Author Topic: How much do you customize your game ?  (Read 11069 times)

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Offline Druss_the_Legend

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #100 on: October 20, 2017, 03:17:17 AM »
I think I am very much like you. I don't use minis or battle maps but then I also really try and avoid using rules for strategic movement. I may ask for a MM roll if the situation calls for it but I don't think I have ever measured a distance, foe example, to see exactly what amount of someones activity was used. The excitement of the encounter trumps all and for me things like movement rates I probably have 3 speeds, sneaking around, walking and running. Everything else is too much hassle.
Sounds like some of you would like the new Star Wars system.  Generic version is coming out very soon too.

The only thing that I am completely addicted to are rolemaster criticals. Any system that doesn't off them is not for me.

they are a unique feature for sure and tbh were what i loved about the game when i first discovered it.
to counter slow combat resolution i have reduced the frequency they occur. i know this seems counter intuitive because some crits actually speed up the demise of combatants but in general having fewer criticals smooths out combats involving 6+ combatants.

I have reworked the skill of ambush to increase the odds of criticals happening but this skill requires some setting up to pull off and in my campaign ambushes typically happen at night or with the aid of certain terrain which imo makes the skill balanced.


Offline Peter R

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #101 on: October 20, 2017, 04:14:55 AM »
To speed up combat I used the condensed combat system. This uses one table for all similar weapons, so all swords are on the same page but with pluses and minuses verses specific ATs. The critical table is on the same page as are the most common OB mods. I can run an entire combat with everything on one page. As I have printed off the combat pages I rearely need more than two pages for any fight so I can have them facing each other in a folder and never have to turn a page or refer to another book for the entire fight.

Another advantage is that the critical are written for specific weapons so you do not have slash/puncture/krush criticals any more you have sword/arrow/war hammer criticals such as
Stabbing down as hard as you can you drive your blade
behind his collar bone. +12 hits, bleeding 3 hits per rnd, -20
to all actions and stunned no parry 1 rnd.

Your strike hacks deep into his thigh but stops at the bone.
+13 hits, bleeding 4 hits/rnd and stunned no parry for 1 rnd.

The arrow head stabs into his hip and the arrow juts out at an
odd angle, quivering. +10 hits, bleeding 4 hits/rnd and
stunned no parry 1 rnd.

The end of your weapon goes right through his guard and
knocks the wind out of him. +13 hits, stunned for 3 rnds and
unable to parry for 1 rnd.


All of those criticals are for exactly the same roll on the chart but for different types of weapon.
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Offline RandalThor

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #102 on: October 20, 2017, 08:04:32 AM »
This uses one table for all similar weapons, so all swords are on the same page but with pluses and minuses verses specific ATs.
I like doing this also, it greatly limits the amount of page-flipping, which slows down combat. As I don't like the players having the attack and crit tables themselves I have to have access to everything I need for the battle. So, limiting the number of tables is nice. I am generally able to have all the attack tables printed and hanging from the GM screen so in sight all the time, with the crit tables on the table right there also, so they are easily and quickly able to be checked if needed.

The only thing I miss from this is the fact that some weapons can have different crits, such as the broadsword being able to do both slashing and krush, depending upon the hit. Not sure how to "fix" this except to just once in a while use a different critical type for flavor.
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Offline Spectre771

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #103 on: October 20, 2017, 08:20:41 AM »
I have the weapon attack tables and crit tables photocopied.  I pull out the tables I need based on the weapons the players have.  It speeds things up for me tremendously.  I had thought of giving the players the copies of the table to assist e, but I also don't want them to have the attack tables but I also don't want them to know what the DB is for my baddies, or when the baddies are parrying.

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Offline Cory Magel

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #104 on: October 20, 2017, 10:43:02 PM »
I think I am very much like you. I don't use minis or battle maps but then I also really try and avoid using rules for strategic movement. I may ask for a MM roll if the situation calls for it but I don't think I have ever measured a distance, foe example, to see exactly what amount of someones activity was used. The excitement of the encounter trumps all and for me things like movement rates I probably have 3 speeds, sneaking around, walking and running. Everything else is too much hassle.
Sounds like some of you would like the new Star Wars system.  Generic version is coming out very soon too.

The only thing that I am completely addicted to are rolemaster criticals. Any system that doesn't off them is not for me.
The new Fantasy Flight Star Wars RPG has something akin to them.

