Hey! What do you two think you're doing? Fightin' at a time like this. You'll use up all the air!

Jayne ,'Out Of Gas'


Gaming 1: You are likely to be eaten by a grue

A thread for the discussion of games: board, LARP, MMORPG, video, tabletop RPG, game theory etc. etc. and all attendant news, developments and ancillary subjects thereof, as well as coordinating/scheduling games either online or IRL. All are welcome to chime in, talk about their favorite games or learn about gaming of any sort.

PLEASE TO WHITEFONT SPOILERS for video games, RPG modules or anything for which foreknowledge of events might lessen one's enjoyment of whatever gaming experience.


Kalshane - Jul 04, 2014 6:42:46 pm PDT #23590 of 26134
GS: If you had to choose between kicking evil in the head or the behind, which would you choose, and why? Minsc: I'm not sure I understand the question. I have two feet, do I not? You do not take a small plate when the feast of evil welcomes seconds.

D&D 5E

That's pretty much my thoughts, Joe. I've got a 10th level (soon to be 11th level) Pathfinder game going right now and I've been feeling the pangs of nostalgia for the simplicity (such as it was) of the 2nd Ed days lately. This system definitely seems like it might scratch that itch without having to subject myself to THAC0 and "Wait, is high or low good on this roll?" I could definitely see myself switching back and forth between running 5E and Pathfinder, depending on what I'm in the mood for.

I actually played 4E for about a year when it first came out, and it was fun, but it didn't feel like D&D to me. It felt like a completely different game that happened to use some of the same terminology. I quite happily switched to Pathfinder when it was time to sit in the DM chair again, because it felt like a logical improvement on 3.5 (even if I house-ruled it a bit to my liking.)

5E manages to, so far, feel like D&D and harken back to some of that old school 1E/2E/BECMI feel while adding some modern twists. I'm liking the hybrid Vancian/Spontaneous casting of the wizard and cleric and the fact that instead of having multiple spells that basically do the same thing, but better, at each level you can just cast the spell at a higher level for a better effect. I like the idea that saves are tied to each of the 6 ability scores to discourage dump-stating (though oddly I haven't seen anything yet that doesn't target the 3e trio of Con, Dex and Wisdom). I like the simplicity of the unified "Proficiency Bonus" that keeps everything easy to remember and insures that while you're good at what you want to be good at, you aren't completely useless at everything else.

As far as the feel thing goes, though, I will be interested to see how the bounded accuracy idea works in practice at the higher levels. Hopefully high-level threats have more going for them than simply being giant bags of hit points.

I'm not as keen on the unnecessary terminology changes. Okay, so Swift Actions are now Bonus Actions and Immediate Actions are now Reactions and Healing Surges are now Hit Dice. The last one is especially annoying, since Hit Dice has had a specific different meaning in all the previous versions of the game. Way to be needlessly confusing.

Of course, all this is based on reading the rules. I'm sure I'll likely have a different view on things (good and bad) if/when I get a chance to actually take the system for a test drive.


billytea - Jul 05, 2014 4:03:32 am PDT #23591 of 26134
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

BSG

I have everyone's play:

An Offer of Peace: 12 (6) YG(B)

Destiny: 2 cards
Zarek: 1 card
Kat: 4 cards
Chief: 4 cards
Romo: 1 card

That's a lot of cards. Will it be enough? Cards played:

Consolidate Power 1
Major Victory 1
Executive Order 2
Repair 2
Calculations 4
Full Throttle 1
Bait 0
Bait 0
Bait 0
Bait 0
Dradis Contact 0
Violent Outbursts 4

Tally: 10 - 5 = 5. Fail! The crew misses the partial pass by just 1. Morale falls to 2! Destiny also receives two more Treachery cards. It's the Treacherousest!

There was plenty of Treachery in this check too, but thanks to the RO-4, none of it has any effect. That concludes Romo's turn. Zarek's cards are going out. Pradmiral Zarek, when you're ready, please post your move and action.


billytea - Jul 05, 2014 4:04:56 am PDT #23592 of 26134
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

BSG

End-of-turn summary:

Round 11.3 - Romo

Locations and Hands
Kat: Sector 5; 4 cards, 0 miracle tokens, 1 mutiny card
Chief: Sickbay; 2 cards, 1 miracle token, 2 mutiny cards
Romo: Caprica; 4 cards, 0 miracle tokens, 0 mutiny cards
Zarek: Weapons Control; 2 cards, 1 miracle token, 1 mutiny card

Main Board Sectors
Sector 1: 2 Raiders, 1 Heavy Raider
Sector 2: Empty
Sector 3: 1 Basestar, 3 Raiders, 2 Heavy Raiders, Civilian F
Sector 4: Empty
Sector 5: 2 Raiders, 1 RSV, Civilians C H, Kat
Sector 6: 3 Raiders, 1 RSV, Civilian D

Resources
Fuel: 3
Food: 6
Morale: 2
Population: 5

Viper Reserves: 0
Damaged Vipers: 5
Raptors: 4
Assault Raptors: 0
Boarding Party: 0

Other
Nukes: 1
Jump Track: 0 (Red)
Distance Travelled: 10
Galactica Damage: Colonial One


Polter-Cow - Jul 05, 2014 6:30:32 am PDT #23593 of 26134
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

BSG (Romo)

We will pass this.

Not so much, Chief.

Not.

So.

Much.


omnis_audis - Jul 05, 2014 9:08:11 am PDT #23594 of 26134
omnis, pursue. That's an order from a shy woman who can use M-16. - Shir

BSG ("Chief" Galen Tyrol)

I tried.


chrismg - Jul 05, 2014 9:41:23 am PDT #23595 of 26134
"...and then Legolas and the Hulk destroy the entire Greek army." - Penny Arcade

BSG(Pradmiral Despair)

WHAT

THE

HELL

OK, I'm thinking we need to thin out the Raiders. bt, which one lets me take out multiple Raiders at once? Is it CIC or Main Batteries?


Laga - Jul 05, 2014 11:33:37 am PDT #23596 of 26134
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.

BSG (Kat)

Morale is dangerously low.


chrismg - Jul 05, 2014 11:35:29 am PDT #23597 of 26134
"...and then Legolas and the Hulk destroy the entire Greek army." - Penny Arcade

BSG(Pradmiral Pain and Suffering)

Well, MINE certainly is!


billytea - Jul 05, 2014 2:02:55 pm PDT #23598 of 26134
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

BSG

OK, I'm thinking we need to thin out the Raiders. bt, which one lets me take out multiple Raiders at once? Is it CIC or Main Batteries?

That's Main Batteries.


chrismg - Jul 05, 2014 6:40:40 pm PDT #23599 of 26134
"...and then Legolas and the Hulk destroy the entire Greek army." - Penny Arcade

BSG(Admiral "Tex" Zarek)

All righty then, I will Move to Main Batteries and discard TI-0 in the process and Launch a Nuke at the Basestar in Sector 3.