![]() Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Calvin MacDonald Comment Gentlemen and the lovely Firebird. I first want to say thank you for putting on such a great show. I've been listening t for the last year and I have to say you have had an amazing line up of guests! I'll be honest I don't get to see to many of the guest you've have on the show over here in Perth, Scotland. So with that said greetings from across the pond! And I'd like to know where Lord Flagoon has a plot oh land and when he plans to come across the pond and have a pint with us! And now for my gaming question. One of my players wants to play an unarmed fighter. What I need to know is; do spiked gauntlets count as weapons or as armor for the purposes of enchanting? I hope you can help me out and Lord Flagoon we'll always have a pint wait'n for yah! Gamer Forger Response: This one was easy. When you gotta have spikes on them fisteses, DCR says: Spiked gauntlets make you armed even when you aren't holding a weapon. When enchanting spiked gauntlets, they count as weapons, not armor. Enchant accordingly. Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Jack Reynolds Comment My question is quick and simple. Could an undead in 3.5e D&D such as a skeleton benefit from wearing magic items like rings of protection? Gamer Forge Response: We don't always give our skeletons magic items, but when we do: Sure. Rings of Protection count as a deflection bonus, thus can stack with different bonuses that a skeleton or other undead may have. The only similar bonuses that stack are "dodge" bonuses. So a deflection bonus stacks with a natural armor bonus, which stacks with a luck bonus, etc., to calculate an Armor Class. Stay armored, my friends. ![]() Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Steven Rostenberg Comment Can a Rogue (D&D 3.5) use sneak attack on both the first and second attack? I know this seems like a question you can simply Google but the answers vary and my clan is under the impression that I can only use it on my first attack (once per round) and not on my second attack. From Googling, I've understood that as long as the monster / enemy is flat-footed, flanked or caught off-guard, I can apply sneak attack on both my first and second attack in a round. Is this correct? Is it normal if the clan simply decides that that gives me an unfair advantage in combat and gives me only one sneak attack per round? Gamer Forger Response: Sneaky, sneaky! When getting your sneak on, DCR says: 1. If for some reason you get multiple attacks, you get to apply the sneak attack bonus damage to each successful hit. Here's the justification: sneaky types (typically) aren't gonna be wielding the large weapons and (usually) don't have access to powers and special abilities that enhance their normal damage output. They're just not built that way. But they have to get an edge somehow. With that being said... 2. Full-round actions. Multiple attacks can only be taken as part of a full-round action, meaning if you move or do anything else during your turn, then you only get the one attack. A lot of what a sneaky type does, is move and juke and jive around the battlefield, so getting multiple attacks in a round is usually out of the question. If for some reason, your sneaky type manages to stay still and have an enemy back up into him/her, well, then that means you don't have to move, and can take multiple attacks, dealing full sneak attack damage on each successful hit. It sounds like a lot of work, but that's part of getting the most out of your sneaky type. 3. Know your role. "Rogues" aren't really known for carrying the giant swords and battle axes. It's just not their bag, baby. Besides, "rogues" should be focusing their efforts into filling in the gaps that might be missing within the party. Every adventuring group needs a resident pimp. Just saying. Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Raz Dragon Comment Okay so I really need you help because my last game session didn't end up so well and I am just not sure what to do here? Let me explain what happened. My player which I will call Steven rolls to attack during a big encounter that progresses the story and he, rolls a 1. Next round, rolls a 1. Round after that, rolls a 1. Fourth round, rolls a 2. I'm serious this really happened all night his rolls were never higher than a 6 or 5 and he was going back and forth between two different dice too. It just so happened that this whole encounter had outrageously unlikely rolls and all the players seeing more low single digits than they had any right to, while I ended up rolling four d20s all at once for an area attack and getting four 20s. At some point or another, all the role-playing in the world doesn't save you when the dice are just not in your favour. What is a DM to do in such situations where players are getting frustrated at the dice and, as a result, are getting upset with the game? Gamer Forge Response: Lastly, when things are looking grim for