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

[King Dead]

Eh? What are you playing anyway? If you're playing a magic filled TTRPG then your DM is the wrong kind of autistic. Did he ever explain or is it the "neutrons firing in a way I don't like" kind of unexplainable hatred?

We're a bunch of 5e casuals.

I think what it generally boils down to is that the DM has it in his mind that magic can be used to solve too many problems too easily, so he wants to limit its use as much as possible. Forcing the wizard to have to study for many in-game days to learn a useful spell like Leomund's Tiny Hut instead of getting to pick it as a free level-up spell, refusing to ever let us find bags of holding because they trivialize encumbrance rules (that nobody actually cares about), and so on. Hell, part of the campaign itself involves a kingdom where magic is restricted and the wizard PC (the aforementioned busy guy) is essentially a magic inquisitor who's one of the few legally allowed to practice.

I legitimately have no idea where this bugaboo of his comes from, but it's retarded that he's fallen into the all-too-common trap of trying to force 5e into being a game it's explicitly not designed to be. Magic is already limited in terms of how many slots a caster gets per day, not to mention the number of spells they can know/have prepared, but that isn't enough for his liking. We had to talk him down from more severe restrictions like spellcasting actively harming the caster, thankfully, but I know that's what he'd prefer.

He was also not that favorable about my hypothetically DMing an Eberron campaign because of its widespread low-level magic usage because he found that silly. I've given up trying to understand.

Ah, perfect. I wouldn't say it's dumb since when they have the time they can return, however I believe making them a DMPC or have another player take over and fill the guy in afterwards is a better solution.

I might as well mention it: the method is he wants to be turned into a cat somehow. Literally just a cat, nothing special about it. Why? I don't know, he wants to be a cat. Again, I've given up trying to understand. So he'd still be there, just not really doing anything anymore, but there's an opening for him to come back if he's able to.

The DM is going along with it but is leaning towards said cat being unable to talk because, in his words, cats don't have the biological ability to speak like people do. Never mind that talking animals are very much a thing in D&D, that fantasy trope is just too unrealistic for him. I might be able to convince him otherwise, but I'm also wondering if it's even worth bothering.

Also not a bad choice, again if you can't make it then I'm sorry but you should be removed from the group. I've done it, people here have done it, I've removed myself once since I also suddenly had way less time to play. It's the right thing to do, the alterative is that no one gets to play.
Hope the hypothetical new player isn't terrible, would rather take Schrodinger's Player than some mystery meat freak.

I don't know them personally, but other players do, and I don't think there will be an issue there. Still unknown if they'll show up or not, but we'll see.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

We're a bunch of 5e casuals

I hate your DM now. Nigger picks 5e, which alone is bad enough, but he also hates magic yet plays one of the most magic heavy editions of DnD and one of the most magic heavy games period.

Forcing the wizard to have to study for many in-game days to learn a useful spell like Leomund's Tiny Hut instead of getting to pick it as a free level-up spell, refusing to ever let us find bags of holding because they trivialize encumbrance rules (that nobody actually cares about), and so on. Hell, part of the campaign itself involves a kingdom where magic is restricted and the wizard PC (the aforementioned busy guy) is essentially a magic inquisitor who's one of the few legally allowed to practice.

I mean, by itself that does sound like it could make for a fun campaign, but something tells me how it's implemented is mind numbing boring and spiteful. Again, why play a magic heavy game when you hate magic? I've never heard of magic making a campaign too easy either, if it is then just set up more ways for it to be challenging to them specifically without it being some anti-fun, spite driven mechanics changes that might break shit or cause more problems than not.

We had to talk him down from more severe restrictions like spellcasting actively harming the caster, thankfully, but I know that's what he'd prefer.

Again, that could be interesting if done right, but again it can't be done right if the goal is "lol fuck magic." And like you said, it really does sound like he's trying to make 5e into something it's not. You need to find more people to play with man.

He was also not that favorable about my hypothetically DMing an Eberron campaign because of its widespread low-level magic usage because he found that silly. I've given up trying to understand.

He's the one that's silly. He clearly doesn't want to play anything other than 5e but tries to force the game into being another game, at least in the magic department. Seriously, you gotta get outta there.

Literally just a cat, nothing special about it. Why? I don't know, he wants to be a cat. Again, I've given up trying to understand.

Oh God he's a closet furry isn't he? That leans to even darker paths. Truly a blessing in disguise.

The DM is going along with it but is leaning towards said cat being unable to talk because, in his words, cats don't have the biological ability to speak like people do.

Dude. Fuck this guy. He just wants 5e but low fantasy at this point, so just play another fucking game! Your DM sounds infuriating.

I'm also wondering if it's even worth bothering.

