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Post by kesher on Dec 23, 2014 13:13:54 GMT -6
OH, the taboos table is a DIVINE idea!
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Post by Red Baron on Dec 23, 2014 14:59:08 GMT -6
I use those too. I'm always terribly indecisive about what to buy, so I always end up spending way too much time figuring out my equipment unless its randomly determined for me. There are some nice pdfs of those tables in the download section.
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Post by coffee on Dec 24, 2014 8:33:20 GMT -6
coffee, this is where you should chime in with your ideas... As far as equipment goes, I used those same tables from Necropraxis. My tweak was to make some similar tables for starting magic items, assuming the character might begin at higher than 1st level (using the experience table from Jeff Rients in Under Xylarthen's Tower.) I wanted to have 10 die rolls, 3d6 each, and have a character at the end of it.
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Post by Merctime on Dec 24, 2014 12:07:44 GMT -6
Don't know what version of D&D or it's derivatives folks are after, but for random stuff like gear (or the whole PC) I use this website. character.totalpartykill.ca/dd/At the bottom of that page, are some instructions for changing that last two-letter designator of the URL to choose different types of D&D etc. Now, this may or may not be 'minimalist', depending on your outlook of what that is. But I hope it's of some use to folks! I believe this page has been made by a fellow poster here at these boards who goes by the forum name "funkaoshi". He's done a great job with that page, in my opinion
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Post by inkmeister on Dec 24, 2014 15:27:44 GMT -6
I <3 Geoffrey in general, but what is to keep anyone from playing some mediocre, ugly, uncharming, unwise character in a system without ability scores? Just declare yourself as such, and we'll roll with it. I guess the big thing is not knowing what you are going to get. My game doesn't generally use ability scores, but if you want to come up with some system to randomly determine your qualities in my game, more power to you. You could roll 5d6 drop lowest 2 if you want, or roll 3d6 in order set in stone, or whatever. The scores don't mean much in a mechanical way, so I just ignore them. Imagine the hell out of your character in whatever way you want.
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Post by Red Baron on Dec 26, 2014 11:55:54 GMT -6
I <3 Geoffrey in general, but what is to keep anyone from playing some mediocre, ugly, uncharming, unwise character in a system without ability scores? Just declare yourself as such, and we'll roll with it. They are a lot of fun to play if you get stuck with one, but it just feels wrong to intentionally decide to play a weak, unwise, ugly character. It bothers me when I see people playing intentionally gimped characters in 3/4e because the game is just too easy otherwise. If you randomly roll up a failure of a character, then its an extra challenge, but if you are choosing to play that character somethings not quite right.
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Post by Merctime on Dec 26, 2014 12:30:43 GMT -6
I'm just personally in love with a mentality of gaming that I didn't have as a kid, unfortunately... These days, I roll 3d6 straight down, and try my best with that. Now, since nearly all of my gaming is done here via PbP, I take the rolls my DM's give me. I work with that as best I can, and use the stat numbers to guide my decisions on how to play that character. I doubt I'm in a minority with that sense! One thing I love about this school of thought, is how freeing it is. I don't feel constrained in what I want my character to do, low stats or high. I just give it a whirl, and either I pass or fail. 7 INT? Perhaps he can't figure out the strange writing on the wall or in that musty old tome, but he can still bargain with the merchants for that fist-sized emerald! I've never played 4e, but have messed around a bit with a 3.5e derivative (Mongoose's Conan the roleplaying game) so I can't really talk about those with any personal experience. What I did find with them, in the very short time I messed around, was that I wasn't making characters... I was reverse engineering character builds from level 20 down as if I were playing a computer game. And I wasn't trying out cool stuff in-game unless I had enough skill points/the right feats to ensure success. I'm so done with that, personally. 3d6 straight down for the win! Roll 'em, and just try stuff. "Jacko the knife is gonna grab the rope and swing over the chasm!" Is he, or isn't he, going to make it? Well, that's the stuff of D&D legends, my friends
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Post by Vile Traveller on Dec 26, 2014 21:25:47 GMT -6
Well I guess I'm going to derail the thread a bit longer with my next question. For those of you that play with the three LBBs only, do you ever miss the other big categories of expansion like monsters, spells, and magic items? Do you strictly stick to the monster list available, or do you introduce things from Greyhawk or other sources? I'm not necessarily one for that approach, as I tend to prefer a more fully-realised fantasy than a monster-of-the-week approach. However, I can see the attraction of keeping things fresh by introducing something that has never been seen before, although I guess Greyhawk is hardly suitable for that any more! But then there are always things the referee can introduce culled from the vast database of real world mythology and RPGs at our virtual fingertips now. Anyway, do you strictly 3LBB-gamers ever feel restricted by these things?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 21:54:52 GMT -6
No.
