lisardggY

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bio	website	weblogs.asp.net/avnerk
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	4,121 reputation	bio	website	weblogs.asp.net/avnerk	visits	member for	1 year, 4 months
11024 badges		location	Israel		seen	1 hour ago

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58 Comments

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Jun 2	comment	When calculating an effect for a general spell, do I use the base level or the total level? I think we always played it as "+2 magnitudes" rather than "+10 levels", keeping it simple. DEO at lv10 takes down 10 Might, c'est tout. I feel this keeps to the spirit of the rule while avoiding the anomalies you point out at low levels.
May 18	comment	Is there a canonical definition for when Hermetic seasons start in Ars Magica? We actually use the more modern system, I suspect. The equinoces and solsti occur mid-season. After all, if the Summer Solstice is known as Midsummer's Day, how can it not be in mid-season?
May 14	comment	Wealth in tremulus: insane or horrific? +1 Excellent answer. I know that I also had problems moving from relatively simulationist systems, such as D&D, where your character's money is an absolute in-world fixture, to a more narrativist system where Wealth is an abstract out-of-character concept.
May 5	comment	Running a “Chaotic Evil” PC in a morally ambivalent group? Well, if Belkar is your inspiration, you certainly conveyed it in your question. :)
Apr 27	comment	Any free and private wiki-like services for campaign tracking? =1 for Google Docs. Remember that if this is a closed, private site, a shared spreadsheet or document will often be enough, since you don't need it to be formatted and designed as a web-site. We use a spreadsheet with different tabs for different data.
Apr 17	comment	Should long Aspects be split? Great question. I'm starting my first Fate game now, and I also find myself asking myself similar questions.
Apr 7	comment	How can I check whether an extremely adult/mature plot idea would be accepted by players without revealing any details of the idea itself? +1 for clueing in the players. Remember that effect of seeing your players pleasantly surprised by your plot twist only happens once, but building the story from that twist onwards is a combined effort. Sharing them in your plans lets them participate in building the story in a more proactive, rather than just reactive fashion.
Apr 6	comment	How can I arrange for the long-term containment of magical animals? Does the solution need to account for protecting the animals from one another, each in its individual area, or can they be mixed freely? This will help determine whether we need several `Room`-sized rituals, or one large `Structure`-sized ritual.
Mar 26	comment	How can I introduce twists to the setting without asking the players +1 for "let them play with it". I remember a game of Fading Suns where all manner of ancient high-powered energy weapons kept going dead in our hands after one shot, if at all. Very frustrating, and makes the world feel less coherent and more stacked personally against the players.
Mar 19	comment	How to support useful Intraparty Conflict Good question. Just one thing: I wouldn't necessarily define PvP as "a personal issue". It's mostly a term from CRPGs where you play a zero-sum game where there's "winning" at the expense of the other. Not necessarily an emotional problem.
Mar 16	comment	Which rpg system supports freeform magic and is intended for Fantasy games? Oh, good edit, @Jadasc. I have to say that even though some of the balance there was broken, I think I preferred the fourth edition over the fifth.
Mar 15	comment	Is Greater Mage Hand worth it? Take a look at this question (rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/14707/…). It gives some ideas about how low-level but versatile spells can be used to great effect, but also some of the limitations that should be put on them, to prevent them from emulating higher-level spells in way that's no fun for the game.
Mar 15	comment	How do you keep players from using out of game knowledge when their characters wouldn't know the answer? +1 for your Call Them Out section, specifically on letting them get away with it if they can justify it into their backstory. That way they get a cool "power" (knowledge), and enrich their characters and the setting, doing so.
Mar 3	comment	How do I avoid clichés while improvising? +1. Love the last paragraph. There's a technique in improv comedy called "Something Else". One participant stands outside the scene, and when he rings a bell, the actors have to replace the last thing they said with something else that still fits the scene. Excellent exercise to skip your first instinct.
Feb 17	comment	What to do when your character is just too good? 1 for #2. It can be a great character-building twist, and even a narrative element if his skill had become too widespread. But could be dangerous if the other PCs feel this is a cocky/show-off move.
Feb 17	comment	What makes a character/creature/power/ability/etc. over-powered? It is, thanks. But it brings up other questions. Your model can only describe a given element's power level for a game with an active and chatty community. It assumes, a priory, that an element's power level can't be determined in the context of its mechanics, only by its side effects.
Feb 7	comment	Dungeons and Dragons vs. Dangerous Journeys Given the gaming style you describe, why would granular be a good thing?
Feb 3	comment	How much damage should a lab explosion do? I couldn't find anything on the official errata page, which I assume you went over already. Seems like an oversight.
Jan 10	comment	Good modifications to the lycanthropy alignment change? +1 for bringing up that good roleplayers want this kind of conflict in their characters, and don't need mechanical sticks to prevent them from abusing it. Just because the system is set up to regulate munchkins doesn't mean good players should suffer.
Jan 7	comment	How do I encourage a GM to use the rules as written? I second that recommendation, for everyday life as well as around the table. If you think someone is wrong, try to re-raise the issue non-confrontationally. If it doesn't resolve the issue within 5 seconds, take it to the post-session discussion.