Search found 272 matches

by Bihlbo
Wed Dec 29, 2010 3:41 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Dreamscarred Press' "Complete Control" rules
Replies: 27
Views: 5517

How large are are the point buy numbers being talked about here? Does a level of spellcasting cost more than a point of BAB or die of SA damage? But specializing always beats generalizing in D&D. If you're a wizard, and you can give up anything to increase your caster level, you do it and don't...
by Bihlbo
Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:30 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Conan RPG Magic and other S&S systems
Replies: 16
Views: 4374

They were intended to be scary, difficult, and otherworldly. So how well did the game achieve this? Not for a moment will I claim to be an expert on this, because it's been a couple of years since I've played it and I haven't played a game in the second edition version of the game at all, but I see...
by Bihlbo
Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:41 am
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: [Tome of Tiamat] Interruption Mage
Replies: 19
Views: 5498

I just talked my GM into letting me play this class. One question: am I better off using divine metamagic or master of many forms 3?
by Bihlbo
Tue Dec 28, 2010 10:17 pm
Forum: In The Trenches
Topic: [The power of hearsay] I bet this has happened to you
Replies: 43
Views: 13682

Datawolf wrote:At least that story had a happy ending.
And we got to hear about it, which is kinda win too.
by Bihlbo
Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:25 pm
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: Class Compression
Replies: 77
Views: 15950

Seriously, save the shit talking for when you actually disagree with what's being stated. You're off base: ...but that's not what I meant by "dipping". I meant that if you have 8 lvls of Fighter, there ideally should be a reason you might want to dip 1 lvl of Wizard. And vice versa. It do...
by Bihlbo
Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:19 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Conan RPG Magic and other S&S systems
Replies: 16
Views: 4374

At this point, the very instant I see a "magic skill roll" in a d20 product, I put it down. d20 skill rolls just don't generate the kinds of numbers that would tell you want a level appropriate effect would be. Yeah, if you're talking about D&D I totally agree. The magic system in Con...
by Bihlbo
Fri Dec 24, 2010 10:03 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: How Spell Durations Should Work in 3e
Replies: 31
Views: 6782

K wrote:If each buff is removing abilities as well as granting them, piling them up becomes counter productive and you have reasons to end them.
Soooo.... re-write all the spells?
by Bihlbo
Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:25 pm
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: Comprehensive Tome Errata
Replies: 144
Views: 56456

I don't think that stacking multiple bonuses on single item slots breaks the game. But it's still bad for the game, I get that, I actually liked the idea from a fluff point of view. Ah well... Knowing that it's bad for the game doesn't prevent you from using the idea and making it work. For instanc...
by Bihlbo
Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:39 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: How Spell Durations Should Work in 3e
Replies: 31
Views: 6782

The "encounter" mechanic is just a recipe for arguments at the table. If I were the DM, I would say, "The encounter is over once the fighting stops. End of story, full stop, etc." And then people will argue that they are still "fighting" while they rush into the next r...
by Bihlbo
Thu Dec 23, 2010 11:36 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: DC's New RPG Outline
Replies: 13
Views: 4109

Echoes wrote: People like rolling attacks, and are OK with missing sometimes. On the other hand, people hate failing saving throws. Ergo, static defenses = more happy players.
This has certainly been my experience.
by Bihlbo
Thu Dec 23, 2010 11:34 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Conan RPG Magic and other S&S systems
Replies: 16
Views: 4374

I loved the skill roll involved, I thought that worked really well with everything. I also found that because of the limitations magic was either a totally scary and awesome tool to throw at PCs or it was a fun and very thematic part of a character that worked kinda well without breaking the game. T...
by Bihlbo
Thu Dec 23, 2010 11:31 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: How Spell Durations Should Work in 3e
Replies: 31
Views: 6782

Bihlbo: I don't play PF. So, yeah. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that it was PF, since that element has nothing at all to do with the point. Swift actions aren't really underused, overall. Sure, it might be easy to build a character that doesn't have a use for them, but that doesn't mean there s...
by Bihlbo
Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:41 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: How Spell Durations Should Work in 3e
Replies: 31
Views: 6782

