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Post by jeffb on May 23, 2023 19:22:19 GMT -6
So we still don't have the perfect retro-clone, though this book is really well done. I'm glad to have it. We'll see if it has a permanent home at my gaming table like the original S&W does. One of the reasons I've stuck with the 2nd printing of Core S&W (yea, the one back in 2009...) is because the system, as-is, works. Is there that much new material in here or is it more just polishing of what was already there and working? See my post from the 1st page- nothing groundbreaking- cleanup and some additions link
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Post by jeffb on May 23, 2023 10:21:18 GMT -6
Did you get your backerkit survey link? That is where you find your PDF. In the digital rewards/downloads.
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Post by jeffb on May 22, 2023 16:53:33 GMT -6
PDF dropped today. Won't win any awards for layout/presentation or art, but a solid no-nonsense reference.
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Post by jeffb on May 19, 2023 14:32:28 GMT -6
Here is the quote
"The illustrations used in this book were drafted and initially generated by a professional artist using the commercial version of the Midjourney tool, then manually manipulated, assembled, corrected, and processed in post-production by the same artist. No artist names were used in prompts. All illustrations were paid for at the RPG market rate."
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Post by jeffb on May 19, 2023 14:26:09 GMT -6
Btw...did anyone else read the credits page?..particularly about the artwork? Very interesting. And it turned out fantastic. That it's computer generated? Yeah, that's opened up a whole case of cans of worms. Yep, but they did not input any actual artists names. Frankly, for my tastes it's the best looking art I've seen in a fantasy rpg in years..maybe decades. It's like Hyperborea meets Glorantha.
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Post by jeffb on May 19, 2023 10:22:52 GMT -6
Btw...did anyone else read the credits page?..particularly about the artwork?
Very interesting. And it turned out fantastic.
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Post by jeffb on May 19, 2023 10:20:46 GMT -6
jeffb , thanks for the info! I actually have T&T deluxe at home and if I get to play, we often use that instead of my first edition book. Then you should be good to go!
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Post by jeffb on May 19, 2023 8:25:43 GMT -6
As glad as I am of this being created and sold… I guess I’m a stick in the mud, because, to me, it’s just T&T or M!M! with what anyone can and ought to do with regards to ‘lil extras’ for characters that I’d imagine and hope most T&T/M!M! gamers have been doing/using for many years. I totally get why it’s attractive, and I’m the last person who’d turn my nose up at it, as I love T&T and S&S-style games….but…honestly…it’s just easier to use T&T of any edition and add a teeny tiny slight knowledge of S&S in any way and acknowledge characters have a certain background, knack, talent, special something for a bonus. There. Done. No new game necessary…..especially a nearly 400 page one that has rules that ought be fully explained in under 10 or 5 pages! The majority of the book looks to be setting specific things. It was originally meant to be a DT&T supplelemnt but then that whole pooch got screwed. I'm glad to see a really nice looking rulebook with a more serious tone and a far more interesting setting than Trollworld.
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Post by jeffb on May 19, 2023 8:23:14 GMT -6
Great artwork! I'm not familiar with M!M!, but I've been plying T&T a lot. Is there a lot of difference, or could I just ignore the rules and play T&T in this setting? I'm not familiar with modern day MM, but it's based on Deluxe T&T, which is easy enough to back convert. T&T/MM editions are kind of like TSR D&D...largely compatible. It also looks like most of the new book is setting specific when it comes to rules..classes, races, monsters, etc. So it should largely be new material to steal along with all the setting material.
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Post by jeffb on May 18, 2023 17:07:59 GMT -6
I don't get excited about much in the TTFRPG world anymore but when payday hits I'm all over this: Lair-of-the-Leopard-EmpressesNew superheroic S&S game using a variant of the Monsters!Monsters! (T&T) rules. Check out the full preview PDF (37 pages). Gorgeous book, and looks like a lot of love went into it.
