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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Embracing An Old School Aesthetic
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<blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 7819497" data-attributes="member: 16586"><p>Now I am not saying that Pathfinder Second Edition is an old school game. It is very much a modern game that is as focused on story and immersion as it is on game play. What see in it is a warm embrace of the aesthetics of old school play and the incorporation of key old school mechanics in a more sleek modern way. It calls back to those primordial memories, but provides a different experience of play.</p><p></p><p>Here are some key areas where I see an embrace of old school aesthetics:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">An overall focus on uncertainty and risk tasking in everything from combat to skills to the magic system.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Class and Level are deeply emphasized, not just mechanically, but also aesthetically. Class is as much about who you are as what you do. When you branch off you never stop being your class.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A combat system that is relatively fast and furious. Both monsters and PCs go down fast.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Exploration Mode rules that call back to the 10 minute exploration turn, but do so in a more sleek and modern way.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">An embrace of Secret rolls for things like Searching, Sneaking, Recall Knowledge, and Find Direction. This creates a fog of war where players are never certain if they did not find something because nothing is there or if they did not succeed at their rolls. Combined with meaningful consequences for Critical Failure this means players get to experience the environment in the same way as their characters.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Puzzle Box Monster Design. Monsters are designed with unique abilities. They have specific weaknesses, resistances, and immunities. Some like the hydra have distinct mechanics players need to interact with to overcome. Successfully fighting a given monster is as much about learning about the monster as knowing how to use your abilities.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There is no set adventuring day or expectation of encounter difficulty. They provide guidelines on how to build an encounter of a certain difficulty, but no talk of how difficult things should be.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">They openly discuss the impact of player skill on encounter difficulty.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Long term consequences. Afflictions like poisons, diseases, and curses are a big deal. Also long term conditions like doomed, drained, and fatigued play a critical role in the game. You are expected to deal with the consequences and keep on adventuring.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Encumbrance has made a comeback. It's name is Bulk and it matters a lot.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I know for those coming from Pathfinder Vancian magic never went anywhere, but Second Edition is almost emphatic about. The Wizard gets class feats that really emphasize that a properly prepared Wizard is a dangerous thing.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Spells that you need to adventure to obtain.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rarity in general. The idea that there are some things you just need to go out and get.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Alignment is here to stay and is embraced by things like alignment damage. Champions are uniquely capable at fighting supernatural evil. Champions, Clerics, and Barbarians get specific Anathema that they are bound to. The deity you serve matters. Each god has a specific list of edicts, anathema, and domains. For clerics your specific deity determines what additional spells you can cast.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In the roleplaying advice for each class it calls out things like fighters building strongholds, clerics establishing temples, rogues creating a thieves guild, and wizards starting a school. In Lost Omens material they provide organizations for players to join and ascend the ranks of. There is a strong indication that level has narrative significance and as you increase in level you become more important.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Campbell, post: 7819497, member: 16586"] Now I am not saying that Pathfinder Second Edition is an old school game. It is very much a modern game that is as focused on story and immersion as it is on game play. What see in it is a warm embrace of the aesthetics of old school play and the incorporation of key old school mechanics in a more sleek modern way. It calls back to those primordial memories, but provides a different experience of play. Here are some key areas where I see an embrace of old school aesthetics: [LIST] [*]An overall focus on uncertainty and risk tasking in everything from combat to skills to the magic system. [*]Class and Level are deeply emphasized, not just mechanically, but also aesthetically. Class is as much about who you are as what you do. When you branch off you never stop being your class. [*]A combat system that is relatively fast and furious. Both monsters and PCs go down fast. [*]Exploration Mode rules that call back to the 10 minute exploration turn, but do so in a more sleek and modern way. [*]An embrace of Secret rolls for things like Searching, Sneaking, Recall Knowledge, and Find Direction. This creates a fog of war where players are never certain if they did not find something because nothing is there or if they did not succeed at their rolls. Combined with meaningful consequences for Critical Failure this means players get to experience the environment in the same way as their characters. [*]Puzzle Box Monster Design. Monsters are designed with unique abilities. They have specific weaknesses, resistances, and immunities. Some like the hydra have distinct mechanics players need to interact with to overcome. Successfully fighting a given monster is as much about learning about the monster as knowing how to use your abilities. [*]There is no set adventuring day or expectation of encounter difficulty. They provide guidelines on how to build an encounter of a certain difficulty, but no talk of how difficult things should be. [*]They openly discuss the impact of player skill on encounter difficulty. [*]Long term consequences. Afflictions like poisons, diseases, and curses are a big deal. Also long term conditions like doomed, drained, and fatigued play a critical role in the game. You are expected to deal with the consequences and keep on adventuring. [*]Encumbrance has made a comeback. It's name is Bulk and it matters a lot. [*]I know for those coming from Pathfinder Vancian magic never went anywhere, but Second Edition is almost emphatic about. The Wizard gets class feats that really emphasize that a properly prepared Wizard is a dangerous thing. [*]Spells that you need to adventure to obtain. [*]Rarity in general. The idea that there are some things you just need to go out and get. [*]Alignment is here to stay and is embraced by things like alignment damage. Champions are uniquely capable at fighting supernatural evil. Champions, Clerics, and Barbarians get specific Anathema that they are bound to. The deity you serve matters. Each god has a specific list of edicts, anathema, and domains. For clerics your specific deity determines what additional spells you can cast. [*]In the roleplaying advice for each class it calls out things like fighters building strongholds, clerics establishing temples, rogues creating a thieves guild, and wizards starting a school. In Lost Omens material they provide organizations for players to join and ascend the ranks of. There is a strong indication that level has narrative significance and as you increase in level you become more important. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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