TRPG General Chat

doppelgreener

07:07

do ho ho ho ho

(For oblivious readers: Edward and Alphonse Elric, a couple of young kids and brothers, attempted some serious juju alchemy that was way beyond them. It backfired terribly. At the end of it, Edward was missing his right arm and the lower half of his left leg, and Alphonse's soul was bonded to a suit of armor. His body was entirely lost.)

(the jokes are now explained, COMMENCE LAUGHING HEARTILY)

Pixie

(or speechless horror, or some alternation thereof)

SPArchaeologist

07:33

Morning all. I am back

@Zachiel sorry for the late reply - anyway as you may have guessed that was just a typo - should have read "here", not "her"

Miniman

@SPArchaeologist Hi!

On the subject of people being back, that reminded me - has anyone seen @gatherer818 in chat lately?

Althis

07:46

Hey.

Does anyone here actually read Atomic Robo?

BESW

[raises hand]

Althis

The comic I mean, not the RPG.

@BESW, do you know of more comics like that?

Miniman

[raises hand also]

BESW

Yes. It's free.

trogdor

I read it

and yeah, it is free

Miniman

07:47

@Althis I've never even looked at the RPG :)

BESW

@Althis Hmm. "Like that," how?

Off the top of my head, though: The Middleman and Skin Horse come to mind.

Althis

Completely over the top with science and tropes and still slightly introspective.

Wait.

Wasn't The Middleman a series?

BESW

They did a single season of TV show inspired by the comics, yes.

And then the last volume of the comic book is a crossover between the TV universe and the comic universe.

Althis

People say Girl Genius is really good too, but I've never actually met one of those people to explain me why exactly.

Is the TV show on spot thematically?

BESW

It's close.

Althis

07:50

I might go back to watch it then. I never really paid attention to it before.

BESW

Hellboy, obviously, is also similar to Atomic Robo.

Althis

Yeah... But I don't like Hellboy much.

I think it is the whole "I'm a rebellious without a cause" part of it.

BESW

Hmm. [pokes Internet]

A while back I read a blog that I think was by Clevinger, about how he didn't have Hellboy in mind when he made Robo, and he mentioned some of what DID inspire him.

Althis

I am impressed by your references yet again.

BESW

Well, that explains why I couldn't find it.

The article is dead, long live the article.

Althis

08:04

Live long and prosper!

SPArchaeologist

09:28

Btw, from the LoE OSW :
- 2 "Book Horse"
- 1 "Purple Smart"
- 1 "Best Pony"
- 3+ "Princess Twilight"
.... but we didn't have a Flutterlight or Twilyshy. I blame @Pixie and @trogdor for not joining. ;_;

trogdor

eh? where was this now?

SPArchaeologist

Twitch Livestream | Legends of Equestria Part 1

►

trogdor

ah

SPArchaeologist

still in an endless alpha stage

trogdor

I have heard of several games that were shut down due to several things, mostly copyright

SPArchaeologist

09:42

@trogdor this one is the longest running one, and use no official name at all

trogdor

I guess they can't or didn't copyright Equestria

SPArchaeologist

Well, the name isn't copyrighted at all

the copyrighted names aren't used, so you have all sort of lookalikes.

Ponydale, Sugarcane Corner, Cantermore, Crystal Empire and so on

trogdor

lol

it is too bad that they would need to do that

SPArchaeologist

Also, they don't reference characters or story element (the only direct reference is in the fact that there is a room that is an exact replica of the Twilight room from Winter Wrap Up, down to the hanging checklist on the wall)

Actually - the bad thing is that Hasbro doesn't realize that if they where to actually produce such game themselves they would earn tons of cash.

That, or a wii u Zelda like game with ponies amiibo.

trogdor

yeah, but Hasbro has at least half a chance of completely messing it up too

that being said, it would be better if the actual holders of rights did a game like this and properly

SPArchaeologist

09:52

Well, yep, I wasn't clear enough. I mean, hire the current developers and give them more devs, giving them right to the names and place and cash back with microtransactions and ads.

but that is something we won't ever see I fear. I would just love for them to find a way to keep the test servers always running instead of having open weekend events every 3-4 months

Alex Mitan

10:53

Ello!

How is everyone?

trogdor

I am pretty good at the moment

David Reeve

good morning

i'm doing well

feeling rested after the weekend

trogdor

not too much exciting happening right now, but that is fine

Alex Mitan

@trogdor How to live your life in one easy sentence

trogdor

some excitement is good every one in a while

as long as it is the right kind

Magician

11:09

Woop!

