13th Age RPG: D&D with Modern Design

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Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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If you can, please answer one thing I've been unclear on: 13th Age is to 4e as Pathfinder is to 3.5 -- a extension/rebalance of the existing rules, only better than PF because 4e isn't inherently mindbogglingly complex. True/false? I just want to know if stuff's backwards compatible.

# ¿ May 27, 2012 03:26

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 23:31

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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Are we a allowed to talk about mechanics in new playtests, or are my publicly shareable feelings on the monk's big change limited to "dammit Jonathan Tweet you were cool for a minute there"?

# ¿ Nov 29, 2013 21:52

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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-Fish- posted:

Someone else will have to chime in then. I never played 3.5 so I'm not sure which design decision you're referring to.

I'll just say it: the monk now uses DEX to for attacks and STR for damage, in addition to WIS for other poo poo. Add in needing CON as a front line class and you're looking at a class that wants a good modifier in four ability scores. It's the most ridiculously MAD class in the game, and the justification given is "Jonathan wanted it the way 3e did it". Tweet what are you doing, stop regressing in design quality.

Captain Walker fucked around with this message at 04:21 on Nov 30, 2013

# ¿ Nov 30, 2013 04:19

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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-Fish- posted:

What the gently caress is this rear end-backwards design rhetoric?

My post, or the class? I'll let you be the judge: (emphasis mine)

Rob Heinsoo posted:

The monk is one of the few 13th Age classes that makes your character�s effectiveness hinge on three or more ability scores. Jonathan wanted us to preserve the monk�s d20-history as the PC who needs multiple good ability scores. As Jonathan puts it, he wants monks to have to be strong as well as fast and wise. As you�ll see when you play a monk, their ki abilities and powerful talents can vault them beyond the apparent weakness of their ability score issues.

# ¿ Nov 30, 2013 06:36

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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ProfessorCirno posted:

Personally I'd rather monks be something along the lines of "Str/Dex/Wis, choose two." You've got the lean whispy mystical type, the sorta big, broad, burly, yet understanding type, and the pure physical beat you the gently caress up type.

Where can I go to make sure this at least gets heard by the designers? Bitching about it on an Internet forum is fun and all but the class is not beyond repair, and Heinsoo probably knows this and is waiting for ten thousand negative responses so he can say to Tweet "look at this, look at how wrong you were, let's fix it."

# ¿ Nov 30, 2013 20:38

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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Yeah, I wouldn't be the guy to send it in, solely because I don't actually have a group who plays ATM. It's me, I'm the guy who judges rule books solely by reading them.

(I loved the core rules :shobon:

)

# ¿ Nov 30, 2013 20:44

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
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RyvenCedrylle posted:

I rather dug the 4E Monk, or at least certain builds of it. I was also going to point to the Dungeon World Monk but then saw you specified d20.

So.. maybe?

You're forgetting that the 4e monk has the best unarmed strike in the game, but it's really only useful to fighters and maybe some weird battlemind builds because monks don't use weapon attacks.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2013 20:47

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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Adding onto the "4e grog moving systems" pile, is the adventure in the book any good, or is there a better 1st level adventure? Something like Slaying Stone for 4e would be nice.

# ¿ Dec 5, 2013 00:55

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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Does the math still work if you never roll for damage, as suggested on page 160? Could the game work with all dice rolls averaged as D/2 or (D/2)+1, where D is the number of sides on the die

E: With the exception of Sneak Attack, which you can roll for as normal if desired, because rogues are the best.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2013 22:09

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
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-Fish- posted:

Starting around 8sih, Eastern Standard Time?

Edit: PM me or shoot me an email, shiniba at gmail dot com, if you wanna join. I'll add the first 4 people who want in to the Hangout and then share out the pregens.

Edit2: Still room for two more people. Current attendants are Thedandmom, ArkInBlack, and djw175.

8 pm EST is 5:00 PST, right? I might be down.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2013 22:19

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

I spent most of yesterday trying to get a quick Blood and Lightning off the ground. I failed, because only one person was around. And yet the hour of character creation last night with him was, all by itself, more fun than the last couple 4e games I've played in. Nothing world-shattering or revolutionary was created--Celtic/Scottish barbarian who follows the Druidic traditions and was run out of his homeland by the Emperor--but we both had a good time. Also I got to joke about putting a limit the number of skill points on his Highlander background: "there can be only one".

# ¿ Dec 16, 2013 17:16

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
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I'm running Blood and Lightning for some friends tomorrow after my last disastrous attempt at running. I've got a general idea of what I want to do but I'm hoping some of you guys have tips for a GM whose previous experience is a few very poorly thought out 4e games. It goes without saying that if I mention anything specific and spoiler tag it, Mimir, don't read it. Like so:

As far as I can tell this game really depends on character icon relationships to develop backstory/set the stage for future events. The one character we have so far is a pagan barb. His OUT is that he's the sole survivor from a clan who follows the High Druid's traditions, after the Emperor razed his town to get at the primal energy site nearby. This indicates to me that the Emperor is a more ambiguous figure than the default setting would seem to imply, and that the Druid is gonna be important...IF Angus rolls a 5 or a 6 on his relationship dice tomorrow. Positive dice I get; he's got 2 points with the High Druid so on a 6 Druids show up and recognize him at some point, for positive effect, and on a 5 he gets a benefit but has to work to avoid the associated complications. What the hell do negative/conflicted 5s and 6s do?

