Pen & Paper and other Tabletop Games

Shadow of Death

Grushdeva Du Kalt Misht
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Feb 3, 2016
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Well, once everything is sorted out, if someone could lay out all the requisite knowledge, including websites and/or software, how the game will proceed, etc., that would probably help drum up more interested players.

It's a lot for a complete newb to read up on, so clarifying things and making it as accessible as possible would be helpful.
 

OCisbestungulate

Always watching you
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Feb 3, 2016
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Awesome, looks like we have our DM!
DM:
OCisbestungulate
I fear I spoke too soon, as I realize that at this moment in time I don't have the time to DM or do the necessary research. If things shoul;d change, I'll let you good fellows know, but at the time, I don't think I can do it.
 

Avering

Pew-Pew
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Feb 3, 2016
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We can always DM by democracy. Whoever has the stupidest/loudest idea shall lead the team. Someone would obviously need to check the monster stats and stuff, but the story could be written by the mob of players.
 
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Avering

Pew-Pew
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There is a cat. It had identity disorders and thought she was a sheep. Then the dogs chased her away and made her realise she was not a sheep. That's why her baaah sounded so weird. She then woved revenge on all Foenum for shattering her dream of sheepdom.
 
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V.A.a.M.P.P

The Man that had a plan but forgot it
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WE SHOULD TAKE FOENUM AND PUSH IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Please don't make me leader, I just wanted to say something loud and stupid.
Edit:also yes I'm in.
 
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Queezeey

Fighting game amateur
Feb 4, 2016
28
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a desk
We can always DM by democracy. Whoever has the stupidest/loudest idea shall lead the team. Someone would obviously need to check the monster stats and stuff, but the story could be written by the mob of players.
Sounds like a reasonable solution to me, as I'm in the same boat as OC when it comes to DM'ing (an edit to my previous post a couple pages back in case anyone reads that).
 

0Zero100

Alpaka Representative/Robot Family Bear
Crowdfund Backer
Feb 3, 2016
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Oh YEAH!? Well...

There once was an ungulate from FOENUM!
Who people thought was really DUMB!
They awoke in the middle of the NIGHT!
To a terrible SIGHT!
And found Pom and the Devourer cuddling on the couch!

AND THAT UNGULATE WAS ME! I SAW POM CUDDLING WITH THE DEVOURER! ME! ME! ME! ME!

ME!
 
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Mighty Alicorn Hunter

Predator Representative of the Darkside
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 4, 2016
530
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The Council
Oh YEAH!? Well...

There once was an ungulate from FOENUM!
Who people thought was really DUMB!
They awoke in the middle of the NIGHT!
To a terrible SIGHT!
And found Pom and the Devourer cuddling on the couch!

AND THAT UNGULATE WAS ME! I SAW POM CUDDLING WITH THE DEVOURER! ME! ME! ME! ME!

ME!
Come on everyone obviously doesn't see you like that...

You being an ungulate I mean. :}
 

Shadow of Death

Grushdeva Du Kalt Misht
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
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EVERYTHING BLASTED BY ELEMENTS OF HARMONY.

ALL THINGS FRIENDS FOREVER.

EVEN PREDATORS.

WHO THEN DIE OF STARVATION BECAUSE DUH, OBLIGATE CARNIVORES NEED TO EAT MEAT BUT BECAUSE EVERYONE IS FRIENDS, NO FOOD.

HERBIVORES WIN BY DEFAULT?

CELEBRATORY MOURNING WAS HAD.

MUCH CONFUSION!
 
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Avering

Pew-Pew
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But elements of harmony is now tree! And the Lawyer Friendly Equines gals have that eye-cancer inducing rainbow power! (Maybe that's how they won. They look so horrifying the enemy has no choice but to bow down). The power came from a tree! Timid Ferovore Hoers now has the power of a tree! Her dreams came true!
Then she got bored and when everyone died and the world remade itself into Foenum, she decided to end it all. As a tree. Yes, a giant evil tree.
 

Mighty Alicorn Hunter

Predator Representative of the Darkside
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 4, 2016
530
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EVERYTHING BLASTED BY ELEMENTS OF HARMONY.

ALL THINGS FRIENDS FOREVER.

EVEN PREDATORS.

WHO THEN DIE OF STARVATION BECAUSE DUH, OBLIGATE CARNIVORES NEED TO EAT MEAT BUT BECAUSE EVERYONE IS FRIENDS, NO FOOD.

HERBIVORES WIN BY DEFAULT?

CELEBRATORY MOURNING WAS HAD.

MUCH CONFUSION!
Umm... is it sad to say that this is the end-goal of my RP character?...
 

