FATAL & Friends 2016-19: Bad Rules and Hidden Jewels

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LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

I started writing a Night's Black Agents game that focused in Egypt and Mesoamerica based on this FATAL & Friends, basing off those ancient stone vampires with some revisions about their focus on blood and the "stone men" being unearthed by Nazis in the desert as well as Napoleon and all these shards of the stone vamprie stones being tied to artifacts of power and I quickly realized I was accidentally creating something between Battle Tendency and Assassin's Creed.

So when are you going to finish it?

# ¿ Feb 12, 2016 01:15

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 23:41

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Poison Mushroom posted:

Man, that seems really loving cool and it's very intriguing.

But...

Twenty-five dollars.

How did you arrive at that price point, ProfessorProf?

# ¿ Feb 15, 2016 18:23

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Night10194 posted:

For the Ironclaw review, I had a question: Would people prefer if I went into the nitty gritty of what each Gift and Skill does, full, gameplay wise? It's going to make the Gifts section quite long if I do, but I'm torn because showing off the system and the variety of characters it can build is one of the goals of my review. Would it be better if I just wrote up a couple sample characters or asked for concepts then showed how they could be made in system?

Asking for concepts usually gets some good stuff.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2016 01:26

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Thuryl posted:

I can't draw to save my life but I felt like doing this anyway

You're doing god's work.

Probably Cyric's.

# ¿ May 20, 2016 05:05

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

FMguru posted:

The word filter wins again.

Errr, what's that replacing?

# ¿ Jul 22, 2016 17:37

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Hostile V posted:

I won't lie, one of my favorite games of the moment sold me with the developers being up front with their thoughts on turning the PCs into post-human supermen. "Look, cybernetics are cool. Psychic powers (aka Magic in this game) are also cool. What isn't cool is making there be an arbitrary reason for the PCs to not have everything they want. A Humanity/Essence stat isn't fun because it encourages crunchy minmax behavior and that can detract from your game. Let your PCs have as much as they want of one or the other. Let their limits just be cost, occasional maintenance and upkeep and having the proper licenses. Those are fair limits that make sense."

So, what game is this?

# ¿ Aug 3, 2016 19:22

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Young Freud posted:

Oh man, I just finished reading through the Savage RIFTS and I'm super-impressed. From a cursory reading...

Crazies feel like dangerous, unstable people instead of Looney Toons characters. Like, the character concept feels like it should be more Mr. Blonde than the Joker or the Mask.

The Juicers and their Burn mechanic is also interesting but I still feel that there needs to be a way to reclaim Burn for long campaign, especially since only one of them is remotely impressive. I feel like, for non-recoverable points that lead to the character's demise, the other Burn For edges should not be single use but probably something that's duration of session. It's recommended that for short campaigns, Juicers have 6 Burn points, and one-shots, only 4, plus the recommendation they should use them because they're going to die before the end of the session. It also feels like they're now more Fury Road War Boy, like I can imagine them burning all their Burn, chroming up, and screaming at the players to witness them.

Techno-Wizards are now Magical MacGuyvers.

Mega Damage apparently is really just Heavy Armor tag, and only really applies to Combat Cyborgs, Glitter Boys, and various mecha. The classic armors are just armor, no Mega Damage tag, although many do add to Toughness. Infantry energy weapons do not Mega Damage save for heavy weapons but various Rifts-staple melee weapons do to make them viable option for close combat. We also finally get Chain Sword stats.

Apparently the player's guide does not include Coalition forces as playable characters. They're in the Game Master's book, and it straight-up says Coalition States are Nazis in another name and even references the Webb and Mitchell "baddies" sketch.

Pinnacle's also been responsive to feedback about some issues people have found, and they've already released the second round of .pdfs, which is great. I backed it mostly for nostalgia reasons, but now I'm actually excited to run Rifts again.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2016 15:18

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Night10194 posted:

One of the reasons Arcanum was great was it actually had stuff like labor organizers...who were going to get gunned down with a maxim gun if you didn't step in and help.

Victoriana just makes me want an Arcanum tabletop game, but who the hell knows who actually owns that IP now.

# ¿ Oct 11, 2016 05:13

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

unseenlibrarian posted:

My only problem with Huntsmen in 2E Changeling as presented is that we're losing Bridge Burners for them and they were my favorite antagonist faction for no good reason.

Wait, really? Dang it. I was fond of 'em too.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2016 22:21

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Cooked Auto posted:

Yeah the more veteran players in the SR group I'm in has the same opinion of that book. Been meaning to read it myself for fun, but I got to the timeline in my first attempt and just closed that out of sheer disgust. Parts of it is really insufferably written.

What did you find some objectionable?

# ¿ Feb 3, 2017 13:37

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Night10194 posted:

LotFP sounds like one of those games that goes 'It's old school, and grindhouse!' to excuse why it has nothing of value.

The frustrating thing is that Raggi pays decently (for tabletop RPGs) and on time, so occasionally something great gets made. Qelong is fantastic, and I think Scenic Dunnsmouth does some great things with the module form (as well as being just a beautiful little book).

