Gaming Advice

[Jfan999]

Also, blanket morale penalties "you're bored as fuck because you didn't do anything interesting today, -2 to everything" good idea or bad?

bad idea its just more book keeping for the players that they're going to forget anyway, hell most of my players can't remember the modifiers they got at the beginning of a battle let alone the beginning of a session.

What do people think about giving an option to use 3d6 instead of d20? It gives you better average performance, which makes sense for trained fighters who are less likely to fumble every 20th swing. Might not work for crit builds though.

It has merit but conversion would be a bit of a pain.


OK, now I have a question for all you players out there: What kind of game would you like to play in?

[GoatBoy]

What do people think about giving an option to use 3d6 instead of d20? It gives you better average performance, which makes sense for trained fighters who are less likely to fumble every 20th swing. Might not work for crit builds though.

The bell-curve system is more realistic, but keep in mind that a large part of the challenge in d20 comes from inferior foes (almost all of the foes the party faces) getting the occasional lucky hit. It also makes small bonuses much more significant, which is both good and bad in some regards. But the game also becomes rather dull when almost every roll falls into a very small window of values.

Also, blanket morale penalties "you're bored as fuck because you didn't do anything interesting today, -2 to everything" good idea or bad?

Not a good idea, if for no other reason that you shouldn't be telling the players how they are feeling. Also, if you are going to penalize a player, give them a good reason. "Boredom" is not very far from "because I say so" and robs the players of what little control they have.

[GoatBoy]

OK, now I have a question for all you players out there: What kind of game would you like to play in?

I've had so few opportunities for straight-up heroic fantasy D&D, and so many character builds in mind, that I'd still prefer that setting over any other.

I enjoy relatively complicated systems because I consider the "game experience" to extend to both on and off the table. That is, play the game itself, but also view the resources available in order to make an optimized character, or re-create the exact concept I have in mind via the rules available.

[GoatBoy]

OK, now I have a question for all you players out there: What kind of game would you like to play in?

Barring everything else I just said, some modern-day system where the PC's are agents working for this place.

[Cataphrak]

] some modern-day system where the PC's are agents working for this place.

Have a system for that, but replace "Modern-Day" with "alternate history 1910".

[kultz]

I like systems where combat is interesting and deadly. Exciting yet risky combat makes for thrilling fights while encouraging roleplay over rollplay.
I hear Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is excellent for grimdark combat, and the way I see it, stripping out the specifics would make it a pretty good generic dark medieval system.

Don't get me wrong, I hate it when the game is mostly fighting. I want the fight to be short and deadly. Not simple, just short and deadly. Iron Heroes had pretty short combat, I think. So did D20 Modern, but it's a little simple.

Instead of long combats, I enjoy roleplay heavy games, but not settings and system built for the sole purpose of roleplaying, because then everybody just plays magnificent bastards and the game becomes a wank-fest.

My four ha-pennies.


Edit: I like the idea of COC, I don't like the absolute hopeless horror, because it takes a fighting chance away. Men In Black With a dash of COC is about good.

[TurtleClaw]

If we are talking systems, I have a little grudge with D20 system regarding levelling. The power difference between first level and even 5th level is huge. That's why I look at D&D as more of a table top battle game then RP game, though all the options open up a lot of RP possibilities. Dark heresy and WFR do a good job at this department. A bunch of mooks with okay weapons can still take out a PC even at higher levels, with a smart use of cover and positioning. And percentile systems in general just feel nice.

[NauticalMongoose]

WFR?

[kultz]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.

It's Dark Heresy, minus the SPESS.

[Cataphrak]

Question: If I want to do a low-combat, roleplay centric D20 Past campaign, is 18 pt point-buy (just enough for everyone to get 11 on everything) a good idea?

[Jfan999]

Question: If I want to do a low-combat, roleplay centric D20 Past campaign, is 18 pt point-buy (just enough for everyone to get 11 on everything) a good idea?

As the DM you're in charge of how much combat there is going to be in the game so it shouldn't matter how many points the PCs have, especially if your going to be using those high damage rolls from earlier.

Though I'm really wondering why you want to use D20 anything for a roleplay heavy game. With damage being as ridiculous as you've stated it to be why not use a game like CoC. Combat in CoC is so deadly one gun shot is likely to kill or at least critically injure someone. CoC standard is also based in the 20s so the skills more closely mach up with those soldiers in WW1 would have. Finally the sanity system = PTSD.

[Cataphrak]

Though I'm really wondering why you want to use D20 anything for a roleplay heavy game.

1: Everyone knows D20, or at least the people I'd like to have in are.
2: *I'm* relatively familiar with D20, so I don't have to DM a new system.
3: There *will* be combat, and I'd prefer not to let fistfights and dawn patrols be entirely fatal.
4: Not sure if CoC is fit for a relatively comedic tone.

[TurtleClaw]

Question: If I want to do a low-combat, roleplay centric D20 Past campaign, is 18 pt point-buy (just enough for everyone to get 11 on everything) a good idea?

If you are going for low power level 15 points is a basic NPC value if I remember correctly. But I agree with Jon, if you want realism and good immersion use something else, D20 is primary a combat system. And even at first level with 15 point buy you can do some silly shit.

E:
4. The tone of campaign depends on DM and players, not system.
1-2. I think CoC is pretty simple and easy to get into.
3. Not sure, but I think CoC fistfights are less lethal than D20. And guns are supposed to be lethal. After a few levels D20 guns stop being scary to players and that's just bad for immersion.

[Jfan999]

1: Everyone knows D20, or at least the people I'd like to have in are.
2: *I'm* relatively familiar with D20, so I don't have to DM a new system.

CoC is percentile based its really easy you just role 1d100 if you roll under your skill you succeed. I also have a program that makes making characters a breeze, I can whip up 6 character in a couple minutes and I've only played CoC 5 times.

3: There *will* be combat, and I'd prefer not to let fistfights and dawn patrols be entirely fatal.

Fistfights are unlikely to be fatal, gunshots are most likely going to be fatal unlike in D20 where you can eat hundreds of bullets and be fine after a days rest.

4: Not sure if CoC is fit for a relatively comedic tone.

CoC is just a system and any system can be comedic with the right players and game master.

[Cataphrak]

I will look into CoC when I have the time, see if it'll work, especially for some of the things I have planned (like equipment failure and the "shit happens" roll).

[Gaming]

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