Tabletop RPGs

[Gwardinen]

Are you talking about using a different system from D&D, OssK, or using D&D with a different setting from Forgotten Realms? In truth I'm cool with either but D&D just seems like the most obvious starting off point, particularly from a system point of view, since most of us are relatively new to the whole concept.

Hermie, as I mentioned I've used RPTools before and I think they can definitely work. They're Java based which makes them easy for anyone to actually use, and the MapTool works well for the actual bread and butter of moving characters around and fighting. However, I don't know how easy it is to find resources for them - ie. images to use as tiles and as monsters.

Other things that I've heard of:

Orokos - Dice Roller, Stat Calculator and Character Sheet holder if you are able to use the D&D4 character builder program.

Fantasy Grounds - Hermie mentioned it, I believe it's pretty good but it's also quite expensive.

Myth Weavers - Includes tools for generating dungeons, NPCs, towns and treasures. Also has some kind of online character sheet builder that I haven't had a chance to check out myself yet. This could be useful, so if someone tries it let me know!

Invisible Castle - Mostly useful for play by post, I think, specialising in fair, open dice rolling. Might contain something else useful, though.

EN World - Honestly not sure what this site provides, but it seems popular with online D&D groups.

I have an old version of that that I might be able to give people, I think the old downloadable version is free these days. There's an updated web version that requires D&D Insider subscription. There are probably also lots of other good tools there, but frankly I doubt I have the money to get a sub. The official site does include a few other tools worth checking out, though, including D&D Adventure Tools and Character Sheets that we may use:

Motherfuckin' Wizaaaaaaaaaaaards Tools

"Test Drive DnD" Page

[OssK]

Agone's a different system because magic is created by your interactions with tiny little dancing creatures called danseurs and/or by using arts (pigments, music, poetry etc.) so it's pretty rough to adapt the univers to a different rule set but D&D's fine by me if you'll have me

[Gwardinen]

Well right now we're still in the stage of figuring out who is going to DM, if we're going to have multiple groups with multiple DMs and how we're actually going to do it on a technical side, hence all the links in my last post. So you're as welcome as anyone.

There are also other settings but Forgotten Realms that have been written for D&D - for example Eberron which is like techy steampunky fantasy I think? Something like that. I wouldn't mind doing Eberron myself as then I could be a clockwork man!

[Squid Division]

Something other than high-fantasy would be cool, not too picky though.

Is there a limit on the number of people that can be in a group? It seemed like the Robot Chicken group (6 + a DM) might have been pushing the upper limit.

[Gwardinen]

The Robot Chicken group was actually 5 party members and the DM, which is generally considered the standard party size, most are 4 or 5. There's no technical limit to it, since we control the game, but having more than 5 in is generally not recommended I don't think.

Unless I've miscounted we currently have 8 people wanting to be players and 2 offering to be DMs - or at least willing to start off as DMs, I think we should take it in turns a bit to avoid burnout. We can either have two four-man parties, or the DMs themselves can be players in the alternate games if they have time, or some others in the party can cross over.

[Orv]

2 four-man parties would probably be optimal.

Thanks for digging up those tools Gwardinen.

I have a way to get Fantasy Grounds, but all things considered, it isn't strictly. . .well, paying for it. It's a bit pricy for what it does, to be honest, but we used a 'fixed' version last I did this sort of thing.

If I'm going to DM, I need to start writing and designing monsters, so we need to start deciding on a couple things.

1. Parties. If we're doing 2of4, you folks need to get together and decide who you'd want as a DM, and who you want in the party.

2. Setting. I would assume, if we're doing 4.0, that we'll be on Faerun. Which means;

- Forgotten Realms

- Ebberon (yech)

- Greyhawk

or

- Ravenloft.

We could do Planescape, but I'd have to do a lot of tweaking for 4.0.

3. Characters! Start designing them. I can get you a PDF of the 4.0 Players Handbook if needed.

So discuss amongst yourselves and let me and Hermie know (and OssK? Or are you playing?) and we'll get writing.

[Gwardinen]

It might be best, if possible, to have the two parties do two different settings. That way we can pick based on which we like more/works for our character ideas better. There are also actually three players handbooks now, I believe, but yeah we can find PDFs of them. I think #1 has all the rules in and 2 and 3 are more classes and races.

I'm going to guess you don't want to do Eberron, Orvidos, so are there any of the other three that particularly appeal to you? Are there any that particularly appeal to you, Hermie? If you guys think you can do a better story in a specific setting that is a good reason for me. Alternatively if you can find some starter stories that are specific to one or other setting... I had been looking for a couple of those without much success.

As for character creation, like I said I can probably upload the old character creator for you guys if you so wish. It should be up to date as of PH3, I don't know if there's anything crazily different after that.

[Patters]

2 four-man parties would probably be optimal.

Thanks for digging up those tools Gwardinen.

I have a way to get Fantasy Grounds, but all things considered, it isn't strictly. . .well, paying for it. It's a bit pricy for what it does, to be honest, but we used a 'fixed' version last I did this sort of thing.

If I'm going to DM, I need to start writing and designing monsters, so we need to start deciding on a couple things.

1. Parties. If we're doing 2of4, you folks need to get together and decide who you'd want as a DM, and who you want in the party.

2. Setting. I would assume, if we're doing 4.0, that we'll be on Faerun. Which means;

- Forgotten Realms

- Ebberon (yech)

- Greyhawk

or

- Ravenloft.

