Pen & Paper/Traditional RPGs

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Phoenix Prime_sl

shitlord
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I've been with my current D&D group for about 2 years now. We've played both 3.5 (what we started with) and since it's been released, 5th edition. 3.5 allows far more complexity and customization than 5th edition does. Mostly due to rules and the amount of splat books available.

However, after playing 5th for a few months now I've grown to love it. It's so much more quicker and streamlined and easier to play. The classes are a bit more diverse and unique with their own paths. Caster power is limited due to the amount of spell slots they have. Melee's can keep up with casters far more easily in this edition than previously. Can also play 5th with no feats or magic items if you were so inclined but that defeats the purpose of D&D.

I'd definitely check out 5th if your looking for something straightforward and easy to play.

Our DM is actually thinking of converting his world that we started in 3.5 into 5th edition when we go back to playing his game.
 

Black Sun Wizard

Silver Knight of the Realm
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0
I've found 5th edition to be a breath of fresh air since playing 3.PF mostly. They've trimmed enough off to streamline it but left enough there to keep it crunchy.
 

Hatorade

A nice asshole.
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Going 5th edition for sure with fantasy grounds, I really like the modules and can see myself running them a few times at least with different groups.
 

Armadon

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So who is giving Starfinder a shot? Comes out Thursday and it's Pathfinder in the future. Looks pretty badass. I know you can get the core rulebook off torrents right now. I'm looking forward to doing drivebys with laser guns and spells.
 
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Hatorade

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So who is giving Starfinder a shot? Comes out Thursday and it's Pathfinder in the future. Looks pretty badass. I know you can get the core rulebook off torrents right now. I'm looking forward to doing drivebys with laser guns and spells.

I will be I think, not 100% yet due to time to play issues.
 

Cabales

Trakanon Raider
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So, I'm thinking about getting back into tabletop RPGs after like 20 years of being out of it. Last time I really played AD&D 2nd edition was the current system. I'm considering trying to get into it through Roll20 as opposed to trying to find a game at my local shop. Does anyone have feedback on using Roll20? Should I be looking at something else instead? Would I be better served by trying to find a game with real people at the local store? I have no RL friends that play tabletop games anymore, so I'm int he position of having to meet new people.

I'm also curious if D&D 5E is where I should start with this, or if there's some other system you recommend instead. What should I purchase to get started as a player? just the Player's Handbook? Any and all feedback and insight is welcome.
 

Seananigans

Honorary Shit-PhD
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My personal suggestion (and currently played systems) are Fantasy Grounds for the VTT, and D&D 5e. Many like Pathfinder as well, although it's more fiddly than D&D 5e, the latter managed to clean up a lot of the superfluous myriad bonuses and penalties for various things.

I'm not sure I've seen anyone on this forum talk about using Roll20. From what I've been able to tell, FG seems to be the front-runner out of the 3 major licensed VTT's, with regard to content creation/conversion as well as engine, with a new Unity engine coming soon(tm).
 

Cabales

Trakanon Raider
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Thanks for the suggestions. One of the things I found appealing about Roll20 was the built in interface to find a group. Are there easy tools to find a group in FG?
 

Seananigans

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Thanks for the suggestions. One of the things I found appealing about Roll20 was the built in interface to find a group. Are there easy tools to find a group in FG?

Their forums seem quite busy and have "LFG" sections, I can't imagine you'd have a problem finding a group, especially if you're willing to DM.
 
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Cabales

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Thanks Hatorade. Is that a FG discord channel or a D&D discord channel? One last question for you, since you seem to be very knowledgeable about FG. Would you recommend that I pick up a hard copy of the PHB, or is the version on FG sufficient?

I took some time to do some research last night and I've decided to go with FG. it just seems like the better tool. It does seem like it may be a little harder to find a group on FG as a player, but it still seems like it should be easy enough. I'll just have to hit up more channels rather than using the LFG tool in Roll20. I may eventually decide to give DMing a whirl, but I need to spend time as a player again first to get my head around the rules, tools, and pacing.
 

Hatorade

A nice asshole.
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Thanks Hatorade. Is that a FG discord channel or a D&D discord channel? One last question for you, since you seem to be very knowledgeable about FG. Would you recommend that I pick up a hard copy of the PHB, or is the version on FG sufficient?

I took some time to do some research last night and I've decided to go with FG. it just seems like the better tool. It does seem like it may be a little harder to find a group on FG as a player, but it still seems like it should be easy enough. I'll just have to hit up more channels rather than using the LFG tool in Roll20. I may eventually decide to give DMing a whirl, but I need to spend time as a player again first to get my head around the rules, tools, and pacing.
It is FG discord.

If playing on FG that version should be fine, that said if you connect to a GM that has all that stuff you don't need to buy anything. I suggest you give it a go that way before committing.

Just grab a regular license(though you only need the demo client if DM has ultimate license) I have ultimate and most of the 5E stuff so if you can't find some one to show you the ropes let ne know.
 

