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D&D confession/tabletop rpg thread

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just started a new game system yesterday evening, Knave (2nd edition) . Anyone heard of it? Any tips? Its in kickstarter and the blurb is ....

Knave is an old-school fantasy roleplaying game in the tradition begun by David Wesely, Dave Arneson and E. Gary Gygax in games such as Braunstein, Blackmoor, and Dungeons & Dragons. As part of that design tradition, it is broadly compatible with the monsters, items, and adventures created by thousands of hobbyists over the last 50 years.

Yeah I am on the KS myself and know a lot about Knave 1e and a lot of related games. It's a very lightweight system originally designed for running old school d&d content, but without classes, and abilities mostly defined by your inventory. 2e is tidied up and is noticeable for the enormous number of random stuff tables in it for pretty much anything you could ever need in a game (weather, buildings, body parts, colours, wizard names etc) though that's probably more of interest to a GM. Cairn shares a lot of the inventory/ability system Home
 
Yeah I am on the KS myself and know a lot about Knave 1e and a lot of related games. It's a very lightweight system originally designed for running old school d&d content, but without classes, and abilities mostly defined by your inventory. 2e is tidied up and is noticeable for the enormous number of random stuff tables in it for pretty much anything you could ever need in a game (weather, buildings, body parts, colours, wizard names etc) though that's probably more of interest to a GM. Cairn shares a lot of the inventory/ability system Home

thx for the background FM..... looking forward to getting going on it. Just trying not to fill up my equipment slots at the moment .... what to drop? what to bring? lol
 
thx for the background FM..... looking forward to getting going on it. Just trying not to fill up my equipment slots at the moment .... what to drop? what to bring? lol
I don't think there are really any killer tips as it's going to depend so much on the situation. Best to keep some slots free for loot you might want to pick up later though. Also remember that if you get hurt below your HP, it starts to come out of your slots, so a full inventory of stuff that won't be useful without other stuff is risky....
 
My top piece of dungeon equipment is always a crowbar btw. You can break all sorts of things open with it, locks, chests, doors, you can prop things up with it, and of course you can hit people with it. Essential dungeon burglary tool.

ETA: for anyone reading this not familiar with it, Knave is very item focused and you don't need skills to use them as such, though if you do have higher stats you may be better with them. You got some lock picks, you can pick locks. You got a big sword, you can kill things with it. The only slight exception is that you need an INT of at least 1 to cast spells from a spellbook, and the higher your INT the more you can cast. This also means it's possible to share equipment within the party.
 
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My top piece of dungeon equipment is always a crowbar btw. You can break all sorts of things open with it, locks, chests, doors, you can prop things up with it, and of course you can hit people with it. Essential dungeon burglary tool.

ETA: for anyone reading this not familiar with it, Knave is very item focused and you don't need skills to use them as such, though if you do have higher stats you may be better with them. You got some lock picks, you can pick locks. You got a big sword, you can kill things with it. The only slight exception is that you need an INT of at least 1 to cast spells from a spellbook, and the higher your INT the more you can cast. This also means it's possible to share equipment within the party.
thx FridgeMagnet ... crowbar is great idea, esp as I am running out of spaces on mt inventory slots. Yes, equipment / slots seems very important. Our DM is encouraging us to hire torchbearers. So many things will become clearer when we play.
 
Had first session of Knave on Wed night. Great fun. I was on Discord and rest were IRL. The DM had a laptop & external mic well positioned and sound & audio was good. We tried this before but audio was bad as it was just a tablet with built in mic and badly positioned (it was picking up every rustle & cough and drowning out the conversation). Had other session where everyone was online and that was perfect (A&V -wise). Was a bit hard to visualise where we were on a map when combat started, but we're working through that one. One of the players suggested a Discord dedicated to dice rolls so I can see what happens there ..... anyway, it was a good start!

PS equipment slots are very important! Im buying a mule next time !!!
 
Yeah, you don't need a detailed map for something like Knave, but I've always found it useful to have some sort of vague diagram of where people and important things are. When I was running games as a kid I'd sketch something on squared paper. These days I'd use a simple VTT because I'm used to them, but I know people use all sorts of stuff like Miro to do it.

eta: a VTT has the advantage of also letting you do dice rolls there
 
I've often wondered about that in RPGs. In skirmish games there's a table with obstacles and a tape measure. In pure RPG does everyone magically become in distance of each other in a ruck?
 
I've often wondered about that in RPGs. In skirmish games there's a table with obstacles and a tape measure. In pure RPG does everyone magically become in distance of each other in a ruck?
It varies. Some games/tables run everything in a really anal way where there are specific squares that you're in and your positioning affects the game a lot (much like a skirmish CRPG) say by being able to flank an enemy. Often, as in the case with Knave, it's not recorded to that level but what you do has to make sense according to the fictional reality - there are various different ways of formalising that if you want to, for instance the concept of "zones" is quite popular, where the battlefield is divided up into discrete areas where you if you're in one you can attack anyone else in it.

