D&D General Kobold Press Tome of the Valiant Game Master's Guide ks signup

[humble minion]

I'm going to wait on this one. I'm less convinced that ToV is going to have legs now that the WotCs OGL shenanigans seem to be mostly in the rear-view mirror for now, and it's got definite fantasy heartbreaker potential.

I do wish KP would get back to their setting material. It's just amazingly good, but they've cut their output there to almost nothing. I've heard good things about the 'Kobold's Guide to...' series but haven't read any, while their game mechanical material has been really varied in quality, often with big ambiguities, poor phrasing, and dubious rules.

 

[Reynard]

It's cheaper then hiring GMs to run open games that teach people how to play???

That is an inefficient route. Just do an official stream AND put out an evergreen starter set.

 

[MichaelSomething]

That is an inefficient route. Just do an official stream AND put out an evergreen starter set.

Can you clarify how those things would better support new players getting into the game?? Or how to support newbies in general??

 

[Reynard]

Can you clarify how those things would better support new players getting into the game?? Or how to support newbies in general??

Im.not sure what you mean. No company is going to have the resources to send out an army of teaching GMs, and even if they did it would still be inefficient. You can't be everywhere.

Instead, create easy to find instructive and entertaining actual play streams focused on and supported by a beginner box and a newb friendly longer adventure.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Im.not sure what you mean. No company is going to have the resources to send out an army of teaching GMs, and even if they did it would still be inefficient. You can't be everywhere.

Instead, create easy to find instructive and entertaining actual play streams focused on and supported by a beginner box and a newb friendly longer adventure.

So the starter set shouldn't be the onboarding part; but a let's play video and the adventure are?? That could work? And what would the starter set do then?

And obviously, I expect many hard-core fans to volunteer their time teaching new players.

 

[Corinnguard]

I guess every D&D clone eventually gets the three book treatment

It's an unspoken rule. "There shall always be three."

 

[Reynard]

So the starter set shouldn't be the onboarding part; but a let's play video and the adventure are?? That could work? And what would the starter set do then?

What are you talking about? You have a starter set AND teaching/entertaining streams. It's 2023.

 

[MichaelSomething]

What are you talking about? You have a starter set AND teaching/entertaining streams. It's 2023.

I think I misunderstood your first sentence three quotes ago. You want starter sets (along with videos) to be onboarding but not the rulebook themselves.

Those I like rulebookes to explain the why behind the rules. More people won't have bounced off gold for exp if they knew it was meant to model gold hungry sword and sorcery characters.

 

[Reynard]

I think I misunderstood your first sentence three quotes ago. You want starter sets (along with videos) to be onboarding but not the rulebook themselves.

Those I like rulebookes to explain the why behind the rules. More people won't have bounced off gold for exp if they knew it was meant to model gold hungry sword and sorcery characters.

Yes. I think that core rulebooks should of course support play for everyone, but I think there should be specific learning products (aka starter sets) because learning to play is a relatively short process and "core books" focused on that lose some portion of their value quickly.

As an anecdote: in 1985 I was ten and my oldest brother 13. We played maybe 3 times before we never looked at the Basic "learning" material again. Kids are smart. D&D isn't hard. It will be fine.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Yes. I think that core rulebooks should of course support play for everyone, but I think there should be specific learning products (aka starter sets) because learning to play is a relatively short process and "core books" focused on that lose some portion of their value quickly.

As an anecdote: in 1985 I was ten and my oldest brother 13. We played maybe 3 times before we never looked at the Basic "learning" material again. Kids are smart. D&D isn't hard. It will be fine.

The primary math issue in SW is totalling up all the exploding dice.

Prior to SW, we were playing Gamma World 7E - and think of Powers in D&D 4E...
Player: "It says I add Level plus Strength modifier plus Weapon Accuracy..."
Me: "Cool. So you're level 2. Your Strength modifier is +3. And your weapon accuracy is +2. That makes it +7. So write that down so you have it for next time."
Player: "How far can I reach with that attack?"
Me: "You didn't write it down last time we looked it up? Here let me get the book. .... uh .... 10 squares. Write that down."
Player: "Ok. So I rolled a 13. What do I add to it? It says I add Level plus Strength modifier plus Weapon Accuracy..."
Me: "Plus 7. For the love of God write it down this time."
Player: "Can I hit him if he's not next to me?"
Me: "Yes. 10 spaces away. Please write this down."
Other player: "Did we skip my turn? It feels like it's been an hour since I did something."
Me: "No. You're coming up in two more turns."
Player: "I rolled a 13. I'm plus seven. (Counting on fingers.) That's 13, 14, 15, 16. Sixteen!"
Other player: "It's 20."
Player: "I can do math. Does a 24 hit?"