Tell me about 13th Age- what is it, and why should I be interested?
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Evenglare
Adventurer
it is an RPG in the ven of pathfinder, with simplified mechanics that focus on story telling and player narrative. You should be interested because it provides quick battles, and provides mechanics for gameplay that flows much faster than previous crunch heavy systems. It also is GM friendly and allows for play input on how he or she connect with the world around them. 13th age features many different aspects that allow for certain systems to be extracted from the game with easy such as the escalation die, backgrounds as skills and ICON relationships (which give the GM ideas on how to plan for future sessions). Otherwise www.13thage.com has much more information, and can explain it better than I ever could. I have several class I have made such as the druid and dragoon. It is extremely easy to homebrew things (and encouraged).
Gilladian
Adventurer
I playtested an early version of it, and I wasn't as impressed as most folks seem to be. I thought the ICON system made it very hard to develop a personal campaign world, and I hated the escalation die. But it did seem to have a good storytelling focus in many ways, and is definitely a lighter rules system than pathfinder.
My personal taste in RPGs is probably towards the complex side- HERO and D&D 3.5Ed are my faves- but I also enjoy some very rules-light games as well, such as The Fantasy Trip/In the Labyrinth.
But I have several of the 3.5 clones already. What would you say are the crucial distinctions 13th Age brings to the table.
But I have several of the 3.5 clones already. What would you say are the crucial distinctions 13th Age brings to the table.
Balesir
Adventurer
Well, the fact that it has both 3.x/Pathfinder fans and 4E fans interested and enthusiastic indicates that it must have something going for it, it seems to me 
From my perspective it combines some of the mechanical "tightness" and coolness of 4E with lighter combat (TOTM) and what is designed to be an "easy" introduction to collaborative world building.
The first part manifests in neat mechanisms like the escalation die (and how that interfaces with some character abilities to make combats about a rising crescendo rather than BANG-fizzle) and the non-grid-but-still-dynamic-combat that uses "nearby" and "far away" and "engaged" as its "zones".
The second part manifests in Icon relationships and backgrounds. The world background is meant to be an incomplete sketch - the choices the players make in chargen and in play drive the expansion of the background to fit what they are interested to explore. The "Icons", for example, are the "movers and shakers" in the world - and the PCs have relationships with them specified in chargen. There are 12-13 Icons (new settings would generally have their own set), but those the players pick as related to their PCs in some way will regularly be "pinged" to appear. Backgrounds are freely defined, and should ideally be completely unlike skills; "can handle a boat" would be a skill, "was once a pirate off the coast of Altania" would be a background. If, previous to chargen, there were no pirates off the coast of Altania? Well, there are (or were) now.
If heading in these directions is of interest to you, then 13th Age offers an easy path from D&D in this direction for both GM and players. If the general direction doesn't interest you there might be ideas you can "borrow" among the neat mechanisms included - but the Archmage Engine SRD might give you those at no outlay...
Edit: d'oh - and I forgot the One Unique Thing, which both makes your character special/gives a reason you might be a hero and gives an opportunity for players to contribute to world building. It's part of my "second part" features.
From my perspective it combines some of the mechanical "tightness" and coolness of 4E with lighter combat (TOTM) and what is designed to be an "easy" introduction to collaborative world building.
The first part manifests in neat mechanisms like the escalation die (and how that interfaces with some character abilities to make combats about a rising crescendo rather than BANG-fizzle) and the non-grid-but-still-dynamic-combat that uses "nearby" and "far away" and "engaged" as its "zones".
The second part manifests in Icon relationships and backgrounds. The world background is meant to be an incomplete sketch - the choices the players make in chargen and in play drive the expansion of the background to fit what they are interested to explore. The "Icons", for example, are the "movers and shakers" in the world - and the PCs have relationships with them specified in chargen. There are 12-13 Icons (new settings would generally have their own set), but those the players pick as related to their PCs in some way will regularly be "pinged" to appear. Backgrounds are freely defined, and should ideally be completely unlike skills; "can handle a boat" would be a skill, "was once a pirate off the coast of Altania" would be a background. If, previous to chargen, there were no pirates off the coast of Altania? Well, there are (or were) now.
