| What's Your Favorite World... And Why?; Favorite Campaign Settings | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 26 2007, 08:39 PM (708 Views) | |
| kismetrose | May 29 2007, 12:27 PM Post #31 |
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Actually, I hate to say it, but that sounds kinda cool. But it also sounds less sword and sorcery and more sci fi, at least as I see it. I tend to look at medievalized fantasy as the place for magic and sci fi as the place for mental disciplines/psychic powers. That has to do with the impressions I have of the genres, though, and other people have different visions. But I also see a spectrum in either case. There are spectrums of magic use - early Willow had to struggle to do what she did, and the witches in Buffy tend to need materials and rituals to cast. There were rituals that the show let us see, and we also got glimpses of the occult store where Willow got all of her goodies. Some people like to play their games with very ritualized magic, to make it feel special and mystical and not just like a game mechanic. Other people really cut the magic down and make even the smallest spells very big deals. Overall, however, to return to our example - as Buffy went on it seemed to show less of the magic spells, especially if they were "routine." The show had other things that needed the air time. Some people play their games something like that. Most spells seem to be rather routine, at least to the caster, who's studied them a million times. (NPCs might have marked reactions to magic, and spellcasters who spontaneously cast spells are probably shocked the first few times a spell manifests.) Since PCs are often adventurers on the go, they don't always have the time or space to cast more ritual-bound magic. So, in D&D for instance, spell components are given in the spell description but a lot of groups don't bother with them unless they're special in some way (rare, expensive, etc.). The books don't really give specifics about how spells are cast so most players don't bother with supplying the details. Magic details are passed over in favor of other details.
Actually, I know that there are classes on Tolkien in some places. The only way I can see having a roleplaying game class in a college is through community classes. Our local community college hosts regular classes offered by folks in the community, teaching things from wire wrapped jewelry to computer courses. I could see offering a class about roleplaying but I'm honestly not sure how many people would sign up; it would depend on the area and visibility of the course. And what would such a class cover?
Four people are far too few to imply a gender bias, but it would be interesting to know if there was a gender difference.
Valefor has mentioned a few times that while he likes having magical items without necessarily having to find them left for little apparent reason in a dungeon somewhere, he does wish that major magical items were more distinct. When you can pay to have effects added to your gear, then some of the mystery is worn away. I think he'd also enjoy a weapon with a sense of history and distinctness from other weapons of its type. |
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Kismet's D&D - WoD - SG-1 - FB | |
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| Have Dice Will Travel | May 29 2007, 02:47 PM Post #32 |
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Ritual Partaker
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All of the magic weapons in our Rome game are gifts to the PCs from higher-ups or family members. I think the best is a +2. Everything else was tailor made either for a PC or an NPC or we had to seek it out. Come to think of it there's more in the way of magic items in that game than in many of his other games. As a magic user I don't even have an AC (sorry defense) enhancer anymore. I gave it to the NPC husband when he went off to war. He hasn't given it back. <_<
We're too small a sample. Though I do find more female players than male tend to play magic users. It's by no means a rule though. Star Child plays mostly fighter types, she has ridiculously good dice luck though which may be part of it. |
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| PillBox | May 29 2007, 03:09 PM Post #33 |
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Habitual Offender
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Do you guys use the GLORY OF ROME setting (from 2nd Edition)? I was thinking about this today. I May create a basic setting in Briton, just as the Romans have left. The Major Race will be Human, while all other races will be extremely rare (the next most common in Briton will be the 'Alvs', making up around 0.5% of the population). The Picts/Scotts will be moving into 'Angliland' from 'Caledonia', being driven south by a warlike people called the 'Grellmen'. (They in turn being a race I made up - look almost exactly like humans, but taller and stronger.) Wales (with Gwynedd the most powerful kingdom) may have a slightly higher level of creatures within Briton. This also made me think ... surely if mythical creatures would be so rare, people would have a fear of them, so I have started working on a basic Fear system. Basically, each time a monster is encountered, a fear check is made. If this is the first time a particular creature is encountered, a fear check will be made at -4. If this check fails, the next check will be at -4 for the next encounter, and goes on until the character passes, at which point, the next check will be at -2. The same process repeats itself, until another pass is made at which there is not penalty. If when the check is eventually passed at this level, the Character will not fear that creature anymore. Fear could be made as a DC 10 + Creatures HD. Wisdom Modifier may adjust. Anyways, it's only basic stuff for now. I may event treat magic in a similar way using fear checks. Dont know what the actuall results of a fear check may yet be, maybe penalties to attacks, saves etc. Does anyone use this kind of system at all? |
