TRPG General Chat

9:34 AM

lookingat my notes for this RPG I'm developing, and past me did NOT make much sense

> If I roll 8d12, and I get 3 successes (10,10,9) I can spend two of them to keep a 10. Now I only have one success

why am I having to spend rolls and keep successes?

oh, was I saying if the target number of successes is 2, then I spend those and keep the rest ?

> If I roll again, and get 5 successes (11,10,10,10,10) I can either spend two to keep the 11, and have 3 successes. Or Spend four, and keep 11 and 10, for a total result of 21!

Rand al'Thor

@bobble RPG seems to be one of the strictest sites in the network on "answers in comments". When I've seen people mass-flagging answers in comments or saying on meta they've all gotta go without stopping to find out the norms of the site they're on, those people are usually coming from RPG as their highest-rep site.

@Randal'Thor I think in general, removing comments is good, but I agree there should be some leeway

@AncientSwordRage Here IF I follow this scheme, I'm balancing 3 successes and a 'value' of 11 or wait my maths doesn't even make sense

@AncientSwordRafe unless I can a roll I spend??

Hey @ACuriousMind

I just noticed you've got a BG Portrait avatar

9:57 AM

I have :)

I need to get the re-made games at some point

I frequently change my avatar, rotating through characters from games I like. I've done most of the sane people from BG, so now it's Xzar's turn :P

HAHA I've never done an evil play through

@AncientSwordRage with the widescreen and trilogy mods the original games still hold up pretty well, but there's nothing wrong with the enhanced editions, either

@ACuriousMind ahhh 'enhanced' is what I meant

I did a neutral play through with a druid and picked what I thought were 'sarcastic' responses, and got the evil ending

Carcer

10:03 AM

good old rpg dialogue morality

tell me about it

there really aren't that many branching points, and the 'evil' choices are usually very comically puppy-kicking evil - I'd not say dialogue choices are the strength of these games :P

and there's probably a heavy deal of nostalgia involved - I'm not sure what I'd think of it if I played it today for the first time

@ACuriousMind Well, they do give a lot of choices, and the NPC dialogue IS good

yes - the dialogue is good, the implementation of choices less so

true

Anyone know what I was taking when I wrote chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/57539842#57539842 ??

10:16 AM

not really - it sounds as if you have a system where you have to choose which successes to "spend" to achieve a target number and then something happens with the sum of the left-over successes, but the math in the second example doesn't work out for that - what happened to the two other 10s in the first part? why are there 11 and 10 left after you spent 4 of the 5 rolls?

@ACuriousMind no idea

glad it's not just future me not understaning past me

I may just scrap/completely rework it

It reminds me of systems where you need to get a certain number of successes to get minimum effect, and successes beyond the minimum increase the effect by a different rubrick.

But it's not CthulhuTech-ish and I say that with relief.

10:38 AM

@BESW I think that was my aim

@BESW that stuff is nuts (see recent question)

> It's unclear what the benefit of such a dice pool system is.

@AncientSwordRage Clearly, it's a bleed mechanic to make the players as confused and maddened as their characters.

@BESW ahh it all makes sense now

trogdor

I like bleed mechanics,.... in card games

like Slay the Spire

maybe not quite so much in TTRPGS XD

STS doesn't technically have bleed it's poison, but works the same as bleed in some games

And in video games

trogdor

11:16 AM

I mean I kinda am talking mostly about video games

just video card games XD

Thomas Markov

11:29 AM

@Medix2 I saw something on MathOverflow that realllllllly got my goat. Someone posted a thorough answer in the comments, then someone else wrote a good answer, and the answer for comments saying it should be made community wiki because the comment answer was posted first.

@AncientSwordRage What does continue without saving mean here? That you need to delete all saved games to save the current one in the future?

@ThomasMarkov NO! JUST NO!

@Axoren it's meant to show the character going mad, by giving the player insane choices

@AncientSwordRage What happens if you do delete all saved games?

Does it do it?

@Axoren it fakes out

If I were deep into a game and was about to save before putting the game down for a bit and those were the only two options, I'd probably just leave the console running not to risk anything.

That's some pretty powerful mind game it's playing.

11:50 AM

@Axoren all the insanity errors: eternaldarkness.fandom.com/wiki/Sanity_Effects

One congratulates you on completing the demo.... That's fun

> When you open your inventory screen, your entire inventory spaces appears empty.

