TRPG General Chat

Broken Earth Trilogy RPG – Writers wanted.

Black Spike

We're inbetween-games now. A few sessions of playing board games and one-offs while we make our rolemaster characters

Shalvenay

2:34 AM

@Helwar oof.

6:05 AM

@Joshua Bowser is well-known to be a villain of particular sportsreptilianship

Also, hejssan! How's it going?

Q: Does the spell "Silence" affect the caster?

6:22 AM

Errata for "Fate of Cthulhu."

Hot RPG Questions

6:55 AM

7

While I was DMing a 5th Edition game, one of my player's sorcerers cast the spell Silence while they were 5 feet away from an enemy caster. They centered the spell on the space that the enemy caster was in, and a round of combat finished. On the sorcerer's turn, they asked me if they could use a ...

7:33 AM

Good morning

[wave]

ello

Morning all

8:03 AM

@Someone_Evil Is it how it feels to become older?

William Mariager

8:53 AM

Afternoon everyone.

Hello o/

William Mariager

I logged on to this today

After literally removing one word from an old answer of mine.

I'm guessing the activity made the QA visible again. :P

9:10 AM

Yeah, sometimes I get a massive flurry of activity on an ancient answer just because somebody else answered the same question.

Morning all! Hope everyone's having an excellent day!! Or Night!! We dont judge!!

Morning @Thatguy

Love the idea of swinging an enemy as an improvised weapon. I know the PF barbarian has a rage power to do so, curious to see if it's possible in D&D 5e

@Nyakouai I'm playing an angry goliath barbarian rage monster. The enemy damaged him, so he choke-slammed the enemy down onto a different prone enemy....

@Nyakouai Live enemy or dead?

@Someone_Evil Live. Dead enemy is considered broken for some reason

9:23 AM

@Nyakouai Flailing of limbs should add extra damage. Like a many headed flail. Bonus points if weapons are still held in swinging arms.

@Thatguy Meat sack is too "soft" to do blunt damages anymore, it seems.

(The power is effective if you pin a creature one size smaller than you. During your action to maintain the grab, you get a free attack with your highest BBA to attack another creature with your "improvised club" - who does 1d8 for Small, 1d10 for Medium and so on. In case of success, both creatures banging together suffer the damages, until you break you unwilling weapon)

9:52 AM

@Nyakouai this is irritating though!

Q: Does the Ancestral Guardian barbarian's Ancestral Protectors feature only work on your first attack after raging, or can you apply it every turn?

I feel like that discussing is assuming that swinging a person (human, dwarf, whatever) with enough force to hurt someone is unreasonably easy. Especially if you want the same amount of hurt (i.e. same damage) as a sword.

Hot RPG Questions

4

Does the Ancestral Protectors feature only work on your first attack after raging, or can you apply it every turn? I have been wanting to make a Path of the Ancestral Guardian Barbarian, and I have been asking myself this question. Because if it does, it sounds pretty good, and maybe even on the...

dnd-5e class-feature barbarian rage

10:31 AM

> Flail of Unwilling Assistance. When you wield one opponent's body to physically attack another opponent, they must both defend against your attack and both are considered to be providing you a teamwork bonus to the action.

11:22 AM

@Someone_Evil Of course, assuming that for a Large (3~4 m tall) Barbarian in a setting where it easy to attain several times the strength of the average human.

@Nyakouai Right, but now you are moving into the space of custom/modified monsters, where D&D 5e just goes: the DM chooses

I wouldn't really worry about realistic physics and body capabilities in that kind of game. We've got a tendency to be super concerned about the "realism" of things that we think we have a personal experience to compare to, and less concerned about realism the less we feel our personal experiences can apply.

I like to assume that all the player characters, not just the overtly supernatural ones, are superhuman in comparison to myself.

What BESW said

There are things far harder to believe than just "This guy can swing people around"

Can't really say for 5e, but as long as everyone around the table is having fun...

It's awesome, supernaturally strong martial artists match the narrative of the genre mélange, I say go for it!

Speaking of which, philosophical question: What would you do in a game where you feels your classe in not balanced compared to the other?

(I'm thinking about Operatives in Starfinder, if that helps)

11:32 AM

I wonder what I'm doing playing a game with classes, because that's one reason I stopped doing that.

x)

@Nyakouai Not sure that is philosophical, I think there are (good) questions and answers on main on that topic

More helpfully, though: I'd do some research, there's often good theorycrafting discussions on forums about whether/how classes work and there's sometimes good proposals for fixes--either within the existing system or by modifying it.

If there's a tweak I can make on my own, like "Oh, this one feature choice is a trap you should always choose X instead of Y," I do that and move on.

If there's something more drastic to be done, I confer with the rest of the group outside of game time and ask for assistance/support.

@Someone_Evil I'm struggling to phrase a query that return relevant results

Most of questions about PC being too powerful are asked by the GM

[cracks knuckles] Let me try.