Well, that's enough of that for today.

Alex Mitan

Enough of what, sir?

trogdor

excitement

it was quite a lot of it really XD

Tashio

12:11

bangs head on desk 5th ed RAW requests with really really really ambiguous wording...

Aaron

Morning

Tashio

Hey

Miniman

@Tashio Nystal's Aura OP, you mean?

Tashio

12:29

Yup

To me it basically comes down to what on earth does Other refer to and is it even supposed to be there

does it mean other detection type spells, or other spells in general

and you end up with a specific vs general argument in the same spell description

I can just see no matter which way you post someone's going to go no no all wrong.

David Reeve

12:54

5th edition doesn't have raw </sarcasm>

Tashio

@DavidReeve Yup

David Reeve

i think other here refers to spells that aren't magic aura

Tashio

Yea problem there means you're now classified as whatever

So if you make yourself appear as undead, are you now vulnerable to turning?

David Reeve

i don't think so

Miniman

Ah. Hmmmm

Tashio

12:58

@miniman It states effects, such as paladin divine sence

Miniman

Yikes

@Tashio Yeah, noticed straight after I said it

Tashio

That's what's made me think that it's only for detection purposes, otherwise it removes the use of higher level spells that grant similar effects

David Reeve

you're not classified as [creature type], just treated as if you were

so what would be the difference between classification and treatment

Tashio

yea sorry word choice, I have a headache

nothing really

David Reeve

this is a word choice problem lol

Tashio

13:00

Yup

Thing is I don't think there is a RAW answer.

David Reeve

the answer is obvious, just take every copy of the 5th ed player's handbook and throw them into the ocean

Tashio

at least not a definitive one

that can't be disputed

short of one of the designers saying this is what we ment

David Reeve

what about spell targeting in particular?

divine senses and symbol aren't cast on a particular creature type, but they react to them

Tashio

Yea

David Reeve

dominate person has to be targeted on a humanoid creature

Tashio

13:04

It reacts based on what you are masked as

David Reeve

so maybe the spells treat you as [creature type], but the spellcasters do not?

Tashio

Yup

Though they may TRY treat you as such.

David Reeve

that's the best reasoning i can come up with

Tashio

You mask as a celestial and I detect that, so I try hit you with negative energy.

David Reeve

the spell would fail because it's an invalid target though

Tashio

13:05

Yup

But if I try dominate person you, you're a humanoid it works

David Reeve

yeah

Tashio

but because you're masking as celestial, I might not try it because I think it won't

David Reeve

let me look up how targeting works in fifth edition

it doesn't say anything helpful :(

Tashio

Nope

David Reeve

there's a combination of ambiguous wordings between magic aura, spell targeting, and dominate person

Tashio

13:09

Yup

Symbol has the detect xyz part then activates. Dominate just works on humanoid, there is no "detect humanoid" part

David Reeve

i think the specific wording of "spells and magical effects that detect creature types" overrides the ambiguity later in the description

at least that's what i'm going to say

Tashio

Yea, that's what I've called

Odd to have a specific vs general in the same damn spell.

Miniman

@Tashio Not that odd. Ambiguity is pretty much par for the course at this point.

Tashio

@Miniman True

Just finishing up my answer then throwing it to the mercy of the voting population

Miniman

@Tashio As long as you recognise and address the ambiguity, a lot of people will upvote regardless of which side they (or you) pick.

Tashio

13:17

yay fun with English, throwing around affect/effect.

posted

SPArchaeologist

At least is not like Magic the Gathering card rules, who changes based on location, tournament, phase of the moon, card border color, what the referee had for breakfast, card conditions (mint/damaged) and so on.

David Reeve

that's why i always sit facing north whenever i play mtg

mtg is 10% playing cards and 90% arguing about the rules, so there's slightly more arguing going on than 5e

Tashio

@DavidReeve MTG you can just call on an official referee most of the time at least. In D&D the obscure rules the DM has no clue on either

David Reeve

if only it had the munchkin clause where any rule disputes are solved by a shouting match, with the game's owner having the final say

SPArchaeologist

@DavidReeve not by default, but I am sure there exist some weird combo that would allow for that.

Tashio

13:28

Right time to get out of here. Catch you later.

SPArchaeologist

13:39

... starting to like the room feed.

This one is just precious

> This system literally generates outcomes like, “Moderate success with something vaguely good, but also something vaguely better than vaguely good, but also something seriously bad in a vague way.”

