The Soloist
Hero
The standard rules. I awarded each one Heroic Ability after they found the second part of the statuette because I considered it a heroic deed, which is part of the standard GM discretionary rules.
Dragonbane Post-Mortem
- Thread starter Retreater
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Thanks for sharing your experience. I am somewhat aware of the game, but only a bit. I am somewhat curious in a few rules. What is the initiative system like? What did you as the one running the game most enjoy?
As for the other side discussion about replacements while I am a fan of SW, wouldn't be surprised if you run into the same problems with the limited info you shared on your table. If you do (did?) end up trying it I strong recommend your first setting not being fantasy. Further away the better. it is a different rule set and getting in a new setting (e.g scifi/modern/whatever) will help everyone see the game through a different lens. I find when jumping systems if you try to do a similar type of setting with new rules too often someone turns into "I want to do thing X and is game A" too often instead of focusing on how to be awesome in the new system.
I'll also throw out a not so common option to consider given the different players you mentioned. It's a skill based game with a focus on recreating some of the over the top wushu movies. Characters are extremely powerful from day one.
DriveThruRPG
www.drivethrurpg.com
It's card-based. Each turn you pass out cards labeled 1-10 and go in order, low to high. An earlier initiative can trade with someone going later. You can "save" your initiative card to use for a defensive reaction like Dodge or Parry.
We are trying Deadlands: Lost Colony. We have the second session tonight in 30 minutes, in fact. It's bumpy going so far.
I'll take a look at the Wuxia game, but I'm not incredibly familiar with the genre. Just being honest, I'm about to throw up my hands and run 5e again.
The Soloist
Hero
Also, monsters with multiple attacks (Ferocity) get more than one card. They make one attack per card. Some characters can get more than one card using a Heroic ability.
Wolfpack48
Hero
You have an exceptionally stubborn group. I will note that up until your "TPK" the group was enjoying Dragonbane, and I do feel it shares a lot of DNA with D&D and fixes and simplifies the wonky stuff (AC, etc). (Still think a good revenge campaign could work after that loss). Is the main concern the powerfulness of the characters, or the fact that they can "lose" at all? You could do a bit of boosting with extra Heroic Abilities or potentially give CON x 1.5 for HP. I feel like there's ways to either boost Dragonbane or fix 5e with houserules that might find a middle ground.
Reminded that in our old 1e games, we would have character death occasionally (losing levels was considered worse), but there might be ways to revive a PC and even make it a cool story/adventure.
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Yeah. So I have a group of players who don't think about the game until they sit down to play it, spend 30 minutes hanging out, then don't care when the spotlight isn't on their characters. A system that asks little (outside the game or during the game) is ideal.
We had three players. Two of them were enjoying Dragonbane. The third (who wasn't enjoying it) complained enough that the two who were enjoying it agreed to play another system. While everyone was a little disappointed in the Dragonbane campaign party defeat, it was the one player who hated the system so much that was the reason we haven't gone back.
Wolfpack48
Hero
Just give her double the dice to roll then secretly cut the result in half behind the screen.
Also, just say feet even though it's actually meters.I'm only half joking -- you need to give her the illusion she's playing D&D, so do anything you can to make it feel like D&D without all the extra cruff 5e actually has.
The Soloist
Hero
It's not easy when you get a TPK trying a new RPG.
That happened to me with Symbaroum (the original, not 5e). One guy wasn't sold on the game but played anyway. At the end of the first session, there was a TPK. My fault because the rules were new to me, and it was hard to evaluate if the PCs would survive. That was it for him. The game design was bad, never wanted to play again.
I refuse to go back to D&D 5e like he wanted. We settled on Fantasy AGE 1e. He got his action-hero moves, and I got to GM a Not-D&D fantasy rpg.
That happened to me with Symbaroum (the original, not 5e). One guy wasn't sold on the game but played anyway. At the end of the first session, there was a TPK. My fault because the rules were new to me, and it was hard to evaluate if the PCs would survive. That was it for him. The game design was bad, never wanted to play again.
I refuse to go back to D&D 5e like he wanted. We settled on Fantasy AGE 1e. He got his action-hero moves, and I got to GM a Not-D&D fantasy rpg.
Wolfpack48
Hero
Sorry if I’m being off the cuff, but I do think you need to solve the power gamer vs the reasonable system puzzle. The Dragonbane Heroic Abilities can still make up for some of the power game needs but I also think maybe fudging a bit in favor of the players for awhile until you find that middle ground between a system you like and one where characters feel potent. Maybe find the character abilities in 5e that players like and find a way to “Dragonbanify” them. You could even convert classes to professions similar to the way BRP Classic Fantasy did.
But are players willing to have tense combat at all? Is the idea of getting hurt at all intolerable?
But are players willing to have tense combat at all? Is the idea of getting hurt at all intolerable?
The players have different ideas of what they like.
Referencing the OP...
Player C likes a variety of challenges. Loss (or even a character death) isn't the end of the world. It takes the game in interesting, new directions. She can try out new builds. (This is really my favorite way of viewing it.)
Player B gets a little pouty at first but then accepts it, laughs, and makes a new character. He has been known to place bets on the first character death in a new campaign (and usually bets that it will be his character).
Player A likes tense combat - or at least combat that seems tense. She wants everything to be solved with what is on the character sheet. The fight should allow the party to show off and look badass, or should get everyone down to 10% strength - but not actually be defeated. And then get a full heal of all resources before the next fight.
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