Tabletop Roleplaying Games (D&D, Pathfinder, CoC, ETC.)

[Wallace]

I have a massive bone to pick with this diet Communist Space Portland RPG: why are so many NPCs nerds or nerd adjacent? Sure sure, write what you know but it seems like the idiots that wrote that game don't realize nerds are just a fraction of the population. All of them have the exact same hobbies, all of them have some kind of Current Year gig job...come on. Where are the street docs or shady lawyers that'll work with criminals? How about the beaten down, cynical cops who are willing to turn a blind eye to our heroes in exchange for enough money to get his kids some new luxury? Where are the bums, the strippers, the club kids? Or...and this is the big one: the rich kid who's willing to work with the dregs of society due to a fusion of fuckyoudaditis and wanting to slum it?

I'm just saying, there's a lot of people in the world and all the NPCs are some flavor of "good with computers and being a streamer."

When your world consists of your commie Twitter hugbox, then gamers, streams, and anime fans are all there is in the world.

 

[Adamska]

I have a massive bone to pick with this diet Communist Space Portland RPG: why are so many NPCs nerds or nerd adjacent? Sure sure, write what you know but it seems like the idiots that wrote that game don't realize nerds are just a fraction of the population. All of them have the exact same hobbies, all of them have some kind of Current Year gig job...come on. Where are the street docs or shady lawyers that'll work with criminals? How about the beaten down, cynical cops who are willing to turn a blind eye to our heroes in exchange for enough money to get his kids some new luxury? Where are the bums, the strippers, the club kids? Or...and this is the big one: the rich kid who's willing to work with the dregs of society due to a fusion of fuckyoudaditis and wanting to slum it?

I'm just saying, there's a lot of people in the world and all the NPCs are some flavor of "good with computers and being a streamer."

This is what happens when you don't understand any form of sci-fi at all. A space facility should in all actuality serve one of three roles: a scientific outpost and research lab, a mining complex to capture asteroids and refine metals from, or a spaceport where you design ships for interplanetary travel. Other options are to offshore industry to it, or to offload populations you don't want onto them so they don't shit up your planet.

But nope. All nerds and consoomer shit.

 

[Corn Flakes]

This is what happens when you don't understand any form of sci-fi at all. A space facility should in all actuality serve one of three roles: a scientific outpost and research lab, a mining complex to capture asteroids and refine metals from, or a spaceport where you design ships for interplanetary travel. Other options are to offshore industry to it, or to offload populations you don't want onto them so they don't shit up your planet.

But nope. All nerds and consoomer shit.

You don't even have to go to space to see that sort of writing when it comes to these people.

Cities on Earth aren't just repositories for people either. They all sprung up for some reason, and they essentially exist for that reason. You can see very plainly what happens to a city that loses its raison d'etre in Detroit or any number of rustbelt cities once all our industry got outsourced to Mexico and China. The place almost immediately collapses. You can't build an entire city on entertainment and cyber-cafes unless you have an insane number of tourists coming through.

Yet you see these people writing cities that have no purpose other to be their own masturbatory socioeconomic utopias and/or backdrops for the cardboard cutouts they call their own characters.

 

[Adamska]

You don't even have to go to space to see that sort of writing when it comes to these people.

Cities on Earth aren't just repositories for people either. They all sprung up for some reason, and they essentially exist for that reason. You can see very plainly what happens to a city that loses its raison d'etre in Detroit or any number of rustbelt cities once all our industry got outsourced to Mexico and China. The place almost immediately collapses. You can't build an entire city on entertainment and cyber-cafes unless you have an insane number of tourists coming through.

Yet you see these people writing cities that have no purpose other to be their own masturbatory socioeconomic utopias and/or backdrops for the cardboard cutouts they call their own characters.

Yeah, any basic economics class would also be something that should teach people the basics on how to do basic worldbuilding too. Apparently that idiot missed that class too.