I remember a lot of indie games used these types of effects not for horror or confusion, but for gags. Like in Undertale when your inventory has an annoying dog in it, preventing you from picking things up.

Glazius

12:51 PM

@Randal'Thor If I'm honest, I really don't get answering in comments as opposed to answering in answers? You can revise answers, and link to them, and they're tracked on your profile!

@Glazius Maybe it's something along the lines of not wanting to put yourself out there. A comment that has an answer in it can't be downvoted.

@Glazius I've definitely had people on Linguistics complain that editing my question invalidated their comments.

@AncientSwordRage Well, honestly, why isn't it a feature that you can see what state a question was in when a comment was made? There are some absolutely bizarre question-comment pairs that did actually make sense once floating around in my history.

We can already see revisions, why not have comments tagged with which revision they were for?

@Axoren because comments are meant to be temporary

They can be temporary, but meaningfully associated. A point made in a comment might still be worth keeping, but the semantics might be thrown off by the rewording of a question.

2:09 PM

@Axoren Comments have time stamps, so you can just use those

@Glazius Because comments bypass every single thing we can do with answers, which means they cannot be edited, downvoted, delete voted, nor can they enter a review queue, or receive post notices or bounties. etc etc...

Someone_Evil

@Axoren The timeline is a fairly good tool for that. I use that when needed (generally to see revisions in response to comments which means the comment in NLN)

@Glazius A lot of it looks to be folks who want to contribute partial answers and thoughts etc.

Q: Why do some people answer in comments?

Oh I see what you're saying now, my bad... why would you answer in comments? Hmmm, probably because it's quick,, you can't be downvoted, there's no citation or experience requirements, and you can do it even when the question is closed

bobble

2:27 PM

148

Why do some people post comments that are actually answers to the question? Wouldn't posting an answer be better?

discussion comments answers answers-as-comments

Yuuki

4:06 PM

@Medix2 i have answered in comments before (though not on RPG.SE) and those comment answers can be broken down into two categories: 1) not confident that i'm correct and 2) asked for clarification in the manner that apparently answered the question

the thing about SE's gamification of Q&A is that it also disincentivizes answering a question when you're not 100% sure you're right, so it messes with people that have confidence issues

MBraedley

To what extent are shopping recommendations on-topic on the main site? I'm trying to find some software similar to Fantasy Grounds or Roll20 that supports The Expanse RPG/Modern AGE system.

@Yuuki I would add to this that I sometimes have the conceptual basis for an answer, but don't have the details needed to fully answer a question. These comments can act as guide stones for others to provide more complete answers.

Q: I've been told my question is better suited to a forum, but where should I go?

4:21 PM

@MBraedley Looks like FOundry supports Expanse

nitsua60

@MBraedley not at all. But Naut's already demonstrated the verity of our usual suggestion that chat or various fora we've compiled can probably help =)

91

I asked a question that got closed for not being suited for the Q&A format that RPG.SE uses, and was told that my question would work better on a discussion forum. Where can I find an RPG discussion forum well suited to my question? Guidance for answers This should be a curated list of direc...

support faq

@nitsua60 *stares at "fora"*

@Yuuki Or maybe it also provides a path to work on those issues.

Yuuki

@NautArch i'd rather not treat stack exchange as a stand-in therapist

As a semi-serious note, I would recommend against using the word "fora" and instead use "forums". The latter is more easily understood by everyone, native speakers and ESL speakers alike

4:30 PM

@Yuuki I'm not sure if I'd say trying to work on one's issues outside of a therapist is problematic - but I also see where you're coming from and I don't think we need to get into the weeds here.

Or, if we do, it should probably be in Dragons.

MBraedley

@NautArch Thanks, this looks promising. Too bad Google couldn't be as helpful as you.

@MBraedley I AM THE GOOGLE

The day Google matches NautArch's level of helpfulness will be terrifying

I've been using Foundry for a bit, and it's definitely a bit of a work in progress. But when it works, it's MUCH better than Roll20.

MBraedley

I didn't see anything AGE system related at Roll20, and I know from experience that Fantasy Grounds doesn't have anything built in, and setting up the drama die is difficult.

@nitsua60 This is exactly why I asked here first.

nitsua60

5:05 PM

@Medix2 Really? TIL. I can't recall ever hearing "forums" over "fora." Then again, my workplace has a department of ancient Greek....

