A "Why Oh Why" RPG Thread [+]

[Willie the Duck]

"Yes."

Sadly the medium makes it difficult for a Harpo analog to come in and finish the routine with a sight gag.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

who says they aren’t? Traveller is basically a game about spacers living out their retirement.

On that point there are least two RPGs now about about little old retired ladies solving crimes - I think the newer one has them doing it in space!

 

[Willie the Duck]

On that point there are least two RPGs now about about little old retired ladies solving crimes - I think the newer one has them doing it in space!

"Ms. Starple"
"The No. 1 Lunar Detective Agency"
"Cagney and Spacy"
"Mars on Mars: Veronica Mars 2050"
"Alpha Centauri Prime Suspect"
"Murder, She Wrote (with a zero-G pen)"

 

[Emoshin]

But that doesn't really answer the question, though. Plenty of humanoids lack protective shells, scales, etc., too...but oh heavens no, they aren't allowed to cover up with metal for protection. But if they're lacking claws and fangs, metal is acceptable?

It's just so weird and arbitrary; I feel like it should be all-or-nothing. For my part, I'd prefer druids who won't use metal of any kind, not even coins for currency...they fight with spears and bows, their armor is made from chitin and hides, they trade in pearls and pelts, etc. Much more evocative. If you're going to put in a restriction "for flavor," commit to it.

Huh

I don't see the metal restriction mentioned anywhere in the latest UA Druid playtest packet

 

[CleverNickName]

Huh

I don't see the metal restriction mentioned anywhere in the latest UA Druid playtest packet

Oh great. One more thing I'll have to "fix" later, if I decide to switch to the new system.

 

[Blue Orange]

There was a question about Vancian magic systems earlier in the threads, and I found this bit on ENworld that might be relevant:

TSR - Jack Vance's Forgotten Contributions to D&D

Renowned and influential fantasy author Jack Vance passed away at the age of 96 on May 26, 2013, but his books were highly influential on several aspects of Dungeons & Dragons in more ways than just spellcasting. Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Co-creator of D&D, Gary Gygax, explained Vance's...

www.enworld.org

Specifically:
The Dungeons & Dragons wizard is actually inspired by the wizards of Jack Vance's Dying Earth series. Gygax explained the four cardinal types of magic in literature: those systems which require long conjuration with much paraphernalia as visualized by Shakespeare in Macbeth and Robert E. Howard in Conan, those which require short spoken spells (like Jack Vance's Dying Earth series), ultra-powerful magic typical of DeCamp and Pratt in the "Harold Shea" stories, and "generally weak and relatively ineffectual magic (as found in J.R.R. Tolkien's work)." Taking into account the need for speed and balance, Gygax chose the most expedient form of spell casting, Vancian magic.

So basically: Elizabethan was too slow, DeCamp/Pratt was too powerful, and Tolkien was too weak. Vancian was (1) fast and (2) intermediate in terms of power.

 

[Emoshin]

Oh great. One more thing I'll have to "fix" later, if I decide to switch to the new system.

Your druid PC goes on a journey of self-exploration and spends 100 days in the deepest forest reading ancient Druidic scripts, and then comes out of the forest and tells the other PCs, "I've been reading it wrong the whole time! It says 'no medals', not 'no metals'"?

 

[CleverNickName]

Your druid PC goes on a journey of self-exploration and spends 100 days in the deepest forest reading ancient Druidic scripts, and then comes out of the forest and tells the other PCs, "I've been reading it wrong the whole time! It says 'no medals', not 'no metals'"?

I'd prefer that druids didn't use either.

 

[Emoshin]

I'd prefer that druids didn't use either.

OK, your druid PC goes on a journey of self-exploration and spends 100 days in the deepest... blah blah blah ...comes out of the forest and tells the other PCs, "That new druid sect is saying it's fine to use metals, pfffff, with those modern ways, out of touch with nature, they'll never get past the Initiate rank'"?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

OK, your druid PC goes on a journey of self-exploration

Wait .... that's a euphemism, isn't it!

That's our druid, always going on journeys of self-exploration, polishing the ol' shillelagh, gettin' wild shape happy again.