The Unseen Servant forums

hedgeknight wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 6:08 pm As a player, I don't put too much time into developing my character's background or personality, unless the DM requires it. I try to do that as I go along via IC posts and interactions with other characters. That way if they bite the dust, I can shrug it off and roll up a new one.

As a DM, I don't require an extensive background; just a few notes to give me some insight in your character; some tidbits I may be able to exploit...erm...use in the game.

Rob's games are always challenging and well thought out. I don't know how he keeps up with all of the players in his sandbox games, but he does a great job juggling all of it.

That is my approach as well and Agreed on Rob.

Thanks fellas.

If there is one thing I have learned about gaming with all kinds of different people over the many years, is that almost none of us plays the same game in the exact same way.

I wish most deaths could be meaningful, but my experience is most deaths are of the wrong place wrong time flavor. Most people play with some caution, and so you seldom get completely bad decisions, or slow dramatic fights to the death. Most times it's like what happened to Maxon here. You go out to guard the flank where no one is and suddenly your surrounded the laser cannon defense system goes off etc.... It wasn't poor play, or even a poor decision just you wound up at the point where you got hit mortally doing something reasonable.

My last three deaths have been winding up being the first guy a powerful foe attacked in the party, randomly getting hit by molten metal, and getting turned to a statue looking through the eyes of familiar (pseudo dragon) into the dark ahead and finding a Basilisk (made my familiars save, missed mine).

It's RPG life. You adventure and sometimes you happen to be where the asteroid hits.

I do have to pile on with the admiration for OM. You're ability to herd cats is amazing.

I've given this some more thought and I agree with most of what you write. I think I simply come from a maybe more "indie", or even free form background. I love DnD (obviously) but my prime years so to speak were dominated by storytelling games, Vampire lives and free form one shots on conventions. Missed the birth of DnD by just a few years

Agreed that the GMs of US, OM being a prime one, is doing a magnificent job.

Some systems are trying to mitigate this issue with "luck" or "fate points" type of rules, but I don't know what I feel about that. Other systems have mechanics for the GM letting a PC survive if he/she "pays" by accepting some flaw, drawback or get indebted. That would be a better way of doing it in my opinion. You would still fear it but it wouldn't be final. Then again, that might be an "indie" solution as well

i think the roller wants a tpk

Sastaz, I rarely have deaths in my campaigns, because younger players take it so hard. I find myself as DM pulling punches in most fights to allow the party to survive. I take people down, but with a good range of being able to save players from actually dying it rarely occurs. And, one reason I do it is the storytelling aspect. Hard to build a coherent story with revolving characters.

In fact the last player that lost a character left the game. They're not as used to it as we old timers that lost a dozen characters over an average weekend back in the 80's.

Just bear in mind that our hesitance to join Tuurma is rooted in avoiding (or at least delaying) a TPK, not a lack of desire to help Tuurma or Maxon.

Folks: Thanks for good RP all around. No reflection on the game, or the players, but I think I'm out. Good luck!

Sounds good. Thanks for playing Bob.



I think the recruitment thread for this game clearly suggests an old-school style feel, so I am not sure where any confusion about "not being used to this style of play" is coming from.

Personally, I have almost no experience playing in anything that might be considered an "indie" game, but by the sound of them, I don't think I would enjoy that style. The nerfed-out Death Save rules in the newer D&D editions don't do anything to scratch my adventuring itch, so I have intentionally stayed away from systems like that.

I agree 100% that a game where nothing dangerous or deadly ever happens, regardless of how poorly the characters handle a specific situation, is not exciting to me in the least. Without the risk, there is no reward.

I would also agree that the games I run are going to be a bit on the challenging side, but I would hesitate to consider my refereeing style as overly harsh. This current situation might seem like a death trap, but that certainly wasn't my intention from the start. No DM can predict the all the actions players will choose, but this one played out a bit like the "perfect storm". I guess I could also point out that for several rounds in this encounter, some characters weren't making any plausible actions at all, good or bad. If those wasted rounds were converted into successful attacks, or other positive actions, this situation wouldn't seem nearly as dire at the moment.

I am not saying anything was done wrong. I am not saying things were done right. The situation simply is what it is.

So, lets carry on and see what happens.

Well said Rob. My FTF group generally switches back and forth between HarnMaster and another system depending on who we have at the time. HarnMaster has the most lethal combat system I have ever played, if the fight doesn't kill you, the healing or lack of it often does. Players quickly learn, never fight unless you absolutely have to. Our second system used to be Holmes D&D, we switched to D&D 5e to give it a chance and our youngest player was playing it with some of his friends. It was a flop, no one cared for it. Everyone started referring to their characters as superheros. We have now logged about 24 hours of play with Hyperborea and it has been a hit so far. Even though our youngest player lost his Roman Scout to a failed poison save in the first session. Over the years we have tried a bunch of indie systems, mostly the rules lite ones. I prefer books over PDF's so have an entire book shelf of them. All were a flop and we would go back to Holmes D&D/BlueHolme, now that we have found Hyperborea which I view as a cross between 1e and Holmes we will probably stick with it. Some house rules will probably be coming (we are already talking about them) but the core will remain.

I agree 100% that a game where nothing dangerous or deadly ever happens, regardless of how poorly the characters handle a specific situation, is not exciting to me in the least. Without the risk, there is no reward.

This right here. It's the reason I've been playing this game for 42 years. Never know what's going to happen with the dice and choices can make for a miraculous outcome or a bloodbath upon the characters. Either way, I love it!

Thanks for the xp.

Sheet updated.

Ditto.

So close to 3rd level and another spell.

A lot's going on at work lately, so it's possible that I don't have the time to post. Please don't delay the action for me and NPC my PC(s) if possible.

Just don't kill them please

redwarrior wrote: ↑Tue Jan 31, 2023 6:47 pm Good dice! Nice, well behaved dice!

Bluetongue wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:35 pm Valkrina

Demonstrates the art of why most Esquimaux woman are confined to the kitchen.

Valkrina: Spiked Spear [1d20+1]=2+1=3 [1d10]=7

LOL

OGRE MAGE wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 6:53 pm If anyone is ever wondering what approximate time of day it is, I post that information in the top header of every update I make in this game.

It is currently early in the evening with about 2 hours of daylight remaining.

Facepalm. Not the first person to tell me to just pay attention.

I do that sort of thing too, although this was the rare case I actually didn't.

It's Hyperborea. One option is to leave the deadweight behind.

It's absolutely your call, but I wouldn't hold a grudge if you did.

Nah. We (our characters) have already been through a lot together to act like that on whim.