Primitive Screwhead
First Post
Last night's session was a character building session. My group has participated in the playtest but took a break to play champions. My turn in the GM seat came back around so its time for some more OLD!
Which of course, led into a bunch of questions. Some of which I am sure comes from having learned the playtest rules.
General input:
One of the things that caught us by surprise was the loss of the career tree concept... which is okay but has some unintended consequences. The careers never were balanced against each other in detail, but more a gestalt sort of approach where a Rank 4 Ranger is as cool as a Rank 4 Cleric.. and getting to Rank 4 was cool.
Often times a career tree meant taking a sub-optimal choice in order to advance to the super-optimal choice at a higher rank.
Without the career tree concept, there is no reason for taking the suboptimal choice. For example.. the Ranger. You take Ranger once to get wilderness concealment, then take Druid which gives you better versions of the Rangers exploits {and magic}
Verbiage input:
Ambidexterity Exploit: Clarify how the additional attack granted interacts other exploits. I assume that the exploits apply to the primary attack and the off-hand attack does benefit from have the exploits or pay the dice penalty.
For example, I have a quarterstaff and try to Disarm {-3D} my opponent. The primary attack suffers the -3D to attack and if successful disarms the opponent. The off-hand attack suffers the usual -2D to attack and deals damage as normal.
Page 23: Human exploit 'varied' is confusing as the bumps are already listed in the attributes section. It reads like you would get the +2 and +1 bumps twice
Career WTF moments:
Farmhand grants the secret of plants? why? I am replacing this in my game with a 'tireless' exploit that grants the character the ability to drop the Tired track by two levels with a successful 'shake it off' check.
Also this is the only starting career that provides access to the nature skill, the prereq for druid. All Druids are former farmhands?
Archer exploit Double Shot..is pointless. Its flat out better to take 'Rapid Shot' as it can be stacked with others and does the same thing.
Mage prerequisite of one magical skill... how do you get a magical skill? none of the starter traditions grant magical skills. I think that this should be a prereq of knowing a secret?
Wizards apprentice/acolyte should have magical skills as a skill option.
Generic 'Huh?' moment:
Age by race.. no mods for race so all adventuring elves are young.. unless the player chooses to play an 'Adult' {no benefit} or 'Old' elf intentionally. Sure this is a kinda cool narrative showing the Elves settle down and stop adventuring while the shorter lived races keep at it.
Ogre's could technically start adventuring in old age {max out rolls at 6D6+6}
That is all for now!
Which of course, led into a bunch of questions. Some of which I am sure comes from having learned the playtest rules.
General input:
One of the things that caught us by surprise was the loss of the career tree concept... which is okay but has some unintended consequences. The careers never were balanced against each other in detail, but more a gestalt sort of approach where a Rank 4 Ranger is as cool as a Rank 4 Cleric.. and getting to Rank 4 was cool.
Often times a career tree meant taking a sub-optimal choice in order to advance to the super-optimal choice at a higher rank.
Without the career tree concept, there is no reason for taking the suboptimal choice. For example.. the Ranger. You take Ranger once to get wilderness concealment, then take Druid which gives you better versions of the Rangers exploits {and magic}
Verbiage input:
Ambidexterity Exploit: Clarify how the additional attack granted interacts other exploits. I assume that the exploits apply to the primary attack and the off-hand attack does benefit from have the exploits or pay the dice penalty.
For example, I have a quarterstaff and try to Disarm {-3D} my opponent. The primary attack suffers the -3D to attack and if successful disarms the opponent. The off-hand attack suffers the usual -2D to attack and deals damage as normal.
Page 23: Human exploit 'varied' is confusing as the bumps are already listed in the attributes section. It reads like you would get the +2 and +1 bumps twice
Career WTF moments:
Farmhand grants the secret of plants? why? I am replacing this in my game with a 'tireless' exploit that grants the character the ability to drop the Tired track by two levels with a successful 'shake it off' check.
Also this is the only starting career that provides access to the nature skill, the prereq for druid. All Druids are former farmhands?
Archer exploit Double Shot..is pointless. Its flat out better to take 'Rapid Shot' as it can be stacked with others and does the same thing.
Mage prerequisite of one magical skill... how do you get a magical skill? none of the starter traditions grant magical skills. I think that this should be a prereq of knowing a secret?
Wizards apprentice/acolyte should have magical skills as a skill option.
Generic 'Huh?' moment:
Age by race.. no mods for race so all adventuring elves are young.. unless the player chooses to play an 'Adult' {no benefit} or 'Old' elf intentionally. Sure this is a kinda cool narrative showing the Elves settle down and stop adventuring while the shorter lived races keep at it.
Ogre's could technically start adventuring in old age {max out rolls at 6D6+6}
That is all for now!