Aaron

@SPArchaeologist I just read some of the review. It sounds painful

SPArchaeologist

.... maybe it is only the cover who got mixed up during printing. Maybe it was the Hitchhiker Guide rpg rulebook.

"Something quite but not completely unlike a success"

The Oracle

14:21

0

Q: Are Game Recommendation Questions On Topic, Revisited

Game recommendation questions are sadly NOT on topic here on RPG.SE. History In 2011 we embarked upon a brave experiment. "Shopping," or recommendation, questions are generally banned on all SEs given specific meta.SE guidance on the topic in Q&A is Hard, Let's Go Shopping. RPG recommendatio...

4

SPArchaeologist

15:40

See you later - bye for now

Zachiel

17:38

@SPArchaeologist Yes, yes, I was just pretending. We're a jokeful bunch, here.

@trogdor Like "not storms", you mean?

@DavidReeve Wait, do they still use "any" meaning "every" even when any could also mean "any single"?

trogdor

19:41

@Zachiel yeah that kind of excitement sucks

Ben

22:13

Morning y'all

Zachiel

20 past midnight here but ok, good morning to you.

Hello @AshleyNunn, what brings you here?

user15026

@Zachiel I've been lurking here on and off for a while now, because I like RPG stuff (been a while since I had my D&D group together, but I enjoyed it a lot) and I like the people here :)

trogdor

good answer

Zachiel

22:29

@AshleyNunn Glad you like the place. Which D&D edition(s) did you play?

user15026

@Zachiel I played 3.5. Been poking 5e with a stick (mostly reading through the books and stuff) because my boyfriend and some other people are debating maybe eventually getting people together to make fun stuff happen

Zachiel

@AshleyNunn I hear the best and the worst about 5e, but I'm not going to move away from 4e anytime soon, while I still play under 3.5e rules in some weird mass online chat games. Just so you know what I might be able to talk about.

Weird as in more theatre of the mind slice of life in a D&D setting than really D&D stuff happening.

user15026

@Zachiel Sounds fun, though :)

Zachiel

Well it has its problems. No entry barrier for players (anyone including trolls can join and become part of the canon world), parties with varyng levels (like a leve 27 barbarian/fighter and a level 1 cleric fighting in the same battle), and then most people suspecting DMs make preferences. And yeah, last but not least the ruleset is tightly enforced so most of the freedom of D&D is lost (and it's more houseruled than RAW / read as written anyway).
But it's fun, in the end, because of the stories you build together with other people. Let's say its fun despite the system not being designed f…

user15026

Makes sense to me :)

Zachiel

22:46

I know people who would say that D&D in general, even tabletop, is fun despite the system. Well let's say the authors aren't always fully aware of the consequences of their design choices, but it looks like they're (slowly) improving, while still being faithful to a RPG model that's dated.

While I still like D&D, Knowing about the variety of other RPGs out there helped me looking at everything with a critic look and a "what will this do to my game?" attitude. But at this point I'm ranting and I'd better stop.

Ben

Experience would help. Our DM has been DMing for nearly 40 years, across all the different games, even made a few himself :)

We're currently playing 5e and despite having a few newbies jump in, it's been really good

Zachiel

Ugh, wait.

Ben

@Zachiel Technically that is still morning though... :P

Zachiel

@Ben I've heard several DMs claim they DMed lots of different games, but really they DMed very similar games with different resoltion mechanics. Being proficient in 4 different D&D esition, 6 or 7 World of Darkness derivatives, Shadowrun and other games which are all made similar by the same dynamics* is often what "40+ games" is.

doppelgreener

The syndrome of games being enjoyed despite the system seems to be fading out nowadays, and it looks like the Forge had a lot to do with that.

Zachiel

23:00

*you ask the DM what you need to do to make something, he tells you you succeed, you fail or asks for a roll, then he proceeds to narrate failure/success of your act independently from the roll (e.g. you manage to open the chest, but the things you were looking for are not there)

Ben

40 years != 40 different game systems :) I realise that

doppelgreener

My group's enjoyed a lot of games because of the system (and because of each other) - but we've also been choosing the right games for what we want to do.

BESW

Pleased to announce that, having initially lost it to a rampaging pan-dimensional Time Eater, Thursday will happen as usual this week.

Tweeted by TlfTravelAlerts on August 24, 2015 at 4:21 PM

2

doppelgreener

@BESW Oh good!

Starred for potential plot value.

BESW

Jessie disavows any association.

Loudly.

trogdor

23:02

she is completely guilty of this

Zachiel

@Ben welp. :)

BESW

@doppelgreener If we're looking to Twitter for plot developments in our game... Myka could get assigned to help the new IT guy learn the ropes at Amaterasu.

