Oh, the games we play!

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

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Lago_AM3P
Duke
Posts: 1268
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Oh, the games we play!

Post by Lago_AM3P »

This should probably go in MPSIMS or whatever it's called, but I'm putting it here because I think it might give people valuable insights on where they're coming from.

Ahem.

Uh, my name is Lago AM3P. And I play D&D. I've played a good share of tabletop games (dozens), but the vast majority of time I have spent on this hobby has been online, in a multi-user, all-text environment. Game mechanics and roleplaying are akin to a chat with, with automated functions like dice rolling built into the system. This really speeds up the number crunchy parts of the game, but it can make roleplaying slow down to a crawl at times.

For the mechanics, I ruefully note that I and about the 40 or so other regulars play on the low end of the power spectrum. This is not for lack of opportunity to cheese, as no really serious effort has been made to remove the pre-existing cheese in the system and is basically relegated to stopping cheese on the level of what the vast majority of people feel is 'overpowered' or whatnot--for example, PrCs like the Mystic Theurge and core classes like the druid are ridiculed as for being vastly overpowered and somewhat weak, for example. In this universe, characters like a 14th level monk walking around with an attack bonus of +14/+14/+14/+9/+4 is considered to be extremely lethal. Characters also tend to be underpaid for their level, though this trend has been on the reverse. Several homemade mechanics, which I will not go into, have been introduced and they seem to be fairly popular. No one really cares too much about balance--if your character is unable to contribute to overcoming heroic challenges, no one really cares as long as your character is interesting. We have some relatively powerful characters, like this one heavily multiclassed paladin, but no one has breached the power boundary to the point where you will be called munchkin. It's pretty much expected that you won't spend every moment of your waking life devoting stats and whatnot to combat and challenge solving, as the majority of roleplay seems to be slice of life and conversational, with emphasis towards the dramatic. In fact, taking active power or effectiveness hits to play an interesting character are encouraged, but no one will really hate you if you go around with your barbarian with an intelligence and charisma of 8.

Combat is pretty much a cakewalk, though there will be times when the DMs will pit real monsters against us and we'll be in for a wild ride, like when two mindflayers beat the spoon out of an APL 9 party without really trying. Most encounters tend to be monsters with class levels or similarly-built PCs, with varying results. Though I have been pretty much schtupping everyone for advice on real ultimate power, I know ahead of time what I can and cannot get away with. Games are pretty much run like Medesha's, except with a lot less power. To make up for this, everyone is on a crazy stat scheme where you can run around with three 18s and three 10s, two tens and four 16s, and all fourteens on the low end unless you intentionally want to take a power hit. Soforth.

I still love the place anyway. But in case we don't see eye to eye on issues in the future, that's basically where I'm coming from and what I tend to balance things against.


For archived roleplay logs to have an idea what I'm talking about, you can go...

http://guppy.geek-night.com/madialaena/ Prissy elf wizard.

http://kuroko.virtue.nu/kas.html Rude and crude as all get-up aasimar.

And my personal favorite, Trejo of the Dune Sea. A serious sort of fellow who goes on the coolest adventures.

Trejo loudly groans, and practically facepalm at the stupidity of some necromancers. "I hope you educated him, then," he comments. "Listen. I do not think we have much time. Barntos declared a feast day, an two hours before it was to begin, I had to take care of some... business. Long story. I came back less than two hours later, and found the temple's front door barred from the inside! Even the servant's entrance is locked. And I fear they began the feast." He swallows, before revealing why this is of so much concern to him. "I found out that a vast amount of gold was withdrawn from the temple's bank account, and was used to pay for a great deal of potent poison. Brother Cranston made the transfer, and High Priest Barntos approved."

"Where'd you find that out?" Mandis looks confused. So does Saxin. Neither of them look particularly happy with the discovery, either. "I mean, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Neither do I," replies Saxin, scowling. "Are you saying that the...that they were behind the poisoning? Cranston and Barntos? You can't be serious!"

Trejo looks away, somewhat ashamed, "I cannot say. It is best that you do not find out. For everyone involved." After an uncomfortable pause, he continues. "The man who actually made the purchase, is also the man who organized the attack during the last feast. And perhaps even the man who killed Brother Hartig. I would not be so quick to condemn Cranston and Barntos, that man is an adept at using false identities and may very well have created a false paper trail, but it certainly does not bode well for tonight's feast." He thumbs at the servant's entrance, "We have to get in."
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fbmf
The Great Fence Builder
Posts: 2590
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Re: Oh, the games we play!

Post by fbmf »

Moved to In The Trenches.

Game On,
fbmf
Ramnza
Associate Fence Builder
Posts: 191
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Re: Oh, the games we play!

Post by Ramnza »

Lago_AM3P wrote:It's pretty much expected that you won't spend every moment of your waking life devoting stats and whatnot to combat and challenge solving, as the majority of roleplay seems to be slice of life and conversational, with emphasis towards the dramatic. In fact, taking active power or effectiveness hits to play an interesting character are encouraged, but no one will really hate you if you go around with your barbarian with an intelligence and charisma of 8.


That's awesome that an interesting character is encouraged over a cheesed character! I'm sure that makes for interesting combat and use of skills when it comes to solving a problem. I myself love role playing and have spent hours and hours devoted to role playing in just one session.
Come to think of it...:rolleyes:sometimes we forget to keep going.
squirrelloid
Master
Posts: 191
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

Re: Oh, the games we play!

Post by squirrelloid »

I'm currently playing in two campaigns, with a third on standby and a fourth that i'm DMing on hold.

Current 1 - Online:
Oriental Adventures campaign predominantly set around a mercenary company in a collapsing China-like empire (though a Japan like country to the north has been important recently). Wizard/Cleric/Druid and similar banned. Most powerful spellcasters that exist (in likely order) are Sorceror, Wu Jen, Spirit Shaman, Shugenja, Bard - or is that Bard, Shugenja? Most of the characters are melee builds with quite a bit of emphasis on optimization and varying levels of commitment to interesting characters. I'm playing a strange IM build who has sworn an oath to avenge her lover's death and generally behaves as a Japanese aristocrat of the period (including things like total disdain for commoners and the like). APL 14

Current 2 - In person:
Medievalish set in a literary world that i'm not familiar with (and don't remember the author). 3e with some 3.5 upgrades (eg, 3.5 bard, etc...), mostly Core with splats allowed by DM review and permission. Party (8 people) is large and level 7. I'm playing a middle-aged human Sorceror 5/DO2 who's a priest of the god of fate and am focusing on battlefield control and divination spells (and trying really hard to restrain myself so i don't overpower the rest of the party).

On Hold:
Setting vaguely fantasy-medieval afaict - we woke up with amnesia in a cave. 3e. Playing a melee light/unarmored defensive specialist with TWF (using offhand parry with the second weapon), the TW Defense tree, and Combat Expertise. Because it amused me, mostly. I think its a swashbuckler/fighter/something mix.

DMing:
Second campaign in a home-made late medieval/early renaissance world. Party has been trying to figure out who's assassinating members of the royal family, and have travelled far afield looking for clues. Really low magic (Bard is the only real spellcasting class available to the players, and even that was discouraged - party is a bunch of fighters and rogues for the most part).
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