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Post by friartook on Oct 2, 2015 18:29:56 GMT
After 4 sessions of character creation and background discussions, we will be beginning our campaign next Tuesday!
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Post by lasersniper on Oct 3, 2015 20:51:56 GMT
After 4 sessions of character creation and background discussions, we will be beginning our campaign next Tuesday! 0.0 wow. Congratulations  , it sounds like your players are really invested. I mean like REALLY INVESTED xD. |
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Post by friartook on Oct 4, 2015 5:14:36 GMT
After 4 sessions of character creation and background discussions, we will be beginning our campaign next Tuesday! 0.0 wow. Congratulations , it sounds like your players are really invested. I mean like REALLY INVESTED xD. Well, there was also some spotty attendance and shortened sessions to take into account. I'd estimate we spent a total of about 6 hours on backgrounds and character creation. And yes, some of my guys are really, really invested. To the point where it became intimidating to some of the other members of the group (specifically, the less creatively inspired member and another who just isn't really a Star Wars fan and doesn't know the world). We still have to determine how they all got together. Some of the players have tie-ins with each other, but there is no explanation as to how they all ended up working together. My plan is to run a collaborative RP session where we create that meeting scenario. As the GM, I already have an idea as to what forces push them together (all gleaned from their backgrounds). I'm going to run this part of the session as a "cinematic" sequence; no dice rolls. After that, we fast forward a bit and run an intro adventure. I'll let the guys decide how much time has passed. I'm super excited! |
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Post by friartook on Oct 6, 2015 16:18:42 GMT
Our opening session got pushed up to last night! We were supposed to meet tonight, but it was one of my players' birthday today and a bunch of them are going to a show tonight. The session went great, despite the fact that I was woefully unprepared as a GM (I expected to have Monday night to prep...Procrastination: Biting me in the a$$ since 1986). The guys really got into their characters and the RP was hot and hilarious. I also have an announcement to make: I've been sharing the recordings of my game sessions privately with joatmoniac and Samuel Wise for quite a while now. They were a huge help to me as a DM in my previous D&D 5e campaign. They also, much to my continuous surprise, claimed to enjoy listening to our weekly s%&%show of a game session. Last night, as we were starting our new campaign, I asked the guys if they would mind if I continued to share our recordings, but did so more publicly. They agreed. So, starting in a month or so, I will be rolling out a blog (likely tumblr or Obsidian Portal, but I'm open to suggestions) where I will post our weekly session recordings. This will not be a well polished actual play podcast or drama by any means. I will do minimal editing, mostly taking out dead air, out of context table talk, bad jokes and/or personal conversations. I do not currently have plans to make this into a nice AP Podcast; I just don't have the time to dedicate to such a project. But Joat and Alamrian have been so positive and encouraging in their reactions to the recordings! I thought I'd share them in the hopes others may enjoy them as well. Look for a link on my profile and here in the thread in the coming months (if you care to  ). |
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Post by friartook on Oct 8, 2015 18:44:09 GMT
So far, I'm enjoying running EotE as a GM. My only real complaint is how the NPC stat blocks are laid out; its hard to find the numbers I need on the fly.
However, there is one mechanic I feel is drastically broken: Initiative. Rolling initiative is always kind of a crappy game stopper, no matter the system. Things build, then suddenly, combat breaks out! Dramatic moment! Now everybody stop what you are doing, roll some dice. Ok, what did everyone get? Ok, who's keeping track this game? Lets write it all down...alright you guys got a tie so roll a tie breaker...Oh great. Bad guys get to go first.
Lame. Destroys any sense of drama associated with initiating combat. I've never liked it in d20, but its even worse in EotE! Its the only place where I have found the use of the narrative dice to be glaringly detrimental. For those who don't know, initiative is a skill check, Cool if you see the combat coming, Vigilance if you're snuck up on. The most successes wins, advantages are tie-breakers, no negative dice are rolled. The funny thing is, initiative is modular; any PC can take any given PC initiative slot. So you do all this rolling, and it doesn't really mean a whole lot.
