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  1. jedavis

    Sometimes Zombies Happen

    The Midnight campaign setting is kind of like this, actually. Ever since the Dark God Izrador was cast down to the material plane, the souls of the dead have been unable to leave, and so they often continue to inhabit their deceased bodies as undead, known as the Fell. Izrador fell long enough...
  2. jedavis

    Do you prepare bands of NPC adventurers?

    I did this thrice during my last Traveller campaign. I rolled random ability scores in-order, then developed the character and skills of the NPCs from there. The first group was a set of bounty hunters who were after the PCs, the second was a squad of mercs who were guarding some cargo the PCs...
  3. jedavis

    Things I Miss....

    Hey, speaking as a 3.x player, Codex Martialis adds a lot of this kind of thing back into 3e. It might be worth a look for those who like 3e but miss weapon speed and variable bonuses against different armor types.
  4. jedavis

    If you have played 3.5e regularly within the past 5 years, what are you playing now?

    Currently running Mongoose Traveller, but we play a Trailblazer variant back home. A friend of mine is probably running PF/TB/3.5 next semester. Tried 4e a couple times, was not compelled to switch.
  5. jedavis

    Powering up Cursed items

    I was going to suggest Iron Heroes as well - nothing like addictive healing potions and armor that grows into your flesh to make you make interesting choices regarding magic item use. However, IH seems to fall more into the Savage Worlds model of magic item prevalence - you're willing to use...
  6. jedavis

    Best Alternate System for Dark Heresy Setting

    My Mongoose Traveller game has almost devolved into Dark Heresy... you could add crit tables, psycher mishap tables, and some equipment, and it'd come pretty close. Background table modifications might also be necessary for a full conversion.
  7. jedavis

    Best space marines system?

    For completeness' sake, I have to say that my group really didn't enjoy Dark Heresy at all. The combat rules were long and fiddly, resolving damage was a huge pain (determine if hit, roll damage, figure out hit location, check armor in that location, subtract armor from damage, apply damage to...
  8. jedavis

    Best space marines system?

    I second the nomination for Traveller, with the caveat that powered armor is powerful in Traveller. You'll have to bring out the big guns (or big bugs) to actually threaten the PCs. I'd also suggest True20; I ran a one-shot centered on a squad of Starcraft-style marines in powered armor trying...
  9. jedavis

    Difficulty levels in D&D?

    At one point I wrote a script to generate monsters using random ability scores, rolled on 3d6, to increase variation (as a counter to the Spreadsheet Warriors, so you can't assume that any given goblin has AC15 and 3 HP, and then use it to optimize your power attack bonus). I then decided to...
  10. jedavis

    Freeform GMing

    During the last game I ran, I knew my (Traveller) players were headed for a particular system. My notes boiled down to "System under Imperial interdiction due to meme-demon plague induced by <Malevolent NPC>. Fat Trader Albatross broken down near gas giant, Signal GKing - engineer driven...
  11. jedavis

    2011 PC Bodycount Thread

    Had a PC kill in my Traveller game twoish weeks ago. The PCs were trying to hijack a ship in dock being guarded by half a squad of well-equipped mercenaries. The party managed to split the mercs up, with two running to the bridge and the last guarding the hold. The PCs went after the lone one...
  12. jedavis

    How many games will you run this year?

    I'm at 7 sessions run from January to March, about 6 weeks of school left, so probably 4 more sessions this semester. Not GMing over the summer (need to recharge and rearm), but then maybe another 11-12 sessions next semester should put me in the low 20s for the year (plus maybe 2-3 sessions if...
  13. jedavis

    It might've been too long since you last gamed if...

    you can't find your dicebag in your (smallish) dorm room, despite half an hour of searching...
  14. jedavis

    What Are Your Favorite Characters?

    As a DM, I like to see: Brief, sketchy backstories which provide proper names and hooks, ideally also creating part of the world. "Banished from the Blood Eagle tribe for a high crime", "Worked in corporate security / espionage for Mjolnir corporation", and "Ex-Imperial marine driven out of...
  15. jedavis

    Help Get Me Fired Up For Traveller!

    I'd also suggest Niven's Ringworld, as it appears to have had an influence on Traveller. The first edition Traveller core rulebook mentioned Dyson spheres, ringworlds and Kemplerer Rosettes in the star system generation rules (though they didn't make it into Mongoose's), the Aslan are pretty...
  16. jedavis

    My kids are better role-players than me

    They're at a creative age. RPing is just playing make-believe with an agreed-upon conflict resolution mechanic. Everything else is just a complication of that mechanic. But I sympathize... my dad taught my brother and me to game. He's very hack 'n slash; he really likes the Goodman Games...
  17. jedavis

    Tabletop mech rpg

    I'd like to suggest Wardogs ( Wardogs - Majestic Twelve Games | RPGNow.com ). MJ12 produces fairly simple, universal products at reasonable prices, with support from the authors available quickly on their forums ( mj12games.com • Index page ). I have yet to be disappointed by any of their games.
  18. jedavis

    Help Get Me Fired Up For Traveller!

    Not to repeat, but that was my first thought upon watching Firefly; "Wow... it's Traveller." You might also look at Elite or other space-trader type games as being similar to a mercantile-style Traveller game, with Hammer's Slammers or Schlock Mercenary being closer to a merc-style Trav game...
  19. jedavis

    Dungeon OR Dragon: YOU Decide!

    Both (so lemon curry), since boolean dungeons or dragons is true if both dragons and dungeons are true, or if either one is true. Dungeons xor Dragons, on the other hand... probably dungeons.
  20. jedavis

    True Sorcery to High Magic

    Necrotic: Yeah, you could probably reduce the spellcraft DCs by 5 or 10 across the board. This would strengthen the low end significantly and only strengthen the high end marginally. Psi: Not familiar with mythal magic. What's it from and how does it work?
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