Den Next Design Challenge

Josh_Kablack · Post by **Josh_Kablack** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:46 pm

Okay, I now have all of the suggested five sections aside from Kaelik's adversaries section. (but there is CatharzGodfoot's version of that above). They vary from subtle parody that looks serious until you actually try to use the rules to over-the-top pardody trying to sell players crystal d37s to serious attempts to write a decent part of a game destined to be absurd.

Sadly, the word count means that it's not exactly playable as Frank's list of races and classes isn't the only section that comes in as basically an outline.

If anyone wants to throw additional "rules modules" my way or expand on a outline sections I'm giving this until the end of the weekend before I string everything together and call it a wrap.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:50 pm

Grek wrote:

No racist overtones, no complex cosmologies, nothing but the Setting You Need.
...

Based on The Jungle Book. Where everyone's a talking animal.

er...

...You Lost Me · Post by **...You Lost Me** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:11 pm

God, this is going to crash and burn..

sabs · Post by **sabs** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:15 pm

Going to?
It's going to be hillarious.
I think the most hillarious is going to be the people who took it uberseriously.

...You Lost Me · Post by **...You Lost Me** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:20 pm

Maybe I should say, I'm going to crash and burn. I wrote it seriously.

sabs · Post by **sabs** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:28 pm

Well, you and Kaelik can comfort each other

Grek · Post by **Grek** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:29 pm

Prak_Anima wrote:
Grek wrote:

No racist overtones, no complex cosmologies, nothing but the Setting You Need.
...

Based on The Jungle Book. Where everyone's a talking animal.

er...

I'm including conflicting design goals for much the same reason as I'm writing in and then deleteing gnomes and bards from the final draft of the setting: Because that's what the WoTC design team did.

Vebyast · Post by **Vebyast** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:49 pm

I think that this qualifies as some kind of performance art.

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:57 pm

Wait, there are sections that make mine look subtle? That's kind of amazing, actually.

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:26 am

So I saw a joke thread devolving into a slapfight because Kaelik can't stop Kaeliking and decided I would just ignore everything past the middle of page 3 or so. I'll be chucking in the MM2, though.

My design goals:

-Adversaries will be pulled from a wide variety of different sources, both mythological and modern, allowing GMs to make a campaign that suits their group and setting.
-Adversaries will be written in such a way to encourage multiple methods of conflict resolution instead of all combat all the time.
-Adversaries will have a CR, but adversaries within a CR will cover a wide range of power, so that a sub-optimal party and a munchkin party will both be able to fight level-appropriate opponents.
-Adversaries will make use of unique tactics and special attacks so that each one of them feels different from the rest.

Kind of wordy, but whatever. Should be ready within 24 hours, max.

In keeping with the spirit of the project, I have avoided getting any information whatsoever about what the other sections will be like, including Kaelik's adversaries (and am actually unaware whether or not someone else has already signed up to do another set of adversaries). Hopefully there won't be too much crossover between mine and anyone else's.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:26 am

Josh_Kablack wrote:They vary from subtle parody that looks serious until you actually try to use the rules to over-the-top pardody trying to sell players crystal d37s to serious attempts to write a decent part of a game destined to be absurd.

What gave it away? The thing where it frankly admits that Human is a terrible race choice for new players? The inclusion of "Magic User" on the class list?

-Username17

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:03 am

FrankTrollman wrote:
Josh_Kablack wrote:They vary from subtle parody that looks serious until you actually try to use the rules to over-the-top pardody trying to sell players crystal d37s to serious attempts to write a decent part of a game destined to be absurd.
What gave it away? The thing where it frankly admits that Human is a terrible race choice for new players? The inclusion of "Magic User" on the class list?

-Username17

Personally, I liked how you had Magic User, Illusionist, Sorcer Warlock, AND Wizard, and Rogue AND Thief on the list.

MGuy · Post by **MGuy** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:10 pm

FrankTrollman wrote:
Josh_Kablack wrote:They vary from subtle parody that looks serious until you actually try to use the rules to over-the-top pardody trying to sell players crystal d37s to serious attempts to write a decent part of a game destined to be absurd.
What gave it away? The thing where it frankly admits that Human is a terrible race choice for new players? The inclusion of "Magic User" on the class list?

-Username17

Pretty much gave it away. I was even halfway to making a reply to ask why the fuck magic user was a class then it hit me.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:30 pm

MGuy wrote:Pretty much gave it away. I was even halfway to making a reply to ask why the fuck magic user was a class then it hit me.

Just highlighting a little of how crazy and stupid Mearls' promise to provide all the classes in all the previous PHBs really is. Thief and Magic User were cut for a fucking reason.

-Username17

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:49 pm

My new adversaries are in to Josh. I think they'll take the feel of D&D into a bold new direction.

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:54 pm

Chamomile wrote:My new adversaries are in to Josh. I think they'll take the feel of D&D into a bold new direction.

Ooh, do we get to fight Garamond, Verdana, and, um, Times New Roman?

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:33 pm

Dammit, I wish I'd thought of that.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:38 am

Whatever wrote:
Chamomile wrote:My new adversaries are in to Josh. I think they'll take the feel of D&D into a bold new direction.
Ooh, do we get to fight Garamond, Verdana, and, um, Times New Roman?

Was Comic Sans too obvious?

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 1:12 pm

No one should ever use Comic Sans, for anything. We should reject it totally and without compromise.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 2:18 pm

Whatever wrote:No one should ever use Comic Sans, for anything. We should reject it totally and without compromise.

[off-topic]
I've long since stopped caring about Comic Sans, either for or against it. It's a damn font. I largely don't pay attention to the font something's in. Hell, I was a little surprised that people were complaining slides in the Higgs Boson presentation--you know, the one where they were saying they're pretty sure they've found it--had Comic Sans. My reaction: "Really? That's what's important to you? Complaining about the font? Jaysis, as Cassidy said."
[/off-topic]

Anyways, I'm looking forward to reading the finished* product**

RadiantPhoenix · Post by **RadiantPhoenix** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:10 pm

Whatever wrote:No one should ever use Comic Sans, for anything. We should reject it totally and without compromise.

I would like to point out that comic fonts actually look pretty okay... in comic books. Not so much in paragraph form, though.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:34 pm

I'm just waiting to get outlines from people so I can make the adventure. I don't need full sections, just basic rundowns. All I've got so far is YLM's combat.

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:57 pm

Just write the module, no need to see the background or rules. It's not like official modules don't have elements that totally contradict the lore of the gameworld or messed up stats that don't match with the Core Rulebooks, or even challenges and treasure that blow the WBL and Encounter Rating guidelines to hell and back. So stop worrying I say, whatever you churn out is going to have to be pretty bad before it will be recognizably worse than things that have already had the D&D logo slapped on them.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:59 pm

works for me.

...You Lost Me · Post by **...You Lost Me** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:55 am

I should have totally made up a combat summary, and then written combat differently. That would have been great.