Encounter The spell effects last for the duration of the encounter or five minutes, whichever is shorter. (These are generally stronger buffs like polymorph or crowd control spells like wall of fire .) The way 4e handles these is "encounter or 5 minutes, whichever is longer" specifically ...
by Bihlbo
Mon Dec 20, 2010 2:28 pm
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: A new way to handle actions (3.X-compatable)
Replies: 53
Views: 6797

Well, testing proves that this concept does not solve the problems I had hoped it would solve. So, while I still think it would be interesting to see how it would play out with people who've never played a d20 game before and who therefore have no reason to think of this as a change , I don't think ...
by Bihlbo
Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:55 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Pathfinder Is Still Bad
Replies: 8556
Views: 1696583

I very much prefer a system where every caster casts spontaneously and prepares spells the same way, after playing a couple of games using it. I think Warcraft d20 or World of Warcraft d20 did that. Likewise with Arcana Evolved. And the EQrpg had a great system, ported straight from EQ: All casters...
by Bihlbo
Thu Dec 09, 2010 6:16 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Pathfinder Is Still Bad
Replies: 8556
Views: 1696583

... whereas preparing spells for a wizard can take as little as 15 minutes, but requires 8 hours of sleep. "I can sometimes save 45 minutes" isn't nearly as good a benefit as "I don't need to sleep for spells," which has always bothered me. I very much prefer a system where every...
by Bihlbo
Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:19 am
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: Problems with Josh's stuff
Replies: 8
Views: 3463

I'm just curious, but why is this a new thread instead of a reply to the actual material?
by Bihlbo
Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:15 am
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Basic rules for starting and advertising 5th Edition D&D
Replies: 79
Views: 23771

From my perspective (i.e. from the people with whom I discuss RPGs) 4e's biggest failure is the inability to play a game that focuses on anything but skirmish combats. It isn't that you can't, it's just that if you try, you aren't using 4e for it so you might as well skip the books entirely. I mean,...
by Bihlbo
Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:58 pm
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: A new way to handle actions (3.X-compatable)
Replies: 53
Views: 6797

I would note however, that many games typically don't go for 10 AP (or MP - movement points), because having 10 points to account for does slow down play. Most wargames typically limit their AP to around 6 points, with only a few "fast" creatures going up to 10. I would also strongly enco...
by Bihlbo
Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:49 pm
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: A new way to handle actions (3.X-compatable)
Replies: 53
Views: 6797

We'll make fun of you on the internet, and then give you a better game system and setting than the one you shelled out 60$ for. While I have seen plenty examples of the former, I've not seen any examples of the latter. Tome, while it may be mechanically better, is less usable than what money can bu...
by Bihlbo
Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:00 pm
Forum: In My Humble Opinion...
Topic: Best Damage Reduction System?
Replies: 35
Views: 5229

The main problem I see with adding hp due to armor is that at higher levels you have to find a way to keep armor relevant. There's no way anyone's going to bother with armor if at level 15 it gives you a +5 boost to hit points.
by Bihlbo
Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:32 pm
Forum: It's My Own Invention...
Topic: A new way to handle actions (3.X-compatable)
Replies: 53
Views: 6797

Move+Standard can be combined to use a Full Attack or whatever. If you want to move and attack a bunch of people at the same time, take whirlwind. Note how there is zero accounting? None at all. Your 'fix' is being applied to something that is *not a problem* in any way. You are 100% applying chang...
by Bihlbo
Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:56 pm
Forum: I Gave the Mouse a Cookie...
Topic: Video Games
Replies: 8271
Views: 945368

I just stumbled across this thread and I'm kind of excited to mine it for good game recommendations. These are the games I've been into for the last 6 months or so. Civ V is pretty exciting. They really dropped the ball on the interface though, making the game harder to quickly control than it was i...
by Bihlbo
Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:17 pm
Forum: MPSIMS
Topic: What books are you reading now?
Replies: 1259
Views: 209287

Hehe, given Wolfe's use of language in the books, I'm almost scared of what a gazebo would be.
by Bihlbo
Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:34 pm
Forum: MPSIMS
Topic: What books are you reading now?
Replies: 1259
Views: 209287

The biggest hurdle for me actually doing it is finding a good RPG system that doesn't make me want to spend months reworking it. The setting doesn't lend itself well to skirmish-oriented system like D&D.