Archived threads in /tg/ - Traditional Games - 1779. page

So a cleric with a lute.

>>51590494
An inversion of a trope is still a trope.

>>51590494
>who sings sagas and hymns of his religion's heroes in combat

How does that works? I mean, sagas are long af. Does everyone stop fighting and nod appreciatively and only fight during the intermission?

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>>51590388

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>>51590438
Dad let me out of the shed

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>>51590457
"i'll long road home"

Probably because 4e was shit. The real question is what is up with the disparity between games and player numbers for PF and 3.5?

Because most people who enjoyed 3.5 didnt enjoy 4 and went on to Pathfinder, then 5 came and many went on to 5. Some people like 4, but thats it: Some.

>>51590452
>The real question is what is up with the disparity between games and player numbers for PF and 3.5?
Have you ever seen the roll20 PF/3.5 playerbase?
A more the significant number of them are the lowest of the low fetish fags, That Guys, and overall disgusting excuses for humans who are left eternally looking for groups because they either get rejected outright with every application or get booted session 1.

Incubi

>>51590130
I do have an Incubus mini, which the Sorceress in the party picked up and disappointedly asked "Why hasn't he got his cock out?"

>>51590155
>"Why hasn't he got his cock out?"

Because he has a well of many worlds in his pants with a succubus in there sucking him off

Because he just fucked a potion of dimunition

He has a cock-ring of invisibility

Disguise self/Alter self

Terrifying Bigby's hand accident

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>>51589444
>What kind of material do you prepare?
A hex map, with multiple wandering monster charts.
Several new set pieces, I make 3-5 simple* dungeons (or pieces of dungeons) between each session.
All my old, unused set pieces. Including dungeons that weren't fully explored (I can cannibalize snippets in a pinch).
A list of NPC faction agendas.
A rogue's gallery for quick, pre-rolled NPC stat blocks.
>Is there any degree of railroading that you apply?
Tweak the details and cast more hooks.
>How do you make sessions flexible?
Schrödinger's Details. If I haven't mentioned something to the PCs, I have no qualms with changing it.
>How much into details do you go?
In my notes?1-2 sentences per empty room.
2-3 sentences per room.
2-5 sentences per non-dungeon encounter.
4-7 sentences per non-dungeon set piece.
Plus maps.
>And how much room for improvisation do you leave?
Room decor, and anything I haven't explicitly prepped.
See also: Schrödinger's Details

*Two pages: One page map with notes in margins, plus one page of notes.

>>51589957
I always wanted to try out a good hexcrawl...

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>>51589444
>The thing is, I've always felt that I was a little railroady
Check the pdf to confirm.

> Most of the times I've gotten myself attached to prewritten material, and I felt that I restrained my players by doing so.
I understand the feeling, but does it reflect reality?
Can you think of actual examples?

>Now my material is basically an environment described in key terms, a simple logic attached to this environment and some driving forces to set some friction.
Clean design. I like it.

>At the actual session I improvise a lot and go with the flow of the game while trying to keep some motifs and imagery for the overarching themes. If I need an encounter, I just pull some stock enemy, give him a little quirk if needed, and hide all crunch in the narrative.
Well done.

>Sessions started to get more dynamic, there is far less crunch involved in the favour of narrative, world started to get more character to it and overall there were more climaxing moments, but for some reason I feel that I will not get away with this for too long.
There is a concept that you can only go to the well of improvisation for so long before you find yourself repeating yourself.
The options are: risk repeating recurring elements, refill the well with new inspiration, or adjust your methods.

>I often see a lot of GMs preparing really hard for each session and writing a lot of material. Because of that I feel that I'm getting lazy by spending just hour and half on preparations, and it's just a current party that I can pull this trick with.
This feeling is normal, but not necessarily truth. Pic related
Each to the own. What works for them might not work for you.
Also, many people will only work as hard as they need to. This is not necessarily lazy, but it can feel like it.

Questions answered in the next post.

>>51589210
What ugly combination of shirt and cravat.

>>51589210
/pol/ you fucking Australian shitcunt

>>51589239
Your foreignness is showing.

But yes, it's a hideous combination.

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>>51589177
Stop playing with weeaboos. Or at least tell them to get some better taste with some china comics actually relevant to /tg/.

>>51589177
The worst part about this thread will be that BBEG-fag shows up. This is also the best thing about it.

>>51589177
You can't honestly say you were surprised.

