TRPG General Chat

> Maille construction is not intended for children or intended to be taken lightly. Care must be taken at all times, as sharp hand and power tools may be used, as well as other materials capable of causing injuries or repetitive stress disorders. Take precautions and have fun mailling responsibly.

(Emphasis mine.)

@BlackSpike Don't say they didn't warn you =)

Black Spike

@nitsua60 Yup. I'm going into this eyes-open :) One of the reasons I'm steering away from making my own rings ... I could wrap 1km of wire around a spindle, and snip each link snip-snip-snip <repeat ad nauseum> ... or I could throw £££ at someone ..

Already hearing anecdotes of Veteran maillers, who have major hand/wrist problems from snipping

nitsua60

@BlackSpike what's AR?

Oh, there's a glossary.

And it's aspect ratio, not "armor rating." Darn.

Black Spike

2:26 AM

@nitsua60 hehe

Yeah, wire-width to ring-diameter.

They are careful not to give any "this will stop a blade" type info ... guidelines ("Rivets are better than butted") but not actual ratings ...

nitsua60

Right. I just even wonder about a comparative rating, like a 1 to 10 scale that's not indexed to any actual-world impact/damage.

Black Spike

So many variables ...

nitsua60

Fair.

Black Spike

I just watched yoochoob, bitching about people who test chainmail ... things like:
riveted is ~10x (?) stronger than butted.
materials make loads of diffrence
what gambeson underneath?
etc?~etc

nitsua60

Me likey.

("Aura sheet.")

Black Spike

2:41 AM

The who did what in a where, now?

Aye, that looks v nice! But I can't even begin to see how to make it!

nitsua60

It's easy. Units of aura, with a japanese 12 in 1 2 captured among.

Just like basketball's easy. Just put the ball through the orange ring. On its way down.

Black Spike

"Why don't you simply <do the utterly complex thing>" /petpeeve

nitsua60

> "That should be easy, just..."

-every physicist approaching a new subject matter domain

Black Spike

Running a marathon is Simple. You just keep going, Hardly complex. Not "easy". But "simple"

nitsua60

@BlackSpike That actually highlights my current training difficulty. I know how to train for a marathon. But my next big race is a 50 K with six separate legs, and that I don't know how to train for. Run 9 mi, then 3 mi, then 5 mi, then 6 mi, then 3.5, then 5.5? I can't wrap my head around it.

Black Spike

2:50 AM

Good point - it is not as simple as I say.
I have a good friend (it's her birthday today!) who cycles 10k to go to the triathalon! I don't think she does 50k, but 25k seems a weekly thing ... she's always saying "ugh - didn't do enough training .. ate too much cake"

and then she posts "another personal-best!"

nitsua60

Back to aura sheet: it looks like the background-ring-with-three-rings atop is the (triangular) cellular unit. The smallest rings link them together into a sparse hex-lattice. Then the eye-grabbing 12-in-2 plug the centers of each hex.

Black Spike

@nitsua60 I'm seeing a circular unit. Centre, double-linked to surrounding links, with "stuff" linking to other circles

nitsua60

@BlackSpike Yeah, that's what grabs the eye. But reading the description it sounds like the centre double-linked is actually the last bit to go in.

Making the "stuff" first sounds necessary, as it's more complex?

Black Spike

Possibly. I'm still n00b, trying to figure 4:1 before I delve into such things

nitsua60

@BlackSpike I... may have to join you in this delving this summer!

(It depends if I get my forge built with time left over for another project. We're calling it a patio+grill, but we all know what it's actually going to be used for....)

Black Spike

3:01 AM

@nitsua60 Well, by summer, I may understand what that is! :D

Rubiksmoose

@nitsua60 Ooo! An ultra, when is it?

Black Spike

@nitsua60 we've been trying to stop a friend building a back-yard forge (or smelting furnace) ...

ugh, time for sleep. Well, long-past, but can't be put off any more ...
g'night all

nitsua60

3:22 AM

@Rubiksmoose Not really (IMO), as it's a relay. And no individual leg is >26mi. It's at the end of August.

