TRPG General Chat

Adeptus

2:24 AM

I really liked The Witcher TV series. Now I want to have a look at the books & videogames.

MikeQ

Witcher 3 is very good. 2 is okay, 1 is very clunky. I've heard mixed opinions about the books.

BESW

2:37 AM

I understand the Witcher TRPG is drawing more from the games than the books or shows, and that this is... not great. Lots of just copying game mechanics into tables and using low-quality screencaps for book art.

Also that a lot of what the show does right is... technically present in the books but the show works hard to extract and amplify it and shed some of the associated less-great stuff.

That said, here, have a thing:

Jul 1 '21 at 22:33, by BESW

Medicine on the Path: A Disability Supplement For The Witcher Pen & Paper by Sarah Thompson. A 122 page document with advice and mechanics on roleplaying disability in the world of the Witcher! (twitter announcement) (PDF download on Google Drive )

AncientSwordRage

3:07 AM

@BESW this thing is appreciated

BESW

It's by the creator of the Combat Wheelchair.

Accessible Adventure Jam hosted by DnD Disability. The goal of the Accessible Adventure Jam is: - To uplift and promote disabled creators. - Bring together a collection of accessible adventures ready for any GM. - To bring attention to the fact that ableism in adventure design is unnecessary.

4

Impetus and Omen by adamebell. draw a map with codenames.

Akixkisu

11:25 AM

@ThomasMarkov That is a good catch, I assumed that they were on the material plane, but they don't actually state that.

Thomas Markov

@Akixkisu yeah it’s ambiguous what they’re asking, there are several different scenarios that fit the description, and I’m not sure the answer is the same for all of them.

Akixkisu

I agree.

posita

5:35 PM

@Someone_Evil Ah! Brilliant! Thanks @Someone_Evil and @Glazius for the assist and the explanation. My apologies for not better understanding the Flag option, but I do now! Thanks again!

Hot RPG Questions

6:25 PM

2

Q: Can I leave Tiny Hut while in Border Ethereal?

I know I can't enter the Tiny Hut while being in the Border Ethereal but can I leave it? I.e. I'm in a Tiny Hut (someone else casted it) and cast Etherealness. Can I leave and observe the material plane outside of the hut or will the magical force block me from doing so?

Hot RPG Questions

7:17 PM

4

Q: What is the Doppelganger's polymorph duration?

From the Monster Manual, it isn't clear to me whether the Doppelganger's shapeshifting ability is just that they are able to cast a successful Polymorph spell automatically, and therefore it's subject to the duration of that spell, or if they can remain in whatever form they choose for as long as...

dnd-5e monsters duration

bertieb

7:59 PM

quick q that's on the 'tip of my tongue' side of things

Thomas Markov

@bertieb hit me

bertieb

cheers!

what's the name for the phenomenon that goes "geeky types are stereotypically reticent to kick out problematic group members because as typically 'social outcasts' they are unwilling to inflict that on other folks"

it -- kicking someone out -- being cardinal sin #1 / the most extreme of punishments

it's a concept I'm sure I came across via the main site

but can't remember where and searching for it brings up some pretty irrelevant results

Thomas Markov

I'm familiar with the idea, but Im not sure I've ever encountered a word or phrase characterizing it

Hmmm, you may have seen this article: plausiblydeniable.com/five-geek-social-fallacies

The Five Geek Social Fallacies

bertieb

yes!!

@ThomasMarkov bingo, thank you :)

I thought it had a eponym

but that's definitely it

Thomas Markov

I searched "kicked out", then found it in the the second answer to this question.

This search yields all of the posts on the site that link to the article.

bertieb

8:09 PM

interesting, cheers for digging that search out

fewer results than I thought

Thomas Markov

@bertieb I say "all", but There may be more, I'm not sure how good the search is at catching everything with the "url:" function.

bertieb

yeah, fair enough :)

Hot RPG Questions

9:27 PM

10

Q: How can I use Animate Objects in combat, without slowing combat down for everyone?

My wizard has acquired the animate objects spell, and I'm discussing with my GM how I'm going to use it combat. We are concerned that using the spell may slow down combat and make it less fun for everyone. My intent in typical usage would be to animate 10 tiny or small objects (coppers being an ...

dnd-5e spells combat animated-objects

Lando

10:27 PM

Hey, I was told this was too opinion-based for the forun, perhaps here you can help me out... =)

I'm currently playing Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. I'm embodying Vellynne Harpell a human necromancer wizard.

The GM has told me that I will be showing up mounting a hippogriff that I got from a goliath tribe, and I'm supposed to explain how I got it.

Seeing how competitive goliaths are, I was thinking about telling them I won it on a bet. But I can't think of something not involving physical strength or dexterity.

GcL

@Lando Endurance is another popular contest for goliaths.

Lando

@GcL But as a wizard can I realistically expect to beat a goliath in an endurance contest?

