Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > The Fantasy Trip

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-19-2019, 04:55 PM   #1
hcobb
 
hcobb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
Default Live In The Labyrinth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEhJ...ature=youtu.be

Is there a link to the character sheets?
__________________
-HJC
hcobb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2019, 07:33 PM   #2
Formicid
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Default Re: Live In The Labyrinth

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEhJ...ature=youtu.be

Is there a link to the character sheets?
Thanks for the link! I had no idea anything like this was going to happen. Been looking for something like this for a while.
Formicid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2019, 01:05 PM   #3
RVA_Grandpa
 
RVA_Grandpa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Default Re: Live In The Labyrinth

First, thanks for creating this video series.

BUT...

I am sorry that the game master was SO inexperienced that he botches the rules so badly. Now we have a video that new players will see that is terribly flawed. Please get Steve to give the GM a class on remedial rules reading prior to the next session.

I know that sounded cruel, but I love the game. I misread rules too, but this was embarrassing!
__________________
RVA_Grandpa
-----------------------------------------
https://travelingthelabyrinth.blogspot.com
We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.
RVA_Grandpa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2019, 03:38 PM   #4
Skarg
 
Join Date: May 2015
Default Re: Live In The Labyrinth

Yeah, as someone who knows the rules, it was painful to watch, and if new people try to watch that session to learn... I feel sorry for them.

Someone should really explain to that GM:

1. Don't roll initiative for every PC (unless they start fighting each other).

2. Initiative determines which entire side gets to choose whether to move before or after their opponents move.

3. Players can think about what action they'll take and should only move far enough to allow that, but they don't have to fully commit to an option during the Movement Phase. (in the video, the people who wanted to Disengage were being talked to as if that's what they must do later as their action).

And when fighting small nuisance creatures (especially when given special rules for them as in Death Test):

4. Small nuisance creatures do not engage anyone.

5. Small nuisance creatures do not use the HTH initiation procedure or restrictions.

6. In this case, there is no limit to the number of those creatures that can be on one figure.

And I don't know how consciously the GM wants this to be a cake walk, but usually Death Test is a serious challenge, at least for four 32-34 point Melee characters without any talents, so:

7. Having five powerful PCs is probably going to be a cake walk. (At least one character seems to be ST 13 DX 11 IQ 11 at least, and with several points in ITL talents which DT opponents don't have.)

In Death Test 2, a party is allowed to rest only 15 minutes in each room, enough to rest 1 point of spell fatigue. In Death Test 1 I usually allow the same, but it actually does not mention being allowed to rest at all. Again, this is a balance issue, and an important part of how Death Test is balanced to be challenging, so:

8. Letting the party rest for a couple of hours to recover all of their fatigue when they have two wizards in the group is going to also be a huge gift to the players and will remove the element of needing to conserve strength for spells. The resting restriction is another important part of balance in Death Test (each room is usually quite beatable by four 32 point figures, but the test is to be able to survive several such fights in a row without much rest). The wizards should have been told this at the start, so they know to ration their spells.

Of course you can keep playing with five powerful PCs and hours of rest between rooms. It will probably be a cake walk for them, and not much like Death Test is designed as, but that may be ok. They might manage to have someone die anyway since they have no experience. (They might have managed to die in the first room if that one PC had gone berserk...)
Skarg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2019, 08:26 AM   #5
Senturian
 
Senturian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania
Default Re: Live In The Labyrinth

At this rate, these 4 probably won't make it past the 3rd room even with the 5th character. Love to see their reactions upon entering the Gold room.
The Red room (Spiders in HTH) may not be the best introduction to the system without a veteran GM.
A lot of off camera work to be done before the next session.
I suggest each player take a character into an arena 2v2 to learn combat basics and have an experienced player in the mix for guidance.

I'm still very much enjoying it though. Keep it going.
Senturian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2019, 05:46 PM   #6
ColinK
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Live In The Labyrinth

Snicker.

I remember making ALL of those GM and player mistakes, and MUCH worse ones, too.

Wait until the players start gaming the system. How many of you recall when somebody combined flasks of flammable oil, Control Animal and Fireball spells?

Balance THAT.

It can be done, but how often can you create the opportunity for a party to engage in a firefight inside a grain storage building?

"Wow, what's that in sky?"

"Hmm...looks like a flaming duck."

"I think it's a flaming wizard."

It's not horrible to see the mistakes happen during this first video, and I will enjoy watching Video #2 to see the recoveries, mea culpa and "Oops, did I do that?" by all and sundry.

Death Test is a great place to wring out some of the MELEE and WIZARD learning process.
ColinK is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:08 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.