3-person relay, going about 100mi.

Rubiksmoose

@nitsua60 Ah I missed that. It sounds very challenging and fun.

nitsua60

It will certainly be at least one of those!

Rubiksmoose

I never did anything like that. Like you said, how do you even train for one of those? The hardest part for me on my ultra was starting again after stopping (to change clothes and bathroom)

nitsua60

The two pieces of credible advice I've found are (a) practice widely-varying the times of your runs, and (b) practice doubling- and tripling-up on your shortest run of the week. (Like, if you've got an easy 2-3 just to stretch things out, try doing three of those through that day.)

Rubiksmoose

That sounds both reasonable and tough.

Bradley Lindsey

4:50 AM

Not trying interrupt or to jump off topic but just quick question if there is a chat or forum for sound boarding homebrew characters?

For advice and balancing and all?

Shalvenay

@BradleyLindsey probably best to throw it out here :)

Bradley Lindsey

5:18 AM

Same with maybe custom feats, weapons, the whole shebang?

V2Blast

5:30 AM

Here seems fine.

There's also forums:

82

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

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...

kviiri

5:50 AM

Yeah, here is okay

It'd be among the more on-topic things discussed here :p

V2Blast

Aug 7 '18 at 20:02, by doppelgreener

At least for this chat, going by its history, the most off-topic thing anyone's probably asked in here was a tabletop RPG question.

Bradley Lindsey

6:48 AM

Okay I was thinking a Fullangr, barbarian/smith? Dual wielding siege axes, with some form of mithril composite or similar chains (non spiked) fuse to the arms from the forearms down but each with one end that can be used for a whip or grapple hook or something similar. Both axes and chains carved with runes for different things.

Miniman

@BradleyLindsey So, just to be clear, you're planning on homebrewing fullangr, siege axes, and a rune carving system?

Also, is smith just background (or similar), or are you referring to a smith class?

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Q: How does one track/incorporate errata in relation to printed rulebooks without having to memorize, or constantly check against, the errata?

I bought myself a shiny new rulebook for a relatively new system and, of course, there's already a full document of errata! In order to make this easier for myself, I sat down with a pen and sticky notes to mark places in the book that have been errata'd. I found that the pen tended to smudge, ...

system-agnostic books errata

BESW

Twee alternative things that GM stands for, yes or no?

Miniman

@BESW "Goblin M____" springs to mind.

BESW

@Miniman Goblin Mother, specifically.

Miniman

7:00 AM

@BESW Non-specific goblin mother deity, or the actual mother of the goblins?

BESW

I'm just thinking about saying that instead of "GM."

kviiri

@BESW Gregarious Mongoose

Miniman

I think it works.

BESW

I thought of it because I wanted to make clear that the GM has a guardian spirit too, and that means the GM is a goblin.

trogdor

7:15 AM

XD

Bradley Lindsey

8:07 AM

@Miniman That's just it I've got the design and concept but I don't know all the different steps to pull it off. And I think I'm going to go with a hesitant yes to your question at the moment.

But the smithing thing a little of both I think. I was going to have it where before death while the fullangr was still moderately young the mother and father taught him everything they could. The mother to fight and the father smithing, tried to teach runes but figured I'd leave that knowledge spotty. But he did learn to smith and kept practicing on his own afterwards.

Miniman

8:22 AM

@BradleyLindsey Well, there's a few ways you could go. There's a) do a bunch of work to homebrew everything, b) find the closest analogues to your concept that already exist, and use those either with some alteration or just by describing them in ways that fit your concept, c) decide that this isn't a concept that D&D really supports, and therefore either d) table this concept for a game where it will work better, or e) find a different system that supports this better.

But which option is the best option for you depends on you, your DM, and your group.

I will say that, even if you decide to go with a), starting from existing elements is a lot easier than creating stuff from scratch.