@MBraedley :thumbsup:

5:16 PM

@nitsua60 but forum/fora is Latin, not Greek :P

nitsua60

NEVERTHELESS!

(he he he)

(We also have a Latin department. Don't tell them I mistook them for Greeks.)

Q: With starting equipment, do bolts come with a case like arrows come with a quiver?

I'll let them know right away

Hot RPG Questions

5:33 PM

2

I have been rolling up a warlock and I noticed that the starting equipment states (emphasis my own): You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane ...

dnd-5e weapons equipment

6:00 PM

@ThomasMarkov Now to wonder when you "cast" a Readied spell...

Carcer

@Medix2 heh. I was just looking at that as well

Ah, the moment you Ready it... guess I'll provide a different answer to that familiar Ready question then in uh... 10 hours

Carcer

strictly the wording of the ready action is that you cast the spell and just don't release the energy

a real lawyerly reading of the rules does suggest the combo doesn't work, yeah. But I think you'd have to be a jerk to rule that way in practice.

Yeah and a familiar has to deliver the spell when you cast it

5e doesn't do a great job making clear when you satisfy requirements like "When you cast an X spell" or "when you cast a spell that X's" :(

I wonder if there's an example of a feature worded something like "When a spell you cast deals damage" instead of "When you cast a spell that deals damage"

Ah yup, there is "When you roll damage for a spell" but my assumption that that's different is an assumption... ah well

9:23 PM

Is character-creation or random-generation preferred for character stat creation questions?

bobble

I nearly added character-creation when I was editing, if that matters. But I'm not confident in my understanding of how tags work here.

Riley Gryc wrote a twitter thread about "how hollow some representation can be," and Vince of Cornerstone Compendium Games wrote a response elaborating on some important points.

Cathedral of the Stars by Josh Hittie. Board the Cathedral in a new, repeatable Strike for the rules-lite modular sci-fi RPG LIGHT. Each run through the haunted star ship brings you closer to terrible cosmic power with new abilities and weapons. Take your spoils and return to the Cathedral to fight against the mysterious Umbra enemy faction, or into other Strikes for a unique eldritch edge.

Viditya Violeti shared photos of the Space Goblins! print run.

Gail Simone wrote "another edition of #TableTopGails".

Cozy TTRPGs Bundle A bundle hosted by kumada1 with content from 25 creators. This bundle contains almost thirty games that are laid back, warm, or that feel super comfortable to play. Give small gifts, raise fluffy wolves, reunite with an old love, rediscover lost cuisine, and have pastoral adventures all for the cost of a new big blanket.

user15026

9:50 PM

@BESW I love that response thread.

user15026

@BESW its so pretty!

Q: Trying to throw a large harpoon by a medium character?

@Ash Yeah, it really puts the head on the original thread's robot by calling out the problems with occupying spaces that aren't ours, no matter how well we do it--and the tendency to overestimate our ability to do it well.

Hot RPG Questions

2

A harpoon is an exotic two handed weapon that deals 1d8 when the medium size. If a medium PC was to pick up an enemies large harpoon to throw and was proficient with harpoons, would it be possible as its a two handed medium weapon but now large? would it count as an improvised weapon due to its ...

pathfinder-1e weapons throwing-things

(Which is why my chorus for the last few years has been that the problems with D&D's game materials and lore are symptoms of the problems with Wizards of the Coast as an employer.)

@Ash I love it so much! And the wire binding makes me happy.

Ludology postcast episode 247: "Orc-kay Computer" Emma and Gil sit down with James Mendez Hodes to discuss his work as a cultural consultant, and the series of "orcticles" he wrote describing how the depiction of orcs in fantasy games can bring up problematic real-world stereotypes.

10:23 PM

I wonder if, were I willing to write a RPG with some aesthetic which I think is cool but which origins I do not understand, it would be wise to write a disclaimer stating so. I don't like the idea of not being able to touch the cool aesthetics ever because I was born in the wrong part of the world (and yes, I see the bitter irony in this, there's so many people born in the wrong part of the world for more important things.)

Basic TCG Irregular Full Custom by Lucas Valensa. A heavy duty template for Basic TCG.

@Zachiel Nobody's saying "don't touch." They're saying "don't take charge." You wanna work with another culture's aesthetic? Get yourself hired onto a project being run by people from that culture.

That way you'll actually get to immerse yourself in the real thing instead of making a pale imitation of it.

Source: I do this in my day job.