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The Hauteville Campaign - based in the Forgotten Realms 'It does not matter how tall you stand, even a giant can be small' | |
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| suffer4love | May 29 2007, 03:16 PM Post #34 |
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Love Endures All Things
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My own gf prefers Lord of the Rings style fantasy over low magic S&S fantasy, also. I agree five people don't make a trend (although Maxim magazine disagrees, don't ask), but it's a start. Could it be that Women (in a general sense) tend to like games more fantastical, in the High Fantasy sense (you know, with Unicorns and Elves and Great Wizards in Huge Castles helping Knights in Shining Armor defend the Realm) while men generally prefer a more low-magic, realistic fantasy tone? Good question. Kismet, should that be answered here, or should we ask that in a different topic/thread? Dear Readers, please don't reply to that question yet until Ye Moderator lets me know where it should be answered. Okay, off to do laundry (yay! fun! ).(Aaaaargh!!! And there's so much cool stuff here to reply to! I don't wanna do laundry now... post now, laundry later. NO! Bad Suffer, No Biscuit! Go get work done, reply later!!!)
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In death's eyes sorrow lingered once, seeing her life torn apart The shackles fell to see her free to walk the earth In her eyes life is present still, through the day I watch her sleeping I hold her close forever more (Bella Morte) | |
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| Have Dice Will Travel | May 29 2007, 03:49 PM Post #35 |
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Ritual Partaker
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We have it and use it for inspiration. Along with GURPS Imperial Rome, OGL Ancients, and a couple of others. Even though I say it's our Rome game it's really set in a home brew world and inspired by historic events, some fiction, and HBO's Rome. There's also a healthy dose of player interference. Oh and for the record if you're thinking about any historical settings I can't recommend the GURPS books enough. Most of them have great information. Greece and Imperial Rome are two of our favorites. |
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| kismetrose | May 29 2007, 03:50 PM Post #36 |
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I made a new thread for this just to try to keep this thread a bit more focused, suffer. Feel free to hop over to the women in gaming section.
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Kismet's D&D - WoD - SG-1 - FB | |
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| suffer4love | May 29 2007, 06:48 PM Post #37 |
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Love Endures All Things
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Ah, there's no reason to hate to say it, it really is kinda cool. Unfortunately, it really isn't in use anymore. Generally, virtually all current players of T&T use a POWER rule that functions like Magic Points in a video game... they just cast the spells and the points are lost for some amount of time, and there is no other game effect. The whole, "the character is weakened" angle has been basically forgone. Why? Well, basically because the system is broken there... Strength used in this way is obviously not just "physical strength" but also "inner strength" and "willpower," the ability to resist fatigue, etc. (Arguably areas that could be called Willpower or maybe a function of Constitution). However, the game system has a very physical usage of Strength, with each point equalling the ability to lift 10 lbs! Thus, a character with a Strength 10 can lift 100 lbs. The problem here is that Wizards have to have high Strength to cast spells. Warriors, on the other hand, can increase their combat skill instead of Strength (which will yield a better combat bonus). The result is, at first level everything is great, but 10 levels in you've got Wizards who can benchpress Warriors. Not, "out benchpress them," but benchpress them. You've got some seriously muscular Wizards there. This is easily fixable of course... simply disassociate the Strength rating from the lifting ability, or have two charts (one for spellcasters who use "inner strength" for spells and one for Warriors/Non-spellcasters). But, no, that would be too easy. Instead, everybody wants to put in an additional prime attribute and remove one of the cooler parts of