The Gaming Den

It's one thing when someone says "I'm using an action point" to tell them about it. It's another to do it when the turn has already ended. There's a guy in my gaming group who will sometimes try and add in actions, on the basis of "Well, if I knew..." even after enemies have gone...

I've got a sci-fi fantasy RPG I'm working on that takes elements from Star Fox, Outlaw Star, Mass Effect, Star Wars, and similiar. In a lot of sci-fi games, people being spaceship pilots, or having crazy vehicle combat is a major element. How the heck should this be handled in-game? Obviously, if sp...

I will admit, some of them are good for play. The ranger's vulnerability, while horribly interacting rules wise, does change how the other PCs react and encourage them to do certain things. The fighter needs his mark effects. The warlock zones are an interesting tactical element. But some things, li...

1. Standardize continuing effects to always happen on either the generator or target's turn or during a specific CCG-esque "effects phase" during each round. For bookkeeping purposes it doesn't matter which you pick - but put everything on the same timing for ease of reference. As a DM, I...

Josh, how do you reccommend problem 2 be fixed? Or rather, how should an ideal system work?

That's unfair. True. On the other hand, this new chat that they outsourced has several features that basically promote people to go use IRC instead, and is significantly less secure - someone managed to find a security loophole that gives you the power to impersonate anyone, inability to be banned,...

Yes, but it seems most of the links for some reason (hint: WOTC hires nothing but complete fucking morons) have once again stopped working, and give the error you say. Try to navigate from the www.wizards.com

Mind, be very careful about critical hits in this game. It's generally a really bad idea to invite critical hits against enemies wielding weapons, especially bladed weapons. Enemy damage spikes tremendously on crits. Doesn't work. The idea was that my warlord would use Brash Assualt, and take a cri...

Lago, a bit off-topic, but do you know of any mechanics that force an enemy to crit you, or allow an enemy to more easily crit you? I need it for a masochistic warlord build.

So, I like to run online games. And I like clear-cut rules for tactical movements. And the majority of online mapping programs suck ass. For taking inspiration from Phone Lobster, I'm pitching DC's Zone Rules for a new system. Lemme know what you guys think: Zones First up, the combat is divided int...

Seconding Grandias, and throwing in Wild Arms 3 (one of my favorite RPGs). Lago, you mentioned liking the Valkyria Chronicles video game. Have you seen the anime? I'm up to episode 18, and so far it's... well, it's good that I'm watching it with friends so I could MST3K it. And the second opening gi...

Thanks!

+2 Earthroot Staff (grants a -2 penalty to saving throws against attacks that immobilize, slow, petrify, or restrain; doesn't need to be wielded. This goes in the hand that holds the Spiked Shield, since the FAQ confirms that you get the properties of implements held in your shield hand) Can you gi...

Frank, can you expand a bit on the different Camarilla type organizations, namely NWO, Carthians, and The Sabbat? Why would you belong to any particular one, what advantages does each have, what disadvantages? The Sabbat seems especially ambiguous. Edit: Also, where is the source of the myth of Dago...

Ah, that's reasonable. I suppose that recoding it might be a bit pricy for a 800 point game on live. I mostly wanted the three playable characters and the two new sections of the castle, but I can deal. For what it's worth, the new new sections are extremely tiny (one is just a "bridge" a...

Indeed, that was heavy sarcasm. And I don't see how "Eberron" is in the "core" D&D, at all. Faerun still seems to be the setting that gets preferential treatment.

D&D is going the way of steam-punk with eBerron, something that shouldn't be in the default of D&D. It should have stuck to simple medieval default, and let you add whatever to it such as it was based on with that type of fantasy, not a sci-fi mix in with it or touches of industrial revolut...

HERO is generally what people are referring to when they say "Champions". The system used to be called Champions way back when and was superhero specific, but eventually turned into HERO. Almost anyone talking about it on the den likely means HERO 5th, as HERO 6th is brand new. System-wise...

Doesn't that make soloing as a non-rogue a bit...impossible? Or do clerics still get the trap detection spell? The game has multiple difficulties for the same dungeon: Solo, Normal, Hard, and Elite. Normal is for the "I'm good at solo" characters, and Solo is for the "I suck at solo&...

DDO is sorta decent. If a Den group gets going up, I'd be happy to join in. Currently I have a cleric on Khyber, and that's it. I'd be happy to reroll elsewhere (I've wanted to try a bard or maybe a spellcaster). The biggest thing to realize going into DDO is that it's less like an MMO, and more lik...

Taleran, do you realize that right now, you're probably convincing more people NOT to play the game than Frank is?

We have a group of nine already planned, and I'm going to try and write up the rules on that. The reason it's not up yet is my fault - I told Surgo I'd have rules up soon, and haven't gotten them done.

Really, I'd more be looking back to FFT's roots - the War of the Roses - and try to make it more down to earth and gritty. There doesn't NEED to be some world-destroying god monster even, there just needs to be a corrupt church.

I think the only Final Fantasy games that would work well as a campaign setting are Tactics, FF5 after a certain event in the game that occurs 2/3rds of the way in, and FF7 (seriously). I actually think Tactics would make an excellent setting. You have two main opposing factions, both equally corru...

For high-powered type anime, HERO is a good bet, and has a new edition out, although 5th edition is still pretty awesome.