It's not. Either stand adamant on running another game (like Aquelarre) where magic isn't really the focal point or just flee for the hills. Maybe bring some other players in your group that might be open to something new hopefully.

 

[Hatewerfer]

Gloomhaven

I have played a decent amount of that and its sequel Frosthaven. Both fun, even if we do homerule things to be more fun such as being able to swap out ability cards each session because it would fucking suck to pidgeonhole your character into being complete shit or even worse, not fun. Don't care if it breaks the rules, the scenarios in there are hard enough that it doesn't matter and if you're stuck playing a bad character and can't adapt them to the team and mission for months on end it would kill any desire to actually play.

Spoiler: spoiler for unlockable class in frosthaven

Crashing Tide in Frosthaven is very fun. That crab dude rocks and the tactics are so retarded yet fun. Did not think you'd be able to play a Lurker but that was a pleasant surprise.

 

[Anonymus Fluhre]

Weekend game was pretty fun. 12 hours of gaming, four hours per system played. One of my sons stepped into play. One guy in the group had a one shot Star Trek game for us to play which my son was interested in. Didn't have an issue with this cough I have until after the session ended then spent the majority of the night coughing so hard I was getting dizzy.

Lex Arcana I feel needs more than a four hour session for a good game. GI Joe isn't too bad of a game if you need a one shot adventure. Very easy to set up a mission with disposable troops and vehicles since that's all Cobra is about. We decided to try and do a Cobra adventure next time for a better difficulty.


No games until the week again so I have to find the time to organize another 3200 books, maps, and handouts. Been putting it off too long.

 

[Acrid Alchemist]

Jesus fucking Christ you need to share more of these. I think I saw someone post about a Pokemon campaign in the GameFinder thread but I don't recall, it was around January.

Yeah that was me. I had found this group in the GameFinder thread from the week before Christmas but was chatting about it in the January thread to keep the thread bumped for a couple days.

The magic woowoo character communed with the nature spirit and was told where the poachers were coming from. When they looted the poacher they got the business card for who was sending them out and they called the number. They were offered a job but had to come to the office to pick up their assignment and supplies. The group has been so money hungry that some of them might actually want to take the contract. It wouldn't be the first time the group turned on each other. When they were walking along the edge of the fairy forest they stumbled upon a group of Fighting types trying to clear out a part of the forest to build a dojo and the minions of the Forest Spirit were fighting them. Two of the group took the side of the Forest, the magic woowoo character and the musician, and two took the side of "industry", the snotty rich kid and the boy scout who only joined that side to make it fair. Except instead of helping either side win they just fought amongst each other like 30 feet from the warring critters. Their little tussle didn't amount to much but it did start the now reoccurring bit of the snotty rich kid infuriating someone into punching him in the face.

The musician has also signed a few checks he couldn't cash. First the group was wandering around a cave and he saw some Digletts minding their own business and so he wandered away from the group to kick one and was then shocked when he was swarmed down in a flurry of mole claws. A few days later the group decided to dip into a cave for someplace to camp for the night. In it they found a single Whismur. The musician immediately had his Makuhita assault it and one shot it and they camped almost directly on its unconscious body. It woke up in the night, snuck off and came back with its evolved family in the morning for revenge. The musician took this as a personal insult and kidnapped this Whismur after the fight. Not caught it. No he shoved it unconscious into his bag and hauled it off. The next session he left it at the Pokemon Center in the middle of nowhere along with his Makuhita to start building a dojo. At that Pokemon Center the group had run into the brother of the poacher from the forest who was trying to find his missing brother. The group let slip they knew what happened but refused to tell him so they started a battle. The musician decided "Well this guy is probably a bad guy too so we can break the rules" and stepped into the battlefield and was subsequently one shot by the guy's Dusclops. In revenge the group wrapped the guy up in the rich kid's Seviper and beat the shit out of him in front of a witness. They then tried to steal his wallet, unsuccessfully, while he was in a hospital bed. The poacher 's brother and that Whismur will be back. Maybe together. But they are now banned from the Pokemon Center where this all happened.

In the next session or two they are finally doing their first Gym battle so we'll see how that goes or if they end up grilling the Gym Leader about his strange Pokemon like they have for everyone else who has had one.

 

[AnOminous]

Forcing the wizard to have to study for many in-game days to learn a useful spell like Leomund's Tiny Hut instead of getting to pick it as a free level-up spell, refusing to ever let us find bags of holding because they trivialize encumbrance rules (that nobody actually cares about), and so on.

That's some gay bullshit, man. I was always ridiculously generous with bags of holding because encumbrance rules fucking suck. Who wants to deal with that bullshit?

And if your answer is "a complete fag," yes, that's the right answer.

 

[Sayer of the N-Word]

That's some gay bullshit, man. I was always ridiculously generous with bags of holding because encumbrance rules fucking suck. Who wants to deal with that bullshit?

