Recent content by AbdulAlhazred

I didn't have too much problem with some degree of earning it, or growing into it, but that process was less like 'the birth of a hero' and more like grinding. I think 5e made some progress vs say 2e there, but 4e did one thing well for us. Your character might be a small local hero at level 1...

I mean where the PCs are big darn heroes and the focus is on heroic action vs a lot of detailed exploration, logistics, etc. If you literally read the 1e PHB, the introduction/preface it TALKS ABOUT being Conan or Elric or something, but the actual game is nothing like that. As written it's more...

Actually, my experience is that D&D, certainly explicitly since 1e PHB, has advertised itself as heroic fantasy. Except for 4e it has never delivered that. I mean, maybe inconsistently here and there at certain levels, for certain definitions of heroic. 5e might be able to do it, kinda, if the...

Sounds frustrating. I will say, all of this is a bit amazing to us old guys! Like, an entire campaign is wrecked by a few PC deaths? I mean, yeah I get how a TPK breaks continuity in play, but if characters are fragile then maybe the continuity needs to be invested in something more durable...

Yeah, I agree with you on continuity. It COULD serve a useful purpose in some play, perhaps. But NOBODY actually exercises complete unbroken continuity anyway, so it becomes one of those things where we need to ask more specific questions anyhow.

Oh, sure, if you want to play a TT tactical wargame, that's great! I was one of the playtesters for TFT Melee back in the day. It has all the basic elements of D&D characters, ability scores, equipment, and some skills (just related to weapons). You just go into the scenario, kill the other guy...

Sorry if I'm just rehashing some of the last 53 pages of, hrrmmmm, fluffy material, my interest waned at page 4... I think this is exactly why we have games like, say, 1000 Arrows. Death is certainly not entirely off the table in that game, but it isn't about trying to avoid getting killed. It...

No it isn't. If you come to that conclusion, then your definition of railroad is unprintable. Think harder. Every game presents situations to the PCs. If 'presenting a situation' IN AND OF ITSELF is 'railroading', then the term is worthless. If you think that presenting a situation 'because...

Another one is to have things like beliefs/bonds/goals/etc. which can be used by the GM to put the PCs in a situation. Something like @bloodtide's riot scenario, for instance, might be engaging because the PCs have an established viewpoint on lawlessness, use of force, oppression, whatever.

It adds a determinate structure. I don't know, as a player, that the GM is going to be satisfied with 3 checks, or if he might decide to require 20, or what they will be on, their DCs, nothing. At least as a player, in the process of dealing with this challenge, I can reason about each part...

But look at my sneak past the defenses response, above. Where are the choices? I mean, yes, the players could choose very differently and try a whole different approach. They could cast a ritual that gives them all flying (it is a bit high level, but even a mid-level wizard might achieve this if...

See, I don't understand this supposed 'flattening'. Lets say the SC you are suggesting is one that we ran for some characters. I would call it a CL1 SC, probably, as it is just some fairly small part of a bigger operation, so I don't want to focus on it too much, it will take 4-6 checks to pass...

I don't know that I have any position on this. I can imagine how a scenario of that type might be structured as an SC, if that's what we're talking about. But, I don't think the notes are a problem, necessarily. They probably do put some limits on the universe of possible GM options that might...

I am honestly completely mystified here. If 'hunt' is your best skill, then why would the existence or absence of a Skill Challenge change the fact that it would be most advantageous to roll with that Skill? I'm not trying to be contrary here, I am honestly 100% totally unable to see how this...

Yeah, this is a whole other point. Nothing has been lost, if you were already assuming limitless GM power to say this or that, then they are surely able to just change the rules of the SC and end it. I'm not sure I see the point of pretending to use SCs at that point, but it is certainly...