You got your computer game in my PnP!

[Snapdragyn]

Inspirations for adventures, adaptations to classes or races, tactics... in what ways (if any) have computer games impacted your roleplaying experience?

Having played EverQuest (& now EQ2), I once got a D&D group to bowkite a group of zombies. The basic tactic was perfect for the encounter - attack an enemy with ranged weapons while staying out of their attack range, either by limiting their movement or by continually moving away from them faster than they can keep up. Since zombies can only take a standard action each round, we'd start each round by moving back a full move, then firing. They'd move up, but be unable to double move to catch us, so we never got hit.

I haven't yet gotten a group to agro kite, but I think it'd be hilarious to try. 'OK, Brother Monk, you're the bunny. Run the giant past us, & don't... *CRUNCH* ...er, get caught -- crud, guess it had levels in monk, too!'

 

[Fieari]

Agrokit works less well when the opponents can potentially figure out that you're doing it, and take appropriate measures. Also, when opponents can potentially agro multiple foes at a time (flyby/spring attack/quicken spells/other free actions).

 

[AuraSeer]

Bow-kiting is an okay tactic in EQ, but remember that in D&D it will only work on totally mindless creatures. Anything else will have the sense to run away, or take cover, when getting hurt by something it can't reach. Even RL animals have enough brains for that.

The same argument goes for most tactics that you'd use in a CRPG. Critter "AI" is just code, not true intelligence; it's governed by rules that don't change very often. Even a good AI engine will always have loopholes, and conditions the behavior rules don't account for. Clever players will discover a tactic that the AI doesn't cope with, and can use that tactic to succeed every time. (A bad AI engine will have gaping, obvious loopholes that can't cope with even trivial tactics-- like kiting.)

Face to face games aren't exploitable in this way, because we use a human DM, who is much better at simulating the behavior of living beings.

 

[Bullgrit]

The DM in our group has started using images from WoW to show the players what various terrains/territories look like in his campaign. He’s used Tanaris as an example of his desert, Ashenvale as an example of his forest, and Mulgore as examples of his plains.

When the wizard in our group fireballed a flock of manticores, and the manticores threw all their spikes at him, dropping him in one round, one of the players commented, “That’s why mages shouldn’t draw aggro.”

Bullgrit

 

[Victim]

Really, I think the EQ helped highlighted the importance of battlefield control spells and buffs. Cutting enemy groups into smaller, more manageable encounters was something that the importance of the Enchanter in EQ really made noticeable, and it's quite effective in DnD.

 

[mmu1]

When I saw the title, I thought this was going to be a thread about the Dragon Shaman.

Seriously, though, doesn't that class - with all those switcheable auras - remind anyone of a WoW Paladin?

 

[Agent Oracle]

There's an attack I have quietly taught other players called "Daibloing"

It really only works against mindless undead. But i'vew seen some DM's who are dumb enough to make it work against Orcs, kobolds, and other negligeably intelligent minion-species.

Find a five foot door. Player 1 arms himself and stands to the left of the door. player 2 arms himself and stands to the right of the door. Player 3 arms himself with a reach weapon and stands just outside the door. Player 4 (who usually has fast movement) goes through the door to get the hoarde's atention, then runs back through the doorway and takes up a sniping position.

The Zombies shambe up through the door (single file) where they are greeted by three attacks of opportunity or readied attacks.

HACK HACK HACK

Da-da!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The gnomish community in my Midwood campaign are pretty naturalistic -- the local wildlife watches out for them, they have their home hidden by illusions to look like natural landscaping, etc. -- except that they also make clockwork toys and, rumor has it, clockwork guardians inside their home. If and when anyone ever gets inside, they'll be greeted by clockwork gnomes, rats and spiders, just because EQ1 made them so fun. (Yes, rats and spiders aren't terribly useful as guardians/servants, but hey, it's a mad scientist making them for fun!)

(Clockwork Creature template from Advanced Bestiary, natch.)

 

[Snapdragyn]

Ah, that reminds me, I did add a 'tinker gnome' subrace to my homebrew inspired by the very same residents of good old Ak'Anon. I don't remember the stats I came up with off the top of my head, but I did give them favored class: artificer.