In some cases it gets abstracted even further - for instance, in Fabula Ultima, which is meant to simulate JRPGs, as standard anyone can attack anyone else in a fight (unless the target is flying). There will be a fictional justification like "you make a daring run up to the enemy wizard on the other side of the chasm, dodge through the orcs surrounding them, and strike" but positioning is basically irrelevant in the game.
 
I think positioning should be irrelevant. RPG is all about the story really*. I watched some games using online boards on twitch and I thought it started taking the imagination element to it away a bit. The whole point for me for RPGs is almost like reading a book, but living it, with others.

*I played years ago and we didn't have a board or anything. So I think that's how it should be played.
 
After all these years I think I like games where fictional positioning can be important, i.e. interacting with the environment, but you don't have to worry about exactly where you are on a battlemap. For instance, in CY_BORG you can get a cover bonus from hiding behind something, but not for long. So you can hide behind a fridge (ahem) but if it protects you, it gets the crap blown out of it and can't give you cover any more. There are no rules about line of sight or hardness of domestic appliances or anything, just that you can hide behind shit but not for long.
 
My party are expecting to find a young black dragon shortly. We are playing Knave, so DnD rules, but the dragons are not as buff as 5e but .... y'know .... still a dragon!

We are a party of 4 (maybe 5 on a good day) one level 3, rest level 2 . I am the only magic guy (an alchemist) , rest are 2 fighters, 1 thief and 1 ranger type
I dont want to do outright toe-to-toe combat as my char is a coward and has no armour and no weapons (well, 1 dagger and 1 crowbar).

I am thinking we do some out of the box sneaky stuff like:
Pour potion of hallucination onto the back of a sheep we have captured and then get dragon to eat it
Someone takes potion of shrinking and crawls into dragons ear and stabs it .... or if shrinking might not allow someone into the ear, maybe get dragon to drink it (somehow!) and shrink the dragon? Dont know how I get 2 goes at it ...
I have spell of Command, so I could get some woodland creatures to attack dragon, or command dragon to go to sleep / love everyone / attack nearby elves / etc
We could flatter the dragon and offer some gems (and the sheep) so he lets us explore the village he calls home (and we promise not to touch his stuff) ... maybe try this first and if it fails, try one of the above

.....not sure how our DM is going to run the dragon regarding its resistance to magic, so looking for some tips to have in the back pocket if the above go wrong

what have you tried or seen that impressed you with results?
 
pathfinder not D&D but my character just fought a dragon.

It was epic. I had just introduced the character as my main character is off taking a break.
I ran up to it and used my dodge ability to get out of the way of its attack of opertunity. I swung my sword and got a Nat 20 confirmed.
It instantly ended the fight as I had a vorpal sword. It was epic.

The DM will probably now be looking at all the undead or headless monsters in the bestiary.
 
To be fair that is like a level 17 item (and PF2 has a really heavy mechanic that stops you just one shotting a boss or something one shotting you - the "incapacitation" trait, if something can just take you out in one hit, if it's not higher level than you your saves are automatically one level better, so a fail is a pass and basically you have to crit fail for it to work)
 
My party are expecting to find a young black dragon shortly. We are playing Knave, so DnD rules, but the dragons are not as buff as 5e but .... y'know .... still a dragon!

We are a party of 4 (maybe 5 on a good day) one level 3, rest level 2 . I am the only magic guy (an alchemist) , rest are 2 fighters, 1 thief and 1 ranger type
I dont want to do outright toe-to-toe combat as my char is a coward and has no armour and no weapons (well, 1 dagger and 1 crowbar).

I am thinking we do some out of the box sneaky stuff like:
Pour potion of hallucination onto the back of a sheep we have captured and then get dragon to eat it
Someone takes potion of shrinking and crawls into dragons ear and stabs it .... or if shrinking might not allow someone into the ear, maybe get dragon to drink it (somehow!) and shrink the dragon? Dont know how I get 2 goes at it ...
I have spell of Command, so I could get some woodland creatures to attack dragon, or command dragon to go to sleep / love everyone / attack nearby elves / etc
We could flatter the dragon and offer some gems (and the sheep) so he lets us explore the village he calls home (and we promise not to touch his stuff) ... maybe try this first and if it fails, try one of the above

.....not sure how our DM is going to run the dragon regarding its resistance to magic, so looking for some tips to have in the back pocket if the above go wrong

what have you tried or seen that impressed you with results?
Gonna be late here but dragon flattery sounds like how I'd go, don't even start a fight you don't know you'll win, let alone one you'll probably lose. Bribery is a good one too, and getting things drunk and/or spiking food is a solid tactic, though unless it's spiked with magic that's going to depend on general body mass.
 
thx FM .... not late, as we just arrived in village in last session (its mostly abandoned) ... if the dragon is where he was last reported, then thats just on the other side of the village ... our part has a rough plan as follows:
2 are going to circle round behind the tower he is supposed to be in, while 2 more (incl myself) are going to walk up the middle of main st (boldly) and hail him when we close
then follows flattery, bit of bargaining, maybe offer a few trinkets and a spiked sheep (were thinking getting him drunk, but we dont have any alcohol - must remember it for next time!)
the 2 round the back will plant an explosive
if flattery works, then we are good ... we just want to explore village in peace (lots of goodies here)
if it doesnt, then we set of explosion, and start combat (2 pronged attack too so he dont get us all in 1 breath)

will keep ye posted!
 