LBB provides plenty of standards. As you say, old books aren't the place to look for something that has never been seen before. Easier to make up something new when you only need a line of stats instead of a paragraph.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2014 0:50:06 GMT -6
Well I guess I'm going to derail the thread a bit longer with my next question. For those of you that play with the three LBBs only, do you ever miss the other big categories of expansion like monsters, spells, and magic items? Do you strictly stick to the monster list available, or do you introduce things from Greyhawk or other sources? I'm not necessarily one for that approach, as I tend to prefer a more fully-realised fantasy than a monster-of-the-week approach. However, I can see the attraction of keeping things fresh by introducing something that has never been seen before, although I guess Greyhawk is hardly suitable for that any more! But then there are always things the referee can introduce culled from the vast database of real world mythology and RPGs at our virtual fingertips now. Anyway, do you strictly 3LBB-gamers ever feel restricted by these things? You can keep everything from the 3LBBs that you like and introduce pieces from elsewhere, for instance you can take thieves from Greyhawk if you want them, but still run all classes get 1d6 at first level plus the Constitution bonus, you do not have to go to the Greyhawk HD. I take things from a lot of sources or just make things up for use with the 3LBBs. I sometimes use Greyhawk and other things as is and sometimes I don't.
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Post by talysman on Dec 27, 2014 13:18:04 GMT -6
For those of you that play with the three LBBs only, do you ever miss the other big categories of expansion like monsters, spells, and magic items? Do you strictly stick to the monster list available, or do you introduce things from Greyhawk or other sources? I don't "miss" it, because for me, "LBBs only" means no rules changes from the supplements. No damage variation by weapon or opponent size, no weapon vs. armor type table, all hit dice are d6, no ability score mods from Greyhawk, no speed factors or psionics from Eldritch Wizardry, no hit location system from Blackmoor. I don't use the Greyhawk XP for monsters table, either. That doesn't mean I won't use monsters, spells, or classes from the supplements, or that I won't add a house rule that does roughly the same as one of the above. It' s just that the solutions to those things that appear in the supplements aren't very satisfying. I have a 1d6 hit location table, for example, adapted from the system in the aerial combat section of U&WA. It's way simpler than the Blackmoor one, which is a good guideline for what I'd do with the other ideas. Weapon v. armor type? Maybe I'll let heavy and two-hand weapons treat plate as chain, and flails ignore shields. That's simpler. Psionics? If I add 'em, it would have to be uncomplicated, nothing like EW. I'm OK with allowing extra classes, but the ones from Greyhawk, Blackmoor and Eldritch Wizardry need to change. Spells sometimes need to be changed, and some things like Extension I+ I would just skip entirely. Spells above 6th level can only be cast from scrolls. Monster and magic items from the supplements might show up, but maybe with some tweaks. The main point is: Nothing from outside the 3LBBs should be expected, and players shouldn't expect any particular *mechanics*.
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Post by coffee on Dec 28, 2014 14:59:52 GMT -6
The main point is: Nothing from outside the 3LBBs should be expected, and players shouldn't expect any particular *mechanics*. Sounds absolutely perfect to me!
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Post by aldarron on Jan 7, 2015 9:25:05 GMT -6
The main point is: Nothing from outside the 3LBBs should be expected, and players shouldn't expect any particular *mechanics*. Sounds absolutely perfect to me! Yep. I'll add that to me it makes a better game not to add a whole bunch of crap, especially magic items. Sure, it is tempting to include all the bright and shiny super cool whatchamacallits, but the more you add, the more it dilutes the significance and wow factor of everything else. Sticking close to or only to the 3lbb content, frames the game in a manageable way that actually encourages storytelling and defines the reality of the world in a D&D specific way. It's not just another mace +2, its the dread thunder of the bishop of highhorn peaks, wielded in the goblin wars - etc etc. Same with monsters. There is a limited number of intelligent species out there. Also, there's player creativity to consider. Suppose a player wants a specific kind of thing that's not covered in the booklets. Then it is up to them to find a way to make or have that item made, and if they succeed, it will be unique in the world.
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