GcL

If you're dead set on explaining it with a contest, choose something where your magic lets you win.

Akixkisu

@Lando How close to the book do you play her?

GcL

Other explanations could be that the bet was you couldn't ride it, because it wasn't letting them ride it. Turns out, HippoMcGriffFace just doesn't like tall humanoids.

BESW

10:39 PM

@Lando I did a breakdown of the problems with 5e's Goliaths last month, and my take-away for your situation is that Goliath "competition" is better expressed as pride in the skills one brings to the community. What skills does your character have that contribute to the community?

As a wizard I'd be unsurprised if they're good at things like calligraphy or cooking, and as a necromancer their knowledge of anatomy may also make them a decent healer. Or they've got a hobby or family skill unrelated to their class, like clay-throwing or singing, which is an opportunity to round out the character.

Lando

@Akixkisu Mostly by the book, the mayor difference is that my Vellyne has is not so frail, it's rather tough.

Akixkisu

An interesting hook for your DM would be to explain it via something related to your family ties, an exchange of gifts to establish relationships - and perhaps it is up to you in the future to offer a gift of similar value - or your family already did that and you are expected to have a connection to the group.

Lando

I'll take any idea that works... I'm rather new to D&D.

My character is rather nerdy, lots of knowledge. I would avoid violence if possible.

GcL

BESW's suggestion seems good. Choose the backstory profession and have a very brief story about how that was sufficiently impressive.

BESW

Every community is going to value skills that aren't violent or grossly physical. Textiles, baking, medicine, entertainment, cultural curation, conflict resolution...

I'd expect Goliaths to have a rigorous oral and musical tradition, your character might have shown a surprising knowledge of their songs and stories or distinguished themself in a contest of improvisational verse.

Lando

10:49 PM

@BESW My backround is Sage, the speciallity is researcher. It is very posible that I could have know the detail of their history and songs.

@BESW I'm wondering if that alone would have been enough to earn the hippogriff, or there has to be some sort of contest involved.

BESW

I'd go with "service to the community" as the reason for the reward. Which could be winning a contest such as a competition to see who can recite the most of a notoriously difficult epic without flubbing. Or it could be something like assisting with reconstruction of a lost story or translating an old verse that's been remembered in song long after the language shifted so that they couldn't understand it anymore.

MikeQ

If goliaths are supposed to be competitive tribal nomads, then maybe they have a cultural ritual that involves a geography trivia contest, and your sage character defeated their best and most well-traveled champions

BESW

I'd be wary of "I am better than any Goliath" narratives; the trope of "outsider enters marginalized community and is somehow better at being them than they are" is not a great one.

MikeQ

11:04 PM

What if they won 2nd place instead?

BESW

But yes, geographical and navigational knowledge would absolutely be a realm that Goliaths would respect and there'd be opportunities to distinguish oneself.

@MikeQ Or have it be an informal/local contest instead of a gathering of the Best Goliaths Alive.

MikeQ

Of course. A level 1 character wouldn't participate in the goliath trivia world championship

BESW

Unless the PC's been living among the Goliaths for years, they aren't gonna be competing in major multi-tribe events, they're gonna be invited to join the local youth events and everyone's gonna be very impressed if they hold their own there.

MikeQ

Maybe they didn't even get close to winning, and the hippogriff was a consolation prize. Like "winning a goat" in the Monty Hall game.

BESW

Also, competitions often have winners in multiple categories.

Lando

11:15 PM

@BESW I like this one. It could be that I heard them chanting a song and realized something was off, got in some sort of argument and proved the real meaning of the song was somewhat different.

The DM told me that they need to me somehow angry at me... so I'm thinking the song they were chanting talked about a great victory when the real meaning is the exact opposite...

So I win the argument and the price, but they are really angry because of the true meaning of the song.

BESW

Or the value of the translation was neutral-to-positive but your character didn't show the proper respect when sharing it.

That would be a more resolvable conflict which spurs your own character's internal journey.

Lando

@BESW I like that, my character is very knowledgeable, but a little direct and socially awkward...

BESW

11:55 PM

Sale: MAKE A HEX CRAWL! by Highland Paranormal Society. Get my three tiles packs for 25% off if you buy them all together!

"Tabletop Simulator permanently shuts down global chat, donates $10,000 to trans activism non-profit" article by Chase Carter for Dicebreaker. “We are reforming our moderation policies to ensure that everyone has an inclusive place to enjoy our great hobby.”

"Tabletop RPG Rule Books Can Be Beautiful and Accessible" article by Pearse Anderson for Wired. Role-playing rule books are being designed to be more experimental and unique. Here’s how they can be designed for accessibility, too.

Pearse Anderson wrote a twitter thread about accessible TRPG design, with examples.

SuperDillin urged on twitter that people "give closure to the characters whose arcs you never got to finish," with suggestions.

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