What gets me playing Draw Steel and not Pathfinder 2e?

I have a question: if you are purely into rules light why worry about a thread about Draw Steel and PF2e?

But forced movement isn't really "extra things to track". You're already playing in an environment so there's nothing added to the fiction. If you're helping visualise by means of a sketch map that's not adding rules complexity. And if you're already putting people on a battlemap you're not tracking something else with forced movement, just making use of what you are already tracking.

Forced movement is unlikely to show up in Grant Howitt one pagers -but there's no reason it can't show in something the weight of a PbtA game.

I hadn't been under the impression that games at that end were particularly big into tracking position in general, but them not being my jam, I may be unaware of counterexamples.
 

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I hadn't been under the impression that games at that end were particularly big into tracking position in general, but them not being my jam, I may be unaware of counterexamples.
Lighter games track what they value and not what they don't. And tend to be focused round valuing a few things. So yes, most lighter games don't use battlemaps. Or encumbrance. Or skills. Or ... But I can think of games that do all these.

I've got Major Property Damage! on my work bench - a fairly light Draw Steel Supers hack I'm working on where the best way to build meta currency is save civilians.
 

Lighter games track what they value and not what they don't. And tend to be focused round valuing a few things. So yes, most lighter games don't use battlemaps. Or encumbrance. Or skills. Or ... But I can think of games that do all these.

I just hadn't been under the impression that "character positioning in combat" was a thing they value very often. As I said, I'm speaking from nothing but impressions.
 

I guess just a comment on tracking all of the conditions and forced movement. I play Pathfinder Society, Paizo's equivalent of Adventurers League, and so have played with a huge variety of players and GMs. Some really good ones and some more basic. There has never been a problem with tracking conditions. Sometimes you have to mention it, such as "I have an 18 to hit with off-guard" but usually the GM just tracks it. And you track what happens to your character.

I played the Quick Start for Draw Steel and the conditions were a little different, which took me a bit to get up to speed on, but I have no doubt it would soon become second nature for me and for most players.

When I run PF2, I do it online, and everything is tracked for me automagically, so that's even better.
 

I guess just a comment on tracking all of the conditions and forced movement. I play Pathfinder Society, Paizo's equivalent of Adventurers League, and so have played with a huge variety of players and GMs. Some really good ones and some more basic. There has never been a problem with tracking conditions. Sometimes you have to mention it, such as "I have an 18 to hit with off-guard" but usually the GM just tracks it. And you track what happens to your character.

I've got to say I'd find the expectation I track all conditions at both ends something I'd not want to do. If players want to play in a game with some crunch, handling the parts applying to their characters is their job, not mine.

When I run PF2, I do it online, and everything is tracked for me automagically, so that's even better.

This, of course, is a common thing now, but I've never taken it as a given that I'll be using a VTT that does that kind of heavy lifting for me.
 

I've got to say I'd find the expectation I track all conditions at both ends something I'd not want to do. If players want to play in a game with some crunch, handling the parts applying to their characters is their job, not mine.
I can see what you mean. It definitely is something that players and GMs work together on. All I can say is that I've never seen it be a problem, and this is with GMs of widely different skill levels, and players too. There is sort of the expectation that the players will handle their effects.

I think I've mentioned this before, but one player who plays a bard, has a big foam finger for their Inspire Courage ability and uses it to remind everyone of the bonus they give. I'm entertained by that at least.
 

I can see what you mean. It definitely is something that players and GMs work together on. All I can say is that I've never seen it be a problem, and this is with GMs of widely different skill levels, and players too. There is sort of the expectation that the players will handle their effects.

I think I've mentioned this before, but one player who plays a bard, has a big foam finger for their Inspire Courage ability and uses it to remind everyone of the bonus they give. I'm entertained by that at least.
I'd post a picture of my Replacements foam finger (its not the pointer), but ugh Erik's grandma wouldnt approve. That would surely go over well at game day.
 

I can see what you mean. It definitely is something that players and GMs work together on. All I can say is that I've never seen it be a problem, and this is with GMs of widely different skill levels, and players too. There is sort of the expectation that the players will handle their effects.

Sure. I'm in a PF2e game right now, and no one would expect the GM to do all the bookkeeping. Admittedly, we're using Hero Lab Online which provides relatively easy management, but there's nothing in Conditions that a note pad couldn't handle. And for those who suggest that's too onerous, I'll just note half the group is bumping up against 70, so...
 

Sure. I'm in a PF2e game right now, and no one would expect the GM to do all the bookkeeping. Admittedly, we're using Hero Lab Online which provides relatively easy management, but there's nothing in Conditions that a note pad couldn't handle. And for those who suggest that's too onerous, I'll just note half the group is bumping up against 70, so...
Right, its nothing like 3E/PF1 days. So, you got a condition well thats -1 to things. 🤷‍♂️
 

Right, its nothing like 3E/PF1 days. So, you got a condition well thats -1 to things. 🤷‍♂️

There's a few that do more odd things (there's more than six after all), but they do at least have the advantage there's standardization so you don't have the "What one-off penalty does this particular spell effect/monster special ability do?"
 

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