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Post by jeffb on May 8, 2023 16:32:31 GMT -6
Much like Maze Rats, I think the tables are fantastic. I've played Knave 1e here and there, and as a ruleset, it's whatever, but as a collection of tables to be inspired from, it's one of my favorites. As far as books of tables go nothing beats the classic Ready Ref Sheets. I've also found Toolbox by AEG to be indispensable. While the revised edition Complete Toolbox is theoretically better with more tables, I've always found the original first edition to be ideal. I have no interest in or need for Knave. With ya on the Ready Ref sheets. We relied heavily on those BITD, and I still get mileage out of them. I have Toolbox on PDF, it does look great but I don't think I ever used it. I tend to prefer physical books when I'm randomly assembling adventures/places and doing lots of rolling (flipping back and forth) As for others I'd recommend: Troll Lord's Engineering Dungeons and Towers of Adventure (Jim Ward). And of course The Tome of Adventure Design is amazing. I have the first one on PDF. Debating picking up the latest version in print.
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Post by jeffb on May 6, 2023 6:01:57 GMT -6
I think the emphasis on equipment is something that came out of simplified, slot-based encumbrance systems that became popular in OSR hacks. Knave leaned into that and used these slots as a way to turn resource management into a central part of the game, building a lot of its advancement around it. I'm also not wild about it but it apparently works decently in practice. Yeah. That’s what I figured…and ‘feared’. I’m in the extreme minority that I ‘use’ D&D as a fantasy gaming engine…rather than ‘playing D&D as it’s own game’, so I care little to nothing about resource management. It did seem the equipment stuff may be leaning towards that. So…yeah… I guess it’s not my bag after all. Yep, also am not into the resource management focus in any D&D/OSR game. Black Hack does it in a fun gamist way (resource dice) , but counting torches and rations is not my thing and never has been. Same for Vancian magic.
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Post by jeffb on May 4, 2023 11:48:01 GMT -6
Knave 1E is a great tiny game for one-shot online or convention play. I doubt it has the legs for campaigns. Knave 2E seems like the same basic game with a ton of random setting generation tables. Which is great if you need that sort of thing (like Shadowdark), but I already have all that - admittedly scattered through lots and lots of books and PDFs. This. The 1st edition is like 4 or 8 pages long. I picked it up on drive thru when it was on sale or something because of the hype a few years back. It's probably good for a convention game or a rules light simple pickup game. That said, we all probably know d&d rules of one sort or another so well, we can run a quick and light one shot off the top of our heads for a newcomer or seasoned players.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 30, 2023 12:59:37 GMT -6
Welp, saw it with the family.
It lived up to my expectations...which were very low. I had some glimmer of hope based on some comments here and elsewhere, but it reminded me of a professional baseball game- 30 minutes of excitement broken up in several hours of complete boredom.
The movie needed a serious editing job as it dragged on in various spots and I found myself watching other people in the theatre ( and I don't have attention issues). The last battle scene and the earlier "szass tamm "scene were enjoyable as was Hugh Grant. Wife enjoyed bits of the humor (especially Hugh Grant, as she's a fan) , as did my Daughter- I don't think the movie stoked their interest in the game in any way whatsoever. Though I have not seen it, they both said the recent Shazam movie was far better (?).
Was nice to be in the theatre though after a couple years. Movie Theatre popcorn is hard to beat.
Getting back to the earlier rating system. For me all LOTR (extended) movies are 5s. Prequel Star Wars 2-3, Hobbits about the same, maybe less than the prequels. This gets a 1.5-2 from me.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 30, 2023 7:25:05 GMT -6
This looks quite good. Thanks for the 411.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 30, 2023 7:10:38 GMT -6
The Nerfing is strong with 5E. Combine that with inflated HP and easy saves at high level and...I know I posted years ago how 2 or 3 PCs in our game wiped out an encounter that btb should have completely wrecked them.
At least with 4E, you were usually causing conditions as well and you could work together to cause other effects/conditions/damage on top of what one PC did (though, it was it's own type of hassle to deal with).
I think I recall 3E was pretty worthless too against most foes at a certain point.