Im not sure the new IT guy knows what he is doing http://t.co/QzcQS40QrX

Tweeted by EmrgencyKittens on August 24, 2015 at 1:45 PM

Zachiel

@doppelgreener I think there's no game system that makes me do what I really want to (because I want conflicting things) so I just fare better with systems whose flaws I'm more used to?

Ben

Maybe I'm just more malleable... or more likely oblivious haha

doppelgreener

@Zachiel Sure, ok. I was mainly responding to the general notion of how people related to games.

@BESW This new guy has the potential to shut down all of Amaterasu's IT department.... because they're busy watching him getting frustrated with cables and going "awwwwww~"

Ben

23:10

@doppelgreener I agree with the group notion. My main group has been together for quite a while, and has many different games, in multiple systems. The games may not have been all that good, but we still had fun together :)

doppelgreener

all of them, except the one IT person who is convinced he is absolutely evil and trying to destroy everything (Myka).

@Ben Hooray!! \o/

Ben

I have had other groups where it really was just a task to get along. Some people just wanted to play the game their own way, which really ruined it for the rest of us

doppelgreener

Oh nooooooo!! T_T

I don't think I've experienced that myself, thankfully...

Zachiel

@Ben I once had a player with the my guy syndrome who played a chaotic ~~evil~~ neutral halfling who robbed the party and whom the could not get rid of because he bribed the barbarian (with beer costing half of what he stole him)

BESW

A cool animated short about the training of Nie Niniang. https://youtu.be/3p79oGwxZZo (a seminal character and then archetype of wuxia fiction)

Tweeted by bclevinger on August 24, 2015 at 8:04 PM

@doppelgreener I've had it happen a few times. Looking back I'm not sure how much of it was poor communication.

Ben

23:17

@Zachiel Haha. We have a similar situation, our rogue is constantly trying to get extra money out of people. We might do it out of the goodness of our hearts -- "And 5 gold... each"

Zachiel

@Ben Then he tried spending two entire sessions to convince villagers of a random town near to an evil temple to sell him terrains. Once we defeat the temple, these terrains will sell for way more!

Once you defeat the temple, the campaign ends, that's what.

BESW

Xena tosses Jack Sparrow off the Iron Throne.

Ben

Ugh. "my guy" syndrome is a destructive and unfortunate condition

user15026

@Ben This is why my original group got cut in half because we had that problem.

user15026

So we went from 5 people+DM to 3+DM because 2 of the people were just using the game to work out some unresolved IRL romantic tension and to also like...be the OMG overblown heroes

user15026

23:24

while the rest of us just wanted to tell a really cool story

Ben

@AshleyNunn Smaller isn't always a bad thing :) Our group is 3-4 + DM, it keeps thing s neat haha

user15026

Yeah, I liked the group. But then we all got jobs and one moved to a completely different city

Ben

Agh! Life! The bane of fun!

7

We manage though. Organising our game on one night a week certainly helps. We play on Wednesdays, so everyone knows to keep that night free. It works :)

Miniman

@Ben You sound like this lich I know...

BESW

Macklin on modifying Teamwork mechanics, with brief a footnote on the basic Core magic framework.

@Miniman You mean, almost every lich ever?

Ben

23:29

@Miniman Oh, you mean Ted? Yeah we had a catch up last week... he really brought things into perspective for me. Then he swallowed my soul

Zachiel

@Ben One of our players works in restaurants and pubs. We're moving to saturday mornings to accomodate for his needs.

Ben

@Zachiel It's good when a team works to accommodate everyone :D

Zachiel

@Ben Also, my parents are probably away at that time so no more dad finding an occupied bathroom.

Ben

Also a plus.

Ben

23:49

In other news, Starscream is halfway done... Still haven't come up with an alternative name for him however. (Don't want to infringe on copyright!)

He's a snivelling "not my fault!" Tiefling Rogue

trogdor

somehow I just don't like Starscream as much as a PC

or as not a robot thing

Ben

I'm also yet to figure out whether or not I can (or should) give him some minions, perhaps someone like soundwave for example

@trogdor yeeeaaahh.... We'll see. I'll show you when he's done, and see what you think. Optimus has taken a back seat. He's really not fitting the scope very well

trogdor

and Starscream is my favorite

honestly

Ben

@trogdor Hence why I chose him ;)

If you want to give any pointers as to how his character should be, feel free to let me know

trogdor

no I think you probably have it covered

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