Equestrian Wyvern

The Necrogryphon
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
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Hmm... A Foenum based Pathfinder campaign is an interesting idea but not a particularly good fit. Not really interested in taking part, but if whoever is GMing needs advice I guess I could give pointers based on several years of experience with D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder.

Though now that I think about it, with some work I could probably create a game system that fits the general game type far better by mixing together the Mouse Guard RPG and Fate Accelerated to get an RPG system that approximates a Fighting game's mechanics.
 

Mighty Alicorn Hunter

Predator Representative of the Darkside
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 4, 2016
530
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The Council
Hmm... A Foenum based Pathfinder campaign is an interesting idea but not a particularly good fit. Not really interested in taking part, but if whoever is GMing needs advice I guess I could give pointers based on several years of experience with D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder.

Though now that I think about it, with some work I could probably create a game system that fits the general game type far better by mixing together the Mouse Guard RPG and Fate Accelerated to get an RPG system that approximates a Fighting game's mechanics.
Actually, I don't know that much about those systems, but from what I do know of FATE, it might be a better fit for our needs... especially our more out there characters like zero.
 

Equestrian Wyvern

The Necrogryphon
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
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Actually, I don't know that much about those systems, but from what I do know of FATE, it might be a better fit for our needs... especially our more out there characters like zero.
Yeah, as long as you don't require really crunchy details and you are able to handle the narrative gameplay, Fate Accelerated would probably work out of the box for what you are doing. The main reason Mouseguard could help is that its conflict resolution system involves pre-programming actions which simultaneously resolve based on specific interactions between your actions.(I apologize for the brief description, its just that it more or less requires a chart to explain how combat resolves)
 

V.A.a.M.P.P

The Man that had a plan but forgot it
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Feb 3, 2016
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The Great Unknown in Texas
Yeah, as long as you don't require really crunchy details and you are able to handle the narrative gameplay, Fate Accelerated would probably work out of the box for what you are doing. The main reason Mouseguard could help is that its conflict resolution system involves pre-programming actions which simultaneously resolve based on specific interactions between your actions.(I apologize for the brief description, its just that it more or less requires a chart to explain how combat resolves)
I wouldn't mind the long details if it gets everyone on the same page on how we will play the campaign.
 

Equestrian Wyvern

The Necrogryphon
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
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You know, why don't we just make our own system for TFHs? I suspect that there's enough know-how here in regards to design and plenty of play-testers.
It would certainly be possible to do that, its just generally a matter of whether it is worth starting from scratch or if it is a better idea to rework another system to fit. As for if you really want to follow through with a custom approach here are a few musings I have had regarding the idea of a system generically based on fighting games. (I am a novice in terms of actually playing them, so it may be a bit off)
  1. Simultaneous action selection is a must to get the right flow, otherwise the combat system starts falling apart as you can decide to just counter the opponent's strong moves at your convenience leading to combat being a slog
  2. Given Simultaneous action selection requires some sort of conditional resolution, ie what your action does depends on what action the opponent does.
  3. To improve flow 6-7 actions is the absolute maximum number of options where things get out of hand
  4. A good baseline to start working with in terms of actions are: Attack>Feint>Block>Attack + Special
  5. Three approaches to character customization would be: Combos- Bonuses conditional to playing specific actions in a certain order; Styles - Either provide multiple choices for each action type, or make upgraded versions of each to indicate a focus in that type of action; Specials - Essentially each character would ideally have a fully custom action that has limited use which can violate certain baseline rules
  6. Combat breaks down when things end up as anything besides 1v1, so the best approach to handle that is with an 'Assist' approach where the active player can use a weaker version of their ally's abilities (a mini special essentially)
  7. Narratively it is jarring to try fitting in your standard best of X fighting game structure, so either you would need to drop it entirely or replace it with a mechanic based on getting back up and continuing to fight.
Just a few samples to illustrate the suggested character customization concepts(these are only a fraction of the details that would be needed for a character, and probably aren't balanced correctly):
Frost -Reindeer of the Blizzard
Style: 3x Attack, 2x Attack+, 3x Feint, 3x Block
Combos:
  • Bitter Blizzard: Attack,Attack,Attack+ - Opponent's next action must be Block
  • Black Ice: Attack,Attack+,Block - Opponent's action resolves with themselves as the target
Special: Frostburn - x1 Damage vs Block, x2 damage vs Attack, x2 damage vs feint
Assist: Frostbite - x1 Damage vs Block, x1 damage vs Attack, x1 damage vs feint

Montana - Cattle of the Hills
Style: 3x Attack, 3x Feint, 3x Block, 1x Block++
Combos:
  • Pasture stance: Block,Block,Block - Heal X Units 1/combat
  • By the Horns : Feint, Attack - (Interupt) Reset Opponent's combos
Special: Bullseye(Feint) - Negate Opponent's next action
Assist: Bull Market - Negate Opponent's next combo.
 

baxdab

Totally a backer guys
Jun 25, 2016
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I agree, the setting is most important. That being said the concept of adapting a fighting game to pen and paper is pretty interesting. There was a pro wrestling board game that did something similar and was really interesting, which adapted a live sport to pen and paper. Can't remember the name off the top of my head though.
 