 

[Ghostse]

General Thread shit:

Saw this video where a huge nerd talks about what advange does to probability.

tl;dw: (Because I am not a monster who would post a 40 minute long video without posting a summary unlike some people)
A single dice roll on a d20 the average result is ~10, or 1/2 of 20
Rolling twice and picking highest, the average result is 13 almost 14, or about 2/3 of 20
Rolling three times and picking the highest, the average is around 15, or about 3/4 of 20
If you are a stickler for statistics, add 0.5 to the result.
Disadvantage is simply the reverse (1/3 of 20 + 0.5)

or tl;dr:
Advantage works out to roughly a +3 modifier. "Double advantage" is about a +5. Add 1/2 to the result (aka win on tie) if you feel benevolent.
It reverses, disadvantage is about -3 penalty, Double Disadvantage is about a -5 penalty.

I have a massive bone to pick with this diet Communist Space Portland RPG: why are so many NPCs nerds or nerd adjacent? Sure sure, write what you know but it seems like the idiots that wrote that game don't realize nerds are just a fraction of the population. All of them have the exact same hobbies, all of them have some kind of Current Year gig job...come on. Where are the street docs or shady lawyers that'll work with criminals? How about the beaten down, cynical cops who are willing to turn a blind eye to our heroes in exchange for enough money to get his kids some new luxury? Where are the bums, the strippers, the club kids? Or...and this is the big one: the rich kid who's willing to work with the dregs of society due to a fusion of fuckyoudaditis and wanting to slum it?

I'm just saying, there's a lot of people in the world and all the NPCs are some flavor of "good with computers and being a streamer."

Fags & Trannies are also a tiny portion of the population but ever single one of the 'good' NPCs is some flavor of one or both.
Since the Fags & Trannies make up the disruptive resistance, all I'm seeing here is the solution to all the station's woes is to round up the trannies into the airlocks and shoot them them into space.

Fucking based.

You can't build an entire city on entertainment and cyber-cafes

Small,regretful quibble:
That pretty much describes Portland. I had a friend who moved to Portland who as a shitlib-but-not-completely-woke (AKA Libby enough to not lose his shit at being made to live in portland, but grounded enough to be able to look around and think "This place is pretty fucked up").

You have what boils down to a small cadre of Tech Workers that are the only real economic drivers. Everything else is just incestuous money passing back and forth. In his words:
The bartenders pay the yoga instructors for class during the week, and the yoga instructors tip it right back to the bartenders on the weekend.

And sort of just like this faggot, all the 'Weird Portlanders' (aka flaming faggots (not the normal kind), trannies, junkies, parental leeches, commies, tankies, etc) all hate the "Yuppies" and "Tech Bros" despite the fact that if they yuppies & techies decided enmass that Portland sucked, they will have nothing other than tourism which the constant race riots and homeless junkies living and shitting on the sidewalk will drive off.

The same sort of thing is slowly happening in San Francisco, where the homeless now break into cars in the tourist district in broad daylight. (To quote a fairly based Indian fellow "It sort of made me feel like I was back home in Delhi, only no one had any self respect") but San Francisco has somehow managed to maintain some industry that isn't just welfare industry.

 

[Corn Flakes]

General Thread shit:

Saw this video where a huge nerd talks about what advange does to probability.

tl;dr:
A single dice roll on a d20 the average result is ~10, or 1/2 of 20
Rolling twice and picking highest, the average result is 13 almost 14, or about 2/3 of 20
Rolling three times and picking the highest, the average is around 15, or about 3/4 of 20
If you are a stickler for statistics, add 0.5 to the result.
Disadvantage is simply the inverse (1/3 of 20 + 0.5)

even more tl;dr:
Advantage works out to roughly a +3 modifier. "Double advantage" is about a +5. Add 1/2 to the roll (aka win on tie) if you feel benevolent.
It reverses, disadvantage is about -3 penalty, Double Disadvantage is about -5 penalty.

Considering how so many bonuses in 3.5e were +2 and +4, Advantage being effectively a +3 makes sense.

