Best Version of DnD?

[Sylverthorne]

12 minutes ago, Cranky Dog said:

 

Anyone else had the recurring problem of treating *all* 1s and 20s as crits or fumbles? Most notably while using skills.

 

At least Pathfinder does mention that you can succeed on a skill roll of '1' if you have a high enough bonus, but it's not exactly a rules section that stands out. (I don't remember the details for D&D 3.x)

 

I've had that conversation a few times. Firmly repeating that you /cannot critically succeed on a skill check/ usually shuts them up... eventually.

[Auberon]

Back in the day when my old group played 3E we used its critical rules.  I think it was much more of a "we use the rules because they are the rules" rather than any particular love for them.  I can say no one complained when we switched to other versions of d20 that just used the simple 1 & 20.  Later we tried the cards but didn't find them a good fit.  It's not that they were bad, they just took time and too frequently gave a result no one at the table found interesting.

 

For the reasons mentioned above, I'm also not a fan of criticals in combat doing too much  A PC just has too many rolls and eventually that will catch up to them.

 

32 minutes ago, Sylverthorne said:

45 minutes ago, Cranky Dog said:

 

Anyone else had the recurring problem of treating *all* 1s and 20s as crits or fumbles? Most notably while using skills.

 

At least Pathfinder does mention that you can succeed on a skill roll of '1' if you have a high enough bonus, but it's not exactly a rules section that stands out. (I don't remember the details for D&D 3.x)

 

I've had that conversation a few times. Firmly repeating that you /cannot critically succeed on a skill check/ usually shuts them up... eventually.

 

For the sake of argument I'll go ahead and point out that there are systems which allow for critical successes and failures on skills.  BUT, and this is an important but, a critical success on a skill doesn't allow a character to instantly succeed at something crazy and world breaking and a critical 1 is not necessarily a horrible failure.  What these systems do is give an additional bonus or penalty to the result.  If the test is in degrees then the result can get moved up or down an additional level.  If there is a target number that the character is trying to reach then a "critical" gives a static +/- to the result (or the TN; however you want to think of it).

 

My personal experience is that a small +/- on a critical can work just fine in d20.  For physical skills jumping an extra couple feet (or a few less) on a check isn't a game breaker, falling damage is the same whether your rolled a 1 or a 2 before you fell, and an untrained character pirouetting across a wet log on a balance check just gives the player something to talk about the rest of the night.  It is more likely that social skills will cause headaches, but I suspect most of the time there it is a player issue.  Someone that expects a critical diplomacy success to make the king give them the crown...

 

I guess to put it in simple mechanical terms, giving a d20 PC a small +/- on critical skill checks allows them to succeed on a task as if they were a few levels higher or fail as if they were a few levels lower than their current level.  YMMV on if you like this idea, or if you're player's can handle it appropriately, but d20 itself will be ok.

[DocPiske]

Rolemaster Arms Law was the best/most insane (pick one) critical hit / fumble system. Those tables!

[Dilvish the Deliverer]

29 minutes ago, DocPiske said:

Rolemaster Arms Law was the best/most insane (pick one) critical hit / fumble system. Those tables!

"Cut self while shaving, consult limb loss table."

[Cranky Dog]

7 hours ago, DocPiske said:

Rolemaster Arms Law was the best/most insane (pick one) critical hit / fumble system. Those tables!

When I started playing AD&D in the early 90s, some of us were still using the Best of Dragon crit/fumble tables. They weren't very forgiving back then.

 

My monk KOed himself twice in a row during the same battle, and punched *so* many allies over time.

Edited July 13, 2017 by Cranky Dog

[TheAuldGrump]

23 hours ago, Cranky Dog said:

We tried the crit/fumble decks from Pathfinder (even the Fate cards).

 

Though it did add some variety, we also found it slowed the pace of the game, particularly during larger battles. So we dropped them and kept to the basic rules.

 

 

Anyone else had the recurring problem of treating *all* 1s and 20s as crits or fumbles? Most notably while using skills.

 

At least Pathfinder does mention that you can succeed on a skill roll of '1' if you have a high enough bonus, but it's not exactly a rules section that stands out. (I don't remember the details for D&D 3.x)

One of the things that I always remind my players of - Taking 10 is often 'Good Enough' - if you don't need to roll, then don't.

 

Want to climb the ratlines of the ship? Take 10.

Want to swim across a pond? Take 10.

Want to ride your horse at a slow trot? Take 10.

 

Unless you are in the middle of combat, an average roll is often 'Good Enough'.

 

The other new character in the Pirates game is a Gunslinger.... His brother is playing the gnome alchemist - so he can make the gunpowder.

 

The Auld Grump

[TheAuldGrump]

I am tempted to bring either slumgullion or lobscouse to the kids game next week - to give the kids an idea of what their characters are eating.

 

Then the week after, the food that buccaneers were named for! Barbecue!

 

Seriously, there used to be a barbecue sauce with the slogan 'Cause Buccaneer Means Barbecue!' - and they were telling the truth - a buccan is a grill, and the buccaneers were the folks that used those grills.... It made me smile. :D

 

The Auld Grump

[Pingo]

On 7/10/2017 at 10:00 AM, TheAuldGrump said:

The problem with that is that it makes the uncommon too common, and makes it just as likely that a wizard with a STR of 8 is going to get a Critical while bopping you with his stick as a fighter with a STR of 18 while wielding his Mighty Axe of Sliciness. (It slices! It dices! And look what it does to this tomato!)

