tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post1845135008926371740..comments2023-05-09T17:43:00.019+02:00Comments on The City of Iron: Labyrinth Lord - first session!Gavin Normanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362875699031245377noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-39557528254758563352011-01-20T09:41:10.930+01:002011-01-20T09:41:10.930+01:00Of course, you're right... I always forget tha...Of course, you're right... I always forget that somehow! :) I've always done that with powers for enemies -- there's no way I'm gonna count Power Points for NPC spellcasters during a battle!Gavin Normanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12362875699031245377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-52908213732961449382011-01-20T09:19:43.033+01:002011-01-20T09:19:43.033+01:00Heh, I just make up the Toughness and Parry scores...Heh, I just make up the Toughness and Parry scores. The book more or less suggests to do this anyway, so I don't consider it cheating. :)thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-35215209524229911512011-01-18T20:11:19.537+01:002011-01-18T20:11:19.537+01:00Yeah it was interesting to notice that I was tryin...Yeah it was interesting to notice that I was trying to emulate D&D with Savage Worlds, and that in a few major ways it still ends up having a very different feeling. Another thing I've noticed about SW is that the rules are actually more complex and fiddly than I at first thought. It's somehow the kind of system that the more you get into the little interactions between all the different Edges and combat options, the more complex it gets. I guess it's still toned down quite a bit from D&D 3, though I've only played that like twice, so I can't speak with authority! ;)<br /><br />From the little I know of Eberron, I can really imagine Savage Worlds being a good fit for it though.<br /><br />And I can totally understand what you say about Pathfinder being hard to GM! Something I've noticed is that I can't abide having to <i>calculate</i> anything while I'm writing an adventure. So d20-based games are right out (all those skill ranks and feats and so on you have to calculate for monsters), and I've found myself getting frustrated with Savage Worlds even, where you have to calculate a mighty two statistics for enemies (Toughness and Parry). That's something that's been such a pleasure creating adventures for Labyrinth Lord -- just making up whatever AC, HD and so on I fancy, without needing to check, cross-reference or calculate anything!Gavin Normanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12362875699031245377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-71485085218770715052011-01-17T19:22:13.556+01:002011-01-17T19:22:13.556+01:00I didn't really give a good answer there, did ...I didn't really give a good answer there, did I?<br /><br />I see what you mean about <i>Savage Worlds</i>, and it is relatively bitty in comparison to old-school <i>D&D</i>-type games, so I can see why it might not be the game of choice for emulating that genre. I'm using it to run <i>Eberron</i>, for which it is a good fit, and better than either version of <i>D&D</i> for which it was written. I think if I were doing an old-school type game though, I would follow your lead and use something like <i>Swords & Wizardry</i>.<br /><br />My general preference is for lighter games -- like <i>Call of Cthulhu</i>, which has barely any rules -- but as crunchy games go, <i>Savage Worlds</i> is at the right level of complexity -- ie, not very -- for me.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-53509612534031508412011-01-17T19:15:23.373+01:002011-01-17T19:15:23.373+01:00Pathfinder is good fun... as a player. I tried run...<i>Pathfinder</i> is good fun... as a player. I tried running it a few weeks ago, and it was a bit of a disaster. It's just about at the upper level of complexity for me as a player. It's much more fun to play than <i>D&D4</i>, anyway.<br /><br />In comparison, I found <i>Savage Worlds</i> much easier to run, as while it does have a few fiddly bits, on the whole it's quite a streamlined system.<br /><br />Alas, I haven't given <i>S&W</i> a go yet. I don't know if it's ever going to happen, to be honest. That said, the group is going to change in the coming months, with people dropping in and out, so there may be room for a new game or two in there.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-39832231847680564892011-01-17T08:40:41.238+01:002011-01-17T08:40:41.238+01:00Yeah I let them each roll up a henchman as well so...Yeah I let them each roll up a henchman as well so they'd all have a replacement character in case the main one snuffed it! Also of course to give party variety -- there's no way three 1st level characters would survive on their own for long in such a dungeon.<br /><br />How are you finding Pathfinder, Kelvin?<br /><br />I guess, for me with Savage Worlds, I've been kind of trying to use it to emulate old-school D&D, which I spend a lot of time reading about on blogs and forums. In the end I've been realising that there's a lot of differences between the systems, and that it's actually pretty hard to emulate really old-school D&D in Savage Worlds. For a start the characters are <i>way</i> tougher than low level D&D PCs, and most monsters (the Extras, that is) are a lot weaker -- bugbears get ploughed through several a round at times! It doesn't encourage that feeling of intense danger that exists for 1st level D&D PCs, where a single hit in combat is likely to kill you!<br /><br />Also, as I wrote in this post, I much prefer the freeform nature of a game free of 'feats' and zillions of meta-tactical combat options. I mean, I find the Edges, tricks, and tests of wills systems in Savage Worlds really really well done -- I like the game a lot. It's just a very different feeling game from basic D&D. I actually think Savage Worlds is perfect for one-shots as well, having that fast & furious pulpy kind of feeling to it.<br /><br />Admittedly, all that is said after 8 months or so of Savage Worlds, compared to a single session of Labyrinth Lord, so perhaps time will tell a different tale... ;) We'll see.<br /><br />Did you get to play any Swords & Wizardry yet?Gavin Normanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12362875699031245377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-55220874097810210022011-01-16T23:46:59.366+01:002011-01-16T23:46:59.366+01:00I've just come back from our weekly game -- wh...I've just come back from our weekly game -- which has jumped from <i>D&D4</i> to <i>Pathfinder</i> since you were with us -- and everyone seems to have henchmen now, except for my monk. :(<br /><br />It's funny how you're moving away from <i>Savage Worlds</i> whereas I -- after running it last week -- am moving more towards it, and away from the retroclones!thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681509622212079331.post-10294057216275534712011-01-16T23:23:56.742+01:002011-01-16T23:23:56.742+01:00I like everyone having two characters (the boss an...I like everyone having two characters (the boss and the henchman) for the game. I am swiping that for my con game next month! Glad to hear everyone had a good time!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02382001986218250618noreply@blogger.com