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AsenRG
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  • *Don't read this! It's me having a downer!*

    Today, I got to a new level of understanding of the phrase "feeling down like an abused doggie"...yes, made up by the yours truly.

    Tl;dr - there are times when life sucks.

    OK, that's enough misery tourism for today! Now let's talk about RPGs instead!
    Is anyone else considering to drop the dice for good?
    ...I don't think that trying to be upbeat worked as planned^^!
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    Baeraad
    Baeraad
    Awww. What's getting you down, man? :sad:
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Family issues :shade:.
    Seriously, man, you don't need to read that. I'm not sure whether even talking about it is doing me any good.
    :sad: ...A second locked thread in a month. Same pattern of a couple of entitled users (nobody can guess which two I am thinking about) feeling their precious feelings were offended:shade:.
    I'm almost starting to understand Pundit, despite his lack of taste when it comes to basic mechanics :devil:!
    I'm spending more and more time on the BG gamebook forum...as opposed to the RPG forums. I'm even discussing RPGs there.
    Why? The community is better.
    ...And I guess that kinda explains why I'm at the Pub, too, instead of at some bigger forums that shall remain unnamed?
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    Rich H
    Rich H
    Will have to look this up as I didn't even know it existed! Do you have a link to the best area for debate?
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    Writing my own gamebook began a couple hours ago.
    My plans to start with a short, simple story suffered a crucial setback less than 10 minutes later. Maybe I should write the short story separately?
    It's a wuxia game, BTW, I guess nobody's surprised. For starters, I'm planning to make it a "pick your character" game.
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    i write it like I prepare for my sessions, though. So it's some hard work, but not that much, and shouldn't take long!
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    But unless you read Bulgarian, I'd advise you to use this link... well, it should work.
    Most people there speak fluent English, but by no means all.
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Still, nothing says you couldn't start a thread :smile:! Though it took me some time to find how to register...if you click on a thread that's not locked and the "register" button is found between the posts :grin:!
    I'm reading the (unpublished) system "Cathay's Art of Roleplaying". Hmm...if there's a precursor to LotW, that was probably it:grin:!
    TristramEvans
    TristramEvans
    I was fascinated by that one in the early aughts, but long since lost track of it (used to be on an Alta-vista website)
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Altavista? It seemed like some HK university to me!
    Traveller:
    #1: UPP: 6569AB
    Terms: 6
    Career: Bureaucrat (Asst. Manager)
    Brawling-2, Computer-1, Handgun-1, Instruction-1, Interrogation-1, Large Blade-1, Leader-1, Liaison-1, Trader-1, Wheeled Vehicle-1

    #2:UPP: 65AAA8
    Bureaucrat, 2 terms
    Brawling-2, Jack-of-all-Trades-2, Carousing-1, Interrogation-1, Computer-0, Grav Vehicle-0, Handgun-0

    ...In the 3I, bureaucrats settle differences in Mortal Kombat?
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    The Butcher
    Also their skills at actual bureaucracy are sorely lacking. I love Traveller chargen but it doesn’t always crank out lifelike characters.
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    I disagree. Actually, I know bureaucrats that fit this description!
    "Every woman lives with a saboteur in herself - one who has the voice of her mom."

    Ingmar Bergman
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    Baeraad
    Baeraad
    While it's possible that he was right, I can't be help notice that he, by virtue of being a he, was not actually in a position to know for sure. :tongue:

    Though the reverse is certainly true - a lot of men really do seem to live with the ghost of their fathers looking over their shoulders...
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    He was married five times. If any man would know...:smile:
    "The geeneration that made the French Revolution possible was animated by a naive confidence in the future" - Charles Seignobos.
    Now: can you create a campaign around this quote:grin:?
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    T
    The Butcher
    Of course! Especially if it’s the source of naïveté that gets Madame Guillotine working overtime.
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    Voros
    Voros
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    I see I'm not the only one thinking along those lines, then :smile: !
    "Ofrecer amistad al que pide amor , es como dar pan al que muere de sed."
    -Spanish proverb that I plan to use in a game some time.
    T
    The Butcher
    Perfect for a session of the Capitán Alatriste RPG.
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Yes, or Aquelarre:smile:.

    Alas, I don't have Capitan Alatriste (yet) and am not running Aquelarre. Yet;).

    But there's always fantasy folks that might use a proverb or two to make them more distinct. So I'm taking notes.

