Rheios @ Rheios @ttrpg.network

Posts

0

Comments

54

Joined

2 yr. ago

I mean, if it works like the bag they'd be protected by walls of force (iirc) around them on the astral plane. So its nice to know they're not subject to being eaten by an Astral Dreadnought or something.

Although that makes my DM brain consider the concept for a Berbalang cabal seeking to feed themselves on the astral plane through the subjugation/encouragement and selective attachment of cursed "holding" items (that don't have that field) onto their preferred prey.

I'm a little shocked. Normally its Hines caught with his foot that deep in his own mouth.

I mean, that's probably why he would make the push. The bait's in the mouth (people have the game), then comes the pull of the hook (they have to upgrade to try and handle its poor optimization, fulfilling the benefit of AMD backing them). And Beth doesn't lose anything if its too frustrating and people stop playing over it because they already have the money.

EDIT: Admittedly I keep forgetting that game-pass is a thing, but maybe even that doesn't really matter to Microsoft if it got people to get on gamepass or something? That makes my earlier point a bit shakier.

It continues to worsen the longer you try and consider the motivation for the 11 year old. Of which I can think of at least 2, if not more, but I'll spare us all.

Have you considered an anti-magic field area of considerable size? That's hardly a good continual response but it may allow a more challenging encounter, especially if the field can be briefly turned off by characters expending spell slots into a single dangerous spot while being attacked. Since it prevents Divine smites and the bonuses. (Someone could 5e-argue that probably, since its pretty nonsensical with class abilities at times but I'd just overrule it.) You can even use it with Mindflayers or other psionic aberrations, since arguably their abilities can still work if you rule they can. (Psionics don't necessarily equal magic unless you set some other precedent.)

Other concepts are to add hazards and chaos causers to battlefields. Floating clouds of glittering fog that reflect spells to random other targets, negative-energy/undead quicksand bogs that leech endurance instead of doing damage (and whose saves are to avoid getting stuck not to avoid the drain), unsteady floors to drop out and separate parts of the party, or lair effects that randomly teleport characters back to earlier areas of a dungeon, forcing them to run back through to get back into the fight (don't overuse that one but if there are traps earlier its a great way to force them to ignore traps in their rush).

Also just tasks to do while being attacked. The paladins + cleric can defend well together but force them to be separated into different regions doing a task and you up the tension (even if you don't up the danger).

You can also try bringing forward older monsters that undercut benefits/items. Black Puddings, Rust Monsters (Or their papa Annihilators), or port over other monsters like Magerippers or Spellweavers from 3.5.

Traps can also be good, since they may be taking 1/4 damage on a save, but if the traps also cause inconveniences or force them through alternate, and slowly more damaging paths (like crawling through a stone brambled tunnel instead of taking the other tunnel because it caved in and almost crushed them), they can still build up and be valuable.

Also if they're incredibly proficient in combat, the enemies probably know that by this level. So you might have to start attacking them legally or socially, depending on the situation. Or just start having foes avoid them. Make them burn resources to set up engagements where foes can't run or attack them when they're on their back foot relaxing with assassins in the bathrooms, poisons in the bar bread, false accusers of horrible crimes on the streets and in court. (Depending on who their foes are of course.) You do that so that their character get paranoid. Start trading things like spell slots, the benefits of sleep, or close allies to try and defend themselves, so that they're weakened before they even touch something like a dungeon. If they party is just too invincible in combat as it is, don't just attack them there, let them know that existence is sortof a threat. (And as before, how much you use it is important an should be informed by session 0. You want them tense and excited, not miserable, and "the world as the DM's weapon" isn't necessarily the right way to approach it but its a nice tool to have in the chest. Hammer finds nail and all that.)

Nah, I loved changing out those disks. Core memory nostalgia material right there. Waste of time for sure, but one I remember fondly in hindsight.

I wonder how long it takes for some of those people to transfer to a more embittered relationship with Bethesda over it? Assuming any of them have that "I'm staring at a title screen realizing I haven't actually had fun playing the game in weeks but the dopamine loop of the 'loot, kill, craft' system had me deluded into thinking I was enjoying myself. Like a social media doom-scroller or something" moment.