But then you have Blood in the Chocolate, or Raggi's own Monolith From Beyond Time and Space (which isn't the same sort of Magical Realm bullshit, but is drat near unplayable/designed to torpedo a campaign).

# ¿ Feb 4, 2017 16:15

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

theironjef posted:

I have whole section of emails from people trying to get us to review D&D that's MLP flavored. It's not gonna be funny, we review games, not internet subcultures having bad conventions three years ago.

Unrelated to MLP flavored D&D, do you guys happen to have a copy of Waste World to review?

# ¿ Apr 2, 2017 04:37

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

BinaryDoubts posted:

The 'zones' system from Old School Hack is something I've stolen and used in every other game I've run. (Shadow of the Demon Lord even has a supplement that includes rules for zone-based combat, and it's been working out great in my current game).

What supplement for Demon Lord has the zone based combat in it?

# ¿ Apr 9, 2017 02:25

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

I'm now on a huge Demon Lord kick and I think I want to run a game soon; what supplements besides the Companion are good? Is the Hell/Devil boom decent? I'm aware of the shocking setting twist.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2017 19:09

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Bar Crow posted:

Mech games hate mechs.

The same terrible impluses that produce bad RPG rules also compels people to explain why mechs aren't realistic.

As someone who's been demoing a mech game at Metatopia for the past few years, I think that may be a defensive reaction to playtesters who know what the game is about but then feel the need to bring up how unrealistic it is.

LaSquida fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Apr 11, 2017

# ¿ Apr 11, 2017 01:05

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Alien Rope Burn posted:

CS Warbird Rocket Cycle

This is supposed to be the middle ground between the Scout Rocket Cycle and the Sky Cycle, but is actually more the glass cannon of the set. It goes 400 MPH, but has triple rail gun that do the damage of a boom gun (!), lasers and particle beams to use when the ammo runs out for that, mini-missiles, and fusion bombs that do ridiculous damage. It's bizarre that it does more damage than most of the tanks and giant robots in this book, but consistency is something for lesser designers.

_{"Don't take off yet! We put all the fins on the wrong way!"}

So, I have a friend who has a history of wrangling me into running (heavily house ruled) Rifts (TM) games for him and a few other friends every few years, which are usually a stupid blast until something in the books breaks my brain and I throw the whole campaign into the fire until next time.

Finding out that this thing had a boom-gun level weapon just sort of slapped onto it, made from easily available railguns killed the most recent campaign after a player figured out there's a black market price on these things and snuck one in under my nose.

Rifts! Not even once.

# ¿ May 16, 2017 01:39

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

But for some unexplained reason you need a 13 ME to qualify to play one.

# ¿ May 22, 2017 03:11

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Weirdo creepy foreign ninja!

# ¿ Jul 9, 2017 20:15

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

ZeroCount posted:

At this point hunting ninjas down seems like a pretty good idea.

Just don't go to the Land of Seed and Blossom.

Just don't.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2017 03:49

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

So, with all the high quality Ninja Crusade posting, I'm curious: Is there a good example of combat anywhere online?

# ¿ Jul 14, 2017 04:47

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Zomborgon posted:

Indeed- meanwhile, one in five times my Imperium Guardsman can't hit a sleeping Ork with a lasgun shoved into its snoring mouth- and that's minmaxed for starting ballistics skill. 40k Only War was the lowest-power system I've ever played.

More detail in the Murphy thread, if you're interested

Huh. I thought the only thing Point Blank didn't stack with was other range modifiers.

The 40k RPG system from FFG, despite having some great sourcebooks, wonderful production values, fantastic set pieces and including one of my favorite games ever...is a total mess. It got better, but the d100 system lifted from WHFRPG was never intended to do what it was trying to do, and it adapted poorly in many cases.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2017 23:30

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Comrade Gorbash posted:

And Pokemon.

Some of those games were actually pretty good too. The Battletech CCG was kind of interesting, for example, though that's a game that would have worked far better as an LCG.

I loved the Battletech game back in the day, but as a cash strapped teenager trying to get any sort of coherent deck together was a nightmare. Man, that would be great as an LCG.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2017 04:31

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Battle Mad Ronin posted:

It is a streamlined retroclone with heavy metal aestethics, and a marketing strategy that masterfully plays on outrage.

I do not think you will ever get a more honest game than LotFP. Including, and not limited to �Yes, this game is garbage�. Getting mad at LotFP or calling it out on being in bad taste is 100% what you are meant to do, what appels to the audience and how the game is marketed. The game�s marketing strategy really is a work of such outstanding beauty it almost brings tears to my eyes. I remain convinced that James Raggi could have been the Don Draipier of the 21st century had he chosen to go into the ad buisness.

As an RPG rather than a social phenomenon the supplements are pretty hit and miss. There�s complete poo poo and there�s some of the best stuff I have ever read. Often in the same book.

I really disagree, because it also has supplements lie Qelong and Scenic Dunnsmouth, which have horrific elements but presented in a "this is a horrific setting" rather than "disgust and awe" matter.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2017 01:38

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

gradenko_2000 posted:

OSR-based Horror game Silent Legions has a Slaughter die mechanic - you roll a Slaughter die at the same time that you roll damage, and if it come up as a 6 or more, you deal triple damage.

