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Old 03-07-2018, 11:39 AM   #651
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

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Originally Posted by Jim Kane View Post
(...)
In sum: All that extra life-extension the "Unconscious at 0, Dead at fully negative ST" rule creates, also has other affects on the TFT game as a whole; because it applies to everyone and every thing - or it SHOULD.

So I ask you once again, "Now that your enemies are fallen and unconscious, but not DEAD-DEAD, what does your party do NOW?"

Hmmm?
I have played for years allowing PC to go sub zero and still survive in case of quick medical aid (no need to give details here), while enemies/NPCs, unless they are major villains or important NPCs, die quietly at zero.

No NPC has ever accused me to favor the PCs :-)
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Old 03-07-2018, 11:49 AM   #652
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

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Originally Posted by ecz View Post
I have played for years allowing PC to go sub zero and still survive in case of quick medical aid (no need to give details here), while enemies/NPCs, unless they are major villains or important NPCs, die quietly at zero.

No NPC has ever accused me to favor the PCs :-)
Exactly what I do.
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Old 03-07-2018, 02:10 PM   #653
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

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Did you read somewhere in my post that I wrote: "You can't do this" ?

I explain - with examples - exactly how and why that specific rule, if adopted, affects a TFT experience directly.

Regarding all the other questions you asked me here and now: You will find all the answers to your questions were already addressed and answered in the body of that post. Therefore, I would commend them to you for your easy reference.

If during your re-read you do find where I inform someone of what they "cannot do" in their game, if you would do me the favor, please, notice me at once.

I'd appreciate it.

Thank you.

P.S. - Where you aware that your polemically-sent post to me is numbered as post 666 ? Fascinating.

.
Why do you consider asking a question or pointing out that your discussion makes unwarranted assumptions an act of hostility? Am I not allowed to ask questions any more?

Nor did I say at any time that " you said x." Perhaps you should re-read MY post at this point. What I did do was point out that your argument was focused on a single approach and that other approaches, equally valid, could be used to bypass the issue you were raising. In effect, I explained - with examples - exactly how and why that specific rule, if adopted, doesn't necessarily affect the TFT experience as directly as you think it does. (And, I'll note in passing that ecz summarized the exact same point in HIS response; so where's the hostile response to him?)

And finally, since I didn't ASK any "other" questions in my post, I have to ask whose post you might be referring to in that regard. Clearly it wasn't mine.

Thank you.

P.S. What's your point with that little sally?
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Old 03-07-2018, 06:29 PM   #654
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

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Originally Posted by JLV View Post

P.S. What's your point with that little sally?
In order to effectively answer your latest question of me:

One would need to go back and review the content of a topically unrelated post I authored on this same thread - being: post 653 - wherein I referenced Aleister Crowley, the English self-styled Ceremonial Magician (1875-1947), who co-oped the number: 666, from The Book of Revelations:13:18 - on the topic of: Accidentally Summoning a Real Demon in TFT.

666, coincidentally, also being the EXACT number of your unexpected post and question to me.

Additionally, the (in)famous valediction Crowley employed when closing a correspondence was: "Polemically Sent". I found the coincidence and timing of all these things, as I wrote: "Fascinating". When asking you in reply, if you had noticed that your post was numbered as: 666, and I included the aside and reference to: "Polemically-Sent", apparently this was interpreted as a Non-Sequitur.

I trust the above has made everything clear for you.

However, I really must close now and secure the barn, as it seems some friendly-prankster has been diligently - though unsuccessfully - attempting to get my goat.

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P.S. What's your point with that little sally?
PS - Don't call me: "Little Sally".


:-)
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Old 03-07-2018, 07:04 PM   #655
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Default The space between the quick and the dead.

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Well then basically then -7 means death for a 12 ST character unless he rolls an automatic success roll, that seems a little harsh.
Hi Bayarea, everyone.
In my rules which I outlined before, it is not too hard to save someone at -3 to -4 ST. Beyond that, it gets very difficult.

So in my game, at ST 1 or 0 you risk unconsciousness, From -1 to -4 you risk unconsciousness and will die if you are not treated soon. Much beyond that you will likely die.

So instead of a 1 ST wide gap where you are incapacitated but not dead, there is about a 5 or 6 point gap. This feels about right to me. If you are quite strong, that gap is a bit wider.

GURPS has a VERY wide gap where people can still be living. (I believe that a 10 HT figure must reach -50 to be sure of killing them.) I think that is far too forgiving.

Warm regards, Rick.

Last edited by Rick_Smith; 03-07-2018 at 07:34 PM. Reason: spelling mistake.
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Old 03-08-2018, 12:54 AM   #656
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Default Re: The space between the quick and the dead.

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GURPS has a VERY wide gap where people can still be living. (I believe that a 10 HT figure must reach -50 to be sure of killing them.) I think that is far too forgiving.
Well, it depends on what weapons and rules you use. There are several things that multiply damage (e.g. hits to the brain or vital organs), and some of us apply the bleeding rules per injury...

