Recent content by aramis erak

  1. aramis erak

    Describe your last rpg session in 5 words

    Sun L5R 5e... Oxen, Falcons, Merchants, travel... Fun!
  2. aramis erak

    Dice manufacturer Louis Zocchi passes away

    I've replicated his dice stacking with armory vs GS dice... the height difference for d10's was interesting - not as dramatic as his d20's, but they aren't truly fair. But then, I did the stats on many of my dice just for S&Gs...
  3. aramis erak

    RPG Evolution: A roll of the dicey dice

    And yet, non-casino dice are notoriously uneven. Gamings most even dice still have minor flaws. (See Lou Zocchi's diatribe on it)... most commercial gaming dice are uneven and unfair; there was a big row about 2006 about GW's d6's being notably unfair using a chi² test of fit. Every box of d6...
  4. aramis erak

    What are the rules for?

    Most of the big name companies' space opera games... including Traveller (GDW/IG/Mongoose), Space Opera (FGU), Star Wars (WEG — in GG6 — and FFG — EotE core rules), Alternity (TSR), Web of Stars (Web Games), ALIENS RPG (Leading Edge), ALIEN (Free League), Coriolis: The Third Horizon (Free...
  5. aramis erak

    Play Is Paramount: Discuss

    There are a handful that are not intended for play, but can be played anyway. Apparently HōL was not intended for play — it's barely legible, and only marginally playable — it's intent was parody first, playability second, or so I've read. And trying to read it, my impression was play was...
  6. aramis erak

    Let's Talk About Defining Player Characters

    L5R 5e moved rings to being narrative approaches... but 5 different sets; one per category of skills: artisan approaches, martial approaches, Scholarly approaches, social approaches, and trade approaches. Makes the choice of ring easier to make. So Air Ring is defensive movement in martial...
  7. aramis erak

    Dice manufacturer Louis Zocchi passes away

    I catalogue ordered from Gamescience several times. Always a good experience.
  8. aramis erak

    Play Is Paramount: Discuss

    The Temp/Potential is realistic to a point, and kind of assumes a younger start than we think of today... but it's cumbersome. I found averageing three stats realistic but cumbersome - hence the spreadsheet. Automatic calculations makes RM so much more playable. Especially with modern, "Blank...
  9. aramis erak

    Play Is Paramount: Discuss

    Front-loaded complexity. I made it playable in the 90's by using spreadsheets on my Apple II. (And no, I don't still have them.)
  10. aramis erak

    What are the rules for?

    In FKR, it depends upon the agreed conventions. And the GM's honesty. In most RPGs, largely, tho' I've had players using lore I didn't know a whit about to shape their decisions in D&DAL...
  11. aramis erak

    Play Is Paramount: Discuss

    Rolemaster plays pretty damned well - two tables for 90% or more of non-combat actions (Moving Maneuver and Static Maneuver tables)... and if the GM is well organized, even combat snaps along.
  12. aramis erak

    [Humor] Friday Nonsense: Stupid Player Tricks

    On board a target ship, trying to recover the logs. "I blow the airlock to suck the Xenomorph out" Xenomorph easily passes the roll to not be blown out. tries again a few minutes later... after a chestburster joins the scene... "I blow the airlock and let go" - the Xenomoph Drone stays pat, the...
  13. aramis erak

    Alien forms of gameplay/game design you've encountered?

    Being the first to drop a nuke renders it no longer meaningful. But, generally, the solution is a joint blitzkrieg against the homeland by all the other players. If you win, you get to argue over the supply center and its nuke; if you lose, they're going to drop it.
  14. aramis erak

    Daggerheart Discussion

    It's a large difference in degree. Adding touchpoints seriously trims the outcome tree.
  15. aramis erak

    Daggerheart Discussion

    Wizards are straightforward in DH. Druids and Rangers are the most complex. And neither is very complex.
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