5 Geeks. One Roundish Table. This GTRT we talk about what we would change about our characters, challenging characters to play, and what we hate in RPG’s.
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Angela seems to hate magic as much as I love magic. Anytime I’m playing an RPG I tend to go straight for the magic-user, and the reason is that I tend to view other classes as dull and boring in comparison to the sheer number of crazy things you can do with magic.
On the other hand, I can see the point about the arbitrariness of poorly defined magic being a problem. I’ve read a good deal of the Sword of Truth series, and the author’s weird dysfunctions aside, he defined that world’s magic as having two flavors: Additive (good) and Subtractive (evil). Additive magic heals, Subtractive magic destroys. The problem is that Subtractive appears to be superior to Additive magic in every way, and the whole time I’m reading these books I’m thinking, “Wait, that’s not how math works. If I subtract one from one, that doesn’t equal negative one. Also, why did this scene turn into a hentai?”
I can see where Angela is coming from, even if she is a bit… extreme. I’m an avid DnDer and love playing casters, but I hate that collection of spells that are so general that they are abusable Things like Minor Illusion, Suggestion, or Find Familiar. There are uses for these spells that are just fine, but any time I want to use one of them (or am DMing a player that wants to use one of them) I make sure there’s a clear agreement ahead of time for what it can and can’t do. I feel the need to limit myself to avoid making magic an I WIN button and I can understand someone seeing that and deciding that all magic is busted and to be avoided.
Thank you, Angela. I completely agree with everything you said about magic and everything you said about Harry Potter.
Hey guys with regards to the dice rolling online. I suggest roll20, Billy played in one of my rotted Capes on there once and while the program was long to make it simplified the dice rolls ALOT. Same could be said for HEX, WoD or anything else.
Billy: OH GOD YES. I totally agree with you about sex moves. I’ve played several highly sexual characters sometimes as a lark other times as part of a story arc and a broken character. First time i saw sex moves i went ‘i’m never going to play PbtA”
I found a few PbtA games that dont have sex moves and they are okay but it has still soured PbtA a little for me
Racism in games. I don’t mind it in points. I’ve tried to play a black guy in several 1920’s games because its a different aspect to play than my normal. But DnD 5e the section about Drow says there is ONE good Drow. Not a few, not a small amount but ONE. I loathed that.
Also no longer allowed to run dnd after my group came across a book written in infernal, spent ages trying to decipher it and I went. Yeah its a guys diary. You broke into a Tieflings room and stole a book. Ofcourse he’s going to write in Infernal not many people speak the damn language.
Angela totally agree with you about Magic and thanks for answering my question.
Also yes Snape was an asshole, he scared Neville so bad he was Nevilles worst fear. The guy who had his parents tortured to insanity was more scared of a school teacher than the torturer. Also when you kill off Harry in year 1 can you take Ron as well?
Yeah, I’m playing my first magical D&D character (Shifter Warlock) in Eberron for a Sharn [New York City turned up to 11] campaign). I Hate the feeling that I’m missing out on parts of my character by not picking the “right” spell load out, so normally stick with Tanks.
Ahh, yeah, spellcasters make you make so many more decisions that it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the things you choose not to do. But, there are so many options, you can rest assured that there isn’t a “right” spell load out. Luckily, you can get the most out of a Warlock with a few simple guidelines.
1) Take Eldritch Blast. It’s generally accepted as the best damage cantrip. Use it to kill stuff.
2) Take the spells offered up by your patron. These aren’t optimal, as there will be some duds (when you find these, you can swap them out when you level up), but you’ll have a decent spread of options that are all thematically appropriate.
3) Stick to invocations that let you cast low level spells at will or that buff Eldritch Blast.
With that, you’ll be effective (though not optimal) and hopefully always be able to do something no matter the situation.
Angela not meant to be snide or condescending but there is a dead simply solution to your ubiquity dice problem. Roll 7 dice. 7d2-7.
Also angela.
Magic 2.0 is a pretty good book series..