Game of Death

[Agladan]

This discussion is all to the good of future GoD. They will continue to evolve, future DM will see what works and place limits accordingly. In the current game, GoD2, I believe Number 47 had the most powerful character concept. No other characters has shown such strengths anyway, but the game is not over yet .

As I made my character, Kanyano, I went through and discarded maybe 15-20 character concepts. Some very powerful but not so much fun in a game like this. One super-munchkin idea was to make a character able to cast Shapechange from a scroll and then take the form of the Tarrasque... but I figured that if I made a character able to cast 9th lvl spells I might as well cast Wish and wish that I would win the game (heh - I even asked Macbrea if he would allow such a wish, and was pleased when he unsurprisingly said no). Anyway, I have always liked to play fleet-footed fighters with a trick or two up their sleeves, so thats what I made.

I am all for limiting the resources to what characters of the same lvl can create in future games, but this is really up to that DM. Other suggestions might be: No Wieldskill spells (too cheap road to high skill lvl), no Greater Spell focus (a DC of about 26 is hard enough on 10th lvl when save bonuses max out about +15, and spell saves often have win or loose effects), no open knowledge of which spells are in effect (making spellcraft a useful skill) or perhaps a delay of 10 rounds until hidden details are made public... so that part of the entertainment doesn't get lost.

The trouble with hidden facts for the DM (apart from the huge workload) is remembering to give all the information the character ought to have to that player, while still remembering the rest of the effects. An open format is simpler indeed.

I have better stop rambling, I think I may have lost the thread of the topic somewhere...

Agladan - pleased to be your opponent

 

[Macbrea]

As to knowing what your character has I was asked if Solar was a viable choice for a 10th level character to know about. My statement was yes his knowledge allows him to know of creatures of myth. As to the mentioning of scrolls, That is my error after your death. Easily corrected by the fact that you have been bleeding for the last two rounds.

The reason I suggested that a person running the game should limit the followers numbers hasn't got anything really to do with their powerlevel. It has to do with the ability to run the game. Each players turn takes me on average 10 minutes throughout the day. The elves and halflings each took an average of 5 minutes each. Do the math. 330 minutes is 5 and 1/2 hours throughout the day, that I was working on the beginning turns for this game. Since, most people would not be willing to run a game that takes that much of their time I would hate to see the game die due to no GM willing to tackle such a task. Personally, I would allow cohorts but no followers.

As to the spells and spell limitations.

So far: The following spells unable to be cast by players of their level has been cast in the game.

Shapechange (only partially overpowering) (9th level)
Antimagic field x2 (Has nullified parts of the map) (6th level)
Etherealness (Had Vilhelm not got antsy he would have been there through most of the fight) (8th)
Mordikanians Disjunction (Failed) (9th)
Monster summons IX (9th)
Repel wood (pretty much nullified the top of the map) (6th)
Limited wish (7th) Used to do Mass haste (6th)

This is not to say that It wasn't a viable tactic given the rules that I stated. But, not a great representation of the powerlevel of this level of character. Technically, If a person wanted to appear overpowering in the game they could have walked in with 10 scrolls of plane shift and just walked about the field sending people to random planes. Or stood in a corner with 10 scrolls of prismatic spray.

I just stated the reasonings behind what I felt people should watch out for if they are trying to run a balanced game. Yes, you choose to use powerful spells at the start. This isn't to say that their isn't more on the map. Your stategy was perfectly viable and legal within the rules stated. As to wether I would set up the rules the same way again. I doubt it.


Macbrea

 

[Number47]

Well, I am eagerly looking forward to the next Game. I hope it starts soon and I hope I can get on the list. Hopefully, I can come up with something else nobody's tried before, which is what I really look for.

 

[Macbrea]

I agree, If anyone else wants to start their game I am also able to play....heh.


Macbrea

 

[Troll]

I'd love to play one too. My name is in the que, but there's no "*" next to the three of us at the bottom, does that mean anything? I want to be a star! =)

Troll

 

[Number47]

Couple more suggestions for the next DM:

Use the 5-10 rule for diagonals. In other words, the first diagonal movement in a round is 5 feet, the next uses 10 feet of movement, the third uses 5 feet of movement. This very closely approximates the actual distance.

All bursts and spreads should originate from an intersection of lines, as per DMG pg. 68-69. I would suggest that emanations also originate from an intersection determined by the square that the emanation comes from. For instance, "all emanations are considered to originate from the Northwest corner of the emanator's square".

Also, each round should be animated, with the icons moving and attacking each other. Previous rounds can be compiled together to make a movie. Oh, and add sound effects!

 

[Mal-2]

All bursts and spreads should originate from an intersection of lines, as per DMG pg. 68-69. I would suggest that emanations also originate from an intersection determined by the square that the emanation comes from. For instance, "all emanations are considered to originate from the Northwest corner of the emanator's square".

This causes effects that are centered on a character to have very bizarre areas. For instance, my Anti-magic field would extend 10 feet to my northwest, but not even 5 feet to the southeast.

i.e., assuming the X is the character, and the 'o' is the effect:


.oo..
oooo.
ooXo.
.oo..
.....

Is that right?

Edit: For comparison, this is what we've been using for a 10' radius:

..o..
.ooo.
ooXoo
.ooo.
..o..

Note that it comes out to the same area (12 5 foot square sections, 60 sq. feet) either way.

 

[green slime]

Yes! What an excellent suggestion! From now on my characters will be found in a Southeastern corner only!

Somehow, I think not...

 

[clockworkjoe]

A few ideas:


Allow followers BUT only allow 1 to teleport in each round. That way, a person with the leadership bonus still gets the full benefit, but the followers don't take up a lot of time. 1 person teleports in per turn, at a preselected location. Not very overpowering.

Limit access to spells to the level of the players. I.E. 10th level characters only get 5th level spells no matter what. This is more for the players' benefits as they no longer have to consider 9th level spells while making characters.

Make a bigger less closed in arena. This arena is just too cramped..too many obstacles give melee characters an advantage.

I also want to sign up for any more Games o death. I'm addicted

 

[Number47]

Although it is off-center, if you do it that it extends two squares in front of your square and two squares behind your square, then your ten foot radius has a diameter of twenty-five feet. A free increase of an emanation by 5 feet is not warranted, either. I think that the intention is that it has to be off-center. Notice the Detect Evil diagram and the Burning Hands diagrams in the DMG. It appears that the caster is centered to the origin, but they put the "C" between two squares. I think that means you can use the diagram if you are in either of those two squares. It doesn't look pretty, but that's what you get when you translate things into a grid.