 

The main point of the confirmation roll is to make it so that the combat types are more likely to get a critical hit and less likely to get a fumble.

 

But, and this is important - it is your game - folks have been using 1=Fumble, 20=Critical since long before there was any official method for having criticals or fumbles at all.

 

I think that it may be the first house rule that people come up with, over, and over, and over again..

 

Tomorrow we have eight players in the kids game again, two have come back from vacation - so they are going to be taken as prisoners when the PCs are in their first boarding action.

 

And the local science museum is having a special event on pirates right now.... Focusing on The Whydah. (Slave ship turned pirate ship - sunk off of Cape Cod.)

 

 

Nerds - if the grown ups are as excited about a show on pirates as the kids are... odds are, you're surrounded by nerds. (Hey, I didn't say I wasn't excited too, ya know? ) 

 

The Auld Grump - Next Saturday before the game....

 

 

 

 

Oooooh, I saw the Whydah exhibit when it came through our town.  Major coolness!

[TheAuldGrump]

Looking forward to it - there are enough of us going that we qualified for a group discount! (Eight kids, twelve adults - maybe more, since the folks in Megan's writing group are also interested.)

 

Waiting on one of the folks for the Paranormal Romance game right now....

 

The Auld Grump - kids like pirates, but sometimes the kids are a bit older....

[Pingo]

21 hours ago, DocPiske said:

Rolemaster Arms Law was the best/most insane (pick one) critical hit / fumble system. Those tables!

 

We used to read them to each other for entertainment. *shudder*

 

11 minutes ago, TheAuldGrump said:

I am tempted to bring either slumgullion or lobscouse to the kids game next week - to give the kids an idea of what their characters are eating.

 

Then the week after, the food that buccaneers were named for! Barbecue!

 

Seriously, there used to be a barbecue sauce with the slogan 'Cause Buccaneer Means Barbecue!' - and they were telling the truth - a buccan is a grill, and the buccaneers were the folks that used those grills.... It made me smile. :D

 

The Auld Grump

 

We've had a certain amount of fun with game-appropriate food.  I recently learned about Persian cuisine to make dinner for a game session with a Persian vampire.

[TheAuldGrump]

There are actually a few Pathfinder books that contain recipes - including one of the books for Curse of the Crimson Throne.

 

The Auld Grump

 

*EDIT* Huh, not in the hardcover version... I am gonna need to dig out the originals.

Spicy Chickpea Simmer

Varisians favor simple stews on the road, and roasted meat,

freshly gathered fruits, and herbs round out the meal. Most

caravans begin preparing a large pot of stew in the morning,

allowing the flavors to simmer and meld over the course of

the day until the clan gathers for dinner in the evening. The

following recipe emulates what a traditional Varisian meal

might taste like.

Ingredients

1 bunch kale

1 (12 ounce) can tomatoes, stewed

1 (16.5 ounce) can chickpeas

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, heat 2 tablespoons olive

oil over medium7low heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 5

minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and

cook another 2–3 minutes until garlic is golden and fragrant

and onions are soft.

 

While onion and garlic cook, drain and rinse chickpeas.

Add chickpeas, chili powder, paprika and cumin to skillet. Stir

constantly for 1 minute until spice mixture coats chickpeas.

Add stewed tomatoes and stir to combine. Lower heat and

simmer for 5 minutes.

 

While mixture simmers, coarsely chop kale (chard,

cabbage, or other leafy greens may be substituted). Add

chopped greens to skillet, stir, and simmer another 5 minutes until

greens are wilted and tender. Add salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice.

Stir and remove from heat. Serve over brown rice or pasta.

 

Huh, I can quote from the PDF - but it has really weird formatting....

Edited July 13, 2017 by TheAuldGrump

[Jokemeister]

3 hours ago, TheAuldGrump said:

 

The other new character in the Pirates game is a Gunslinger.... His brother is playing the gnome alchemist - so he can make the gunpowder.

 

The Auld Grump

 

Critical Role has spoiled me.  Every time I think gunpowder now, I think of the black powder merchant from Critical Role.

 

Too funny!

[BlazingTornado]

Speaking of memorable NPCs, you guys ever introduce a minor character that's kind of at a "rest" locale between adventures and then when the party gets back to the locale you can't remember what voice you gave him?

[sigmaone]

1 hour ago, Jokemeister said:

 

Critical Role has spoiled me.  Every time I think gunpowder now, I think of the black powder merchant from Critical Role.

 

Too funny!

 

For the uninitiated, it is very worth watching. One of the many highlights of Critical Role:

 

 

 

[TheAuldGrump]

20 hours ago, BlazingTornado said:

Speaking of memorable NPCs, you guys ever introduce a minor character that's kind of at a "rest" locale between adventures and then when the party gets back to the locale you can't remember what voice you gave him?

I sometimes cheat, and note what actor I picture playing the part.

 

The Auld Grump - if I really hate the character, I give him to Gilbert Gottfried or Adam Sandler....