Met the dragon last night !!! Nice fellow !!
The dragon was a shape shifting one, and we met him (in human form) in the village we expected to meet 'it' . Had conversation with guy and twigged it after a few minutes. He invited us all back to his manor and we did go and had lovely time. He gave us lots of advice, a few items and a new quest!
The DM said we plaid it well and the dragon-man liked our conversation & manners (and we had some info for him) so it wasnt a hostile encounter


......now, what to do with a sheep thats had a psychedelic potion poured over his back
 
We are still playing blades in the dark. I really like the format of this, it encourages risktaking and scenario building. you can also take over NPC for a session or two. i’m still doing ridiculous voices… hoping to meet up face-to-face again soon and play Eat the Reich.
 
In D&D our party just about survived contact with a juvenile dragon. I was a sorcerer in That. can’t remember what level we were then but I think I’m up to about 8. Hopefully will revisit that campaign. I quite enjoyed the chucking fireball stuff.
 
Just finished a Call of Cthulhu campaign set in The Holodomor. Unremittingly grim, as you'd expect, the only choice was to run away. Which to be fair was pretty clear from the beginning but we were there to investigate. Would not recommend!

xenon tempted to run Blades in the Dark, what do you think of the rules system? Party of six.
 
Just finished a Call of Cthulhu campaign set in The Holodomor. Unremittingly grim, as you'd expect, the only choice was to run away. Which to be fair was pretty clear from the beginning but we were there to investigate. Would not recommend!

xenon tempted to run Blades in the Dark, what do you think of the rules system? Party of six.
Why not wind down with a nice game of Wraith the Oblivion using the Charnel Houses of Europe the Shoah supplement?

bloody hell!
 
I started DMimg for my kids (8 and 10) over half term using simplified rules. Printed maps, real dice, pencilled character sheets and lego for all the characters and props. We're doing the same 5e starter adventure as I ran for grownups back in 2020. They've just cleared the goblin cave, having used subterfuge and cunning to either make combat easier or avoid it altogether. My favorite moments have been: Rolling a bottle of wine down some steps so the goblins in the next room would get drunk and therefore grant advantage, and throwing the pet hedgehog at the final boss (she's very spiky - it will hurt!), then rolling 4 on a D4 for a klling blow :D

It's been a blast :) I'm basically letting them get away with whatever, including very generous magic/special abilities. Vanilla level 1 dnd characters are extremely boring.

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I started DMimg for my kids (8 and 10) over half term using simplified rules. Printed maps, real dice, pencilled character sheets and lego for all the characters and props. We're doing the same 5e starter adventure as I ran for grownups back in 2020. They've just cleared the goblin cave, having used subterfuge and cunning to either make combat easier or avoid it altogether. My favorite moments have been: Rolling a bottle of wine down some steps so the goblins in the next room would get drunk and therefore grant advantage, and throwing the pet hedgehog at the final boss (she's very spiky - it will hurt!), then rolling 4 on a D4 for a klling blow :D

It's been a blast :) I'm basically letting them get away with whatever, including very generous magic/special abilities. Vanilla level 1 dnd characters are extremely boring.

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Is that Phandelver?
 
It's a great little adventure but I wish they'd written a nice follow on. I'm a lazy DM so exist only in modules, I managed to shoehorn hoard of the dragon queen in by skipping some of the early bits but unfortunately hoard which is also fun leads to the rise of tiamat which is frankly awful.
 
I started DMimg for my kids (8 and 10) over half term using simplified rules. Printed maps, real dice, pencilled character sheets and lego for all the characters and props. We're doing the same 5e starter adventure as I ran for grownups back in 2020. They've just cleared the goblin cave, having used subterfuge and cunning to either make combat easier or avoid it altogether. My favorite moments have been: Rolling a bottle of wine down some steps so the goblins in the next room would get drunk and therefore grant advantage, and throwing the pet hedgehog at the final boss (she's very spiky - it will hurt!), then rolling 4 on a D4 for a klling blow :D

It's been a blast :) I'm basically letting them get away with whatever, including very generous magic/special abilities. Vanilla level 1 dnd characters are extremely boring.

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this is great. i set up a d&d club at school to encourage reluctant readers/writers to get interested in literature and now, 4 years later they're running their own homebrew campaigns for younger kids. think its such a great way to support young people's creativity!
 
I went down to my "Friendly Local Gaming Store" recently (this is an imaginary concept invented by Americans where there is a shop which sells various types of game including RPGs, has people running regular games there, will order in things you like if they don't have any, etc).

As per all real examples in London apart from Orc's Nest and Leisure Games, both of which are great, this is just Warhammer Magic Pokemon. When I first went there a few years ago it did also have like a shelf of 5e books and even some Pathfinder, plus dice and so on. Gradually the TTRPG taint seems to have been removed because when I went back last Christmas there weren't even 5e books, and when I went back this weekend there weren't only no RPG books, but also no boardgames (usually a fairly solid seller or at least something you can leave on the shelf) and not even any dice.
 
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