I think it's actually a clever way around the fallacy that wounds simply add up to a point where someone dies. Making someone certainly dead immediately by hitting them with many wounds that don't hit anyplace vital, probably should take much more than it takes to just incapacitate someone.

My only biggish gripe is how big the role of HT is in determining how well someone responds to injury (easily adjusted by house rule, of course).

Not that I'm saying TFT ought to go that way, but I think the 1-point margin between unconsciousness and death, while traditional, is also pretty extreme.
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Old 03-08-2018, 10:46 AM   #657
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So I ask you once again, "Now that your enemies are fallen and unconscious, but not DEAD-DEAD, what does your party do NOW?"
I have to say, I don't see any problem with giving TFT characters a generous (or at least any) "out of the fight but still alive" zone. It doesn't matter a whit for the original incarnation of Melee as one-shot gladiator-type fights, true – but for a continuing campaign, players are sure going to want more than "Oops, zero HP - make a new character!".

And if that means a by-the-rules GM feels the need to give monsters the same benefit, well, I don't see it mattering often (if ever). A defeated monster is actually still alive? Big deal; by the time it heals up, the heroes are 500 leagues and a half dozen play sessions away.

Actually, I think there's a solution that should make everyone happy. If someone hasn't mentioned this already: In classic TFT style, keep the death thing pretty strict. Set a level of negative HP (equal to -ST?) that means "tough luck, you're dead". Maybe set a very small range of negative HP that means "you're out of the fight but you'll survive". But - here's the key - let the range between those two mean "you're still alive but definitely dying."

That should work the way we want for both PCs and monsters. PCs in that zone (and they may visit there a lot) are dying, but that's OK – as long as there's a surviving comrade to provide potions, healing magic, or just bandaging after the fight, the downed PC will (probably) survive. That's good for campaign play.

Dying monsters, meanwhile, almost certainty won't survive. Lone monsters have no comrades to provide aid. Bestial/dumb monsters may have comrades, but don't have healing spells or skills. No need to worry about whether the PCs truly finished off the beasts. Just let 'em bleed out and die.

The only exceptions will be monsters with surviving comrades who may be able to effect a rescue. And that could lead to dilemmas: "I don't care how many arrows we stuck into the Orc chieftain; we gotta go back and make sure he's dead!" "No! There's no time! More Orcs are pounding down the doors!" Yeah, that can be a tough call for the players. Which, I think, is exactly the sort of thing we're looking for in the game!
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Old 03-08-2018, 10:55 AM   #658
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

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In order to effectively answer your latest question of me:
My second question, you mean?

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Originally Posted by Jim Kane View Post
One would need to go back and review the content of a topically unrelated post I authored on this same thread - being: post 653 - wherein I referenced Aleister Crowley, the English self-styled Ceremonial Magician (1875-1947), who co-oped the number: 666, from The Book of Revelations:13:18 - on the topic of: Accidentally Summoning a Real Demon in TFT.

666, coincidentally, also being the EXACT number of your unexpected post and question to me.
Actually, I lack the time to go back and search out and study the various comments you or anyone else posts to these threads in order to follow some unapparent linkage between them. My experience here has been that you either need to reference your earlier post, or to explain your reference in your current post in order to avoid misunderstandings.

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Additionally, the (in)famous valediction Crowley employed when closing a correspondence was: "Polemically Sent". I found the coincidence and timing of all these things, as I wrote: "Fascinating". When asking you in reply, if you had noticed that your post was numbered as: 666, and I included the aside and reference to: "Polemically-Sent", apparently this was interpreted as a Non-Sequitur.
Ah. There's part of the problem. "Polemically" means "hostile" (look it up), which led me to believe that you were accusing me of being hostile by simply asking ONE question. I still suspect you were, given the sarcasm and snark of your response, but your word choice based on some obscure thing Crowley wrote definitely contributed to the nature of my response. If I overreacted to yet another unjustified seeming accusation, I apologize.

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I trust the above has made everything clear for you.
Hardly. You failed to respond the vast bulk of my reply, so agreeing that this "made everything clear" would clearly be wrong. However it does clarify your obscure "P.S.", so there's that.

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However, I really must close now and secure the barn, as it seems some friendly-prankster has been diligently - though unsuccessfully - attempting to get my goat.
There you go again, accusing me of something I never desired or tried to do. It would be nice if you stopped attributing motives to me that simply aren't true.
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Old 03-08-2018, 04:50 PM   #659
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You make a good proposition and very good supporting argument.

Food-for-Thought:

As one who has LONG play-tested this "unconscious at 0, dead when ST goes fully negative" adapted for TFT - having lifted it from 1st. Ed. Hero System; Peterson/MacDonald, 1981 - there is a counter-balance effect on the TFT game; which is not present in the game-system that rule was specifically designed for.

Consider this:

At the end of a battle In The Labyrinth, what does your party do NOW?

Does the party now spike or barricade the doors and begin hacking to pieces all the fallen enemies you have just bested?

