How Dragonbane Pointed out the Clashing Desires of My Gaming Group

[MichaelSomething]

In a heartbeat.
However, the butt kicker still thinks it's underpowered, like all other TSR era games.

That's nothing some custom magic items can't solve!!!

 

[Retreater]

So I personally still think you'll be better off splitting the game into two.

There's challenges about this. Mostly that we'd have a group with 1 player and another group with 2 players. And in a small town, religious community where it's very difficult to find new gamers to expand the base.

 

[Retreater]

Actually, have you looked at Castles and Crusades?

Yep. Also too underpowered for the butt kicker.
As she explained last night, her baseline power level is 4E D&D. I guess she can step it down to a more reasonable power level of PF2. Or high level 5E.

 

[schneeland]

There's challenges about this. Mostly that we'd have a group with 1 player and another group with 2 players. And in a small town, religious community where it's very difficult to find new gamers to expand the base.

Yeah, that's a bit tricky then. You'll probably have to move at least group 1 to online play (unless you're lucky).

 

[Retreater]

Yeah, that's a bit tricky then. You'll probably have to move at least group 1 to online play (unless you're lucky).

Nah. I'll just call it off. Three is my absolute minimum to run an RPG. I'll just wish everyone well and retire the group.

 

[billd91]

Nah. I'll just call it off. Three is my absolute minimum to run an RPG. I'll just wish everyone well and retire the group.

As unfortunate as it is, I think it's best. At the very least, retire the group until you've had enough time off to be willing to give it a try again but emphasizing your own enjoyment as much as your players'. And I'm not talking a week or two - I'm talking months, at least.

 

[Velderan]

Have you ever talked individually with the players about the things they struggle with? Like if a player can’t remember MAP -10 for PF2e, what would help them remember? Cheat sheet cards or something?

I had a couple players who didn’t immediately gel with the switch from 5e to PF2e and in both cases, I just talked to them on the side to figure out what was going on. We ended up finding out what they were struggling with and found some good resources for them to refer to when they needed it.

It does really sound like either A5e or AD&D 2e with the player’s options optional rules might be a better fit for what you have described as being the group’s tastes.

 

[R_J_K75]

The advantage of Gloomhaven is you have a running story-line...and you get to play too!

My friend who bought Arkham Horror also bought Gloomhaven and brought it over hoping to play. We never did but if we delve deeper into board games maybe we'll give it a second look. The running story line sounds interesting. Although I'd feel bad for, but LMAO, at the person who accidently dropped their box of the game, there'd be millions of pieces to pick up. I think that box weighed about 30 pounds. He also just spent a good buck on Nemesis Lockdown too.

 

[Lanefan]

What follows is a short argument between the one of the players who stayed with the car who said he was going to drive away.

Me: It's not your car, so you don't have the keys.
Player: Cars back then didn't have ignition starters.
Me: You're right. But this is a fancy car, and you need to turn the key to connect the circuit. If you want to hotwire the car, make a Thievery roll.
Player: I don't have Thievery.

The other two were waiting outside when a second group of gangsters, belonging to a rival gang, show up. One Player said he was going to try to run them down with the car until I pointed out that he never started the car. "Oh, I thought you were kidding about that." So instead he decided to honk the horn to attract their attention. As they gangsters walked towards the car, he exited the vehicle and ran which means he abandoned the other PC in the car.

It was just bizarre behavior all around and it made me realize I had a bored player on hand. He doesn't care for games with a lot of investigating or role playing as he's more interested in beating things up. Which is fine, I'm all for beating stuff up, but I'm going to have to have a talk with him and one other.

The other player actively walks in the opposite direction of plot hooks. He woke up in his dorm in the middle of the night to see a mysterious girl, aged 15-16, had snuck in. He pretended to be asleep, and when she exited his room he got up, locked the door, and went back to sleep. He had absolutely no curiosity about who she was and didn't feel the need to investigate. It was just bizarre.

Both of those examples - particularly the guy running away from the car - just look like another day at the office for me.

If your players are running every-man-for-himself characters (which do suit that gangster genre) the garage scenario played out perfectly. As for the girl sneaking into the room, did you have her interact with the PC or just sneak in and do nothing? 'Cause if she just snuck in and did nothing, then left, I-as-player would probably have done exactly what your player did: lock the door, go back to sleep, and maybe or maybe not remember any of it in the morning.

 

[R_J_K75]

Play 2e, problem solved.

In a heartbeat.

We tried this about a year ago, with myself, one of my players I used to play 2E with, and 2 other players; one who played since 3E and the other who only played 5E. For the players who played 2E in the 80s and 90s. for all the nostalgia the system didn't really hold up. For the 3E-5E players they had a very hard time getting past the d20 system and wrapping their head around all the subsystems. We only played for a few months. I think the game has "evolved" (and I use the term loosely) to a point that the younger players couldn't appreciate that style of play.