Must Get This To you: I played Hack the Planet today, and it was Mostly Good, Though 2 problems were there, which Meant – Gathering Thoughts 2 of us players had – that we might as well have played Blades in the Dark instead:
Punk, in particular climate/cyber/solarpunk to me has certain implications about the role society plays in the genre. The game did not really serve those, because it stuck to close to Blades while trying to add environmental catastrophes as a big gimmick standing on its own, distracting from that theme.
The environmental stuff needs you to be outside of Shelter 1. On the other hand, I expect corporations, data and stuff to play a big role. Those things are not outside Shelter 1. That makes for quite a discrepancy between two important elements of the game.
So, I need some assistance with balancing out the three stages of my corruption. I'm pretty happy with "Bloodlust" and "Madness", But "Decay" is a little off-kilter.
@KorvinStarmast Not yet--pulling together a Traveller pitch for RL group starting in January. I've played and run CT and picked up MGT2 (for some reason) last year. Wondering which I should go with.
@KorvinStarmast Oh right. Actually I think the list of equipment is a little off - My AC is 21, and I only have Bracers & Ring of Prot, and Cloak of Manta Ray. Got a bag of holding to replace the Quiver, and got some Potions of Growth
@Ben Other than the mechanical tradeoffs of each option, what's the idea behind them? Based on player playstyle? Based on their "sins"? Do they choose? Is it random?
@MikeQ Some items cause a specific type of corruption, and their choices can also be aligned (pick one at random if you can't decide). But each one is meant to be a "flavour", based on the name.
SO for example, someone asks you to retrieve something for them, and you keep it for yourself, that's causes corruption. That example could probably be picked randomly
And I have incorporated the final "roll vs suck" as some have put it (lol), where you can lose your PC to corruption, and they turn into a demon of the appropriate kind, based on the type of corruption they are affected by
The main sources of specific corruption are item related. One you're affected by one type of corruption, you don't switch, but you still gain points. If you completely remove all corruption, you can switch
Choices in threes are a common design. I'm just trying to figure out which three you're going for. Warrior/mage/thief? Wrath/greed/sloth? Grass/fire/water?
@Ben Particularly in a dungeon crawl, unless you work to make it very clear that interpersonal interaction is an expected mode of play in that dungeon.
I'm liking the concept that as the PCs become more and more corrupt, they become more and more "fragile". The benefits are enticing, with the tradeoffs leading to a degradation of particular features.
I also had a "death-save" style functionality (but it seems I didn't save it properly) when your player reaches "max" corruption. Measures can be taken to assist and so on, but if you get the failed checks, you turn into a demon. Just as a final disincentive against abusing your "corruption powers"
@Ben It is unclear how players the players increase the number of corruption points accrue. the counter is missing. You state the effects of increased corruption, but not how the points increase.
Korvin raises a good point. If you want to take a big-picture look at the balance, you need to consider where those points come from, and the ratio of impact of the corruption per corruption point
How quickly can someone go from 10 to 20? 20 to 30?
@MikeQ @KorvinStarmast if I said that situations could change how a PC is corrupted, they can manage it? Like, if a Decayed PC started hacking up monsters, they could potentially switch over to bloodlust ("I like the sounds they make") or madness ("They won't stay dead!")
Is that something that can be implied, stated, or just left out?
Right, it's not fully thematic, but I figure at 3rd level, most PCs aren't usually dealing with resistance/vulnerability, so the other features are a bit circumstantial until later. So I wanted to give something that would be useful regardless of situation.
Slate isn't exactly not a backstabbing criminal, but she's definitely a rogue with a moral compass. (Her previous job was breaking into businesses and editing their bookkeeping so they'd get in trouble with the taxmen.)
Arggh, trying to recall which of the SCAG or XGTE class features grant some temporary HP. Is it Purple Banner Knight? One of the new Barbarians? Don't have either with me.
@doppelgreener buon giorno (though I guess where I am, it should be buona mattina)
NVM, I found it, temp HP on the barb, Storm Herald
@KorvinStarmast Thanks for the edit btw. I rearranged the stuff you put in to make the flow what I had intended, but otherwise appreciated the examples!
@KorvinStarmast Yeah I'm definitely on board with shortening titles, and mine have been getting longer lately because of my tendency to want it to be a clear and complete thought.
Thanks! The only reason I didn't take yours was because I would have had to move/reflow some of the rest of the answer and wasn't sure how I would make it work. Easy enough to integrate some of both though :)
@KorvinStarmast random note about that title. It is pleasing to me that the line break it at the semicolon if it had to be anywhere (At least on my screen).
I feel that those were the perfect solution for the knight errant that was too busy with his quest to give you the time of day no matter how nice your favor was.
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup has a "cursed" artifact, the GLAIVE OF PRUNING, that changes whomever would wield it to a prune. The catch is that the transformation is so slow it practically only gives one a slight purplish hue and a wrinkly skin.
(The pruning curse is cosmetic only, it doesn't actually kick in)
No actually, it has one in-game effect --- Zin, the god of Law who hates transmutation magic, forbids the glaive's use
Jiyva the slime god has only one sapient follower, unless the player worships them too. If the player kills said follower, the god dies due to not being believed in anymore.
My family (for these intents and purposes) comes from the mountains of Appalachian southern Virginia.
The older folks told tales of three specific monsters as warning against wayward children misbehaving (like many legends begin, I assume).
The Welcome Stretcher
A hairy loping figure with a s...
@goodguy5 interesting. It actually had some interesting info, but I think it did answer my question by omission. I think they are similar mechanics but not actually the same.
So I'm leaning heavily towards just reopening that post.
@goodguy5 Absolutely. And I think that would be valid actually. On the other hand this isn't even similar in name. So it is very non-obvious how the other question answers this one (to someone who doesn't already know that AC and DC kind of behave the same).
You saying work, I actually have to come up with a creative solution for a problem we have. I have done many odd things for this job, but this is the oddest by far.
But yes, going back to this DM technique........DM Ire points.
@MatthewPerryman I know you don't need convincing, but the root of the issue here is that they seem to be trying to solve IRL problems with in-game punishments which I've never found to be effective.
@MatthewPerryman ...well, you can play Ryuutama in slapstick mode, where the GM gets twice as many intervention points and can spend them for comedy sfx. B
My favorite mnemonic is 543210. Not particularly useful for any real purpose, but that's when the prohibition ended in Finland: April 5, 1932, 10 AM. (so 5.4.'32, 10:00)
To be crystal clear they don't appear to be actually trying, they are just writing only low quality answers thus far. Despite comments to try to help. :(
My family (for these intents and purposes) comes from the mountains of Appalachian southern Virginia.
The older folks told tales of three specific monsters as warning against wayward children misbehaving (like many legends begin, I assume).
The Welcome Stretcher
A hairy loping figure with a s...
