Annoying Game Questions You Want Answered

deaddmwalking · Post by **deaddmwalking** » Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:33 pm

I'm pretty sure 'world's largest city' means that the book details more locations than any other similar gaming products. Very few locations have more than a handful of detailed locations.

That said, I own this book and it is terrible. It is worse than the World's Largest Dungeon (which I also own). If you're going to 'detail' something, you should detail it. Each location simultaneously has too little information and too much information - effectively it provides information on the wrong damn thing.

I'll check it out tonight and post a couple of sample entries, but if I recall you get exhaustive information about how many silver pieces are in a safe but nothing about floor plans or NPC motivations.

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:44 am

Are there any tRPG's that were designed with PvP in mind and actually well executed? There's games like Shadowrun where antagonists are built in the same way as PC's, but it's still expected to be PC's vs GM controlled foes.

Something where it'd be fairly quick to build some characters and have them fight in an arena with some semblance of balance.

deaddmwalking · Post by **deaddmwalking** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 11:42 am

Regarding the World's Largest City, I found a review I wrote a few years ago:

http://www.dndarchive.com/content/worlds-largest-city

Count Arioch the 28th · Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:54 pm

One of the players in my group wants to run a mashup of both World's Largest Dungeon AND World's Largest City. I don't think he believed me when I said it was the cocksuckingest idea I've ever heard...

Eikre · Post by **Eikre** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:58 pm

It could work, but only if the World's Largest City's principle industry was darkmantle leather-goods.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Apr 12, 2016 9:16 pm

I'm not sure it could, at least not without changing one or the other. WLD's conceit is that you get sealed inside and have to make it all the way through, iirc.

zugschef · Post by **zugschef** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:04 am

If you'd start a game with people who are completely new to the hobby, would you rather play 3.5 (with some tome-fixes) or pathfinder?

Schleiermacher · Post by **Schleiermacher** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 11:37 am

3.5, definitely. But I would probably steal Pathfinder's way of handling skill points and class skills.

Mask_De_H · Post by **Mask_De_H** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 3:15 pm

zugschef wrote:If you'd start a game with people who are completely new to the hobby, would you rather play 3.5 (with some tome-fixes) or pathfinder?

Either, but you're going to get more people calling for 3.5 here.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 3:45 pm

Pathfinder's good-aligned clerics having healing bursts or whatever they're called makes them good for new players. Clerics can throw down the heals in first level combat, and not necessarily feel like assholes when they do it.

souran · Post by **souran** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 3:52 pm

Introduce new people with pathfinder. If you are running the game just run it as the combination of 3.x rules that you like. Ignore their rules FAQ and play it how you like.

This has numerous advantages:

1st) Everything is available on-line and kept up to date by a host of people who are not you.
2nd) There are lots of things available to buy. This, combined with point 1 means that new players can commit to this new hobby at whatever "buy-in" level they are comfortable with.
3rd) Your players will be able to tell people that they play pathfinder which currently is a better than saying "I play D&D." This is true even though no two games of pathfinder are played by anything like the same rules.
4th) They can also say they "play D&D" because its still d20 3.x in a new skin.
5th) There is lots of adventure support if one of them wants to take a turn as DM.

Really its just easiest to play pathfinder. For new players easy is the most important factor.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 8:42 pm

I'd choose PF, because people get more excited about it. The company still produces it, they are very engaged with their market, and they have so many archetypes that you can find a way to play just about any concept. The rules kind of suck? Worse than 3.X in ways? So what, I'm getting to the point where I'd rather run/play a game people are excited about than one that feels like a fucking chore and I have to make classes to fit popular concepts into.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 9:20 pm

Starting with PF is probably a good idea, even if only to get people on some common ground with everyone else who plays Pathfinder. Play a few games and let them get the hang of things. Once you're sure they know the system well enough to say, play a pbp with strangers online or maybe GM it more or less as written, THEN talk to your players about whatever 3.5 stuff, 3rd party stuff and house rules you like and see if they're willing to try them out.

Also, tell them to read handbooks. Sure, they're frequently out of date, but they'll help players get a decent idea of what sort of options are worth taking.

This is a pretty good collection I think

Also, let them respec anytime between sessions without penalties. Odds are there'll be moments when they want to trip a monster or something and they'll be disappointed if it's practically impossible and that they need several feats to be decent at it. This might make them understand how some 3.5isms ("Holy shit, improved trip and greater trip in just one feat!") or houserules ("Power Attack and Combat Expertise for free!") could make the game more fun.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 2:23 pm

Is there a magic weapon property for 3e or 3.5e DnD where a ranged projectile weapon doesn't require ammo/magically generates ammo?
Failing that, is there a specific magic weapon that does the same?

