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  1. - Top - End - #151
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by Kantaki View Post
    Meh. That sort of thing depends.
    But generally taxes, Inn rooms, the adventurers guild fees and stuff like that* should be abstracted away.
    Worst case just deduct it from whatever loot gets handed out.
    That's how it's run most often, my table included. But if it's all just one big undifferentiated loot pile, payers begin to assume that they shouldn't have to pay for anything. The living world begins to disappear, and you risk reducing your setting to "the dungeon" and "the shop."

    I guess I like the idea of using these kinds of fees to draw attention to certain elements of the setting. For example, one of the dudes in the comic's comments pointed out an interesting technique:

    "The Hell’s Rebels adventure path uses this psychological urge to great effect in building up their villain, the dictator of the city of Kintargo. In the first book (levels 1-3) it is 3 cp to cross the bridge from one side of the city to the other. Inconvenient, but not bank-breaking. The second book (levels 4-6) raises the toll to 5 sp. Also inconsequential to the PCs, but annoying. The third book (levels 7-9) raises it to 2 gp a trip or 10 gp for a day pass. By the fourth book (level 10) the city is open and violent revolt over this B.S. and the PCs take the bridge by force.

    "Beyond making the villain hateable, this toll serves the plot function of drawing the players’ attention to the bridge, a key part of the city where they fight quite possibly 4 epic battles over the course of the AP (against a small army of guards, a dragon, the nearly-unkillable dictator himself if certain things happen and a suicide-causing ghost head)."

    That's why I think arrow tracking becomes a thing behind enemy lines, and water hoarding becomes a thing in deserts. These details are best when they force players to pay attention to their situation.

  2. - Top - End - #152
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by Keltest View Post
    I tend to lean in the direction of "if it isn't interesting for the party to run out of food, they don't have to worry about it."
    More or less my take. See my reply above.

    Of course, you do run into odd moments in these situations. "Wait. We haven't been tracking food this whole time. Why are we starting now? Has my guy been starving this whole time?" Most players are willing to handwave that sort of issue, but it can come up, and does represent a downside to the technique.

  3. - Top - End - #153
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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by DRD1812 View Post
    More or less my take. See my reply above.

    Of course, you do run into odd moments in these situations. "Wait. We haven't been tracking food this whole time. Why are we starting now? Has my guy been starving this whole time?" Most players are willing to handwave that sort of issue, but it can come up, and does represent a downside to the technique.
    And i'll respond with "No, we just cant assume youre doing it automatically right now because there is no food anywhere."

    As far as it goes, its not all that confusing. The situation is "youre trapped in a desert" or something, which most people can wrap their heads around easily enough. Hopefully youre leading with that instead of "ok, so im suddenly tracking food seemingly unprompted."
    “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

  4. - Top - End - #154
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #490: "Origin Stories: Druid"

    I will not apologize for the pun in today's comic. Or for the property damage.

  5. - Top - End - #155
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by DRD1812 View Post
    Handbook of Heroes #490: "Origin Stories: Druid"

    I will not apologize for the pun in today's comic. Or for the property damage.
    pun? what pun?
    * my emphasis

    http://dmreference.com/SRD/
    http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/

    Things that don't kill me make me strong
    Things that do kill me leave me dead

  6. - Top - End - #156
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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by Agi Hammerthief View Post
    pun? what pun?
    Druidcrafts I would assume. Although coming from 5e where "druidcraft" is literally a class spell, I don't know if I would count it.
    “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

  7. - Top - End - #157
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by Keltest View Post
    Druidcrafts I would assume. Although coming from 5e where "druidcraft" is literally a class spell, I don't know if I would count it.
    Look, it says right in the DMG that a pun is "a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word." I rule that it counts for the purposes of the punster class feature.

  8. - Top - End - #158
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #492: "Tournament Arc, Part 2/8"

    If the background is anything to go by, I'm betting they've got a time share with the local renaissance fair.

  9. - Top - End - #159
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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Im sorry, is that fighter on the side of team Good?
    “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

  10. - Top - End - #160
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by Keltest View Post
    Im sorry, is that fighter on the side of team Good?
    the advantage of lead armor
    * my emphasis

    http://dmreference.com/SRD/
    http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/

    Things that don't kill me make me strong
    Things that do kill me leave me dead

  11. - Top - End - #161
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    I'm gonna be honest here, I would side with Antipaladin.
    For the sake of fairness of course.
    Also because *beep* those *beep*ing *beeps* of "Good" and their hypocrisy and no-fun-allowedness.
    Thirdly, more Xp. All the Xp, if I time things right.
    "If it lives it can be killed.
    If it is dead it can be eaten."

    Ronkong Coma "the way of the bookhunter" III Catacombium
    (Walter Moers "Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher")



  12. - Top - End - #162
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by Keltest View Post
    Im sorry, is that fighter on the side of team Good?
    What? It says "Good" right on his character sheet. Therefore everything he does is Good. Case closed. :P

  13. - Top - End - #163
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #494: "Tournament Arc, Part 4/8"

    The script called for Thief to look "positively shocked at her girlfriend’s behavior." Now I'm thinking she's just jealous of all those lance-wielding jocks and their martial weapons proficiency.

  14. - Top - End - #164
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #496: "Tournament Arc, Part 6/8"

    Clearly this is all Snowflake's fault and is in no way an indictment of Paladin's feat selection.
    Last edited by DRD1812; 2020-06-02 at 08:42 AM.