the group, DCR says: 1. It's just a game, and a game can be put on pause. It's cool to take a break, get a breather, grab a drink, make a corner-store run, something. Everybody, and I do mean everybody, has a bad night of dice rolling. That's what happens when you play with probability. Law of Averages says you will encounter times like this. Oh, well. No matter how awesome you have yourself set up to be, you will fail every once in a while. The only piece of advice regarding this would be : "cope with it". You will not be awesome 100% of the time. 2. Beware of escalation. It may be tempting to offset a bad night of rolling by permanently enhancing the characters with magic or other means. Don't do it! There is no substitute for probability. Part of playing the game is rolling the die and risking not winning that night. To cheat probability like that is to miss the point of playing a game, period. 3. So everyone ended up dying? Is that really the end of the world? DM's take a lot of time to come up with cool stuff to happen each week, and it stinks when it gets shelved due to a TPK (total party kill). There's no reason bits of what you had planned can't just be transplanted into a new story. Don't let a bad night of rolling wreck your whole experience of Dungeon Mastering, or playing an RPG in general. *Bonus XP: To get a good grasp of what it means to be part of a team, try watching episodes of Leverage. Each member of the team has a distinct, specialized role and each one of them is specialized to the point that they are the only ones who can do it. Sure, what they do is usually illegal. Okay, almost all the time it's illegal. Point being, a "rogue" should be able to fill roles within a group that aren't being covered, and do it well enough that they won't be replaced anytime soon. That's one of many things that make a good team. Each member contributes in a unique way, and goals are achieved due in no small part to that unique help.
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![]() Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Mark Jacobsen Comment A friend of mine is planning for a campaign in a colonial/pirate setting, and is planning on re-skinning crossbows as firearms, (i.e. light crossbow = musket, hand crossbow = flintlock), but I was wondering if there were already rules for such weaponry. Gamer Forger Response: Catch-a-Gun! Uggghhh. That sounds bad, just typing it. When you a crossbow just won't cut it for your pirate, DCR says: 1. The DMG says 1d10 with a times two critical multiplier. Fantasy settings often don't give much love to firearms, even Renaissance-era flintlocks. So, unfortunately, that's all the official answer gives us. 2. However, D20 Modern gives a host of options with your firearms. The books Ultramodern Firearms and D20 Weapons Locker give all the deets about all the guns you will ever need, including the stats and damage for the game. If you were expecting some huge damage rolling because it's "from the future", then prepare for disappointment. most guns comes up as 1d10 with a times two critical multiplier. Just like it says in the DMG. Most game systems give all the rules for firearms, and most just carryover from setting to setting. You just won't get the ridiculous damage rolling no matter where you go. ![]() Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Walter Smith Comment I’m just curious if any supplement out there includes an Animal Companion that is not, in fact, an Animal. As in the type. I mean that just any Druid of sufficient level can take; there are probably feats that allow you to get nonstandard Companions from other types, but I mean just ordinary “Animal” Companions. Bonus points if the Animal Companion in question is an Aberration, Dragon, Elemental, Magical Beast, or Plant, and thus qualifies for Rapidstrike. Super bonus points if you find a Construct or Undead, because that would just be weird. Gamer Forger Response: Catch-a-Familiar! Okay, just had to try again. That's the last one, promise. When your run-of-the-mill familiar just isn't sitting at the cool kids' table, DCR says: 1. Familiars can often be designated as any commonplace animal. Part of the point of the familiar is that, by themselves, they don't stand out very much. Most familiars confer a small, one-time bonus at the start of game play. Usually a small bonus to a skill or a small, special attack the familiar can do. It's what the familiar does over time is what makes them special. 