D&D 4E Running player commentary on PCat's 4E Campaign - Heroic tier (finished)

[Steve Jung]

Oh wow. That's awesome, PC. Happy Birthday.

 

[Hypersmurf]

One thing I don't do is plan everything out ahead of time. I'm not a top-down designer, and I generally don't fill in all the details until a plot comes into focus. More fun for me that way.

I was talking to barsoomcore the other day about his Reform School Ninja Girls PbP, and something he said was "I know who the Big Bad is, and what his objective is, but the details of what's going on are a bit of a mystery. What I do know is that wherever the Ninja Girls show up, something happening there is a crucial part of it. And so it builds itself as the game goes along."

We followed a lead and talked to a guy who mentioned someone else's name, and we fixated on it, tracking him down at the Triceratops Races. So now, the trike races are important to the Big Bad's scheme somehow, and it's just as well we're here!

-Hyp.

 

[vagabundo]

I have the best friends ever. What I got was an original nine-song musical written and scored by Sagiro, and performed (sung and acted) by my six players and two other friends.

Spine of the Times: A Musical Journey Into the White Kingdom.

Complete with a book of lyrics and text, a forthcoming cast CD of the songs, a video recording, an impromptu dance from Sagiro's daughter, a bottle of Rat Bastard wine, and memories I'm never going to lose. I'm speechless, but only because I can't stop grinning like a goon. I love my players.

I'll make a separate post tomorrow to talk about this. Any performance featuring (for example) the Alienist song "Tentacles" deserves it's own thread.

lol.. What a birthday prezzy!!. Good job...

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I have the best friends ever. What I got was an original nine-song musical written and scored by Sagiro, and performed (sung and acted) by my six players and two other friends.

Spine of the Times: A Musical Journey Into the White Kingdom.

Complete with a book of lyrics and text, a forthcoming cast CD of the songs, a video recording, an impromptu dance from Sagiro's daughter, a bottle of Rat Bastard wine, and memories I'm never going to lose. I'm speechless, but only because I can't stop grinning like a goon. I love my players.

I'll make a separate post tomorrow to talk about this. Any performance featuring (for example) the Alienist song "Tentacles" deserves it's own thread.

This is just the most fantastic thing, like, ever.

Incidentally, I'd like to throw in a suggestion and a plea to Sagiro:

Don't do a Story Hour version of this thread.

I love this thread as it is - an example of us getting the story and the mechanics all mixed up together, with plenty of DM interaction. It seems to be easier to update than a Story Hour (I know how that feels!) and it's not getting bogged down in missed sessions.

 

[Piratecat]

Details (and any comments, please, so as not to distract this thread more than I have already):

http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...along-blog-musical-about-my-d-d-campaign.html

 

[Aravis]

Having just been told that no, the thread has not been dead for two weeks, but rather the boards are just not telling me of activity...I am back.

Hmm, I'm not convinced that's the reason; Dr. Caldwell has a fairly average level of devotion. On the other hand, Dr. Caldwell is a follower of Demis, Sklar's archenemy, so perhaps that's it.

Not for me. I liked having the effect follow closely to the cause; it emphasizes that the PCs have agency in the gameworld.

As with the chance of immobilization during the Tide of Sklar thing, I suspect that it is devotion to Demis or being of a divine character class.

I too agree that it was tremendously cool to get the cut scene (which is funny because I hate cut scene's in video games...).

--Aravis

 

[Aravis]

Huh. That had never occurred to me. It seems like poor design to have to metagame your tactics solely due to a rules quirk, but it certainly works.

I don't know about that. Is that really any different than Cobalt and Logan holding their actions until Toiva uses Radiant Delirium, so that their target is stunned first?

It certainly seems less metagamey than knowing your opponent is bloodied.

--Aravis

 

[Blood Jester]

In this case, the rogue should either follow up with an action point attack, or delay until right after the villain, then deliver his daily.

I'm sure our group isn't the only one that manipulates the initiative order to maximize our power's effects. Just one more layer of tactics to deal with...

PS

This assumes:

1) You have an action point available, and have not already used one in the encounter (both *very* sketchy assumptions in the combats I've been in).

2) The rouge (or another PC) is in a position to be safe to wait (we have had many situations where a delay for another attack could mean below-zero land); and the enemy will stand still and wait for you to set-up, instead of using the dynamic nature of the battlefield. (A tactical opponent will see the set-up and move or neutralize the option if given the chance.)


I am a very tactics-focused player and gamer, but to *have* to use tactics to make a Daily (at best) the equal of an Encounter power is a fail for the designers.

 

[Storminator]

This assumes:

...snip...

I am a very tactics-focused player and gamer, but to *have* to use tactics to make a Daily (at best) the equal of an Encounter power is a fail for the designers.

I look at it a little differently. The only thing I assumed was that the rogue isn't going to blindly throw his daily into the fight and just hope it all works out. I assume that everything a player does requires tactics, and that the bigger the resource expended, the more intensively the tactics are considered.

I don't follow the logic that says "I will consider my Encounter powers carefully, but I will expect not to use tactics for my Daily."

I don't think it's a well written power, and I don't think we'll see more of them. We've already seen a better formulated version. But that doesn't mean the player is absolved from thinking when he uses his powers.

PS

 

[Blood Jester]

I look at it a little differently. The only thing I assumed was that the rogue isn't going to blindly throw his daily into the fight and just hope it all works out. I assume that everything a player does requires tactics, and that the bigger the resource expended, the more intensively the tactics are considered.

I don't follow the logic that says "I will consider my Encounter powers carefully, but I will expect not to use tactics for my Daily."

I don't think it's a well written power, and I don't think we'll see more of them. We've already seen a better formulated version. But that doesn't mean the player is absolved from thinking when he uses his powers.

PS

The above really put a lot of words in my mouth (blindly, hope it works out, not use tactics).

Let me rephrase...

To *have* to use *perfect* tactics, and/or be a tactical wizard (which many excellent players are not) just to not get screwed on your powers, means the designers, who worked so hard to remove many of the more interesting, but more complex, aspects of the rules to open the scope of accessibility for more players, have failed in designing the power in question.

This is not chess, and while I personally play more in the style that combat is a friendly chess match with the DM, does not mean that the designers should be sloppy in their work.

A Daily power should be clearly better than an Encounter power used by the same player, with the same skill-set and play style.

So you, being a better player than I, may use an Encounter power to much greater effect than I use a Daily. *BUT* my Daily powers should serve me better than my Encounter powers. And, proportionately, your Daily powers should serve you better than your Encounter powers.

That is what I consider good design.