We could do Planescape, but I'd have to do a lot of tweaking for 4.0.

3. Characters! Start designing them. I can get you a PDF of the 4.0 Players Handbook if needed.

So discuss amongst yourselves and let me and Hermie know (and OssK? Or are you playing?) and we'll get writing.

Fuck that Gamma World or bust.

[OssK]

I can DM or play, either way, I'll need to go back to the cookbook regarding rules, I've been playing only strange and supa weird stuff for the last 3 years and not a single D&D game so being back up to speed won't be a breeze but I can surely do it and would love to play with your lives…

Jctm9EYvo18

[Orv]

While I'd be happy to do other settings, they'd have to be things I've done personally and with a tactile sense of how things work. I have yet to play Gamma World directly, so I'd have to pass on that.

I'm very inclined to do Forgotten Realms, Gwar, but I'm open for other things. I'll start writing a session for FR and if people decide otherwise I can just modify things. It'll probably start somewhere in the mid-western reaches that I imagine most of you are familiar with. Tethyr maybe. Never done a campaign in that area.

If anyone has any suggestions for locales/campaign settings, let me know, and if I've played it, I'd be happy to DM it.

[Gwardinen]

Forgotten Realms is fine by me. Truth be told I'm not particularly familiar with any of the settings as the most experience I've had with D&D is a brief spate of 3.5-based Pathfinder a while back.

OssK can take over from Hermie as DM of the other group if they wish to do that, I'm not trying to railroad anyone into a position here, just trying to keep this train rolling so that it actually gets off the ground (mixed metaphor I know). Groups like this have a tendency to say "yeah let's do it!" and then never get anywhere, so I just want us to get something running and then we can switch people out and rotate roles and so on as we go.

That Myth Weavers site might be useful for your NPC and monster creation needs, Orvidos, I recommend giving it a look. Also I have no idea what those official D&D Adventure Tools include, but they might be good too and are free.

As for a fixed version of Fantasy Grounds, I don't have a personal problem with it. I'm all for supporting the hobby (I used to work in a tabletop wargaming, etc. shop after all) but the barrier to entry on this stuff is so high in terms of all the things to buy and finding and starting and educating a group, we can use any help we can get to start off with.

[Hermie]

I'd be glad to let OssK DM. =)

As for setting, we usually just made up our own fantasy places, so I have no idea about that stuff. <.<

[toblix]

How much of an amateur can one be and still be able to participate without breaking the game for everyone else? I've only played one campaign, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, using, I believe, v3.5. We never finished it, but I think we were about half-way in.

[Squid Division]

My sum total of experience comes from watching that video series I posted and a few of the Penny Arcade podcasts, so I don't think any is required.

[Snooglebum]

The main problem I have is that I can never find people willing to play. It's part of going to a community college that has super-varied schedules for everyone, but it's still frustrating.

If we're getting an online group started up, I'd love to join, although I prefer face-to-face with pretty much no exception. Oh, and I've been DMing for about 5 years.

Also, why the fuck did my video get linked?

[OssK]

Because I like bunnies and I play with them lives.

[Snooglebum]

If OssK's not up to it, or too busy, I'd be happy to DM. I definitely have a fair bit of experience, although I'll admit over the internet is new to me.

[Gwardinen]

You guys can work that out between yourselves, but as I said it's probably a good idea if we rotate the DM role a bit as we go so I'm sure your talents will be utilised eventually.

Do you or OssK have any thoughts on the setting for the second group?

[Lu]

Yea, personally I'd love something low fantasy, contemporary or scifi. That'd sweet. Won't complain if it's just vanilla D&D though.

[DanJW]

Oh man I just saw this. I would love to be involved (I've DMed a little bit and have a campaign setting written up).

Unfortunately I don't have internet at home at the moment. With luck I will do in a couple of weeks once I have moved house. Either way I will keep an eye on you guys, wish you luck with your dice and hope to join in future.

[Hermie]

PS: If a D&D group is gonna work properly, everyone can't be Wizards.

...or COULD we?

[Erkki]

I would probably like to join, but my knowledge of how it works is limited to those Robot Chicken videos and Bladur's Gate.

Oh, and I would gladly be a Thief or something like that.

[DanJW]

PS: If a D&D group is gonna work properly, everyone can't be Wizards.

...or COULD we?

In D&D 4E you could field a whole party of arcane spellcasters. A wizard, a bard, a sorceror and a swordmage. And a warlock too.

But if you want a whole game of wizards then you'll be wanting Ars Magicka or it's descendents Mage: The Ascension/Awakening. They're White Wolf, so a different kettle of magcially altered fish.

Or there's indie game Sorceror, which is so popular as to not be indie any more. It's got some seriously dark stuff going on in there, but it's hidden deep down.

If you want to play D&D free and legally, I recommend OSRIC or one of the other classic D&D clones that are popular at the moment under the umbrella of Old School Renaissance. Being OD&D they're bloody lethal though, especially for 1st level wizards.

Erkki; Baldur's Gate is actually a pretty good primer for 3E D&D, if you payed attention to the underlying mechanics.

[Lu]

If there is a spot for a magical type dude, then I call dibs on a Wild Mage.

[Erkki]

Erkki; Baldur's Gate is actually a pretty good primer for 3E D&D, if you payed attention to the underlying mechanics.

I can't say I payed too much attention to them, but I didn't completely ignore them.