Recent content by stonehead

I mostly agree, I must not have made my point clear. Although I don't know if Speak With Animals is the best example because it's a 1st level spell that even Bards have access to. The point was that the Ranger class, as implemented in DnD, devotes a good number of its class abilities to...

I think the point was that no one used these rules, so being able to ignore them is meaningless. I've never played in a game in which overland travel speeds or foraging for food played a significant role. To my knowledge, published adventures also don't emphasize them, which makes sense because...

In 1st edition, there was a table full of circumstantial modifiers to attack rolls and ac, including modifiers for flanking, high ground, squeezing, etc. In 2e, the only ones of these to remain explicitly called out in the books are being off guard or having cover. There is however, a section...

Is there any distinction between "minimalist", "rules lite" and "one-page"? To me, one-page RPGs like Honey Heist or Big Goat Little Goat seem fundamentally different from classic rules-lite systems like Knave or Fate. I'm really curious if anyone has actual play experience with goofy One-Page...

The Pathfinder stuff seems cool. Battle Cry, Shining Kingdoms, and Draconic Codex all seem to support classic fantasy, which appeals to me more than guns and schools. I've never used any of the Lost Omens books before, how tied are they to the specific setting/region they're from? If my group...

If I were to sum it up in one snarky line, I'd say P2e was designed by people who hated that Pathfinder was based on DnD 3.5. As has been repeatedly pointed out to me in this thread, the P2e playtest originally didn't even have +X weapons. It all makes it seem like there was an intentional...

That's a good point, maybe I'm being too narrow in my definition of novelty. To me, novelty seems like a totally new way to do something. So, Burning wheel's Duel of Wits or complex Fight system would be novel. But Worlds Without Number is just refining and polishing design patterns that have...

That's interesting. I definitely get nostalgic for the game itself. Old descriptions, artwork, and covers trigger nostalgia for me in addition the experiences. Even the layouts of the old class progression tables hits me a bit. I don't think so. At the very least, I don't feel that way. It's...

These days, it's often subversions all the way down too. Homer Simpson (the icon of the "sitcom dad" trope) was originally a subversion of ideal role model fathers in older shows like Leave it to Beaver. If a sitcom today came out with a dumb, bumbling dad character, or a cape film with a dark...

I agree that words alone couldn't make someone offer up their child, but I don't think it should be completely impossible. Imagine a trolley problem scenario. If the demon wants a child offering, I think a very skilled orator could make the argument: "It's terrible that little Timmy has to die...

I don't want to sidetrack this thread too much, but any ttrpg? Really? Every TTRPG system is equally difficult to implement in a computer? Games like Fate and Apocalypse World require a lot of improvisation and on-the-fly decision making by the GM, and that's not really feasible in a computer...

It's something a friend of mine said. Your comment got me curious so I looked it up, and what do you know, it's actually something the head of Larian Studios said: Baldur's Gate 3: Director Swen Vincke Answers All Our Questions About Foregoing DLC, AAA Development, and More - IGN Direct quote...

I like the idea of a Pathfinder crpg. I've heard that Larian Studios didn't want to make more DnD games because the 5e engine is so limiting. At the same time though, with only a preview kickstarter project with a few pieces of concept art and no screenshots, it might be a bit early to say...

Do you need a fantasy magical explanation that a fireball thrown by one person is harder to dodge than one thrown by another? That's how throwing physical weapons works. In this case, the ball of fire is literally thrown. Maybe there are some cases like an animated rope or dancing weapon that...

Thank you for the recommendations. The onyx dog actually looks interesting! In the time since creating this thread, I have found a few more items I like. Cloak of Illusions and Retrieval Belt both seem like fun, interesting items. I also read that the designers wanted your character to find an...