Bradley Lindsey

@Miniman Thanks man that does help a lot. A buddy told me that though I like AD&D and 3.5 I might be beat off going with pathfinder because of the range of options and in his words that a lot of pathfinder players and dms just dont care if you pull heavily from d&d so long as you dont try to railroad or break the game.

Miniman

@BradleyLindsey By the sounds of it, you don't have a game yet?

Bradley Lindsey

@Miniman No youre right but I meant in general he told me that before i ever heard of 5e.

But yeah I like the creating and making and soundboarding as much as actually playing.

Miniman

@BradleyLindsey It's a lot of fun in itself, yeah.

kviiri

8:57 AM

Fate might be a good fit if you want a character concept with lots of custom stuff, but it plays very different from DnD so it might not be your thing.

BESW

9:21 AM

Fate's not very good at out-of-session play, which seems to be a value here.

Fate's good for customizing, but it doesn't really care about getting the fiddly bits just so.

kviiri

9:33 AM

Yes, true

Bradley Lindsey

10:29 AM

Ahhhh

Hmm I'll check it out might be fun. But yeah I see where y'all are coming from and thats some of the best parts for me.

BESW

I love Fate for a lot of things, and part of what I like is that it dramatically reduced the out-of-session time needed for both GM and players, which made it possible for more of my friends to keep playing regularly without burnout.

doppelgreener

@BESW Great Maker. Gambling Monitor. Guilesome Minstrel.

trogdor

XD

doppelgreener

10:55 AM

Gullible Marshal. Generous Maven. Greedy Miser.

Guide, Malevolent.

Bradley Lindsey

Great malcontent

doppelgreener

Grumbling Mason.

Bradley Lindsey

@BESW where would i look to find out about trying Fate

Guilty Maverick

BESW

You mean like where to read the rules, or where to find games to join?

Bradley Lindsey

Yes to the first, Yes to the second, But only so long as we start with the first.

BESW

11:00 AM

Oct 31 '19 at 10:56, by BESW

Online Fate SRD; DriveThru RPG download; itch.io download; downloads at the Evil Hat website.

Fate Accelerated is a quick-start introduction to the system, and Fate Core is a more complicated version of the same system with more fiddly bits and a lot of talk about why the system is the way it is and how to modify it for your own use.

Bradley Lindsey

Sweet thanks man.

BESW

Dec 23 '19 at 21:24, by BESW

@JinLong I've heard good things about online games organized at The Gauntlet Forums. They're open to a wide variety of systems and playstyles, and are pretty good about making sure people are safe while playing with strangers.

doppelgreener

11:14 AM

@BradleyLindsey Gullible Maverick would make a good GM role for a lighthearted game about getting into all kinds of trouble while on wild adventures in the 1800s or early 1900s. (See Jumanji or The Mummy but less perilous.)

Specifically because the person leading the expedition is an idiot.

He has of course hired all of you, the players, to help him on this grand expedition.

trogdor

XD

I love the idea of being hired by an idiot to go on adventures

somehow that is far too appealing

Carcer

it's a very useful hook and plot driver

trogdor

I suppose it could be yeah

I'm just drawn in by the idea

I don't entirely know why

Carcer

it's also fun

BESW

@trogdor Remind me of this after the first.

Carcer

11:28 AM

an endearing idiot is always popular

trogdor

@BESW as in like the first of next month?

BESW

Yeah.

trogdor

@Carcer this could be a big part of it yeah

BESW

This month was supposed to be re-writing Puppy Day and then I went and wrote a whole new game also so I'm in crunch for Puppy Day.

Carcer

GM doesn't stand for Time Management

trogdor

11:30 AM

@BESW you don't have to write a game about it XD

BESW

The Goblin Week Jame ends in a day and a half though, and the Pleasant Dreams Jam is over in a week.

doppelgreener

Let me know when your goblin game goes out. I want to share it in some queer circles.

BESW

@trogdor I know, but you know me, throw an interesting idea at me and I'll at least start writing a game about it.