@Nyakouai You won't find much starfinder-specific material, but try this search for examples in other systems. You can also use "weak" in place of "underpowered" to get different results but a lot of them won't be as related.

(Sorry, wrong link. Fixed.)

11:43 AM

@BESW My problem is the opposite, the Operative is a bit too strong regarding the other classes :P

Q: Warblade / Swordsage Hybrid

I used "too powerful" in the search and got this:

3

The background: my current warblade is too powerful compared to the rest of my party. I am aware, that the issue might be inefficient builds of other characters, but I wanted to focus on this individual mechanical switch. You can find details of the conversation here: https://rpg.stackexchange.co...

dnd-3.5e tome-of-battle

@Nyakouai How much playtime have you observed this over? Asked another way: are you sure it isn't just a matter of dice rolls and situational advantage?

For more, try this search.

Are your other players noticing the power discrepancy or is it just your perception?

@Someone_Evil We've had... four sessions, iirc, of about 4h, so 12-16h at least of game

There are two Operatives, and from what I see, things will only get worse as the game progress, when comparing what the Op and other classes unlock.

11:48 AM

I googled starfinder operative op and found this thread.

Saw a few like that. It adresses the power of "is it OP or not". The answer varying from "Yes" to "No, but overtuned", so basically...

I will say, the d20 System is in my experience, out of all the systems which ostensibly value balance, the one prone to some of the most egregious class imbalances.

Playing with first timers, I'm having a hard time not ...*overshadowing* (?) the game

(With big quotes, since it's not on purpose)

Yeah, I've seen that happen in d20 System games, a lot.

I try to step aside and let everyone shine in turn, but more often than not, if somebody fails at what they're doing, the Operative just pops up and does it

So I was more asking in terms of "How do I handle that in a group" rather than "Should I tweak the numbers to get to the other players level"

(If anybody had that kind of experience)

11:56 AM

Aaah.

It's not reasonable to change your class?

@Nyakouai That sounds more like a playstyle problem. If another character fails why does another have the opportunity to come in and do it instead. Either the failure should have consequences, or they shouldn't have been tested at all.

Mmmh... I could do it. Will be hard to keep the core concept of the PC, but it's possible.

@Someone_Evil The d20 System doesn't really push for a fail forward play style, though I agree that would probably be beneficial for a number of reasons.

It's something the group has to bring in themselves from outside.

@Someone_Evil That could discourage others from trying in the first place, so while not necessarily a bad idea, I don't think it's necessarily a solution either.

@Nyakouai So, in your place I'd focus on taking advantage of my high initiative and solid defenses, to position myself so I can use my skills and magic not to end scenes but to re-define scenes in ways that better suit the aptitudes of the rest of my party.

12:04 PM

I will try to bring it at the table next time. Already shaping the PC to be more of a support than an actual do-it-all, but I can only go so far mechanically

(Apart from actually misplaying)

Q: What check would my PC roll to escape if he were grappled by a mimic?

Change the landscape of the scene so the others are more effective. Set up flanking opportunities by standing in places you'll get beat on, use your knowledge checks to identify good opportunities in the scene for your friends to exploit.

If you're often going first, you can influence the terms of the engagement.

@kviiri The group would have to understand how to fail forward in order to avoid that, yeah.

Looking at the star bar and wondering.... does PF2 still use the "exotic" terminology?

Angela Mogrovejo is taking commissions to make custom campaign music themes for GMs and ttrpg groups at a rate of $35/song. "I am versed in multiple styles and can adapt to fit whatever mood or vibes you need."

Hot RPG Questions

12:36 PM

5

To escape a basic grapple, you can contest the grappler's Athletics check with an Athletics or Acrobatics ability check (PHB, pg. 195): Escaping a Grapple. A grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check con...

dnd-5e grapple mimic

1:10 PM

A thought about magic items, sparked by this obviously handmade and slightly shaky prop that's nonetheless dramatically better than I could do: handicrafts are handicrafts and I want to see more janky "mom would put it on the fridge" magic items in my worlds.

@BESW explain, because I'm imagining something and I want to be sure we're on the same page

Cloak of Invisibility, but it only works when no one is looking at you.

(Incidentally, fantastic when sneaking into places under electronic surveillance or avoiding scrying)

Illustrations tend to show only the flashiest and smoothest items, with everything absolutely perfect. I wanna see more imperfect items, with scribbly bits or parts that didn't quite fit together or maybe they ran out of the right colors partway through and couldn't quite match them.

oh, I was thinking more along the lines of what yuuki said.

But fair

I wanna see the magic items that work but are obviously an apprentice's first time making them.

1:14 PM

Oh so more like a normal invisibility cloak but it's all patchwork with garish colors and mismatched fabrics?

I wanna see the magic items where the crafter was tired and it was an hour before closing on Friday.