    Originally, I tried going for Chinese proverbs, but way too many that I found are actually proverbs all players are likely to know as Bulgarian ones, which would send the wrong signal to the players.
    My longest-standing player-avoiding-social-interactions is now building her crime empire. And she's having fun.
    In Kirighast. As a heroic mortal. Using Cepheus Engine.
    More details here:
    Huh. I just realized what bothers me so much in some gaming systems where you just roll dice without many tactical options in the book (OD&D, for example).
    Namely, they are actually serving a storyteller player's purposes better than mine. "Just tell me what happens next!" vs "Let me see how I might impact the outcome!"
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    The Butcher
    The idea that “GM rulings = storytelling”
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    ...of course, there's no such idea in my post.
    "Systems where you can just roll some dice to hit, some dice to damage, and resolve the fight without losing much, serve a storyteller player ("Just tell me what appens next!") much better than it serves me"? Now, that idea is indeed contained inside. But it's, like, the exact opposite!
    T
    The Butcher
    Happy to be mistaken here. But expedient resolution is desirable for most players, not just the “storyteller” type. If anything it’s the stickler for detail that’s the outlier.
    I see (in Lidl): "Working for us, you get paid for every minute of overtime".
    I read: "You won't get paid for a single minute during which you weren't working".
    I know: I'm a Referee.
    We have been seeing the effects of the stiltifying influence of Disney in RPG settings as well... and frankly: I doubt Disney would be ever broken, but we can at least chase it from our tables.
    T
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    Voros
    Voros
    I thought this was a good piece but his comparison to the Studio Period in Hollywood is a bit off as classic Hollywood produced a wide range of diverse films.
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    Shipyard Locked
    Shipyard Locked
    This sounds like it could be an interesting thread. What effect of Disney have you noticed on settings?
    Interrupted the session last night due to a player making a fuss*...is that a trend or what:smile:?

    *Over her plan to escape all pursuit, after acquiring a powerful magical item (that at least 3 other people are searching for) kinda failed. Well, she escaped 2 out of 3, but obviously that wasn't good enough.
    So what am I supposed to do if the NPC chick has "owns a flying reptile mount" in her inventory notes;)?
    I'm even more grateful that I discovered the Pub with its no politics rule.
    Now it seems other hobby communities are following the lead of TBP...as a positive example. How is it positive is beyond me, frankly.
    But, well, Guardian article says a knitting community followed suit.
    Just had my first PC death in over a decade, I think. Well, it might be a bit less, I'd need to check.
    Dumarest Dumarest almost manages to make OD&D fun, but the mechanics really are working against him, IMNSHO.
    I mean...he's running his CT and D6 Swords and Planet (Star Wars) games in the exact same "pulpy high-octane action with a mix of dry humour and pranks" style. But they work much more smoothly, IME.
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Not rude, but merely logical. The game wouldn't be improved by also becoming slow to resolve. Quite the opposite.
    T
    The Butcher
    Waah, waah, my PC got killed. Man up and roll a new one, brah. :grin:
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Hey, I have already! But such an event deserved some mention!
    After the seminar...looking at my newly-obtained certificates.
    Funny, I just got 3 certificate for having trained 16 hours. If I was to get as many for the previous 20 years, I'd need a huge binder!
    This week-end in Sofia: Seminar with Carlos Machado (BJJ), Chuck Canete (Doce Pares Escrima) and Lubomir Yordanov (JKD). Total of 16 hours with the 3 masters:smile:.
    Anyone feeling a slight tinge of envy, perchance:wink:?
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    As a bonus, I'm only going to pay tonight. I think that option was only open for those that know the organizers personally, though. (The guy who's teaching my Wing Chun is one of them).
    Session canceled tonight. Two players started arguing about which one plays her character right. And I really wasn't in the mood for listening* to this!
    So I told them I've got a headache, and cancelled it.

    *It seems like they would be the only ones, but then they are the most regular ones:grin:!
    It seems I'm tired enough that for once, practice hour is approaching and I've got no desire to go. That sucks.
    4-armed insectoid demons for Flashing Blades.
    Natural Armour 2/eye attack or cephalothorax hit avoids armor, stunned on 3+ damage in the head/cephalothorax and 5+ in the body, 14 HP for smaller ones, 16 HP for bigger ones, Combat Expertise14, lunge attack damage 6, or 12 if they have had 1 round to "load up for the jump". Can Attack, but not Counter as 1 action w/h 2 apendages, but take -1 on both attacks).
    Done.
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    For the record, I actually wrote this up as an example of how easy it is to improvise creatures and stats for games like Flashing Blades and Traveller. And I maintain that it is extremely quick, as long as you have an idea of what they'd look like from an In Character POV.
    The longest part of writing this up was writing up the hit locations.
    I thought about writing a love letter to Traveller. I just didn't know how to begin...
    But then the system looked back at me, and told me "don't worry, I know".
    And it seems to not mind me cheating with some d100, d6 dicepool, d20 roll under, and step dice* systems!

    *I've grown more pickly lately. Guess I'm getting more set in my ways?
    Today I finally:
    -Started playtesting BarterTown.
    -Dealt with the bank AND BackerKit at once. I was about to swear that DCC Lankhmar is cursed to not get my money: when the bank was in condition, BackerKit kept me logged out. And vice versa.
    -Am writing from my laptop again!
    Some recent events* leads me to wonder: have events in your campaigns ever become sources of new in-setting words:grin:?