(The protocols are different if you're doing something private that won't be published, because the potential for harm is reduced, but these principles are still important to keep in mind.)

Yuuki

"go work for someone (or somepeople) else" is really an under-mentioned proposal. i say this because this is really the first time i've seen someone suggest that. i guess there's this kind of subconscious value placed on being the creator or leader of a project because the back and forth, or at least what i've seen of it, has always been centered on "i want to be the one to make it"

10:40 PM

@BESW yeah, that was my "problem". If I want to make something it doesn't mean I want to be part of a team. I understand there's a concern that the pale imitation might be harmful, but would it be less harmful if it was "marketed" as a pale imitation?

I put "marketed" in scare quotes because I don't think I'm ever going to sell anything.

@Zachiel As always, the problems start long before the product hits the market.

We can (and should!) buy and play games written by marginalized and exploited cultures; we can work for teams making games within those cultures. But using those cultures for our own gain? Putting their lives into our mouths? Taking up space in the industry that should be theirs? Competing with them in the marketplace? Nuh-uh.

The ethics of appropriation don't change if we slap on a "we know this is bad" label. That's like the plastics industry putting a "cannot be recycled" label on its bottles.

@Yuuki From personal experience I really can't recommend it enough! It's been so amazing to work for Indigenous scholars and activists, to listen to them and learn at their feet and help make their visions become real.

(And it really helps me find my place in the world, too, but that's a pleasant side effect of serving their communities. If I went into it for personal betterment I'd be doing it wrong.)

11:07 PM

Maybe it's because I'm not really seeing it as a marketplace, and I'm not seeing this as competition, which it probably would end up being.

The "work for the people" thing is actually pretty common in the activist spaces I watch and participate in. For example, academic studies of Indigenous people tend to start with the Western academics deciding what should be studied, rather than asking the Indigenous people what they'd like the resources of academia to be pointed at.

This is common knowledge among any Indigenous group that has a history with academia, and a lot of respect is accorded to academics who take their lead from the people they're working with.

Can't there be both? You say what you want to study about your own culture and ok, we do that, but if we're curious about examining something, we can also do that?

That's a conversation to have, and if the answer is "no," then we respect it.

The important thing to me is not to dismiss studies of the former type just because we want to do studies of the latter type first

And a responsible, ethical conversation would avoid holding the Indigenous group's needs hostage to the Western academic's needs.

@Zachiel That would definitely be an issue. For a lot of the creators that I share in this chat, their game sales are literally keeping their families from starving. They can't afford to ignore the realities of the industry and its market.

11:16 PM

Ok, now we're talking about the needs of a group and the needs of an academy, and I understand they can clash. But I was talking about the wants of the western academics and the wants of the indigenous academics. If I want to study something that is problematic for you fine, let's not push my needs over yours, but if I want to study something and you're just not interested in studying it, well, maybe I can ask your help to understand it even if it does not come from your needs. No?

@BESW then I'd better not produce any content of any culture at all (which is what I think I will do)

The role of Indigenous people in Western academia is a MUCH different topic, and one that I'm even less qualified to address.

I'll also mention "research fatigue" as a term that's important to understand in these kinds of dialogues.

The topics this conversation is covering are difficult and can't be distilled to universal rules; just principles about being aware of power and privilege and looking to the immediate context of the groups we're interacting with to figure out what needs to be done in that particular case.

I think we need to take a step back, because I'm starting to lose you - I just lack the context. When we talk about western academy specifically in Guam, what are we talking about? Local academy founded from westerners? USA academies coming to Guam to make a study? Whern we say locals, are we talking local academic people or regular islandeers?

If you feel like you have a good grasp of the situation, of course.

We're drawing really close to the point where you might want to say "you'd better talk about it with a native", while I hope it won't be "you need to wait for a native to decide they want to tell you, without you even having asked".

All of the above. It's complicated and there's a big difference between the Swiss linguists who come to study CHamoru English, the American professors who lecture CHamoru students about their own colonization, the CHamoru academics who have to de-assimilate the Western paternalism they learned in American universities....

There are plenty of resources in online journals and recorded lectures.

11:36 PM

Viditya Violeti made a free Canva card creator template for Basic TCG.

Yeah, lecturing about your colonialism sounds like a recipe for generating skewed views.

Anybody got experience with Discord Stages yet?

Nope, and it's bedtime for me. Have a nice day everybody!