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>>51589144
This is why discussing things with the players and DM beforehand is really really important. "You all meet in a tavern" is the shittiest intro a game can possibly have. Everyone should have a vague idea before the game even starts what the group is doing and why they're together. From there it should be easy enough to come up with a character goal that is aided by being part of this group.

>>51589428
So should the first session just be set aside to character creation and brainstorming? It seems like the whys and hows are barely elaborated on beyond explaining how we all get to the same place, but not the actual goals of our characters or what we want to do as players.

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>>51589611
Yes, 100%. If your character has no goals, they may well be a wandering killbot that's been programmed to accept quests from whoever inserts a gold coin.

The first session should always always ALWAYS be the DM and the players working something out like "OK, in this next campaign you're all going to be part of a mercenary band" or "You're all going to be retainers for Lord So-and-so" or "You're all part of a group of criminals"or any kind of general premise really.

Having a premise presents a number of benefits for a potential character to be part of this plot, and from there you can look at the potential benefits you're getting and design a character who NEEDS these benefits for whatever reason. Whether that reason is access to money and resources to achieve a life's goal, the strength to save or avenge a loved one, the chance to fufill a vow or spiritual/moral obligation, whatever.

The only time it really works to have characters just meet up randomly with no goals or backstory is when you're doing a one-shot dungeon crawl or something. It's awful to take that kind of approach with longer or more serious games. Don't be pic-related, always work with your players/DM.

Savage worlds, specifically the slipstream setting.
Also M&M since you can make nearly anything you want as a character with the right powers.

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>>51588746
What's M&M?

>>51588798
Mutants and masterminds.
Check out engine heart too.

I use the tables in the DMG. If they want extra gold I give them the chance to work for it in their downtime, although they won't make much that way.

>>51589406
I've had fuck all gold for months now and our gm isn't giving us anything. Is there a way to change this without getting shitty at the gm?

>>51588525
Depends on the system.

>>51588374
Just do clone troopers and reskin them for your setting, they are perfect

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>>51588374

F.E.A.R. Replicas?

>>51588374

Well what function do you want them to serve? Any specially bred or troops thst you would have in your setting were made thst way for a reason. Militaries don't just train and equip soldiers for shit's and giggles, they do it so they can perform a job. So ask what the intended purpose is, and then how they could be kitted out or otherwise made to be better able to do that purpose. Point in case the didea in scuba gear in your pick. Republic needed troops for planets that were almost all water (why I'm not really certain), so they gave their armor fins and rebreathers and then presumably taught them to fight underwater while swimming. Just think of what you need them for and start their. Design for purposes, don't make purposes for designs.

>>51588254
Red is classic but blue is easier on the eyes.

Red > Blue

purple/gold combo

Warhammer Fantasy Role-playing 2nd Edition (WFRP) fits your criteria perfectly.

RuneQuest, Chronica Feudalis, Ars Magica if you're willing to ignore magi altogether and just play as grogs/companions - the setting is already historical Europe and despite having magic as a main system mechanic it certainly feels more low-mid magic via the execution of the system.

Or GURPS if you feel like doing some bookkeeping. Honestly you could (although not recommended) even remove all magic from Pathfinder and get what you want.

>>51587762
Thank you, I will surely look into that. Do I need to be knowledgeable about the Warhammer world or can I use my own setting?

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I havent't played MAID in quite some time, it was fun although the favour race got a little overly competative.

>spoiler
that's actually a great idea

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>>51587395
The idea behind MAID is that it's effectively a battle harem where the DM is the beta who's inexplicably a pussy magnet, right? Mite B. Cool

>>51587395
A couple of years ago; not very much; because I never watched that eye cancer.

>>51589430
>battle
Not necessarily.
>harem
Not necessarily.
>DM
No.
>beta
Not necessarily.
>pussy magnet
Not necessarily.

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Ever playing a Paladin when the GM is a known moral relativist who thinks that the Paladin class is a stupid idea since "Good" doesn't exist in a quantifiable way.

I did this twice, but that's because I wanted to be stubborn and get the fucker to either just say "no one play a Paladin" or get over his edgelord philosophy when it comes to playing people who can shoot lightning out of their nipples.

I quit before any capitulation happened, if only because I just felt miserable.

>>51587475
>edgelord philosophy

You're GM is an ass but saying moral relativists are edgelords is a gross generalization.

Also, I sure hope you're not a moral universalist. If so, kys.

>>51587986
lol, morals are absolute nerd