    *Brexit is becoming a verb in Russian, it seems. But I'm not going to comment on this - let's stick to RPGs, please!
    YES! Finally got to start a campaign where I'm a player!
    It's Cepheus Engine, repurposed for fantasy. And my PC has 4 out of 5 Psychic Talents (no Telekinesis, which I didn't want anyway).
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    What do you mean? I'm not sure I like the meaning of this term that I found with a Google search! (Besides, I'm like the opposite of every single quality it was listing...)

    Also, I didn't twink it out. I just asked the Referee whether she would mind me paying for Psychic training, and then got lucky on the Talents rolls.
    T
    The Butcher
    Accusation made in jest. Fuck the internet for not conveying tone.
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Ahem, I know it was in jest. I just decided it would be funny to pretend I don't understand what you mean...because I Googled only "twink" first, not "twink rpg".
    There were large differences in the results, let me tell you:grin:!
    Aaand... my players decided that we're continuing with Flashing Blades for now. Because apparently converting the characters to an osr 2d6 system was too time-consuming when I am not helping!
    I'm fine with that^^.
    Does anyone know how the Sword of Cepheus is progressing? Should I start a thread:smile:?
    Voros
    Voros
    Since I don't know what it is seems like a good subject for a thread!
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Enjoy!
    I have a non-political, RPG-related reason to be happy about the new Brexit delay.
    I can at least hope a print copy of the Witcher RPG would fit my entertainment budget in the next 6 months (though there are contenders). And I'd prefer to order it from the UK amazon instead of the amazon.de (though I've set up an account there, too).
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    A Fiery Flying Roll
    A Fiery Flying Roll
    From a seflish view I frequently get paid in dollars for my freelancing, so anything that crashes the pound works for me.
    Re-reading Traveller 5. And now I remember why it has my favourite social system.
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    The Butcher
    It really is a fascinating toolkit, if still a daunting read. (Also still iffy on the resolution mechanic.)
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    The resolution mechanic can be ditched and replaced by the variants prepared for 4e:smile:. Besides, I like roll-under.
    T
    The Butcher
    Not familiar with the variants. Is any one of them perchance 2d6 roll high?
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    Working on Bartertown. Finally took some important decisions, like making it fit a general S&S/fantasy setting.
    The provisional system is Cepheus Engine. And I might dual-stat it for OSR use, because robertsconley robertsconley is right: that would make it useful for the biggest number of people.
    Technically, 5e would be even better, but we'll see...frankly, it's simply outside my comphort zone atm.
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    In other news: Bartertown has earned two violent schools of combat, a fugitive trio - or duo, I'm still undecided - and an oracle who might enlighten you.
    Which might or might not be related to one of said schools.
    The vampire cult, the apocalyptic cult, the slavers and the drug den are still there, but the lizardmen are now just a part of the local "ethnic make-up" (whereas elves, dwarves and halflings ain't:evil:).
    My players kinda dislike Flashing Blades for S&S (or rather, my powers houserules. methinks:smile:). OK, we're going to change the system yet again.
    I wonder whether they'd like Tales and Legends better;)!
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    Dumarest
    Dumarest
    Have they tried Flashing Blades for 17th Century swashbuckling?
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Some of them, yes, and those are the ones who don't think we need a change. But they don't mind a change either if it would improve the game for others.
    In fact, that is my position as well.
    Modern D&D Players (MDDPs) are a particular breed. One I have no desire of cross-polinating with!
    On Myth-Weavers: MDDPs: "Random rolling for stats hampers roleplaying".
    Me: "Can't process. System error detected!"
    And it goes on and on for pages.
    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    The 3.5/PF crowd IS exactly from the start of my RPG days, T The Butcher ... I just don't like the way they tend to play!
    T
    The Butcher
    There are as many ways to play as there are players. Admittedly 3.5/PF appeals to a certain play culture, but it’s the favorite system of several people in our gaming circles and we find a way to make it work — D&D5 is particularly good at a compromise of sorts. But I also got them to play Savage Worlds, CoC, WFRP, Traveller and even OD&D once.
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    Dumarest
    Dumarest
    3d6 in order, you whimpering wilted daisies! :devil:
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    And now I've got the Witcher RPG! Gotta love GM's Day.
    Séadna
    Séadna
    How are you finding it :grin:
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    It's almost great system-wise, and outright great setting-wise. Which is where many of my most favorite games fall as well.
    Finally ran another session of the Fantasy Food Challenge campaign (with First Daughter). Still no playing for me, and it was short, but at least she had fun!
    Séadna
    Séadna
    How are you finding it?
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    AsenRG
    AsenRG
    Lots of fun for me as well.
    Séadna
    Séadna
    Sorry! I meant that for the Witcher post above! Though glad to hear you're having fun with your daughter as well!
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