Palladium and other fantasy RPGs...

[Shadowlord]

Since we neglect many rules once the session starts, I won't miss much. And Tsyr, you made your point clear. Can you tell me anything else than "those rules suck" ?

I wonder how that world looks like; is there a map I can find online? Where are which nations, how's the climate and the magical sites?

 

[Wolfen Priest]

I have to chime in that the PFRPG setting is probably among the best there are (although personally, I think Scarn is better; YMMV).

A great little book they were advertising in Dragon several years ago (although I think it's still available) is called "Adventures in Northern Wilderness." Great book. Short, sweet, packed with great adventure ideas, and best of all, it's pretty much compatible with d20 already.

You can probably buy it, and the Palladium sourcebook off of ebay for $20 or so, adn then all you need is the PHB (for d20) and a few hours of spare time. I would agree with the others and recommend saving yourself some pain and aggrivation by just sonverting the adventures to some kind of "rules-lite" D&D for your own sake.

For example, eliminate standard feats for all classes but fighters, and eliminate AoO's. Viola: simple D&D where you can focus on the story more and the rules less. That would be *much* simpler than trying to use the Palladium rules, which, if you think they are simple, think again.

 

[hellbender]

When AD&D went into 2E I migrated to Palladium and stayed there until 3E. Contrary to popular belief, Palladium is no more a munchkin game than any other system, it is all up to the GM. PFRPG is fun, the setting is great, and I like the fact that there are really no modules, just world books with adventure ideas mixed in with world information. The art is really well done, and Ramon Perez (who is doing more and more for 3E) has a nice style and is familar with his subject matter, at least in my opinion. The rules, while clunky, are not beastly and there is nothing wrong with houserules. Not a bad system, basically dnd without all the gloss, my players have never complainedabout playing the PFRPG, RIFTS or TMNT, all from Palladium.


hellbender

 

[JacktheRabbit]

If I'm going to play Palladium, I'll stay as far away from D&D. Never thought of a conversion, never will. From what I've discovered of Palladium (and that's little so far) it's more superior as a RPG than D&D. It stays true to clever ideas, wits, character development etc over hack & slash, although combat can play as large a part as you want to.

Welcome to the board Kevin. It must be you since I have NEVER among the hundreds of gamers of various types I have talked to ever met someone who had this stance about any Palladium game.

The concepts are cool, the pictures are cool.

The rules are horrible, the editing is actually worse than the rules (I used to own aLL the Robotech Game books so this is not just random statements by me).

Most of the time I found the game to actually be unplayable.

Movement is not a factor in the game because it is never explained. This is just one area among many where the rules neglect something rather basic and important.

 

[sfgiants]

Some specifics about the rules (argue if you wish):

-stats are meaningless: a score of 3-16 affects virtually nothing (a few exceptions but pretty close)
-warrior classes really get nothing enticing, play a mage/spellcaster and you can fight and cast spells...
-movement is undefined (no speed per round etc)
-very little class customization: a warrior is a warrior is a warrior...

Many, many others, but just a hint of how annoying the rules are (and I played rifts for years until I found 3e and realized that rpg rules should mostly make the game easier...)

 

[Eudaimic]

I'll just drop in here and say that I'm the exact opposite of most people here it seems.

The rules are the best part of the game. They're super simple, fast as hell, though perhaps a bit unbalanced. But I've had lots of fun with it.

Now Palladium FRPG is the game I've played the most of all the games I own, as well as the one I've played the longest.

And if there's one thing the setting isn't, it's cool. It's fragmented, poorly written and non-coherent.

If you thought the Rifts sourcebooks had a tendency to not fit in with each other (well it IS Rifts I guess), then you'll find it to be much much worse in PFRPG. I dare you to pick up The Great Old Ones and call that a good sourcebook!

All in all PFRPG steals gods and pantheons whereever it can (Old Ones anyway?... Cthulhu?...). There's no setting to be found in the main rulebook except for a couple of passages in the races section.

Would I recommend it? Sure But I'm biased, so take heed

 

[DeadlyUematsu]

Bit unbalanced?

 

[hellbender]

Is life balanced?

Balance is really not an issue in PFRPG, now I grant you, a Vagabond and a Glitter Boy pilot in Rifts do not an easy for the GM game make.


hellbender

 

[Crothian]

Actually, balance can be an issue in any game, it depends on the people you play with. I know and have played with people who didn't mind the Vagabond and the Glitterboy in the same group, I've also played with people who were very upset that someone was playing a dwarf in palladium fantasy because dwarves are one of the stronger basic races.

 

[hellbender]

Actually, balance can be an issue in any game, it depends on the people you play with. I know and have played with people who didn't mind the Vagabond and the Glitterboy in the same group, I've also played with people who were very upset that someone was playing a dwarf in palladium fantasy because dwarves are one of the stronger basic races.

Jiminy crickets! I have played PFRPG throughout the Dark Ages of AD&D 2E and never had balance conflicts, nor people upset about anyone playing a dwarf (they were ticked to find the one elf was a changeling, though).


hellbender