OCisbestungulate

Always watching you
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Feb 3, 2016
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It's a pity that 13th age ain't free to play. It's all about storytelling and setting.

But perhaps there's some wisdom in the point of adapting vs making something new from scratch. Though, are there any interested in parties in taking a stab at making a new game from scratch?
 

Stridershy

The King Of Goat Style
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Feb 3, 2016
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It's a pity that 13th age ain't free to play. It's all about storytelling and setting.

But perhaps there's some wisdom in the point of adapting vs making something new from scratch. Though, are there any interested in parties in taking a stab at making a new game from scratch?
Not really. Everything we need to do can be done within the confines of Pathfinder.

The most work we'd need to do is coming up with stats for Cows, Sheeps, Alpacas, and Longmas.
 

Equestrian Wyvern

The Necrogryphon
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
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It's a pity that 13th age ain't free to play. It's all about storytelling and setting.

But perhaps there's some wisdom in the point of adapting vs making something new from scratch. Though, are there any interested in parties in taking a stab at making a new game from scratch?
13th Age is actually suitably free as long as you have a GM who actually owns a copy of the book, though due to the whole Icons approach it ends up being a pain to port most settings that don't have extremely well defined worlds over.

I wouldn't be horribly opposed lending a hand if you wanted to try making a more fitting system, I just doubt any such efforts will get a warm reception around here with the Pathfinder crowd.
 

Mighty Alicorn Hunter

Predator Representative of the Darkside
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 4, 2016
530
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The Council
13th Age is actually suitably free as long as you have a GM who actually owns a copy of the book, though due to the whole Icons approach it ends up being a pain to port most settings that don't have extremely well defined worlds over.

I wouldn't be horribly opposed lending a hand if you wanted to try making a more fitting system, I just doubt any such efforts will get a warm reception around here with the Pathfinder crowd.
I think that'd be fine, I just don't see it as entirely necessary... well, that and to be frank I'm terrible at fighting games, so making a combo based system is gonna be hard for me to follow...
 

Equestrian Wyvern

The Necrogryphon
Backers' Beta Tester
Feb 3, 2016
12
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I think that'd be fine, I just don't see it as entirely necessary... well, that and to be frank I'm terrible at fighting games, so making a combo based system is gonna be hard for me to follow...
Of course, typically a fully custom RPG system is overkill when you are trying to play a somewhat normal game type and aren't looking to commercially publish, though a full Fighting game could necessitate it if you want a truly perfect match. In this particular situation I would suggest either a straight Fate based game, or for a more complicated but more fitting experience something consisting along the lines of:
60% Fate - Most general systems and non-combat conflicts, generally easier to use
35% Mouse Guard - Combat conflict resolution, Somewhat harder to use but does a better job of getting the fighting game combat flow in
3% Custom - Mapping of Mouseguard combat resolutions into Fate's system
2% Custom - Mapping of Fate character customization into Mouseguard Combat system, probably special action cards with bonuses
 

OCisbestungulate

Always watching you
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Feb 3, 2016
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13th Age is actually suitably free as long as you have a GM who actually owns a copy of the book, though due to the whole Icons approach it ends up being a pain to port most settings that don't have extremely well defined worlds over.
Free? Like, there some form of distribution or something one can do if they own the book?

Also: In the games I've played, we've been pretty flexible with the icons. Like, we could use each of the champions as an icon (or the nation the're from), as well as the Devourer and the Prophet. That gives 9 icons right there. Or if one wanted, one could even adapt the 'factions' in this forum for the same purpose. Granted, it's not the nice 13 that comes with the game, but there's also the alternate rules that exist for 7 icons if one wanted to try and adapt it that way. But methinks the biggest issue lies not with adapting the system, but finding enough people who know/play 13th Age.

I wouldn't be horribly opposed lending a hand if you wanted to try making a more fitting system, I just doubt any such efforts will get a warm reception around here with the Pathfinder crowd.
I suspect it has less to do with a fondness for Pathfinder, and more to do with the cost and familiarity of it. It would seem that there are versions of Pathfinder that are both digital and free, and when trying to get a group together, both of those points are ever so appealing.
 
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