# ¿ Dec 18, 2013 19:52

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
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Skimmed it last night, looks sweet. Inspiring me to get off my rear end and work on a custom class of my own.

Naturally, said custom class will be none other than the Seeker, because I do love an uphill battle, but I'll not hijack discussion of your custom class with mine before I even have anything posted.

# ¿ Dec 19, 2013 17:44

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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-Fish- posted:

Look at it this way. You can't do worse than WotC did.

Let's hope so!

I was thinking some sort of hybrid of the Green Arrow trick-shot archer (as seen in the 4e hunter) and the classic arcane archer, with a dose of primal flavor. Maybe a mix of flexible ranged attacks and primal spells, like a ranged Bard? Probably waiting until the Druid comes out so we know how primal casters work in 13th Age.

# ¿ Dec 19, 2013 19:49

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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This is a very extremely WIP Seeker draft. I have to run out and do stuff now, but the idea is pretty simple. The basic build choices are represented in the talents: Treetop Sniper for bows, Combat Arbalester for crossbows, Bloodbonded Hunter for thrown or if you don't like the other two. And there's Speak with Spirits for RP. I'm sure this doesn't measure up to a real class yet, I need to put in some flexible attacks and more uses of the Spirit Boons (a daily pool of points to enhance attacks mostly), but I would like to know what's OP and what's UP.

http://www.mediafire.com/view/tuzf4rqll8lz1qw

# ¿ Dec 30, 2013 23:58

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
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I definitely forgot that miss damage was getting the super buffs to damage, gotta fix that. Feats are probably the hardest part, because they have to be balanced against the spirit boons which are consumable. I feel like I'm falling into the trap of MOAR DAMAGE all the time, in a sort of compensation for the awful 4e version of the class.

# ¿ Dec 31, 2013 04:01

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

It is extremely unlikely I will finish the Seeker by 7 in whatever time zone you are in, but if I do please give it a whirl.

E: I have 3 trick shots each at levels 1, 3, and 5, then two at 7 and 9; seems like giving each a spirit boon option balances the smaller overall number against the fighter.

Captain Walker fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Jan 1, 2014

# ¿ Jan 1, 2014 21:23

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Is there a Pelgrane adventure path or any good pre-made adventure path, or at least an adventure path idea, so I know vaguely where my campaign should go?

# ¿ Jan 4, 2014 19:15

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
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Seeker is coming along nicely. Will post a draft this week with at least level 1 trick shots and hopefully level 3 complete. You only need feats as far as the attack is reasonably expected to be refrained by players, right?

One mechanical issue I almost ran into was replicating Feyjump Shot as a flexible attack. The power in 4e teleports two targets to switch places and dazes both, and teleportation in general is pretty core to that Seeker's mechanical identity. I thought that instead of the nonexistent Feywild I'd go with the Shards of the Crown, so to match the fluff, I wanted to be able to target three enemies with one flexible attack, and since those normally key off basic attacks nothing I did seemed balanced. Then I noticed, "I have a mechanic for limited-use powers within the framework of existing attacks! I'm actually a genius if I only realized it!"

I'm also going to try working in one more non-core mechanic. The Monk playtests ~~both~~ have forms that require icon relationships to take, which is stupid. E: just the first one actually I'm dumb But giving your best attacks the chance to benefit from icon relationships in the middle of a climactic fight isn't necessarily stupid, so I might add in feats to trigger story guide rolls or spirit boon riders that get better with specific icons attached.

Captain Walker fucked around with this message at 19:03 on Jan 8, 2014

# ¿ Jan 8, 2014 18:53

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Blah blah something something Seeker progress

# ¿ Jan 12, 2014 23:06

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Galaga Galaxian posted:

Every time you mention these I can't help but think of G1 Transformers and then I picture shape-shifting Warforged/Forgeborn.

Is that a bad thing?

More to the point, I should probably mention that the Seeker is a custom class and that I'm looking for third party critique. It's a very combat-heavy class, more so than the wizard for instance with his cantrips and such, so I'm hoping the Seeker is still interesting when there's nothing to shoot at. My next draft will have things for Seeker players to do that involve the things you previously shot at, in fact.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 18:10

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Holy poo poo has it been that long?

# ¿ Jan 20, 2014 19:57

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Unknown Quantity posted:

"The 13th Age: Too Many Monte Cooks Spoil the Broth"

If ever there was an excuse for a new thread, with a new OP...

