Forked Thread: Das Schwarze Auge [The Dark Eye], your experiences?

[Thanee]

In my experience, 99% of people who´ve decided to play D&D hate it with a passion.

Cool, I'm in the 1% then.

Started out with D&D and that's one of the systems I played most, but I still do not hate DSA (just some aspects of it, though hate isn't the right word (too strong)).

We actually play D&D and DSA interchangeably currently.

Bye
Thanee - wondering whether sentences with half the words ending on 'y' can possibly be right...

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

An interesting thread, keep it up. I might just buy the core book for a read....dunno about gaming it though.

Just a random question: Derren mentioned that your parry 'check' succeeds or fails with no reference to the attackers skill, is that right? (bit like DW shield, I hated that)

Yes. You can find a similar setup in Warhammer (I think both 1st and definitely 2nd Edition).

I plan on writing either a blog entry or starting a thread on this topic (though not specific to TDE or Warhammer).

 

[jdrakeh]

I picked up TDE last year as an alternative to D&D 3x. I had finally grown tired of all the exception-based rulings and sub-systems of D&D 3x. TDE's core mechanic, while somewhat unintuitive, is plagued by far fewer exceptions and is therefore far easier for me to manage. That was the big draw, in my case.

If it comes down to choosing between the neccessity to roll three times in order to resolve a skill check or memorize hundreds of exceptions (some of them requiring their own sub-systems) to a core mechanic, I'll take the former every single time ('cause my memory isn't what it once was).

After buying and reading the English language setting guide and rules, a few other things stood out as catering to my preferred play style. First, magic isn't the pervasive, commonplace, everyday phenomena that it is in many D&D settings. Second, the setting exhibits a degree of internal consistency that I've only seen elsewhere once (in Harnworld, FWIW). Both of these things ended up being welcome surprises.

In many ways, TDE seems to be my ideal combination of D&D's high fantasy elements, Warhammer Fantasy's heavily European-influenced setting, and Harn's verisimilitude.

I have since been brushing up on my German with the intent of buying into DSA proper, as I'm given to believe that the original German language products are far superior to the FanPro English offerings. Time will tell, I suppose.

P.S. Thanks for tip about rolling three dice, Derren! That's a great idea!

 

[Thanee]

Just a random question: Derren mentioned that your parry 'check' succeeds or fails with no reference to the attackers skill, is that right? (bit like DW shield, I hated that)

Yes and no.

The basic system works like that, but there are both optional rules to change it and maneuvers to make it more difficult to parry. Actually, the maneuvers (plenty of those around) are the heart of the combat system.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Yes. You can find a similar setup in Warhammer (I think both 1st and definitely 2nd Edition).

I plan on writing either a blog entry or starting a thread on this topic (though not specific to TDE or Warhammer).

And I did: http://www.enworld.org/forum/blogs/...combat-mechanics-attack-parry-hit-points.html

 

[Garnfellow]

Any notable/interesting/iconic monsters unique to DSA?

 

[Ander00]

My experience is rather limited, and most of it with previous editions, but here goes:

The main draws for me are the aesthetics, setting (though I know relatively little about it), and that it's natively German. While some things may sound corny, at least you aren't tempted to throw around English game terms, which may result in the spoken language at the table being some form of Germish.

What puts me off is the awkwardness of rolling three times for a single check for starters. And secondly, that the game kind of seems to expect/want you to fail. If I recall correctly, one example from the skills section of the current edition rules describes a successful climb check. The character in question manages to reach the top of a tree, only to find that the fruit are rotten. To be fair, this impression may be reinforced by tales about a GM who used to be a bit of a jerk, but that's the general vibe I got while reading the books.

Overall, I wouldn't mind playing the game again.


cheers

 

[Thanael]

Any notable/interesting/iconic monsters unique to DSA?

I dimly remember the Tatzelwurm as DSAs dragon equivalent.

PS: As for iconic weapons: Rondrakamm (aka flamberge), Tuzakmesser (aka TDEs samurai sword), Zweililien (literally two-lilies, a two-bladed sword) and the dreaded Ochsenherde (literally Oxen-herd, a dire flail). (All of these were available long before 3E picked up the last two.)

PPS: Last time i played DSA was in 1st Edition, I havn't looked at anything DSA since then

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I dimly remember the Tatzelwurm as DSAs dragon equivalent.

PS: As for iconic weapons: Rondrakamm (aka flamberge), Tuzakmesser (aka TDEs samurai sword), Zweililien (literally two-lilies, a two-bladed sword) and the dreaded Ochsenherde (literally Oxen-herd, a dire flail). (All of these were available long before 3E picked up the last two.)

PPS: Last time i played DSA was in 1st Edition, I havn't looked at anything DSA since then

Brabakbengel... I love that name...

 

[Keefe the Thief]

The monster question is a hard one because of this: there are not a lot real "monsters" in modern TDE left. Oh sure, you have a big book full of herbs, plants, animals, mystic creatures, complicated rules for fighting flying enemies and cooking up herbal poisons etc. But monsters?
Well, once upon a time, when TDE was heavily inspired by D&D, the creators decided that monsters were stupid without logic and backstory. So every race, creature, dragon, shambling thing, tentacled monstrosity etc. was changed and rewritten to become an organic part of the world. No longer "monsters" in the D&D sense, they became a part of the world as such. And sometimes you have to fight them.

To describe this mindset of "fighting them is an afterthought, their place in the world is important", i give you the xp rules for fighting creatures:
- Every creature has a "Gefahrenwert" aka. "Danger Count". Lets say you have a creature with a GW of 9.
- If you meet the creature for the first time, and you interact with it (fight it, try to negotiate with it, try to sneak behind it etc.) you get GWXGW XP. So 81.
- Next time you meet it, you already know it - no longer a big experience. From now on you get - you guessed it - 9 xp.

Lets take a look at trolls as an example: When i was 15, a troll was, well a monster: big, powerful, used primitive weapons, was easy to bypass because it was pretty stupid.
Today trolls are the fallen remnants of a once-mighty race. They still keep secrets no human even suspects: when they get angry, the create deadly weapons by pounding raw iron with their fist, using troll-spit to harden the metal even more until a crude sword is created that is as big as a wagon. They write by changing the landscape: planting trees, moving stones, bulding dams to change the course of rivers: Writing takes centuries, and is only used when the message is really important for all.
In ages past, they made a pact with the Fallen One, and the gods left them for their crime. All that remains for them is to do is guard the old Troll Roads, keep the last of their spellweavers safe and wait for the last fight against the enemies of the gods that will free them from their taint forever.