Lejendary Adventures - Anyone played it?

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Woot on the quick start rules chris I am hoping to use that to jump start my local group
ken

 

[Steverooo]

Re: Re: LA

Ummmm...how often are DnD fighters left in the lerch for lack of skills?

3e has a mechanic for making unskilled attempts. Does LA? No?

If such an obvoius concept has no mechanic, how many others are left out?

As I have said before, one can game with no better mechanic than "Rock, Paper, Scissors", but that does not make for a good game. "Rules-light" can be taken too far, just as one can go too far in the opposite direction...

I will stand corrected on the jumping distance (LML:124). I didn't see the actual footage at the top of the right-hand column. It is there.

My opinion of LA isn't changed, thereby. GMing "by the seat of the pants" has always (IME) lead to inconsistency, NPCs being allowed to do what the "Heros" cannot, and other "Bad Stuff (TM)". YMMV.

But then again, Gambit likes to paint me as "The Enemy of LA", anyway!

 

[Steverooo]

Those skill bundles...

Okay, let's take a look at one; Stealth:

LR4AP (Lejendary Rules for all player), pages 53-4: "Add two points to Precision Rating when initially selecting this Ability. All activities having to do with access, escape, evasion, lurking, silence, skulking, sudden unexpected attack, being unheard in approach and departure, being hidden from view, undetected by watchers, and so forth are governed by this Ability. This Ability can be used to surprise an individual or group if the Avatar employing it knows or suspects the presence of the other(s) and could logically use the ability at the time of the encounter. It can also be used to avoid being surprised in an encounter situation if the Avatar is employing it could logically use it at the time of the encounter. The base Score is used, with the GM making situational and Avatar characteristic modifiers according to circumstances.<BR>Starting Equipment List: Low."

Okay, so what does that allow a/n A/PC to do?

• access,
• escape,
• evasion,
• lurking,
• silence,
• skulking,
• sudden unexpected attack,
• being unheard in approach and departure,
• being hidden from view,
• undetected by watchers,
• surprise an individual or group
• avoid being surprised in an encounter situation
  [/list=12]
  
  A dozen things, right? But wait!
  
  • access - What does this let a character do? Get in? Get in undetected? Pick locks? It is vague, and entirely ruled by GM-interpretation. Most will require the Stealing Ability, which specifically mentions both "breaking and entering" and "lock picking", to do that! So what does this let the AC do? (I don't know).
  • escape - From what? A grapple? It's not mentioned in the section on Grappling. From a dungeon? Or does this just mean "sneaking out"? If so, it's no more than Hide + Move Silently.
  • evasion - Evade what? A grapple? (See above). Watchers? (See below).
  • lurking - Hide, in other words.
  • silence - Move Silently, in other words.
  • skulking - Move Silently + Hide (or just Hide).
  • sudden unexpected attack - Hide + Attack.
  • being unheard in approach and departure - In other words, Move Silently!
  • being hidden from view - In other words, Hide, again!
  • undetected by watchers - In other words, Hide and Move Silently, yet again!
  • surprise an individual or group - Done by Hiding and Moving Silently.
  • avoid being surprised in an encounter situation - Okay, this is a plus.
    [/list=12]
    
    Does the "Stealth skill bundle" really make the AC more powerful than the PC?
    
    At most, we have aspects of Hide/Move Silently, perhaps a bit of Spot/Listen (at least in terms of spotting other Stealthers, if not other aspects), and MAYBE some Lockpicking and/or Escape Artist, IF the LM interprets the skill that way. (In my experience, none do. YMMV>)
    
    So, are the "skill bundles" really any better? Can an LA AC really do more than a 3e PC? You will have to decide that for yourself.
    
    The contents of FIVE "skill bundles" have now been posted: Weapons, Planning, Ranging, Physique, and Stealth. There are almost 40 in the game, so you've seen about 1/8 of them. Look at one, and ask yourself: "What does that allow me to DO, if I take it, really?"
    
    Also, remember that, in 3e, even a first level Wizard has a 50% chance to hit, and a Fighter-type 55%. In LA, that would be about 55% for the Fighter, but 10% for the Mage. Add to that fact that the Mage also has about a 55% chance to succeed when trying to cast a spell... On the OTHER hand, in 3e, armor reduces your chance to hit (in LA, it doesn't, but subtracts from damage), and an LA Mage can cast any "level" of spell (although higher "level" spells cost more AEP - Spell Points - and take more ABCs - rounds - to cast).
    
    So in other words; It's different, but not better. I like it less. You may or may not like it more.
    
    The idea that 3e players and GMs are any less creative or intelligent is utter rubbish, of course. So is the idea that 3e is "all about combat".
    
    I just find LA's vagueness and lack of definition to cause more "rules interpretation" arguements that a codified system like 3e. Apparently LAers' experience differs.

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Re: Those skill bundles...

The contents of FIVE "skill bundles" have now been posted: Weapons, Planning, Ranging, Physique, and Stealth. There are almost 40 in the game, so you've seen about 1/8 of them. Look at one, and ask yourself: "What does that allow me to DO, if I take it, really?"

it is really simple, you as an avatar state what you are going to do, and what skill you are using the LM will pick a target number and modifiers you roll and he lets you know if you succeed or not. Just like how things where down back in the good old days of first edition. before skill where introduced to limit what a player can do. as for the idea of everyman skills well in all the games I have been in, it is assumed that avatars are able to do many ordinary things, that you skill are no the only things you know but your avatar is a functioning member of society, your skill bundles are merely thing you know more competently or are things that the average person may not be familiar with.
Ken

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Heh,

No need to get into lengthy quibbling

Some people want things well-quantified, others prefer freedom for the participants so that imagination and innovation can be used in play. No question that the LA system is not for the former sort of gamer.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Heh,

No need to get into lengthy quibbling

Some people want things well-quantified, others prefer freedom for the participants so that imagination and innovation can be used in play. No question that the LA system is not for the former sort of gamer.

Cheers,
Gary

LOL but you know me Gary
Ken

 

[Col_Pladoh]

LOL but you know me Gary
Ken

Indeed, sir!

What troubles me is that you don't have at least twice as many posts as I do on this board as you have on most of the others we mutually frequent... The only other one I know of where I have more that you is www.lejendary.com

Heh,
Gary

 

[Steverooo]

Heh,

No need to get into lengthy quibbling

Some people want things well-quantified, others prefer freedom for the participants so that imagination and innovation can be used in play. No question that the LA system is not for the former sort of gamer.

Cheers,
Gary

No need to go implying that those who prefer things well quantified are unimaginative or less-than-innovative, either, eh?

 

[Col_Pladoh]

No need to go implying that those who prefer things well quantified are unimaginative or less-than-innovative, either, eh?

Quite, although there can't be so much of either going into the game if the rules dictate how things are to be handled, and the GM isn't "flying by the seat of his pants"

cheers,
Gary

 

[buzzard]

Quite, although there can't be so much of either going into the game if the rules dictate how things are to be handled, and the GM isn't "flying by the seat of his pants"

cheers,
Gary

I can't quite agree with this statement. I know it's smiley tagged and all, but I still have to disagree. The innovation and imagination can be used in other areas than rules and situation resolution. If rules hamper imagination and innovation, why use any?

buzzard