Although it undersells the other big benefit of advantage: a much more generous chance of a critical hit when attacking, as well as turning that automatic miss on a natural 1 from a flat 5% into a near-impossibility.

Small,regretful quibble:
That pretty much describes Portland. I had a friend who moved to Portland who as a shitlib-but-not-completely-woke (AKA Libby enough to not lose his shit at being made to live in portland, but grounded enough to be able to look around and think "This place is pretty fucked up).

You have what boils down to a small cadre of Tech Workers that are the only real economic drivers. Everything else is just incestuous money passing back and forth. In his words:
The bartenders pay the yoga instructors for class during the week, and the yoga instructors tip it right back to the bartenders on the weekend.

And sort of just like this faggot, all the 'Weird Portlanders' (aka flaming faggots (not the normal kind), trannies, junkies, parental leeches, commies, tankies, etc) all hate the "Yuppies" and "Tech Bros" despite the fact that if they yuppies & techies decided enmass that Portland sucked, they will have nothing other than tourism which the constant race riots and homeless junkies living and shitting on the sidewalk will drive off.

The same sort of thing is slowly happening in San Francisco, where the homeless now break into cars in the tourist district in broad daylight. (To quote a fairly based Indian fellow "It sort of made me feel like I was back home in Delhi, only no one had any self respect") but San Francisco has somehow managed to maintain some industry that isn't just welfare industry.

That was less a quibble and more a confirmation of my point. Despite the incestuous back and forth you described, there's still money leaving the city, and it's essentially only the tech companies bringing money in now. Even if things were happening in a fully enclosed environment, the bartenders and yoga instructors would be paying rent, and that money does not fully filter back into the local economy.

Regardless, the moment there's a crunch in the tech market and these companies start either closing down or moving to greener (read: cheaper) pastures, that entire economic ecosystem collapses. Without the yuppies and the techies, the bartenders and the yoga instructors don't get enough to make ends meet. Someone has to be productive (AKA, bring/generate income) in order for a services sector to exist. And from the descriptions here I'm really at a loss as for what, exactly, Space Portland produces.

 

[EnemyStand]

That was less a quibble and more a confirmation of my point. Despite the incestuous back and forth you described, there's still money leaving the city, and it's essentially only the tech companies bringing money in now. Even if things were happening in a fully enclosed environment, the bartenders and yoga instructors would be paying rent, and that money does not fully filter back into the local economy.

Regardless, the moment there's a crunch in the tech market and these companies start either closing down or moving to greener (read: cheaper) pastures, that entire economic ecosystem collapses. Without the yuppies and the techies, the bartenders and the yoga instructors don't get enough to make ends meet. Someone has to be productive (AKA, bring/generate income) in order for a services sector to exist. And from the descriptions here I'm really at a loss as for what, exactly, Space Portland produces.

Degeneracy? But that's not exactly a profitable export...honestly what could it produce? Energy with the solar collectors? But that assumes it produces a surplus which it probably doesn't. Not with all the high tech stuff in Space Portland. And it doesn't sound like tourists would visit often...

 

[Ghostse]

Considering how so many bonuses in 3.5e were +2 and +4, Advantage being effectively a +3 makes sense.

Although it undersells the other big benefit of advantage: a much more generous chance of a critical hit when attacking, as well as turning that automatic miss on a natural 1 from a flat 5% into a near-impossibility.

Additionally having the second bite at the apple feels better than just rolling with a +3. And like you said, if you roll two nat ones in a row, you have got to sit back and just accept the universe wanted you to fail.

I shit on 5e constantly, but I will not deny that Advantage/Disadvantage is something they nailed and something I implement whenever I can. Its a mechanic that feels more substantial than the simple +3.5/-3.5 it does to the probability matrix.

That was less a quibble and more a confirmation of my point. Despite the incestuous back and forth you described, there's still money leaving the city, and it's essentially only the tech companies bringing money in now. Even if things were happening in a fully enclosed environment, the bartenders and yoga instructors would be paying rent, and that money does not fully filter back into the local economy.

