Dungeons and Dragons

[OhGodMyLife]

I've been messing around with the Roll20 campaign editor, I'll run a Pathfinder session at some point if we can get people on at the same time.

[bv310]

I'm around most evenings, just ping me if I'm on AIM. (Assuming you meant run a game with Scummers. If not, ignore me)

[OhGodMyLife]

I totally meant with scummers. I'd actually like to make a Roll20 pathfinder game a bi-weekly thing if there were enough interest.

[bv310]

/in

[AniX]

Yeah, I'd definitely be down for a scummer game.

[Viktyr Korimir]

I'd be in for something like that, totally.

[Kcdaspot]

I'm in toooooo but I need mah comp.

The one we got for now in mish mash isn't going and I'm bored.

[Sudo_Nym]

I'd certainly in for that, if it fits with my work schedule.

[OhGodMyLife]

No promises on anything happening soon, I just started a new job so my free time has been less than it used to be, but if and when I do get something together I'll message everyone who expressed interest here.

[Mr. Flay]

Just finished reading the Dresden Files RPG book (4 pound/400 page monster that it is). Good setup and the worldbuilding stuff ALONE is worth it, but my gods is FATE complicated.

Also, not sure how the spellcasting rules will actually flow in play. Anyone actually played this thing?

[UncertainKitten]

>FATE
>Complicated

What? No, seriously, what?

[GreyICE]

Really?

Because FATE is really like one of the easier systems ever designed.

It makes me scared and terrified of how they presented it.

[bv310]

Wait, there's a Dresden Files RPG? Coooooooooooooooooooool.

[Viktyr Korimir]

FATE is not a rules-light system. Its core is comparable in complexity to something like OD&D or maybe AD&D without all the optional rules. A game like

Dresden Files RPG

has to have additional rules to cover its magic system and all of the other supernatural stuff going on.

[UncertainKitten]

Um...are we talking about the same game? I mean, I'm playing the core FATE rules in a campaign and it is EXTREMELY simple. You only roll one thing, all the time, ever. Skills are simple, aspects are fairly easy to understand...where's the complexity?

[The Fonz]

We should do a spirit of the century campaign. The rulebook's online.

[Viktyr Korimir]

Um...are we talking about the same game? I mean, I'm playing the core FATE rules in a campaign and it is EXTREMELY simple. You only roll one thing, all the time, ever. Skills are simple, aspects are fairly easy to understand...where's the complexity?

Well, there's rolling a Maneuver to place a temporary Aspect on the target, and then you invoke-- or is that tag?-- that Aspect once for free. And then there's scene aspects and how they work. Not to mention all of the different Stunts and their effects, which are like feats or class features in d20. Then there's the fact that being a skill-based system with so few skills, it's hard to get used to just how

broad

those skills are, and how the specific trappings of each skill work. Especially as modified by the Stunts.

The stress track and consequence system is also somewhat complicated and counter-intuitive for anyone who is accustomed to traditional RPGs.

I'm not saying it's a bad game-- it's my

favorite

game, after all-- but that as rules weight goes it's more in the 'medium' camp than the 'light' camp.

Spirit of the Century

is likely the simplest implementation of the core rules, and it's still difficult for a lot of veterans of other games to understand.

[AniX]

We should do a spirit of the century campaign. The rulebook's online.

I would pay someone real people money to GM a SotC game. I love it so much.

[UncertainKitten]

...ok, I'll give you medium. My DM chose to forego stunts, which is probably why it seems lighter. Though the stress tracks and consequences made sense to me...it's possible I don't have a good understanding there.

The Maneuver thing is really cool though and doesn't seem that complex to me.

EDIT: Skills being broad was a feature not a bug, to me ^-^;.

[Pine]

*perk*

Just found this thread. I'm a giant tabletop gaming nerd.

[Viktyr Korimir]

EDIT: Skills being broad was a feature not a bug, to me ^-^;.

Oh, it's a feature. Definitely a feature. But in any other game, try rolling your

Fists

as a

knowledge

skill to

declare

that your attacker is using a specific form of ninjutsu only taught in the sewers of Montreal. In any other game, using your Fists skill (or any skill) in this fashion would be incomprehensible. It creates a higher learning curve for people accustomed to more simulationist style play.

[UncertainKitten]

Yeah, I tend to play more narratively, so skills generally ended up a little fuzzy no matter what system. Though not as broad as FATE, obviously.

[Yosarian2]

EDIT: Skills being broad was a feature not a bug, to me ^-^;.

Oh, it's a feature. Definitely a feature. But in any other game, try rolling your

Fists

as a

knowledge

skill to

declare

that your attacker is using a specific form of ninjutsu only taught in the sewers of Montreal. In any other game, using your Fists skill (or any skill) in this fashion would be incomprehensible. It creates a higher learning curve for people accustomed to more simulationist style play.

Interesting.

That kind of sounds like the white wolf system (werewolf the apocolypse, vampire the masquerade, ect).

[The Fonz]

We should do a spirit of the century campaign. The rulebook's online.

I would pay someone real people money to GM a SotC game. I love it so much.

I don't have the experience, but would DEFINITELY be down if there's anyone with experience using FATE willing to run it?

[Mr. Flay]

Um...are we talking about the same game? I mean, I'm playing the core FATE rules in a campaign and it is EXTREMELY simple. You only roll one thing, all the time, ever. Skills are simple, aspects are fairly easy to understand...where's the complexity?

Well, there's rolling a Maneuver to place a temporary Aspect on the target, and then you invoke-- or is that tag?-- that Aspect once for free. And then there's scene aspects and how they work. Not to mention all of the different Stunts and their effects, which are like feats or class features in d20. Then there's the fact that being a skill-based system with so few skills, it's hard to get used to just how

broad

those skills are, and how the specific trappings of each skill work. Especially as modified by the Stunts.

The stress track and consequence system is also somewhat complicated and counter-intuitive for anyone who is accustomed to traditional RPGs.

I'm not saying it's a bad game-- it's my

favorite

game, after all-- but that as rules weight goes it's more in the 'medium' camp than the 'light' camp.

Spirit of the Century

is likely the simplest implementation of the core rules, and it's still difficult for a lot of veterans of other games to understand.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. It's still not as complex as d20 or 2nd Ed or GURPS, but it's not quite a one-roll-and-done like it is sometimes described. Plus I find the spellcasting rules in Dresden Files RPG to be kind of overly complex, though the role-spell feature will likely help a lot (memorize it, cast it with no/few options).

I mean, I'm liking Wild Talents' One Roll Engine pretty well right now for simplicity of

learning

, but the applications can still get complex.

Simple? RISUS. Don't Rest Your Head. Beer and Pretzels.