2. If you want a familiar that is not only different, but almost diabolical, try a humunculous. It's a familiar that is constructed from the master's own blood. It behaves in the same way as a normal familiar does, just more...gross? ![]() Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Rick Bosco Comment Why are wizards and their ilk so restricted in their choice of personal armor in most fantasy roleplaying games? (...let alone novels etc.) Sure, learning takes up a lot of time, especially about such an arcane and cryptic subject as magic - but this is just a stereotype. Games and worlds could both easily be designed otherwise. Why is this stereotype so prevalent, and where does it come from? Gamer Forger Response: Does the clothes make the hero? DCR says: 1. Armor, in all actuality, is bulky and restrictive. There's nothing in the rules that says you absolutely cannot wear armor, it's just never recommended. A sorcerer's/wizard's movements are commonly the most important aspect of the magic. It's more dramatic that way, trust us. Also, mages become some of the most potent damage dealers around. So a heavy cannon that also becomes impossible to damage? Talk about unbalanced! 2. Lightning Rod! It's about the real-life repercussions of what you're doing. A fireball is very, very hot. When you wrap some meat in tinfoil and make it very, very hot, what happens? It cooks! Remember, a mage in heavy plate mail acts as a lightning rod when casting lightning spells, and becomes terribly frozen when using cold spells. However, you can double-dog dare a party member to stick their tongue to your armor right after casting "Touch of Frost" on yourself. Just saying. 3. Action heroes! Bruce Willis wasn't awesome in Die Hard because he was wearing heavy armor. Hell, he wasn't even wearing shoes! Star Wars Saga Edition best reflects the action hero mentality with an ever-increasing defense. So, we say NOT wearing armor has it's merits, so don't knock it. Unless, of course, you want to make a few extra coin by double-dog daring someone. *Bonus XP: To go the extra mile, take a few minutes and give your familiar a bit of personality. A simple quirk to draw a little more attention to it and have a little fun with it. But remember that the character is the main focus, so don't stress the familiar too much. Archemedes from the animated Sword in the Stone is a classic example of a familiar. Not very exotic. Quirky. Understated. Relevant. All the makings of a great supporting character. ![]() Sweet! A series of easy to answer questions! Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Robert Tiffany Comment I could have sworn that I read somewhere that the War Domain granted Improved Unarmed Strike when the god favored them, but I can’t find it now. Did I just imagine this, or is it an actual rule somewhere? Gamer Forger Response: So, when it comes to being EXTRA AWESOME in the eyes of your deity, DCR says: 1. This sounds like a house rule. Nothing wrong with that. A cleric is, by default, already favored by his/her deity. That's the source of their spells. If a DM wants to grant an additional favor for being an EXTRA AWESOME cleric, then who are we to argue? Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Kevin Hardison Comment How does a mount interact with its rider in regards to Reflex saves? Example: •If a mount has a better reflex saving throw can the rider use its save instead of his own? •If a mount has evasion and the rider does not, does the rider gain the benefit of it? •Does the opposite apply as well? (rider with evasion on mount without, mount uses rider's save ) •Is the relationship between rider and mount important ( e.g. animal companion, special mount, familiar, 'bought the mount with gold', 'raised him from a pup', etc.)? Gamer Forger Response: When you can't quite figure out how your special mount helps you, DCR says: 1. When calculating your mount's NADS (Non Armored Defense Score), use either the typical saving throws for a standard creature of it's type, or the owner of said mount, whichever is higher. 2. Evasion is granted by the rider. A familiar sometimes grants Evasion to it's master, but not normally to a rider of a mount. Evasion must be gained by the rider all on his/her own. That being said, the bonus granted by the ability should only be used by the mount while mounted. Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Hank Fielding Comment Degrees of cover and concealment are defined in the Player's Handbook (pp 280-281). There it discusses cover, superior cover, concealment, and total concealment. However, many powers and features elsewhere make use of partial cover and partial concealment, which the PHB doesn't mention at all! What do these new terms mean, and how are they different from regular cover and concealment? Gamer Forger Response: When you can't shake the feeling that someone is watching you, DCR says: 1. Ability to see vs. ability to hit. Sometimes they can be the same. You can hide behind a brick wall and can be neither hit nor seen. But if you can hide in a tree, chances are good you can possibly be hit, but not necessarily seen. Often, concealment warrants a percentage chance to miss outright, no matter what the attacker rolls to hit. Cover is often quantified as a bonus to armor class or defense. Concealment is described (usually) as partial or full, while cover is defined as half or total. Reference your corresponding rulebook for the proper bonuses to apply depending on the situation. Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name Jennifer White [email protected] Comment The Warlord ability Inspiring Word states that it allows a target to use a healing surge - does it require the target to use a minor action to use such healing surge? Or is it basically the equivalent to a healing spell assuming that target has a healing surge to spend? In other words, to use Second Wind (the only time I can use a healing surge in combat) I have to spend a standard action to do so...if my Warlord uses Inspiring Word on me do I need to spend an action to use a healing surge and if so, what type of action? Gamer Forger Response: What is war good for? Healing, kids! When your Warlord is doing his/her best to help, DCR says: 1. The Warlord is the one spending the action to apply the healing, not the target. The recipient only marks the healing surge off their page and applies the healing to their character. No further action is required. Go, you! *Bonus XP: For a fun example of cover vs. concealment, watch the film True Lies. Tom Arnold trying to hide shows just what it means to cover, but not conceal. At the end of Sherlock Holmes Game of Shadows, Robert Downey, Jr. gives a fine example of concealment, without cover. Gamer Forge Listener Email:
Name: Pamela Wilson Comments: In a game that I'm in, the DM has decided to go with a lycan vs. vampire concept, and this has created a few conundrums. Can you give your input as to these conundrums? One of the characters in our group is a dragon disciple, and another character is a barbarian. Both of them decided to take the vampire route, but no one is sure what happens with their constitution-increasing abilities. For example, when the barbarian rages, would that increase his charisma, instead of his constitution? So far as I can find, whenever a creature doesn't have an ability score (such as a construct or an undead or an incorporeal) generally they use another ability score for all purposes the other would cover. For example, undead use their charisma modifier to determine health and fortitude bonuses, as they don't have a constitution score. QUESTION: When a creature doesn't have an ability score, and that ability score receives an increase from an ability/spell, how does that effect the creature? Gamer Forge Response: Bad mojo! When playing as an undead template, DCR says: Short answer: Nope. Undead and (most) constructs don't get a Constitution score at all. And as you have no score to increase, you gain no bonus from a barbarian's rage or a dragon disciple's increased Constitution score. Official ruling says you're hosed. Sorry. Maybe as a house rule, you can find a way to grant a bonus of some kind, like substituting the Charisma score for the Constitution score. Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name: Jason Comments: Can you help explain something for me? On page 74 of the DMG (Step 5: Consequences), it says that if you fail a skill challenge, it can become more difficult, such as detouring you in a different direction. Could you attempt the same challenge again at a higher difficulty? So, could you try 'talking to the ogre again,' but since it already knows what you want, it makes it more complex and you need to work harder for the answer? Gamer Forge Response: You've got skills, but do they pay the bills? When getting a second chance is your first priority, DCR says: Yes and no. Depends on the skill. You can get a second chance to talk a dwarf out of his lunch, but you can't fall to your death twice. It's called consequence of failure. If failing your attempt leads to something permanent or in any way irreversible, then you shouldn't get a second try. Otherwise, give 'em another try, provided the player decides to try again. Some examples of skill checks that do not get a second chance: Decipher Script Survival Appraise Forgery Knowledge (any) Listen Spot Note that these examples have something in common. Either you succeed at them, or you don't. You either forage enough food for the day, or you resort to eating your rations. You are able to hear what's coming, or you don't. Most other skills allow for a second try on the following round. Just remember the risk of the check involved and the consequences of not succeeding. *Bonus XP: Even though you don't have a Constitution score for being a vampire, you do still gain all the other benefits of your class/race. Yes, it stinks that you don't gain bonus hit points and increased CON, but you gain a totally sweet damage reduction, immunities, and then there's the whole immortality thing. So before we hear you moaning about not getting something, count your blessings. Even awesomeness has a price. Gamer Forge Response:
