Archived threads in /tg/ - Traditional Games - 3032. page

Cult leaders aren't crazy, cult followers are.

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>>48673129

>>48673156

Some cult leaders are genuinely crazy. OP pic related.

>>48673129

They've gotta be the functional kind of crazy, OP. And crazy charismatic. It works best when you have the kind of world or region situation where people are really desperate for something to cling to, preferably something with immediate results.

Think about why Scientology got so popular, for instance.

Created in an era where the solution to people's problems was to throw them into mental hospitals, lobotomize and drug them up, and let them rot: Seeking help for your problems more often than not got you killed or destroyed.

So here comes along this "philosophy", not a religion(or at least that's what they'll tell you) about self-improvement and self-help a good decade or two before self-help becomes a thing, telling you that you can take your well-being into your hands and become a better person.

Wouldn't you hop on board?


The thing about transformative experiences is that you feel indebted to people who made you better. And that support groups can use the same kind of social pressure around making you keep promises on self-improvement to shut up, or to do things you really shouldn't do.


Focus on the HELPFUL aspects of the cult behavior first. Label things in the setting that definitely need to be corrected. And then build around this single charismatic, sociopathic person who may either be manipulative, or who may be a true believer, who is bringing genuine good to people, but that it leads them down a terrible path.

>>48673128
No, on the belief that anyone and anything can overcome their nature if they truly wish too. Is that a naive hope and probable mistake? Most likely, but it's mine to make. Also killing children is never ok you fuck.

>>48673246
>Most likely, but it's mine to make.
It's not "yours to make" if the consequences affect everyone else, you selfish fucker.

If cambions are truly 100% evil, then there is 0% chance of reform. Kill it.

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>>48673128

L@@K GAIZ, the orc baby wat do troll has a BRAND NEW angle on her tired old false dilemma. SPOILER:

Gotta smite ALL the evil, kiddo.

He's all about making sure the dead are treated with respect, that proper funerals are done, that undead are destroyed, etc.

>>48673014
There are a shit ton of cleric guides which you can research yourself.

In regards staying in alignment, a neutral cleric of death is a protector of the sanctity of death. Undead and those who try to prolong their lives by evil means are an abomination in a death cleric's eyes.

Lawful good death cleric could be a benevolent executioner for the law, who makes sure the evil beings he kills receive a swift, painless death.

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>>48673014
Go take a look at the Old Kingdom series, the Abhorsen caste is what you're looking for.

Make sure the dead keep traveling in the right astral direction, put down the ones that would rather cling to and inevitably prey upon life, and seal away those beings that can't or won't stay down forever.

Weighted heavily towards the role of spiritual enforcer over guide/psychopomp, but can fulfill either well. Tactical funerals ahoy.

>>48672748

Lovecraftian material falls flat on its ass in Middle Earth because Middle Earth has a clearly-established Catholic cosmology.

Who was that one guy who wrote Lovecraft novels and everyone hates? Who turned it into an actual Good vs Evil struggle with the Evil old gods always getting BTFO'd? Best case scenario it'd be kinda like that.

At the smaller scale, there's nothing Lovecraft influences can add which isn't already covered in what Tolkien wrote.

>>48672748
>system/book would you recommend for a Fantasy Dark Ages lovecraftian horror?
Call of Cthulhu Dark Ages. It's geared toward the actual Dark Ages rather than fantasy but it is a rulebook for running CoC games set during sword swinging times.

As for your first question, Ungoliant is as close as you are gonna get to an actual "Lovecraftian" entity in Middle Earth but I remember seeing some fan theory about how Tom Bombadil is actually some sort of ancient evil. It's a fun take on the character, even if it really doesn't work without fucking around with Tolkien's original intentions.

What about the nameless things Gandalf was meant to have seen when he was having his punch up with the Balrog beneath Moria?

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>>48672417
>Washed up ex-navy pilot who got thrown out for some reason or other
>thrill-junkie flying-ace wannabe
>flight school dropout who decided to see the universe than stay on the family farm

Not particularly unique, but there's only so far you can go before you start adding role-nonspecific character traits

>>48672486
*rather than stay on the family farm

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>>48672417
>"Hope you enjoyed the ride."

>>48671551
You sound like a bitch.

There's nothing wrong with porn so long as it's not taken to excess. Calling it PMO in order to try and make it sound like an inflicted mental illness is just further proof of your inadequacy.

Mankind has thrived on porn, technology is progressed on porn, wars are fought over porn.

This whole
>partially nude models and some 40k fan art are making me flinch
shit is hilarious how the female form makes you quiver like a sissy.

tl;dr - Get a life

>>48671551
I guess it really depends on what 40k army you roll with, is guess sisters of battle would maybe cause issues, or something else, however if you played something more like imperial guard like me then you don't really experience much issue with half-nude models.