Regardless, the moment there's a crunch in the tech market and these companies start either closing down or moving to greener (read: cheaper) pastures, that entire economic ecosystem collapses. Without the yuppies and the techies, the bartenders and the yoga instructors don't get enough to make ends meet. Someone has to be productive (AKA, bring/generate income) in order for a services sector to exist. And from the descriptions here I'm really at a loss as for what, exactly, Space Portland produces.

Per Portland friend: all the rents in the non-highrises are super reasonable because most are rent controlled. The issue is finding one. What tends to end up happening is you have about 5 people in a two bedroom: one or maybe two people have some sort of marginal employment job and actually write the check. Dual income + rent control means you if you are taking over a least from the 90s you can afford to live on part-time income, barista, cleaner, or doing weird seasonal shit like going to Alaska to work in a fish processor during salmon/crab season, or doing pick up work when cruise ships unload, or writing shitty click bait articles. Craft Brewery work is also popular; One guy was living rent free as a building manager, kept bees on the roof and took they honey to the farmers market to trade for groceries.
Or the failure-to-achieve-orbit (vs. Failure-to-launch) where for mumsy and dadsy the $700/mo in rent is just another sunk-cost line item as they hope in vain their child will stop being a faggot in a dress and actually produce (or acquire, fuck it) heirs that aren't pets.
Then maybe one or two other people who live there and trade shit like Yoga Lessons (Or tattoos. I always forget about shitty hipster tats) or do housekeeping/cooking and maybe kick in a few bucks for rent/utilities. Then you have about two people who are crashing there for a few days before couch surfing to somewhere else.
This allows people to stretch savings/holiday money from parents to to really last.

I guess what I'm saying is you're 100% right about Space Portland being as unstainable as real Portland. Space Portland (full of marginally employed tranny faggot hipster doofuses) is pretty much Actual Portland, only with Robots. So if you have one of these Portland hipsters who never bothered trying to understand money, you are going write what you know:
People living in a perfect barter economy that is only being shit up by techbros doing a gentrification and overcrowding the cheap taco stand, while said hipsters are just sponging off public health benefits for horse piss.
And never thinking where the money to pay for your latest-model iPhone and data plan ACTUALLY comes from, because it sure as shit isn't trading community garden cabbage for new shoelaces.

(Sorry, you triggered my autism. I fucking hate portland type naval gazing daddy's money commies)

 

[The Ugly One]

Considering how so many bonuses in 3.5e were +2 and +4, Advantage being effectively a +3 makes sense.

Although it undersells the other big benefit of advantage: a much more generous chance of a critical hit when attacking, as well as turning that automatic miss on a natural 1 from a flat 5% into a near-impossibility.


That was less a quibble and more a confirmation of my point. Despite the incestuous back and forth you described, there's still money leaving the city, and it's essentially only the tech companies bringing money in now. Even if things were happening in a fully enclosed environment, the bartenders and yoga instructors would be paying rent, and that money does not fully filter back into the local economy.

Regardless, the moment there's a crunch in the tech market and these companies start either closing down or moving to greener (read: cheaper) pastures, that entire economic ecosystem collapses. Without the yuppies and the techies, the bartenders and the yoga instructors don't get enough to make ends meet. Someone has to be productive (AKA, bring/generate income) in order for a services sector to exist. And from the descriptions here I'm really at a loss as for what, exactly, Space Portland produces.

Portland's economic reason to exist is right there in the name. Two major rivers intersect there. It's funny that his guy wrote Space Portland without it even being spaceport.

 

[Another Char Clone]

So if you have one of these Portland hipsters who never bothered trying to understand money, you are going write what you know:
People living in a perfect barter economy that is only being shit up by techbros doing a gentrification and overcrowding the cheap taco stand, sponging off public health benefits for horse piss.
And never thinking where the money to pay for your latest-model iPhone and data plan ACTUALLY comes from, because it sure as shit isn't trading community garden cabbage for new shoelaces.