  15. - Top - End - #165
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by DRD1812 View Post
    Handbook of Heroes #496: "Tournament Arc, Part 6/8"

    Clearly this is all Snowflake's fault and is in no way an indictment of Paladin's feat selection.
    It'd take a lot of minuses to lose to a right-handed fighter tilting that way. SCA folk, are the mounts going the wrong way, or am I just missing something?

  16. - Top - End - #166
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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by TaRix View Post
    It'd take a lot of minuses to lose to a right-handed fighter tilting that way. SCA folk, are the mounts going the wrong way, or am I just missing something?
    Google would seem to indicate that they are going the correct direction. Both fighters are presumably right handed, so the penalty, or lack there of, is equally applied to both riders.
    “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

  17. - Top - End - #167
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    Dexam's Avatar

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by TaRix View Post
    It'd take a lot of minuses to lose to a right-handed fighter tilting that way. SCA folk, are the mounts going the wrong way, or am I just missing something?
    Although it's not shown in the strip, presumably the jousters would have shields and you would want your shield on the side closest to your opponent, not your lance; so it seems correct to me.

  18. - Top - End - #168
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by TaRix View Post
    It'd take a lot of minuses to lose to a right-handed fighter tilting that way. SCA folk, are the mounts going the wrong way, or am I just missing something?
    As a former SCA member, I can confirm that shield goes in left hand. Illustration.

  19. - Top - End - #169
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    tyckspoon's Avatar

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by TaRix View Post
    It'd take a lot of minuses to lose to a right-handed fighter tilting that way. SCA folk, are the mounts going the wrong way, or am I just missing something?
    Shield nearest to your opponent, lance couched and braced against your body so that when you make contact the force from it (equal and opposite reactions, remember!) is distributed across as much of your own body as possible - you don't want to embarass yourself by having your strike end up unhorsing yourself or causing your lance to leap out of your hand instead of shattering dramatically against your target. It's a lot like whacking something with a stick that has a lot of flex in it; the vibrations from the stick have to go somewhere, and you want most of that absorbed into the mass of your body and horse, not your hands. Hard to do that if you try to hold the lance with the near hand, much more effective if it's held across your body.

  20. - Top - End - #170
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Okay, I concede. I wonder if I thought it was otherwise from hazy hazy Defender of the Crown jousting memories? Nah, no excuses.

    A small ignorance beast is slain! All party members gain 3 xp and a mead voucher.

  21. - Top - End - #171
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #497: "Tournament Arc, Part 7/8"

    Good brosmanship is the pinnacle of the fighter's art.

  22. - Top - End - #172
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #500: "Celebrating (500 Comics!)"

    Nearly 5 years into this campaign, and no signs of slowing down. :D

  23. - Top - End - #173
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by DRD1812 View Post
    Handbook of Heroes #500: "Celebrating (500 Comics!)"

    Nearly 5 years into this campaign, and no signs of slowing down. :D
    Okay, Fighter's radiating the kind of calm and relaxation that comes with setting a town on fire*, Wizard and Thief are cute watching the stars together** and Cleric just realized he left his stuff at the inn***.

    *The town's on fire, he's there, of course it was him.
    **Admittedly those two are always cute together.
    ***I guess. Why else should he look so upset?
    Beyond being Good, not a monster and having compassion for others.
    Basically being the opposite of Fighter.
    "If it lives it can be killed.
    If it is dead it can be eaten."

    Ronkong Coma "the way of the bookhunter" III Catacombium
    (Walter Moers "Die Stadt der träumenden Bücher")



  24. - Top - End - #174
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Quote Originally Posted by Kantaki View Post
    ***I guess. Why else should he look so upset?
    Beyond being Good, not a monster and having compassion for others.
    Basically being the opposite of Fighter.
    That's the main town of Plotsville burning in the background. The Heroes keep their guild hall there. It is indeed full of Cleric's stuff.

  25. - Top - End - #175
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #502: "Disembodied Voice"

    What do you get when you reanimate a dire frog? Give up?

    ...

    A lick lich.

  26. - Top - End - #176
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #504: "Sweet Surrender"

    The long-awaited vole hunting date between Druid and Arcane Archer did not go well.

  27. - Top - End - #177
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #506: "Uncomfortably Close Combat"

    Arrow Punch Force is the name of my elf metal band.

  28. - Top - End - #178
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Handbook of Heroes #508: "Moniker"

    I think we've hit peak "dwarfy dwarf name."

  29. - Top - End - #179
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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    This exact situation came up for me just yesterday, with a dwarf and everything. I normally have all the important figures in my setting have full names recorded somewhere, just in case, but i discovered that i did not actually give first names to all the dwarven kings. They were all listed as "King Silvereye" or "King Ironhead", stuff like that. So now i get to spend the week making up a dozen or so appropriately royal sounding names for all the dwarf kings. Or queens i guess, since none of them were given any specific identities.
    “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

  30. - Top - End - #180
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    Rockphed's Avatar

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    Default Re: Handbook of Heroes

    Ah, dwarf fortress, that bastion of silliness that practically encoded that dwarf names are strings of dwarfy nouns.

    Actually, I think the next time I play a dwarf I will just boot up dwarf fortress and run through its random name generator a few times to see if I can come up with a character based on the names.
    Quote Originally Posted by Wardog View Post
    Rockphed said it well.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Starfall
    When your pants are full of crickets, you don't need mnemonics.
    Dragontar by Serpentine.

    Now offering unsolicited advice.

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