Recent content by bert1001 fka bert1000

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    D&D General Demetrios1453 Plays the Gold Box Games

    Fond memories! Haven't played these since they first came out, but remember stinking cloud, hold person, hold monster etc being go to spells throughout. If I remember it was basically an auto kill after being paralyzed. I seem to remember doing this to multiple dragons and such in later...
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    D&D 5E Encounter Balance holds back 5E

    Yeah, I like both styles of play (more sandbox explore and more curated/follow the AP). But in either one I think it is beneficial to have a working encounter CR / budget system.
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    The Answer is not (always) on your Character Sheet

    I think it's all about being transparent up front on what is the domain of "player skill" and what is the domain of "character skill". And trying to remove overlap. It's a game so there is some player skill involved. In D&D combat this is where to move, what ability to use, etc. The problem...
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    D&D General No More Baldur's Gate From Larion: Team Is 'Elated'

    Almost finished with Solasta Crown after finished BG3 and really enjoying it. Enjoying it as much as BG3 but in different ways. It's better than BG3 in : 1) 5e rules implementation -- attunement, no busted haste, real flying, etc. 2) keeping things decently challenging in combat until...
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    D&D General No More Baldur's Gate From Larion: Team Is 'Elated'

    Seems a waste. You have the game and rules engine (and a lot of assets) there already, and "only" need to create new stories and some new assets. I know it's not trivial but surely easier than doing story AND rules engine at the same time? License it back to WotC so they can hire someone to...
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    D&D General Social Pillar Mechanics: Where do you stand?

    Yes, agreed. I think the missing part for me is that for Combat you have some strategic player actions that matters (part of the game of many rpgs) and some character skill that matters, with the character skill being more heavily weighted to reflect that we are playing a fictional character...
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    D&D 4E Introducing Orcus -- a 4E retroclone

    So, I just finished BG3 and had a lightbulb go off. IMO 5e is not a great fit for CRPGs but 4e would be amazing. If someone took the time to recreate the original 4e classes in ORCUS, then you could create an CRPG that was essentially 4e, right? A lot of the BG3 problems would go away (combat...
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    D&D 4E Let's Talk About 4E On Its Own Terms [+]

    There are others that can respond better, as I have not played anywhere near a full campaign. I did not see any glaring balance issues although I can't say for sure there aren't any exploits. I didn't say anything about a railroad or not. It is a railroad in the sense that all adventure...
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    D&D 4E Let's Talk About 4E On Its Own Terms [+]

    Fair enough. I meant the 4e rules system more than the whole edition. 4e lore is strong and is a strength of the edition but I wouldn't consider Dragonborn specifically a strength of the rules system per se. IMO, the strength of 4e system in terms of races is that you can create all kinds...
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    D&D 4E Let's Talk About 4E On Its Own Terms [+]

    Unfortunately, I think most of the official ones are just not great for 4e without some work. They almost all suffer from too many encounters in a row, leaving little room for plot development/other stuff. EN World Zeitgeist is the only one that I know of that plays to all of 4e's strengths...
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    D&D 4E [Orcus/4e] House rules - including a skill challenge replacement

    Love to see where you end up. I think more types of systems available the better as sometimes one structure fits better than another depending on the situation you are trying to model. 2 further comments: 1) I'd try to get permission to include Stalker's Obsidian skill challenge as an...
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    D&D General BG3 and 5E Theories. Top 10.

    Yeah, easy respec and multiclasses don't help. Disallowing multi class would help a little I guess, but I don't think that much. I had a Sorc 12 that never bothered to go SorLok and it still crushed. Adding Thief to Monk is a nice kicker but Monk 12 with tavern brawler and elixirs and items...
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    D&D General BG3 and 5E Theories. Top 10.

    Long rests are essentially possible after almost every fight and definitely after every 3 fights. There are a few exceptions where an area is blocked from returning to camp (although many of those you can just walk out of the blocked area and come back), and there are only a few times where...
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    D&D General BG3 and 5E Theories. Top 10.

    I'm ok with that if it's like 1 per character. Maybe 2. I think it is cool to have a sword with elemental damage, that can haste you, and gives you a pseudo feat or something. But in BG3 every item is like this. You armor has like 4 properties, your helmet adds 1-2, your boots, etc.
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    D&D General BG3 and 5E Theories. Top 10.

    Yep I had a Open Hand Monk 8 / Thief 4 with Tavern Brawler. Don't forget the ability to use plentiful all day Hill Giant strength elixirs (and sometimes Cloud Giant) on that Monk so you can dump strength and pump Con and Wis for some juicy stun saves (and personal saves against getting taken...
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