Recent content by jmartkdr2

I don't know if CaT favors dice-light gaming more than CaW - after all, in CaW you're trying to get around the random elements. But diceless CaS would be a really tough sell, I would think.

Even in CaT fudging isn't recommended for getting "good" results, just to avoid the whole thing falling apart. The dice are supposed to provide surprises, after all.

I feel like we're re-inventing the older "Gamist, Narrativist, Simulationist" idea but framing it slightly differently - and carrying the same issues. The "Combat as X" framework seems to be written by CaW/Simulationist gamers and so slightly advantages their own ideas while not quite...

I'm not sure this captures the way damage plays out well - rogues having big spike damage despite having low-ish average damage is important to note. That's on top of the fact that this obviously doesn't account for non-combat features (not that that's missing information) But within narrower...

Depends on the class: For fighters, Superior Technique - more toys to play with. Even good with the Battlemaster subclass (although you run out of worthwhile maneuvers quickly, more dice is better.) For paladins, Defense, though next time I might take Intercept. 2014 Protection is just too...

I think one can argue that5e, at least, doesn't really push you toward any of CaW, CaS, or CaT - other editions certainly did, but 5e manages to split the difference. Early editions definitely favored Combat as War, by making actual fighting something you didn't want to do. It was brutal...

That's very true of older editions, but I think the newer versions are a lot more forgiving - ie you wouldn't re-roll stats and very powerful monsters aren't on the list. (you always come back as a pc species). It can make it much less of a risk - there's basically no chance of getting screwed...

In addition to any implications, there's also the fact that TES takes place in a single, well-defined setting. DnD is meant to work in many different settings including innumerable homebrew settings. Defining specific cultures well enough to have clear mechanical impacts limits settings much...

Space dragonborn are basically just Klingons, I think.

In Pathfinder 2e there are a couple of spells that create fashionable attire, which typically grant a small bonus to diplomacy checks (in addition to making sure you’re properly dressed.) Perfume could range from “allowing you to ignore a penalty for not having bathed” up to “grants the effect...

“Content” is the closest listed option but “I don’t foresee myself buying anything more” is more accurate. Partially because I’m sort of done with DnD per se at the moment, and partially because (based on past releases) I don’t think they’re likely to release anything I actually want. 2014 was...

In Pathfinder 2e at least, I think there's room for ninja as a complete class - after all, we have slayers as opposed to rangers and daredevils as opposed to swashbucklers - gimme a couple hours and I could probably come up with a dozen focus spells for ninjas. I might need a while to come up...

I wonder if shaolin monk should be a subclass of ninja instead of the current setup...

Just pulling this part out: If you only ever get to play at low levels, “having the chance to play at low levels” isn’t a feature. And I can attest @EzikielRaiden isn’t the only player on this forum to have spent sone time locked in a cycle of “zero to very slightly more than zero” games for...

Rarely anymore, but ten years ago it was the norm. I think the people I’m playing with now are just too used to the system and the tropes to find the constraints of a first-level character interesting anymore; we have more complex ideas that need a few levels (or at least a subclass) to...