Don't fear! Paladins are some of the best people around, and you can be, too! When it comes to walking the straight and narrow, DCR says: 1. What were you before you became a paladin? You had to have had a personality before you entered service to your god. Get a grasp of the person before you apply the "class" to it. Were you gregarious? Were you rebellious? Were you calm? Were you cowardly? Just like what we talked about last week, your alignment is only a partial factor in decision making, not the final justification for the decision. 2. The hard part: What you want, and what you get are rarely the same thing. If you, when creating your character, are dead set on being a paladin all the way up to the end of the game, must deal with the consequences and pressures of that choice. You will be confronted with tough moral choices and situations where you will have to go against your nature. But that's the price of being a paladin. You are held to a higher accountability than other characters. You are the compass that will guide others to righteousness. The GM's responsibility will be telling the story, not making sure you stay a paladin. Now, the really hard part: maybe you just aren't paladin material. Telling the story of how your character comes to this conclusion could be very compelling for yourself and others. Now that's what we at DCR would call a "win-win". 3. To paraphrase an old Jedi lesson, the world would get along just fine if certain indiscretions remain overlooked. It's not a paladin's responsibility to smash every little bit of evil they encounter. A paladin is usually motivated by a specific quest, not a need to control the environment around them. That's the difference between desire and OCD. Part of what turns people off about the paladin is often a misinterpretation. You don't have to drop everything to stop a pickpocket, especially when that pickpocket would stop you from having completing your quest. Keep this in mind to truly be and remain a paladin. Bonus XP: For a more material look at the misconceptions of a paladin, watch the film Robocop. Remember that this movie is a satire. The only way Robocop can uphold the law at all times is he is a robot! He has no room for discretion or judgement calls. Your paladin may have to align with unsavory folks from time to time to complete your quest. For a more realistic look at a paladin, Niteowl II from the Watchmen graphic novels and film. He has to resort to some less-than-reputable tactics to solve his case, he maintains a high moral code, and still manages to keep his vision clear as far as goals. Did he complete his quest? Only maybe. Does he exemplify a good guy? You bet. As does a paladin. ![]() Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name: Steven Comments: I recently started DMing after playing 4th edition D&D around 10-15 times. While going over player and DM books I started to wonder if regeneration works while a PC is dying. For example, a level 2 fighter by the name of Korgul is down to -2 hit points. In the previous round he used Boundless Endurance. Since his modifier for the skill gives +2, that is a regeneration of +4. This would mean that he would get to 2 hit points at the start of his round and become conscious? Or does the regeneration stop? Well this turned into to 2 questions actually. First one is about regeneration and dying in general. Does dying count as bloodied in relation to Boundless Endurance. To me, as a DM, if regeneration worked while dying it would seem overpowered. Gamer Forge Response: DCR says: Regeneration does take effect after you fall below zero hit points. Most of the regeneration powers require you to spend an action of some kind to activate, so you must be conscious to use it. If the regeneration is in effect before the character falls, then it stays active while they are down. No need to deny what is rightfully won. BUT, keep in mind that death saving throws must still be taken when a character falls below zero hit points, as usual. In short, regeneration is fair game. Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name: Richard Besley Comments: When I first started playing with a group of completely new players, one of the first things I did was to explain the alignments as best I could at the time. When describing Chaotic Neutral, my exact words were, "A chaotic neutral character will do whatever he wants to do, so long as there is a reason that is justifiable to at least him behind doing so." Well, recently, I'm beginning to think that that explanation is not exactly accurate, or at least not perfectly clear. To explain, through every game I have played with this group, I have regretted each and every time I allowed a player to play a chaotic neutral character. The exact same thing will happen, no matter how many times I explain why it shouldn't. Said character will, for no reason I can fathom other than because his player (and by extension the character itself) wants to. Anything from using a squirrel to test out a new spell, to burning down the local pub to stop the flow of polluted beer, to openly mocking authority figures until nothing short of character death is put on the table, and even then only because I made the desire for self-preservation a required character trait. This is not to say that they