Encumberance is crucial if you're moving large amounts of treasure or precious goods, especially out of a dungeon where you likely can't bring a cart and may have to fight your way out of. It changes the character of overland travel too, no handwaving anything if you make it to the surface and find out that bullywugs have killed your horses and camp followers.

 

[AnOminous]

Encumberance is crucial if you're moving large amounts of treasure or precious goods, especially out of a dungeon where you likely can't bring a cart and may have to fight your way out of. It changes the character of overland travel too, no handwaving anything if you make it to the surface and find out that bullywugs have killed your horses and camp followers.

Yeah but it's the most boring shit imaginable. Bag of holding? Makes that boring shit disappear.

 

[Sayer of the N-Word]

Yeah but it's the most boring shit imaginable. Bag of holding? Makes that boring shit disappear.

Different strokes!

 

[Hatewerfer]

That's some gay bullshit, man. I was always ridiculously generous with bags of holding because encumbrance rules fucking suck. Who wants to deal with that bullshit?

And if your answer is "a complete fag," yes, that's the right answer.

Well call me a flaming cocksucking homosexual because encumbrance rules fucking rule. You wanna wear some WW1 heritage Sappenpanzer while carrying a 1908 Mondragon rifle in my GURPS African mercenary campaign? Cool, but that comes with a big penalty because it's fucking super heavy, and you're dying in the horrible heat. You wanna wear some light safari gear and wield a Bulldog revolver? You get to be fast and unencumbered, but you aint likely to survive getting shot. It adds extra fun with the right players who appreciate that level of extra interaction with the world.

 

[Halbschwanz]

I should watch the animated series of Justice League. That supposedly gives each character a chance to shine, with The Question being the best character of the show, and he's just a guy as far as I know.

Justice League Unlimited is the one you're thinking of. It usually managed that by limiting which heroes appeared in each episode to maintain stakes. Its predecessor, Justice League, was really bad about making Supes into a jobber and having him forget his power set until it was convenient.

Different strokes!

Encumbrance is a pain in the ass for a straight up doorkicker game, but makes for interesting considerations in a game like Knave where equipment is your lifeblood and effectively serves as your abilities. I think there was a Finnish RPG that tied spells to equipment items as well, but I don't recall the name at the moment.

 

[The Ugly One]

And lord, do we ever have combat, which makes up the bulk of our sessions, with very little opportunities to actually do any roleplaying.

Unfathomably based.

I think what it generally boils down to is that the DM has it in his mind that magic can be used to solve too many problems too easily, so he wants to limit its use as much as possible. Forcing the wizard to have to study for many in-game days to learn a useful spell like Leomund's Tiny Hut instead of getting to pick it as a free level-up spell, refusing to ever let us find bags of holding because they trivialize encumbrance rules (that nobody actually cares about), and so on. Hell, part of the campaign itself involves a kingdom where magic is restricted and the wizard PC (the aforementioned busy guy) is essentially a magic inquisitor who's one of the few legally allowed to practice.

If this nigger hates magic so much, you should switch to Traveller.

 

[LovisXVI]

If this nigger hates magic so much, you should switch to Traveller.

Considering Traveller is also 50% the logistics of moving stuff around, I'm surprised he hasn't.

 

[Brain Problems]

Our group has been in something of a holding pattern for a while now for a variety of reasons. They're all good people, but there have been issues with regards to scheduling and the campaign itself.

With regards to the former, it's mostly due to one player in particular who's been busy with some stressful RL stuff. Not like, gravely serious or anything, but mentally taxing, so he's frequently not been in the mood to actually play. Personally, I would welcome an opportunity to just relax and hang out for a few hours, but he doesn't see it that way. The DM wants everyone there for the story to continue, so if anyone cancels, it's basically a no-go for that session.

While I'm normally loathe to overstuff player groups I think that unless you've got Ride or Die members with consistent appearances and the apparently rare, superhuman skill to actually give a shit and show up on a semi-regular schedule, you should always try to have more players than you think you need because brother, you will be fighting Schedulor the Destroyer every week so you need a PC buffer.

That's why I'm happy to go on sans one PC or maybe even two if I'm feeling saucy and aggravated enough but less than that and it's a reschedule. We've got a bit of an issue in one group we're playing where one guy who was a regular has suddenly fucking disappeared and won't even respond to messages. It's pretty rude to be honest and he's a total write-off but that's one semi-permanent buffer player gone and we rely on one more to round out encounters or else the DM's campaign can feel a bit overtuned in one direction for the "core" party members ie. people that show up every time, most of the time (three PCs).

Encumbrance is a pain in the ass for a straight up doorkicker games, but makes for interesting considerations in a game like Knave where equipment is your lifeblood and effectively serves as your abilities.