I'd think there would be one, but for the life of me I'm drawing a blank.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 2:54 pm

I don't think there is. There were a few semi-official items that gave effectively unlimited arrows, from the ludicrously overcosted Quiver of Anariel (WotC website article), to the more reasonable Quiver of Endless Arrows (Andy Collins' website), to the very portable Devlin's Ring (Book of Eldritch Might).

I don't see any reason some version of what you're looking for couldn't be a weapon property, but it would wind up being some sort of homebrew.

Oh, they did also stat up Hank's Bow (from the old D&D cartoon) at one point, but I'm pretty sure it was an artifact.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 3:28 pm

It's not an artifact.

http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp? ... /20061227a

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 3:42 pm

You can also get a Force Bow for +3 that creates Force Arrows I think. I mean, it's a +3, but on the other hand, your arrows are also force.

EDIT: Wow, that bow on the website is just better and cheaper than the Force Bow int he books. Fucking A. Good thing JaronK doesn't make archers, of I'd have to hear about how all archers everywhere use that bow, and if the DM doesn't let you have it he's a filthy cheater.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 4:57 pm

Thanks. I forgot about Force Bow since I was thinking mostly of 3e.

And what, no grappling force arrows for Hank? I call shenanigans. Could've had a SLA targeted Web effect option instead of a gamey power shot.

Interesting that power shot ability doesn't have a limit based on BAB, or anything really. So it's a 5% autokill per shot if you take -1000 penalty (known as a killo-shot). Fine work WotC. Fine work.

Mord · Post by **Mord** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 5:12 pm

erik wrote:Interesting that power shot ability doesn't have a limit based on BAB, or anything really. So it's a 5% autokill per shot if you take -1000 penalty (known as a killo-shot). Fine work WotC. Fine work.

In addition, Hank can use the bow to make power shots.To do so, before making attack rolls, choose a number to subtract from your attack rolls up to Hank’s base attack and add this same number to the damage dealt by the bow with any attack that hits. The penalty on attack rolls and bonus on damage rolls last until Hank’s next turn.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 5:39 pm

Mord wrote:
erik wrote:Interesting that power shot ability doesn't have a limit based on BAB, or anything really. So it's a 5% autokill per shot if you take -1000 penalty (known as a killo-shot). Fine work WotC. Fine work.

In addition, Hank can use the bow to make power shots.To do so, before making attack rolls, choose a number to subtract from your attack rolls up to Hank’s base attack and add this same number to the damage dealt by the bow with any attack that hits. The penalty on attack rolls and bonus on damage rolls last until Hank’s next turn.

Ho-kay. I guess I shouldn't read things right after biking. I even re-read it in disbelief and twice my eyes skipped over that. Weird.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 6:37 pm

erik wrote:Thanks. I forgot about Force Bow since I was thinking mostly of 3e.

The Force enhancement is from Arms and Equipment which is 3.0 IIRC

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 6:45 pm

radthemad4 wrote:
erik wrote:Thanks. I forgot about Force Bow since I was thinking mostly of 3e.
The Force enhancement is from Arms and Equipment which is 3.0 IIRC

There's a +2 version in the MIC that adds no damage, but still hits incorporeal, bypasses all DR, and doesn't effect things immune to force effects.

Wiseman · Post by **Wiseman** » Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:44 am

Is there any sort of random character motivation generator. Like an online generator or a die-roll chart? For example, say the party meets an npc or monster or random encounter or whatever and the DM needs to come up with some random personality traits and motivations on the fly. Is there anything that helps with that?

Mask_De_H · Post by **Mask_De_H** » Wed Apr 20, 2016 5:33 am

Wiseman wrote:Is there any sort of random character motivation generator. Like an online generator or a die-roll chart? For example, say the party meets an npc or monster or random encounter or whatever and the DM needs to come up with some random personality traits and motivations on the fly. Is there anything that helps with that?

first hit on google, fam

Blicero · Post by **Blicero** » Wed Apr 20, 2016 5:34 am

Is there any sort of random character motivation generator. Like an online generator or a die-roll chart? For example, say the party meets an npc or monster or random encounter or whatever and the DM needs to come up with some random personality traits and motivations on the fly. Is there anything that helps with that?

Quick googling found this, I am sure a lot more out there.
http://chaoticshiny.com/motivegen.php

There's also the "reaction roll" concept, although most implementations are not particularly granular.

Random motivations and the like are popular among the "old-school" crowd, so if you hunt around their blogs and such you can probably find a lot more. Pretty sure Vornheim has a couple, for example.