Still, nothing like hitting 5th level in TSR D&D as a MU.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 29, 2023 16:44:21 GMT -6
Decided to back the latest Kickstarter by Fehu Games, for 2 short adventures written for the new Swords & Wizardry. I went for the tier that also includes 2 earlier adventures, so 4 in total (for 8 bucks!). They should come in handy now that my gaming is all either online or at conventions. I got the two in his first KS (cold themed). I downloaded them yesterday but have not really had time to give them a thorough read.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 28, 2023 11:28:14 GMT -6
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Post by jeffb on Apr 27, 2023 16:59:53 GMT -6
I'm diggin' that wilderness survival guide that references The Duke.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 26, 2023 4:21:47 GMT -6
Thank you for the link! Downloaded and added to my digital horde! We played from 2008 to 2014, but stopped playing when 5e came out. We always found the SIEGE mechanic wonky, and ended up just using a standard DC (10-15-20), rolling d20 +Ability Adj +1/2 level (when appropriate). For the past 10 years I've subbed CB 15 (like amazing adventures did), but PRIME gives best of 2 (advantage ala 5E) instead of changing the CB. Players then add level (if appropriate) and other bonuses. DM adds challenge level to 15 as appropriate.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 24, 2023 10:21:13 GMT -6
Tried Firefox: Failed. Tried Microsoft Edge: I got onto the sale page for Monsters & Treasure PDF, but it was listed at $19.99, and there was no mention of a free offering. Maybe it expired. *shrug* I'm using Chrome. Manual searched for M&T popped right up, bout halfway down the list.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 24, 2023 8:17:34 GMT -6
Linky no work. Cavetroll sad. Works ok for me? Just go to the TLG store and search for the M&T books, should find it that way.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 24, 2023 7:04:17 GMT -6
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Post by jeffb on Apr 24, 2023 6:58:14 GMT -6
Interesting. One of my fave things I favor B/X over OD&D is the built-in morale rules and stat, so I’ll be interested to see how this may be implemented. Likely not as codified as B/X, I’d imagine, but, still…having some such solid will be a good thing to me. Nitpick silliness: Also, thieves attack as clerics darn it! Heheh Matt had said morale would be more or less compatible with MCM (BX).
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Post by jeffb on Apr 24, 2023 4:20:35 GMT -6
You are at the grocery store checking out and see a "GMs Miscellany" coloring book on the shelves next to rest of the BS rags.
I wish I would have taken a pic. But it had some sort of generic ogl 5e compatible logo and was filled with monsters,items, maps, random tables, and of course was on that coloring book paper we all know.
I was too old for coloring books (or so I thought, as I loved coloring with my kids) by the time of the big boom of the fad years of the 80s, but still never recall anything sitting next to Women's day, or vogue, or whatever at the grocery store.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 23, 2023 14:16:52 GMT -6
I'm pretty sure that's just permanently free from now on, I remember getting that months ago. Maybe.Steve had posted today on Twitter, so thought I would spread the love.
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Post by jeffb on Apr 23, 2023 11:52:37 GMT -6
Free pdf of the M&T 3rd print. link
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Post by jeffb on Apr 22, 2023 8:19:14 GMT -6
Last couple of days coming up-
Here are the list of things that are included in the new rulebook that were not in previous printings, as well as the fulfilled stretch goals
I'm glad to see them take on treasure in this new print (among other things). I completely ignored the previous S&W treasure "rules".
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Post by jeffb on Apr 22, 2023 6:22:10 GMT -6
For myself- there is basically TSR D&D. Those editions are all similar enough. Details change, but it all runs the same at the table for the most part.
The WOTC editions are all their own thing individually. I happen to like this major variance from edition to edition and I love the fact that 3E and 4E and 5E are drastically different. I may not like a certain edition, but I'm all for bringing something fresh and new to the table for each edition, instead of re-runs (which is pretty much TSR D&D through the years).
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Post by jeffb on Apr 18, 2023 9:51:32 GMT -6
Screen inserts are a go. Minor things, but useful and so glad Matt didn't go gonzo stupid with stretch goals like so many other KS do..and then take forever to fulfill.
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