If heading in these directions is of interest to you, then 13th Age offers an easy path from D&D in this direction for both GM and players. If the general direction doesn't interest you there might be ideas you can "borrow" among the neat mechanisms included - but the Archmage Engine SRD might give you those at no outlay...
Edit: d'oh - and I forgot the One Unique Thing, which both makes your character special/gives a reason you might be a hero and gives an opportunity for players to contribute to world building. It's part of my "second part" features.
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Evilhalfling
Adventurer
Well my group and I are excited about it.
To us it feels alot like a gridless 4e. I hadn't realized how tired I was of carefully counting out cones, movement and blast zones in pathfinder. Distances are engaged, nearby and far away.
Most area effect spells hit 1d3 people.
The most exciting thing wast the combination of each characters backgrounds (skills) One Unique thing, and their personal relationships with the icons. Together they can create well round characters with fun backstories and strong connections to the power structures in the world.
Some of the narrative control is based on the players choice (icons) and which icons are involved in each session are based on rolling a dice for each point of each PCs relationships.
Players are also encouraged to pick "Keepers" themes or enemies that they want to see again.
It doesn't seem overly rules-light to me, but it does feel kind of rules-thin. With only one book, it lacks the variety (re-skinning aside) that you get from a mature game like 3.5. With nine classes and only a few power/feat choices for each one. Races are easily created, pick 2 stats, and create a power +1-3 feats and your done. Making new classes is harder, as each functionally has its own list of maneuvers/spells/mechanics.
To us it feels alot like a gridless 4e. I hadn't realized how tired I was of carefully counting out cones, movement and blast zones in pathfinder. Distances are engaged, nearby and far away.
Most area effect spells hit 1d3 people.
The most exciting thing wast the combination of each characters backgrounds (skills) One Unique thing, and their personal relationships with the icons. Together they can create well round characters with fun backstories and strong connections to the power structures in the world.
Some of the narrative control is based on the players choice (icons) and which icons are involved in each session are based on rolling a dice for each point of each PCs relationships.
Players are also encouraged to pick "Keepers" themes or enemies that they want to see again.
It doesn't seem overly rules-light to me, but it does feel kind of rules-thin. With only one book, it lacks the variety (re-skinning aside) that you get from a mature game like 3.5. With nine classes and only a few power/feat choices for each one. Races are easily created, pick 2 stats, and create a power +1-3 feats and your done. Making new classes is harder, as each functionally has its own list of maneuvers/spells/mechanics.
I would say that it is a rules medium D&D variant that pulls a lot from 4e. It has a similar mathematical structure as 4e (but is only 10 levels so the attack and defense numbers don't get as big), healing surge-surge like recoveries, similar monster creation rules, etc. The casters can use spell slots for at-will or encounter spells (but can also stick with dailies only if they want). It doesn't have 4e's grid and mini combat stuff.
It has some narrative game elements. Of them a freeform Backgrounds system is the only one I like. The One Unique Thing and Icon Relationships I don't plan to use myself and the game should work fine without them.
13th Age is my current infatuation. I plan to start a campaign with the kids soon (I am waiting for them to finish their homework right now so we can do character creation and maybe an encounter or two tonight).
It has some narrative game elements. Of them a freeform Backgrounds system is the only one I like. The One Unique Thing and Icon Relationships I don't plan to use myself and the game should work fine without them.
13th Age is my current infatuation. I plan to start a campaign with the kids soon (I am waiting for them to finish their homework right now so we can do character creation and maybe an encounter or two tonight).
OK, OK...
Is it closer to 4Ed's take on d20 or 3.5Ed's?
Is it closer to 4Ed's take on d20 or 3.5Ed's?
Hmmm...
OK, as a new game with only a few classes, what do you do when your PC concept doesn't really conform to a single class? IOW, multiclassing- wossit loike?
OK, as a new game with only a few classes, what do you do when your PC concept doesn't really conform to a single class? IOW, multiclassing- wossit loike?
