I Am Running My 1st GW Session
- Thread starter Retreater
- Start date
nnms
First Post
If they give it an honest go and don't go in with the intention of judging it instead of playing it, it'll work fine.
Depending on which D&D thing consider the one true D&D, they may or may not have trouble wrapping their head around some of the more innovative rules. For example, if they seem flabbergasted that you get all your hit points back at the end of every fight, just tell them that all mutants have regenerative powers, but unless they get a mutation or power that lets them do it in combat, they can only do it while resting.
The short of it: Everyone had a good time. The biggest 4E-hater at the table praised the "smoothness" of the system. In fact, we're taking off our next Pathfinder session to play another of Gamma World.
I took about 2 hours to prepare for 4 combat encounters and 2 skill challenges as well as creating 6 pregens with the "Interactive Character Sheet" (also including creating power cards from scratch for each character). Also included with the prep time was pre-drawing battlemaps on grid paper, coloring in terrain with crayons, and finding appropriate minis and tokens for the characters and monsters.
While the monsters in the GW book were a little lacking, I easily "re-skinned" monsters from the 4E D&D Monster Vault. (I made kobolds "cephalopod humanoids" which really freaked out the players more than "just plain old kobolds.") I re-skinned GW monsters to make them more appropriate to the adventure (for example, I changed porkers into "Nautilus men").
The group, coming from a background in 3.5/PF, didn't seem to bite the hook for starting skill challenges, though I tried to insert them into the adventure transparently. After the session, when they complained that the game was a little too "combat-heavy," I explained that at least one of the fights was avoidable with a skill challenge.
They loved using Omega Tech and getting new cards. They seemed to enjoy the Alpha Mutations - except for the one player who experienced Alpha Flux four times in one session. Using the cards "added versatility to the characters and a fun, random element to the game," quoting some 4E-haters.
Interestingly, upon realizing that the game was built on the 4E engine, they suddenly have a lot of questions about 4E and how it's changed since they last experienced it as a group (Keep on the Shadowfell). They were surprised how streamlined and fast combats went compared to the older 4E slugfests.
I would have to give Gamma World a big thumbs up. Next session I will attempt to run the module in the boxed set to see how well that goes.
Retreater
I took about 2 hours to prepare for 4 combat encounters and 2 skill challenges as well as creating 6 pregens with the "Interactive Character Sheet" (also including creating power cards from scratch for each character). Also included with the prep time was pre-drawing battlemaps on grid paper, coloring in terrain with crayons, and finding appropriate minis and tokens for the characters and monsters.
While the monsters in the GW book were a little lacking, I easily "re-skinned" monsters from the 4E D&D Monster Vault. (I made kobolds "cephalopod humanoids" which really freaked out the players more than "just plain old kobolds.") I re-skinned GW monsters to make them more appropriate to the adventure (for example, I changed porkers into "Nautilus men").
The group, coming from a background in 3.5/PF, didn't seem to bite the hook for starting skill challenges, though I tried to insert them into the adventure transparently. After the session, when they complained that the game was a little too "combat-heavy," I explained that at least one of the fights was avoidable with a skill challenge.
They loved using Omega Tech and getting new cards. They seemed to enjoy the Alpha Mutations - except for the one player who experienced Alpha Flux four times in one session. Using the cards "added versatility to the characters and a fun, random element to the game," quoting some 4E-haters.
Interestingly, upon realizing that the game was built on the 4E engine, they suddenly have a lot of questions about 4E and how it's changed since they last experienced it as a group (Keep on the Shadowfell). They were surprised how streamlined and fast combats went compared to the older 4E slugfests.
I would have to give Gamma World a big thumbs up. Next session I will attempt to run the module in the boxed set to see how well that goes.
Retreater
Last night we wrapped up our second GW "trial" session, this time with another anti-4E player. The new player loved it, and the other players continued to enjoy it.
They now want to take time off from our ongoing Pathfinder campaign to continue to mess around in Gamma Terra.
(This is strange considering less than a month ago, I never thought we would play a single session, much less start up a campaign.)
I ran them through "The Steading of the Iron King." Some of the combat encounters ended up getting changed to skill challenges.
A couple of other ideas that I added that really seemed to work well for the system and the group:
1) Achievements: unlock so many to get small boons. (Really, the group just loved the competitive nature of getting these even without the promise of boons.)
2) "What do you want from this session?" tents. Write what you want to get ("let of steam," "butt kicking," "goof around," etc.) and I'll do my best to accomodate you. Change your tent whenever you want.
3) Omega Tech carries over from session-to-session. Just preserves some continuity for the group.
We're all having a blast with it. It's a great, streamlined game.
Retreater
They now want to take time off from our ongoing Pathfinder campaign to continue to mess around in Gamma Terra.
(This is strange considering less than a month ago, I never thought we would play a single session, much less start up a campaign.)
I ran them through "The Steading of the Iron King." Some of the combat encounters ended up getting changed to skill challenges.
A couple of other ideas that I added that really seemed to work well for the system and the group:
1) Achievements: unlock so many to get small boons. (Really, the group just loved the competitive nature of getting these even without the promise of boons.)
2) "What do you want from this session?" tents. Write what you want to get ("let of steam," "butt kicking," "goof around," etc.) and I'll do my best to accomodate you. Change your tent whenever you want.
3) Omega Tech carries over from session-to-session. Just preserves some continuity for the group.
We're all having a blast with it. It's a great, streamlined game.
Retreater
For a future game session, the party falls into (gets sucked into) a wormhole. Coming out the other side they are in a strange environment full of dark skin and fanged humanoids with a mean disposition. Throw in some feral, demon-worshiping marauders with dog-like faces. Sprinkle in some small stature, reptilian savages acting in a cowardly behavior. The party is then faced with saving a fair-haired maiden or some hamlet under attack.
Just don't name the creatures as Orcs, Gnolls or Kobolds.
4e D&D with GW type characters!
Just don't name the creatures as Orcs, Gnolls or Kobolds.
4e D&D with GW type characters!
Yep, we didn't really like 4e but we're enjoying Gamma World. I've run my group through Trouble in Freesboro, and we're slogging through Steading of the Iron King on their way to Famine in Far-Go. I'm hoping we run it all the way through Legion of Gold.
I'd love to see WotC develop more games like GW. I'm bummed that Ravneloft got he axe as it was supposed ot be similar. Maybe I'll try running my own crossover game using GW for a 4e module.
I'd love to see WotC develop more games like GW. I'm bummed that Ravneloft got he axe as it was supposed ot be similar. Maybe I'll try running my own crossover game using GW for a 4e module.
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