>>48671584
not OP, you think that someone actively trying to stop their addiction is a bad thing? Even if it clearly has negative effects on that person's life?

>>48671142
Entering an elven tomb to gather magical trinkets to sell. The players expect the start of a BBEG, but it's a routine mission

>>48671156
Make them think this is the start of a new campaign, and that there could be a chekov's gun hidden somewhere. Make up some myths and legends about the place that they'll think are important, but really aren't.

>>48671142
You're a horrible person and you should feel bad for letting your friends down like this.

That being said, pirate invasion.

>>48671110
There's a suggestion for a variant in the book that describes how you would do it.

>>48671110

Tome of Battle, page 20, under "adaptation". It is basically an Alternative Class Feature, where you trade the Swordsage's light armour proficiency for Improved Unarmed Strike and unarmed damage as per Monk.

>>48671158
>>48671259
Didn't really want to try and modify the class like that, but it seems harmless enough. Thanks.

He was in jail for the last 12 years for the brutal rape and murder of a young girl that he committed while still a minor. Basically, the only reason he's not still in jail is because he wasn't tried as an adult, though the prosecution wanted him to be on account of the severity and brutality of his crime.

Some of the descriptions of the scene are genuinely bone-chilling, because this guy did not let her die quickly, but dragged out the process for what was close to sixteen hours. Hearing him describe it in his own words only makes it worse, because it's clear that while he was testifying, far from showing any remorse, he was clearly quite proud and excited by what he had done.

>>48670986
>for the last 12 years
2011 Player of the Year, 2010 Vintage World Champ

Okay then.

Googling "Owen Turtenwald controversy", he apparently said "I have lost all respect" about another pro, who went for a shiny card (valued a couple of hundred $) in draft rather than one that might be more likely to make him win.

>>48671244
The funny part, is that if he didn't take that Goyf, he probably would have wound up getting fucked by it in the matches.

We can all claim that he lost because he didn't have the Burst Lightning when he needed it, but for all we know those situations might never arisen because he let someone else have one of the most potent cards in the environment.

>>48670797
You'll need to check your local area out man. Go find a game store near you and see what they play. If there isn't any or none do, then google local clubs/facebook stuff. If all else fails make one if you need to then.

Most of those games have good starter sets, but the really supported ones are AoS and Kings of War. 9th Age might be good but there's no official support, same with Warhammer. Not only that, but they require a bit of buy in to get to the 'good stuff' which makes them expensive.

Assuming you decide AoS or KoW, decide if you want a 'realistic'/standard fantasy game of mass battles with ranks and files, or a pretty crazy skirmish game that gets big and has some wacky background. If the former Kow, the latter AoS

>I want to start playing some fantasy miniatures wargame which one to choose?
whatever is played near you

>What is the best intro set to buy
For those 4 and knowing nothing about local rules and what you're going to be playing, Buy 2 or 3 perry miniatures plastic kits and paint some empire/free people/league of rhordia. Add some reaper bones for spice.

>>48670797
If you like what's in your image then Kings of War in all honesty is your best bet. I prefer Warhammer but right now it's not very accommodating to new players.

>>48670792
> and I will destroy your insufferable Traditional Games board if you can create for me a board game

ya fucked up OP

It's fully co-operative.

Shouldn't it be the other way around so we have to make a board game to stop you destroying us?

>>48670424
Yes, back during the days Scholomance, when we tried to make a diceless game about schoolkids in a grimdark Hogwarts.

We tried to make a build-a-spell system for that but it ended up being massively clunky, with too many variables and piles of balance issues.

>>48670424
Ars Magica, check it out. The concept of the system is great, the mechanics of it are not so great. Also the whole troupe idea is pretty neat as well, take a look see for yourself.

>>48670539
>cont.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ars_Magica

ok

I assume they are either cosplayers or from some other plane system where retarded morality of D&D doesn't work

>>48670268

Find a new DM that follows the rules instead of subjective morality bullshit.

It's a lot of fun.

If you haven't already read Homeland by R.A. Salvatore, I'd recommend also picking it up at the library. It's the first of the Dark Elf Trilogy, and it really dives deep into the worship of Lolth, and though it takes place in a different drow city than the one in this module, it might help inspire you and give you a better feel for the cruelty of the underdark.

>>48670132
I'll check it out, thanks.

Going to look online now for examples of Drow cruelty.

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>>48670190

Here's some examples from Dragon Magazine, including the infamous portion that explains why drow, in such a murderous and self-serving society, still reproduce at above-replacement rate. Its on page 3 of this PDF.

>>48669840
She's a vampire, she has charisma outta the ass. Bluff and Diplomacy, baby

>>48669840
Because the internal logic of the joke doesn't make any sense.

>>48669840
By fucking them