Recent content by Reynard

One potential solution, if you are looking for such, is to make sure failed skill rolls have real negative consequences commensurate with the benefit of success. The trap goes off or the door is now jammed. The enemy gets a surprise attack. Or whatever. So every roll is a real choice of risk...

So I finally had a chance to write up some potential pre-gens for my bumbling villains con game and want some feedback. I am using the Marvel multiverse RPG and have a friend helping building them at rank 2 or 3 (I have not decided yet). Here they are: Killbot Komando: Formerly just a minion...

Interesting. Some of that art clearly goes back to the 3E era, but I don't recognize anything from the TSR era.

Presumably, these two chefs are of equal skill but different preferences. it is actually a pretty good analogy for GMing: GMs have experience and skill and know what they enjoy and what thewy are good at cooking up, just like Chef's. While I suppose it is legitimate to ask "why" in order to...

I said "need more maps" because the one thing I am always adding to my toolbox are maps for specific encounters when running on Fantasy Grounds. If I am running in person I usually just use dry erase TacTiles and wing it, but on the VTT I like having a pretty map. Usually I head over to...

As I said, sometimes a game is missing a mechanic. Other times, the group has a strong preference. In either case, once a game goes out into the world, it no longer belongs to the designer. It then belongs to the players.

I am a proponent of playing a game as written at least initially. However,not all games have all the subsystems one wants. If I know I want to include domain management in my Shadowdark campaign, there is not a domain management system in that game. I have to bring in one I like. Or, as we see...

RPGs are and have always been rooted in DIY. Game masters are, if not designers, basically modders. It should not come as a surprise that they mix and match subsystems and house rule stuff. And that is the path to "actual design" (whatever that means). Scolding folks for not doing what the...

My problem with the Cosmere RPG is simply that I think Stormlight Archive is a terrible RPG setting. Maybe when the Mistborn RPG comes out I will give it a look.

TIL that New Orleans has a big St Patrick's Day thing. This is our first time here and we chose to come after Mardis Gras to avoid the crowds. Oops.

It is really, really hard to "suck" in Daggerheart. I would suggest players to be proactive and not worry about the possibility of failure. Anything you do moves the game forward.

That isn't inevitable. It does require that players actually be engaged and willing to fail, tho.

I think you are missing the point: in the setting, all of the human characters are members of the superhuman sub-race of Numenorean descendants. No one besides Sam in the story qualifies as a "normal person" -- and this is important. Because Tolkien was telling a story about (among other things)...

Possibly. I don't have any particular skill at assessing the pulse of the hobby. But I do see enough people overly (IMO) embracing sulimulation and especially immersion to not feel like Micah is too much of an oulier.

I think Lanterns looks great. But I would also be 100% behind an animated saga running about 5 seasons culminating in the Sinestro Corps War.