After all, they are not "fully dead" yet, so you might want to begin head-chopping after the battle as S.O.P. from now on; which is great for Barbarians, BUT what if someone or you play one of the Chivalrous Hero types?

Same thing goes for "Just slit their throats,.. nice as quick!"

Okay, but did your Leader send Sir Goody-2-Shoes outside to "watch the tunnel" while this operation was in progress? Is he out there alone, all by himself?

Oh, you have TWO Sir-Goody-2-Shoes in your party to protect each other out in the tunnel? Well, that means double-duty for the 2 "fixers" left in your party, and the whole operation just ate up some extra turns due to being short-handed,... and what if some THING uninvited shows up in the murder-room while your party is split?

Uh oh.

You might simply set their bodies ablaze with some Molotail Oil; but that's going to make a lot of smoke and smell - never a good thing to have when sneaking around in the underground with few natural air-channels to the surface-world above. And don't forget to mark-off those used Molotails on your Character Sheets; that way they won't be there when you need them most.

Hmm,...

"Leave 'em for the Slimes!" You say? Okay, but what if their buddies and THEIR Physicker finds these dying guys before the slimes do, and then, starts pumping them full of Healing Potions?

That labyrinth tunnel-complex is going to become VERY FULL of a very hostile and ever-growing mob of healed enemies - on the search for YOU.

No, you HAVE to kill them, FULLY.

Also, if your GM is NOT the type who readily announces: "Okay, the Ogre's ST was 20, and now he is at ST minus 13.": How would you know when it is safe to leave heavily wounded enemies behind for "dead" (which is RARELY a good idea in a confined combat environment).

How would you know if those enemies are dead, or "just dying"?

Again, you HAVE to kill them - FULLY.

Return to paragraph #2: "What does your party do NOW?"

I am sure you see the potential dilemma in changing this rule. It works great provided your GM is only giving it to YOUR SIDE, and does not play the labyrinth as a living, reactive entity onto itself, and treats the enemies as puppets, not NPC's.

Either way, the dynamic change to the GAME - beyond the direct benefit to a player-character - means a party would now have to take TIME, and make NOISE, and expend RESOURCES to fully slaughter all enemies who did not escape.

Sure, you say again, you can just slit ALL their swarthy throats, but that still takes extra time by using an extra turn(s),... and if your GM is a good one, he is marking-off EVERY turn, and advancing the Labyrinth and it's occupants one turn closer to you as they react to the noise from your underground battle.

Need to finish-off 4 fallen enemies, AND heal your party?

Well, that's a lot of TIME, and before you know it,.. DING, DONG, TROLLS AT THE DOOR, and they aren't delivering from Domino's!

Time constriction plays a large role in TFT:ITL. Time is a RESOURCE, which works AGAINST a party in the labyrinth; much like in a Casino, the more you hang-around, the faster the Law-of-Large-Numbers and the Diminishing Returns of a Negative-Expectation game will eat you up!

Also, doing things like chopping up your foes not only makes extra NOISE, but extends the DURATION of noise when in the labyrinth, which is like ringing a dinner-bell for the Trolls.

TIME, NOISE, RESOURCES, YOUR ST, YOUR ENEMIES ST, FOOD, WATER, AIR - it's all part of a bigger system; change one of those and you may imbalance the game in way not foreseen when tested on a Melee map ONLY, or only in your head.

In sum: All that extra life-extension the "Unconscious at 0, Dead at fully negative ST" rule creates, also has other affects on the TFT game as a whole; because it applies to everyone and every thing - or it SHOULD.

So I ask you once again, "Now that your enemies are fallen and unconscious, but not DEAD-DEAD, what does your party do NOW?"

Hmmm?
The whole point is if there is no aid, then you eventually die. So if we "kill" a bunch of Orcs as long as reinforcements don't arrive soon they are really dead.

If the Orc chief is rescued like in the Hobbit Movie then we have a powerful villain to prod the PC's with. No need to hack them up.

Now if we are fighting Tollenkar and take him down maybe we slit his throat just to be sure, or more likely take his body to the Duke to prove our value. What an adventure that could be, especially if some of the party is also wounded.
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Old 03-08-2018, 05:11 PM   #660
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Everyone has been talking about ways to get more talents, adjusting some of the talents make sense. For example Fencing is too high compared to Thrown Weapons (+2DX and ready weapon same turn)3 IQ vs 2 IQ. But I don't think that will solve all the problems, nor is what I am suggesting going to solve all the problems this is just food for thought.

I would want to go with a KISS approach, so that knocks out mIQ and Rick's Superscripts these work but they aren't my cup o'tea. If we were to do something like give one 2 Pt talent for free, up to the beginning character's IQ. In other words a 10 IQ character would have 12 pts to play with. He wouldn't have to use all his IQ either I often save points for when I get another IQ point.

This coupled with a steeper Exp grade at 40 attributes would limit bloat, and give enough talents to make individualized characters.

Is this perfect? No of course not. Though it does allow for additional talents without having to rewrite most of the rules.

Last edited by Bayarea; 03-08-2018 at 05:12 PM. Reason: bad typist
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