# ¿ Feb 8, 2014 18:17

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
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double post because question: For temporary companions/NPC allies who aren't gonna be around long, do you bother statting up their whole sheet, or just create them as monsters with a few more powers than most?

# ¿ Feb 8, 2014 19:23

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

My understanding: 3e-era game designer Monte Cook, depending on who you talk to, is a force of brilliant elegance and verisimilitude in elf simulation, a hopeless relic of the past, or the moon. Many people have tried to ape his advancements in 3.5 by copying them, which means no advancement at all.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2014 16:57

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

lenoon posted:

Edit: on that note am I remembering right that someone in this thread put together a magic archer class (want to say a seeker?)?

Behold: 13th Age Seeker, draft 2. It's martial in flavor but plays more like a spellcaster. Still looking for critique in case it sucks/is too good.

# ¿ Feb 11, 2014 00:38

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

It's just common sense: weapon damage rolls get multiplied at higher levels. Spells don't, but thy always target PD or MD.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2014 02:51

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

I thought that the fanon held that Ganondorf was a Gerudo in a female-dominated society, hence rise to evil.

# ¿ Feb 17, 2014 03:18

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Heavy Zed posted:

Looks like someone didn't talk to all of the gossip stones.

The what now? Those guys that tell the time?

In other news I haven't seen Blade Runner and don't remember how Episode VI ends.

# ¿ Feb 17, 2014 07:52

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

-Fish- posted:

Workplace filter won't let me visit Pelgrane's site because it is, apparently, a social networking site.
Roll a d6
On a 6 the target acceps your friend request.
On a 1-4 they decline.
On a 5 they accept, but immediately flood you with Farmville and Mafia requests.

Clarify a ruling for me: Does it take one move or two to cross through the friend zone?

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 02:25

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

I thought that property applied to all fedoras.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 04:25

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

RyvenCedrylle posted:

Hat of Enlightenment

Holy poo poo. Do you also take commissions?

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 04:56

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Tri-stat is my main problem with the Monk as well. I'd say the monk should refute d20 tradition: give it any stat it wants as someone up thread suggested.

RyvenCedrylle posted:

I do. What do you want?

I was kidding, but if I ever want a new class I know where to go. Actually, can I send you my Seeker for peer review?

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 18:22

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

I've decided my game is going to be Romance of the 13 Kingdoms/Dragon Warriors. Lots of massive battles being single-handedly won by small groups of heroes. I'm thinking that the stalemate between the Emperor and High Druid has been broken and the land is Total War--but glorious war, where only Big drat Heroes have an effect on the landscape of the battle. Instead of dungeon crawling, a focus on advancing across a battlefield capturing strategic objectives. I'd present a map of the battle, tell my players "you need to do X, Y and Z. Which do you go for first and how?" and throw encounters at them along the way. Provided this idea is doable in the system, I'd like a few hints for ways to include stuff like:

1. Some sort of morale mechanic, maybe tied to the PC's escalation die, where allies' troops become more like an army and less like cannon fodder as the battle swings in their favor.
2. Limited-use unique powers for clearing giant mobs of mooks and taking out officers. Only the sorcerer and wizard get really good "gently caress you, crowd" spells, and not until epic. I'd like these to come from the players, ideally, but I want to be able to suggest baseline powers to be customized.
3. Nation-sim elements for PCs who want to rule or be "power behind the throne" types.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2014 22:59

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Mystic Mongol posted:

Tell us what you're looking for in an adventure and we'll trip over each other to help you plot it out.

Where were you people when I keep starting lovely games that go 3 levels and fizzle because my players suck? :mad:

# ¿ Feb 23, 2014 01:01

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

The Lurker is drat cool, and my only qualms involve the extremely low amount of recoveries (4 instead of 8 is probably a safe bet) and the Evil Eye die roll (could probably trigger off a 6 as well, or even a relationship die, for maximum Satanic :evil:

).

If I can just hijack this discussion for a sec: as I previously mentioned I'm running on Saturday, most likely the opening of a grand war scenario. What should I do to ensure a good fun time for all? How the hell do I use story guide dice, first of all? Should I make sure the players have at least some shared relationships?

# ¿ Feb 27, 2014 18:46

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

The Something Awful Forums > Games > Traditional Games > Damage on a Miss Appreciation Station (also the 13th Age RPG)

Captain Walker fucked around with this message at 22:13 on Feb 27, 2014

# ¿ Feb 27, 2014 22:10

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

Just specify that you only get one caster talent as a druid, problem solved!

# ¿ Mar 1, 2014 19:25

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
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Are you going to add the goon-made stuff like the Seeker and Dillettante that aren't in Page XX?

# ¿ Mar 13, 2014 20:45

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 23:31

Captain Walker: Apr 7, 2009; Mother knows best
Listen to your mother
It's a scary world out there

God drat do I want to play an IRL 13A game now.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2014 23:29

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