided to contemplate this issue between game sessions, possibly talking to the other players at some point, too. The necromancer might have taken the subtle hint of my displeasure, though, when I smashed the Undead into pieces and then proceeded to pound those pieces into the ground.
I mean, maybe it's just me, but raising the dead is well beyond "morally grey", no matter the intention or for what purpose these undead are used.
So much for going for a redemption character arc I guess, I'm really unhappy with this reveal. More so, since it was really fun with the other character up to this point.
As for my future approach towards this character, I guess I'll just not let him use magic on me in the foreseeable future, possibly not even allowing him to use mundane means of wound treating. And if he does something that I find really objectionable (well, even more than just creating a Zombie), then I guess I won't see a need to hold back.
In terms of the other players, one seems to really enjoy this reveal (her character also is a Tiefling and apparently, she doesn't have an issue with necromancy), one seems to dislike necromancy and the last character (that wasn't present that day) is an Asimaar druid (so it's safe to say how that character will feel about this). So I guess the necromancer's days are numbered anyway, but man, this DnD round is going places I didn't want it to.
One of the characters revealed that he is a necromancer in our last session and I have absolutely no clue what to do now. My character is a dwarven mercenary and even though the whole group is supposed to be morally grey, I feel necromancy is stepping over a line that I can't really reconcile with my character.
Said other character acted as our healer up till now (his necromancy being a secret), last time, however, we got to a point where he non-chalantly raised a recently killed woman and frankly, I had no clue how to react to that (He did save my bacon a few times in the past, so he's got that going for him at least).
Still, I toyed with the idea of just strolling up next to him and then beating him into a bloody pulp with my mace, but... y'know... I really don't want to get into a fight with another player's character (not so much out of fear of causing drama, but I just don't want that kind of playstyle on the table). I decided to contemplate this issue between game sessions, possibly talking to the other players at some point, too. The necromancer might have taken the subtle hint of my displeasure, though, when I smashed the Undead into pieces and then proceeded to pound those pieces into the ground.
I mean, maybe it's just me, but raising the dead is well beyond "morally grey", no matter the intention or for what purpose these undead are used.
So much for going for a redemption character arc I guess, I'm really unhappy with this reveal. More so, since it was really fun with the other character up to this point.
As for my future approach towards this character, I guess I'll just not let him use magic on me in the foreseeable future, possibly not even allowing him to use mundane means of wound treating. And if he does something that I find really objectionable (well, even more than just creating a Zombie), then I guess I won't see a need to hold back.
In terms of the other players, one seems to really enjoy this reveal (her character also is a Tiefling and apparently, she doesn't have an issue with necromancy), one seems to dislike necromancy and the last character (that wasn't present that day) is an Asimaar druid (so it's safe to say how that character will feel about this). So I guess the necromancer's days are numbered anyway, but man, this DnD round is going places I didn't want it to.
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While your character will probably have an issue with necromancy no matter what purpose or intention, this might not be correct for everyone else. If the group goes tits up, I can see the druid and you fight with the other person against the tiefling and the necromancer.
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Honestly, I've played a good aligned Necromancer before, since that is viable. Giorgios was a jolly Herber West style reanimator who used the dead as porters or for simple labor. His main combat usage was actually debuffing enemies, while also healing those with an arcane heal wounds.
He basically was interested in the studies ever since his annoying uncle Menelik began to haunt him as a ghost, and found the research interesting. His main goal was to find a way to make an arcane form of healing via the Necromantic path, mainly in finding a way to render negative energy harmless to people.
Hell, there are even good liches, though that template is more called the Deathless template. Libris Mortis is a pretty darn good book.
He basically was interested in the studies ever since his annoying uncle Menelik began to haunt him as a ghost, and found the research interesting. His main goal was to find a way to make an arcane form of healing via the Necromantic path, mainly in finding a way to render negative energy harmless to people.
Hell, there are even good liches, though that template is more called the Deathless template. Libris Mortis is a pretty darn good book.
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- Mar 23, 2016
Yeah, that's kind of the problem. The other players that were present (namely of the bard and the Tiefling) were pretty stoked about all this.
I don't know, I just feel that outside of a truly, intentionally evil party, necromancy is completely out of place and it's certainly nothing to just shrug off as a little quirk.
I had struggled finding a motivation for my character to actually stick to this group since they have become more of a liability to his current goals, and this is adding fuel to that fire.
I could just make a new character, but I really don't feel like making one, just so he's tailor made to ignore something as major as this. Might as well burn down an orphanage while we're at it.
The problem is: How would my character know about someone else's intentions and his morals?
I don't feel like this is something to sit down, have a talk and then go "Oh, so you're one of the good necromancers? Fine then, carry on."
I mean, usually, the necromancer is the guy that gives hammy speeches while the player characters sit in his dungeon, about to be killed by his henchmen.
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- Feb 19, 2017
So, I'm wondering what system would work best for an old school Mortal Kombat-inspired campaign. Any ideas?
I know about the old Street Fighter RPG that White Wolf made back in the 90's. In fact, I own a hard copy of the core rulebook that I bought at a convention dealer's room way back when.
But I'm not sure if that would be good for something like MK or not. Any other suggestions?
I've heard about a game called Fight!, but I don't know much about it or where I can find it.
I know about the old Street Fighter RPG that White Wolf made back in the 90's. In fact, I own a hard copy of the core rulebook that I bought at a convention dealer's room way back when.
But I'm not sure if that would be good for something like MK or not. Any other suggestions?
I've heard about a game called Fight!, but I don't know much about it or where I can find it.
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- Nov 30, 2014
Exalted?
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This sounds plausible enough to do. It uses the same system as WoD since it is a White Wolf property.
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What edition is this? 3E, 5E? Keep in mind that necromancy also covers gentle repose as well as animate dead.
Personally, I'd judge him on his actions up to date and work from there. Perhaps demand an oath from him to not play games with corpses.
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My current DM plans on having both of his groups play together in a single campaign, which will mean that there will be 15 players (one person isn't invited because she dated one of the players and slept with another). I can only imagine what everyone will choose. Since it's a 3.5 campaign, truenamer is completely off the table.
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5E.
In combat, he has used Chill Touch, but we didn't know that he's a necromancer. Until he raised a corpse just like that.
As I said, he's been a big help to the group, acting as our healer, so there is a reason to trust him at least a little bit.
It's not like he did anything hostile towards the group, I just consider raising Zombies to be invariably evil (but maybe that's just me) and I would assume that any character in such a world would react hostile towards anyone raising the dead (unless they are really fucked in the head).
Oh god... 15 people? That sounds like a chore. When every player just gets 2 minutes of time alotted to do something, that means you'd still wait for your turn for almost half an hour...
Not saying that's not gonna work, but I can't imagine how you'd get a good game flow going in such a scenario.
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Fifteen? Good God.
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My DM will find a way. He's been doing tabletop for at least 30+ years at this point as both DM and player.