do this because they prefer to, or that it's simply a style of play that they find more fun. We've played campaigns where I banned chaotic-neutral alignment, and everyone enjoyed themselves without this being an issue. It's simply that, whenever this issue comes up, I'll point it out to them and they'll reply with some variant of, 'I'm a chaotic character, and I'm being chaotic. Why is that wrong?" I don't have an answer to that. So, what's a better way to describe a chaotic neutral character? How do I explain to this group that, even if the alignment is 'chaotic,' that doesn't mean they have to play either chaotic-stupid, or insane? Gamer Forge Response: DCR says: Your alignment isn't like the alignment on your car! These things can change and shift like the winds. When it comes to not making your character "Chaotic Stupid", DCR says: 1. What defines chaos and neutrality, and what happens when you combine the two? "Chaotic Neutral", as defined by Dungeons and Dragons, states that chaos must balance the scale between good and evil, without preference to either one. This is much easier than it sounds. Being unpredictable is only small part of the big picture. The end result should be something along the lines of everything balancing out, and neither side is ahead. That's the real problem. "Chaotic Neutral" involves nobody truly getting ahead in anything. 2. Motivation! Alignment is a motivation, not a justification. It's about the start of the action, not the end. Your character's alignment is never a reason to commit a good or evil act. If the character is already bent on burning down an orphanage, he/she is gonna do it. But this also means that the character is already evil. We say that an alignment can change as soon as your GM decides that your motivations are clear. If you are hell-bent on being "Chaotic Neutral", be aware that that can change just as easily as your actions do. 3. You are an outsider! As "Chaotic Neutral", you will be extremely hard to deal with, professionally and personally. Your shifting attitudes and actions will make you hard to pin down and even harder to rely on. That's just it: you will ultimately be unreliable! Nobody will want to count on you. So what's the point of even playing? You may as well be playing a computer game. Sadly, this is where being this alignment hits a dead end. We say that it's best to just steer clear of "Chaotic Neutral". Alternately, just do away with alignments all together. Bonus XP: Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski. That's the only real exemplar of "Chaotic Neutral" we can think of. Which absolutely proves the point that this alignment is unreliable. Funny? Yes. Adventure? Not at all. At best, he is motivated by laziness and keeping Walter off his back. Remember this the next time you decide to pop that movie into your DVD or Blu-Ray player. ![]() This week, DCR smashes down several questions regarding rulings on commonly encountered problems. Guaranteed fresh! Listener Email: Name: Sarah Comments: What are the most beginner friendly table top role playing games out there? Gamer Forger Response: When you're looking for "beginner-friendly", DCR says: Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition is easy to transition to if your only familiarity with RPG's is MMOs. Everything is organized into macros and character creation is pre-sorted, so all you've got to do is decide what type of role in the party you wish to play. Just about anything involving Unisystem is a winner. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is definitely geared towards a simple mechanic and character creation is a breeze. It also favors action and plot advancement above the statistical advantages players have over enemies. Marvel Superheroes from Margaret Weiss productions is great due to its simplicity of advancement. It features a slightly higher learning curve than the other two, but the advantage is that once your character is generated, any further statistical growth is already built in to the character. Listener Email: Name: TJ Comments: Does the main target of the ghoul touch spell get a saving throw? Gamer Forger Response: When stinking up the place with "Ghoul Touch", DCR says: You can't target a person, as a single object doesn't constitute and area. You will be targeting the area the person is standing on. You can target a floor or wall or ceiling, but you can't cast it on a table or a horse. Whomever is at the center of the area is granted a saving throw, as normal. If your player argues with you, give a sucker punch and tell 'em, "Guy Named Joe sent ya!" Listener Email: Name: Midvale Gaming Group Comments: Is the animating force of a golem always from the Elemental Plane of Earth? Gamer Forger Response: When making your Golems, DCR says: The primary animating force of a Golem is usually from the Elemental Plane of Earth. But not always. The animating force can be defined as just about anything ethereal, such as the souls of dead orphans or the woe