NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Theory of Games" data-source="post: 9716674" data-attributes="member: 7042201">With all due respect, that's not how Metacurrencies work. They're a resource that's spent to "help the character".[URL unfurl="true"]https://rpgmuseum.fandom.com/wiki/Metacurrency[/URL]According to Gary & Tim (Kask), Hit Points are an abstract that emulates (like you pointed out) durability, avoidance and luck.Well yeah, it is all perspective. I'm not quoting from a Science Journal or the Bible. This is all just my opinion and I could be wrong as a broken clock:Just so we're on the same page, McClane (in Die Hard) was battling thieves, not terrorists <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> So - D&D-wise (because some people seem to only understand ttrpgs through the blurred lens of that one rpg) - the Fighter takes on a gang of bandits. And wins because he's smart and tough and a little lucky. But that's reflected in dice rolls: sometimes you get those high rolls that make all the difference. He didn't get a Short Rest because he was constantly on the move trying to stay a step ahead of Hans (again, smart). He had plenty of HP & a high CON (Fighter stuff) but most importantly, he avoided combat as much as possible, picking his spots and staying mobile. SMART - unlike many players who rarely use any kind of tactics then blame the TPK on the GM <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f644.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":rolleyes:" title="Roll eyes    :rolleyes:"  data-smilie="11"data-shortname=":rolleyes:" />No way an 18 DEX - that's peak human, equivalent to an Olympic-level gymnast. 18 CON? Definitely. He had to be ridiculously tough to endure that beating. Of course, low CHA which reflects in how he drives everyone crazy including his estranged wife <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f44d.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt="(y)" title="Thumbs up    (y)"  data-smilie="22"data-shortname="(y)" />I don't see the need for Metacurrency - McClane is just a tough SOB. He doesn't get nailed by the bad guys because they're thieves not operators, so they don't shoot well. Not as well as McClane, an experienced NYC police detective.Hans is (if we're using D&D) high INT/WIS/CHA and a higher level than McClane. Definitely a Rogue (Mastermind?) who pieced together a master plan that only fails because McClane was accidentally invited to the party.I agree with all this. McClane takes advantage of the building's size and once he gets the detonators, it throws off Gruber's plan, which further helps McClane. The "no shoes" is classic drama (Hans knows John has no shoes so he tells Karl to shoot the glass, hoping to trap McClane - but John shocks Hans & himself by deciding to run across the broken glass anyway). If GMs can create similar scenes, they're very memorable (or at least frustrating) for the players <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60f.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":sneaky:" title="Sneaky    :sneaky:"  data-smilie="21"data-shortname=":sneaky:" />Right: McClane is a great cop, but he's also human and totally out of his element. As a marksman, John is levels above the average copKarl shoots him, but McClane's outstanding attributes are his toughness and his wit. He doesn't beat Karl due to luck - he's just the better manPlayers have that same luck. I've put players in the worst possible positions so many times thinking the TPK was coming and the dice saved them over and over and over again. No Metacurrency needed. It's the beauty of rolling dice in ttrpgs: the randomness is dramatic - and the players love it when their PCs escape certain death <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f612.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cautious:" title="Cautious    :cautious:"  data-smilie="13"data-shortname=":cautious:" />Yeah. He's an Elf and I'm pretty sure he's the reason Elves were so OP in early D&D. If I never see another Elven Fighter/Magic-User/Thief again <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="😫" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f62b.png" title="Tired face    :tired_face:" data-shortname=":tired_face:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" />My point was both characters were very capable and clearly outclassed their opponents, even when impaired by complications (injury, bad positioning, running out of ammo). Many of us played old D&D editions without Metacurrencies for decades and our PCs did fine - usually. Sometimes. Metacurrencies take the randomness out of gameplay by negating bad dice rolls and those rolls - combined with ability/skill bonuses - are meant to emulate fictional heroes. I mean, if the PCs just winwinwin all the time in every situation, I wouldn't call that playing a game and that definitely doesn't fit the fiction that inspired the games in the first place.You want "realism"? Learn to embrace the occasional failure.</blockquote>

Verification