I really didn't think I'd be enthusiastic to play an RPG aside from Rolemaster, but the new Star Wars system has done it.

Mind you, I'm still a Rolemaster fun, but I'll happily play the Stars Wars RPG too now.
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Offline Peter R

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #105 on: October 21, 2017, 02:33:35 AM »
I think I am very much like you. I don't use minis or battle maps but then I also really try and avoid using rules for strategic movement. I may ask for a MM roll if the situation calls for it but I don't think I have ever measured a distance, foe example, to see exactly what amount of someones activity was used. The excitement of the encounter trumps all and for me things like movement rates I probably have 3 speeds, sneaking around, walking and running. Everything else is too much hassle.
Sounds like some of you would like the new Star Wars system.  Generic version is coming out very soon too.

The only thing that I am completely addicted to are rolemaster criticals. Any system that doesn't off them is not for me.
The new Fantasy Flight Star Wars RPG has something akin to them.

I really didn't think I'd be enthusiastic to play an RPG aside from Rolemaster, but the new Star Wars system has done it.

Mind you, I'm still a Rolemaster fun, but I'll happily play the Stars Wars RPG too now.
Doesn't that feel a bit like heresy?
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Offline Cory Magel

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #106 on: October 21, 2017, 02:28:44 PM »
The new Fantasy Flight Star Wars RPG has something akin to them.

I really didn't think I'd be enthusiastic to play an RPG aside from Rolemaster, but the new Star Wars system has done it.

Mind you, I'm still a Rolemaster fun, but I'll happily play the Stars Wars RPG too now.
Doesn't that feel a bit like heresy?
A little heresy is good now and then. :)

But seriously, as an example... I have a friend that wanted to run a D&D 3.5 game (eventually decided on Pathfinder) and I was like... "Alright, fine. If I have to play that trash I'll humor you." whereas now it's like "Star Wars, alright, I'm good with that."
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline RandalThor

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #107 on: October 21, 2017, 11:27:56 PM »
And here I am still preferring (much preferring) the D6 Star Wars...
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Offline Druss_the_Legend

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #108 on: October 22, 2017, 01:52:12 AM »
ill jump on the starwars chatter.

what do you think of the starwars icon dice?
ive played that version of the game once and thought it was pretty cool actually.
iv also used the dice to help develop some plot ideas for my rolemaster campaign. threats. successes etc. it was more useful than just rolling 1d100. not suggesting you use them for mainstream play but as a GM if u need to generate some varied story telling results then you can. i just used an online free dice app and looked at a few youtube instructional videos for how to use them.

Offline RandalThor

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #109 on: October 22, 2017, 08:48:20 AM »
The specialized dice stuff is one of the problems I have with systems like that; I just don't want to have to have anything special like that.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Scratch that. Power attracts the corruptible.

Rules should not replace the brain and thinking.

Offline Cory Magel

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #110 on: October 22, 2017, 11:02:37 AM »
At first I was a bit hesitant (just had to get used to it), but I really like the new Star Wars RPG dice.  The main reason for this is it actually lets the roller control the outcome of the actual roll to some degree.  It's not "I rolled X" and that's it.  And the better you get at something the more chance you have to control the result.  Being able to 'spend' your successes and advantages on things adds to enjoyment of game in my opinion and, possibly more importantly for new table top RPGers, helps steer them towards role-playing a bit more that just "You do X damage".
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline Druss_the_Legend

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Re: How much do you customize your game ?
« Reply #111 on: October 25, 2017, 02:09:57 AM »
At first I was a bit hesitant (just had to get used to it), but I really like the new Star Wars RPG dice.  The main reason for this is it actually lets the roller control the outcome of the actual roll to some degree.  It's not "I rolled X" and that's it.  And the better you get at something the more chance you have to control the result.  Being able to 'spend' your successes and advantages on things adds to enjoyment of game in my opinion and, possibly more importantly for new table top RPGers, helps steer them towards role-playing a bit more that just "You do X damage".

agreed. the aspect i really like is the players get an opportunity to tell elements of the story. those two successes and two threats could mean something quite different to a creative player. eg. a near miss that triggers an unexpected benefit. its open to interpretation and it allows for many interesting possibilities that dont exist in a pass/fail result.