of a million angels. Give your golem that extra special something by defining this power source with an offbeat description. Listener Email: Name: Calvin Smith Comments: Can you help me out here. Is it possible to creating weapons and armor from giant crab remains? Gamer Forger Response: You too, can have a set of crab armor! DCR says: Totally! We say that it most likely will be a description of hide or scale armor, depending on the game system you are using. Dark Sun is all about using hides and shells as armor. Listener Email: Name: Fort Worth Gaming Group Comments: We ran into your show by accident and have loved what we have heard so far. We have a question that has been buzzing around the table. Would you be able to weigh in on this one? Does making an opportunity attack with a ranged weapon provoke an opportunity attack? Gamer Forger Response: Opportunities abound! When making an opportunity attack, DCR says: Yes and no. Just because you are entitled to make an opportunity attack, doesn't mean you should get it. Take into account line of sight, cover, and relevant abilities or feats. If you have a ranged attack prepared (such as a crossbow or spell) then you can make the attack, provided you are within range. However, countering that opportunity attack is also possible, provided that another opponent has an attack prepared. As always, think of how the character would behave, not what you would do. *Bonus XP: Keep in mind what would make your character awesome in the context of an action sequence in a movie, not what your stats read and what your bonuses are. Taking a gamble on a friend can reap huge rewards for all parties involved. Think beyond the squares and tiles and the keyboard; get active in telling your own character's tale! Gamer Forge Listener Email:
Name: Axel the Mouth Comments: Gentlemen, I want to try my hand at playing an evil character in the game I am playing in. How can I play such a character in a group that is mainly good & Neutral character without being killed by the group. Axel Gamer Forge Response: It's sometimes soooo good to be bad! When you're the only one playing the opposite side of the coin, DCR says: 1. Bribery is the easiest way. It's not much of a stretch to imagine that most characters can be bought off to ignore your smaller indiscretions. Send a little coin to your less-than-reputable allies, or give them some of the magic loot in return for looking the other way. While this isn't a foolproof solution, it is one to keep in mind at all times. Bribery can get you out of the small jams when you're about to be discovered. That being said, don't rely on it as your sole method of subtlety. Evil in the midst of good has to work in baby steps as to not draw attention. But more on that, later. 2. Use 'em! Convince others to do your bidding, and everything should be your bidding. This is where the evil character needs to start weighing the decision "Intent vs. action". What's more important, the spreading of your evil, or that you are the one doing the spreading? Some players are more hands-on, and that's totally okay. But this will be a constant struggle. Also, just because you're evil, doesn't mean you're a maniac. Not every action you take has to be something horrible or treacherous. Subtlety can be established by making your evil look like a freak, one-time event. Which leads us to... 3. Always, always, always have a good reason. "The Operative" in the movie Serenity believed that it was absolutely okay to kill children to achieve a better life for everyone. Believed. He believed it was necessary for something that he couldn't even partake in. But he could absolutely justify any atrocity with his belief. It's a bit radical for some players to take a hard line like this, but you are the one who wanted to be evil, thus, this is the consequence of being evil. Going back to the choice of "intent vs. action", remember you won't be getting much evil done if everybody who knows you believes you're evil. The trick isn't to convince the good people that you're not bad. The trick is to convince the good people that whatever you do is right, and they should be okay with letting you do it. *Bonus XP: This one should be a gimme, but for a great, entertaining example of warping good intentions with evil actions, watch the television show Dexter. A fine example of justification. A villain who just does evil things for no reason gets boring pretty quick. It's funny to make a character do something treacherous to add some spice to the story, but remember that actions carry consequences. One act of evil can snowball into something completely unintended for your character. One evil begets another evil, and so on... ![]() Gamer Forge Listener Email: Name: Aaron Comments: To my favorite radio show, I am trying to create a character for my new group and I am wanting to know what is the best way to create a character? Should I focus on his skills or feat? How should I place my ability scores? What equipment should I