Multiple questions.

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xBlackHeartx
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Multiple questions.

Post by xBlackHeartx »

I was thinking of trying to play the game, solo. I've never played a tabletop game with anyone, and after having failed to find a group anywhere after years of searching, I finally decided to just sit down and try to play it on my own. I did play a game once on my own (using Bash, a superhero rpg), so I do have some experience doing it. Not sure how I'll handle 4 or more characters are once, but attack rolls require less math than bash, and there are no defense rolls, so I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

Anyway, I rolled up 3 characters (two fighters and fighter-magic user). I chose three because looking at the book, its obvious that this game is NOT meant for 1 PC.

I do have a few different questions about the game though:

1. What counts as having a 'free hand'? Can a character cast spells if they have a shield that's tied to their arm? I assume no since the book suggests that having a shield period makes it impossible to cast (unless maybe you're holding a shield and the other hand is empty). I decided that my fighter-mu uses a shortbow (mostly because she rolled 2 for hit points). Yeah, it requires 2 hands to use, but you obviously don't need 2 hands to hold the thing, as long as you don't have an arrow nocked at least.
2. Can a character wear a lantern? I assumed no after I read a forum thread (not related to this game though) about how impractical that would be. Best case scenario, the oil would spill out and/or the lantern would limit your movement. Worst case scenario, you set yourself on fire.
3. How do you tackle someone? There's rules for wrestling, but what about charging someone and taking them to the ground? There seems to be no rules for ramming people or anything of the sort. I would just say use the wrestling rules, and assume that both are prone on the ground as a result. But I don't know really.
4. How do you design an adventure? I have no idea what I can throw at my little party and what I can't. I plan on easing into it, face one globin, face two, face a gnoll maybe if they're still not dead yet. But I don't really know. Most games I look at have around 10 characters, but I'm not about to try to handle 10 characters with 5+ monsters.
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Hernes Son
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by Hernes Son »

1 -- I'd say a freely unencumbered arm. So, if you're holding a shield in one arm, your fingers are being used to grasp one of the straps. WOn't work.

2 -- I don't know how that would really work. The types of lanterns we usually see in fantasy art are too big and bulky to wear around your neck. Maybe you could strap it to your chest, but it'd get hot, and distract you with the glow under your face. Weld it to the top of your helmet?

3 -- Yeah, using the wrestling rule makes sense. Maybe instead of the "Save Vs. Death Ray" to break the hold, the defender needs to make the save to avoid being knocked down? Play with it and see what works for you.

4 -- That's a whole conversation in and of itself. If you're new to the game, don't try making your own adventure first. Grab one of the adventure books from the downloads page. I'm running a beginner group through "Tales From the Laughing Dragon" right now, and they're having a great time.
The Hooded Man will come to the forest, there to meet with Herne the Hunter, to be his son and do his bidding.
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Dimirag
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by Dimirag »

First of all: Welcome to the forum!
xBlackHeartx wrote:What counts as having a 'free hand'?
If the character is not holding anything in a hand, and can move that hand freely, then its a "free hand"
xBlackHeartx wrote:Can a character cast spells if they have a shield that's tied to their arm?
I assume the character is a Fighter/Magic User Elf. He can't with that hand as the weight of the shield impedes free movement, he can cast spells if his other hand is free.
xBlackHeartx wrote:Can a character wear a lantern?
They can carry it on one hand but not hanging around their neck.
xBlackHeartx wrote:How do you tackle someone?
The wrestling rules works fine, maybe a successful attack roll after a grab do the work, I would allow a paralysis saving to avoid being complete immobile
xBlackHeartx wrote:How do you design an adventure?
Hard to give a fast answer. Think on something that needs to be done or a situation where the character could get into, give them something to do and a reason to do it
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
Drawing portfolio: https://www.instagram.com/m.serena_dimirag/
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Solomoriah
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by Solomoriah »

xBHx, where are you located? It's just barely possible we might know someone in your area who is an old schooler like us... if we knew what your area was. :D
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xBlackHeartx
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by xBlackHeartx »

I live in North Carolina.

As for why I want to play basic fantasy, its not for the 'old school thing' (I'm only 30). I just prefer its simplicity, and the fact that it removes things from 3rd edition that I now see as unneccessary (most notably skills and feats, seriously, I always saw feats as serving no purpose other than acting as prerequisites for prestige classes, or far more likely, other feats).

As for the game, well I was planning on making a setting that more appealed to me. The game functionally wouldn't really work differently (well, aside for magic-users, I never did like vancian magic). Mostly its just cosmetic changes. Like halflings are like the 3rd edition halflings I know and love rather than as rip-offs of Bilbo Baggins. Intelligent monsters aren't always evil (with some exceptions like demons and liches), thieves are called rogues and don't have to be pick-pockets, etc...

Obviously I can achieve all this just by using the various alternate rules, some of which I believe are mentioned in the core books (such as allocating thief skills). Of course, I kinda fear that replacing magic-users with sorcerers might break the game. But hey, I wasn't really planning on playing my setting with anyone else, so who cares? Even if I do make something op it'll only affect my experience and no one else's.

But just for the experience, I wouldn't mind trying to play in someone else's game, even if the setting doesn't really appeal to me.

As for my own playtesting, I put my 3 characters up against an unarmed and unarmored gnoll. That was, surprisingly easy. The gnoll didn't get in a single hit, and it only took them 2 rounds to kill it. Of course, when your side is getting 3 attack rolls a turn, I doubt taking down a single enemy would really take that long. And looking at the rolls, my little party would've won even if he did have armor on. The 'hits' were both 16+, and one attack was a magic missile.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by Solomoriah »

Our own moderator and gentleman, Hywaywolf, is from North Carolina. I found four others besides him looking for BFRPG games in NC on the nearbygamers.com site; maybe you might want to check that out.
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xBlackHeartx
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by xBlackHeartx »

He's all the way out on the coast, I'm near Charlotte. And there appears to be no one near where I am...oh well.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by Solomoriah »

Shadowmane is something like 40 miles away (depending on where, exactly, you both are).
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xBlackHeartx
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by xBlackHeartx »

I was just reading the first adventure in the adventure anthology.

[spoiler]The thing says its for 2 to 4 first level PCs, but half way through they have to fight a group of 15 goblins, 3 hobgoblins, and if they fail to ambush them, 3 bosses, one of which is a 2 hd hobgoblin with a halberd and the third is a shaman[/spoiler]

I'm reading through this, and I'm thinking, really???? A little part of [spoiler]2 to 4 first-level characters[/spoiler] is supposed to fight off a group of [spoiler]15 goblins and 3 hobgolins[/spoiler]???? How???? Each of those [spoiler]goblins[/spoiler] is equivalent to a level 1 character stat-wise!!!!!

There's no way the party could win! Even taking into account that they'll be fighting in a [spoiler]1-tile wide tunnel, they would still have to hack through 15 goblins and 3 hobgoblins[/spoiler]

edit: Okay, and why does the spoiler command not work here??? What is this, was this site made in the 90s????
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SmootRK
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Re: Multiple questions.

Post by SmootRK »

Ever notice the scene in Star Wars where Han an Chewie run screaming after some Storm Troopers in the Death Star, only to turn the corner and find out they are severely out numbered...
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
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