A combat knife has a Slaughter die of 1d6, while a heavy machine gun has a Slaughter die of as much as 1d12.

Note that Slaughter dice generally don't function against supernatural threats, and they tend to have pretty good Slaughter dice themselves.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2017 06:17

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

wdarkk posted:

I feel like there could be an interesting setting conceit from an otherwise normal fantasy world where whales and dolphins have explicitly human-level intelligence. Maybe they develop their own magic/psionic/whatever traditions and use them to form a society, but they're so different than land-dwellers that even telepathy can't help them communicate. Seafaring is still a thing, but ships are constantly watched over for any sign of suspicious behavior.

Also a whale-wizard vs octopi cold war.

Barbara Hambly had a series of books about dragons and demons; whale song wizards showed up in one of them whenever aquatic, possessing demons became a running concern. I don't remember of whaling ever came up.

# ¿ Jan 5, 2018 18:31

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Mors Rattus posted:

So like, is this a deliberate joke or is Ken Hite just super right wing?

Ken Hite is conservative, a big believer in American exceptionalism and Soviet evil, and a hard predestination believing Calvinist.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2018 18:31

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

He's also friends with openly queer people and very much anti-Trump, so I still listen to his podcasts.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2018 18:38

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

NGDBSS posted:

Is there a link to any of this crazy poo poo? I tried searching for "Ballads of Eldoru" on Google and got nothing. Not just no forum drama, but absolutely nothing relating to that phrase in the first place.

Check the date. I think we're getting Duckman'd again.

# ¿ Apr 1, 2018 21:42

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Kavak posted:

The Auspice almost sounds like it has a point, in the evil-cult-god manner of speaking. The rest seem like they were randomly generated from a big table of BRUTAL features, like Nathan Explosion wrote a game supplement.

That's...that's pretty much Rafael Chandler's thing.

# ¿ Apr 3, 2018 03:56

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Fuuuuuuck Kult.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2018 16:32

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Ghost Leviathan posted:

Don't you crush my life goals.

Alt: your mom is a furious idiot who's far too broad

Your mom is a broad who's a furious idiot.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2018 17:50

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Mors Rattus posted:

One big change in magic for 4e: there's a list of generic workhorse spells that every Lore gets access to, including Aethyric Armour, Blast, Bolt and Magic Shield. They also added dispelling as a thing. Also, Amber Wizards can cast without penalty in leather armor and Gold Wizards can do it in metal armor.

What's life look like for Hesge Wizards this edition?

# ¿ Jul 28, 2018 03:11

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Siivola posted:

I was about to say that crossbows are a viable option for characters with strength penalties, but then I checked the damage of a crossbow bolt.

It's 1d4.

The sling is a better weapon than that piece of poo poo.

Actual 2e fixed that in a later book, but I guess these guys didn't feel the need?

# ¿ Aug 8, 2018 13:39

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

They've said several times over the years that Spelljammer was a niche inside a niche. It didn't survive to the end of 2nd edition, so I can't imagine it sold particularly well.

# ¿ Aug 19, 2018 16:47

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Alien Rope Burn posted:

To be fair, the Savage Worlds version of the Boom Gun makes the Rifts version look positively restrained.

...ever consider trying to run that again?

# ¿ Aug 20, 2018 02:22

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Liquid Communism posted:

I will never stop saying this, but this is because for a game about swashbuckling, 7th Sea 2e failed entirely at rules design around combat.

Because of the school duelist being better than everyone else thing, or the pistol thing, or the basic die mechanics?

# ¿ Aug 24, 2018 19:33

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

JcDent posted:

He forgot the worst drat model in the game:

The odalisques are your Islamic geisha assassins. I dunno what they actually have, but this one - I think its exclusive to QC starter - is the worst piece of poo poo model in the range. The separate pack of odalisques is better.

Also, odalisques have ikhol, the PUA pheromon perfume.

Speaking of packs: the pictures you're seeing have heavy weapons since CB rarely does packs with combi/rifles. For your cheerleaders, you usually get three rifle dudes in the faction starter; you buy packs to get WYSIWYG heavy weapons.

Previously, Combis were are good, hand-wavy stand in for all sorts of small arms, but recently, boarding shotgun models started getting obvious shotguns (pump action and not AA12), so thats kinda outta the window.

Wait, the regular weapon variants are WYSIWYG in Infinity?

# ¿ Oct 16, 2018 17:45

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Gnome, lady, fighter.

# ¿ Oct 28, 2018 19:24

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Sage Genesis posted:

I second this (I want to see how well Small characters can be Fighters in PF2). And I propose the name, Lilli von Pipsqique.

That is a drat good name

# ¿ Oct 28, 2018 22:22

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 23:41

LaSquida: Nov 1, 2012; Just keep on walkin'.

Night10194 posted:

Didn't he have to fire all the non-Wick writers from 7th Sea 2e because he horribly mismanaged the business side of the project?

He had to let go his full time staff. Not quite the same thing; I believe at least some of them will still be freelancing for 7th Sea, Khitai, etc.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2018 04:33

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