I treat encumbrance kinda like CoC treats money: as something as only an issue if you're starting to push the limits on what should be normal or within the realm of normal for your characters/party. Yeah, you found a treasure chest of gold and gems that is probably insanely heavy but whatever, I'll say you and the team and schlep that back who cares, you're already apparently holding like 1500gp and other shit too.

Oh you found a giant throne room treasury filled with gem-crusted statuettes, glittering battleaxes, and piles of gold? Okay, let's think about this a bit more now, shall we?

 

[Sayer of the N-Word]

I treat encumbrance kinda like CoC treats money: as something as only an issue if you're starting to push the limits on what should be normal or within the realm of normal for your characters/party. Yeah, you found a treasure chest of gold and gems that is probably insanely heavy but whatever, I'll say you and the team and schlep that back who cares, you're already apparently holding like 1500gp and other shit too.

Oh you found a giant throne room treasury filled with gem-crusted statuettes, glittering battleaxes, and piles of gold? Okay, let's think about this a bit more now, shall we?

Depending on the system, 1500gp can weigh as little as 30 pounds and be carried in two buckets. It's the extra arms and armor that slows down would-be looters in an encumberance-conscious game.

 

[Brain Problems]

Depending on the system, 1500gp can weigh as little as 30 pounds and be carried in two buckets. It's the extra arms and armor that slows down would-be looters in an encumberance-conscious game.

Yeah fair, I was just trying to make a point about not caring until it seems like it would be logistically stupid/ridiculous. We had a situation where we were trying to basically loot an armory to prop up some undersupplied militias and it became an issue of mathing out how much the Bag of Holding could take, how much our rides could carry, how much we could hold ourselves... To be honest it wasn't that tedious but it was very silly and nerdy but hey, we're already sitting around playing pretend with dice, what's a bit more added to the mix.

 

[Manly_Brony]

Great ideas. Might steal some of these.

You can steal all. Be my guest! And don't be afraid to switch up rogues too!

I guess they want to play existing characters instead of creating their own. Which comic book universe?

 

[Sayer of the N-Word]

Over on r/DnD, the sub which has a tranny Beholder in its banner, a redditor asks for some help: a player is trying to get rid of a genie without triggering a monkey's paw trap, but no competent DM will let that slide, so he's looking for suggestions. I particularly like the painting idea: when they get back to town they find out that the genie materialized in the king's banquet hall, blasted his favorite painting with a lightning bolt, told the king why he did it and exactly who made the wish, and vanished. Now the king is pissed and our heroes are going to have to answer a few difficult questions...

The No Fun Brigade see it differently.

Is there a reason for wanting repercussions here? It seems pretty reasonable.

Hot take: just let the wish happen. Now there's no genie and you can just keep playing.

That's just screwing people over for the sake of it; the idea of twisting wishes is the whole "careful what you wish for" lesson, not "whatever you do, the world will screw you."

Original | Archive

40 comments and the post's updoots are below zero, which is the Reddit equivalent of getting ratio'd. The funny thing is that the majority of the comments are actually constructive, but the Critical Role crowd just can't handle the idea of a DM not just letting a player get what they want so that the group can move on and find more opportunities to talk in a silly pirate voice.

Edit: meanwhile, someone's nigger demon twink OC gets tons of upvotes:

Spoiler: NSFW

Link

Here's another masterpiece:

Spoiler: DO NOT CLICK

Link

Neither of these are tagged as NSFW, of course.

 

[Judge Dredd]

I guess they want to play existing characters instead of creating their own. Which comic book universe?

No. I was just using them as examples of power levels.

The two PCs in question.
One is basically Goku via One Punch Man. An anthropomorphic monkey that can fly, has super strength, and ki/energy blasts. He rejects systems that don't allow his character to do his signature move. Hitting people with heavy objects like tanks.
The other is basically low tier Iron Man. A woman running around in high tech armour that can stop small arms fire. Has no laser beams or flight powers or super strength. It's just "person in above average body armour".

And their players are the two people who keep hinting for me to run a super game.

Another thing I didn't mention is, I'm not a comics guy, so don't know where the legally distinct or obscure reference thing ends. eg. In the Necessary Evil campaign, "Dr Destruction" is clearly meant to be Dr Doom. But I don't know who the other major NPCs are supposed to be.

 

[Tri-Tachyon'sClown]

40 comments and the post's updoots are below zero, which is the Reddit equivalent of getting ratio'd. The funny thing is that the majority of the comments are actually constructive, but the Critical Role crowd just can't handle the idea of a DM not just letting a player get what they want so that the group can move on and find more opportunities to talk in a silly pirate voice.

Critical Role has been a disaster towards the TTRPG community. For people so fixated on RPing like CR, they sure don't like the idea of someone RPing a way out of a monkey's paw situation.