3

@BESW It's a pretty sword and a good point

@kviiri Like, it's exactly the ritual dagger I'd expect a cultist to have made for himself. He spent a lot of time and effort on it but it's not his profession and you can tell.

@BESW So you give him a thumbs up for the effort before skewering him to death?

Although TBF I would even more gladly see janky props in our world

1:16 PM

@kviiri Also this.

I mean, people should respect improvement and effort, not just the end result of being super good.

We can't all inherit our magical destiny from a convenient relative, Frodo.

Some of us have to make it ourselves.

note to self: include jankier items.

note of self: "note to self" and "not to self" have completely opposite meanings despite a difference of only one letter

Granted, that's also how the prefix "a-" works, I suppose.

:P

"you slide open the stone door to reveal a small, ornate room with intricate carvings. The marble pedestal reads: Ghoulbane

Resting upon the pedestal is a crooked and warped blade with uneven pommel work and a misaligned grip."

1:22 PM

The Naheulbeuk system has something similar, where obviously cheap weapons give a malus to charisma on top of having bad stats

Like "wow that's a poor-ass adventurer, he can't even buy a decent sword"

@goodguy5 Entry in Ghoul's diary: "I just can't get that pommel design, I've tried all week and this sword is my bane! ...wait a minute."

I'm not sure how much it needs mechanics, and how much it needs creativity on the GM/writer to come up with and use such items

@Someone_Evil Note that Naheulbeuk is designed as a parody rpg

Yeah, I wouldn't want to make it a "if you don't have pretty things then you're at a disadvantage."

It's supposed to be unbalanced and infuriating

1:24 PM

For me this is more of a "dare to be imperfect" thing.

@Someone_Evil From what I understand of @BESW's idea, it's not a mechanics thing.

Emphatically not a mechanics thing.

I emphatically tend to play games where that kind of thing wouldn't make sense as a mechanic.

@Yuuki I weren't trying to direct that at BESW

But yeah, I'm thinking of this as more of a worldbuilding element to give depth and character, and turning it into a tactical choice wouldn't really ring true for that.

We spent most of last Saturday eating cheese and playing The Great Dalmuti. It's one of those games that really tries to play with the idea of social injustice and arguably makes a few good points too, although it treats the subject matter rather lightly

1:27 PM

In Naheulbeuk it's not a tactical choice, it's more to taunt 1st level players

KorvinStarmast

@MikeQ Liked your lycanthropy answer (no, I didn't stutter there) and am sad that it was deleted.

On the one hand, it makes a lot of sense that you would have visually imperfect but otherwise functioning magical items. I can't imagine that every magician that makes a magic item has design sense. On the other hand, I could also imagine a powerful wizard destroying any of their creations that they don't consider "perfect".

It's a good lesson in privilege in a sense: play a few rounds as the Dalmuti and one'll feel like they're not actually THAT advantaged. But get cocky (or unlucky) and lose that status... one might notice it being very hard to compete at all.

@Yuuki ...and now I have this image of a whole collector's culture where rich people try to find surviving examples of rare magic item designs.

@BESW Like it is in real life!

1:31 PM

Whelp, the blade has a scorch on it, better throw it out.
- BUT IT LIGHTS ON FIRE
But there's not supposed to be a scorch
- IT TOOK YOU 20 YEARS TO MAKE
Eh, I'm an elf, I have time.
- AT LEAST LET ME HAVE IT
Nah, I don't want this garbage floating around with my name on it.

7

"The Sorcerer Dallben sure knew how to make a scrying mirror that works, but he had AWFUL design taste. I picked up this rare early example, before he started welding tiny cherubs to everything."

"This Frostbrand is from Magus Celsius's blue period."

@Yuuki I want the magic item that someone pieced together from the bits of those destroyed items

@Yuuki I guess one could plausibly argue that if magic items regularly had quirky design, culture'd evolve to consider it a signal of wealth and power, though

"This is the standard edition Blazzter magic rod, but the gem at the top is discolored, which makes it a unique artifact !"

1:34 PM

"I happen to like the surrealist school's bags of holding. Yes stuff tends to fall out of them unexpectedly but they just speak to me in a way the brutalist BoHs never do."

"This Figurine of Power is part of a rare set made by Walder the Weird during his experimentation with impressionist sculpture."

I'm imagining a Christie's for antique magic items.

@BESW The brutalist animated armor is a lot more effective than the surrealist one though, which is not even articulated properly

And they won't accept your run-of-the-mill Deck of Many Things.

Hmm... would examining the design of each card on a Deck of Many Things be considered drawing a card from the Deck?

@Yuuki "Lot 643, the only known remaining scroll of cure light wounds penned by the ergodic calligrapher Alí Abbas. Nearly all of them were scraped clean and sold as used vellum by a shopkeeper seventy-three years ago, because nobody wanted to buy ergodic scrolls."