After much thought, I've decided to do initiative like this: One green die for each player in a group, so if we have 4 PCs and 3 enemies, the PCs will roll 4 greens and the GM will roll 3 greens. If a group gets the drop on the other group they get a blue die. Most successes wins, advantages are tie-breakers, on a full tie, its a full reroll. Whoever wins takes the first initiative slot in combat for one "player" (one NPC or one PC), then we alternate through combat (NPC, PC, NPC, PC, etc.). Any member of a team may take any initiative slot in a round, but may only go once in a round. Unbalanced combats (2 vs. 5 or similar) alternate until the smaller group is done, then the larger group takes turns for the remaining slots.
Has anyone else found the initiative system in EotE to be flawed? Any other creative solutions for it?
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Post by DM Kiado on Oct 16, 2015 16:51:39 GMT
I am reading and learning. I haven't gotten to the combat/initiative systems yet, but when I do, I will return with my thoughts.
Edit: I at some point would be interested in hearing your sessions.
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Post by kjmagle on Oct 16, 2015 17:08:57 GMT
Int rolling means allot. Here it is. The slots any pc can go is for the Narrative
It took some getting use to but it is great.
Say you want to shoot a barrel of explosive material to blow up the enemy however that barrel is right next to you and the other pc. However you rolled higher then him/her. Well this system they can go first and then roll the barrel over then you can go and shoot it.
This game is all about the story not the battle. Allowing this allows they story of the battle to be better then just having a battle.
Not to mention working with the advantages you roll to make more bonuses or story lines.
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Post by friartook on Oct 16, 2015 17:56:42 GMT
I am reading and learning. I haven't gotten to the combat/initiative systems yet, but when I do, I will return with my thoughts. Edit: I at some point would be interested in hearing your sessions. We will soon be posting them via Tumblr. I need to get a handle on my table first though, and on the rules. Our last session was...chaotic... |
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Post by kjmagle on Oct 16, 2015 18:04:30 GMT
I am reading and learning. I haven't gotten to the combat/initiative systems yet, but when I do, I will return with my thoughts. Edit: I at some point would be interested in hearing your sessions. We will soon be posting them via Tumblr. I need to get a handle on my table first though, and on the rules. Our last session was...chaotic... Yeah i would like to hear them to. I always like hearing others play soni can get more ideas. |
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Post by friartook on Oct 16, 2015 18:07:35 GMT
Just to be clear: this won't be a nicely edited actual play by any means. I will do subtractive editing only; taking out dead air and irrelevant side conversation, and that's it. I just don't have time for anything more. If anyone is an aspiring audio engineer, and has loads of spare time, hit me up |
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Post by kjmagle on Oct 16, 2015 18:24:53 GMT
Just to be clear: this won't be a nicely edited actual play by any means. I will do subtractive editing only; taking out dead air and irrelevant side conversation, and that's it. I just don't have time for anything more. If anyone is an aspiring audio engineer, and has loads of spare time, hit me up Lol you sound like me. I didn't even bother editing anything on my star wars edge of the empire games. |
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Post by friartook on Oct 16, 2015 18:37:44 GMT
Just to be clear: this won't be a nicely edited actual play by any means. I will do subtractive editing only; taking out dead air and irrelevant side conversation, and that's it. I just don't have time for anything more. If anyone is an aspiring audio engineer, and has loads of spare time, hit me up Lol you sound like me. I didn't even bother editing anything on my star wars edge of the empire games. Do you record and post publicly? I'd love to hear your sessions if so! I'm in a state right now where the only references I have for how a session is supposed to sound are my own D&D sessions and the actual plays I listen to. Something to be said for hearing real people (as opposed to performers) around a real table. |
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Post by kjmagle on Oct 16, 2015 19:00:12 GMT
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Post by friartook on Oct 16, 2015 19:32:35 GMT
So cool! Thank you for sharing! |
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Post by kjmagle on Oct 16, 2015 19:37:20 GMT
So cool! Thank you for sharing! No problem. I think the session i like the most is 11 & 12. I think we were trying to capture a water tanker ship. It was allot of fun and very creative. See the reason why i like the int roles they do is my guy doesn't fight. He is a hacker/inventer. So having the open slots helps my story get in better. I go first so i can hack the systems to lock people in places or open vents. |
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, it sounds like your players are really invested. I mean like REALLY INVESTED xD.
).
