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  1. GMMichael

    What videogames are you playing in 2025?

    Greed and Darkness is pretty awesome so far. It's probably not one for the Everyone-Should-Have-Infravision crowd, though. Skyrim. Skyrim . . . why does that sound so familiar? Oh yeah, it's the a Dance with Dragons of videogames!
  2. GMMichael

    D&D General Dealing with bad luck (From behind the DM screen).

    Maybe you got a good feel for the game, then? Time to move on, or are you committed to 13'A_2e>pT for some reason? Ah, sign of a wholesome GM. However, the RNG isn't the only fault. It could also be rules, player decisions, and/or GM rulings. Whatever your plan ends up being, tell the...
  3. GMMichael

    The Castle is Alive

    Lots of good ideas in this thread, but too-much-of-a-good-thing definitely applies here. The first time that a painting hops off the wall to chase me around, I become a BIG art critic. Then if a rug tries to taste me later (or worse, swallow me), I'd get a real bad case of Don't Do Anything -...
  4. GMMichael

    New Year, New Campaign: Crown and Skull

    Ah, that makes sense. I haven't seen/used my tens-die in so long, I forgot about it! I caught the canoe paddle joke (which sounds like it would make a nice substitute for a ten-foot-pole), but if losing a round of combat means getting gear discarded, I can picture someone tripling up on...
  5. GMMichael

    New Year, New Campaign: Crown and Skull

    Not fair! I've never been able to hit 100 when rolling three d10s! The free player's guide, while a generous thing to offer, gives 74 pages on character creation and combat rules. The friendly demo character who comments once in a while says that he brings three shields with him on his...
  6. GMMichael

    Sharing My Original Music and Sound Effects - Over 2500 Tracks

    Eric, the "like" button falls a little short. I need a "level up" button for you! RPGMaker was on sale recently, so... you'll possibly be hearing from me again.
  7. GMMichael

    New Edition Of ALIEN RPG Includes Romulus Material--But Kickstarter Delayed To 2025

    Can the stress problem be addressed with one rule: "party stress gain does not require an immediate stress check?" I wouldn't write off a new edition just because I thought one of the weapons should do one or two more points of damage. It would take a bit more, like rewriting all of the...
  8. GMMichael

    Kobold Press Announces 'Cozy' RPG Riverbank

    I'm going to let "cottagecore" bounce around in my head a bit. See if it sticks. This game might end the age-old debate of whether a good social combat system is possible.
  9. GMMichael

    New Edition Of ALIEN RPG Includes Romulus Material--But Kickstarter Delayed To 2025

    React or die is an Alien theme. Bumping up pulse rifle damage seems like an easy GM fix. So, are these really problems?
  10. GMMichael

    D&D 5E (2014) Dungeoncraft Interview with Mike Mearls

    Truth. I don't know how many times I cried out, while playing A2e, "kite him! My heals are on cooldown. Did anyone aggro the demon? I need to farm his drops for my daily."
  11. GMMichael

    Different philosophies concerning Rules Heavy and Rule Light RPGs.

    Different philosophies at work here: Wild shape, D&D 6e: Level 2: Wild Shape The power of nature allows you to assume the form of an animal. As a Bonus Action, you shape-shift into a Beast form that you have learned for this feature (see “Known Forms” below). You stay in that form for a number...
  12. GMMichael

    Punisher is on the big screen! (Accountant Squared)

    Jon Bernthal, or as I know him - the Punisher, is coming to a theater near you! He's in the Accountant ^2, and I have internal conflict over that. As a sequel, that means it has Ben Affleck in the starring role. The Punisher can do some amazing support (like Ebon Moss-Bachrach did in the...
  13. GMMichael

    Friends, Gamers, Editors, Lend Me Your Ears! (New Rules)

    Truth. How does this look? I moved Actions above Turns. I was probably thinking that since initiative contests determine turn order, that turns should come next :( After revising Actions, there's more emphasis on what counts as an action. As in, they're attacks, defenses, or posture...
  14. GMMichael

    But I want to turn people into dinosaurs...

    There's no way I'm letting a dragon turn people into dragons. And Rod of Unlimited Polymorph is probably out of the question, too. The Goblin Generator has potential. Although, put someone in a small enough cage for long enough, and it'll do about the same thing. What game to use? Modos 2...
  15. GMMichael

    D&D 5E (2024) Is Monster Manual 2025 compatible with 2014 Characters?

    To the extent that I interpreted correctly, trying to use a monster with an inaccurate CR isn't a non-choice. It's just more difficult to apply it correctly, since the average party CR has changed, and apparently some old CRs weren't accurate to begin with. Correct application, in this...
  16. GMMichael

    Hot take: get rid of the "balanced party" paradigm

    Nothing wrong. It just drives me nuts when players assume that they must make a certain type of character.
  17. GMMichael

    D&D 5E (2024) Is Monster Manual 2025 compatible with 2014 Characters?

    Chris Perkins: "fully compatible." I wouldn't say the DM has fewer choices, though. They're just more difficult choices.
  18. GMMichael

    Hot take: get rid of the "balanced party" paradigm

    This makes Minnesota-nice steam come out of my GM ears. "Oh, you 'need' a healer? And one with darkvision, since no one in the group has darkvision? Yeah, okay. Do whatever you want to do!"
  19. GMMichael

    TTRPG gaming tables

    I like to use community tables so my neighbors can see all the fun they're missing.
  20. GMMichael

    When Combat Isn't Always *About* Combat

    Hellblade 2 uses waves to wash the PC away, albeit not in combat. More spectacularly, a raging fire giant will burn the PC to a cinder if she's not behind cover when the fire blows in. Skyrim has a more subdued take: in the demiplane of Apocrypha, the darkness causes pain (possibly from the...
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