Timothy Stone calls in about the thing about editions

Laramie comments on the thing about editions

Editions, I’ve heard people complain about 2e not being compatible with 3e with 4e with 5e. I understand the gripe, it’s a thing I’ve never had issue with, but I get the complaint as it does seem in most other fields it’s the same basic book with small changes, like Ray Otus pointed out. Some games do just that, Castles and Crusades is still working out their typos on the ?8th? printing.

I think a lot of the episode ties together. I was going to say, regarding Star Wars and Star Trek having space to game in and other places don’t. I would make the case, even in the limited screen run, Firefly has space to play. But then later they said you don’t need the IP, you can just use the themes and I think that’s absolutely true. You could just use the wild west space theme and not worry about laying over the Firefly universe.

Regarding people being mad about new systems replacing their old system. I absolutely agree, if you want the new shiny, try the new shiny. If you like the old workhorse, run with that. Third ed came out, I read it, I didn’t like it, and my group continued to run 2e then HackMaster (which was essentially 2e) until about 2016 or so. And to the point of people moving on, I ended up with a lot of 1e/2e stuff we kept using when other friends moved on to 3e. Which is another thing I never understood… people that threw a fit when the Star Wars Expanded Universe was removed from canon. People were mad, that imaginary history never happened. It NEVER happened. And you can STILL enjoy your Zahn books. They have always been stories, they still are. Read, enjoy and relax.

And the last point, I’ve always told people to run what they want to play. Many GMs complain they don’t want to run 5e, but it’s what the players want to run. As you all say, the GM is also a player. If the GM wants to run Star Wars, but the players want to play 5e, well, one of the players better learn how to run 5e. I’m guessing for the last 20 years HackMaster probably wasn’t all my players first choice, but it’s what I wanted to run.

Cheers,

Laramie

Bohnhoff comments on being a better ttrpg’er

At one point Brett (I think) mentioned a 4- way intersection in a dungeon hallway and some discussion followed about good players grabbing the reins and making a choice.

I don’t think either of you gents would do this ín a game you were actually running but I feel compelled to say that 3 identical but diverting paths in an empty hallway is not a choice for players. To be interesting, it is up to the GM to provide some details distinguishing the different options.

Maybe a defeated goblin earlier in the game told the party what horrible dangers are down one path. Or one slopes steeply downward. Another might have roughly excavated walls that stand out from the rest of the construction. Or the scent of fresh blueberry muffins eats up one dark corridor.

It doesn’t really matter what the details are but the players need something or any choice they make is just going to be a random selection which isn’t really a choice at all.

Email from Ty

Hey guys thanks for answering my question last week or so ago. And yes I’m still doing my daily steps for the day walking around the blocks trying to get some California good air. Maybe when I was trying to get at with my question about the TV show IPs is that does the world have enough lore to be able to warrant its own RPG? Is there enough there to want to dip in that world over and over again. Or is it a one hit wonder? Or could you do what we do with a lot of stuff is just modify an existing game to be able to play that particular kind of scenario or setting? Like I know in my past I’ve played a Star Wars like game I call it a space Opera that might not be “Stormtroopers” but they might not quote and quote be driving the “millennium falcon” but you are. We all know that underneath it all that that’s what you’re flying or that’s what you’re fighting against. I’ve played in games where you basically say that the wizards control an element like being a bender but you’re not playing in the avatar world. And I’ve seen a lot of makeshift elemental controlled RPGs. To give the feel of Avatar without it being an avatar. I have seen games where you trade out a spaceship for a sailing ship. And you know underneath you’re basically playing Star Wars or Star Trek. These modified scenarios that I played in was it enough to scratch that itch or do we need more? Do we need one more book on the bookshelf?

Ty Prunty aka Tymonger

Daniel comments on modifying encounters on the fly

Daniel here (“Primæval Fantasy” on Twitter). I’ve been enjoying flipping through all of your episodes, & did you the favor of not commenting on the backlog, but will annoy you going forward.

This ep had several related topics. Regarding the issues of actually altering an enemy’s stats (or even adding more baddies), fudging dice, etc. if a fight is becoming too easy for the PCs, I’d fall on the con side of the fence. I get that we want the players to never be bored, but part of my group’s social-contract is that we don’t alter the reality of events. They can smell contrivances, and losing faith in that contract damages our fun.

Good stuff. More annoying responses will haunt you!

Daniel