the game (the part which makes their character weak, of course). But, again, at first level (in fact, the first few levels) this problem really isn't noticable, and the system works great. It does have a bit of a sci-fi bias, I'll agree (there I go with that bias word again... I'm stuck on "bias" today). The idea of magic being a mental power works well in game worlds where magic is inborn rather than something channeled from the universe. If magic is from a Gold Dragon parent, a Sidhe parent, low level radiation from the earth causing a mutation while in the womb, or whatever, the idea that magic is something you simply have, not something you can learn, works well with this system. Note that, under the official rules of the game, since magic is "a developed psi power rather than a god (or goddess) given ability, casters can wear "cold iron" if they choose-- any armor or shield they can afford and carry." That is very different from virtually every other product other there! (Note, however, that as the Wizard weakens, he can't carry as much, and eventually the armor will have to come off anyway if he's gonna cast higher level spells... either that, or stick to lower level spells while armored and lessen his usefulness to the party). |
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In death's eyes sorrow lingered once, seeing her life torn apart The shackles fell to see her free to walk the earth In her eyes life is present still, through the day I watch her sleeping I hold her close forever more (Bella Morte) | |
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| GrimGent | May 31 2007, 10:08 AM Post #38 |
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Habitual Offender
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...And because I just happened to remember it: have you seen this little piece of gaming goodness from an alternate timeline? |
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| suffer4love | May 31 2007, 10:20 AM Post #39 |
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Love Endures All Things
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Aww, Man! There is nothing new under the sun, even when it's old! Damn! I shoulda known an idea that cool was taken. Nowdays, anytime you think of anything cool, google it and see how many hundreds of thousands already have it in use. Anyway, thanks for the link, man. I'll be downloading all of it after work... sigh.... |
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In death's eyes sorrow lingered once, seeing her life torn apart The shackles fell to see her free to walk the earth In her eyes life is present still, through the day I watch her sleeping I hold her close forever more (Bella Morte) | |
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| suffer4love | May 31 2007, 10:34 AM Post #40 |
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Love Endures All Things
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Hey, are you familiar with this game from it's first edition? I ask because I went to take a look at it, and the game mechanic is Stat Mod+Skill Mod+Add'l Mod+roll of 1d20 and compare it to a difficulty number to determine success or failure of an action. Does this seem right to you? I don't recall the d20 system being around in 1972 (I believe they said that was it's creation date). I'm becoming of the opinion that someone is "rewriting history," as it were. If you (or anyone) knows this game from it's previous incarnation, please reply. |
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In death's eyes sorrow lingered once, seeing her life torn apart The shackles fell to see her free to walk the earth In her eyes life is present still, through the day I watch her sleeping I hold her close forever more (Bella Morte) | |
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| GrimGent | May 31 2007, 01:09 PM Post #41 |
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Habitual Offender
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Much like Encounter Critical, Mazes & Minotaurs started out as a what-if joke: in this case, what if the creator of D&D had been a Homer buff instead of a Tolkien buff? In other words, it's a new game written in the style of a much older one. |
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| suffer4love | May 31 2007, 02:13 PM Post #42 |
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Love Endures All Things
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Ah! That makes sense now! Well, it's damn cool, whatever it is. I am surprised to see Will & Grace isn't there, however! But, anyway, yeah, I like it a lot... I haven't gone up to download them yet, but I'll be doing that soon... I hope I can get my girlfriend back home and we can get our friends together again to try out a game of it... it really looks tasty. I hope HDWT takes a look at it... since her game is Roman, she might find some stuff there that takes her fancy, strictly as source material. |
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In death's eyes sorrow lingered once, seeing her life torn apart The shackles fell to see her free to walk the earth In her eyes life is present still, through the day I watch her sleeping I hold her close forever more (Bella Morte) | |
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5:44 PM Jul 10