Simple rules that can describe almost every situation are also rules that over-generalize characters to the detriment of options (everyone's noticing the same things, instead of perception allowing more observant characters to do what they could do), over-include the player's capabilities in place of the character's. (Players conversational skills failing to match with those of the character they intend to play), overly abstract what they describe (a monster's "power" or a character's actual abilities meaning something in adjudication but nothing consistent/concrete enough in-world), or demand a DM adjudicate without reinforcement or restriction (In the absence of rules every corner case ruling risks the danger of turning the table into a debate between PCs and the DM, inviting rapid ends and either producing embittered DMs or embittered players* - especially under the "pack it up" approach the video suggests - and helping to increase combative tables in the future.)

The games that OSR takes inspiration from did a lot right in their mortal power-level, reasonable growth, real risk of danger, and humanistic tones but if you're trying to sell me that the growth of rules that followed aren't a direct result of weaknesses in those games? I don't think we'll agree.

*The "Dorkness Rising" problem, for a slightly more light-hearted allusion.

Ah, see, I was preaching to the choir. You're on top of it already. =P

That sounds insanely dangerous for like a bunch of reasons. Like "that's a Planescape campaign by itself" dangerous. So, yeah, let us know what happens when you get there. Sounds like fun. =P

Killing him altogether seems pretty epic level, like level 25+, given that he's a deity. (But your DM could be ballsier than me, lol. Killing an aspect of him to weaken him for a bit seems more my speed.)

Alternatively you could try shifting goblin worship in localized communities to another deity. Maybe someone like Kikanuti (since I imagine getting them to worship someone like Tymora immediately might be too much of a jump?) or some other goblin. (Were Konsi to be more arrogant, I'd suggest her. =P) Kill him slowly, death by 1000 cuts of lost faith style.

My love for the first two games is sortof why I'm avoiding it. I mean, I even didn't like the concept of the proposed Black Hound game being called Baldur's Gate 3. So I'm going to come in with opinions and just ruin it for myself even if its as good as some say, and that's assuming WoTC having decades to ruin every scrap of coherency in the setting's lore hasn't impacted things negatively. (One thing I really appreciate about Larian's handling of BG3 is that they gave me enough info to come to that conclusion first.)

For D&D I can also think of Lolth, Tasha//Iggwilv (depending on your interpretation of that mixed bag of lore threads), Ravel Puzzlewell (a hag so powerful or madly knowledgeable she has aspects across the planes from the Planescape setting), and Loviatar the Mistress/Goddess of Pain.

There's also existent queens like Queen Mary("Blood Mary") that oversaw religious purges that you could take inspiration from. (Zealots are rarely reasonable enough to be bargained with.)

You could also just take a historically male example and invert the sex and not make a deal about it. See if your players even notice.

I mean, that's arguably incredibly conservative. "The old ways" and all that.

Thank you, I think that helps parse out where I was unclear. There's specifics in the language at play. It makes me wonder how often bad actors prevention of even small distinctions being discussed has made it muddier and harder for everyone else.

I guess my question's always been that since gender is (to my incomplete understanding) a social construct and can change, and transgender people seek to change to a gender that feels more appropriate, how did you (a) know what felt right, (b) that what felt right wasn't completely appropriate for your gender and the active definition of gender needed to change, and (c) where does chemical and surgical transition factor in for a gender based thing when attempting to find for comfortable self? Because that seems like a sex (in the clinical terminology) thing as much as a gender one (which of course there's probably a connection, I guess I'm just not clear where the line really breaks.)

To be clear, I think my questions are entirely too "rationalizing a deep emotional and person thing" so I don't really expect an answer, I've just never been invited to address the question to anyone before.

I mean, I'd believe that too. I'm pretty far from it and avoid the strip as much as possible, so I've never had the "pleasure".

Didn't the cab companies interfere with that? Or at least lobby hard against it?

Sowing and reaping hope keeps you young.

Devil: There are RULES, we had an AGREEMENT. I can't just lie about those!

Demon: Sure you can!

The two get into a fight in the Sigil tavern. Harmonium soldiers come in to detain them, a fight ensues, both are slain. . . . Eternal blood war continues unperturbed