Rated for thunk-provoking.
You can be illiterate in Eclipse Phase yet function nearly fine by recognizing smartphone icons, I guess this is it too with regards to understanding money.

 

[Mr. Manchester]

Additionally having the second bite at the apple feels better than just rolling with a +3. And like you said, if you roll two nat ones in a row, you have got to sit back and just accept the universe wanted you to fail.

I shit on 5e constantly, but I will not deny that Advantage/Disadvantage is something they nailed and something I implement whenever I can. Its a mechanic that feels more substantial than the simple +3.5/-3.5 it does to the probability matrix.

I like the advantage system too for the exact same reason. It's just fun to roll a couple of dice and it doubles your chances to roll something really cool. That being said I think it could work along side some static circumstance bonuses. Attacking a prone enemy is a good giver of advantage but then there's no reason for a rogue to stealth up. Maybe add a +1 for each extra circumstance? Same could work for disadvantage. Fighting blind should be bad but fighting blind while on the ground should be harder.

Don't know how that would affect the mechanics and I might just want it there to make my 'tism happy.

 

[Ghostse]

I like the advantage system too for the exact same reason. It's just fun to roll a couple of dice and it doubles your chances to roll something really cool. That being said I think it could work along side some static circumstance bonuses. Attacking a prone enemy is a good giver of advantage but then there's no reason for a rogue to stealth up. Maybe add a +1 for each extra circumstance? Same could work for disadvantage. Fighting blind should be bad but fighting blind while on the ground should be harder.

Don't know how that would affect the mechanics and I might just want it there to make my 'tism happy.

If you want to give multiple bonuses after giving advantage, just do +3 (double advantage) or +5 (triple advantage). Turn those +'s to -'s for disadvantage. You could also just crib from 4e and give a -+2.

Changing from multiple rolls to a bonus fucks with the probability a tiny bit, especially at the low and high ends of the spectrum (i.e. assuming 1 is always a failure this means the floor of a roll is 5, and the ceiling is 23. So it means you are unlikely to fuck up easy things, and may be able to pull off impossible things). But honestly the effect should be fairly minor.

I will also say that the +3/-3 instead of advantage/disadvantage would be good for ordinary monsters so DM combat processing takes less time. You remove the double odds of critical failure/success, but I'd call that a reasonable trade off for mooks.
Bosses & important enemies I'd roll like they were PCs.

 

[Zaryiu2]

So I'm trying to get some Pathfinder 1e to finish my collection but some are available nowhere or any torrent is dead, any of you able to help me?

 

[Mr. Manchester]

So I'm trying to get some Pathfinder 1e to finish my collection but some are available nowhere or any torrent is dead, any of you able to help me?

Not sure about PDFs but if you're looking for rules d20pfsrd.com/ has them all. It's kind of a mess but the search works all right so you'll find what you want. You might be able to go on /tg/ and find an archived thread but I'm not sure.

 

[Road Work Ahead]

So I'm trying to get some Pathfinder 1e to finish my collection but some are available nowhere or any torrent is dead, any of you able to help me?

Which books are you missing?

 

[Zaryiu2]

Which books are you missing?

I'll look it up to be sure, I'll edit this post with the list of what I lack

 

[Capsaicin Addict]

If you're looking for splat/rules, the archives of Nethys has all that.

If you're looking for adventure paths, toss me a DM, I know someplace.

 

[Zaryiu2]

So I am missing all the adventure paths from Hell's Vengeance to Tyrant Grasp, Numeria campaign setting book, Distant Realms, Familiar Folio, Blood of the Beast, Heroes of Golarion, Strategy Guide, Pathfinder Unchained, Book of The Damned, Ultimate Wilderness and Planar Adventures

 

[anti SJW]

 

[Adamska]

View attachment 3650669

And then the guards still mass up and beat or murder the shit out of that rogue for breaking laws.

Because alignment is not a get out of jail card.