Carcer

@trogdor like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, soon BESW will enter his cocoon and emerge as a cryptid that communicates exclusively via the medium of short indie RPGs.

3

BESW

@doppelgreener I'll be shouting about it in the usual places. And if you follow me on itch you'll get notified that way too!

trogdor

11:31 AM

@Carcer you joke but he might do this

at least in a metaphorical sense

Carcer

sorry, I must correct myself

doppelgreener

@BESW I can do that!? I haven't signed up for itch yet.

Carcer

short indie RPGs and quotes of himself from several years ago

2

BESW

@doppelgreener Yup! Following and mutual following also opens up extra ways of giving feedback, apparently? It's a little confusing.

Carcer

that actually gives me an idea

vicky_molokh

11:35 AM

@trogdor I once GMed a small campaign about stalkers (not in either of the eponimous universes though, but rather a homebrew setting). At some point the party had a chance to give a tour to a bunch of rich young thrillseekers. The players and their PCs were very leery of that job opportunity and preferred other jobs (such as biological sample fetch quests and a trip to an abandoned mine under the leadership of a greedy veteran NPC despite being promised a rather modest percentage of the loot).

BESW

trogdor

@vicky_molokh and their employer was an idiot or?

Carcer

@vicky_molokh rich thrill-seekers sounds like arrogant idiots, though, everyone hates those

trogdor

do you just mean they avoided the job given by an idiot?

vicky_molokh

@trogdor The rich kids were not particularly smart, and of course had no prior experience with the Alienation Zone [sic].

trogdor

11:36 AM

ah ok

I kinda figured that might be it

but then you had said they didn't go with those guys XD

vicky_molokh

@Carcer I don't recall portraying them as particularly arrogant, and I assume anyone who's an idiot deciding to become a leader of an expedition is automatically an arrogant decision.

trogdor

or at least wanted to maybe

Carcer

I'm imagining now a party game where you get a topic and then have a conversation about that topic by writing on slips of paper and passing them around, and then you get a second topic and have to have a conversation about that only using the words/sentences from the prior conversation

which now that I type it out is basically just a more awkward physical jackbox game, isn't it

trogdor

hmm

it sounds like a weird jackbox game now that you say it

the only thing I connected it to before I read that was telephone

Carcer

yeah, the whole "recontextualise something you already did" is very much the jackbox thing isn't it

trogdor

11:39 AM

which,..... isn't even the same principle you were talking about

yeah

they seem to like going on that theme

Carcer

evidently it works

trogdor

not necessarily for every game but definitely for a lot of them

I mean, they do seem to switch it up pretty well?

to make it different enough from the other games they made

for enough people to like them

enough to play more new ones

Carcer

yeah

trogdor

I've never actually played a jackbox Game myself but i have actually watched a number of games of it on YouTube

Carcer

likewise

trogdor

11:43 AM

As weird as that is, to know so much of the series of games by witnessing other people play a bunch of them but never having tried one myself

Carcer

I mean, jackbox is basically designed for that though, the audience participation is built in

trogdor

Except not so weird i guess if I'm not the only one here who that is the case for XD

True

They definitely adapted well to a world in which an online audience will watch people play a game

There is basic proof that a lot of people have watched jackbox games

Not any i know of that all of them also never played any for themselves but still

It's likely true that at least almost as many haven't as have

Maybe

Or barring that some at any rate

Carcer

yeah I suspect the skew of users will be that they ultimately get more as audience participants from popular streams than they have actual players, but hey, seems to be working for them

trogdor

Seems so yeah

I know one family who has at least one set of jackbox games

I don't know if they have ever played it

I assume they have if they own it but wtv

Carcer

I don't think I have a local friendship circle with a vibrant enough ecosystem of injokes and shared references to make it really shine

trogdor

11:53 AM

But yeah, they have been able to continue making very similar games

That tells me they aren't apparently suffering from a loss of sales

Carcer