start with? And then what are good classes to play? Aaron Gamer Forge Response: Seeing as the details were scarce, DCR had to come up with an answer that everyone can live by. No pressure! When a player is stumped on what character to make, DCR says: 1. Well, what do YOU like to do? Start with something you already know you like to do. Do you like archery? Spell-tossing? Dueling? Raging? Kung-fu? Singing? It's all good. This is a question that only the player can answer, and must answer honestly. Best case scenario, the player will be this character for a long time, and should be comfortable with the idea before moving forward. On that note... 2. Use generators. The internet is full of character generators and templates that players post just for "lulz". Scan around on Google and see what others have done before you and gather some ideas. Chances are in your favor that something will jump out at you. There's a good reason why Flagoon is always proclaiming our love for the internet. Check player forums on the company websites to work out the kinks and clarify the what's-what. Character generators often compile all the game's options into one database and sorted for easy browsing. Try using the "random" feature and see what pops up. The answers may be something unexpected. 3. If all else fails, try "Fighter". This generic descriptor can be tailored to match most fighting styles and archetypes to fit your liking. While not as specialized as some other archetypes, a common bond between game mechanics is "fighter" is the simplest to begin a character in. It often has the fewest nuances and subtleties of all classes and is still flexible enough to allow for a wide array of ideas to fit in. Bonus XP: The question, "What kind of character do you think I should make?" is a moot one. The answer will always be subjective to the people that are asked. Nobody can tell you what sort of things you like. If you are still stumped, try attending a hosted game night at your local gaming or hobby stores. (i.e. Epic Puzzles and Games, located in West Valley City and Lehi, Utah) This will give you a chance to try a sample of different combinations and "test drive" the game before you commit to one character idea. Game nights are usually free of charge and take only 1-3 hours, so risk to the player is minimal. This week, DCR takes a look at playing with large, powerful, and oversized weapons. When it comes to pulling out the "big guns", DCR says:
1. If your game's setting allows for ridiculous sizes, then don't fight it. If your game has anime, action movie, or comic book inspired themes, let your players have those large weapons without fuss. These settings have large weapons all over in their episodes and issues, and it doesn't make any sense to deny players access to them, especially when it heightens enjoyment of the game. As always, players should at least have a reason why their knight has an oversized great sword, or their power armor should have a giant cannon mounted on it's back. It's just extra flavor and builds connection to the character they play. 2. Speed it up! If your game DOES have huge cannons and massive damages, don't slog your game by rolling more dice. Roll less whenever possible. Figure out a system of multipliers when more than three dice are involved. (example: 3d6x10, or 1d8x4). Yes, its funny to think that your character's laser sword does 60d10 damage with each successful hit. But when it comes to keeping the pace of your game exciting, that's a sure fire way to kill the mood. To establish the devastating power of the weapon, try NOT rolling dice. Have that giant gun just vaporize its target (with good description, of course) if you feel it does that kind of damage anyway. This will build a sense of just what the character has in his/her hands, and create some great dramatic moments for your story. 3. It works both ways. If the characters get big guns, then so do your enemies. Surprise the player characters by having them face an opponent with equal firepower. If the players have a warship equipped with ballistas, then have them face another ship with some ballistas. This establishes the scale within which they work. It's not about keeping them low on the food chain, it's about keeping the food chain moving so they don't become complacent at the top. This also helps prevent the game from becoming unbalanced on one side because the players shouldn't need to feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed by their opposition. If the players want a big scale battle, then facilitate that. Bonus XP: Macross, Voltron, and Invader ZIM are fine examples of television shows that feature oversized weapons. Final Fantasy VII, Wild Arms, and Front Mission are great video games to explore themes featuring large guns and large-scale warfare. The Iron Man, Hellboy, and any title featuring the character Lobo are excellent comics for researching giant weapons and big explosions. |
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