Onoes

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I'm excited to be playing in a new game starting tonight. 3 other players and the DM. I went a little off the rails with character concept, but I think its going to be a blast and allow for a lot of memorable moments (I mean, we'll see, but it has a lot of potential I think)

We are all starting at lvl 3 and party comp is this-
Player 1 is a Human Fighter, the build with maneuvers I think. Backstory is that he was a guard for a wealthy family and either he was away shirking his duty, or he hid, when the house was attacked. Everyone died but him, he blames himself and has dedicated his life to wandering and helping whomever is in need.
Player 2 is a Human Life Cleric, she worked in a temple healing the sick, but felt that she could do more, that this wasn't her future. So she left the church to spread the word of her god and show people his miracles.
Player 3 is a Halfling Barbarian, though I believe he plans on dipping into druid to shapeshift. I don't know much about his backstory, I know he will be very tribal and have a big "badger" theme, I think that's his shapeshifting goal - to actually become a badger. Don't know much else on him.

And me. I'm a Beastmaster Ranger (DM is allowing the revised ranger from Unearthed Arcana). My name is Deeeter the former hermit/farmer (I'm doing the backwoods country accent the entire time) and here's my background. I was living off in the mountains alone, farming, and maybe going to a nearby town once or twice a year, I was a grumpy man who didn't care for people. One day a shabby woman with a dozen children all in rags showed up at my house, asking for food and shelter for her and hers. I refused them, shouted at them, and even threatened to hurt them if they didn't "git gone!". Well (classic fairy tale twist) she reveals herself to be some Fey forest goddess and curses me. She summons an Ape, and weaves a bond between us (my pet) but then infuses a false memory into me. She makes me believe I had a wife, a girl I loved from boyhood, we had a life together, we loved each other truly and perfectly..... and my curse was that she was turned into this Ape. None of that is real, but I believe that my Ape is my cursed wife. I take care of her as you would an invalid family member. I clothe her in dresses and bonnets, talking her, knowing she's somewhere inside this ape, praying that I can find a cure. I put on old rusty set of scale mail I found years before half buried in the forest, grab a pitchfork, and head out into the world to redeem myself and save my true love.

So, I'm a farmer wielding a pitchfork, fighting with an ape in a dress. I'm only going to take spells that don't seem like magic (as I don't really want to be a caster), so stuff like pass without trace, charm animal, etc. and I'm going to play that I'm very patient and protective of my wife. I'm going to try and be kind to other people, not so much because I really want to, but because I'm scared of possible consequences since I "lost everything". I'm also going to play meek to authority, if a guard or person I see as above me tells me something, I'm going to assume they know better than me.

My connection to the party is that I heard about a traveling priest helping people and sought them out. They couldn't help me, but they felt sympathetic to my plight and accepted me. The ape (which I think will be named Maggie May, unless one of you has a better name?) will be clingy and protective over me, but prone to eating any foods left out, and occasionally getting interested in things, walking over and picking them up/inspecting them, before rapidly becoming bored and just chucking them off in the woods. Not in a disruptive way, but I'll have it happen a couple of times to kind of teach everyone that if she goes over and picks up your shield, you want to run over and take it away before she loses interest. This also sets up the situation where she could reasonably pick up something of someone else's and we could all just keep our mouths shut if we want that thing thrown off somewhere. Might never come up, but it gives her more personality and sets up possibilities.

At some point, probably 3-6 months into this game, when the situation presents itself, I plan on having the DM let some character climbing a ladder or something under my ape look up and see a big old set of balls and a cock dangling between my brides legs. If asked I'll break into tears about how the foul creature who cursed her had no ends to its mockery! Should be a funny reveal if all goes well.

Any thoughts or idea's? I know its a bit wacky, but my last character was a super serious pirate with strong motivations, and I thought for this game I just wanted to be a bit more comedic and light.
 
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Chanur

Shit Posting Professional
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I love the concept personally. Not so much the hillbilly thing though that couls be funny but believing something that could totally happen in DnD but obviously did not.
 

Pancreas

Vyemm Raider
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Anyone else have experience with the mystic class from the unearthed arcana for 5e?

It feels like they give you too many discipline choices considering how many powers each discipline opens up.

The class is pretty much broken on an overpowered sense and requires a lot of self imposed restrictions to prevent completely overshadowing the group.

I could see it working if every player was a mystic as its essentially a class system unto itself.

I am playing one right now in my groups latest campaign.

I created a character that used to be a commander in a mercenary company that was ultimately decimated.

I went with the order of the avatar and the mantle of command and mantle of fury disciplines, then precognition, then mastery of wood and earth.

He walks around in medium armor with shield and spear issuing orders to cause other characters to move and attack outside of their turns. It makes my turns feel like I am playing chess and gives the rogue extra sneak attacks and the monk crazy mobility. Every so often he'll throw his spear 30 feet and nuke some fool.

However, there are a ton more disciplines to pick up as I level and I feel like anything else is going to start eclipsing everyone's contribution.

If anyone else has messed around with the class did you take any steps to balance it?
 

Seananigans

Honorary Shit-PhD
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UA is always playtest material, I'd submit your experience to WotC, they've probably received plenty of the same. Might help us receive a balanced form of the class officially in the future. They have some sort of supplement coming out soonish with extra classes/subclasses from some of the UA's, made official.
 

Harshaw

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Humble Bundle has a pretty awesome Warhammer Fantasy RPG bundle up if anyone is interested.