Castles & Crusades (box set) playtest report

[Frostmarrow]

Is there a difference between common climb and rogue climb? I mean, I can climb a fence or onto a lower balcony and stuff like that. I have a friend who can climb a lamppost and freely swing by one arm once up there.

Haha. I thought the point was not to get bogged down with skills!

I'd rule that the fighter can climb when it benefits the party and the rogue can climb when it benefits himself.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Yo-hoo. My box is shipped. I just got word from Steve.

-Does anyone know how long it takes for a box to cross the Atlantic and reach Scandinavia?

 

[Akrasia]

Is there a difference between common climb and rogue climb? I mean, I can climb a fence or onto a lower balcony and stuff like that. I have a friend who can climb a lamppost and freely swing by one arm once up there.

Haha. I thought the point was not to get bogged down with skills!

I'd rule that the fighter can climb when it benefits the party and the rogue can climb when it benefits himself.

There is a list of rogue-specific abilities (these are class abilities). The list consists in: climb, traps, hide, listen, pick pocket, move silently and open lock. To any task involving one of these class abilities, the rogue gets to add her class level.

(Rogues also get back attack and sneak attack, but these are handled differently, as they are combat actions.)

Now non-rogues can try some of these things, e.g. climb, hide, listen and move silently. But they do not get to add their class level to such tasks.

So a 7th level rogue and a 7th level fighter can both try to climb a steep surface, but the rogue gets a +7 bonus!

And the CK could rule that certain climbing attempts -- e.g. sheer walls -- are only possible for rogues.

Make sense?

 

[MonsterMash]

Akrasia,

Thanks for posting this thread and answering so many questions. I've definitely become more interested in C&C because of it. Got to admit the full system is still wait and see, and I'll be glad when the release comes and the NDA stops so we can get more info from the playtesters and developers.

Thanks to scadgrad and gideon_thorne for the info as well.

Are you going to post a review on ENWorld?

 

[Akrasia]

My mistake! [Double post -- sorry!]

 

[Akrasia]

Are you going to post a review on ENWorld?

I would love to, but I have no idea how one would go about doing this. :\

(I am sure there is an easy answer to this, and I am just too lazy/incompetent to find it.)

And just to be clear, I do not think that C&C is the perfect system, or the system for everyone.

It is not a good game for people who like detailed combat, or fine-tuned skill/feat systems.

While it definitely allows for greater customization of characters than OOP D&D (largely through the 'prime' system), you are not going to be able to fine-tune your Thief character's ability to pick locks versus climb down to the 5 percent (+1) margin.

But it is a good game for people who want a fun, fast-paced, but 'structured' D&D game.

And as someone who works at a university, it is a very fast system to prep for! Being able to get ready for a 3 hour session in only one hour is a very important thing, IMO.

 

[Henry]

Akrasia, the reviews section of the web site is here.

It requires another login name currently, but there is some work being done now to integrate it into the vbulletin system the forums uses, so posting a review will be eventually as easy as posting to the boards.

 

[Akrasia]

Akrasia, the reviews section of the web site is here.

It requires another login name currently, but there is some work being done now to integrate it into the vbulletin system the forums uses, so posting a review will be eventually as easy as posting to the boards.

Thanks for the info Henry. I will look into this as soon as I have a chance!

 

[The Sophist]

Very interesting thread.

So Akrasia, how about including me in the next C&C session?


(Back in town now...)

 

[National Acrobat]

I don't know about getting rid of skills and feats, just takes away alot of the customization.

I tell you, my players thought the same, but after 3 years of 3.0, we switched back to 1E ADnD and not one person (out of a 10 person group) complained. I got the C&C Boxed Set and it went over very well. I'm going to get the hardcovers and most likely that's all we'll end up playing for Fantasy RPG's. The players loved the short combats, the smaller list of spells (which reigned in the usual wizard player who takes loads of esoteric but useless spells) and the simplicity. It was a hit.